Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 321: Creating the potion

Lucas closed the door behind him and finally had the silence he needed. The chamber still carried the faint chill from his earlier cultivation, but the moment he stepped inside he pushed everything else from his mind. The shelves of herbs, vials and crystal jars reflected the glow of the lanterns, and the faint scent of medicinal powder filled the air. He rolled up his sleeves and set the wooden tray on the table, emptying the packets Tom had brought.

He muttered to himself while sorting the ingredients, out of concentration.

"These are fresher than I expected. Good. This will make the extraction smoother."

He reached for a small knife and began slicing through pale moonroot, its sap releasing a silver sheen. The ice belle, still perched comfortably around the back of his neck, leaned forward and sniffed the air before wrinkling her tiny nose.

"This smells strange. Are you sure it is food?" she asked, sounding suspicious.

"It is not food," he replied while grinding the moonroot into paste. "This is medicine. Try not to breathe too deeply. You might sneeze frost into the cauldron and ruin everything."

She huffed softly. "I do not sneeze."

Lucas laughed under his breath. "You nearly froze my pillow sometime ago because you sneezed in your sleep."

"That never happened," she said immediately, turning her face away.

He shook his head and focused again, placing the powdered moonroot into a small iron cauldron. Then he added crushed azure lotus petals one pinch at a time. The mixture began to release a faint glow as the spiritual essence reacted.

He whispered a soft activation chant and the flame beneath the cauldron flared to life. It was not ordinary fire but a controlled alchemical flame drawn from his own Qi. The liquid inside slowly turned from clear to a pale blue.

Lucas watched every change with sharp eyes.

"If the temperature rises too fast, the restoration property will destabilize," he murmured.

The ice belle rested her chin on his head and asked quietly, "Will this heal her?"

He paused for a moment before answering.

"It will not rebuild what is completely destroyed, but it will restore what still exists. I need to be precise. I cannot give her false hope."

The little spirit nodded slowly, suddenly quiet.

He lifted a small glass spoon and tasted a drop, letting it dissolve on his tongue before spitting it out into a separate bowl. His expression hardened.

"Not enough purity. I need to filter it again."

He placed a spiritual membrane over the mouth of the cauldron and began circulating his Qi through his hands, refining the mixture until the impurities gathered into a dark residue. When he removed the membrane, the potion inside shimmered like liquid starlight.

The ice belle whispered, almost in awe, "It is beautiful."

"It has to be," Lucas replied softly. "Only something flawless will work for her."

He reached for a crystal vial and carefully poured the glowing liquid inside. The vial sealed itself with a faint click, reacting to the potency within.

Lucas exhaled slowly, finally easing his shoulders.

"One step done. I will need to brew two more versions before choosing the safest one for her body."

He placed the vial gently into a padded box, closed it, and set it aside.

Outside, a servant’s footsteps echoed faintly in the corridor, but Lucas did not move. He stood in the quiet room, staring at the cauldron already planning the next stage.

The ice belle tapped his cheek with her tiny hand.

"Are you going to rest now?"

He shook his head.

"No. This is only the beginning."

Lucas wiped the rim of the cauldron with a clean cloth and reached for the next bundle of herbs when he felt a small tug on his hair. The ice belle had leaned forward again, her chin resting on top of his head with absolutely no intention of giving him space.

He sighed quietly and tilted his head back just enough to look at her.

"Little one, I need to focus for the next part. If I make even a small mistake, the entire batch will explode in my face."

She narrowed her icy blue eyes at him.

"You are saying I am a distraction," she replied in a tone that sounded dangerously close to offended elegance.

"I am saying you are sitting on my neck like a stubborn snow monkey," he answered patiently.

She gasped softly. "I am not a monkey. I am a noble spirit."

"I know," Lucas said with a small smile, "and that is exactly why I am asking you to sit somewhere comfortable. The bed is better than my shoulders."

She folded her tiny arms. "No. I am staying here. You left me for many days and now you want to send me away again."

Lucas leaned closer and lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret.

"What if I told you there is chicken broth waiting on the bed?"

Her ears twitched. "You are lying."

"There are also chunks of chicken in it," he added slowly, lifting a finger to point at the tray placed neatly near the pillows. "The servants brought it earlier. It may be cold, but you do not seem to mind cold food."

The ice belle turned her head toward the bed and stared at the bowl with intense suspicion.

"Why would there be chicken broth in your room when you were not here?"

"Because someone probably assumed I would remember to eat," Lucas replied. "Which clearly did not happen."

She held her position for another moment before sliding off his shoulder with exaggerated dignity.

"I will inspect it first. If it is not real, I will return."

Lucas nodded and went back to grinding the next ingredient.

"That is fine. Just do not spill it on the bed."

She marched across the soft carpet with the seriousness of a general crossing a battlefield. When she reached the tray, she sniffed the bowl, poked it with one delicate fingertip, and then lifted it with both hands before taking a careful sip.

Her eyes lit up immediately.

"It is wonderful," she announced while already taking a larger mouthful.

Lucas chuckled under his breath.

"I am glad the negotiation succeeded."

She climbed onto the bed, settled herself against a pillow with her legs crossed and the bowl beside her.

"You may continue your strange mixing. I will stay here and supervise."

"Supervise quietly," Lucas reminded her as he poured powdered star anise into the cauldron.

She nodded with cheeks full of broth.

"I am quiet. I am like snow. Snow does not make noise."

Lucas did not argue. He simply allowed the brief warmth of amusement to pass through him before steadying his breathing again. The flame beneath the cauldron steadied. The liquid within began to shift from pale blue to a deeper luminescent shade.

As he stirred the mixture with slow, controlled movements, he could feel her gaze still fixed on him from the bed. Not intrusive this time, just curious and content.

For the first time since beginning the process, the room felt still and focused.

Lucas exhaled and whispered to himself,

"Good. Now I can begin the second refinement."