A Lot

Li Wei reaches into the remains where the bone was cooked. The bone remains intact but appears charred and brittle from the intense heat. He picks them up individually, noticing how the fire has altered their texture and structure.

With care, he places each piece of bone back into the sack. The sack, now filled with charred bones, sits on the ground. 

He lifts the hammer. He positions the sack on a flat rock, ensuring stability. Then he raises the hammer and brings it down onto the sack. The impact sends a dull thud echoing through the cave.

He continues this process, methodically striking the sack with the hammer. Each hit breaks the bones down further, but the process is slow and laborious. Sweat begins to form on his brow as he works, the physical exertion demanding.

The bones inside the sack gradually break down into smaller pieces, but Li Wei knows he needs them to be smaller. He adjusts his grip on the hammer, finding a rhythm in his strikes. The hammer hitting the sack becomes a constant in the cave, punctuated only by Li Wei's steady breathing.

Li Wei looks inside the sack, "Still not small enough." He closes the sack and continues his work, determined to get them to the necessary size.

The monotonous sound of hammering fills the cave, becoming almost meditative.

Li Wei repeatedly inspects the sack's contents, "Finally, just about right." Running his fingers through them, he notes their reduced size and jagged edges, aligning with his intended purpose.

Satisfied with the result, Li Wei sets the hammer aside. He looks at the sack of small bone fragments, a sense of accomplishment mixing with exhaustion. 

Realising the intensity of the bone fire is waning, he takes a break to add sticks.

Li Wei turns his attention to the mortar and pestle. He reaches into the sack and retrieves a handful of the bone fragments. The mortar is not large enough to hold more than a handful at a time, so he must work in small, measured batches.

He carefully places the fragments into the mortar. He then takes the pestle in his hand, feeling its weight. He begins to grind the bone fragments with a steady, rhythmic motion. The sound of the pestle against the stone mortar fills the cave as he works, the process methodical and precise.

Each bone fragment is ground down with care. The motion is repetitive, requiring both strength and patience. His hand moves in a circular motion, ensuring every fragment is crushed into finer pieces.

His hand grows tired from the constant grinding as he continues, but he perseveres. The fragments slowly turn into a coarse powder. He then tips the mortar, carefully transferring the ground bone into a metal pot.

In contrast to his small ceramic cup, the large metal pot sits over the bone fire. The white flame crackles beneath it.

Li Wei repeats this task, taking another handful of bone fragments and grinding them as meticulously as the first. Once ground, he adds them to the pot, building up a mound of bone powder.

Hours pass as Li Wei grins handful after handful of bone fragments. His movements become automatic. The pile of ground bone in the pot gradually grows.

Occasionally, he pauses to stoke the bone fire, ensuring it maintains the right temperature. The heat from the fire warms the cave, contrasting with the coolness of the stone walls.

After hours of continuous grinding, the last bone fragments are turned into powder and added to the pot. Li Wei takes a moment to observe his work. The pot is now filled with finely ground bone.

Li Wei peers into the metal pot over the bone fire. Inside, he notices a problem. The bottom layer of ash, closer to the heat, shows signs of purification, but the top layer remains unchanged. The fire has burned off some impurities, yet not all.

"Finally, a use for this piece of shit," Li Wei mutters, eyeing the bone sword. The sword was a product that had not met his expectations. Now, however, finding a new purpose.

Li Wei plunges the bone sword into the pot, stirring vigorously. The ash swirls in the pot, the previously untouched layers now coming into contact with the heat. He moves quickly, ensuring the ash at the top mixes thoroughly with the bottom layer. Despite its earlier shortcomings, the sword proves useful in this crucial task.

The bone sword cannot withstand such heat and pressure for long. As Li Wei stirred, he could feel the sword giving way. It slowly starts to disintegrate, crumbling under the intense conditions of the task.

"Useless," Li Wei grumbles as he watches the last sword fall apart. Despite its disintegration, the sword has fulfilled its purpose. The pot contents are now evenly mixed, allowing the heat to reach all of the ash and ensuring a more thorough purification process.

Li Wei steps back, observing the transformation taking place in the pot. He watches intently, ensuring the fire remains consistent for purification.

The process is slow. Hours pass due to the volume, and the transformation of the bone ash continues.

Li Wei's eyes are fixed on the contents. As Li Wei observes the final transformation within the pot, he sees the last grey ash turn into pure white, signifying its complete purification and enhanced potency.

Li Wei leans closer, inspecting the contents, and realises the sheer volume of what he has created. "Wow, holy shit, that's a lot," he mutters to himself, taking in the substantial quantity of purified bone ash.

He turns his attention to the storage of the ash. The original pouches he had were too small to hold this much ash. He needs a larger container. His eyes fall on the sack he used earlier for the bone fragments. "This will have to do," he notes, picking up the sack. 

"I'll fill up the other eight pouches for what I need right now and keep the rest for later," 

Li Wei begins carefully transferring the bone ash into the sack. He scoops up the pure white mixture from the pot, ensuring each movement is precise to avoid spillage. The task is slow and methodical, as he meticulously collects every bit of ash.

Simultaneously, he also takes the time to fill up eight other pouches. He carefully pours the bone ash into each pouch, filling them to the brim. This careful distribution ensures he has immediate access to the bone essence, with the pouches ready for use. Once filled, he secures each pouch, mindful of their importance in his ongoing cultivation.

"I'll use up the bone essence in the pouches first, then refill them," Li Wei considers, holding the heavy sack. "Better to store this away. No point in leaving such valuable stuff out in the open."

Holding the sack, he scans the cave and decides, "The original spot at the back of the cave will do." Carrying the sack, he heads to the back, feeling its weight each step.

At the back of the cave, he finds the moss-covered area where he had previously buried the sack. He carefully moves the moss aside, revealing the earth beneath. Then, with as much care as he took in uncovering the spot, he begins to rebury the sack.

He places the heavy sack into the hole, ensuring it fits snugly. Then, he methodically covers it with soil, packing it down to hide any sign of disturbance. Once the sack is completely buried, he replaces the moss, arranging it to look undisturbed.

Stepping back, Li Wei surveys the area. It appears untouched, the sack well-concealed under the moss and earth. Satisfied with his work, he takes a moment to contemplate the significance of what he has achieved. The bone ash stockpile is a key component in his cultivation, a step closer to the power he seeks.

Li Wei turns his gaze towards the white fire.

"Keeping this burning forever is impossible," he thinks. "I've got plenty of essence now, it should last me quite a while. I have to let the fire go out." He ponders his future needs, "If I run out, I can always ask Senior Huo for more. He's given it once; he can do it again, especially if I'm in good standing by then."

Li Wei settles into a sleeping position on the cave floor. The surface is hard and uneven, but he pays little attention to the discomfort. His body is worn out from the day's exertions, and sleep is all that matters now.

He closes his eyes, and his breathing slows. The cave is quiet except for the occasional fire crackle, which has now died down to a few glowing embers. The warmth of the fire is faint but provides a subtle comfort against the cave's cool air.

Li Wei's mind is still active as he drifts off to sleep. Thoughts of the day's achievements mingle with plans for the future. The purified bone ash, now securely buried at the back of the cave, represents a significant step in his cultivation journey. But there is more to be done.

In his half-asleep state, he thinks about the next steps. "Tomorrow, I'll try to learn about this Xue Feng," he resolves. "Best not to keep Senior Huo waiting and kill the bastard quickly."

Sleep gradually envelops him, taking him deeper into a state of rest.