Ming Li understood what Elder Han meant when he emphasized about the shop keeper. It was about the shop keeper monitoring whatever herbs he requested. Ming Li was a bit disappointed that he can't squeeze more herbs than he wanted to from the Merchants Union. He decided not to think about it much, and just accept the fact that merchant are stingy and would do anything to avoid losses.

He left the room and directly went to the shop keeper to ask for herbs. When the shop keeper saw the medallion, he didn't hesitate to assist on anything that Ming Li needs.

After the transaction, Ming Li was guided to stay on a room in the shop where he was left alone to create the pill.

In the room, he pulled out the herbs he got from the shop keeper and studied them. His eyes sparkled as he held each plant while smiling. Each one of the herbs he held was rarer than every plant he have seen so far. After enjoying his plentiful harvest, he kept the herbs in his cube and meditated for a while.

A whole day passed when he opened his door, he went directly to the shopkeeper and said "I failed my first attempt. I have 80 percent confidence I can create the pill this time."

The shopkeeper looked at him a bit suspiciously, however he was still given the same herbs as before.

Ming Li cleared his throat and said "I discovered that my failure was because I lack the White Heavenly Lily."

The shopkeeper knitted his brows and thought deeply for a while. When he was about to hand over the White Heavenly Lily to Ming Li.

Ming Li cleared his throat again and said "I need five demon's grace to balance the effect of White Heavenly Lily."

The shopkeeper stared more suspiciously at Ming Li trying to see if he'll have any change in reaction. However Ming Li's expression remained the same. He was used at tricking people regarding plants. The fact that he tricked the village chief and elders for a whole 3 years just to get all the plants he want made him the perfect liar.

Seeing that there was nothing suspicious on Ming Li's expression and movement, he gave him the needed plants.

Ming Li took the plants and directly went to his room grinning as he looked at the demons grace.

Another day passed, again he came back at the shopkeeper and told him that he is 90 percent sure he would succeed. He was given the same plants, however he asked for additional 2 more demon's grace. The shopkeeper have been more suspicious of him, but he can't accuse Ming Li of anything since he was given the medallion from the great elder.

Ming Li shut himself in the room for another day and went out the next day to claim that he still failed this time. The shopkeeper was obviously furious on Ming Li. Every plant he was given is extremely expensive and would cause anyone to think twice before buying it, however Ming Li kept on wasting it like it was nothing. When he was about to scold Ming Li. Ming Li suddenly said "Today I am 100 percent confident in the pill creation, however I require a total of ten demon's grace to succeed."

The shop keeper swallowed his words when he heard 100 percent success rate. It means that they will be able to finally re create the pill. If he offends Ming Li, it might cause him trouble and lose his position. So he willingly gave Ming Li every herb he needed and threw away the idea of complaining.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

This time, Ming Li came back to his room completely prepared to create the pill. He used the past days to study the plants at hand. By using the information from the plants, he simulated different situations in his mind to avoid failure.

This is a new technique he just thought of recently. To minimize the losses, he would first do a mental simulation of the pill creation by using his art. Since he has the art, he can create a mental image of the plant and mix them together in his mind. Only people with extreme knowledge with plants will be able to do the technique.

Ming Li then started extracting the essence of the plants. Thinking how expensive each plant is, Ming Li was a bit hesitant on using them, but he had no choice since he needed to create the pill so that he could enter the Ten Great Merchants Union Holy Inventory.

When he started Mixing the essence of the plants, his body became full of sweat, he felt extremely nervous that he might fail. Even though he simulated how to create the pill hundreds of times, it was still his first time creating a pill as expensive as this one.

His concentration was extremely high as he started focusing energy on the furnace. The level of difficulty of creating the pill was above Ming Li's skill, but he was still sure that he could overcome his lack of ability and create a pill exactly like the one he saw.

Hours passed as he mix different essence at different time, and adjusted the flame of the furnace accordingly. Slowly the essence in the furnace started to merge and form something like an illusory pill. The pill would sometimes form and sometimes fall apart. This scene repeated for hours. Every time it would form, a stronger aura came out of it. If one would look at it closely it was not falling apart, but instead a new illusory pill would devour the newly created pill and completely form a new pill! It was a scary sight, the pill seems to have life of its own. Ming Li felt goosebumps when he saw how the pill grew stronger. It was like the pill will devour him once it gets strong enough.

Even though he was scared of the pill, he was still excited of the outcome of his concoction. Since he chose to seek knowledge, he would not let anything hinder his path to get the knowledge that he wants. When he saw the pill, he made up his mind that he would find out exactly what the pill is about. Only by creating the pill himself would allow him to fully understand the pill.

His eyes shone with bizarre light as he got completely immersed in creating the pill. It was at this moment that his furnace disappeared! Ming Li gaped in shock when he saw the pill devour his furnace. It didn't stop there, the pill devoured the natural energy inside the room making it completely devoid of natural energy. Next, the floor below the pill slowly caved in as if it was being devoured. While all of this was happening, Ming Li did not stop and wished to fully complete the pill.

The pill devoured everything near it. Soon the space around it distorted and disappeared. Ming Li stepped back several times as he tried to avoid being consumed.

Meanwhile, on one room inside the Ten Great Merchant's Union shop the shopkeeper is reporting everything that Ming Li said.

"So he failed three times." The man frowned.

"Yes Elder Lou, However he claimed that this time he is 100 percent sure that he can create the pill."

Elder Lou's eyes became a bit viscous as he said "If he fails to create the pill bring him to me."

Elder Lou was the one who was about to drag Ming Li away when Ming Li started selling information regarding the pill.

..

After a bit of time, Ming Li lowered his hands and stared at the pill.

"I completed it!"

He was a bit in daze for everything that happened. The pill just floated in a blank space in font of him. He carefully observed the pill and decided to risk it.

He used natural energy to grab the pill on the empty space. It flew towards him without much resistance until it landed in his palm. His eyes glimmered with excitement as he studied the pill.

"So the person who consumes this will devour his old self countless times based on his ability, and become stronger in the process!..However.. He can also be fully consumed and die!"

At first Ming Li planned to create another pill for himself, but when he learned the effects of the pill, he put the idea aside and decided to use it if he can somehow find a way to avoid death.