Wang Zhu Tan hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and nodded affirmatively.

  “I planned to give this opportunity to my disciple, but after such an injury, he will need at least a month to recover before continuing his training. Here, take this; it’s a jade token signed by me. Its bearer can present it as an official application.”

  “Thank you, sir” - I bowed, hiding my sly smirk.

  “I saw the house you built. You truly know how to surprise people. I hope you find your fortune during this trip to the geysers. Now, I ask everyone to leave the room. I need to speak with my disciple in private.”

  Casting one last warning glance at my 'patient,' I exited and immediately headed to the alchemist guild.

  The search for Mu Niam dragged on. He was constantly running errands, making it nearly impossible to catch him. Finally, I managed to corner my elusive mentor, literally bumping into him face-to-face.

  “Tan Ji Tao? I heard you were looking for me, but I’m very busy right now.”

  “Can you submit an application for me to join the expedition to the Spiritual Geysers?” - I blurted out before he could escape again.

  “You know you need two applications to participate, right? I can’t help you.”

  “I already have one.” - I showed him the jade token I had received from Wang Zhu Tan.

  The sugary smile vanished from Mu Niam’s face, and I saw his true face — harsh, cynical, and greedy.

  “Disciple, the right to submit an application isn’t handed out to just anyone. I’ve already promised my support to important people and can’t go back on my word. I see you’ve advanced to the sixth level, but even that won’t be enough to select you. Find someone else willing to vouch for you.”

  “Who?” - I asked skeptically.

  “I don’t know. In the alchemist guild, only three grandmasters and warehouse keeper have the right to submit an application. That’s two students whose participation was agreed upon years ago. If you want to join this trip, you’ll have to become a grandmaster alchemist yourself.”

  “And how do I do that?” - I asked for formality's sake.

  “By creating a Core Formation level pill or inventing a new recipe with a better effect than known alternatives.”

  “Oh! I just invented such a pill today.”

  “What?” - Mu Niam, who was about to leave, nearly tripped over his own feet and only avoided falling thanks to his ability to fly.

  “I healed Wang Zhu Tan’s disciple by creating a new pill that restores Qi circulation and physical injuries. I named it Eight Deaths.”

  “Are you joking?” - My mentor searched my face for signs of deception.

  “Why would I joke? I’m ready to make another pill using the same recipe right now.”

  “Hm, knowing you, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s true. Let’s do this. In three hours, preparations will be complete, and I’ll convene the Alchemist Council for an emergency meeting. During this meeting, we’ll raise the question of your examination for the rank of grandmaster alchemist. If you pass, I’ll issue you the official grandmaster seal tomorrow morning, and you’ll be able to submit an application on your own.”

  “Perfect” - I smiled.

  “And you’d better not disappoint me.”

  With those words, Mu Niam disappeared around the corner.

  The next three hours were nerve-wracking. I sat in the most prominent spot in the guild hall, waiting for my moment. Gradually, the chaos in the guild subsided. People stopped running like madmen, their movements slowing down as they shifted from "frantic scientist" mode to "dignified alchemist". Finally, at the end of the fourth hour, Mu Niam found me himself.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Come on. The council has already begun, and everyone is waiting for you” - he said, as if I were the one keeping them waiting.

  Navigating through a maze of corridors, we arrived at a spacious hall with a high ceiling. At the front, on a raised platform, sat three people. Mu Niam pointed to where I needed to stand and then joined them. To my sides sat about a dozen alchemists, their expressions ranging from disdain to interest to outright indifference, as if they were watching paint dry.

  “Ladies and gentlemen” - Mu Niam began, - “today, my disciple, Tan Ji Tao, has expressed a desire to take the examination for the title of grandmaster alchemist by presenting the council with a new healing pill recipe.”

  “Another one?” - someone muttered irritably from the audience. I didn’t react, but I memorized the voice.

  “Indeed. A week in the guild and he already wants to be a grandmaster” - another added.

  “Silence!” - the head of the alchemists barked sternly. His name was Chuk Cha Pyo, and he looked like the quintessential professor — immaculate white beard and a perfectly smooth, wrinkle-free face. - “This matter is worth convening the council” - he declared benevolently, stroking his beard. - “Now, describe your recipe and the pill’s properties.”

  “I call this pill Eight Deaths. It consists of eight poisonous herbs from the Misty Mountains. Using a special preparation technique, these eight poisons neutralize each other, releasing healing Qi that restores not only the body but also Qi circulation channels, revitalizing the entire flow of Qi.”

  “That sounds interesting” - Chuk Cha Pyo said with a smile. - “I’ve never heard of such a recipe before. Do any of the alchemists present know of it?” - Silence was answer to him. - “Very well. I’d now like the exact recipe for this pill. Bring the spiritual jade.”

  An apprentice hurried into the hall and handed me a small jade tablet. It wasn’t as luxurious as the one I’d received in the palace, but still made of high-quality jade.

  I focused and recorded the entire pill creation process. As with all recipes, I provided only the sequence of steps, saying nothing about how I’d devised this specific combination. The only explanation that could occur to the council was that I was a damned genius blessed with “heavenly insight.”

  The jade was passed to the platform, where the three experts studied its contents closely. I noticed Mu Niam and Chuk Cha Pyo looked pleasantly surprised. The warehouse keeper remained indifferent to me but interested in the recipe. The third grandmaster, O Hu Yan, however, wore an expression of irritation, clearly resenting the idea that an Outer Court disciple like me could be on par with him. I didn’t need to read his thoughts; it was written all over his face.

  “The recipe seems quite complex” - noted Mu Niam. - “Especially the final merging phase.”

  “Yes. If he can produce a pill as described, and it works as claimed, this would certainly meet the grandmaster level” - the warehouse keeper agreed.

  “Very well. Let’s proceed to the practical part” - said Chuk Cha Pyo. - “Tan Ji Tao, you may use this furnace.” - He pointed to the alchemical equipment set up in the hall. - “The necessary herbs will be brought shortly. But tell me, why did you choose such an unusual combination for the pill’s base? The mix of gluten and resin is nearly unheard of.”

  “It’s due to the pill’s ingredients” - I replied after a brief pause. - “Some of them dissolve in resin, while others dissolve in water. To mix them and bind them together, I used an intermediary agent: the resin of Twisted Juniper. It absorbs and holds small amounts of water, allowing it to blend seamlessly with the gluten.”

  “I see. I’d never considered using it that way” - Chuk Cha Pyo nodded.

  The herbs were brought, and I began making the pill under the scrutiny of the alchemists. Creating the Eight Deaths pill for the second time was easier, and I calmly performed each step. Fifteen minutes later, I presented them with a small orb surrounded by a glowing purple haze. Even the plate it rested on began to crack and darken — a nice bonus effect.

  “And how do we determine what this pill does?” - O Hu Yan asked irritably. - “Who would dare eat a pill made of eight poisons? A single mistake, and you’d die a horrific death.”

  “That’s precisely why I named it Eight Deaths” - I replied. - “If you make even one mistake, instead of a healing pill, it becomes a deadly poison. Alchemists must always remember the cost of their errors. And anyone planning to use this pill should also give it some thought.”

  Chuk Cha Pyo nodded in agreement.

  “We have a delinquent Outer Court disciple with a shattered cultivation base and broken legs. He hasn’t eaten in a week. I think he’ll serve as the perfect test subject — whatever the outcome.”

  Ah! A guinea pig. I approve. A true scientific approach.

  They had clearly prepared for my exam in advance because, within a minute, the “patient” was brought in — a miserable eighteen-year-old boy at the eighth level of Qi Condensation. He was chained to something resembling a torture table, with a funnel forced into his mouth. The guild leader inspected the pill carefully, then dropped it into the boy’s throat.

  The “patient’s” body began to convulse as it struggled to “digest” the eight types of Qi locked in the pill.

  “I knew this would happen” - O Hu Yan declared smugly.

  To his dismay, however, the boy didn’t die. On the contrary, within a couple of minutes, his wounds began to heal and his Qi became more stable.

  “Amazing!” - Mu Niam exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement.

  “His Qi Thread stabilized, though it has acquired some unusual qualities.”

  “I expected more” - I muttered, frowning. - “Perhaps the effect was amplified by the decoction I gave him earlier?”

  “What decoction?” - Chuk Cha Pyo immediately asked.