After finishing his conversation with the Valley Master and Elder Hua, Su Yang walked out of the Valley of Harmonious Souls, his mind heavy with thought.
> "I was chosen not just by the sect array… but by the legacy array as well. Even the Valley Master only reached the sixth illusion of the Seven Heavens Trial. What exactly am I holding inside me?"
He clenched his fist lightly, feeling the warmth of the Karma Fire circulating within his veins. He knew his ice-type body had yet to awaken fully, and that his current path leaned more toward fire and alchemy.
> "I need strength. I need understanding. If I'm going to control this Karma Fire and raise my rank in this sect, I'll need to become stronger through alchemy too. That way, I won't just be another disciple—I'll be indispensable."
With that thought in mind, Su Yang made his way toward the Alchemy Hall—one of the seven great halls within the Seven Valley Sect.
---
The Alchemy Hall stood upon a wide terrace overlooking the misty blue rivers and hills of the sect. A tall, bronze furnace sculpture adorned the entrance, and waves of medicinal fragrance drifted in the air.
As Su Yang approached, he was stopped by two outer disciples in green robes.
"Newcomer?" one of them asked, giving him a quick lookover.
"Yes, I want to enter the Alchemy Hall," Su Yang replied calmly.
The disciple scoffed. "You think you can just walk in and start refining pills? You need a pill badge to even use the practice furnaces. Do you have one?"
Su Yang shook his head. "No. But I'm a mid-tier Yellow level alchemist."
The other disciple raised an eyebrow. "You passed the badge test outside the sect?"
Su Yang nodded. "Yes."
The disciple exchanged a look with the first and said, "Then you can go inside and speak to Elder Mo, the one who oversees the outer furnace area. Show him your token."
Su Yang walked past them, entering a high-pillared hall lined with dozens of stone furnaces. Pill shelves filled the walls, and the rich aroma of spirit herbs clung to every breath.
In the center sat an elderly man with thin white hair tied in a long braid, his hands folding an old alchemy manual.
Su Yang stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings, Elder Mo. I'm Su Yang, new disciple of the Seven Valley Sect. I came to apply for a furnace slot."
Elder Mo glanced up. "Do you have a badge?"
Su Yang presented the token he had received from his test in Lu City. The elder took it, examined the official engraving, then looked back at Su Yang with more interest.
"Yellow-level mid-tier? Not bad for someone your age. But this is the sect—we don't just go by ranks. You'll need to refine a basic Skin Tempering Pill in front of me. Success will earn you a furnace, access to the herb cabinet, and a temporary alchemist robe."
Su Yang nodded without hesitation. "I'm ready."
---
Elder Mo walked him to an empty stone furnace, gave him a set of low-grade herbs, and said, "You have 30 minutes. Begin."
Su Yang placed his hand over the furnace and released a faint stream of red-orange Karma Fire.
The elder's eyes widened slightly. "That's not ordinary flame… interesting."
Su Yang remained focused, slowly heating the furnace with his Heavenly True Fire Art. Under his control, the flame was gentle yet powerful—neither burning the herbs nor letting them rot.
Ten minutes in, a medicinal fragrance spread through the area. Several disciples nearby sniffed the air and turned their heads.
"Who's refining a pill right now?"
"Wait… is that a Skin Tempering Pill? That aroma is almost pure…"
Su Yang condensed the essence with fine control, formed the pill, and opened the furnace. Inside lay three perfectly round yellow pills, each emitting a faint spiritual glow.
Even Elder Mo was stunned.
"These… are 90% purity, at minimum," he said in a low voice.
The old man gave Su Yang a long look, then waved his sleeve.
"Take these. This is your temporary robe and your inner badge. From now on, you may use any empty furnace in this hall. If you want to access the higher levels, you'll need to pass the Profound Level test next."
Su Yang bowed deeply. "Thank you, Elder."
As he turned to leave, he felt many gazes on his back—some of admiration, some of jealousy.
> "With Karma Fire… even low-tier pills are easier to control. But if people find out the truth behind my flame…"
He gripped the badge tightly.
> "I'll keep it hidden. For now."
But unknown to Su Yang, in a private chamber above the main hall, a young woman with a white veil covering her face looked down through a spiritual mirror. She had seen the entire process.
"That flame… I've never seen anything like it," she whispered.
Her name was Mu Qinglian, a genius alchemist of the Profound level.
> "Su Yang, was it? I'll remember you."