Rayen Wu stood before the long, dragon-etched shelves of Lab 7B's alchemical library, clutching a sheaf of annotated scrolls. The lanternlight above flickered slightly, reacting to a burst of ambient Qi from a nearby furnace. For once, the lab was quiet. No explosions. No errant spiritual mushrooms sprouting from the wall. Just him, Q.E.D., and the burning question: what if a pill could simulate enlightenment?
:: Risk projection: 92.3%. Potential backlash includes Qi deviation, memory overload, existential dread, and mild nosebleeds. ::
"Mild?" Rayen muttered. "Then we're within acceptable parameters."
He laid out a blend of ingredients: Whisper Lotus dust, Liquid Insight sap, powdered Starstone, and a few drops of mindroot essence. These weren't cheap or safe ingredients. Even Elder Fan would probably declare this concoction forbidden.
But Rayen wasn't making a typical pill.
:: Initiating controlled alchemical synthesis. Analyzing molecular binding patterns. Warning: Starstone resonance unstable. Recommend inverse polarity blend. ::
Rayen adjusted the crucible's Qi pattern, threading his Foundation-stage spiritual energy into a reverse spiral. The alchemy furnace groaned. The mixture bubbled like it had opinions.
"Synthesize the irrational," he whispered. "Let's bring a thought experiment into the real world."
Thirty-seven minutes and one small ceiling crack later, the furnace hissed open with a slow exhale. Nestled inside was a single pill—black as the void, surrounded by thin arcs of spiritual static.
:: Pill formed. Category: Unknown. Effect: Induces controlled pseudo-enlightenment state via memory loop expansion and quantum thought fracturing. Side effects… pending. ::
Rayen held it up to the light. It didn't reflect. It absorbed.
"I'll call it the Enlightenment Kernel."
:: Suggest better branding. ::
Rayen blinked. "What's wrong with it?"
:: Sounds edible. It is not. ::
He laughed and sealed the pill in a reinforced jade capsule. This wasn't for mass use. This was a secret weapon. Maybe for the upcoming trials… or something far worse.
A knock came at the door.
"Rayen?"
It was Tian Feng, holding a scroll with a gold-inked seal.
"You've been selected for the Inner Sect's Combat Exhibition next month. Elder Fan insisted on it."
Rayen blinked. "I haven't even been here a month."
"She also said, and I quote, 'Let the lunatic be their problem.'"
:: Acceptance probability: 100%. You want the attention. ::
Rayen exhaled and grinned. "Tell her I'll be there. And bring an extra furnace. I might need it."
**[Rayen Wu – Cultivator Status Sheet]**
• Cultivation Stage: Foundation Establishment – Layer 1 (Ember Core: Stable)
• Core Stability: 81%
• Martial Techniques:
• Ember Pulse Palm
• Thermal Weave Breathing
• Steam Qi Displacement
• Kinetic Feedback Reversal
• Alchemy Techniques:
• Controlled Entropy Infusion
• Quantum Fractional Distillation
• Pill Formulas Mastered:
• High-tier Body Refinement Pill
• Ember Spark Draught
• Soup of Enlightenment (banned)
• Enlightenment Kernel (Prototype – Forbidden)
• Notable Items: Quantum Entangled Drive (Q.E.D.), Lab 7B Access, Sect Trial Token, Reinforced Jade Capsule
• Reputation: Rising Alchemical Madman (Outer Sect), Selected Combatant for Inner Exhibition
Back in the courtyard that night, Rayen stared at the moon. He wasn't sure if he was inching toward immortality or spiraling into insanity. But with every formula, every test, he grew stronger—and stranger.
He wasn't walking the path of cultivation. He was rewriting it.
"Q.E.D.," he said softly, "how do you quantify destiny?"
:: Unknown variable. Suggest experimental trials. ::
Rayen smirked. "Exactly what I was hoping for."