Chapitre 85: Cinderbone Elixir
Determined, he shifted focus inward again. Visualising the same simple curve and hooked stroke, he tried to form a fourth mind rune. Almost instantly, pressure built inside his head; a bead of sweat rolled down his temple, then another. The strain mounted until he felt his thoughts falter.
At last, he released a ragged breath and opened his eyes.
"That's… not happening right now," he realised. "I've reached my limit for the moment."
A few weeks had passed since Li Wei reached the limit of his previous breakthroughs. Shaking off the lingering dizziness, he resolved to push for that elusive fourth mind rune—but after days of exhaustive effort, he found himself back at the same frustrating impasse.
Li Wei let out a ragged breath, pressing his palm to his forehead as he tried—and failed yet again—to form the rune in his spiritual sea. Though he could sense it hovering just out of reach, each attempt ended in the same way: the shape collapsed the moment it was nearly complete.
"I'm at my limit…" he thought, teeth clenched in frustration. "Just when I can almost touch it, it slips away."
He was about to grit his teeth and force one more attempt when his spiritual awareness prickled—someone powerful was drawing near. A moment later, footsteps sounded at the cave's entrance, echoing off the stone. Zhao Feng stepped into the cramped chamber, dusting off his sleeves and glancing around, eyes keen despite the dim light.
"Junior Brother," Zhao Feng said, inclining his head in greeting. "It's been a month. Are you ready with your due?"
Steadying himself against the cave wall, Li Wei quickly wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded. "I am," he replied, retrieving a Grade 1 Strength Potion from a small, makeshift shelf. "This should cover it, right?"
Zhao Feng's gaze brightened as he uncorked the vial, examining the potion with a critical eye. "Successful already? Not bad," he said, nodding his approval. "This potion is worth two years' worth of contributions. I won't have to come by every month anymore. That's a relief—for both of us."
A flicker of satisfaction momentarily displaced Li Wei's fatigue. At least his brewing efforts were paying off. Zhao Feng capped the vial and tucked it into a pocket, then surveyed the cramped surroundings.
"You've been cooped up in here," he noted. "Why haven't you tried befriending our other martial brothers? It's easier to stand together than alone."
Li Wei inhaled, trying to keep the tension from showing on his face. "I've been focused on cultivating," he said evenly. "I'm not much for socialising."
Zhao Feng studied him for a heartbeat, then offered a slight smile. "Fair enough. Still, our fellow direct disciples under Elder Gao can be… ambitious. We may need each other's help sooner or later."
"He clearly wants something from me," Li Wei realised. "I should make a request first, before he asks for a favour I can't refuse. I might as well get something out of whatever he wants."
At that, Li Wei recalled something he'd been meaning to inquire about. "Senior Brother," he ventured, "do you happen to have the technique for Bone Fire?"
Zhao Feng chuckled softly. "You're eager, aren't you? Already thinking of more advanced elixirs and offensive methods. You do know Bone Fire can get out of hand if you're not careful, right?"
He let Li Wei absorb the warning, then continued, "I can lend it to you. Let's call it a favour between seniors and juniors. But in return, I expect your support if any issues arise among master's more troublesome disciples."
Li Wei felt a swirl of relief and caution. He knew Zhao Feng ranked high in the sect—likely in the upper echelons of Foundation Establishment—and while there was no overt killing, refusal simply wasn't an option.
"At least he's treating me with some respect," Li Wei mused. "And if it means I can learn Bone Fire… maybe it's worth it."
Zhao Feng slipped his hands behind his back, his eyes gleaming with intelligence. "I'd rather have you as an ally than an enemy, Li Wei. I'll send the manual over soon. Next time I visit, I might have more… opportunities for you." With that, he turned to leave, adding over his shoulder, "And good luck pushing your cultivation further."
As Zhao Feng's footsteps faded, Li Wei let out the breath he'd been holding.
"I don't have much choice but to go along with him," he thought, gaze drifting back to the spot where he'd been meditating. "I need more power so I'm not under the thumb of these powerful individuals forever… and it wouldn't hurt to please Elder Gao, either."
"I can't ignore what's happening among Elder Gao's other direct disciples. Rivalries… hidden power plays… It's all there, waiting to explode. Zhao Feng might be the only one who's approached me so far, but the others are probably just as ambitious and cunning. If he wants my help, it must mean there's tension brewing behind the scenes, and he's trying to lock down my alliance before things get worse."
A faint sense of apprehension gripped him, but he steeled himself.
"Still, if I play my cards right, I stand to gain real strength—and maybe enough influence to keep the rest of Elder Gao's disciples off my back."
He sighed, thinking about the path ahead.
The weight of sect politics is bearing down on me, but I can't deny the truth: if I get my hands on Bone Fire, I can produce more bone essence from bone ash—my real trump card. It's the reason I've advanced this far, and that's what really matters in the end.
Li Wei knelt on the cave floor, tension humming through his limbs as he sifted a handful of bone ash. He sensed a shift in the air before he heard the rattling steps. A skeleton emerged from the tunnel—its bleached ribs shifting like a grotesque puppet. In its bony grip was a worn leather tome wrapped in cord.
The bone slave halted and extended the book toward Li Wei. Its empty sockets seemed to regard him for a moment. Li Wei nodded—whether in thanks or acknowledgement, even he wasn't sure—and claimed the tome. Without a sound, the skeleton turned, its bones scraping as it retreated into the darkness.
So this is Bone Fire, Li Wei thought, carefully untying the cord.
He opened the tome, finding the pages thick and dry, etched with dense handwriting. The very first chapter called Bone Fire an "inner ignition" that allows cultivators to merge bone-based essence with an innate, ever-present flame.
Flipping ahead, he spotted a section boldly titled "The Cinderbone Elixir." According to the text, no cultivator can spark Bone Fire from nothing. They must first craft and ingest this elixir—a catalyst that permanently teaches the body how to ignite the flame on command. Once learned, the technique no longer requires the concoction.
Li Wei considered buying the Cinderbone Elixir but decided against it—probably mad expensive, and he couldn't afford it. He went to the book of elixirs, finding the Cinderbone Elixir's recipe:
Required Ingredients for the Cinderbone Elixir:
Five shards of Mid-Tier Demonic Bone, ground to a fine powder.
A Fire-Element Beast Core, preferably from a creature known for intense internal heat.
A handful of Emberleaf, steeped in spiritual qi for no less than five days.
Three roots of Ashvine, known for balancing fiery and bone energies.
Two petals of Smolderbloom, prized for its heat-stabilising properties.
A footnote described how these herbs synergise: Emberleaf stokes the fire aspect, Ashvine aligns it with the body's bone structures, and Smolderbloom ensures the flame does not consume the user from within.
Li Wei looked in the Compendium of Essential Elixirs, thinking Cinderbone Elixir sounded familiar. He found it and discovered the steps to brew the Cinderbone Elixir:
Pulverise the demonic bone shards together with the Fire-Element Beast Core.
Infuse the resulting mixture with Emberleaf juice and Ashvine root essence.
Simmer at a low temperature until the concoction begins to glow a dull orange.
Add Smolderbloom petals at the final stage, letting them dissolve into the brew.
He noted the warnings scattered throughout the text: ingesting the elixir too soon or skimping on any ingredient can lead to spiralling internal flames, crippling the meridians.
"Once I drink it and survive the ignition process," he read, "I'll be able to summon Bone Fire at will. I won't need another dose—my body will remember the spark."
Li Wei paused, letting the gravity of it sink in. The power to light his own bones with fire—anytime—he would produce bone essence whenever.
He flipped ahead, finding a detailed illustration of a skeleton enveloped in pale flame. The caption read: "Guide the flame through the sternum and ribs, forging synergy between body and bone." A note explained that once the user completed the "inner ignition," they could mentally summon a flicker of Bone Fire to swirl around their bones without sustaining damage—an ability that could be used in battle or crafting alike.
Li Wei closed the Bone Fire manual with a heavy exhale, setting it aside on the rough stone floor. The list of required ingredients for the Cinderbone Elixir—mid-tier demonic bone shards, a fire-element beast core, Emberleaf, Ashvine, Smolderbloom—swirled through his mind. Finding each piece would be no small endeavour.
"I'll have to scour the sect's manuals or risk venturing outside," he thought, frustration creeping in. "Zhao Feng might help, but that means I owe him even more."
He pushed himself upright and paced around the dim cave, trying to piece together a plan. After a few moments, a thought flickered to life. He remembered an old manual he once stumbled across—Bone Manipulation. Last time he'd tried to access its techniques, the system had locked him out, flashing a message that it was "unavailable at his current level."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone