The sun slowly rose above the courtyard of the Constellation Alchemy Circle, casting golden rays upon the engraved platforms. At the center of it all stood a young man with messy brown hair and a calm yet strangely confident air.
Shang Di.
He looked around at the crowd of disciples dressed in standard green robes, some in silver, and a few wearing black that signified elite status.
They whispered. They watched. Some laughed under their breath.
They didn't believe.
And that was exactly what Shang Di wanted.
Master Yao Chen sat on an elevated pavilion with several elders to his sides. His gaze remained fixed on Shang Di, calm but expectant.
Beside him, his personal disciple, Lian Feng, stood motionless, arms folded behind his back.
And then came another.
Ren Xun.
Clad in a sharp silver robe with a red-lined sash, the young man walked forward and sneered slightly, speaking just loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Guest Shang Di... I hope you'll show us something worthwhile today. The last time I saw someone so confident, he blew his cauldron apart trying to refine a simple Bone Strengthening Pill."
Laughter rippled from a few apprentices nearby.
Shang Di just smiled calmly. "Don't blink then. You might miss something."
The smile vanished from Ren Xun's lips.
An elder stepped forward.
"Choose your platform and your pill."
Ten platforms, each with a mid-grade cauldron and three trays of standard foundational pill ingredients.
Shang Di walked to Platform Two.
"I'll refine the Soulflow Rejuvenation Capsule."
Gasps.
Even the elder's hand paused mid-air before writing it down.
"That's… the most difficult of the ten," he muttered. "Known for unstable essence layering and a failure rate above 50%."
"Exactly," Shang Di said, placing his palm on the cauldron.
He didn't say it out loud, but he knew — only difficult pills are worth making if you want to shut people up.
[Qi Connecting…]
[Flame of Ying and Yang – Activated]
The temperature around Shang Di dropped slightly, as if the flame itself calmed the world.
A twin-colored flame emerged from his hand, white and black, swirling together like a vortex of harmony.
Even Master Yao Chen leaned slightly forward.
"What kind of flame is that?" one of the elders whispered.
Lian Feng murmured, "Balanced flame type. I've never seen it before."
Shang Di inhaled.
[Activating – Perfect Alchemist Eye]
His vision sharpened. The colors of the herbs deepened. He could now see the essence threads flowing through each ingredient — some tightly coiled, others wild like lightning.
'Alright. First — calm the Moon Lotus Root. It's always unstable if heated directly.'
He ground it gently, his motions like a craftsman brushing a delicate sculpture. Not too much force. Just enough.
He then pulled back the flame intensity, letting it warm the cauldron base until the inside glowed a soft amber.
Step by step.
Herb by herb.
He wasn't rushing. He wasn't panicking.
He was flowing.
Meanwhile, the crowd began to quiet.
Even the ones who doubted now watched silently. This wasn't some amateur fumbling with techniques.
This was a real alchemist.
Ren Xun's arms tightened across his chest.
The herbs inside the cauldron began to melt.
Shang Di used his Perfect Alchemist Eye to track every fragment of essence, watching as some tried to resist merging.
'The Frost Herb is pushing back the Qi Vine Essence… I need to suppress that conflict.'
He rotated his flame, letting the Yin side dominate for a few seconds. The black half of the flame responded, dimming the internal clash.
A mist of silver began to rise from the cauldron.
Shang Di's eyes glowed faintly as he poured in Qi—not too much, just a thread. Just enough to bind the essences before the final catalyst drop.
"This level of control…" one elder whispered.
Master Yao Chen said nothing. But his fingers lightly tapped the armrest.
He was watching every second.
Final step.
The Spineleaf Berry—the catalyst. Too soon and the whole mixture would destabilize. Too late, and the pill would fracture on forming.
Shang Di waited.
5 seconds.
9.3 seconds.
His hand moved like flowing water.
The berry dropped.
BOOM—
A ripple of Qi burst out of the cauldron—but instead of explosion or instability, the light inside condensed, and the flame drew back like curtains revealing a stage.
A single pill floated upward.
Silver-blue.
Pulsing.
Alive.
The examiner caught it with a spirit cloth and held up a jade slab to scan it.
The crowd leaned forward.
Even Ren Xun tilted slightly.
The elder's voice rang out:
"Soulflow Rejuvenation Capsule.
Grade: Gold Tier.
Purity: 87.3%.
Stability: High.
Remarks: Essence layering was stabilized without inscription guidance. Flame integration is categorized as… unclassified balanced spiritual flame."
The elder turned toward the pavilion.
"Master Yao. The results are authentic. Trial passed."
Silence.
Then—
Applause.
From apprentices, elders, and even a few of the black-sash elites.
Shang Di remained calm, walking down from the platform. As he reached the base, Ren Xun stood in his path.
"...That flame of yours. That technique. Where did you learn it?"
Shang Di met his gaze evenly.
"From someone stronger than you."
Back at the pavilion, Yao Chen chuckled.
"I believe our guest deserves more than a silver badge."
Lian Feng nodded, eyes never leaving Shang Di.
'He's dangerous. And he's just getting started.'
[System Notification]
Alchemy Trial: PASSED
+150 SP
+Rare Alchemy Technique Ticket
Constellation Alchemist Credibility: +++
[New System Notification]
Due to public recognition and successful trial performance, access to the Tier 2 Shop has now been fully activated.
[Tier 2 Shop Unlocked]
– Profession-Based Bundles
– Custom Technique Evolution
– Spirit Contract Box
– Experimental Pill Lab (Locked)
Shang Di smirked as the notification hovered in front of his eyes.
'Let's see what kind of alchemist I can really become.'
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