The courtyard slowly quieted after the Mist Cloud Sect departed, but the storm they had brought still lingered in every breath of air.
Xiao Zhan's face was carved with grim determination as he retreated to the inner hall, leaving behind murmurs and wild speculation among the elders and younger generation.
Standing under the waning sun, Xiao Chen clenched his fists.
"Four years… I'll make sure I stand above the clouds, even if I have to scorch the heavens."
A Promise Echoing Across Time
Later that evening, Xiao Chen stood alone before the ancestral hall, incense smoke curling like coiling dragons before the shrine.
His Qi had already begun subtly transforming since consuming the Nine Yang Foundation Pill and Mighty Huang Pill, rewards from the Goddess System. Every breath was now infused with a rising pressure, as though his dantian were a sleeping volcano beginning to stir.
He opened his palm.
From his ring, the Pharmacopedia of the Nine Heavens emerged. The ancient tome hovered, pages fluttering despite the absence of wind.
"Alchemy… so much more than pills. It's knowledge, it's life, it's control over the fates of others."
With the Pharmacopeia, he could now begin refining spiritual medicine and fortifying his cultivation. His soul force surged as he mentally scanned the grade listings, from mundane powders to the mythical nine-colored elixirs.
A Midnight Council – Reincarnated Ambitions
That night, within a secluded chamber of the Xiao estate, Xiao Chen sat with Gu San and Mu Lie.
Gu San (Tang San) was calm, sipping tea while faintly polishing a fine dagger with cold light emanating from it. Mu Lie, the young genius of spirit arrays and artifacts, tapped a soul crystal rhythmically on the table.
Mu Lie: "So… you challenged the Mist Cloud Sect's princess. Bold move, brother."
Xiao Chen: "Didn't choose it. The system chose for me. But I won't back down. Four years is plenty."
Gu San: "You'll need more than strength. The Mist Cloud Sect is no pushover. Their techniques are ancient, their foundations deep."
Xiao Chen nodded. "That's why I'm starting now. Pills. Formulas. Soul refinement. Everything."
A glowing notice briefly appeared in Xiao Chen's vision:
[Sign-In Location: Xiao Family Medicine Pavilion]
Sign-In Successful!
Rewards Acquired:
Heavenly Flame Refining Cauldron (3rd Tier – Green Rank)
Soul Strengthening Liquid (5 bottles – boosts Soul Perception and Control)
Grade 6 Pill Formula – Purple Jade Bone Reconstruction Pill
The trio paused as Xiao Chen revealed the cauldron—a beautiful green bronze vessel inscribed with dancing phoenix runes.
Mu Lie (grinning): "If you start refining now, you might even surpass most of the Central Plains alchemists by then."
Gu San: "You'll need to. Because Nalan Yanran… won't be holding back."
Meanwhile… at the Mist Cloud Sect
High atop the clouds, within the celestial halls of the Mist Cloud Sect, Nalan Yanran stood quietly in her chamber, looking out at the moonlit sea of fog. Her heart was a battleground of pride and confusion.
"Xiao Chen... What did you become while I was looking away?"
Her grandfather, Nalan Jie, entered the room.
Nalan Jie: "You accepted his challenge. You know the consequence."
Nalan Yanran: "I accepted it because I had no choice."
Nalan Jie (sighing): "Then use the time wisely. Because in four years… you must either break the chain of fate—or be bound by it."
Outside, Elder Yun Yun stood on a nearby peak, wind brushing through her robes. She remembered the look in Xiao Chen's eyes—not lust, not arrogance, but burning will.
"He may be more dangerous than Xiao Yan."
A Glimmer of the Future
Back in Wu Tan City, Xiao Chen began preparations for his journey. If he wanted to fight a Dou Ling powerhouse in four years, he needed opportunities, experiences, and flames—he needed to grow beyond the walls of Wu Tan.
"Next stop... the Monster Ranch Mountain. A place to sign in. A place to fight. A place to rise."