The town of Oakhaven sat at the base of the Azure Mist Sect's mountain. It was a bustling hub of merchants, mercenaries, and alchemists.
Rian walked through the streets, ignored by the higher-ranking cultivators in their silk robes. He stopped in front of a shop smelling of sulfur and dried herbs: The Silver Cauldron.
Inside, an elderly alchemist named Master Chen was fuming over a bubbling vat of green sludge. "Impure! Again!" he roared, throwing a ladle aside. "The well water has too much limestone. It's ruining the stabilization of the Frost-Pill!"
Rian stepped forward. "Master Chen? I believe I can help with your solvent problem."
The old man looked up, squinting at Rian's grey Outer Disciple robes. "A water-affinity brat? Unless you can conjure celestial dew, you're wasting my time."
"I don't need dew," Rian said, placing a small glass vial on the counter. "I have something better. Triple-Distilled Void Water."
The Molecular Filter
Rian hadn't just boiled the water. Using his Qi, he had performed a feat of microscopic manipulation. He had circulated the water through a "centrifuge" of spiritual energy, spinning out every mineral, bacteria, and impurity until only the pure H2O remained.
In this world, such purity was usually only found in high-grade spirit springs guarded by monsters.
Master Chen scoffed but poured a drop of Rian's water into his failing potion. The murky green sludge instantly turned a vibrant, translucent emerald. The erratic bubbling settled into a steady, rhythmic simmer.
The Alchemist's jaw dropped. "The stability... it's perfect. How many liters can you give me?"
The First Fortune
Two hours later, Rian walked out of the shop with a heavy pouch of thirty Spirit Stones—more than an Outer Disciple's yearly stipend. But as he turned a corner into a dark alley, a shadow blocked his path.
"So, the Water Boy is a businessman now?"
It wasn't Kael. It was someone much more dangerous. Senior Brother Feng, a mid-tier disciple with a Wind affinity, leaned against the stone wall. Beside him stood two others, their arms crossed.
"Thirty stones is a lot for a servant," Feng said, his eyes glinting with greed. "Hand them over, and I might forget that you embarrassed Kael this morning."
The Pressure Rises
Rian felt the familiar hum of the water in his canteen. He didn't want a fight yet, but he knew that in this world, showing weakness was a death sentence.
"The stones are for my cultivation," Rian said calmly.
"Your cultivation?" Feng laughed, a gust of wind whipping his hair. "You're a watering can, Rian. Wind feeds Fire, Wind cuts Earth. But Water? Water just blows away."
Feng raised a hand, and a sharp blade of compressed air formed in his palm. "I'll count to three."
Rian didn't wait for three. He realized that if he could distill water to be pure, he could also do the opposite. He reached into his canteen, but instead of a droplet, he pulled out a Mist.
"You're right, Feng," Rian whispered, his eyes turning a deep, oceanic blue. "Water does blow away. But have you ever tried to breathe in a storm?"
Before Feng could strike, the alleyway filled with a fog so thick it felt like liquid. Rian wasn't just making a screen; he was vibrating the water particles to create a Supersonic Fog. The sound was a low-frequency thrum that vibrated the bones of his attackers, disorienting their inner ears.
The Result of the Clash
By the time the mist cleared, Rian was gone.
Feng was on his knees, clutching his chest and gasping for air. His lungs felt heavy, coated in a layer of moisture that wouldn't leave. He hadn't been cut or bruised, but he felt a lingering terror. For a moment, he had felt like he was drowning on dry land.
Rian, meanwhile, was already back at his shack. He laid out his thirty Spirit Stones in a circle. It was time to push his cultivation to the next level.