Novel Full Chapter 288: Progress
Chapter 288: Progress
An entire month passed within the simple walls of Kyrian’s isolated courtyard.
The rhythm was relentless and monotonous for anyone else, but for him it was simply normal.
Every morning, even before the sun broke the line of the giant trees, Kyrian was already seated before the cauldron. The gray fire burned low and constant, controlled with surgical precision. The flames did not flicker. They obeyed like an extension of his will.
The Burning Heart Pill had become his main focus. Batch after batch, he refined the same formula, adjusting the temperature in minimal fractions, controlling the fusion time of the main herbs, and the exact order of addition of the secondary essences. The purity rose slowly, but it rose.
On the twenty-third day, he reached eighty-seven percent purity.
On the twenty-eighth day, eighty-nine percent.
And, on the morning of the thirty-first day, when the sun was already high, Kyrian opened the cauldron and removed five almost perfect pills.
Each one shone with an intense red, almost alive, as if it contained a small flaming heart within the smooth shell. Ninety percent purity.
Kyrian held one of them between his fingers and observed it against the light coming through the window. The medicinal energy was dense, concentrated, without waste. A slight smile, almost imperceptible, touched the corner of his mouth.
"Good."
He did not celebrate. He only recorded the result, as he always did.
He stored five pills in a jade vial and set one aside for future tests. The rest of the batch, more than forty pills of other formulas, he separated into different boxes.
Core Stabilization Pills, Rapid Qi Recovery Pills, rank 3 Meridian Strengthening Pills. All with purity above ninety percent.
Enough to be considered of extremely high quality by the standards of the Verdant Sword Sect.
In the afternoon, Feng Yuan personally appeared in the courtyard.
The green-haired sect leader stopped at the entrance, his eyes scanning the boxes organized on the stone table. His gaze stopped on the red pills that Kyrian had separated.
"So the rumors were true." Said Feng Yuan, his voice filled with satisfaction.
"You became an alchemist during the time you were away. And, from what I see, an extremely talented one."
Kyrian inclined his head in a gesture.
"I have made some progress in the last few months."
Feng Yuan picked up one of the Burning Heart Pills and examined it carefully. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the almost perfect purity.
"Ninety percent..." He murmured, impressed.
"Even the elite alchemists of the sect rarely deliver batches with purity above eighty percent. You are delivering more than fifty high-quality pills per week. The sect is satisfied. Very satisfied."
He stored the pill and nodded.
"Continue like this. The spirit stones and materials you requested are already being prepared. The more you deliver, the more resources you will receive. The sect does not forget those who contribute." Feng Yuan concluded.
Kyrian accepted the words with a slight nod. There was no need for further conversation. Feng Yuan left the courtyard with the boxes in his hands, his step lighter than when he had arrived.
Night came as always, silent and cool.
After a simple meal, Kyrian sat once again in the center of the room. The eight ancient books were arranged around him, but now only one remained open. The others waited their turn to be used.
In front of him, a new jade plate larger than the previous ones. Complex runes, overlapping layers, interlinked connections, lines, and strange symbols formed. It was for a rank 4 barrier formation.
Kyrian took a deep breath and released his Qi.
The required amount was colossal. Any ordinary cultivator of the Qi Liberation Realm would have their dantian exhausted in minutes. But Kyrian possessed two dantians. The Qi flowed like two parallel rivers, converging with a density and stability that few could match.
His hands moved slowly. The sword Qi, sharp and cold, engraved each line with millimetric precision. When the last rune connected, he positioned twelve medium-grade spirit stones at the anchoring points.
It was the minimum amount of spirit stones required to activate the barrier.
Then he released the activation Qi.
A greenish dome appeared around him. This time, it was not thin like a soap bubble. It was thick, almost solid, with lines running across its surface like embedded blades. The barrier vibrated with a latent sword intent, ready not only to defend.
Kyrian raised his hand and struck with a slash of pure Qi sword, without holding back.
The impact echoed like metal against metal. The dome trembled but did not crack. Part of the energy of the strike was reflected back, dispersing harmlessly into the air. He attacked again, three times in succession, each strike stronger than the last. The barrier held.
Only after twenty-seven minutes did the spirit stones turn into powder and the dome slowly dissipate, without leaving any damage on the jade plate.
Kyrian observed the result in silence.
’People of the Core Formation Realm would not be able to break this easily.’ He thought.
The consumption of Qi had been enormous. His two dantians were almost dry. But he felt there was still margin. The limitation was no longer technical. It was purely his cultivation realm.
Rank 5 formations would require even more energy, an amount sufficient for only cultivators at the late Core Formation Realm to activate safely. Kyrian decided to wait. Breaking through to the next major realm would come at the right moment. There was no hurry.
He stored the intact plate and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
Before sleeping, he opened the next book out of the eight.
The title engraved on the cover was simple.
’Killing Formations.’
Kyrian flipped through the first pages carefully. Unlike barrier formations, which prioritized defense and stability, killing formations were aggressive by nature. They did not protect. They killed.
Hidden traps that activated invisible Qi blades, illusions that confused the senses before a fatal strike, and patterns that drained the invader’s Qi until turning them into a dry husk. Each formation required not only precision but also a deep understanding of the path of formations.
Kyrian felt a familiar tingling as he read the first lines. It was like looking at something that was already part of him.
The ancient language flowed clearly in his mind. The complex diagrams seemed to organize themselves, revealing connections that most cultivators would take years to understand.
He closed the book after a few hours but did not store it. He left it open on the first page.
Tomorrow he would begin.
Lying on the simple bed, Kyrian closed his eyes. The wind outside continued to cut through, carrying the distant sound of disciples training with swords even at night. Inside the room, the silence was absolute.
A month of constant refinement had elevated his alchemy to a new level. His contributions to the sect guaranteed almost unlimited resources. His defensive formations had already reached rank 4, something few could achieve.
And now, a new type of formation opened up for him. Killing formations.
Kyrian did not smile. He only recorded the new direction in his mind, as cold as ever.
The progress did not stop. Sleep came quickly.