Finally, one of the other alchemists, an old man with a long beard spoke up.

"Now, now. Calm yourself." he said. "As the two of you have agreed on, this is a refined establishment, so let's not argue here."

But the young man pulled out a red jade and activated it with a pulse of qi. It began to glow brightly and erratically.

"Hmph," he harrumphed. "He claimed to be a disciple of an elder, but lacks any identification seals! And of course, what elder would accept a servant as a disciple?"

"You actually called for sect enforcements..." the old man frowned. "There was no need to take it that far."

"Impersonation is a huge matter. You expect me to let a criminal be?"

Baiyun was stunned.

What in the world was going on? Guan Qiang really had accepted him as a disciple! Did the elder not give him a "disciple seal" because he was a servant, or because he forgot? Either way, he was genuinely in trouble! He began to sweat slightly.

"How are you so sure I don't have a seal?" Baiyun asked finally. "Wait, I'll search in my bag and show you!"

He didn't sense the young man reaching into his storage bag, so it was clearly a baseless accusation.

Baiyun came up with a quick plan. He was going to rummage through his bag and "realise" he forgot to bring his seal with him. Then, he would panic and demand to be taken to the Martial Temple, to confirm he was Guan Qiang's disciple.

The young man sneered.

"I'm not surprised a servant like you is so lacking in knowledge. Let me educate you," he said. "A disciple seal is not a physical object. It's imprinted on your body, much like the servant seal you have on your left hand!"

Baiyun's heart sank. If a servant seal was so visible, then perhaps that was why Guan Qiang didn't imprint the seal. It was possible the elder didn't want a servant walking around with his disciple seal, fearing loss of face.

He quickly tried to defend himself.

"Wait. I'm still a very new disciple, so it's possible Elder Guan Qiang didn't have the time to-"

"Hah. No time to imprint a seal? You don't even realise how laughable your words are!" the young man spat. "You think every elder has the time to learn the art of formations merely to imprint a seal? Fool, disciple seals are imprinted with elixir formations! If you truly were a disciple of Guan Qiang, he would have given you a body refining elixir with his disciple seal in it!"

Baiyun's face went blank.

Ah. So, this incident was self-inflicted...

He suddenly felt indignant. How was he supposed to know? Guan Qiang never told him! He had zero knowledge about formations, so he merely mistook the elixir for a defective product choked with impurities!

This was the flaw of divine touch... it was limited by what knowledge he had.

And formations in elixirs? He had never heard of such a thing in his past life. If placing formations into elixirs was a common thing, he would have at least dabbled in the field a little. Some success was found engraving seals and formations into pills in his old world, but it was deemed largely impractical.

Could it be that this mortal world had a unique alchemical path? It wasn't common, but sometimes mortal worlds had creative inventions that even the upper worlds were ignorant to. For a moment, he grew excited by that possibility, until he realised this wasn't the time for that.

"What's wrong? Where did all your attitude go?" the young man sneered. "Are you going to claim you lost the elixir?"

The man began to laugh, unable to conceal the glee in his eyes.

The old alchemist shook his head. The other alchemists didn't seem to approve of the pest's conduct either, but none of them intervened.

Baiyun was furious.

The other alchemists were all sane and reasonable people, so why did he have to be so unlucky, to have arrived on the same day as a deranged kid who only wanted to flaunt his superiority?

But he managed to hide his anger, his face neutral as he walked off. He continued to browse the store, looking at the ingredients all around. Attention seekers hated being ignored more than anything. Even if his arrest was set in stone, he wasn't going to let that bastard have the slightest speck of satisfaction!

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" the young man shouted.

Baiyun had only touched the displays of the fire herbs earlier, but he was now brazenly running his hands across every case possible, activating divine touch on each of them. It was as if he was sent here on a sole mission: to leave as many fingerprints on the glass cases as humanly possible!

"Stop dirtying the glass!" the young man was furious.

Baiyun suddenly spotted a case labelled "Moonlight Oysters", selling for 57000 tokens per kilo. His eyes twitched. It was the same type of mushroom as the one Guan Qiang had taken earlier!

If it was that precious, shouldn't he at least have received a little more than 5 tokens?

"You think you can just walk away? Hah, even if you teleported to the outskirts at this very moment, they'd still catch you in no time!" the youth shouted.

Baiyun continued to tour the shop, the pest as well as the old alchemist following. Perhaps the old alchemist was worried the youth would get violent.

That possibility didn't worry him too much. Alchemists weren't often good melee combatants, and he doubted the kid would use spells in such a delicate area. Well... not that Baiyun was one to speak. Any combat ability he had right now solely relied on his heightened reflexes.

But as he ran his hands absentmindedly across one of the cases, he suddenly paused.

Primordial essence?! What was that doing here? Even in the realm he used to live in, where any ant could topple the mightiest of cultivators here, that was unbelievably rare!

Within the glass case was a small white seed surrounded in a faint grey mist, black stains coating the glass from within.

"Unidentified Seed weighing 2100.03 kg. 70,000,000 tokens."

"Obtained from an odd meteor that fell on the 8705th year, on the island of Huiyao. Functionally indestructible, unharmed by heaven-grade weapons and techniques. Emits a toxic substance dangerous to even Nascent Soul cultivators."

For once, it was something Baiyun could recognise.

This was the seed of a Cosmic World Tree, a strange plant that could only be found hurtling through space. Cosmic Trees billions of years old were the size of planets, an endless sea of tree trunks woven and entangled amidst each other, covered in countless branches and leaves. Every ten thousand years, adult Cosmic Trees would spit a hail of seeds into the vast expanses of space like a meteor shower.

The people of his old world had never found an actual Cosmic World Tree. They had only heard tales of them from ancient records, their existence proven solely by 5 documented Cosmic Seeds.

One seed was refined into an incredible pill and eaten by the patriarch of the Undying Body sect. He was overwhelmed by the qi and unceremoniously exploded moments later. That day, thousands of his disciples broke through from the primordial qi that nourished the very land of their sect.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

The second attempt to refine the seed resulted in largely the same story.

At last, amidst uncertainty, the third seed was bought by the Lihai sect who refined it into the heart of their grand array. They bragged their sect was the first to subdue the seed, and for a hundred years, they held onto that claim. On the 101th year, the entirety of their sect detonated.

His world finally learnt their lesson. Whatever you do with Cosmic seeds, always expect them to explode. If they did not explode, that only meant they had yet to explode! All future seeds were used as weaponry from then on, with a slight caveat that didn't matter right now.

Baiyun glanced warily at the seed. If it were to go off, it would wipe the WanLing sect off the face of the planet. No, with how frail mortal worlds were, he wouldn't be surprised if it reduced the entire planet into smithereens!

To think such a dreadful thing would be found in a random alchemy workshop... Well, at the very least, he had never heard of an untouched seed exploding. The cultivators that attempted to scratch the seed had no idea how lucky they were; it was a rare instance of weakness being a blessing.

Baiyun knew this was something he would have to come back for in the future. It was simply too dangerous to leave unattended.

"You'd been staring at the seed for quite a while, huh? Does it interest you?" someone said.

It was not the pest who asked, but the 2nd alchemist who tagged along, an old man with a serene smile and a pair of silver glasses.

"I'm just looking.” Baiyun said.

He resumed running his hands across the cases, then paused once more.

"Oh?" he mused.

"Immortal Brimrose, 2000 tokens per kg."

Within the case was a set of beautiful flowers arranged like a bouquet, their translucent petals resembling flames frozen in time. But what was even more beautiful to Baiyun was the intense Fire Spirit essence that radiated off it.

"Finally found what you were looking for?" the bespeckled man asked.

"Well, you could say that, but-"

Before Baiyun could finish his words, the old man took off his glasses and turned around. A strange creaking sound could be heard as his body shuddered, his height lessening by half a head.

Around and around his body twisted, twitching horrifyingly, until finally, he morphed into a middle-aged man with a moustache, now dressed in a uniform with "Veiled Garden" stitched onto its back.

"I was a shop attendant in disguise!" he declared, adjusting his glasses.

Baiyun and the pest stared at him blankly.

"Cheh. It's hard to impress anyone these days." he clicked his tongue. "Now, exactly how much did you want to buy?"

Baiyun wasn't really sure what to say. The man didn't even let him finish his statement, that he was next to penniless!

He thought hard for a moment, then pointed somewhere into the case. A stray piece of flower anther had fallen from one of the flowers, lying flat at the bottom of the case.

"...what if I wanted to buy just that tiny piece?" Baiyun asked with twitching eyes.

For some reason, he could not bring himself to say he had only entered the shop with 5 tokens. He didn't really understand why, but he felt like it would hurt his pride.

The attendant laughed loudly.

"Haha! Very funny.How about 4 tokens?" he joked.

"Attendant, you can't possibly be humouring this servant?" the pest asked.

The bespeckled man turned to the young man and wagged his finger in disapproval.

"You really made a mess for me here! This servant here is probably an errand boy sent by a busy Elder to fetch a herb. Why else would a servant be in a place like this? Of course he wouldn't have a disciple seal, because he isn't a real disciple!"

"Ah!" the youth gasped in realisation. "Tsk... this still doesn't sit right with me."

Baiyun stood there speechlessly. It seemed like a misunderstanding was turning out in his favour. He still had a way out!

"Respected attendant, you are right!" he said with a smile, then turned to the pest. "You need to call off the Enforcers now, or Guan Qiang will be very displeased by you obstructing my duty!"

"What! Who do you think you are, getting a big head just because you're an errand boy?" the pest shouted angrily. "This alarm jade doesn't work like that. It can't be called off!"

Baiyun's eyes began to twitch again.

Okay. It seemed like that didn't work out. His mind raced for a solution, but for now, he decided to try to cover the holes in the attendant's misunderstanding.

"Attendant, the elder only asked me to check if Immortal Brimroses were in stock. But he did request for me to bring back a small piece, just to make sure I found the right herb." he said. "So... I really am buying just that..."

The pest and the attendant stared at him in silence. Baiyun really hoped his stretch of a story would be bought.

"The elder will come back on a later date." he continued his lie brazenly.

"I-I see," the attendant said.

Baiyun got the feeling the man was suppressing his annoyance. But he pulled out 4 tokens with an awkward smile.

"So..."

The attendant sighed deeply and tapped the glass case, disabling the seal on it. Then he lifted it up and tossed the small flower anther to Baiyun.

"There, take it."

"Thank you!"

As Baiyun handed the 4 tokens to the attendant and stuffed his new purchase into his bag, suddenly, the loud sound of a door slamming against a wall echoed.

"There's the suspect!" a loud yell came.

Two enforcers in grey robes charged into the room, their eyes fixed on Baiyun. One picked him up with both hands like a child would a doll, unleashing his qi sense.

"Lack of apprenticeship seal confirmed. Apprehending the suspect!" the enforcer yelled.

The attendant and pest watched as the enforcer in question tossed Baiyun over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, before charging right out.

Baiyun pointed a middle finger towards the pest at the last second, and a shout came from the workshop.

The enforcers ran faster than galloping horses, racing across the streets. A few surprised pedestrians turned to look as they ran right past, stirring up quite the wind.

Before long, they arrived at a fort of iron. On its gate, a plate read "WanLing Prison". The enforcers marched into the prison and past a counter, then down a flight of stone stairs.

The first thing Baiyun noticed was the pitch darkness and lack of cold air. They had entered a long narrow underground corridor, both walls lined with prison cells with black bars. Hundreds of unwashed inmates were here, but thankfully, their status as cultivators spared the prison from overwhelming stench.

The next thing he noticed... this place was free from the surveillance of spirits!

An area full of criminals seemed exactly like the sort of place the sect would want to keep an eye on, but there was a simple reason for the lack of spirits. The walls of the underground prison were made of Unyielding Basalt, a spirit material with the property of absorbing qi. Any attempt to use spells or qi sense would be futile here, for the walls would disrupt and absorb it all.

Baiyun could sense the armoured guards pulling him along were powerful body cultivators. The only sensible choice of guards, given the suppression.

"Brat. This is your cell."

The guard marched to a cell and opened it with a loud creak, before tossing him in. With the bang of the door shutting and the jangle of keys, Baiyun was locked away. It was incredibly dark, but he could make out the faint silhouette of the prisoner on the other side.

All he had in the room was a simple prison bed, a thin mattress on metal legs, draped by a ragged blanket.

Baiyun had the strangest mix of emotions at this moment.

...surely Guan Qiang would be informed of this and save him eventually? For now, he could only stay put and hope for the best.

He was tempted to curse his misfortune for a brief moment, but shook it off. Agonising over such things wouldn't accomplish anything.

At the very least, he was freed from invasive spirit sense here and could operate in relative privacy.

He had been slightly concerned where he'd concoct the Qi Recharge Pellet in secret, but in a place like this, he wouldn't be questioned for attempting to make pills.

With the anther of the Immortal Brimrose, he now had all the required essences. It was a shame he lacked the final ingredient, a reagent that could absorb qi, usually only a property of ores and minerals found deep underground.

...

...

Baiyun looked around himself.

Was that not what the very walls around him were made of? He could only laugh to himself at the sheer absurdity of the situation. What even was going on anymore?

He listened as the guards walked further and further away. Then he slowly counted to himself for several hours, until he estimated night time had come. There were no windows here, so he could not be fully sure.

But Baiyun knew it was his time to strike.

He tore the blanket off the prison bed and tied it to the bars like a curtain. Then he flipped his bed onto its side as quietly as he could and leaned it against the bars of the prison, to hold down the blanket in case of sudden winds.

The inside of his cell was now hidden from view. Baiyun nodded in satisfaction.

He reached under his robes to pull out his bag. Another example of the sect's negligence, not even bothering to search him. Was it because they didn't feel the need to search a servant? Either way, he wasn't complaining.

Baiyun took a hoe out of his bag, the closest thing he had to a pickaxe. He walked to the walls and placed his hand on them, activating divine touch to search for weaknesses. Undying Basalt was tougher than steel, but in the end, it was brittle, lacking the flexibility of metals.

His senses washed over the walls, until a small crack caught his attention. Perfect.

Baiyun adjusted his stance, then slammed his hoe into it with all his might.

Clang!

It bounced off with a dull sound, a few sparks emitted. On the wall, the crack looked unharmed.

Again!

Baiyun swung at the wall relentlessly for the next few hours. Each time, he struck the same spot with great precision.

"Hehahah. Sounds like someone's attempting a prison break." an old raspy voice came from outside.

"Tsk... can't even get a good night's rest here." a gruff voice grunted.

Baiyun didn't pay much heed to them, fully absorbed in attacking the walls. He was reminded of how he attacked the dying spider relentlessly in the dark, unwilling to give up.

His hands began to blister and bleed, despite the improved physique granted by the Rock Ginseng Pill. His muscles ached and screamed, but he persisted.

Hours passed.

A faint crackle, a puff of dust. Baiyun's weapon bounced off the wall for the umpteenth time. The ground was coated in a thin layer of stone dust.

Something told him it was now.

He took a deep breath and took a few steps back.

"Hah!"

Baiyun shouted as he rushed at the wall, striking it with all his might, his strongest hit yet!

CLANG!

A loud strike, followed by a faint crumbling sound. A small chunk fell to the ground softly.

Baiyun tossed his hoe to the side, the metal now deformed and crushed. His bruised and bleeding fingers shook as he picked up the fragment, a piece no larger than a pumpkin seed.

He panted as he finally sat to rest, letting out a low laugh.

At last, he had every ingredient for the Qi Recharge Pellet!