Chapter 10: Elixir of Scars
The air in the sulfur crevice tasted like rotten eggs and desperation. Kai leaned against the warm rock, the lingering sting of the scalding mud a grim counterpoint to the pulsing warmth of the Sunfire Pollen vial in his hand. 145 SP. The **Portable Spirit Refining Kit** – his ticket to mending his shattered meridians – cost 200. Fifty-five points stood between him and salvation… or annihilation.
Zhang's enraged bellow still echoed faintly in his memory, a chilling reminder that the Verdant Cloud Sect's net was tightening, fueled by humiliation and vengeance. The geothermal badlands offered temporary refuge, but staying still was death. He needed SP, fast, and the System's options were bleak: suicidal patrol fights, treacherous high-yield harvesting, or tangling with beasts likely stronger than the frostbitten Salamander.
His gaze drifted across the hostile landscape – jagged obsidian formations, hissing fumaroles, bubbling mud pits like the one currently hosting Zhang. Danger… but also *potential*. The Alchemy Primer knowledge churned in his mind. *Geothermal zones… concentrated Fire and Earth Qi… often harbor reactive crystalline formations…*
"System," Kai rasped, voice raw from sulfur fumes. "Scan immediate vicinity for high-reactivity mineral formations. SP value potential."
**<< Scanning… >>**
**<< Detected: Sulfur Crystals (Impure) - Low SP Value. >>**
**<< Detected: Obsidian Shards (Volcanic Glass) - Moderate SP Value if Pure. >>**
**<< Detected: Fire Opal Vein (Trace - High Reactivity, High SP Value). Location: 0.3 miles Southwest. Embedded in Geothermal Vent Wall. Access: Hazardous. >>**
Fire Opal. The Primer mentioned it: unstable, beautiful, capable of storing and amplifying Fire Qi. Highly prized by artificers and alchemists. *High SP Value.*
**<< Estimated SP Value per Unrefined Node: 60-80 SP. >>**
One node. That's all he needed. But embedded in a geothermal vent wall? That meant heat that could melt steel, toxic gases, and likely… guardians.
"Threat assessment? The vent wall."
**<< Geothermal Vent Sigma-7. >>**
**<< Temperature: Extreme (Capable of melting base metals). >>**
**<< Fume Composition: Sulfur Dioxide (High), Carbon Monoxide (Moderate), Trace Volcanic Ash. Lethal without Qi protection. >>**
**<< Fauna: Ember Mites (Swarm - Tier 0). Annoyance. Heat Leeches (Tier 1 - Qi Draining Parasites). Primary Threat. >>**
Heat Leeches. Parasites that latched onto Qi sources and drained them dry. Against a background of extreme heat and toxic gas, they were a nightmare. His Mid-stage Qi would be a beacon.
The Frost Essence Crystal was gone. His SP was too low for significant defensive purchases. He had his wits, his techniques, his Stag Blood… and the Sunfire Pollen.
A dangerous, desperate idea sparked. The pollen was pure, volatile Fire Qi. The leeches drained Qi… but could they handle *that* much, *that* pure? Or would it be like feeding gunpowder to a candle?
"Mostly bullshit," Kai muttered, a grim smile touching his lips. "Right up my alley." He pushed himself up, ignoring the protest from his scalded legs. Time to walk into the furnace.
The approach to Vent Sigma-7 was like descending into a dragon's maw. The heat intensified with every step, pressing in like a physical force. Kai activated **Iron Skin**, focusing the Qi reinforcement not just on his skin, but on forming a thin, insulating layer *around* his body, pushing back the worst of the heat. He wrapped his face tightly with the least sulfur-stained cloth he had, filtering some fumes. Sweat evaporated instantly.
The vent itself was a gaping wound in the earth, roaring with superheated steam and belching noxious yellow clouds. The Fire Opal vein glittered enticingly about fifteen feet down the near-vertical inner wall – clusters of iridescent orange and red stone pulsing with captured firelight. Crawling across the wall, like grotesque, molten slugs, were the **Heat Leeches**. Dozens of them. Each was the size of his forearm, their semi-translucent bodies revealing glowing internal organs that pulsed hungrily as they sensed his approach. Their Qi-draining aura was a palpable, sucking sensation even from the rim.
**<< Heat Leech Swarm Detected. Aggression: High (Qi Source Identified). >>**
Kai didn't hesitate. He pulled the vial of Sunfire Lotus Pollen. Carefully, using his flint knife, he scooped out a tiny amount – barely a pinch – of the glowing golden powder. He mixed it swiftly with a dollop of sticky Stonehide Stag Blood on the knife's blade. The mixture instantly began to sizzle and emit intense heat.
"Alright, you hungry bastards," Kai breathed. "Dinner's served." He reared back and flung the sizzling, pollen-laden blood glob down into the vent, not at the opals, but *onto the wall* directly below the largest cluster of leeches.
*FWOOSH!*
The impact wasn't an explosion, but an intense *ignition*. The concentrated Sunfire Pollen, activated by the impact and the ambient heat, erupted in a brief, sun-bright flare. Superheated Stag Blood splattered across the leeches and the vent wall.
The effect was immediate and catastrophic for the parasites. The leeches recoiled violently, their bodies *hissing* and *popping* as the pure, overwhelming Fire Qi flooded their Qi-draining systems. It wasn't absorbed; it was *forced* in, a scalding torrent their biology couldn't handle. Leeches nearest the impact point simply burst into greasy, flaming chunks. Others writhed in agony, their translucent bodies glowing incandescently from within before rupturing or shriveling. The intense heat also seared the rock wall, momentarily clearing a path.
**<< Heat Leech Swarm Neutralized! >>**
**<< SP Gained: 25 (Creative Pest Control / Alchemical Weaponization). Total SP: 170! >>**
*Not enough!* He needed the Opal! Kai moved instantly. He tied his rope securely to a sturdy obsidian spike at the rim. He didn't bother with a slow descent. He poured Qi into **Heavenly Step** and *jumped* down the sheer wall towards the cleared patch near the opal vein, using the rope only as a guide and emergency brake. Heat blasted him, even through Iron Skin. Toxic fumes stung his eyes, making them water instantly.
He landed hard, boots sizzling on the superheated rock. He ignored it, focusing on the nearest Fire Opal node – a cluster of crystals the size of his fist, glowing like captured embers. He slammed his Boar Tusk Dagger into the surrounding rock, leveraging it with Mid-stage Qi-enhanced strength. Chunks of brittle volcanic rock fractured. He pried, sweat instantly vaporizing off his skin.
*CRACK!*
The node came free, searing hot even through his cloth-wrapped hand. He shoved it into his pack. **<< Fire Opal Node Acquired! Estimated SP Value: 75! Convert? Y/N? >>**
"Convert! Now!" Kai gasped, already scrambling back up the rope, hand over hand, muscles screaming, the heat threatening to cook him alive.
**<< Confirmed. +75 SP! >>**
**<< Total SP: 245! >>**
He hauled himself over the rim, collapsing onto the marginally cooler rock, coughing violently, his lungs burning. His clothes were singed, his skin felt raw, but the number blazed in his mind: **245 SP**.
"System," he wheezed, pulling up the Shop with trembling mental focus. "Purchase the Portable Spirit Refining Kit. Now!"
**<< Confirmed. Deducting 200 SP. >>**
**<< Total SP: 45 >>**
A compact, intricate apparatus materialized before him. It looked like a cross between a brass astrolabe and a miniature forge – gleaming pipes, crystal lenses, finely calibrated dials, and a central, insulated crucible chamber. It hummed faintly with contained power.
**<< Portable Spirit Refining Kit Acquired! >>**
**<< Alchemy Crafting Interface Unlocked! >>**
Kai didn't waste a second. He crawled away from the vent's edge, finding a slightly sheltered depression between two large, heat-radiating boulders. He set up the kit with frantic speed, following the intuitive instructions flowing from his Alchemy Proficiency and the System interface.
1. **Spirit Spring Water:** He poured water from his waterskin into the designated reservoir. The kit hummed, purifying and concentrating it.
2. **Frostwhisper Orchid:** He carefully placed the dormant flower into the primary grinding chamber. Delicate internal blades whirred, reducing it to a fine, shimmering blue powder that flowed into the central crucible.
3. **Sunfire Lotus Pollen:** He added a precisely measured pinch of the glowing golden dust. It hit the blue powder with a soft *hiss*, releasing a plume of steam that instantly froze into delicate frost crystals before evaporating.
4. **Frost Essence Crystal:** He placed the crude crystal into a secondary infusion port. The kit drew out its concentrated cold essence, feeding it drop by drop into the volatile mixture in the crucible.
5. **Initiate Refinement:** Kai placed his hands on the designated Qi conduits. "System, stabilize the process! I'll provide the Qi!"
**<< Stabilization Protocols Engaged. Host Qi Input Required: High & Sustained. Warning: Meridian Strain Critical. >>**
Kai gritted his teeth. This was it. The moment of truth. He closed his eyes and plunged his awareness into his dantian. He drew forth his Mid-stage Qi, not in a burst, but in a powerful, focused *river*. He channeled it through his patched, fragile meridians, pouring it into the refining kit.
*AGONY.*
It was like forcing molten lead through cracked glass. His meridians screamed in protest, the stabilized leaks groaning under the unprecedented strain. The System's duct tape felt like it was peeling away. He felt the cold burn of the Frostwhisper and the searing heat of the Sunfire Pollen warring *within* the crucible, their conflicting energies threatening to tear the delicate apparatus apart. His Qi was the mediator, the force binding them, guided and amplified by the kit's intricate mechanisms.
**<< Reaction Stability: 42%... 55%... Fluctuating! >>**
**<< Host Meridian Integrity: 63%... 58%... Warning! Critical Leakage Detected! >>**
Kai roared against the pain, pouring *more* Qi. He visualized the Elixir – not just healing, but *forging*. He saw his meridians not patched, but reforged in the crucible of this opposing power. He pushed his consciousness into the flow, not just fueling, but *shaping*.
**<< Stability: 68%... 75%... 82%! >>**
**<< Meridian Integrity: 51%... Holding! >>**
Inside the crucible, the chaos subsided. The blue powder and golden dust swirled together, fused by the Frost Essence drops and Kai's relentless Qi, transforming into a luminous, swirling liquid. It glowed with an internal light that shifted between icy blue and fiery gold, finally settling into a deep, radiant violet.
**<< Ding! >>**
**<< Crafting Complete: Frostwhisper Meridian Rejuvenation Elixir (High-Grade)! >>**
**<< Effect: Profound Meridian Reconstruction & Strengthening. Significant Qi Capacity & Purity Boost. High Probability of Cultivation Stage Advancement. >>**
**<< SP Gained: 100 (Successful High-Grade Elixir Crafting)! Total SP: 145! >>**
The kit hissed, venting excess steam and cold. The central chamber opened, revealing a small crystal vial filled with the luminous violet liquid. It pulsed with immense, harmonious power.
Kai collapsed, utterly spent, trembling violently. His meridians felt like frayed wires, burning and raw. But he had it. He reached out a shaking hand and grasped the vial. The power within it resonated with his battered core, a promise of wholeness.
He uncorked it. The scent was indescribable – frost-kissed mountains meeting sun-baked deserts. He didn't hesitate. He tipped the entire contents down his throat.
The effect was instantaneous and cataclysmic.
It wasn't healing. It was *reforging*.
Violet fire and ice exploded through his meridians. He arched off the ground, a silent scream locked in his throat. He felt his cracked pathways shatter completely, then dissolve into pure energy. From the dissolving chaos, new meridians *blazed* into existence – wider, stronger, gleaming like channels of starlight and molten gold woven together. The pain was beyond anything he'd ever imagined, a universe of agony condensed into his core. But beneath the pain was an overwhelming sense of *rightness*, of fundamental correction.
His dantian *detonated*. The swirling vortex of Mid-stage Qi vaporized, replaced by a dense, spinning nebula of pure violet energy, vast and deep. Power, raw and immense, flooded his new pathways, singing through veins and bone.
**<< Ding! Ding! Ding! >>**
**<< Meridian Reconstruction Complete! Status: Flawless (Grade: Celestial Foundation)! >>**
**<< Cultivation Breakthrough! >>**
**<< Qi Gathering Stage (Mid) -> Foundation Establishment Stage (Early)! >>**
**<< Qi Capacity: +500%! Qi Purity: +300%! >>**
**<< Passive Effects: Physical Reinforcement +200%, Qi Regeneration +150%, Elemental Affinity Sensitivity (All) Significantly Enhanced! >>**
**<< System Upgrade Unlocked: 'Bullshit Overdrive' Mode (Temporary Power Amplification - Locked: Requires 500 SP). >>**
The agony vanished, replaced by a profound, humming stillness. Kai lay on the warm rock, breathing steadily. He felt… new. Whole. Powerful in a way that dwarfed anything before. He flexed his hand. Violet Qi, pure and potent, crackled around his fingertips like contained lightning. He could *feel* the world around him with impossible clarity – the heat of the rocks, the flow of geothermal Qi deep below, the distant skitter of Ember Mites.
He was Foundation Establishment. The cripple was gone.
**<< Warning: High-Energy Signature Detected. Proximity: 0.5 miles. Approaching Rapidly. Cultivation Level: Foundation Establishment (Mid Stage). Identity: Patrol Leader Zhang. Aggression: Maximum. >>**
A cold smile touched Kai's lips, devoid of fear. He slowly stood up. His scalded legs were smooth, unblemished. His new meridians hummed with effortless power. The violet Qi settled around him like a cloak.
Zhang burst over the ridge, his robes torn and smeared with dried, sulfurous mud, his face a mask of feral rage. His Mid Stage Foundation Establishment aura flared, a palpable pressure wave that would have flattened Kai days ago. Now, it washed over him like a stiff breeze.
"THERE YOU ARE, YOU FILTHY MONGREL!" Zhang roared, his spirit-steel sword blazing with green Qi. "I'LL FEAST ON YOUR CORE FOR WHAT YOU—"
He stopped mid-sentence. His eyes widened, taking in the transformed figure before him. The aura. The calm. The *violet Qi*.
Kai met his gaze. There was no taunt this time. No smirk. Just cold, terrifying certainty.
"You took too long, Zhang," Kai stated, his voice resonating with newfound power. He raised his hand, violet energy swirling into a focused point above his palm. Not the Flickering Palm Strike. Something *more*. The Flickering Palm felt like a child's toy compared to the raw potential humming within his new meridians. "The trash you threw away just became something you can't handle."
Zhang's fury faltered, replaced by a flicker of primal fear. The cripple wasn't just healed. He was *ascended*. And the look in his eyes promised retribution, not evasion.
The geothermal badlands held their breath. The hunter had become the prey. The Absolute Bullshit Cultivator had just stepped onto a new stage. And his first act was going to be spectacular. The violet energy above Kai's palm pulsed, hungry and waiting. Zhang tightened his grip on his sword, the green aura around it flaring defensively. The first clash of Foundation Establishment power in the Whispering Woods was about to erupt, and Kai wouldn't be running.