130. Displaying True Skills II

On the top floor of a towering pagoda, a Core Formation Elven expert is currently speaking with a young human. Last night, he received news about a possible Four Star Alchemist that even he got excited after verifying the pills himself and sent out an aerial beast to receive the Alchemist. However looking at the young human before him, he cannot help but get disappointed. He felt like they have been scammed.

“There is abundance of Rebeclum Flower within the Elven lands but the demand is quite high as well. Too high that some of our brave and heroic warriors are not allocated. In fact, I have just received a news that a leader of a mercenary had his foot eaten by a Kulfagar Demon during reconnaissance to help our sect. So tell me, why would I give the flower to someone who will never be able to help us fight the demons and will leave after re-growing his missing limbs?”

“This junior only knows Alchemy and I am not asking for the flower for free. I am willing to offer my services in exchange for a reasonable time. I hope Elder Marak can reconsider.” Clay politely responded before the leader of branch sect of Crescent Moon Sect. It is the very reason why he concocted those pills yesterday and set them to 90 percent quality so he can get an audience to the most powerful figure of the branch sect. Everything went according to his plan. The branch sect even sent and aerial ship to pick him up. His intention was the main sect but if this place has the flower he needed, then he does not mind staying here. Upon arrival, they branch sect leader was surprised of his appearance so they immediately went to discuss business.

*Click

Clay saw Elder Marak clicked his fingers and after a few seconds, two female Elves entered. One of them is a granny and the other is teenage Elf.

“This here is Elder Luma and her disciple Leera. They are the most outstanding Alchemist of this branch sect. In human standards, they are Tier II- 2 Stars Alchemist. I hope this human friend will not be offended but I have a simple test I would like you to perform. That is if you want me to reconsider giving you the flower.”

Elder Luma placed 9 boxes of unknown ingredients on the table and a midsized cauldron on the floor.

“I was advised that you simultaneously concocted almost seventy sets of ingredients of Tier I pills but I will not ask you to do the same. What I want is you concoct only one set Foundation Establishment Breakthrough Pills using these ingredients and that cauldron.”

Clay looked at the unknown herbs on the table and assessed them.

“I am unfamiliar with those ingredients but I do have my own sets of ingredients I collected during my travels. Please do inspect them.” Clay summoned thirteen wooden boxes of ingredients. He only mastered one formula as it is the easiest to obtain since they are guaranteed to produce low quality pills but not for him. He still doesn’t know how other pills are different that they require higher class of Essence Flames and this is the other reason he wanted to join a sect. He needed to research on what he is lacking.

Elder Luma inspected the ingredients Clay placed.

Clay can only already guess that they are doubting his performance yesterday which he doesn’t mind. Although he finds it irritating that Leera cannot control her scornful look. And even more so, there is someone hiding within the room who looks like a stronger than Elder Marak.

“You can certainly use your own ingredient but I hope it is not too much you use this cauldron. I heard you relied on Fire Crystals so I have it prepared as well.” Elder Luma was respectful as she inserted crystals into the cauldron.

“As long as it is a functional cauldron, then I can use it like you wish.”

Clay sat before the cauldron and extended his aura. After inspecting the Formations within the cauldron, he did a simple test to control the heat. Since everything is almost similar to the cauldron he had been using in terms of features, he extended his aura to un-box every ingredient and willed them to float around him. He is still drained from yesterday but he is confident he can finish one with the help of Fire Crystals.

To conserve Fire Crystals, he would usually concoct a Foundation pill inside the cauldron but since it is not his Fire Crystal, he will use them unsparingly.

Seeing Clay’s unusual method, Leera wanted to talk but Elder Luma stopped her. Since those ingredients are not theirs, then they are not really loosing anything. Elder Luma is quite baffled and wondered if the news they received yesterday was exaggerated. Any alchemist can extract medicinal essence on their palms but the problem lies later during the pill formation stage and this is the reason why cauldron is needed.

Even the most talented Alchemist would use the best quality of cauldron and the best of Essence Flames to ensure the best quality of pills yet this boy before them is not only using the cauldron and the worst part is, she is witnessing the lowest class of Essence Flame. She can already guess that this boy will not be spared alive after seeking an audience with the sect leader and in fact, the Grand Protector is watching as well. The only reason no one is stopping Clay now is because those pills from yesterday has to come from somewhere.

Clay focused in refining the pill. He already anticipated what these four Elves are thinking. Unlike the inexperience villagers from yesterday who were impressed on each step of the refinement, these four knew how difficult a High Quality Pill is produced. He hopes these four will not lose their patience and will not interrupt him.

After more than thirty minutes, Clay is already on the final stage. He separated twelve tiny droplets from the combined essences then mixed them to create 3 bases of the pill. As soon as the Gathering Formation at the center of three bases were visible, he extended three hair-like strands of his Qi to connect and fortify the Formation at each center. Then later, he mixed the combined major essences below the three tiny dots that forms the base of the pill.

Clay felt his eyes blurred for a second. He suddenly started to worry if he can make it and not lose consciousness from exhaustion. He bit his tongue to reestablish his focus.

Slowly, the three stationary tiny dots slowly spinned and absorb the pure essences that make up the pill.

On the viewer’s perspective, Clay looks like meditating in front of the cauldron but if one extend their Divine sense and observe the flow Qi, one can see how refine and perfect Clay’s control of fire.

The three tiny dots continuously absorbed the pure essences and slowly gotten bigger. They are like three balls placed above a lake and are absorbing the water leaving any debris.

When no more essences can be absorbed, Clay released the heat coming from the cauldron and surrounded the soft pill with his own flame for the finishing touch.

After another three minutes. The pills solidified and three white and transparent pills were formed. Clay controlled the pills and threw them to each person.

*Pant

*Pant

Clay is exhausted and is trying to catch his breath.

“I may have overestimated my strength.”

His clothes are soaked in sweat. When he concocted Foundation Establishment in the past, he was not this tired as he had always utilized a cauldron but this time, the need to prove and show them his ability is necessary. His original plan is to be able to concoct pill the following day which should have given him time to recover from last night’s display but the sect elder wants to test him earlier than anticipated.

“No, I must stay awake.”

Clay summoned his own cauldron and leaned on it. He felt like closing his eyes. He wanted to resist it but the exhaustion is just too much this time. While trying to catch his breath, his eyes blurred again then passed out.

*Thud

On the other hand, the three can almost not breathe as they held a pill that almost has no impurity but as soon as they saw Clay lost consciousness due to exhaustion, they came to their senses and summoned jade boxes to contain the pills.

Suddenly, the cultivator who had been hiding revealed himself and extended his overbearing Qi and confiscated the boxes each one was holding.

“We greet the Grand Elder.” All three slight bowed and kowtowed with their fists.

“Both of you have seen nothing and will say nothing nor do you know anything about this boy or I will be forced to silence both of you, you understand?”

“Grand Elder is wise. We will see ourselves out.” Elder Luma and her disciple felt suffocated from the pressure released by the Grand Patriarch of the branch sect. As the leader of Alchemy Hall, even the sect leader had always been respectful but this time she felt like an insignificant ant.

When the two women left Elder Marak was the first to speak.

“What should we do?”

“This boy should wake up in three days. Use that time to feed him a Rebeclum Flower and help him re-grow his limbs.”

“No, I mean what should we do?” Elder Marak asked again. Many years ago when he was young, he heard about a Tier III and 3-Star human alchemist who perished when a group of Elven Mercenary lured a Kulfagar Demon to a trap. Although it was an accident, human Nascent experts were mobilized to investigate and killed everyone who were present during that operation. Not satisfied, they even went to kill the guild leaders managing the mercenaries. It was quite a ruckus but the biggest issue is that Royal Family of Anongus Kingdom issued a decree for all sects not to get involved.

On the surface, every kingdom stands united in resisting the Kulfagar army but humans have never been at peace with the Elves. In fact if there is no demon invasion, their kingdom is probably at war with their neighbor and each kingdom would do everything to cripple any potential threat. The truth is, the death of those Elven mercenary were acceptable losses compared to the death of a Tier III and 3-Star Alchemist. However today, the question is, is their entire sect an acceptable loss for the death of this human who can concoct pill with almost zero impurity?

“Do whatever he wants us do and make sure nobody offends him, then send an investigation party. For now, make sure that the news of him concocting those pills in the village is an exaggerated news. I’ll visit the main sect and see what their opinions are.”