“I brewed a few simple herbs to restore the patient’s strength and eliminate the symptoms of dehydration. Perhaps this strengthened the pill’s effect since the bones are not yet fully healed.”

“Can you prepare this decoction?”

“Yes. I need three liters of clean water and these herbs.”

I listed a couple of dozen ingredients, some of which caused confusion among the experienced alchemists because these herbs were considered “trash” and were only used to create nearly useless restorative pills.

Once I prepared my signature decoction and demonstrated it to the alchemists, they noticeably flinched.

“Is this… drinkable?” - one of the alchemists couldn’t resist asking.

“Voluntarily? Probably not. That’s why the patient must be firmly restrained.”

With those words, I poured the bubbling black liquid into the funnel still jammed in the “volunteer’s” mouth. The decoction indeed enhanced the remaining effects of the pill, completing the healing process.

“Incredible!” - This time, Chuk Cha Pyo himself exclaimed, eyes wide with amazement. - “What a stunning effect. Tan Ji Tao, do you understand what changes occurred in the patient’s Qi?”

“I’m not certain. I can only assume that, in the future, he will be able to master techniques based on poison. His body contains the eight poisons that compensate for one another. If this energy doesn’t disperse and instead integrates into his Qi Thread, manipulating poisonous Qi will be far less dangerous for him.”

“So, this pill could have an antidote-like effect?” – warehouse keeper asked.

“I don’t know” - I replied honestly. - “We can test it. First, we can try using pure poison from the eight plants I used. If he survives that, we can escalate from there.”

The “patient” began to twitch, desperately trying to escape, but even with his restored Qi control, he lacked the strength to break the chains. The alchemists began testing his poison resistance, poking him with needles dipped in the various toxins. The Qi lingering in his body aggressively neutralized every “attack” either destroying the poison or pushing it out through his skin. After the eight basic tests, the alchemists began proposing increasingly exotic poisons, none of which proved fatal.

“Have we really discovered a universal antidote?!” - Chuk Cha Pyo exclaimed.

“I don’t think so” - I said skeptically. - “We could try mixing poisons derived from High Mountain Azure Pine resin and Marsh Burning Lichen powder.”

“What kind of combination is that?” - Mu Niam frowned. A true poison expert, he had suggested at least half of the tested concoctions.

“I believe this compound poison would disrupt the balance of the eight poisons, resulting in instant death.”

“And how would you mix them?” - asked O Hu Yan, reluctantly acknowledging my skill despite his arrogance. - “These two poisons are incompatible.”

“If you provide me with the materials, I’ll try to create the poison” - I offered.

The necessary materials were promptly delivered, though in small quantities. I analyzed them with my psionics and quickly found a way to combine the two substances.

“We’ll take powdered bark from the High Mountain Azure Pine, which contains a quarter ratio of resin, and mix it with Marsh Burning Lichen powder blended with Thorny Blood Lily oil. Then, we’ll spread a thin layer of pine bark onto rice paper, compress it, add a layer of lichen, and repeat. After applying one hundred layers, we’ll bake the mixture at a moderate temperature to melt the resin and evaporate the oil. Finally, we’ll press the mixture to extract the compound poison” – explained every step during preparation.

In front of the amazed audience, I produced a single golden drop of resin with ruby-like streaks of fire burning inside. I carefully placed the drop in a small vial and handed it to Chuk Cha Pyo.

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The guild leader dipped the tip of a needle into the poison and stuck it into the volunteer. He jumped back in shock as the skin around the needle turned black, cracked, and began emitting dark smoke.

“Barrier!” - I shouted, hiding behind the clustered alchemists.

Thankfully, Chuk Cha Pyo understood my warning and erected a solid Qi barrier around the body. I could have done the same, since it was a Forbidden Tomb technique, but officially, I didn’t “know” it.

A second later, the corpse exploded, spraying its contents against the barrier walls. Oddly, the flesh turned coal-black with glowing crimson speckles, resembling smoldering embers coated in an oily sheen.

“Is this what happens to anyone who takes the Eight Deaths pill?!” - one of the alchemists asked, alarmed.

“He would’ve died from the poison anyway. What’s truly unpleasant is the explosion effect and the release of the eight accumulated poisons into the environment” - I clarified. - “But the effect on Qi Threads should only work for cultivators at the Qi Condensation stage. For others, the pill’s effects will be temporary.”

“And what happens if you give the pill to someone who is already poisoned?” another question arose.

“Gentlemen, let’s test that later. We are in the middle of an exam.”

The alchemists quieted down and tried to adopt dignified expressions. Everyone returned to their seats, assistants scooped up the remains of the volunteer with a shovel, and Chuk Cha Pyo resumed.

“In summary, I believe Tan Ji Tao has demonstrated the qualifications necessary for the rank of grandmaster alchemist. However, according to exam protocol, the pill must be recreated by one of the grandmasters to confirm the recipe.”

“I volunteer to give a try to it” - declared O Hu Yan.

“Very well, esteemed O Hu Yan, please proceed.”

O Hu Yan stepped away from the platform and approached the furnace.

“Do you need my assistance?” - I asked.

“No! I’ll handle it myself.”

Suit yourself. But the creation of the pill was doomed from the start, and I could see exactly why. O Hu Yan was a spiritual relative of Chu Zhu Zhu and approached his work with a certain “Chinese craftsmanship” mindset. While he managed to stumble through the preparatory phases, he made a critical mistake during the poison-mixing stage. The mixture exploded. Luckily, it was still inside the furnace, so not a single drop of toxic mist escaped. Watching the volatile nature of the concoction, I started to think that if even a little had leaked, half the alchemists in the sect would drop hooves on the spot.

“I suggest that the next attempt be entrusted to our guild leader, Chuk Cha Pyo” - Mu Niam said smoothly. - “Even I wouldn’t attempt to recreate this pill on the first try.”

O Hu Yan turned red as a beet but didn’t protest. Chuk Cha Pyo accepted my guidance, so I had the chance to warn him about the mistakes before they could ruin the result. He worked slowly but surely, carefully following each step. Half an hour later, he succeeded in producing the Eight Deaths pill, which was every bit as flawless as mine. Creating it didn’t require the alchemist’s Qi, so the result depended entirely on skill and precision.

“Well, it worked perfectly” - Chuk Cha Pyo said with satisfaction, examining the black orb, which emitted a glowing violet haze. - “The recipe is unforgiving and extremely demanding, but this is, after all, a grandmaster-level pill. Therefore, I declare that Tan Ji Tao has successfully passed the grandmaster alchemist examination. The award ceremony will take place tomorrow at dawn. Do not be late. Dismissed!”

With that, Chuk Cha Pyo practically ran out of the hall. Judging by his glowing eyes, he already planning to test the pill he had just created on his new “volunteer.”

“Well done” - Mu Niam said, nodding approvingly as we walked out of the hall together. - “But tonight, you’d better not sleep in your new house. Until you officially receive the title of grandmaster, O Hu Yan won’t face any consequences for killing you. And you’ve really angered him.”

“Yeah, I noticed” - I replied with a grin.

“If you don’t mind a sleepless night, I can send you to train with a martial arts instructor I know in the Inner Court. He’ll push you hard and advise you on which techniques to study.”

“Fine.”

I already knew what techniques I wanted to study, but I didn’t mind testing my skills against the sect’s “professionals.” Of course, I wouldn’t use my own psionic abilities, but I had read all the manuals available to Outer Court disciples. Those included several offensive and defensive techniques. I’d never practiced them, but they didn’t seem particularly difficult — just a five-minute job.

I was led to a servants’ exit, after which Mu Niam picked me up and carried me to the palace. We landed on a wide training ground where several dozen disciples were practicing. Most were at the Foundation Building stage, though a few were at Qi Condensation, and one was at Core Formation.

I was introduced to the instructor, Cho Ju Ro, who promised to personally train me after sunset. The rest of the day, I practiced the techniques I could plausibly claim to know, the ones that were “allowed.”

By sunset, only seven disciples remained on the training ground, continuing their drills with impressive focus. Finally, Cho Ju Ro turned his attention to me, deigning to evaluate my abilities.

“Not bad” - he remarked after watching me for a moment. - “First, I need to explain something. In the Inner Court, the rules of behavior are completely different from the Outer Court. You are strictly forbidden to kill other disciples or cause them serious injuries. You must also avoid insulting them or flaunting your superiority. Be humble and respectful. Understood?”

“Yes” - I replied. - “But I expect the same from them.”

Cho Ju Ro raised an eyebrow skeptically but chose not to comment on my statement.