Re-birth: The Beginning after the End

The smell of ancient scrolls and spiritual ink wafted out. Before them stretched endless shelves of books and jade slips, their surfaces gleaming with preserved knowledge. Spiraling staircases connected multiple levels, each one holding different categories of texts. Some scrolls emanated gentle light, while others seemed to pulse with contained wisdom.

"This is the Library," Little Firefly said softly, perching on a nearby shelf. "These are fragments of knowledge from my world. As my memories return, more of the collection becomes accessible. Each text contains cultivation methods, artifact refinement techniques, and secrets that were lost to time."

Li Hua's gaze was immediately drawn to a section where jade slips pulsed with a warm, green glow. Unlike her mother, who had taught her to grind herbs in a jade mortar and prepare them through careful decoction, these texts contained something far more profound—the art of pill refinement.

She reached for one of the glowing slips, its surface warm to her touch. Ancient characters flickered to life, revealing detailed instructions for foundational pill refinement techniques. Diagrams showed the precise control of spiritual fire, the careful timing of ingredient additions, and the delicate process of essence condensation.

"Your mother taught you the traditional methods of medicine," Little Firefly observed, landing on her shoulder to peer at the text. "But these records contain both: the traditional wisdom you inherited and the advanced techniques of immortal realm pill refinement. With the herbs in our garden and these instructions..." He trailed off, letting her grasp the implications.

Li Hua's fingers traced the characters describing a basic spirit-gathering pill. With their new resources and this knowledge, she could create medicines far more potent than any traditional remedy. Her healing abilities would no longer be limited to what herbs she could gather and process by hand.

"This section alone could take years to master," she whispered, noting how the texts grew more complex as they ascended the shelves, leading to recipes for pills that could reshape one's very essence.

"Perhaps I won't need to enter the healing sect after all..." Li Hua mused, her eyes still fixed on the ancient texts. "I could just spend more time here, learning these techniques directly from the source."

"Master, that's a really good idea. There's a pill cauldron behind those shelves," Little Firefly chirped, flying toward a section of the library where the air seemed to shimmer with latent heat. "It appeared when the space transformed, along with all the refinement texts."

He led her past rows of shelves, some empty and some completely filled, to a circular alcove. There, resting on a jade pedestal, sat an unassuming black cauldron. Despite its plain appearance, Li Hua could sense waves of profound energy emanating from it. Ancient formation scripts decorated its surface, each character so old that they seemed to predate common cultivation writing.

"It's not just any cauldron," Little Firefly explained, landing on its rim. "It's a Spirit Condensing Cauldron. It can purify herbs to their essence and enhance refinement efficiency, allowing pills to form in nearly half the time of a regular cauldron." He hopped excitedly. "And the best part is, it's connected to our herb garden. You can channel ingredients directly from there into here!"

Li Hua approached the cauldron, her fingers hovering over its surface. The metal felt alive somehow, responding to her presence with a gentle warmth. This wasn't just a tool—it was an artifact that could help her surpass normal cultivation boundaries.

"You could use this to begin practicing pill refinement immediately," Little Firefly suggested, his voice carrying both excitement and assurance. "With the basic herbs from our garden, you can start with simple spirit-gathering pills. The cauldron will help guide you through the process, and I can assist by monitoring the spiritual fire's temperature."

Li Hua circled the cauldron slowly, her mind already connecting the possibilities between the herb garden's treasures and the ancient recipes contained in the jade slips. Each step of progress in pill refinement would open new paths—not just for healing, but for cultivation breakthrough aids, defensive elixirs, perhaps even pills that could help mask presence, complementing what she'd learned in the Sixth Realm.

"This is too good." Li Hua said. "But...where did all these come from?"

"I'm still not quite sure," Little Firefly admitted, his golden feathers ruffling slightly with uncertainty, "but I'll cultivate really hard to help the memories return."

Li Hua nodded, "No rush. Thank you, Little Firefly. I'll take in as much as I can and if it's ok, I'd like to see if there's anything here that would help my brothers as well?"

"Of course, master! It's no problem." Little Firefly chirped warmly as Li Hua gently stroked his golden feathers, understanding as always her deep bond with her brothers.

Instead of returning to her room, Li Hua spent her time enjoying Little Firefly's company.

They both went to the kitchen in her inner space, and Li Hua began making tons of delicious treats, snacks and full ready-made meals.

Little Firefly got a large portion of sweets that made his golden feathers practically glow with delight, while Li Hua prepared at least thirty days worth of food for each of her brothers, for grandmaster Yu and herself.

Once she was done, Little Firefly and her began to cultivate. Hours passed like minutes in their timeless space as they refined the dense spiritual energy together.

"Master," Little Firefly's gentle voice broke through her meditation, "It's almost dawn."

Li Hua stretched, feeling refreshed from their shared cultivation session. With a final smile at Little Firefly, she exited her consciousness and opened her eyes.

The scent of breakfast greeted her as she made her way to the dining area. Her brothers were already there, setting dishes on the wooden table where Grandmaster Yu sat enjoying his morning tea, looking perfectly at home despite their long absence from this place.

When her brothers were finally seated, they began to eat the morning meal. Steam rose from bowls of fragrant congee, while plates of stir-fried vegetables and marinated meats filled the table.

"So have you all decided which Sect you will be enrolling in?" Grandmaster Yu asked, as he picked up the crisp stir-fried vegetables with practiced grace.

The siblings nodded, each having spent considerable time weighing their options.

"Heavenly Smith Sect," Li Hao declared with a full mouth, his enthusiasm for forging artifacts evident even through his stuffed cheeks.

Li Wei gave him a "really" look—some habits never changed—before responding with his usual composed manner, "The Beast Tamer Sect."

Li Hua nodded in agreement, "I also want to go to the Beast Tamer Sect."

"What about the Healing Valley Sect?" Li Hao asked between bites, genuinely curious about his sister's choice. "I thought with your medical knowledge..."

"I'll decide once I've gotten a better understanding," Li Hua answered, thinking of the pill refinement texts waiting in her inner space. "Perhaps, I might come and join you at Heavenly Smith Sect."

"That would be most welcomed!" Li Hao shouted, nearly choking on his food in excitement, making Li Wei shake his head even as a smile tugged at his lips.