Yin watched the flames burning underneath the cauldron, as she carefully held the spirit herbs in her hand. The flames were light now, simmering beneath the cauldron as she threw in spirit stones to adjust their intensity whenever they started to dim. Trying to focus, she listened to Lu Jie talk.

“Qi gathering pills. The most basic pills that we know of, and the first one I’d learned to make. The ingredients are simple, needing just spirit grass. Technically, all pills are just variations of Qi gathering pills, as any you may eat will provide you with Qi. What we’re making is a step above, a Qi crystal. It uses more water, to dilute and pull out the Qi from the crushed herbs into a solution and then evaporate it in vapours that we condense and crystalize,” Lu Jie said, standing behind her.

“The first step is simple. Fill half of the cauldron with water,” he said, and Yin nodded.

Taking the jug full of water from what looked to be a water spirit stone, she poured it into the cauldron. The water sloshed around, as the fire flickered beneath the cauldron, and she stepped back, waiting for further instructions.

“Now, as the water heats, grind the spirit herbs into a paste and then put it into the cauldron.”

Yin nodded, going to the mortal and pestle she’d set nearby. Carefully taking a few strands of spirit grass, she began to crush the herbs, feeling as if she could breathe a little easier, the more she did.

A while later, a thick green paste remained in front of her, filled with crushed spirit grass. Taking the herbs, she went to the cauldron, and began to put all the spirit grass inside.

“The flame is dimming,” Lu Jie said, and Yin noticed he was right.

Quickly, she picked up a spirit stone nearby, tossing it in, before she realised her mistake. The flames erupted as they ate the spirit stone, and Yin jumped back with a yelp.

Lu Jie grabbed her by the shoulders as she almost fell, spilling the spirit grass paste on the ground. Feeling embarrassed, she looked up at the boy’s smiling face, and dipped her head. “I-I’m sorry.”

“it’s alright. Just focus on finishing the job,” Lu Jie said, and Yin nodded, walking back to the cauldron as she put the last of the spirit herbs inside.

The herbs mingled within the water, mixing as a green tinge began to spread in the liquid inside the cauldron.

“Normally I’d stir and cycle the Qi, but you may have to use a ladle,” Lu Jie said.

Yin nodded. Looking around a table, she found a wooden spoon and used it to stir the mixture around. The process felt oddly reminiscent of cooking to her, and the thought made her smile.

“What is it?” Lu Jie asked.

“I just thought… this felt like cooking,” Yin said.

Lu Jie burst into laughter at her words, as if something greatly amused him. Yin stared at the boy, unsure if she’d said something stupid. She had to have, right? Comparing Alchemy of all things to something as meagre as cooking, it would only make sense for him to laugh at her foolishness.

“Apologies. I wasn’t thinking. There’s no way alchemy can be like something so mundane,” Yin said, averting her eyes.

“Oh, no you’re right. It is like cooking. It’s just… it reminded me of something. A show I’d watched a while back on cooking crystals,” Lu Jie said, snickering to himself before he looked up at her and spoke in a strange voice. “Yin, we need to cook our product!”

This time, Yin decided it was not her but him who was strange.

“Ah, I hate that no one here will understand that reference,” Lu Jie said, wiping tears off his eyes as his laughter settled down. “Anyway, I think you can stop stirring now. Put the lid I’d made on top of the cauldron,” Lu Jie said.

Yin did as she was told, picking up the rather odd contraption with a pipe hanging on top of the cauldron lid, leading to an oddly cold to touch thinner pipe that tilted downwards, and set it upon the cauldron.

“Alright, now throw in two spirit stones. If that’s not enough, then throw in one more. But you’ll have to do this by feel and experience. We want to boil the water but not so much that the Qi breaks away from the water vapours,” Lu Jie said.

Nodding, Yin setup the lid. Taking the collection bowl and setting it below the pipe, she stepped back before carefully tossing a spirit stone beneath the cauldron. Flames erupted forth, with a searing intensity and Yin had to take a step back from the rising wave of as she closed her eyes.

A moment later, focusing her resolve, she stood, watching, waiting, as the fire continued to burn underneath the cauldron. Her eyes remained on the cauldron as she tossed another spirit stone, increasing the heat. The heat burned her skin slightly now, as the cauldron continued to hiss.

Waiting a few more moments, she watched the flames with a careful eye, trying to focus all her attention on the cauldron. On every flicker of the fire, and the hiss of sound that came from within. Minutes passed by, and as the flames began to settle, Yin threw in the last spirit stone, as the fire erupted forth one last time.

Standing, she watched with a racing heart, as the cauldron continued to boil. Then, she saw the first drop drip from the pipe and into the bowl below. Her heart jumped with elation as she watched, and slowly but surely, more and more droplets followed.

Within a few minutes, the bowl was half filled with little droplets as the flames beneath the cauldron began to settle down.

“Tap the ending bit of the pipe to get any more drops inside, and then quickly transfer it to the cooling tray,” Lu Jie said, and Yin nodded.

Walking to the cauldron, she shook off the remaining few droplets, and took the bowl, before bringing it to the cooing tray set aside. A chill crawled on her skin near the area, the frost flowers turning the air a freezing cold. Carefully, Yin poured the Qi water onto the tray, spreading it evenly, before she stepped back.

“And now we wait,” Lu Jie said, and Yin nodded. She felt her heart racing, as she watched the liquid. Time passed agonisingly slowly, as she started at the water, unsure of whether anything was changing.

Then, she saw a shift, as a cracking noise came. She moved closer, and gently touched the liquid, finding the surface cold and hard.

A green smooth slab was in front of her. Taking a spoon, she cracked a corner with a strike, as it shattered, and took a small piece. Slowly, she put it in her mouth, as the crystal began to melt slowly. It was cold and… watery.

“Yeah, unfortunately that’s just ice,” Lu Jie said, patting Yin’s shoulder. “But hey, you did better than I would’ve. This isn’t easy to do without any Qi sense, and you’ll have to practice and find the right balance in all the steps.”

Yin nodded, understand his words. Yet despite everything, she could not help but feel disappointed at the result. How foolish of her. To think she would manage to do the task of cultivators so easily, and within a single attempt.

“I-I’ll do better next time,” she told Lu Jie, turning around to look up into his eyes, as she firmed her resolve. She would not be disheartened easily. She knew this would be tough, and she intended to stick to it.

“I know you will,” the boy said with a smile, before his gaze went to the crystals. Picking one up, he put one in his mouth and chewed as the crystal cracked. Quietly, he hummed to himself. Silently, he pressed a palm against the slab which shattered with a quiet crackle in thousands of tiny pieces.

Yin watched the boy in confusion, as he swept through the ice, picking and separating pieces and parts one by one, as he sorted through the shattered crystals. At last, he picked one tiny grain, before putting it in his mouth. Nodding, he picked another, and handed it to Yin.

Looking down, Yin stared at the little crystal in confusion, before looking up at Lu Jie. “Umm… what is this for?” she asked.

“Eat that and you’ll see,” Lu Jie said.

Yin hesitantly put the crystal on her tongue, and for a moment almost didn’t feel it touch as it fizzled away. Moments later, she felt a familiar warmth flow through her body, almost imperceptible this time, but definitely there.

Yin’s eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Lu Jie.

“It’s imperfect, but it seems you didn’t completely fail my dear student,” Lu Jie said, and Yin stared at the boy, unbelieving.

“I… did it?” she asked, unsure if she’d heard him right. Yet the words that came next, shook her far more.

“Yes, you did, Yin. Congratulations, you can officially call yourself an Alchemist now Yin. Perhaps the first Mortal Alchemist ever.”

Yin looked down at her hands, and then at the tray behind her. She had done it. So simply, so abruptly that none of this felt real to her. But she’d done it. She’d just done Alchemy.