The inner chambers of the Pill Pavilion were silent at midnight.
Most alchemists had long retired, leaving behind only the soft crackle of flame formations and the occasional echo of cauldrons cooling down from daytime use. But inside Furnace Hall 3, a single flame still burned—golden and steady.
Long Feng sat cross-legged before his ancient pill furnace, shirtless, covered in thin sweat. The Vermilion Ember coiled in his dantian like a sleeping dragon, its heat radiating through his veins as he refined a rare pill under moonlight.
He was attempting something delicate tonight: a Qi Recovery Pill fused with a Spirit Reinforcement Dust—a hybrid mix only ever documented in upper realm archives.
He whispered calmly as he stirred the flame. "One breath… two… now separate..."
But suddenly, his spiritual sense flared.
Someone had entered the outer perimeter.
Without a word, Long Feng paused the flame, palm still over the cauldron.
He didn't panic.
He waited.
A moment later, the shadows in the corner of the chamber rippled, and a cold presence emerged.
A figure in black robes stepped out, face masked, Qi completely hidden.
But Long Feng smelled it immediately—Yin Death Grass on the assassin's blade.
"Funny," he said without turning. "You brought poison to kill an alchemist."
The assassin didn't respond. He launched forward without warning, dagger glowing faintly green.
Whssh!
Long Feng's robe sliced open at the side, but he had already leaned back with impossible speed. The assassin moved like water—fast, fluid, deadly. But Long Feng had fought cultivators who could split stars.
This… was a cheap trick.
He caught the second stab mid-air and spun, slamming his elbow into the assassin's ribs. The man grunted and staggered—but flipped back instantly, hurling five spirit-silenced darts in retaliation.
Clink! Clink!
Long Feng raised a single finger.
> "Reversal Sutra: Flame Coil."
The darts dissolved in mid-air as a spiral of fire formed around him. Then he stepped forward—and the fire vanished into his palm.
He punched.
BOOM!
The assassin flew backward and slammed into the furnace wall, coughing blood.
But even injured, the killer forced a pill into his mouth—and his Qi suddenly spiked.
"Ah," Long Feng muttered. "A berserker pill. You're not here to warn. You're here to finish me."
The assassin growled, eyes burning with madness. "The Pavilion should have killed you earlier. You weren't supposed to survive the duel…"
He charged.
But Long Feng didn't move.
Instead, he activated the pill furnace behind him with a flick of his fingers.
> RING—
The cauldron roared, unleashing a burst of spiritual steam and volatile fire energy. The assassin, caught mid-step, stumbled—
And Long Feng struck again.
This time, his palm lit with spirit-suppression fire.
> "Ember Chain Seal."
A glowing rune formed across the assassin's chest. His movements slowed. His Qi began to unravel.
"No... no...!"
Long Feng walked forward and slammed him to the ground with a foot.
The assassin coughed, blood leaking from his lips.
"Who sent you?" Long Feng asked coldly.
Silence.
Long Feng narrowed his eyes.
"Let me guess… someone from the Inner Sect who was betting on Bai Mo. Or an elder who recognized my flame."
Still nothing.
So Long Feng raised his palm. Flame coiled in his fingers again.
> "The fire I use doesn't just burn flesh. It burns souls. I can start small—maybe with your spirit roots—"
"I'll talk!" the assassin shouted, trembling.
Long Feng stopped.
"Name."
"Elder Lian… from the Thunder Formation Branch," the assassin gasped. "He's Bai Mo's uncle… He was furious after you humiliated the boy in front of the sect…"
Long Feng's gaze darkened. "I see."
"He… he said it was just a lesson. To teach you your place before the Inner Sect accepted you—"
Long Feng silenced him with a flick.
The flames ignited again—this time over the man's mouth.
The assassin convulsed for a second—then slumped, unconscious, but alive.
Long Feng looked at his trembling form.
> "You were a pawn. I won't kill you. But the next time someone comes... I won't be so kind."
He turned away and activated the protective formation seals inside the Pill Pavilion.
He'd leave the assassin for the elders to find.
---
Hours Later – Elder Hua Tian's Private Chamber
The Pill Pavilion was never truly asleep.
Elder Hua Tian paced quietly inside his private meditation hall, expression unreadable. When the door opened, he didn't look up.
"I received your message, Long Feng."
Long Feng entered, calm as always. "Your halls are unguarded."
Elder Hua Tian's eyes twitched. "Assassins?"
"One. I let him live."
The elder sighed.
"The sect is a forge," he said. "And every forge has jealous sparks. You shone too brightly, too quickly."
"I didn't come here to beg for protection," Long Feng replied. "I want access."
"To what?"
"The Flame Sealing Chamber."
Elder Hua Tian turned sharply. "That place is restricted. Even inner alchemists—"
"I'm not here to ask for rules. I'm here because someone just tried to end my life, and you know damn well what flame I carry."
There was silence.
Then the old man smiled.
"You're reckless," he said. "But very well. You may enter the Flame Sealing Chamber—on one condition."
Long Feng raised an eyebrow.
"Bring me a Heavenly Burned Frost Orchid by the end of the month."
Long Feng paused.
"…That herb only grows on Ice-Demon Ridge. North of the sect. Border of the Spirit Beast Wastes."
"I know."
"Send someone else. You won't see them again."
Elder Hua Tian's eyes glinted. "Exactly. I want to see if you come back."
---
That night, Long Feng stood at the edge of his courtyard, gazing into the distant stars.
The Pill Pavilion had given him recognition.
The assassins had given him warning.
And now… the sect wanted to test if he could survive a frozen hellscape guarded by ancient beasts to retrieve a rare spiritual flower.
He exhaled slowly.
> "So this is the path to power in the Lower Realm…"