btth: crafting even heaven

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The golden pill still glowed faintly in Tianzun's palm.

He turned it over once, watching how the fire-vein shimmered under the light. The scent of freshly-birthed spirit essence clung to the air — warm, sharp, and clean.

Behind him, Yoru stood silently.

> "You're staring at it like it's worth more than gold," she said, half-joking.

> "It is."

He tucked it into a flame-sealed pouch, then summoned his system panel.

---

📊 System Store Evaluation:

> Flame-Nourishing Body Pill – Tier 1, High Grade

Instant Sell Price: 680 Celestial Shards

Buyback Price: 720

Market Demand Index: Low

Trade Volume: Bulk Preferred – Auction unlocks at 10 Pills+

Tianzun sighed.

> "Selling it now is wasteful. I need bulk. Ten or more for auction."

"One is fuel. Ten is leverage."

He turned back to the cauldron.

> "Back to work."

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🔥 THE TECHNIQUES: EXPLAINED

Inside the crafting realm, Tianzun pulled two scrolls from the Technique Chamber.

1. Exploding Pulse Spiral – Stage 1

> Type: Short-range explosive Qi technique

Core Principle: Condenses flame-based Dou Qi into a spiraling pulse around the finger or palm, detonating on impact

Damage Zone: Internal organ disruption, tendon shredding

Drawbacks: High backlash if mistimed, wrist strain, cooldown required

📈 Mastery Level: 43%

> Stability: Moderate

Refinement Progress: Ongoing

Future upgrades planned: Dou Zhe + Bone Compression Channeling

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2. Vein Split Pulse – Prototype

> Type: Precision flame lance

Core Principle: Fires a linear burst of compressed Dou Qi through flame-narrowed meridian pathways

Damage Zone: Piercing single-target strike, armor penetration

Drawbacks: Requires split-second timing, overdraw risks pulse bleeding

📈 Mastery Level: 36%

> Stability: Low

Refinement Progress: Mid-stage

Requires better directional compression and recoil buffers

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⚔️ TECHNIQUE TRAINING – FLAME IN MOTION

Within the simulation room of his crafting realm, Tianzun stood shirtless, flame circulating across his arm veins.

> "Begin Spiral Test – Speed Rotation Mode."

He struck forward — a spiral burst ignited around his fist, compressing perfectly.

> Strike. Step. Withdraw. Pulse.

Again.

> Swoosh. Crackle. Slam.

A charred crater formed on the simulation ground.

He moved through the sequence again. Then again.

Then he switched.

> "Vein Split Test. Forward Linefire. 30-degree incline."

He focused, pulled Dou Qi across his shoulders into his arm. A tight flame beam zipped across the air — clean, hot, fast.

But too wide.

> "Too much divergence in compression vector."

---

Yoru entered the room silently. "Looks dangerous."

> "You're learning them," Tianzun said, not looking at her.

> "Both?"

> "Both. Study the structure first. Then mimic."

He summoned two mirror projections and infused them with compressed Qi-data from his spirit.

> "Link."

Transfer complete.

She placed her hand on the scroll. Her eyes glowed.

> "...It's beautiful."

"It's functional."

"No. You created it. That makes it beautiful."

He didn't respond.

---

🧬 Yoru's Technique Inheritance – Synchronizing…

📊 Exploding Pulse Spiral Mastery: 12% (Initial Phase)

📊 Vein Split Pulse Mastery: 8% (Data Received, Coordination Sync Pending)

Tianzun nodded. "Now, go train. Alone."

She hesitated. "You're not watching?"

> "You train better when I'm not."

> "…You know me too well."

She vanished.

---

🎯 MISSION PREPARATION – YORU'S FIRST SOLO TASK

Tianzun opened the mission panel.

> [Tier-3 Mission – S-Rank]

A low-level assassin has infiltrated Wu Tan City under guise of a spirit herb merchant. Confirm identity, eliminate without exposure, extract inventory for inspection.

> 🔸 Risk Level: Medium

🔸 Reward: 3,200 Celestial Shards

🔸 Bonus: +1 Trait Point

🔸 Solo-Eligible: Yes

🔘 Assigned to: Yoru

Tianzun sealed the mission data in a memory crystal and handed it to her the next morning.

> "Go. Complete this alone."

> "And if I die?"

> "You won't."

She looked at him a long moment. Then gave a short nod.

> "I'll come back better."

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🧪 PILL CRAFTING – Round Two Begins

Tianzun stood again before his cauldron.

He focused — not just with technique, but soul.

> "A pill isn't just ingredients. It's intent. It's purpose forged into form."

He thought of the Emperor Flame. Of Yoru. Of Xiao Yan walking the path of fame, oblivious.

> "I'm not chasing the world. I'm reshaping it."

He began.

The ash bark dissolved.

The lotus seed shimmered.

The core dust sparked.

> Stabilize. Loop. Breathe. Compress.

And the moment came again.

The flame sang.

The pill rose.

And another was born.

> Flame-Nourishing Body Pill – Tier 1 High Grade – 89% Purity

> ✅ Crafting Successful

✅ Market-Eligible

🔁 Current Pill Count: 2 / 10 Needed for Auction Release

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Closing Scene:

Yoru returned just before midnight, bloodstained but smiling.

> "Target eliminated. Took his herbs too."

She dropped a bag on the table.

Tianzun didn't look up from his scrolls. "Good."

> "…I think I'm starting to like this."

> "That's dangerous."

> "So are you."

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