Astra slowly sat up, her fingertips grazing the thermos. She brought it to her nose, inhaling softly. A faint trace of medicinal herbs curled up from within, a scent so familiar it sent a ripple through her heart.
"Could it be…? How does he know about this kind of decoction? Could he possibly understand such arcane methods?"
Her thoughts galloped like a wild horse, questions exploding in her mind. She couldn't stop herself from unscrewing the lid. Tentatively, she took a sip. The warmth unfurled on her tongue — rich, mellow, and infused with a pure energy that flowed through her body, soothing her drained spirit.
"It's exactly that taste…"
This wasn't just any decoction. It had an ancient, almost mythical name: "Yuheng Yangyuan Soup" — a restorative brew used by mystics to replenish internal energy and nourish the spirit after exhausting their life force.
Astra closed her eyes, her fingers gently caressing the thermos as tendrils of her consciousness stretched out, probing the energies behind the decoction. Her awareness drifted like a feather, carried to a sunlit valley kissed by dawn.
Jiuhua Immortal Grass – The Spring Equinox's Vital Force
The first vision bloomed. Dawn's early light crept across a verdant valley, the scent of damp earth hanging in the air. Dewdrops clung to the tips of delicate grass, glimmering like unspent starlight. A figure in a pale blue robe moved gracefully through the morning mist, fingers trembling slightly as they plucked a glowing herb.
"Jiuhua Immortal Grass — it must be gathered at dawn on the Spring Equinox, when the first light of the sun imbues it with newborn yang energy."
The golden light flowed through the figure's fingers, merging with the grass, its green deepening, vibrant with life.
Youlan Spirit Stamen – The Midnight Bloom of Summer Solstice
The scene shifted. Moonlight draped an ethereal glow over a secluded valley filled with orchids. A cool, refreshing fragrance hung in the air. At the stroke of midnight, the figure wielded a jade sickle, gently snipping a stamen from a blossom bathed in silver light.
"Youlan Spirit Stamen — only at midnight on the Summer Solstice, when the moon's yin essence is at its peak, can it absorb the purest lunar energy."
The stamen glimmered with soft blue sparks, locking the moonlight within its delicate petals.
Xuanhuang Root – The Autumn Equinox's Earthly Gravity
The air turned crisp, leaves rustling as they fell. The horizon blazed gold with the sunset's dying light. Kneeling by a cracked patch of earth, the figure carefully dug with an obsidian dagger, extracting a dark brown root.
"Xuanhuang Root — harvested at dusk on the Autumn Equinox, drawing up the earth's deep, grounding energy."
As the root emerged, a surge of warmth coursed through it, as if the strength of the mountains had gathered into this slender, unassuming plant.
Hanyu Vine – The Winter Solstice's Purest Chill
The chill bit deep, frost blanketing the land. Each breath came out in white puffs. The figure, cloaked against the cold, stood by a frozen gorge. Fingers tingling from the frost, they touched a vine coiled tightly around a stone. With a whispered incantation, they snapped off a leaf, frost shattering like glass.
"Hanyu Vine — harvested at dawn on the Winter Solstice, locking in the purest chill to balance the body's yin and yang."
Even detached, the leaf pulsed with icy breath, a crystalline purity that cleansed the spirit.
The Ritual
Astra's vision continued. The four ingredients lay in a quiet, sacred chamber, incense curling in soft spirals. The figure sat cross-legged, tracing intricate symbols in the air, their voice a low chant woven with the rhythm of the cosmos.
"The six harmonies align, heaven and earth merge, the five elements return to one."
A glow enveloped the herbs, their energies intertwining, fusing into a seamless whole. The herbs were ground into powder, sealed into small cloth pouches marked with sigils — symbols of restoration and balance.
"Seal the energy. When you need it, open the packet and dissolve it in water to release the energy."
Revelation
Astra's eyes flew open, her heart pounding. She looked down at the steaming thermos, her fingertips cold against its warmth.
"Jiang Ting… who exactly are you? This kind of method — only those born into ancient mystic families would know of it. How did you find someone capable of crafting this for you? And just how much do you really know about me?"
A tremor of fear and confusion swept through her, tangled with a flicker of curiosity and something far more tender — an unspoken gratitude that brushed the edges of her heart.