After an idle walk through the lower pathways of Clear Sky Peak, Li Qingyun returned to his quiet courtyard. Along the way, he'd heard passing murmurs from fellow outer sect disciples—speculation and excitement about the upcoming Outer Sect Sword Trial, which would begin in three months.
"…I heard the winner will get access to one of the inner sect's sword halls."
"I don't care about first place—I just want to break into the top ten and earn more cultivation resources."
Li Qingyun had simply listened, his expression calm. He didn't need the validation of others—but he knew one thing clearly:
Opportunities gravitated to those who stood above.
That night, after some quiet cultivation and light sword practice, he sat cross-legged on a smooth stone slab beneath the shade of his courtyard's lone pine tree. A faint breeze drifted in, carrying the scent of pine resin and polished steel.
He exhaled deeply.
"System."
At his mental call, the familiar glowing panel unfurled in front of him.
---
[SystemInterface]
[Host:] Li Qingyun
[Realm:] Foundation Establishment Realm — 2nd Stage
[Physique:] Primal Chaos Vessel Physique
[Slots:]
Slot 1: Phantom Step Art — Perfect (Advance to Transcendent stage – Requires 200 points)
Slot 2: Ninefold Essence Sutra — Perfect (Advance to Transcendent stage – Requires 500 points)
Slot 3: Cloudveil Sword Control Method — Minor Completion
Slot4: Tranquil Void Heart Scripture — Beginner
[Techniques:]
Jade Body Tempering Scripture — Transcendent (Unshakable Core)
Ninefold Essence Sutra — Perfect
Voidcleave Sword Manual — Transcendent (Sword Domain)
Phantom Step Art — Perfect
Cloudveil Sword Control Method — Minor Completion
↳ Cloudveil Flight Method — Major Completion
Tranquil Void Heart Scripture — Beginner
[BoundWeapon:] Shadowfang — Spirit Grade
[WeaponTraits:] Adaptive resonance, enhances Sword Intent, evolves with usage
[Energy:] 623 points
---
Li Qingyun narrowed his gaze at the list. His cultivation method—Ninefold Essence Sutra—was strong, yes. But for now, the Perfect stage was enough. He didn't feel an urgent bottleneck. He could refine it to Transcendent later.
Instead, his attention fell on the movement art that had always silently defined his victories.
PhantomStepArt.
His lips curled into a calm smile. "In the end… survival and maneuverability are what decide true life-and-death battles."
"Advance Phantom Step Art to Transcendent."
—200 points consumed—
The interface shimmered. A faint hum filled the courtyard.
[Phantom Step Art has reached Transcendent Stage.]
New Effect Gained: "Shadow Traverse" — Within the range of the host's Divine Sense, movement becomes instantaneous. With minimal consumption of spiritual and mental energy, the host can 'step' directly to any location sensed, leaving behind afterimages or illusions depending on focus.
Li Qingyun opened his eyes.
He didn't need to try it to know—he could already feel it. The threads of space, the rhythm of proximity—his awareness of nearby terrain and distance had taken on another layer of clarity.
He stood up, still barefoot on the stone tile.
He closed his eyes.
In the next instant—
Shff!
His figure vanished from where he stood. A whisper of wind marked his absence.
Half a breath later, he reappeared atop the stone wall of his courtyard. Again—shff!—he blinked to the top of a pavilion beam, crouching like a shadow cast by starlight.
One more.
He leapt to the far edge of the courtyard, appearing at the exact spot where the wind rustled a hanging lantern. No motion wasted. No noise made.
"Shadow Traverse," he muttered, voice calm. "If used in battle… it's lethal."
More than speed—it was positional control. Every direction within his Divine Sense was now a battlefield under his feet.
"I can't afford to be arrogant," he said softly, remembering the old idiom his grandfather once quoted:
'Even a wise man can drown in shallow water.'
He didn't intend to capsize in a gutter.
Not in this sect. Not in this life.
He spent the next hour weaving in and out of every shadow in his courtyard, practicing rapid bursts, phantom illusions, and even combining Cloudveil Sword Flight with mid-air Shadow Traverse to simulate real combat shifts.
As the stars wheeled above and his robes danced like phantom silk, Li Qingyun looked more like a specter than a mortal cultivator.
That night, after hours spent honing his sword intent, domain control, and refining movement through shadow-stepping, Li Qingyun finally returned to his quiet residence. His body bore weariness, but his mind was sharp with clarity.
He sat cross-legged for a moment longer, centering his breath, and then quietly entered his chamber.
There's still much to do… but that's enough for today.
He shut his eyes. Sleep came easily.
The Next Morning
As the soft glow of dawn swept over Clear Sky Peak, Li Qingyun finished his routine breathing cycle and left his courtyard. Today, his goal lay not in combat or cultivation—but in search for recipes for Crimson Sunroot. He already had checked every records in his previous visit in Sky-Reaching Sword Sect Library Pavilion but it does not contain any pill recipe.
He descended along a quiet path and made his way toward the AlchemicalHall, the division responsible for the Sky-Reaching Sword Sect's alchemy, pill refining, and medicinal records.
Located near a cluster of spirit herb gardens and surrounded by medicinal vapors, the Alchemical Hall was a four-story building with tiled jade roofs and incense curling from open stone vents. Apprentices and alchemists moved about, some delivering pill boxes, others discussing herb qualities with passing elders.
Li Qingyun stepped through the outer arch and was guided by a disciple toward the RecordsHall, a quieter wing within the compound.
Behind a polished stone counter sat a lean elder in simple silver-trimmed robes. His hair was white, but his eyes shone with clarity like rippling flames.
"Junior greets Elder," Li Qingyun bowed respectfully.
The elder nodded. "State your business, disciple."
"I wish to consult the pavilion's medicinal archive," Li Qingyun replied, voice measured. "Specifically, I am seeking pill recipes or texts related to unusual or rare cultivation herbs."
The elder's gaze narrowed slightly. "Looking to become an alchemist?"
Li Qingyun met the man's gaze. "Yes, Elder. I wish to study alchemy alongside my cultivation. I believe understanding the nature of medicine and transformation will serve me well."
He had thought for a very long time and decided to make alchemy his side profession, as he was also a descendant of alchemical lineage and it will serve his purpose in his cultivation till the end.
The elder gave a small grunt—not disapproving, but thoughtful. "You're not the first sword cultivator to say that. Most give up after scorching their first cauldron."
"I don't intend to stop at the first scorch," Li Qingyun replied with a faint smile.
This time, the elder let out a soft chuckle. "Very well. Place your contribution token."
Li Qingyun did so. The elder ran it across a glowing inscription plate, and a flicker of golden light showed the tally.
"Eight contribution points," the elder muttered. "Basic archive access only. You'll find some rank 1 and a few rank 2 formulations. No refining guides, no rare combinations. Still want it?"
"Yes," Li Qingyun replied without hesitation.
The elder gestured toward the wooden corridor ahead. "Second door on the left. Room marked Basic Formulations. One incense stick's time. No copying talismans, no spirit-photography."
Li Qingyun bowed again and made his way down the hall.
_____
Li Qingyun pushed open the door marked Basic Formulations.
Inside, rows of tightly organized shelves curved around a glowing jade orb at the center of the chamber. The orb pulsed softly, a formation hub that kept the room free from moisture and preserved the age-worn scrolls and jade slips. The scent of old parchment mixed with faint traces of herb ash.
He moved silently between the shelves, fingers brushing the edges of neatly arranged records. Most were formulas for basic rank 1 and rank 2 pills—Qi Nourishing Pellets, Bone Tempering Pills, Minor Clarity Elixirs… common and well-practiced.
His eyes scanned titles with measured patience.
[Refining Notes: Clarity Dew Elixir]
Ingredients: Jadeleaf Mint, Dew Lotus Pollen, Yellowroot Bark
Usage: Assists spiritual focus, stabilizes early Foundation Establishment breakthroughs.
[Essence Condensing Pill — Rank 2]
Ingredients: Azure-Gold Myrrh, Nightshade Vine, Moonroot Bulb
Usage: For gathering spiritual energy at a condensed rate over time.
His pace remained slow, his eyes sharp and patient.
Then, near the rear of the second shelf, he found it—tucked between two more well-known prescriptions, labeled in older script.
[Lesser Crimson Body-Refining Pill] — Experimental Draft
Core Ingredient: Crimson Sunroot
Supplementary Materials: Molten Gold Bark, Blacksteel Vine Extract, Bloodclot Lotus (optional)
Type: Body Tempering Supplement — Rank 2 (High Grade, Unstable)
Effect: Promotes internal marrow activation and toughens muscle fibers. May induce short-term pain and internal pressure. Best consumed alongside a marrow-clearing technique or healing method.
Note: Must not be consumed in succession. Early prototypes caused excessive internal heat and minor spiritual backlash.
Li Qingyun's gaze lingered on the jade slip, then slowly lifted it and fed a thread of spiritual sense into its inscriptions. The details unfolded into his mind—ingredient synergy, pill formation stages, and a side annotation from the original scribe:
"Useful for body cultivators who've already developed internal tempering but seek finer marrow refinement and spiritual flesh fusion. Not suitable for bone-stage cultivators unless tailored with cooling agents."
He fell into silent thought.
His Jade Body Tempering Scripture had long since reached Transcendent Stage, and with it, his bones had achieved the crystalline resilience of Jade Bone Transformation. His body was no longer merely resistant—it healed swiftly, resisted poisons and impacts alike, and had achieved the rare Unshakable Core trait.
Even so...
"If this pill can further refine my marrow or enhance the integration between physical and spiritual essence, it's worth investigating."
He placed the jade slip back with care on the shelf.
The faint golden light of the orb reflected in his eyes as he turned.
Crimson Sunroot… not a waste after all.
He exited the Basic Formulations hall a few minutes later, his steps light but measured.
He had not come looking for a miracle. But he had found a path—subtle, unfinished, yet promising.