When Immortal Ascension Fails Time Travel to Try Again

Story 3 - Spiritual Vines and a Smokey Pill Cauldron (27)

As I watched the Pill Master create this pill using the adjusted method, I contemplated how Violet managed to discover White Lily’s constitution. I mean, if it were easy to figure out she wouldn't have made it to Nascent Soul.

Special constitutions only affected alchemy in very rare cases. I myself had run into this issue with my own constitution only a handful of times, and those weren't always obvious. And then it often took a bit of trial and error to figure out how to improve those pills while taking my constitution into account.

The only thing I could think of was that Violet either had a Pure Yin Body as well or was very close to someone who had one.

If she were familiar with the habits of someone with that constitution, and she researched the judges before the competition like she usually did, then she could have made a hypothesis on this and used it to her advantage.

But this would expose herself to White Lily. But then, those who had Pure Yin or other types of Yin-based constitutions tended to protect each other (even in this shitty society). So this was all calculated risk on Violet’s part.

The only reason I was able to figure it out so fast was because I was familiar with this issue and had researched special constitutions back when I was developing my personalized cultivation technique.

But just because it was a rare issue, didn't mean that other well-educated alchemists couldn't figure it out. And some of them, if they tried this revised version, would likely realize that Lily had a special physique of some kind. It was, however, doubtful that they’d deduce exactly what it was... unless they were a genius like me.

I studied the other two judges.

Ah, from his coldly furious expression, Pill Otaku had realized the issue. It was also possible that he already knew about her physique beforehand. And since he wasn't saying anything then he didn’t want to expose her. Were... were these two actually super close friends? It seemed likely.

And of course, Burning Crotch over there was too interested in watching Lily’s ass to consider anything else. Seriously, how the fuck had he survived this long?

I briefly glanced at the faces in the crowd. If anyone else managed to discover it then they weren’t showing it on their face.

White Lily slapped the side of the cauldron and twelve near-perfect pills popped out. Once I saw them I hung my head.

“This method is indeed better, ” she showed the blue and yellow pills in the bowl to the crowd. ”Congratulations, Apprentice Violet Pill for winning this round. While the guild won’t update its methodology to make yours standard, I know that I personally will switch to using this method.”

“Thank you, Pill Master.”

Lily, keeping her face neutral seemed to stare at Violet for a long time before letting out a brief longsuffering sigh. She returned to her seat and perfectly pretended to be completely relaxed.

“Since you have both won the topics you proposed,” the manager said, “we’ll now have Pill Master Ruthless Divine Medicine propose a topic for you.”

Pill Otaku’s black eyes calmly stared at me. He knew I should have won already. Ugh, he probably also knew I figured it out but kept quiet to protect Lily, costing me the last round. Then he peered with narrowed eyes at Violet Pill Fairy. The corners of his lips turned up. His eyes were not smiling.

“The Raging Yang Fire Dan is used when entering yin saturated environments to protect the body. It is also a pill used to help cultivators with the pure yang physique when they’re trying to unlock it. Unfortunately, creating it requires an alchemist with a Pure Yin Body or other types of Yin-based special constitutions. Those alchemists, for obvious reasons, prefer to stay hidden. I would like you to propose theories for normal cultivators to create such a pill.”

How did he realize that I would definitely know such a thing?

Ah. He really was a pill otaku. He must have seen Immortal Zhenren Sword Within the Light of Virtue’s notes before. Or, since it had only been 300 years since he ascended, he may have even met him. Either way, somehow Ruthless recognized my methods as originating from Immortal Zhenren Sword because in his notes it mentioned a similar proposal.

They listed a theory that it could be possible for cultivators without a Pure Yin Body to create the few pills that usually required one... It took me several years of research, but eventually, I discovered a method. And this really was my own technique. It helped a lot of Pure Yin Body Alchemists hide in plain sight.

“Apprentices. Do you accept this proposal?”

Fuck. If I said yes, right away, this tricky bitch would know that something was up.

“Um. We just need to propose a theory, right? It doesn’t need to actually work?” I said nervously. Look at my badass acting. I was so brilliant.

“That’s right.” The manager said with a smile. “Though, if it does, then you’ll really be hailed as the Alchemy Guild’s little genius.”

“Then I accept.”

Violet Pill Fairy stared at me suspiciously but then shook her head.

Yes. That’s right. Believe that there is no way a little nine-year-old would have anything to do with such an advanced method! Muahahaha!

“Fine, I accept.”

“Since Apprentice Lin went first last time, Apprentice Violet should submit a proposal for this topic.”

“I will, thank you.” She calmly thought for several minutes and then a gentle smile appeared on her jade-like face. “I propose a theory that if a regular alchemist takes the Superior Yin Blood Dan, that they will then temporarily have a body filled with yin energy and be able to create pills like the Raging Yang Fire Dan.”

Pill Master Ruthless nodded. “That is indeed an excellent theory. Others have proposed it in the past but the issue they’ve found with it is that the Superior Yin Blood Dan, and the other similar Yin pills all left harmful energies that greatly damaged the body in those who’ve tried it for this purpose. While it technically could work, the fact that it injures the body so severely is alarming. This method cannot be used.”

The bitch looked sour even with the fake neutral expression she wore.

“But, since this method still technically works, if Apprentice Lin doesn’t propose something better then you will win.”

The other two judges nodded to this.

“Apprentice Lin. Please tell us your proposal.”

I grinned. “You can create pills like Raging Yang Fire Dan without a Pure Yin body by simply taking Frozen Yin Ice Grass, Cold Durability Ghost Flower...” I listed the other six inexpensive herbs of the recipe’s spiritual plants, then continued. “You need to dry those, then crush them into a fine powder. Dust that mixture onto your hands, though I suggest using Mountain Goshorn Silk Gloves. Then you must use your hands to move the plants and cannot contaminate them with your spiritual energy.” I nodded. “Of course, this won’t work for an alchemist with a Pure Yang Body.”

The pill otaku’s eyes glittered with ardency further for the process I just listed. He turned to the guild’s manager. “I request that you collect those ingredients as well as the ingredients for the Raging Yang Fire Dan. I am willing to test this method right here.”

The poor manager nodded. “The guild agrees to your request. Please wait.”

By the time they returned with everything, I was almost falling asleep. It had been a long day, and while the pill debate solved my lack of cauldron problem, it made this tournament over twice as long as it should have been. But, surprisingly, instead of fewer people in the stands, there were actually more.

Then it clicked. Ah, to everyone here, if this worked then this would basically be a historic moment...

I grabbed Little Spring's hand on instinct. This kid had stayed standing here without saying anything for the entire time.

“When this works,” I whispered. “An entire group of people will have a little more protection. Sure they had a niche product that only they could sell but at the cost of possibly exposing themselves. Not everyone will be happy about this. But if they're good enough alchemists to make those niche products then they’ll be good enough to make other products as well.”

Then I watched as Pill Master Ruthless Divine Medicine methodically set up his workstation. He ground the pre-dried ingredients and mixed them together in the order I said them. Smart that. While it wasn't necessary, the order I used was the most effective one.

Once complete, he put on blue gloves. My eyes widened. No way. The Alchemists' Guild actually found a pair of those during this time period?

He then poured a dollop of the glittery white powder onto the gloves and rubbed them together as a surgeon might soap up his hands. He thoroughly covered every part of the gloves in that powder then began choosing his plants and prepping them. He sliced a root off a flower here and cut a stem in half there.

Soon, everything that could be prepared had been.

Ruthless increased the temperature of the cauldron. And began the careful process of concocting a new pill for the first time. He threw in ingredient after ingredient, all while using his glove-covered hands.

Everything seemed fine at first, but toward the end, the cauldron started to rumble.

He glanced at me and I rubbed my hands together like I was washing them. He followed my suggestion and reapplied the powder. I nodded. That was right. It may need reapplying.

The next plant he threw in calmed the solution down immediately. From there it didn't take long for the last of the plants to follow.

He slapped his gloved hand against the side of the cauldron and nine pills flew out. He caught them in a bowl.

He was probably the first alchemist in this life to, without injuring himself, concoct a pill that normally was only produced by someone with that special constitution.

I really wanted to clap but instead, I grinned and said, ”Congratulations on your successful concocting, Pill Master!”