A Song For The Ages

The room was quiet save for the rhythmic hiss of heated coals in the alchemical furnace, their gentle glow casting shifting shadows across the walls. Feiyin stood by the open door, ushering Mu inside with a nod.

"Senior Zhou," he began, voice calm and steady, "I brought someone with me today. This is Shen Mu, the one I mentioned. He's been working with me since the beginning on the parasite antidote project."

Zhou Rui looked up from his workbench, the deep lines of his face accentuated by the dancing light. His stained purple robes were as disheveled as ever, and his unruly white hair curled around his shoulders like a wild halo. He studied Mu with sharp, discerning eyes.

"So you're the quiet one behind the theories," Zhou said, stepping forward. "Come in. Let's see if your ideas are worth the ink they're written with."

Mu offered a slight bow, unfazed. "A pleasure to meet you, Senior. I've been hoping to learn from your knowledge."

With introductions complete, the three settled in the quiet chamber, seated around a stone table layered with old papers, formulae, and dozens of vials.

"Let's start with what you've both worked on," Zhou said, his voice sharp but curious.

Feiyin pulled out a bound set of notes. "We traced the parasite's anchoring points to several energy centers in the body. Its feeding pattern is rhythmic, synchronized with fluctuations in inner strength. We attempted to destabilize that rhythm using counter-pulse spiritual techniques, but the results weren't sustainable."

"The binding matrix is always adapting to the body," Mu added. "It reacts to fluctuations in essence qi, not just inner strength. It latches onto the host's meridian system and even mimics essence flow patterns."

Zhou raised a bushy eyebrow. "Which indeed explains why the parasite can't be burned out or bled away. It's too interwoven with our systems, making them nearly inseparable."

Zhou leaned back, his fingers tapping idly on the table. "You're not wrong. I reached that same conclusion years ago. There's no way to cut something so thoroughly rooted with just brute force or clever tricks. It was that realization that drove me further into dual alchemy, into mastering both pills and artifacts. I had to find a solution from every angle possible."

He paused, eyes narrowing. "Runes... they're the only hope I've found in this cursed place. Eight years ago, I managed to craft a weapon, a whip, that bore one. A genuine rune, not some cheap sigil imitation. I named it the Infinite Lash. With each strike, it would form a new lash, doubling its number with each successful hit. But it wasn't something I designed. It just... happened. Everything came together, materials, timing, the essence, it all aligned. It was as if the heavens chose that moment to open a window for me."

His eyes glazed with memory.

"I still remember it. The final strike of my hammer rang with clarity. Every material, every step, aligned in harmony. I thought I'd finally achieved it, a true step into the realm of the heavens. I called it the Infinite Lash, but I never even got to brand my brand into it. The old devil took it the moment it got out."

"The old devil... you mean the Sect Master?" Mu asked.

Zhou's expression darkened. "Yes. That monster. Escaped from some devil sect and brought forbidden arts with him. He built this entire sect as a cover. The branches? Just breeding pools. The disciples? Fodder. It's more efficient to raise cattle in your own backyard, after all."

Despite already hearing about it, Feiyin clenched his fists beneath the table.

"His cultivation technique relies on blood refinement," Zhou continued. "He doesn't even hide it anymore. Those wars we hear about? They're not just power plays, they're harvests."

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The silence stretched, heavy with dread.

Mu broke it. "Then runes are our only path forward. I've read that they can only appear when one reaches the Elemental Infusion Phase, is that true?"

Zhou nodded. "Indeed, in theory. At that stage, a cultivator can manipulate elements directly. That's when an alchemist can attempt more than the five traditional refining steps. You add Growth and Transformation. They bridge the gap to the heavenly."

"But it's easier said than done," he continued. "I'm currently two phases above, at the Yang Refining Phase. I've spent years chasing that same clarity, that same spark, refining pills and artifacts alike, adjusting materials, adjusting heat, switching techniques. Yet I've only come close a handful of times. Nothing ever gave me that feeling again. These days, the best I can consistently manage are what we call patterned pills, pills that hover just on the edge of forming a rune. Their purity surpasses 100%, and a pattern begins to emerge, but it lacks that divine spark to become a true rune."

Feiyin leaned forward. "What did it feel like? That clarity?"

Zhou's gaze drifted, as if searching for words in the air. "It felt... right. Like I was no longer forcing the materials to comply. Like they moved because they wanted to. The same as the sun rising from the east and setting into the west."

The three sat in silence, the magnitude of their task anchoring itself heavily in their hearts.

Zhou cleared his throat. "That's why you need to hurry. Reaching the Elemental Infusion Phase isn't optional anymore. It's a necessity."

Feiyin exchanged a glance with Mu and nodded. "We've been pushing forward steadily. With the cultivation slots we secured in the Molten Cave, our pace has improved. I'm confident we'll reach the Qi Flow Phase soon. But what should we expect from Elemental Infusion?"

Zhou's face grew serious. "That's when things truly open up. At that stage, your essence qi naturally starts resonating with the elements. There are eight main ones, the basic five: fire, water, wood, metal, earth, and the rarer three: wind, lightning, and ice. Some people can also awaken mutated elements, but those are extremely rare. The old devil, for example... he possesses blood as his element."

Mu shivered slightly. "Blood? That's possible?"

Zhou nodded gravely. "Blood is chaotic, violent, and incredibly potent. But it's also insidious. Most people can't handle more than two elements, the more you take in, the harder it becomes to maintain balance. Each element you absorb adds to the complexity of your essence qi."

Feiyin leaned in, intrigued. "Then what about alchemists? Which elements do they typically lean toward?"

"Fire, wood, and metal," Zhou said without hesitation. "Fire refines, wood nurtures, and metal sharpens. They're essential for the Growth and Transformation steps, steps that take you beyond the realm of ordinary alchemy and closer to the Runic."

Feiyin nodded slowly, internalizing the information. "We'll get there, Senior. One step at a time. But first, we need to find a way to meet more securely, since you mentioned previously that your movement could be under watch."

Zhou let out a dry chuckle. "You're sharp, boy. I've already accounted for that. Here, "

He reached beneath the bench and withdrew two small jade slips, each etched with faint, nearly invisible patterns. "Communication jade slips. Crafted in tandem by alchemists and talisman crafters. I shaped the base myself. The sigils were added by a trustworthy contact from the Saint Spirit branch. With these, you'll be able to transmit messages using your spiritual sense, secure and undetectable."

Mu examined the jade with intrigue. "It's incredibly light. I thought they were more complex."

"Complex in design, not in appearance," Zhou said. "It takes perfect synergy between both disciplines to craft something this subtle. Master Alchemists are rare, and runic artifacts rarer still, so this is how we make do."

Feiyin nodded in appreciation. "That balance... it's similar to what we aim for. Pills and tools, each refined to the edge of perfection."

Zhou's gaze turned distant. "Yes. Balance is everything. And speaking of the branches, keep in mind, the Saint Blood Branch Master is the old devil's bastard son. Don't be fooled by appearances. He's under the parasite's thumb like the rest of us."

Mu's face darkened. "Even his own blood?"

"Especially his own," Zhou replied grimly. "He trusts no one."

The room fell into a heavy silence before Zhou pushed the jade slips toward them. "Use these to stay in contact with me. I don't want you making frequent visits unless absolutely necessary. No one must suspect our connection."

Feiyin tucked the jade away carefully. "Don't worry. We'll be discreet."