Azrael stood at the entrance of his cave, looking at the cramped ten-by-ten-foot space with mild annoyance.
When he'd first arrived in this body, the cave had seemed adequate. It had a meditation mat, a desk, some storage shelves. Everything a bottom-tier outer disciple needed.
But now? Now he had plans that required significantly more room.
Alchemy required workspace. Spirit cooking needed a proper kitchen. He wanted training areas for sword practice and formation testing. And ideally, he'd like separate rooms for different activities instead of doing everything in one cramped hole in the mountain.
"Time to upgrade," Azrael muttered.
He pulled out the Grade 6 formation plate he'd purchased at the trading hall—one he'd specifically acquired for spatial expansion purposes. The plate was pristine jade, inscribed with complex arrays that glowed faintly with potential.
Grade 6 was powerful enough for what he needed, but Azrael wasn't satisfied with "powerful enough."
He sat cross-legged in the center of his cave and placed the formation plate before him. His consciousness dove into the arrays, analyzing every rune, every energy channel, every connection point.
His early Grade 8 formation comprehension let him see not just what the formation did, but what it could do with proper modifications.
Azrael began rewriting the array structure.
The original design created a simple spatial expansion—folding space to make the interior larger than the exterior. Effective but inefficient. The expansion was uniform, wasted energy on areas that didn't need it, and had a relatively low multiplication factor.
Azrael's version was different.
He incorporated principles from his Space Law comprehension—79% understanding of how space actually worked. He added runes that would allow selective expansion in different areas. He integrated energy-recycling channels that would sustain the formation using ambient qi instead of requiring constant power input.
Most importantly, he used his knowledge of fundamental forces to stabilize the dimensional boundaries, preventing the spatial pocket from collapsing even under extreme stress.
Three hours later, the upgraded formation was complete.
Azrael placed the modified plate at the cave's center point and activated it with a pulse of perfectly controlled qi.
Reality stretched.
The cave walls didn't move—they simply became... more. Space folded in on itself in ways that defied normal geometry. The interior expanded while the exterior remained unchanged.
Ten feet became fifty. Fifty became two hundred. Two hundred became five hundred.
When the expansion finally stabilized, Azrael's cave had transformed into an estate-sized complex.
The main chamber was now a grand hall easily a hundred feet across and thirty feet high. Branching off from it were multiple rooms that had formed automatically based on the formation's programming: a bedroom, a cultivation chamber, a workshop, a kitchen, a study, a training area, and several storage rooms.
The qi density remained high thanks to his still-active Grand Spirit Convergence Array, which had automatically adjusted to the larger space.
Azrael stood in the center of his new estate and smiled with satisfaction.
"Much better."
He could have expanded it further—made it the size of a palace or even a small city—but this was sufficient for his needs. Any larger and he'd waste energy maintaining unnecessary space.
Now for the real work.
Azrael moved to what had designated itself as the workshop—a large room with empty tables, good lighting from spirit stone lamps, and excellent ventilation formations built into the walls.
He began unpacking his purchases from the space ring.
Thousands of spirit herbs materialized on the tables, organized by type and grade. Thousand-year ginseng. Phoenix grass. Dragon root. Celestial lotus petals. Void orchids. Fire essence flowers. Water spirit moss. Earth core mushrooms.
The variety was staggering. Each herb glowed faintly with its own spiritual energy, filling the room with a complex mixture of scents.
Next came the alchemy formulas—thirty jade slips containing recipes for pills ranging from Grade 5 to Grade 8. Healing pills. Breakthrough pills. Qi recovery pills. Body tempering pills. Soul strengthening pills. Overclocking pills.
Azrael arranged everything methodically, his 30% consciousness partition that had been analyzing alchemy formulas now running at full capacity.
His theoretical alchemy comprehension had reached Grade 6 during his shopping trip. After three hours of intense study with his Heaven-Defying Comprehension, it had advanced to Grade 7.
Now, with actual materials in front of him and complete focus, he pushed toward Grade 8.
The principles of alchemy unfolded in his mind like an elegant mathematical proof.
Alchemy is transformation. Taking raw materials and refining them into concentrated essence. The process follows universal laws.
First: Extraction. Separate the spiritual energy from the physical form. Use fire to burn away impurities, leaving only pure essence.
Second: Purification. Remove any remaining contaminants. The purer the essence, the higher the pill quality.
Third: Combination. Merge different essences in specific ratios at different intervals. The interactions between elements must be balanced, or the pill will fail.
Fourth: Compression. Condense the mixed essences into solid form. This requires precise pressure and temperature control.
Fifth: Tempering. Infuse the pill with laws to stabilize it and enhance its effects. This is what separates master alchemists from amateurs.
His comprehension crystallized.
Alchemy Proficiency: Grade 8 (Theoretical)
But Azrael had no intention of doing things the traditional way.
Most alchemists used cauldrons—specialized vessels that could withstand extreme temperatures and contain spiritual energy. The cauldron method was proven, reliable, and had been refined over millions of years.
It was also slow, inefficient, and required expensive equipment.
Azrael had something better: perfect qi control, fundamental force manipulation, and a very good spiritual sense.
He didn't need a cauldron. He would use his consciousness itself as the refining vessel.
Azrael selected his first recipe: a healing pill. Grade 7, capable of healing injuries up to the Nascent Soul realm. The traditional formula called for twelve different herbs processed in a specific sequence.
He laid out the ingredients on the table and closed his eyes.
His spiritual sense expanded, wrapping around each herb like invisible fingers. He could perceive every molecule, every trace of spiritual energy, every impurity.
Begin extraction.
Azrael channeled his Fire Law comprehension—97% understanding of fire's nature. Not crude flames that would char the herbs, but precise, controlled heat that targeted only impurities.
The herbs began to glow. Physical matter burned away, leaving behind shimmering clouds of pure spiritual herbal essence—liquid qi in concentrated form.
A hundred different blobs of herbal essences floated in the air before him, each one a different color corresponding to its elemental and plant nature.
Purification.
He applied more fire, burning away the last traces of contamination. The essences became brighter, purer, more potent.
Combination.
This was the delicate part. Different essences needed to merge in precise ratios and sequences. Add water essence too early, and it would quench the fire essence. Mix earth and wind essence incorrectly, and they'd neutralize each other.
But Azrael's Heaven-Defying Comprehension had analyzed the formula down to its fundamental principles. He understood not just what to do, but why.
The essences began mixing under his mental guidance, swirling together in a complex dance. Fire and water found balance. Earth and wind harmonized. Wood essence bridged the elements, promoting growth and healing.
Within minutes, the twelve separate essences had become one unified whole—a swirling sphere of liquid spiritual energy that glowed with soft golden light.
Compression.
Azrael began applying pressure using his qi control and electromagnetic manipulation. The sphere compressed, growing smaller and denser. Liquid became semi-solid, then solid.
The single sphere split into multiple smaller spheres—pills forming from the unified essence. Where a traditional alchemist might produce three to five pills from this amount of material, Azrael's perfect control and zero-waste process was producing hundreds.
Tempering.
This was where true mastery showed.
Azrael infused each pill with fragments of his law comprehensions—fire for purification, water for healing, wood for regeneration, earth for stability. The laws wove into the pills' structure, enhancing their effects exponentially.
As he worked, something extraordinary happened.
The laws of the universe took notice.
Golden light began descending from nowhere—the same phenomenon that occurred when cultivators achieved major breakthroughs. But this wasn't for cultivation. This was for alchemy.
The light touched each pill, and golden lines began etching themselves onto their surfaces.
One line. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.
Ten golden lines appeared on each pill—the mark of absolute purity. No impurities whatsoever. Perfect refinement.
But the universe wasn't finished.
Purple light descended next—deeper, more profound than the gold. This represented the pill's stage, its effective power level.
Purple lines etched themselves onto the pills alongside the golden ones.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.
Ten purple lines—indicating Stage 10 pills. Pills that could affect even Solar Dominion realm cultivators.
Azrael opened his eyes and stared at the results.
Over a thousand pills floated before him, each one marked with ten golden lines and ten purple lines. They radiated soft light, and the spiritual energy coming off them was so dense it made the air shimmer.
He'd only used a hundred herbs and basic ingredients. Traditional methods would have produced maybe three hundred pills total, most of Grade 7 quality with imperfections.
Azrael had produced over a thousand Stage 10 pills with perfect purity.
He picked up one pill and examined it with his spiritual sense. The healing effects were extraordinary—it could restore a Solar Dominion cultivator from the brink of death as long as their consciousness remained intact. Even if their body was disintegrated and their soul shattered, this pill would rebuild them.
"Oh my god," Azrael said quietly. "Did I just create an overpowered pill?"
He did some quick mental calculations on market value.
A normal Grade 7 healing pill cost around 50,000 spirit stones.
A Stage 10 pill with perfect purity that could save Solar Dominion cultivators? Easily 100,000,000 spirit stones. Maybe more.
And he had a thousand of them.
"Well," Azrael said, a grin spreading across his face behind his mask. "I don't have to worry about money from now on. Just a single pill would drain half of the sect's monthly income."
He sat down and thought about the implications. The Nexus Innovation Sect was trying to build spaceships and save people from this dying planet. They probably needed massive resources.
I could fund their entire operation with a few dozen pills.
But first, he needed to make more. Different types.
Azrael turned to his other ingredients and began working systematically.
Breakthrough Pills using fire and wood essences to push through bottlenecks. These could help cultivators advance multiple layers instantly—normally reserved for major realm transitions.
Overclocking Pills that temporarily enhanced combat power by accelerating qi circulation. Dangerous if misused, but incredibly powerful.
Body Tempering Pills using earth and metal essences to strengthen physical form.
Qi Recovery Pills that could restore a cultivator's entire energy reserve in seconds.
Soul Strengthening Pills using rare void and consciousness essences to reinforce the spirit.
Each batch followed the same pattern: extraction, purification, combination, compression, tempering with laws. Each batch produced a thousand pills. Each pill received ten golden lines and ten purple lines.
By the time Azrael finished, the workshop table was covered with jade boxes containing millions of pills.
He synthesized storage containers using his matter manipulation—beautiful jade boxes inscribed with preservation formations to keep the pills fresh indefinitely.
Different pills for different purposes, all organized and labeled.
Azrael looked at his work and felt genuine satisfaction. This was peak efficiency. No wasted materials, no failed batches, no imperfections.
This is what happens when you apply scientific methodology to mystical processes, he thought.
But he wasn't done. The most important pills were still to come.
Breakthrough Pills specifically designed for himself.
He'd used basic herbs for the previous batches, but now he pulled out his Grade 8 materials—the most expensive ingredients he'd purchased.
Dragon marrow. Phoenix feathers. Void lotus roots. Star essence crystals. Nebula grass.
These were materials that could affect even Void Integration cultivators. In Azrael's hands, they would become something extraordinary.
The refinement process was the same but more intense. The essences burned brighter, compressed harder, resonated with deeper laws.
When the breakthrough pills finished forming, they practically hummed with power. The ten golden and ten purple lines glowed so brightly they were hard to look at directly.
Azrael examined one carefully. According to his analysis, these pills could push a cultivator through multiple major realms if they had the foundation to support it.
For him, with his perfect 3,000-layer foundation plan, they would help advance through Qi Condensation layers at accelerated speed.
"Perfect," Azrael said.
He stored most of the pills in his space ring but kept several breakthrough pills and qi recovery pills easily accessible.
Time for testing.
Azrael moved to his cultivation chamber—a spacious room with a large meditation mat, excellent qi flow, and isolation formations built into the walls.
He sat cross-legged, pulled out a breakthrough pill, and examined it one last time.
Here goes nothing.
He swallowed the pill.
The effect was immediate and overwhelming.
Spiritual energy exploded into his system. It wasn't chaotic or destructive—the pill had been perfectly refined to integrate smoothly—but the sheer amount was staggering.
His Essence Extraction Breathing Method activated automatically, channeling the energy into his cultivation layers.
His realm began advancing.
Layer 16.
Layer 17.
Layer 18.
The qi kept flowing, each layer requiring exponentially more energy than the last. But the breakthrough pill contained enough spiritual essence to push through.
Layer 20.
Layer 25.
Layer 30.
The advancement started slowing as the energy requirements doubled with each layer. But Azrael kept going, consuming more breakthrough pills to maintain momentum.
Layer 35.
Layer 40.
Layer 45.
Finally, at Layer 50, the pills' effects plateated. His foundation had become so dense, so perfect, that even Stage 10 breakthrough pills could only push him this far.
The pills would still be useful—they'd help with qi recovery and minor cultivation—but they could no longer trigger major breakthroughs at his current level.
Azrael spent the next several hours consolidating his foundation, using his law comprehensions to actively temper himself.
Fire Law burned through his meridians, refining them.
Water Law flowed through his dantian, purifying his qi.
Earth Law reinforced his bones and organs.
Wind Law accelerated his circulation.
Wood Law promoted cellular regeneration.
Space Law expanded his internal capacity.
The process was intense but controlled. His body, qi, and soul underwent simultaneous refinement, each aspect strengthening the others.
By the time he finished, Azrael had stabilized at Qi Condensation Layer 50 with a foundation that would make most Star Convergence cultivators weep with envy.
He checked his status.
[STATUS]
Name: Azrael Void
Realm: Qi Condensation - Layer 50
Foundation: Excellent-Tier → Supreme-Tier
Talent: Heaven-Defying Comprehension
Laws Comprehended:
Fire Law: 97% (Layer 1) Water Law: 84% (Layer 2) Earth Law: 86% (Layer 3) Wind Law: 82% (Layer 4) Wood Law: 88% (Layer 5) Space Law: 79% (Layer 6) Sword Law: 79% (Not yet Integrated.).
(AN: Damn I really have to list 3000 laws)
Combat Power: Can contend with Early Solar Dominion Realm Cultivator
Divine Skills: Myriad Spiritual Library, Primordial Flow Control Art
Alchemy: Grade 8 (Master Level - Cauldron-less Refinement)
Spirit Cooking: Grade 8 (Master Level - Theoretical)
Azrael smiled. Layer 50 out of his planned 3,000 layers. He had a long way to go, but the progress was satisfying.
His combat power had jumped significantly. Early Solar Dominion Realm meant he was among the top experts of the planet.
And he had millions of pills stored away—resources that would make him independently wealthy and could potentially fund the Nexus Innovation Sect's entire evacuation effort.
"Not bad for an afternoon's work," Azrael said.
He stood, stretched, and looked around his expanded cave estate. The bedroom beckoned—he'd been awake for nearly two days straight between the competition, shopping, eating, and alchemy.
But first, he pulled out one of Fairy Yue's takeaway dishes from his space ring. Still hot, still delicious.
He ate slowly this time, savoring the flavors without the desperate hunger from before. The food no longer triggered cultivation breakthroughs—his foundation was too advanced now—but it was still heavenly.
I should message her, Azrael thought, looking at his jade phone. Thank her again. Maybe arrange another meal.
But exhaustion was catching up with him. His soul had been working overtime—consciousness partition management, alchemy comprehension, pill refinement, foundation consolidation.
"Tomorrow," he decided. "I'll message her tomorrow."
Azrael finished his meal, cleaned up, and collapsed onto the luxurious bed that had somehow formed in his bedroom—his spatial expansion formation was more intuitive than he'd realized.
Within seconds, he was asleep.
Outside his cave, the Grand Spirit Convergence Array continued running, gathering refined qi. The defensive formations stood ready. His millions of pills sat safely stored in jade boxes.
And somewhere in the sect, elders were frantically reporting to the Sect Master about the mysterious masked cultivator who'd casually broken through to legendary cultivation layers and eaten enough spirit food to kill a normal person.
But Azrael was blissfully unaware of all of it, lost in deep, dreamless sleep.
Tomorrow, he'd deal with the secret realm preparation.
Tonight, he rested.
[END CHAPTER 14]