Within the protective barrier, Liam's eyes remained closed as he delved deeper into his consciousness. After almost thirty-six hours, the cauldron before him stabilized, its violent shaking subsiding into a gentle hum. A serene expression settled on his face, and the blood at the corner of his lips vanished as his wounds healed. His listless figure was filled with energy and within him, the dao seed of alchemy looked much bigger and more complex than before.
A few more minutes later, the cauldron suddenly emitted a brilliant beam of light that shot upwards, illuminating the entire chamber. From within the light, a pill materialized that contained absolutely no glow. It looked like a common pill.
However, when Liam lightly rolled the pill in his palm the image of a snow lily sprang up, a snow lily with black veins. It simmered softly before fading back into the pill.
Gasps echoed through the hall.
"A pill with a spirit!!" Seraphine exclaimed, her voice filled with reverence.
"Incredible! He's created a sentient pill!"
"Is that even possible?"
Engo's face contorted with a mix of disbelief and envy. A pill with a spirit? How could he achieve something so profound?
Liam opened his eyes. He gently placed the pill in a box before storing it away in his spatial artifact. The surrounding aura immediately dissipated. The protective barrier dissolved, and he turned to face the awe-struck audience.
"I apologize, everyone. I got carried away." He smiled politely.
Seeing his humble demeanor, his reputation instantly skyrocketed. Even elder Tristan had personally guarded him for enlightenment which made everyone favor the unknown newcomer alchemist.
Engo could already see his path of ascension collapsing. He would no longer be able to gather enough funds required. He couldn't even continue asking his usual prices for his clients. They were exorbitant and he had the reputation to back those exorbitant prices and now he had nothing.
Engo knew it was all over and there was nothing he could do but seeing all his hard work crumble in front of him caused him to panic. He gritted his teeth and called his apprentice against his better judgment.
Engo's voice boomed across the hall, capturing everyone's attention. "The pill needs to be tested first!" he declared, his eyes narrowed with feigned concern. "Since the pill has a dark energy attribute, the pill spirit could also be an evil spirit. An evil spirit is much easier to birth than a normal spirit. If consumed, it could lead to the ruin of even a Dao Lord!"
Engo's voice boomed across the hall, capturing everyone's attention. "The pill needs to be tested first!" he declared, his eyes narrowed with feigned concern. "Since the pill has a dark energy attribute, the pill spirit could also be an evil spirit. An evil spirit is much easier to birth than a normal spirit. If consumed, it could lead to the ruin of even a Dao Lord!"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some guests exchanged uneasy glances, while others looked skeptically at Engo.
Liam remained calm, his gaze steady. Before he could respond, Seraphine stepped forward, her eyes flashing with indignation. "Grandmaster Engo, your accusations are baseless. The pill's manifestation was a result of harmonious energies, not malevolence."
Engo scoffed. "Baseless? The dark veins on the snow lily are a clear sign of corrupted energy. We cannot ignore the potential danger!"
Seraphine opened her mouth again but Tristan shook his head. "Grandmaster Engo, I can vouch for the pill. There is no need to test it. I am absolutely sure that the pill spirit is a newly birthed spirit."
Engo snorted, his eyes flashing with indignation. "Elder Tristan, when it comes to the intricate nuances of pill refinement, perhaps you are not the most qualified to judge," he said, his tone dripping with condescension. As soon as he spoke the words, he instantly realized he had gone too far.
"No… no.. I mean.." Engo stammered as he watched the young man's carefree face turn solemn. "You are correct, Grandmaster Engo. My pill expertise is indeed lacking." Tristan's cold gaze locked onto the guy, making him shiver.
"Elder… please… I have helped you for several years… my pills forged your dao path." Engo trembled and took a step back.
"Are you telling me that my dao exists because of you?" Tristan's voice was calm, but a steely edge underlined his words.
Engo's face paled as he realized the gravity of his misstep. "Elder Tristan, I misspoke," he stammered, taking a cautious step back. "I meant no disrespect. I only wished to emphasize the importance of caution when dealing with unknown alchemical creations."
Tristan took a deliberate step forward, closing the distance. "Respect is not something to be cast aside when convenient, Grandmaster Engo. Your insinuations not only undermine my expertise but also question my integrity."
The crowd watched in tense silence, the atmosphere thick with anticipation. Liam calmly stood and enjoyed the show as well. Things had taken a turn he did not expect but the end result was very much to his satisfaction.
The fox inside him was also rolling in laughter. "Ba ha ha ha! Master, can I come out, please? I also want to smack him a couple of times! Master, what is a pill spirit? Is it tasty?" Liam shook his head helplessly and ignored the little fox. He did not know how long he would be able to keep her inside . There was going to be more trouble in the future if the little thing ran rampant in situations such as this.
Meanwhile, Seraphine's eyes darted between the two men, concern etched on her face. While Liam was happy to let things continue to escalate, it looked like the woman still wanted to salvage the situation somehow.
"Elder Tristan, please wait a moment." She stepped forward. "There is still the matter of challenge to be discussed. Grandmaster Engo, what do you think about the result of this sparring session? Do you concede?" She gave the man a way out and Engo immediately took it to save his skin.
"Here Here. The Akashic auction house token." He quickly fished out a small token with a silver gleam and handed it to Liam. "Grandmaster Dante, I admit my defeat. You are indeed peerless when it comes to concocting Devil's Ice pills. You have mastered the recipe to an immaculate level! Your skills far surpass my own when it comes to the Devil's Ice pills."
Liam's face twitched. What a crafty guy! Even in this situation, he still desperately grasped for the upper hand, insinuating that Liam knew how to concoct only this one pill. He couldn't let this guy off easily.
"Thank you, Grandmaster Engo. But was this all that we agreed to? My mind is a bit jumbled after the alchemic enlightenment. I am a little forgetful. Perhaps there was something else, the winner had to give the loser?"
Engo's face fell. Seraphine smiled bitterly. Only Tristan seemed to be amused as he let out a loud laugh. "That's right. A challenge of this level needs to have more on the line. Master Engo, you need to provide suitable compensation!"
"I… I… " Engo stammered and the next second, Tristan unleashed his aura, completely overwhelming the alchemist. His meaning was clear. Today without providing a sufficient compensation, Engo wouldn't be able to leave the Eternal Sword Palace.
Engo's face became pale and unsightly as he grit his teeth and took out another token from his ring. "This is an entrance ticket to the Desolate Lands legacy event which is set to occur in a few months time in the neighboring sector. Since Grandmaster Dante is still in the awakening realm, it will suit him perfectly."