Elder Yao's workshop was alive with the scent of simmering herbs and the low hum of active cauldrons. Bronze and jade furnaces glowed along the walls, each inscribed with arrays that pulsed faintly in rhythm with the flames beneath.
Haotian entered, notes in hand. "I'm here to start brewing the first batch of beast pills for Yueying and Xiaoque."
Elder Yao's eyes lit up — but he raised a single finger. "Not so fast. You owe me some work first. Help me refine this."
He slid a brittle sheet of parchment across the table. The recipe was half-complete — key sections smudged beyond recognition, with entire lines missing from the middle stages.
Haotian picked it up, scanning the structure, then closed his eyes. The faint golden rings of the Eyes of the Universe turned slowly in his pupils, stripping away the gaps and aligning the recipe's framework in his mind. He stood silent for a while, as if letting the invisible pattern settle into place.
Elder Yao leaned back, arms folded, watching.
Finally, Haotian opened his eyes. "The pill's purpose is to stabilize qi flow after rapid breakthroughs, preventing meridian strain and energy leak."
Elder Yao's brows rose. "Go on."
"You've got the foundation in the first stage, but the middle requires a balancing agent — something to temper aggressive qi without suppressing cultivation speed." Haotian tapped the parchment. "Starleaf lotus could replace the missing Everdew orchid, and moonpetal vine would bind the restorative properties without losing potency."
Elder Yao's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "That would work. But those aren't the only holes."
Haotian's mouth curved slightly. "No. For the final condensation, we could use fire-heart ginseng instead of flamegrass. And if we add half a grain of refined silver dew powder, the absorption rate should increase by at least twenty percent."
There was a pause. Then Elder Yao's grin spread slowly. "You're a monster in the furnace room, boy. Let's try it."
Refining Room – Moments Later
The cauldron roared to life, flames licking around its base with a steady crimson glow. Haotian handled the first stage himself, slipping each herb in at the exact second its qi reached peak resonance. Elder Yao took over for the second stage, his decades of practice keeping the mixture stable while Haotian's steady voice called out adjustments to the flame array.
By the final stage, both men worked side-by-side — Haotian grinding the silver dew powder into a dust so fine it shimmered like starlight, while Elder Yao swirled the condensed liquid within the cauldron's heart.
At Haotian's signal, the powder fell in a silver arc. The mixture flared, shifted from deep crimson to a luminous amber, and then solidified into perfectly rounded pills that released a faint, soothing fragrance.
Elder Yao plucked one from the tray, weighing it in his palm. "Perfect. Better than the original recipe, I'd wager."
Haotian nodded once. "Now… the beast pills?"
Elder Yao chuckled. "You've earned your turn."
The workshop's air grew still as Haotian set a fresh cauldron before him. His notes for Yueying and Xiaoque's tailored beast pills lay open — two separate recipes side-by-side, each marked with exact dosage adjustments based on their qi flow patterns.
Elder Yao stood at the edge of the workbench, arms folded, curious but confident he'd seen it all before.
That confidence lasted exactly until Haotian traced his fingers in the air and a faint golden formation flared to life beneath the cauldron. Symbols spun slowly in a perfect circle, and the room's ambient qi stirred, streaming toward the furnace in visible threads of light.
Elder Yao blinked. "...A formation? In a pill refinement?"
Haotian didn't answer, sliding the first set of herbs into the cauldron in precise sequence. He tapped the rim once, and a second formation appeared — this one locking onto the furnace's body, stabilizing its heat, binding the mixture inside to a perfect rotational flow.
The old man's brows shot up. "Two formations? At the same time?!"
Haotian's focus didn't waver. With each stage, he adjusted the flame's intensity with a flick of his wrist, letting the gathered ambient qi infuse directly into the blend. The herbs softened, merged, and condensed, the fragrance shifting from herbal to an almost lunar clarity that made the air feel lighter.
When the final stage came, the cauldron flared once — then thirteen perfect, lustrous pills rolled gently into the catch tray.
Elder Yao froze. His mind snagged on the numbers. "With those ingredients… two to four pills at most… how in the—"
Before he could finish, Haotian picked up one pill, holding it between his thumb and forefinger. A small carving knife of condensed qi appeared in his other hand. With swift, exact strokes, he began etching delicate runes into the pill's surface — each line glowing faintly before fading into the pill's core.
After the final mark, he exhaled with satisfaction. "There. That should increase effectiveness by thirty percent."
Elder Yao's jaw dropped. "What in the world is this? Formations? Runes?! Are you really refining pills?!"
Haotian looked over calmly as he picked up the next pill. "What do you mean, Elder Yao? Don't you always inscribe runes to improve pill effectiveness?"
Silence. Absolute, suffocating silence.
Elder Yao's arms fell to his sides, his expression hollow. "...What sort of genius walked into my lab…?"
Haotian just kept carving, the faint scratch of rune lines filling the room as the scent of perfectly refined beast pills hung in the air.
The final batch for Xiaoque was small — delicate pills, each tinted with a soft silver sheen from the lunar herbs Haotian had integrated. He slid them into a cool jade pill bottle, sealed it with a silk stopper, and turned toward Elder Yao.
The old man was still sitting exactly where he had been, staring into nothing, lips parted just slightly.
Haotian hesitated. "…Elder Yao?"
No response.
He stepped closer, placed two fingers under the man's nose, and felt the faint, steady breath. Relaxing, he straightened. "Thank you for allowing me to make my pills here, Elder Yao."
A respectful bow. Then, without lingering, Haotian cupped his hands again and left at a brisk pace, heading straight for the quarters where Yueying and Xiaoque waited.
Behind him, in the now-silent workshop, Elder Yao's eyes slowly blinked back into focus. His breathing quickened, and then—
"FORMATIONS… and RUNES… in ALCHEMY?!"
Alchemy Hall Grounds
Disciples cleaning the walkways jumped as Elder Yao bolted from the workshop, hair askew, robe sleeves flying. "He used formations! In pill refining! He carved runes into the pills themselves!"
The few who heard him whispered among themselves."…Did Elder Yao finally lose it?""He's been muttering about some outer disciple lately…"
But Elder Yao didn't stop. He charged through the main courtyard and straight into the grand hall, where the alchemy Hall's upper elders were mid-meeting.
The doors slammed open with a bang. "HE—HE—" Elder Yao's voice cracked before he caught his breath and shouted again. "He increased the pill's effectiveness by THIRTY PERCENT!"
Several elders frowned. One muttered, "Is he drunk?"
The alchemy high elder, a tall man with sharp brows and an aura that carried absolute authority, held up a hand. "Elder Yao. Calm yourself and explain. Properly."
Elder Yao froze for a beat under the weight of the man's voice. Then, still trembling with excitement, he launched into it — every detail, from Haotian's double-formation control, to the ambient qi infusion, to the carved runes that bonded with the pills' core essence.
"Thirty percent," Elder Yao finished, his voice reverent now. "Minimum."
The elders exchanged uneasy looks. The high elder's fingers tapped once against the table. "An outer disciple did this?"
Elder Yao nodded sharply. "With the focus of a grandmaster. I've never seen anything like it."
The room was silent, the weight of the claim settling like a stone in a pond.
The training grounds were alive with the thrum of weapons cutting air and the deep rhythm of disciplined footwork. The guards had been running formation drills under Lianhua's sharp eye, while Yueying stalked along the perimeter, muscles coiled like a bowstring. Xiaoque perched on a wooden railing nearby, watching with wide curiosity, her bow tie just slightly askew.
Haotian crossed the yard without breaking stride. The moment Yueying saw him, her tail lifted and she padded over, the faint glow in her fur catching the light. Xiaoque squeaked and leapt into his arm before he could kneel.
"I have something for both of you."
From inside his sleeve, he produced two jade pill bottles — one larger, one small and delicately carved. He set the larger before Yueying. "This will strengthen your meridians, refine your qi flow, and prepare you for the Silver Eclipse Fang stage."
The tiger's pale eyes locked on the bottle. She bent her head and, at his nod, swallowed the pill in one smooth motion. Her breath quickened, a faint silver mist curling from her fur as the qi began circulating.
Haotian turned to Xiaoque, drawing her smaller bottle. "And for you — bone-tempering, early qi cultivation, and a lunar essence primer. It will shape your growth before your first stage."
Lianhua stepped closer, holding the cub steady as Haotian placed the small pill in her palm. Xiaoque sniffed it once, then nipped it from her fingers and swallowed. The cub shivered slightly, then let out a tiny growl, pawing at Haotian's chest as if demanding more.
"Not yet," he said, a faint smile on his lips. "Let it work first."
Already, Yueying's qi signature was shifting — the Eyes of the Universe showed the subtle widening of her meridian channels and a faint, steadying pulse in her core. Xiaoque's change was gentler, but her inner qi spark flared brighter than before.
Far away in the alchemy Hall's grand hall, Elder Yao's breathless explanation was still echoing, elders murmuring in disbelief, and the high elder's eyes narrowing with sudden interest.
But here, on the training field, Haotian's focus was fixed on his Moonfangs — the first step of a long path now begun.
Haotian stepped back onto the training field, the faint golden shimmer of the Eyes of the Universe turning in his gaze as he surveyed Yueying and Xiaoque. The pills had already begun their work — Yueying's qi flow was steadier, stronger, her muscles holding a sharper coiled tension. Xiaoque's tiny core burned with a brighter spark, her movements more precise despite her size.
"Today," Haotian said, his voice carrying just enough weight to halt the guards' chatter, "we train for rhythm. Your attacks… your movements… your breath — will match mine exactly. No faster, no slower."
Yueying padded to his left flank, Xiaoque scampering to his right. The guards took positions around them, forming a flexible ring.
First Drill – Mirrored StrikesHaotian launched forward in a blur, cutting through a weighted training golem with a precise upward slash. Yueying lunged in the same instant, tearing at a second golem's side in perfect sync. Xiaoque darted low, aiming for the joint, her timing just half a beat late.
Haotian paused, crouched low, and tapped the cub's nose gently. "Half a breath sooner."
They reset. This time, the sequence landed flawlessly — his sword, Yueying's claws, Xiaoque's strike — one sound, one rhythm.
Second Drill – Rotating GuardThe guards attacked in pairs, forcing Yueying and Xiaoque to switch between offense and defense at Haotian's signal. A hand flick meant flank to cover. A shift in stance meant immediate counter.
Yueying adapted quickly, her body flowing between lethal bursts and protective intercepts. Xiaoque struggled at first, but each correction brought her closer to anticipating Haotian's cues.
Third Drill – Qi Synchronization RunFor the final session, Haotian activated a movement art, leading the entire formation in a rapid, weaving dash across the grounds. The goal wasn't speed, but the matching of qi pulses — to make Yueying's and Xiaoque's breathing, steps, and qi cycles lock perfectly with his own.
By the final lap, the Eyes of the Universe showed their flows beginning to align — not complete harmony yet, but the first true thread of connection forming.
Haotian slowed to a halt, resting a hand on Yueying's shoulder and crouching to scratch Xiaoque under the chin. "Better. We'll push harder tomorrow."
Far off in the sect's alchemy hall, the elders were still debating Elder Yao's claims — but here, on the training ground, the foundation for the Moonfangs' evolution was being laid with every breath and every strike.
The next morning, the beast-handling sparring grounds were buzzing with curiosity. Word had already spread — Haotian, the outer disciple who tamed a Moonfang and its cub, had challenged other teams to live-combat sparring. Not with dummies, but with real spirit beasts under handler control.
Rows of tiered seating surrounded the sandy arena. Disciples and handlers leaned forward, eager to see whether Yueying and the tiny Xiaoque could hold formation under pressure.
Round One – The Ironhide PairTwo squat, rhino-like beasts with skin like forged plates charged across the field. Their handlers flanked them, guiding their rushes in perfect unison.
Haotian stood in the center, sword loosely in hand. Yueying prowled to his left, every muscle alert, while Xiaoque crouched to the right, eyes bright. At his subtle hand signal, the formation shifted forward.
The first rhino-beast hit like a boulder — Yueying sidestepped in perfect sync with Haotian's pivot, her claws raking along a joint in its leg. At the same breath, Xiaoque darted low, delivering a quick strike to the unarmored underside before bounding back into rhythm.
The opposing handlers' eyes narrowed. Perfect timing wasn't luck.
Round Two – The Sky Talon FalconThis time, speed was the test. A massive falcon-beast swooped in from above, its handler shouting rapid-fire commands.
Haotian's gaze flicked skyward. "Yueying — shield. Xiaoque — intercept."
Yueying leapt, her body arching mid-air to meet the falcon's talons, forcing it into a predictable descent path. Xiaoque sprang from the side, hitting the falcon's wing joint exactly as Haotian's blade swept in, sending the beast tumbling harmlessly into the sand.
The crowd erupted in cheers — the synchronization was unmistakable now.
Round Three – The Mixed PackThree beasts — a scaled hound, a shadow panther, and a horned stag — moved in staggered waves, their handlers clearly aiming to break Haotian's formation rhythm.
But Haotian didn't falter. Every shift in his stance rippled instantly through Yueying's footwork and Xiaoque's agile dodges. When the hound lunged for the cub, Yueying intercepted without needing a signal. When the stag tried to circle, Haotian's sword point and Xiaoque's sudden dash turned it back.
By the final exchange, the Moonfangs' qi pulses were matching Haotian's almost perfectly, their movements flowing as one body.
When the last beast retreated and the handlers called a halt, the observing elder from the Beast Handling Hall leaned forward, expression unreadable. "That… was almost flawless. Another month, and they may not be beatable."
Haotian simply rested a hand on Yueying's head, the faintest smile tugging at his mouth. "Almost isn't enough. We'll run it again tomorrow."
The air in the sect master's audience hall was thick with tension. Representatives from the Beast Handling Hall and Martial Hall stood on opposite sides of the chamber, each with their own elder delegation.
At the head, the sect master sat in calm authority, his gaze fixed on Haotian, who stood at the center.
Beast Handling Hall Elder: "Your Moonfangs' performance in the arena yesterday is proof enough. With proper Hall resources, you could cultivate them to the highest tier in the continent."
Martial Hall Elder: "And abandon his martial development? He's already outperforming many of our inner disciples in field combat. The Moonfangs strengthen him — but his own sword is the core."
The back-and-forth grew sharper until the sect master raised a hand. "Enough. Haotian — your choice."
Haotian's tone was polite, but unwavering. "I thank the Beast Handling Hall for their offer, but my focus is on Yueying and Xiaoque alone. I have no interest in joining any Hall for that purpose. My training remains my priority."
The Martial Hall elders relaxed almost visibly. The Beast Handling Elders muttered in disappointment.
Then the doors opened again.
A tall man in immaculate silver robes entered, the Alchemy Hall's high elder, followed by Elder Yao.
High elder: "Sect Master, I have a petition of my own. I request that this disciple join the Alchemy Hall."
Brows rose across the room. The sect master's gaze sharpened. "Why?"
Elder Yao stepped forward, his voice carrying an almost dangerous excitement. "Because what he did in my workshop… broke every boundary of pill refinement I've ever known."
The elders shifted uneasily as Yao's words spilled out — Haotian's double formation control during refinement, his gathering of ambient qi into the cauldron, his secondary stabilization array, and finally, the delicate runes carved directly into the pill's surface to increase potency by thirty percent.
When he finished, silence filled the hall.
The sect master stared. "…Formations. Runes. In alchemy?"
Several other elders looked equally shocked.
All eyes turned to Haotian.
He blinked. "Is that… not normal for alchemy?"
A ripple went through the room — disbelief, confusion, and something close to awe.
The audience hall had emptied, leaving only the sect master, a handful of senior elders, and Haotian standing calmly in the center.
The sect master leaned back in his seat, fingers tapping the armrest. "Three halls tugging at one disciple is not something I see every decade… but for now, you will remain with the Martial Hall. That is where your primary growth lies."
Haotian inclined his head. "Understood."
"You will also honor your arrangement with Elder Yao," the sect master continued, "and assist him in pill refinement when required."
Haotian nodded. "As agreed."
A thought seemed to strike him, and he raised a hand slightly. "Sect Master, there is also my agreement with the Forging Hall—"
The sect master blinked. "…You have forging skills as well?"
Before Haotian could answer, Elder Yao chuckled. "Sect Master, you may want to sit for this. It's… extensive."
But Haotian's thoughts were already elsewhere. "Actually… the reason I joined a sect in the first place was to study formations and runes. Does the Burning Sun Sect have books on those?"
The sect master's gaze sharpened. "What is your current level in those arts?"
Haotian answered plainly, "Basic level."
A murmur rippled through the elders — not because of his modesty, but because Elder Yao had already given them a taste of what his so-called "basic" looked like. Haotian himself seemed oblivious, unaware that his skill in formations and runes was far beyond the ordinary. The golden texts in his inner world labeled them as basic knowledge, and without external reference, he had no reason to doubt it.
The sect master exhaled slowly. "Yes… we have such books. But they are kept on the third and fourth floors of the sect library. Only inner court disciples may access them."
At those words, Haotian's eyes lit up—then dimmed almost instantly. "I see."
The sect master studied him for a long moment. Such a genius should not be shackled by petty thresholds.
He coughed lightly. "I may allow you access to the higher floors of the library… but there will be a condition."
Haotian straightened. "What is it?"
"You must give lectures to the various halls," the sect master said evenly. "Share your knowledge in alchemy, forging, and… apparently… beast handling."
There was a long pause.
"…Huh?" Haotian blinked, as if wondering if he'd misheard.