The morning sun had barely touched the tiled rooftops of the Royal Academy when the outer disciple courtyard bustled with life. Dozens of new cultivators, some still wearing freshly issued robes, lined up at the Disciple Hall—eager to receive their first official resources.
Alice stood quietly among them, hood drawn low over her head, hands folded calmly in front of her.
To her side, chatter buzzed.
"Can't wait to see what pills I get! Maybe a body tempering one!"
"I hope I get qi boosting pills… My cultivation's been stuck for days!"
Alice ignored them all.
When her turn came, she stepped up to the elder stationed behind the counter. He was a middle-aged man with a thick black beard, wearing a crimson-trimmed robe that marked him as a resource administrator.
"Outer Disciple Token," he said without looking up.
Alice handed it over.
The elder pressed the jade token against a formation plate. It glowed briefly, confirming her registration and current cultivation level.
"Qi Condensation Level 3. Not bad." He looked up at her briefly, squinting. "You're that quiet one, eh?"
Alice said nothing, just nodded politely.
He slid a small pouch toward her. "Monthly resources. Don't waste 'em."
She opened it slightly to check:
– 30 Tier 1 Spirit Stones
– 2 Mid-grade Tier 1 Healing Pills
– 1 Mid-grade Tier 1 Qi Enhancing Pill
Her fingers lingered for a moment on the Qi Enhancing Pill, feeling the subtle warmth radiating from its silver and red shell.
Exactly what she needed.
She gave a small bow, turned, and left the hall.
---
Back in her room, Alice locked the door and sealed it with a basic noise-suppressing talisman. The faint hum of energy surrounded the room as it activated.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she brought the Qi Enhancing Pill to her lips and swallowed it.
It melted instantly in her mouth, releasing a stream of powerful qi that surged through her body like wildfire.
Her breathing quickened as she guided the energy along the channels she had forged over the past two weeks. The fire element surged eagerly; her dantian pulsed as spiritual energy filled it to the brim.
Qi Condensation Level 3… peak.
She calmed her thoughts and pressed onward.
The final push was always the hardest.
The qi coiled like a dragon in her core. She compressed it, refined it, and made it hers.
Then—crack!
An audible pulse of qi burst outward from her core.
Alice opened her eyes.
A faint flicker of flame danced in her pupils.
Qi Condensation Level 4.
She exhaled slowly and stretched. Her muscles ached, her bones felt denser, and her spiritual perception had subtly expanded.
"Good," she muttered. "Now it begins."
---
That night, the moon hung high in the sky, casting pale light over the Royal Academy.
A shadow moved silently over the academy walls.
Dressed in black from head to toe, a thin cloth mask covering her face, Alice dropped down silently outside the perimeter and vanished into the night.
The Underground Market was well hidden—beneath a quiet tavern at the edge of the city.
You had to knock four times, say the code word, and drop a spirit stone through the slot.
Alice had learned all of it during her first visit two weeks ago.
Tonight, the market was livelier than usual.
Smugglers, rogue alchemists, beast tamers, and wandering cultivators gathered around glowing stalls made of spirit-forged stone and runic glass. Rare herbs, suspicious scrolls, and glittering weapons changed hands with whispers and coded phrases.
Alice moved through the crowd unnoticed, her aura fully restrained, her steps light.
She had 47 Tier 1 Spirit Stones now, and she intended to spend carefully.
Her first stop was a small alchemy stall run by an old woman with a crooked back and sharp red eyes.
"Looking for pills, dear?" the woman rasped. "Body tempers? Qi boosters? Or… poisons?"
Alice's eyes narrowed beneath her mask. "Low-tier poisons. Paralysis, drowsiness, silence."
The old woman cackled. "An assassin's favorite! I knew you were dangerous."
She handed over a small black pouch with three vials.
– Silencing Smoke (Tier 1)
– Weak Paralysis Powder (Tier 1)
– Sleep Mist Pellet (Tier 1)
"Thirty stones."
Alice haggled it down to twenty-five and paid.
She moved on.
At another stall, she picked up a Qi Gathering Talisman, a minor tool that increased qi absorption slightly during meditation. Expensive, but worth it.
Cost: 15 Tier 1 Spirit Stones.
Only 7 stones remained.
Enough for food and a basic storage pouch if needed.
She left the market as silently as she came.
---
Back at the academy, she returned to her room before dawn. The sky was just beginning to lighten.
She removed her mask and gazed out the window, watching the faint stars vanish into the blue.
A small flame danced on her palm—just a trickle of her Fire Qi, but proof of her growing strength.
Four levels of Qi Condensation.
A poison stash.
A cultivation talisman.
And a burning desire to keep climbing.
She still had a long way to go—Foundation Establishment was the next great wall to scale.
But now, Alice was no longer at the base.
She had begun her ascent.