Blossoming Path-Chapter 181: Awakenings

The quest reward was relatively simple. Contrary to receiving a new skill, it just adjusted my current one.

Refinement Simulation Technique (Level 1): A technique that enhances both alchemical refinement and combat adaptability by simulating complex processes in real time. Originally developed for alchemy, it predicts how ingredients will interact based on past experiences, allowing precise adjustments mid-refinement. This principle extends to martial combat, enabling the user to anticipate an opponent’s actions by analyzing past encounters and reacting with a reflexive counter tailored to the situation.

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All this time, I had been treating the Memory Palace Technique and Refinement Simulation Technique as separate entities—one for storing and reviewing information and the other for predicting alchemical interactions. But if this new skill allowed me to simulate martial exchanges as well, didn’t that mean it wasn’t an isolated ability?

They were intertwined.

The Memory Palace was the foundation. Storage, organization, and retrieval of information. The foundation for everything else. Its power wasn’t just in perfect recall but in how quickly it could sift through vast amounts of data, retrieving whatever I needed at a moment’s notice.

The Refinement Simulation built upon that. It wasn’t just prediction, it was specialized application of the stored knowledge, focusing on real-time interactions, whether alchemical or martial.

It made sense now. The Memory Palace’s basic simulation abilities were rudimentary; visualizing a simple object, recalling past events and simulating them within my mind. But the moment it branched into something more focused, it enhanced the ability to actively process information rather than just retrieve it.

If this was true, then wouldn’t upgrading the Memory Palace Technique improve everything that came from it? Wouldn’t it refine the Refinement Simulation technique as well?

Like a murky stream becoming purified after the source itself is cleaned.

I grabbed two more vials from my shelf, rolling them between my fingers before tossing them outside my house. One after the other, they shattered against the ground, releasing their contents in twin bursts of liquid.

I felt it unfolding in my mind before it happened. A ripple of predictions formed, outlining not just the effects of the concoction, but its range and impact on the surroundings.

The splattered mixture darkened the ground, spreading outward in a predictable pattern, its fumes dispersing at a controlled rate. I knew, down to the second, how long it would linger.

I let out a low whistle. “That’s a neat trick.”

But it didn’t end there.

Out of curiosity, I turned my gaze toward Tianyi. She was in the distance, moving through one of her routines, her body a blur of sharp, efficient motion.

The technique activated again.

It pulled from my existing knowledge of her fights, overlaying patterns based on what I had seen before. Her movements, her attack sequences, the way she shifted between strikes—it was all cataloged, replayed, and analyzed in real time.

She was predictable.

A small chuckle escaped me. It wasn’t that Tianyi was lacking skill—it was just that she was incredibly efficient in her attacks, meaning she repeated the same movements often.

But… what did that really mean for me?

I exhaled, shaking my head with a wry smile. Prediction meant nothing if I couldn’t react fast enough.

Even knowing exactly what she was going to do wouldn’t save me if I lacked the speed to counter it in time. Right now, if we fought, I’d see the hit coming—but I’d still get struck three times over before I could capitalize on it.

This wasn’t an invincible technique.

But it was a boon. Honing my instincts with the experience I accumulated, it'd only become more effective the longer I trained and the more I learned.

Despite my satisfaction, a part of me remained restless.

It was true that with enough time and effort, I would become strong. My entire skillset was built around long-term growth, refining my abilities bit by bit until I reached the peak of my potential. But being strong in the future wasn’t enough.

I needed to be strong now.

I tempered my impatience, reminding myself that I was doing everything I could. I was empowering myself and my friends, giving us every advantage possible. Yet, there was always that nagging temptation in the back of my mind—the desire to find a shortcut, to grasp at a way to leap forward in power within a short period of time.

My eyes flickered to the tightly sealed container in my storage, where the extracted Bloodsoul Bloom essence sat untouched.

I refused to use it in medicine—it was too dangerous. The risk of corruption, of unforeseen consequences, was too high. But as an alchemist, I couldn’t ignore its properties forever. If I didn’t intend to ingest it, then I needed to learn how to break it down, to strip it of its instability and weaponize it.

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Just as that thought passed through my mind, a faint sound reached my ears.

A shuffle.

I stilled.

At first, I thought I had imagined it. But then it came again. A slow, dragging slither, followed by the unmistakable sound of a soft hiss.

My breath caught. My head snapped toward the area where Windy had been recovering.

He was awake.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Windy stirred, shifting sluggishly as his blue-tinged eyes blinked open. A rasping exhale left his body, his tongue flickering weakly from between his fangs.

My stomach lurched.

“Windy?” My voice came out unsteady, disbelieving. “You’re awake?”

His gaze turned toward me slowly, clouded and unfocused. His body trembled slightly, his movements sluggish, as though he was still half-trapped in whatever state he had been in for so long.

Relief crashed over me in waves. Before I could think, I crossed the space between us and carefully scooped him into my arms.

“Hold on—Tianyi!” I called, my voice carrying through the house. “Tianyi, he’s awake!”

I pressed Windy close to my chest, feeling the familiar coolness of his scales against my skin. “You’re alright,” I murmured, barely registering the way my voice wavered. “You’re alright.”

There was no response, but after a moment, he shifted slightly. His small head pressed against me, rubbing against my robes with a slow, deliberate motion.

I mistook it for affection at first.

Then he did it again. And again.

His rubbing grew more aggressive, to the point where I winced, shifting uncomfortably under the persistent pressure. “Windy—ow, stop that, you’re—”

Then I saw it.

A section of his scales flaked away, peeling from his body.

My breath hitched as understanding dawned. “You’re shedding.”

Windy didn’t slow down. If anything, he pressed harder, using my body as the main surface to rid himself of the old, damaged layer of his scales. I sucked in a breath, trying to bear through the discomfort as the process continued. The sight was both unsettling and mesmerizing—large sheets of dull, faded scales sloughing off to reveal fresh, pristine layers underneath.

Tianyi arrived just as the last of his molting finished. She froze in the doorway, her antennae twitching as she took in the sight before her. Then, without hesitation, she joined me, her hands carefully supporting Windy as the last remnants of his old skin peeled away.

When it was over, he was still for a moment, his breathing even and steady. His form, once frail and battered, was whole again. The scars remained—faint, silvery marks scattered across his pristine white scales—but his body no longer trembled with weakness.

Relief overwhelmed me all over again.

I hugged him tighter. “You’re okay.”

Tianyi didn’t hesitate to follow suit. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her forehead lightly against his scaled body.

For a long moment, the three of us remained like that.

Then, just as I was about to pull away, a soft chime echoed in my mind.

You have deepened your bond with the Spirit Beast, Windy.

I stiffened.

And then—

Something else flooded through me.

A sensation. A vague, foreign emotion, threading through my and Tianyi's feelings of relief and joy.

It wasn’t coming from me.

It was coming from Windy.

And the emotion was…

Embarrassment.

I blinked, my arms still loosely wrapped around him.

Windy had gone completely still, and if I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought he was pretending to be dead. Tianyi pulled back slightly, tilting her head in confusion as she picked up on the same strange energy radiating from him.

Slowly, I eased back, adjusting my grip so I could look at him properly. His scales were flawless now, his injuries long gone, his body moving with a newfound ease. His eyes, no longer clouded, gleamed with unmistakable intelligence as he stared up at me.

Then, without warning, he abruptly wriggled free from my arms, slipping onto the floor and coiling up tightly, his tail curling in a way that screamed flustered.

Tianyi and I exchanged glances.

“…Windy?” I tried.

He refused to look at me.

A huff of air left him, and his tail flicked with barely contained mortification.

I blinked again before realization set in, and suddenly, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

"Don't worry, this young master forgives you for using him as a rubbing surfa—"

Windy's response was immediate. His tail snapped up and smacked me clean across the face.

The forge crackled with warmth as Wang Jun examined the serpent closely.

"He was in bad shape, but he looks… pretty good. Only a few scars, here and there."

"Yeah, well," I said, adjusting my grip. "That was after days in a coma, with Tianyi and I treating him everyday. That would revive someone even from the dead."

Windy lifted his head with pride, flicking his tongue at Wang Jun in greeting. For some reason, he seemed more... docile. He wasn't the most social animal, and he held himself with a hint of pride at all times. But it looks as though the serpent had mellowed out.

Tianyi, however, was still unwilling to let him out of her sight. I caught her hovering slightly, her antennae twitching every time Windy moved even a little. She had always been lax, but right now, she was like a protective mother.

Though, judging by his status, he didn't need any protecting.

Name: Windy

Race: Wind Serpent (Aberrant)

Affinity: Wood and Metal

Cultivation Rank: Qi Initiation Stage - Rank 5

Special Abilities:

Tail Whip: Delivers a swift and powerful tail strike infused with qi.

Paralyzing Venom: Injects venom that temporarily paralyzes the target.

Moonlight Empowerment: Gains increased power and vitality under the moonlight.

Predator's Insight: Perceive the most efficient paths to a lethal strike.

Illusory Motion Technique: A movement technique that creates afterimages and subtle distortions in your wake.

Bond Level: 3 (Close Companion) - Windy has formed a deep bond with you, displaying loyalty and commitment to your shared journey. His abilities may strengthen in response to your connection, and he will be more attuned to your emotions and needs. Additional abilities or enhancements may become available as your bond continues to grow.

Two new skills, along with an increase in his cultivation rank.

Had Windy also experienced a bout of enlightenment during his battle against the demonic cultivators?

The thought made my grip tighten slightly. Every day, my abilities evolved. But my companions weren’t falling behind. They were keeping pace, pushing their own boundaries just as I was.

I turned my gaze to Tianyi. Sure enough, when I pulled up her status, her own newly minted skill stood out.

Name: Tianyi

Race: Mystical Butterfly

Affinity: Wood

Cultivation Rank: Essence Awakening Stage - Rank 1

Special Abilities:

Qi Haven: Transforms frequented areas into concentrated qi zones, boosting recovery and cultivation efficiency for those within its boundaries.

Moonlight Empowerment: Gains increased power and vitality under the moonlight.

Qi Siphon: Can absorb small amounts of qi from its surroundings to sustain itself.

Qi Transfer: Can imbue living beings with energy by transferring its qi, providing a small boost to those who receive it.

Qi Infusion: Infuse your body with qi, strengthening and making it faster.

Drunken Constitution: A constitution that enhances one's ability to fight while intoxicated.

Bond Level: 3 (Close Companion) - Tianyi has formed a deep bond with you, displaying loyalty and commitment to your shared journey. Her abilities may strengthen in response to your connection, and she will be more attuned to your emotions and needs. Additional abilities or enhancements may become available as your bond continues to grow.

Wang Jun leaned back, folding his arms. "So, what now? You gonna announce it to the village?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Just thought you’d like to see for yourself. I'll show him off to the others later."

His lips twitched as he set his hammer down and killed the flame of the forge. "Well, I gotta admit, this is definitely worth celebrating."

I grinned, picking Windy up and letting him rest along my shoulders. "Then let’s celebrate properly. At the Soaring Swallow!"

"Let's go!"

We had barely stepped out of the forge when Tianyi suddenly stilled. Her antennae twitched, and her wings fluttered slightly, as if sensing something.

I turned to follow her gaze.

Beyond the village outskirts, a group of figures emerged from the mist.

Even though the sky remained clear, winter's breath had thickened the air and made it hard to see. But as they drew closer, their outlines sharpened—thirty or so figures, moving steadily toward the village.

Immediately, I tensed.

"Who are they?"

I wasn’t the only one. Wang Jun’s stance shifted subtly, his fingers curling into fists. Windy's eyes narrowed into slits, watching the group intently from my shoulder.

But the tension eased slightly as I took in their movements.

They weren’t advancing like enemies.

No aggression, no disciplined march. Their pace was weary, some figures leaning on others for support. Even from here, I could make out the distinct weight of exhaustion in their gait.

Refugees? Travelers?

Then I spotted him.

A familiar figure near the front.

Recognition struck like a hammer to the chest. My grip tightened on Windy, who flicked his tongue as if sensing my unease.

I exhaled slowly, steadying myself.

It seemed our quiet celebration would have to wait.