Meanwhile, the “test subject” came over to me. He was at the first level of Core Crystallization and wore something resembling light leather armor.
“I’m counting on you, Tan Ji Tao.”
“Don’t worry. Also, when you’re processing the pill’s energy, just release any excess Qi through your skin. It’ll be easy. And you’d do well to remove your armor before that.”
“All right…” - The volunteer gave me a thoughtful look.
I went over to the table, waited for the signal, and began making the pill. The issue with explosions arose from the fact that not all Qi could be absorbed by the bones. It depended on the cultivator and their constitution. If a sufficient amount of “free” Qi built up, it would simply detonate. I planned to use three blossoms of the Solitary Fire Lily: one to grant the bone-strengthening energy a fiery quality, another to allow that fiery Qi to flow from the bones to the outside, and the third to give the body fire-immunity properties.
This pill was fairly complicated, and even with all my skill, it took me half an hour to make it. But my opponent needed forty minutes, even though he was crafting a far simpler recipe. Finally, the pill-making was done, and the judges, among them Mu Niam stepped into the arena. They checked and sniffed both pills, but couldn’t find anything to criticize. At least, there were no obvious defects in the pills or in the way their energies were combined.
After the judges departed, two “test subjects” came onstage.
“I suggest we place a barrier around them” - I said loudly. - “That way, no one can interfere with the pill absorption process, and if something goes wrong, you won’t have to clean blood and bits of flesh off this entire hall.”
They accepted my proposal, and the two volunteers were covered with individual shields. The pair exchanged glances, then popped the pills into their mouths, sat down, and began meditating to control the absorption process. Using psionics, I tracked my volunteer’s actions, confirming he was doing everything correctly. Judging by that, he was an experienced cultivator who’d spent a long time practicing various body-strengthening techniques.
By contrast, the “enemy’s” test subject wasn’t as skilled, relying more on instinct and luck. Overall, he was doing a decent job and he had every chance of fully absorbing the pill’s energy. It was just that his chances didn’t sit well with me.
Right then, the cultivator was surrounded by a powerful shield that blocked all Qi-based techniques but allowed natural Qi from the air to pass through. Evidently, this shield was specifically designed for situations where someone had to cultivate in a dangerous environment. But for this particular test, the shield’s ability to let in natural Qi was also its weakness.
At this point, Qi was penetrating the cultivator’s bones and “settling” there, eventually becoming part of his body and strengthening it. But this newly deposited Qi was still unstable. I waited until the absorption process was about two-thirds complete, then began emitting vibrations with my own Qi. These waves were like sound, using neutral Qi as the medium.
They passed unhindered through the shield, reached the bones… and triggered a resonance effect. I deliberately released vibrations at a very specific frequency matching the Qi in the victim’s bones. The vibrations caused all the Qi in them to erupt suddenly, and… the test subject exploded spectacularly. He managed a single horrified scream before being torn to pieces, reduced to a bloody pulp that slid down the transparent shield walls.
Meanwhile, my test subject was approaching the stage I’d aimed for when I spent those three extremely rare flowers. The amount of Qi in the pill didn’t always match the “capacity” of someone’s bones. If there was too much energy, it had to be “vented.” The cultivator sensed he couldn’t absorb another drop of Qi, yet the pill was still releasing energy that automatically flowed into his bones. At that point, he followed my advice and began expelling the excess Qi from his bones, channeling it through his body and letting it out through the pores of his skin.
The audience murmured in surprise when my test subject was suddenly enveloped in bursts of flame. A few seconds later, he was like a flamethrower, spewing fire in all directions. The entire space inside the shield filled with fiery Qi, which now built up outside his body.
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“It seems both sides lost this round” - came voices from the crowd.
“The Golden Dragon Sect’s cultivator exploded, and that outsider from the eastern plains got burned up. This alchemists’ contest is too entertaining. I didn’t waste my hundred Qi crystals on a ticket.”
“That idiot For Sun Ka! Why did he jump in? What am I supposed to tell his teacher now? That he swallowed a pill made by some useless trash from the Heavenly Blades Sect?”
“Doesn’t it seem like the flames are lasting too long? He should’ve been charred to ashes by now.”
“That’s the power of the Solitary Fire Lily. The alchemist used three of them in his pill. I’m afraid the fire won’t die down ‘til dinner.”
The crowd shared their reactions, amusing me as well.
Finally, the pill expended all the energy poured into it, and the flames started subsiding. But to my surprise, the test subject wouldn’t settle for the result just yet; he began absorbing the fiery Qi dissipated around him, using it to fill his muscles and internal organs. That energy had already passed through his body once and was now fully compatible with him. It didn’t dissipate into the surroundings thanks to the shield, and now For Sun Ka was free to absorb it, slowly sinking it into his body. What he’d expelled in a minute, he could reabsorb in ten, without too much strain.
“What?!! He’s alive?” - new cries came from the audience.
“I can’t believe my eyes! He’s surrounded by flames and fiery Qi. Is he a fire cultivator?”
“It looks like the pill worked perfectly. Look, his bones are glowing crimson through his skin!”
“And he’s handsome…”
“Ah, I already want him. Does anyone know where he’s from?”
Those last two lines came from some of the women present. The swirling flames had burned off all his clothing, leaving him to flaunt a well-built, muscular physique without the slightest hint of embarrassment. He absorbed the remaining Qi, stood up, stretched, eliciting an admiring sigh from the female spectators and then signaled that they could take down the barrier. Walking over to his armor, he began putting it on over his bare body, which at least covered the most private areas.
The crowd groaned and roared, discussing what had happened. Many in the audience had placed bets before the test began, and now there was a great deal of bickering over who owed whom and how much.
“Ahem!” - the emcee cleared his throat sadly. - “In this round, Tan Ji Tao is the winner. His pill was able to strengthen the volunteer’s cultivation foundation without causing harm. Next on our list …”
“Let’s jump right to item sixteen” - I shouted. - “And then twenty. This pill was far too simple.”
“Kha!” - Sa Va Ge couldn’t restrain himself, coughing up a mouthful of blood. Even though he hadn’t made any mistakes in crafting his pill, he’d had to rush significantly to keep up with me and finish in roughly the same time.
The emcee glanced up at the alchemists’ box, waited for a nod from the bald old man, and then continued.
“The next pill, number sixteen, is the Phantom Pill. Are you familiar with the recipe?” - he asked me.
“No” - I shook my head.
They immediately brought over a jade slip with instructions. I looked through it and let out a puzzled hum. This pill was truly interesting. During its creation, a very complex, multi-component Qi was formed, which, at the end, got extracted from the physical substrate and continued to exist only as an energy construct enclosed by a protective shield. The main point was that this pill let a person instantly form a structure in one of their energy centers, allowing them to jump immediately to the next level of the Foundation Formation stage.
Although this pill was relatively low-ranked and intended for cultivators of the Foundation Formation stage, it was extremely difficult to craft. It formed a rather stable structure that, by its parameters, was superior to what an ordinary cultivator would typically create. I even started thinking about using this “template” to advance to the next level. If I didn’t find anything better in the Dragons’ Dungeon, I could rely on the Phantom Pill, especially since I wouldn’t actually need the ultra-rare “thousand-year” herbs used in its manufacture.
“This pill is highly interesting” - I said with satisfaction. - “It’s the sort of thing you’d proudly showcase at a grandmaster-level alchemy competition. That said, I can see room for improvement. If I’m given ten large crystals filled with Qi from Foundation Formation level [2], plus the core of a Water Oak, I’ll show you what this pill is really meant to be. And to test it out, I’ll need someone at the tenth level of Qi Condensation (10).”
“Don’t you want to take it yourself?” - asked Sa Va Ge, apparently deciding he should say something too.
“There’s no need” - I shook my head. - “So, what about a test subject? Shall we pick another volunteer from the audience?”
Hearing my words, the crowd started clamoring excitedly.
“My grandson will take the pill!” - someone in lavish attire shouted in a booming voice. Next to him stood a boy of about fourteen, at the tenth level of Qi Condensation. In my opinion, that was a decent achievement, at least compared to those around him.
“Dao Mu, you must understand that a Phantom Pill costs a fortune” - the emcee shouted back.
“But you should also understand that most of a pill’s value lies in the alchemist’s labor. Are you planning to sell the pill I’m about to create?” - I raised my voice as well. - “I’m not demanding money for my work, since this is a competition. So why should you demand payment?”