Genesis Alchemy Furnace

After tending to the spirit fields, Chen Jinshu planted a shrub she had casually dug up along the roadside at the edge of the plot. Once the shrub was in place, she tucked an ice-blue Shadow stone into its shadow. Stepping back, she observed—the stone blended seamlessly into the foliage, nearly invisible to the naked eye.

"Now, even if someone dares to sabotage the fields with pests, their image will be captured."

According to Chen Huaiyang, this shadow stone would activate automatically in a spiritual energy-rich environment, though its storage capacity was limited—only retaining recordings for about half a year before resetting.

Six months was more than enough for her. At most, she would stay at Vulture Mountain for two years before joining Xuanming Sect. And after the incident with Chen Heng, she doubted anyone would be bold enough to try anything under such scrutiny.

…

A short while later, she returned to Plum Blossom Courtyard and discreetly placed another shadow stone in a hidden corner outside the walls.

It was better to keep it outside—the courtyard was her private living space.

Next, she approached the flower bed in the yard, intending to plant three seeds of the Crimson Mist Fruit. With a yearly harvest cycle—similar to the Golden Vine Flowers in the spirit fields—sowing them now meant she could enjoy the fruits by next year.

She poured some spirit soil dug from the fields into the bed, quickly cast a minor Rain Summoning Art to moisten the earth, then buried the three pale seeds.

After a brief wait, she raised her hand and channeled the Nourishing Spirit Art, feeding the seeds until they were saturated.

Seven days later...

Chen Jinshu arrived at the spirit fields as usual to inspect the growth of the medicinal herbs. The wounds from the previous harvest had completely vanished, replaced by new leaves—wider and lusher than before.

The Golden Vine Flowers, in particular, had developed more pronounced golden veins, faintly shimmering as if infused with flowing spiritual energy.

A pleased smile touched her lips as she reversed her palm and cast the Wood Spirit Art to accelerate their growth. Now in their vigorous seedling phase, the Golden Vine Flowers responded perfectly to the Wood Spirit Art without any adverse effects.

However, once she began this process, she would need to repeat it every seven days for the technique to take full effect.

A verdant glow pooled in her palm, slowly seeping into the plants.

By the time she finished, nearly all the spiritual herbs across the three-acre field were enveloped in a faint emerald radiance. This was her first time using the Wood Spirit Art, and it had nearly drained her dantian dry.

"The Golden Vine Flowers will mature in eight months at most. The spirit rice, in about four." She sat on the ridge, fanning herself with the Plum Rain Fan as she observed the thriving plants.

With each gentle wave of the fan, delicate plum petals drifted through the air.

That same day, inside Plum Blossom Courtyard...

Chen Jinshu deftly manipulated the flames burning atop the spirit charcoal, making them swell and shrink at will. The room's temperature fluctuated between scorching and mild.

"Finally, I've mastered flame control!" She wiped a faint sheen of sweat from her brow with the Plum Rain Fan, gazing triumphantly at the flickering fire.

"Ah! That blackened cauldron—I still haven't refined it yet."

Setting the fan aside, she retrieved the pitch-black alchemy furnace from her storage bag. Staring at the soot-covered lump, she could hardly believe it was a cauldron.

"What kind of alchemy furnace is this charred?"

With a sigh, she sent a thread of her spiritual sense into the dark vessel, attempting to refine it in one go. Yet, after a long while, the furnace remained unresponsive. Her spiritual sense slid off without leaving the slightest mark.

"How strange."

Though her cultivation was still low, and her spiritual sense only extended about ten feet, she had never encountered an object that outright resisted refinement.

Both her Plum Rain Fan and the White Feather Disc from her second uncle had taken only four or five days to refine, imprinting her spiritual mark and submitting to her will.

While refining them had been time-consuming, her spiritual sense had never been outright rejected.

"Since the lotus mark reacted to it, this must be something extraordinary!"

She immediately intensified the flow of her spiritual sense. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Yet, after another forty-five minutes, the blackened cauldron remained unchanged.

"It can still be used for alchemy, but without refinement, I won't be able to sense the changes in the medicinal liquids inside. I won't be able to adjust in real time."

Frowning, she studied the cauldron with growing frustration.

"Maybe... a blood pact?"

Recalling tales of blood-binding artifacts, she felt the idea take root. Placing the cauldron down, she twisted the handle of the Plum Rain Fan, releasing a slender blade hidden within—sharp and gleaming like a full-sized sword.

Gritting her teeth, she nicked her pinky finger. A metallic hum resonated as blood welled from the wound. She let a single drop fall onto the blackened cauldron. The blood seeped into the surface without a trace. A faint connection sparked between her and the furnace.

"Hmm?"

A deep, resonant buzz erupted from the cauldron as if something inside had awakened. A surge of ancient energy rippled outward.

"Crack!"

The blackened surface split like an eggshell, shedding layers of soot and grime.

"Still black?"

Though the color remained unchanged, the cauldron now gleamed with an obsidian sheen, its surface etched with intricate runes and lifelike carvings of mythical beasts and spirit plants.

The Big Dipper constellation adorned its body, its stars shimmering like white gems, while an elaborate Bagua diagram marked the base.

Suddenly, the lotus mark in her sea of consciousness flared with blinding azure light, bathing the cauldron in its glow. The furnace shrank rapidly before streaking toward her forehead as a streak of black light.

"Wait—you're taking the cauldron too? How am I supposed to refine pills now?"

She couldn't stop it—the cauldron vanished into her brow.

But then she realized it had taken residence in her sea of consciousness, hovering at its center and pulsing with a soft dark radiance. The moment her spiritual sense touched it, a wave of dizziness washed over her.

The scent of medicinal herbs filled her nose. When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in her room.

"Where is this?"

She stood in a grassy meadow dotted with unfamiliar spirit herbs, their fragrance rich and potent—undoubtedly valuable.

Her vision extended only about forty feet in all directions, roughly four acres, before hitting an impenetrable wall of mist.

"Could this be... a spirit plant space within the cauldron?"

Drawing on her knowledge of cultivation lore, she quickly grasped the situation.

"Exit!"

In a blink, she was back in her room.

"Enter!"

And just as swiftly, she returned to the meadow. After several tests, she confirmed her theory—she could come and go at will.

The spiritual energy inside mirrored the outside world's density, though the space seemed to naturally concentrate it, making it feel slightly richer.

"The flow of time is different too. Time here moves half again as fast—a year and a half inside for every year outside."

The realization left her momentarily breathless, a faint, incredulous laugh escaping her lips. This meant she could grow herbs here to supply her alchemy needs, eliminating the need to buy or painstakingly cultivate them outside.

She could even hide rare spirit plants here.

With a thought, the cauldron flew from her brow into her palm.

Information flooded her mind.

"The Genesis Alchemy Furnace—a vessel of vitality and forging!"

This treasure was no ordinary alchemy tool—it could refine pills and nurture spirit plants within its spatial realm, enhancing their medicinal properties.

"If only it came with alchemy inheritances, I'd be unstoppable!"

She recalled the clan elder at the library offering her a low-grade furnace in exchange for her help. The memory now amused her.

Missing out on that limited, mediocre cauldron had led her to this priceless treasure instead—a true stroke of fortune.

The conditions for binding with the Genesis Cauldron were stringent: only those with fire and wood spiritual roots, and an abundance of wood-attuned energy, could claim it.

Her own wood energy—likely amplified by the lotus mark's azure light—had met the requirement.

"This lotus mark... it nearly ruined me, yet now it's given me a new life."

A brilliant smile bloomed across her face, as if reconciling with all her past struggles. Of course, such a treasure had to remain secret—even from those closest to her.

After steadying her mind, she began absorbing the cauldron's knowledge and planning her next steps. The herbs in the three-acre field were already thriving—transplanting them now would disrupt their growth and raise suspicions.

The spirit fields provided the perfect cover for her to discreetly cultivate rarer plants inside the cauldron. However, the three Crimson Mist Fruit saplings in her courtyard could be moved immediately to test the space's effects.

With that thought, she headed outside.

Using a small shovel, she carefully uprooted the seedlings, soil and all, then vanished with them in a flash.