Chapter 118
Ji Wuye sat cross-legged on the cool hardwood floor, with the morning sunlight filtering through the windows and casting a warm glow over his focused features.
With a deep inhalation, he allowed his eyes to drift shut, calming his mind and opening the floodgates to memories from a previous timeline.
…
The recollections washed over him, transporting him to a dimly-lit room where an aged figure hunched before him, wrinkles etching deep crevices across his weathered face.
A wheezing chuckle escaped the old man's cracked lips, revealing a mouthful of crooked, yellowed teeth.
His one remaining eye glinted with mischief as he rasped, "Hehehe, interesting young man... Why are you even trying to practice this martial art, even though you are old enough to have grandchildren?"
Ji Wuye's brow furrowed, the throbbing veins on his forehead betraying his irritation at the disdainful tone as he recalled these memories.
In these memories, across from the hunched elder sat his former self—a grizzled, middle-aged man with an unkempt white beard and shaggy hair of the same snowy hue.
Battle scars marred his rugged features, some gnarled gashes stretching from one side of his face to the other - permanent reminders of the countless skirmishes that had stripped away his youthful handsomeness.
The tattered, sweat-stained garments clung to his wiry frame, bearing the unmistakable aroma of honest labor in the mines.
"Tsk, this old man, just tell me how," the gruff voice demanded, impatience lacing his tone. "I did your request, after all."
A throaty chuckle rumbled from the elder's withered chest. "Well, if you insist, after all, we come from the same place, heheh." With a sly grin, he revealed a dazzling set of unnaturally pristine teeth.
The memory wavered, transitioning to a dank, herb-scented chamber lined with simmering iron cauldrons. The old man's gravelly voice echoed through Ji Wuye's consciousness:
"Remember, the first step is that you need an iron cauldron! Though a golden cauldron works, the heat from the gold cannot compare to that of iron!"
The elder's words were indelibly etched into Ji Wuye's mind as the vision morphed once more. Now, the memory showed a room surrounded by a dizzying array of exotic plants, roots, and mystical ingredients - all carefully catalogued by the wizened mentor.
"To enter and break through the Unbreakable Vajra, one must possess these ingredients," the elderly figure intoned, gesturing to the precious materials Ji Wuye had painstakingly acquired in this timeline.
The memories unfurled like a vivid tapestry, each thread weaving seamlessly into the next as Ji Wuye's mind reconstructed the intricate process step-by-step.
Though there were fleeting moments where focus lapsed, the crucial details would resurface instants later, guiding him ever forward on this mental journey.
…
For nearly an hour, he remained entranced, his consciousness ebbing and flowing with the recollections as beads of sweat materialized on his furrowed brow.
Finally, Ji Wuye resurfaced from the trance-like state, drenched in the perspiration of intense concentration.
With a deep, cathartic exhalation, he allowed his eyes to flutter open, revealing irises blazing with crimson determination. "Huff..." he panted, the words escaping his lips in a reverent murmur, "Then, it should be ready now."
Rising fluidly from the hardwood floor, he approached an iron cauldron twice his height, its burnished surface glinting in the filtered sunlight.
Seeing the size of this cauldron, even an ordinary or average second-realm martial artist would find it hard to lift.
However, thanks to the Wudang Sect training style and the Revolving Gongfa that facilitated his rapid realm breakthrough, muscles rippled beneath his sweat-soaked white robe as he effortlessly hefted the cauldron's immense weight.
HA-!
With deft movements, he situated the vessel atop a makeshift brazier formed from stacked stones.
The first step: Preparing the Cauldron.
Dried leaves and twigs, meticulously gathered by his Big Sisters while tending the courtyard, had been carefully stacked at his request.
THUD!
The iron cauldron settled into place, the makeshift brazier now primed and awaiting ignition.
'Though it's a bit risky, as there's a chance it could set the living quarters on fire, let's just be careful,' Ji Wuye mused, keenly aware of the potential hazards.
Retrieving a long, slender wooden rod, he assumed a cross-legged stance directly before the stone pit.
Gripping the stick with both calloused hands, he began drilling it vigorously against the hardwood floor, coaxing forth the spark that would soon stoke the alchemical flames.
...
Moments later, tendrils of smoke began to wisp upwards as Ji Wuye successfully ignited the tinder. Rising once more, he retrieved a wooden bucket brimming with fresh creek water.
This was another request of his, as several similar buckets of water, prepared by his Big and Senior Sisters, were lined up.
With a deft upward arc of his arms, he sent the liquid arcing through the air in a glistening cascade.
SPLASH!
The flames hissed and danced as the water cascaded into the iron cauldron, vapors swirling lazily upwards. Unfazed, Ji Wuye methodically fed the nascent blaze another bundle of dried leaves, ensuring the flames raged with sufficient intensity.
Now…
The second step: Adding the Base Ingredients.
"For this," Ji Wuye murmured under his breath as the cauldron's contents began to simmer. With measured strides, he approached a stack of sturdy, smaller wooden boxes.
CLICK!
CLICK!
CLICK!
Three wooden lids flipped open in rapid succession, exposing their precious contents - fossilized tree bark, volcanic rock dust, and charred oak bark.
Ji Wuye's movements were precise and unhurried as he methodically portioned the ingredients, allowing them to cascade into the gently roiling waters one by one.
But then…
KNOCK-!
A soft rap at the door paused the atmosphere. "Junior Brother," a sweet, lilting voice called out, the tender tones instantly recognizable. "It seems you will take a long time to finish, so we will come back later."
Muffled sighs and reluctant murmurs drifted through the barrier, drawing a faint smile on Ji Wuye's lips.
Even after he finished recalling memories from a previous timeline up to this process, where he was preparing the first step, they still waited patiently.
Moreover, he felt a slight guilt, remembering how eager they were after he asked them to gather fresh water from the creek and stack dried leaves, only to wait for the experiment without participating.
'It's my fault, but involving them just feels embarrassing for me,' he reflected with a rueful inward chuckle. He had mentioned conducting an experiment but failed to provide specifics, undoubtedly piquing their insatiable curiosity.
"I'm sorry for making you wait, Big and Senior Sisters!" Ji Wuye called out, raising his voice to carry through the door. "It seems this experiment is taking longer than usual."
"I see, then we wish you success!" came the warm reply. "Remember to call us if you need something or when the experiment is done!"
The sounds of retreating footfalls faded into silence as Ji Wuye's gaze returned to the gently bubbling cauldron, tendrils of fragrant steam wafting upwards.
"Oh, it's already boiling? Perfect," he murmured, a satisfied smile playing across his lips as the waters began to roll and froth.
The third step: Bring to a Rolling Boil.
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