The early dawn mist still lingered over the Valley of Harmonious Fire when Su Yang returned to the Inner Alchemy Hall. The previous night's events still echoed in his mind—the awakening of the ancient furnace, the resonance of a long-dead alchemist's will, and the successful creation of the Soul-Fused Fire Nourishment Pill.
He had barely slept.
Zi Shu was still curled inside the Spirit Land, absorbing the remnant Heaven Energy released from Su Yang's refined pill. Max had laid beside him all night, keeping watch.
Now, Su Yang stood before the towering crimson arch of the Inner Alchemy Pavilion, waiting.
A moment later, the doors swung open, revealing Elder Yao—robe slightly crumpled, but his sharp eyes alert.
> "Come in."
Su Yang bowed slightly and followed him in. The air inside the Pavilion was thick with herbal scent, interwoven with a faint trace of soul-qi. Runes along the walls glowed faintly—wards against spiritual backlash.
They walked in silence until they entered a small, hidden chamber at the back of the archive.
Su Yang paused.
This room was different.
The walls were painted black. The shelves were covered in protective veils, and in the center stood a single stone tablet—cracked but still emanating a cold, commanding presence. Faint script in ancient tongue shimmered with ghostlight across its surface.
Elder Yao sat beside it and gestured for Su Yang to do the same.
> "That furnace you used… belonged to my master."
Su Yang nodded. "I felt something. Memories—war, blood, healing. He was a battlefield alchemist?"
Elder Yao's gaze sharpened.
> "He was more than that. He was one of the last known Soul Flame Alchemists—alchemists who refined medicine not just with fire, but with soul. A dangerous art. Rarely practiced, because a single mistake costs your mind."
He pointed at the stone tablet.
> "His name was Wu Tianzheng. During the Eastern Spirit War thirty years ago, he refined thousands of soul-supporting pills… but he vanished during the final siege. All that returned was his furnace—cracked, half-dead. No trace of his spirit, no body. But…"
He looked at Su Yang now, eyes serious.
> "That furnace responded to you. Do you know what that means?"
Su Yang met his gaze. "His spirit might still linger?"
Elder Yao gave a slow nod. "Yes. And it accepted your guidance. That means his legacy—his art—may choose you as heir."
There was a long pause.
Su Yang spoke carefully. "I didn't mean to take anything. I only… wanted to refine a pill that could support soul cultivation."
The old man smiled faintly. "Sometimes, fate chooses. You don't have to chase it."
He pulled a jade scroll from inside his sleeve and placed it gently before Su Yang.
> "This is a Soul Flame Technique Manual. Harmonious Binding of Spirit and Flame. My master wrote it, but only those who can resonate with soul flame threads can comprehend it. I couldn't. But you…"
Su Yang took the scroll and slowly fed it into his spiritual sense.
The moment he did—
> Huuummm...
A low chime echoed in his ears. A phantom flame—white-gold and burning with both heat and memory—appeared in the darkness of his mind.
It wasn't just a technique. It was a path.
A fusion of alchemy and soul, body and mind. To control not just herbs and fire—but memory, intent, emotion. To refine a pill that healed not just wounds, but traumas.
Su Yang's eyes widened.
> "This is…"
Elder Yao was watching him closely.
> "You saw it, didn't you?"
Su Yang nodded slowly. "A flame… that remembers."
The old alchemist let out a long sigh.
> "Then it's decided. You will be the next to walk the Soul Flame Path. But be warned—this path is not without danger. Your spirit will be strained in ways you've never known."
Su Yang held the scroll to his chest, his gaze calm but resolute.
> "I accept it."
Just then, a ripple of sound echoed in the chamber.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Someone was approaching.
A disciple peeked through the veil.
> "Elder Yao. Forgive the interruption, but the Sect Master requests your presence. And… Su Yang as well."
The elder raised an eyebrow.
> "The Sect Master?"
The disciple nodded quickly and disappeared.
Elder Yao turned to Su Yang.
> "Strange. The Sect Master rarely calls alchemists personally."
Su Yang stood, scroll still in hand.
> "Maybe it's related to the furnace."
But something told him… this was more than just an acknowledgement.
---
Later that morning, inside the Sect Master's hall, Mei Yuling stood at the balcony, overlooking the flame-wreathed mountains.
Su Yang and Elder Yao entered together.
She turned.
> "You've grown quickly, Su Yang. And your fire… is not ordinary."
Her tone was soft, but layered with something else—curiosity… and concern.
She walked forward and passed Su Yang a sealed jade scroll. The moment he held it, a seal shimmered and unlocked itself with a spark of flame.
> "Inside is the record of the Fire-Soul Pill Refinement Method. Not the public one. This version includes the lost spirit-fusion step—once used by Wu Tianzheng himself."
Su Yang's breath caught.
> "Why… give this to me?"
Mei Yuling looked at him, expression unreadable.
> "Because the Soul Flame has chosen again. And because…"
She turned toward the horizon.
> "The time is coming when our sect may need you to stand… not just as an alchemist, but as a soul-forger."