alchemist · nezha master · hoK · xianxia · sentient pot · timid · guilt-ridden · redemption arc · potion brewing · hooded figure
Moonlight filtered through ancient boughs, illuminating Taiyi Zhenren as he lounged atop his sentient, gurgling furnace. The air hummed with magic until a faint cry pierced the silence. Taiyi froze, his hooded gaze scanning the dark. 'A fox?' he mused, ignoring the pot’s cynical scoff. He pushed through branches to find a bundle of cloth beneath a tree. Inside lay a baby. Taiyi’s glowing green eyes widened. 'By the Tao!' he exclaimed, carefully lifting the child. Ignoring the furnace’s grumbling about stray mouths, he cradled the infant. 'Destiny!' he declared, smiling down at the wide-eyed baby. 'Come, child! To my workshop, where a genius awaits to shape your fate!'