Blossoming Path

Chapter 48: Homework

The pages smelled of old parchment and were interspersed with ink sketches. The first illustration showed a hand placed over a block of metal, fingers spread wide with lines of force emanating outward.

Understanding Metals Nature;Before one can extract from metal, they must understand its nature. Place your hand upon a piece of metal and attempt to sense its core. Do not extract. Instead, attune yourself. Feel its solidity, its weight, and its resistance.

I looked around for any metal item within my vicinity. But the closest one I had was my iron staff from Wang Jun. I left it underneath the bed, as I hadn't found the opportunity to train yet.

Placing it by my legs, I reached out and searched for an extraction point, like how I do with plants. But all I felt was an unyielding wall. I had never attempted to extract anything else with my powers aside from plant matter. It didn't occur to me to attempt it on anything else. After all, the Heavenly Interface told me it was supposed to be used for plants only.

Where I would try to feel out gently and coax out the extraction point, my qi seemed to bounce off any attempts at extracting the metal. I kept testing different spots, brushing my fingertips along the iron staff to find the point of extraction.

After several minutes of failure, I opened my eyes and let out a small exhale.

I was pushing my essence and qi against the iron. It was like trying to push my hand through a wall. It didn't budge, it didnt yield.

That clearly wasn't going to work. What did Master Li Tao say to do afterward?

If your initial attempt is not successful, do not fret. The will is a tool when dealing with metal. Strengthen yours. Sit in meditation, envisioning a wall. With each breath, see this wall become taller, thicker, and more impregnable. Your will must be strong enough to climb and then break down this wall.

A matter of will, huh?

That didn't seem right. I was made of pure, concentrated power and will! Atleast fifteen percent!

I put down the staff and tried again but with an intensity unlike anything before. I gritted my teeth, remembering how I had to push through against the rope-wrapped poles during my conditioning exercise.

After finding a good spot to hold, I began to push.

The metal refused to yield. My grip tightened on the staff as I pushed harder and harder, trying to make it bend to my will.

Suddenly, a sharp, splintering pain pierced through my mind, making me recoil in agony. It felt as if a thousand needles were being thrust into my head, each one more painful than the last. My vision blurred, and the room around me spun. Dropping the iron staff, I grabbed my head in my hands, trying to control the surging pain.

Amidst the haze, I felt a burning sensation seeping from my palm. Looking down, I noticed the muscles on my palm had twisted and turned a darkish purple. My thumb contorted into a painful position. Panic welled up inside me. Qi deviation, a voice echoed in my mind.

I tried to focus my internal energies to stabilize my qi, but the pain was overwhelming. The surge had disrupted my internal pathways, and now my qi was running wild, unchecked. Each attempt to control it only led to more pain.

Despite my eyes being closed, I felt a white flash of light close by and a soft touch on my shoulder. Tianyi.

Almost immediately, the pain subsided. It was still debilitating, but I no longer feared for my life. I released a sharp intake of breath, internally thanking my steadfast companion for her timely intervention. I truly would be dead several times over without her help. She's getting some alcohol as a treat after this is all settled and over with.

Hours or perhaps minutes later, the worst of the pain subsided, leaving me drenched in sweat and panting heavily. My hand throbbed, and a few bruises remained, a stark reminder of my foolishness.

Laying on the ground, I took stock of the situation. My body felt drained, my mind foggy. Muttering out my thanks to Tianyi, she fluttered over to her corner by the windowsill, resting amicably.

It was then that Master Li Tao's words resonated even more profoundly.

Your will must be strong enough to climb and then break down this wall.

My will had faltered because it had never truly been tested in this way. It wasn't about sheer force or trying harder, but about understanding and then dominating. Ha, where was Wang Jun when I needed him? As a master of the forge, surely he could've helped me with this!

Lifting myself up slowly, I made a decision. If it was my will that needed strengthening, then I would push my body and mind to its limits.

I looked at my knuckles. They were still tender from the conditioning drill, although the skin was beginning to heal. Even though I knew honing my resilience and will be done through the drill, Instructor Xia Ji's words crossed my mind.

Conditioning is a journey, not a one-time event.

Pushing myself in over-eagerness would result in permanent damage. As much as I wanted to get all these done, I couldn't screw myself over. These hands were worth hundreds of gold! Recovery meant losing out on time to improve my alchemy, herbal, and combat skills.

My spirit sank at the realization that I might not be ready for the Grand Alchemy Gauntlet in time. What could I do to heal faster?

Could I possibly create an elixir to expedite the healing of my hands? I could potentially use my expertise in extracting plant essence to create a potion, but this was a step up from what I usually made. Even with all my breakthroughs so far, my potions were aids in day-to-day life. Even though I used them to help win the battle against the Wind Serpents, I only kept them in mind to help regular people. Those with back pain, or struggled to get a full night's rest.

They weren't the sort that cultivators would use to aid themselves in battle against powerful spirit beasts. The ingredients I utilized were just too...mundane.

But now, I had access to an entire sect's resources. They even had rare plants that boasted unique properties I never dealt with before. As I dove deeper into alchemy, I'd learn how to refine them into more powerful products.

This would be my personal project. I'd need some ginseng, although the age of the rootlets wouldn't matter.

I delved into my memory palace, reviewing my wide knowledge of plants to see the ingredients I needed for my purposes. As I continued to think, a prototype of sorts began to unfurl in my mind. I think forming it as a hydrosol would be a good idea. The effect would be mild, and I could make it in large quantities for dipping gauze into. That gauze would not only keep my fists secure after conditioning drills, they would also speed up the healing process and hopefully numb the area to help me continue working when I wasn't doing physical training.

The thought was enticing. With a properly made hydrosol, I could push my limits without the fear of lasting injury. It could support faster recovery and even strengthen my qi pathways. Constant use would strengthen them, so long as I didn't get qi deviation again. I'm thankful that the strengthening of my body makes it less and less likely to happen.

Best of all, I wouldn't have to tire Tianyi out! If it was effective, I could see it being used in the sect as well! People like Feng Wu would be able to do these conditioning drills without worrying about the recovery process.

If I completed this, it might just be the key to everything.

I exited the memory palace technique, keeping the template for my new product unfinished. I'd need to do some more reading tomorrow to find the best possible way to go about this. I didn't make hydrosols often back in my village, after all.

My eyes flitted to the array of vials and beakers on the table. The Invigorating Dawn Tonic potions I had left overnight to infuse were finally ready. I examined the amber liquid, swirling it in the light. If I could make this, creating a more specialized potion for my needs wasn't an insurmountable task.

Picking up an empty vial, I began to think of what components I would need. Certain roots for their anti-inflammatory properties, a bit of spirit moss to boost qi flow to the area, and perhaps some sort of reed for the cooling and numbing effect. The potential combination of ingredients seemed limitless.

While lost in my musings, a delicate fluttering caught my attention. Tianyi, her wings like opalescent gemstones, flew in circles. She tilted her head as if to inquire about my train of thought. I couldn't help but chuckle at her inquisitiveness. "Thinking of brewing something new, Tianyi. Something to mend these battered hands of mine."

She fluttered up, her wings catching the sunlight and producing a dazzling display of colors, before landing gracefully on one of the potion vials, inspecting it. I took that as a sign of encouragement.

"But," I paused, feeling a sudden wave of vulnerability, "what if I fail? What if I can't make it in time?" The weight of the upcoming Gauntlet and the uncertainty of my plan pressed heavily on my mind. This all rode on one main factor; me actually making the potion.

Tianyi seemed to sense my hesitance. With a gentle flutter, she landed back on my shoulder, her delicate legs lightly touching my skin as if to comfort me. Her action reminded me of the countless times she had been my pillar, both in spirit and in action.

I couldn't fail. I wouldn't.

With renewed determination, I said, "Let's do this, Tianyi. Time to concoct the best healing elixir the world has ever seen!"

But in all honesty, I need to rest. I could see dawn breaking. I wouldn't want to mess up in front of Instructor Xiao-Hu tomorrow. Li Na and Han Wei would definitely poke fun of me if I were to.

And just like that, a quest appeared.

Quest: Creation of Healing Hydrosol

- Study ancient alchemical texts from the Verdant Lotus Sect's library to uncover the secrets of hydrosol creation. (0/3)

- Harvest fresh tienchi ginseng, spirit moss, common reed, and Chinese orchid and deepen understanding of each ingredient. (0/4)

- Extract the pure essence of spirit moss and find its hidden properties. (0/1)

- Distill the ingredients using an alchemical still. (0/1)

- Learn the method to create purified water using alchemy.

I gave myself a minute to digest the quest fully. I went to my freshly made batch of Invigorating Dawn Tonic and chugged one down. Energy washed over my body, soothing my physical and mental fatigue.

I suppose I wasn't sleeping tonight.

My vision blurred, a throbbing sensation originating from my temples. The last thing I remembered was being completely engrossed within my memory palace and now...

I was seated at a wooden bench, surrounded by students. Each was engrossed in preparing various ingredients, carefully following instructions from an imposing figure at the head of the room. The realization hit me suddenly: I was in class.

Li Na was waving her hand over my face, a concerned look etched on her features. "Kai? Are you alright? You seem elsewhere."

Pushing away the fatigue clouding my mind, I forced a smile. "I'm fine, Li Na. Just a bit distracted. Thanks for checking on me."

She gave me a pointed look but didnt press the matter. Turning back to the task at hand, I tried to follow the instructions being shared.

"Our focus today," Instructor Xiao-Hu began, "is on prepping ingredients with efficiency. Remember, your diligence here affects the final product. Do not rush. Instead, be methodical and precise."

My fingers shook as I picked up a herb. Fatigue clung to me, weighing down every movement. Each snip of the herb seemed to drain me further, making me acutely aware of the long hours spent in experimentation the previous night.

Amid my struggle, memories of Master Li Tao's exercises resurfaced. 'Strengthen your will.' That phrase echoed in my mind. Wasnt this just another wall to climb?

With a deep breath, I focused. My knife moved with a newfound purpose, quickly and efficiently prepping the herb in front of me. I tuned out the rest of the world, focusing only on the task at hand. The herbs, the knife, and me. It was as if we were dancing, each step choreographed, each move exact.

Li Na, seemingly impressed, nudged me with her elbow. "Looks like someone finally woke up. Keep this up, and you might just get moved to the advanced classes."

I chuckled, not breaking my rhythm. "Lets not get ahead of ourselves."

"Quiet!" Instructor Xiao-Hu scolded, turning to our corner of the class. I muttered out an apology and kept my head down, too tired to even feel embarrassed.

However, as the class continued, the fatigue came back in waves, stronger each time. I found my grip slipping, my focus waning. But every time I felt like giving in, I remembered Master Li Tao's words. The metal. The wall. This was just another challenge to overcome.

When the instructor finally called an end to the session, I exhaled in relief, my fingers aching, my mind exhausted but proud of the work I'd done. Li Na smirked at me, her playful demeanor returning. "You did well today, despite your zombie-like state at the start. Got any secret potions you're hiding?"

Grinning, I responded, "Maybe, but a cultivator never reveals all his secrets."