I had two pills. The first was the nine-patterned Rank 6 Ascension Pill that I had concocted with the help of my entire team. The second was the eight-patterned Rank 4 Tendon Strengthening Pill that I had concocted practically on my own. Which should I submit to the elders?
There were a lot of factors at play and a lot that I needed to consider, but the crux of the matter was this: What did the elders want from this competition?
According to Emperor Chan, the elders were looking for the next generation of the Temple’s leaders. They wanted alchemists who were both able and willing to help the next generation succeed. Considering this, the answer to which pill I should submit was obvious.
I placed the bottle that contained the Tendon Strengthening Pill on Jon’s workbench. Then, I retrieved the bottle that held the Ascension Pill and passed it to one of the attendants, submitting it to the elders for their evaluation. This done, I turned and walked back to the side of the stage where my teammates were waiting for me.
Since I ended up submitting the Ascension Pill, had concocting that Tendon Strengthening Pill been a mistake? No. Making the Tendon Strengthening Pill showed the elders that I was just as capable of using demon beasts to concoct pills as Jon—more capable, in fact. The value of the Tendon Strengthening Pill wasn’t in the pill itself. The value was in destroying any mystique that Jon’s pill might have held. Now, it was nothing more than a simple Rank 3 pill—something far less valuable than my nine-patterned Rank 6 pill.
Of course, the covetous gazes that were locked onto the bottle that contained my Tendon Strengthening Pill proved things weren’t quite this simple, but I didn’t need to worry about such things. I had made the pills I had made, and that was all that mattered. Now, Elder Yargui would award the victory to whomever she wanted. The actual value of the pill I submitted was of little importance.
In short, this was no longer about alchemy. It was about politics. And in that realm, submitting the Ascension Pill was the correct choice.
Just as I reached Lau CoiHung and the others, Jon sidled up to me. “Good play, Fang. I wasn’t expecting that. I really… I thought I had this won.”
Jon’s words held neither happiness nor sadness. Just acceptance.
“Hopefully, if that bastard of a Dao decides to bring me back, he’ll give me something other than this damn ‘Ultimate Rival System’ next time. Do you know how much it sucks to be pulled into a crazy new world only to be told that you’re supposed to act as someone else’s stepping stone? I thought that I might be able to turn things around, but… well… I guess it just didn’t work out.”
“I’m… sorry.” It was the only thing that I could think to say.
Jon waved this away. “No worries. If I was brought back once, who knows, maybe I’ll be brought back again. Just remember our bet. I’ve… made a few enemies that might decide to retaliate against my girls. If you could help them out—keep them safe—I’d appreciate it.”
Hesitantly, I gave a single nod. “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.”
As Jon walked back to his group, Jalari stood and walked to the front of his platform. “After all due consideration, we, the elders of the Temple of the Herb Saint, have ruled the following: Due to having submitted a Rank 3 pill that the team leader concocted on his own, the team from the Nine Rivers Domain had placed last in this competition. Second place goes to the team from the True Martial Domain, with first place going to the team from the Heroes Domain. Congratulations to our victors.”
Jon spent his last few moments surrounded by his teammates. Then, his body collapsed to the ground, dead. At that exact moment, I was assaulted by a wave of energy.
External energy detected. External entity requesting access. Access Denied. Energy absorbed.
New skill granted: Synthetic Herbal Bonds (Rank 9)
“How dare—” A powerful shout echoed out from the stands, but Elder Yargui cut it off with a pulse of wood qi that silenced the entire stadium. Then, she used another burst of energy to grow a wooden stretcher beneath Jon’s body, helping his teammates to carry his body off stage and through a portal that she created at the base of the stadium’s walls.
The oppressive silence created by Elder Yargui’s qi continued to linger even after Jon and his team had disappeared. Now, however, everyone’s attention was squarely on me.
Elder Yargui released a wave of energy that hit several translation formations, allowing everyone in the stadium to understand her words. “Su Fang, you have proven yourself to be the most capable young alchemist on the Western Island. I invite you to join my Bloodline and enter the Temple as my personal disciple. Kowtow and accept me as your new master.”
I narrowed my eyes.
What was Yargui playing at? She knew that I didn’t have any desire to join the Temple. Why was she making this offer so publicly? Was she trying to force me to join against my will, or did she just want me to slap her in the face? Neither option seemed likely, but the only other possibility…
My eyes widened as I realized what was about to happen.
The stadium was rocked by the sound of three slow claps. Turning, I looked up and to my right, to the source of this interruption. Standing atop the stadium’s high wall was a hulking giant of a man dressed in bright blue plate armor.
“Yargui, you have outdone yourself. I truly didn’t expect the Temple to be the first to succeed. Don’t think of keeping this specimen to yourself, though.”
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In a single motion, the figure took a step forward, created a portal, and appeared at the front of the stage.
Looking up at this giant, I saw that, while he was humanoid, he was about the furthest thing from a human possible. What I had previously taken to be armor was, in fact, scales. The man’s entire body was covered in dense, overlapping fish scales. His neck was lined with gill slits, and his ‘hair’ was just a collection of longer, thinner scales. The man’s face was a little more normal, but his eyes were far too large, and his nose was nothing more than two small holes.
Ignoring Elder Yargui, this giant fish-man gave me a sharp-toothed smile. “Alchemist Su, I have heard that you have an interest in experimenting with new and unique herbs. On behalf of my master, I would like to invite you to explore the Abyssal Depths. There, you will be able to discover the true wonders of this world.”
The Abyssal Depths. The deep ocean? Would I even be able to survive down there?
I was still trying to process this fish man’s offer when a new portal opened up off to my left.
“Kaeo, do you think that it is so easy to poach one of my most talented alchemists?”
I turned to the young-looking woman who had just spoken. She was dressed in a light blue robe and looked like someone who had just stepped out of the Nine Rivers Continent, but I had never seen her before, and I didn’t have any idea who she might be. However, something about her seemed familiar. Before I could figure out what it was, though, yet another portal opened up behind me.
“Li KaiLi, you have no claim over this child. He may have originated in this domain, but he bears the surname ‘Su,’ not ‘Li,’ and he is now a member of the Heroes Domain.”
Whirling around, I saw an aged man with long silver hair who bore a striking resemblance to the Martial Spirit I had met in the Wong Clan.
Four Martial Ancestors, all of whom were fighting to recruit a Martial Emperor. And, if I was interpreting the sensations that were coming from my space affinity correctly, several others were waiting in the wings. I had known that beast alchemy was important, but somehow, I had still underestimated the intense and immediate reaction that my performance would generate.
What was it? Why did so many Ancestors—so many Saints—care so much about a Rank 4 pill? Yes, it opened up a new branch of alchemy, but why did that matter so much? What was really going on here?
Everything seemed to lead back to body cultivation, but why was it so important? Why was the Nine Rivers Saint conducting experiments on such a massive scale just to locate body cultivators? Sure, body cultivation might be nice, but according to Enkhtuya, Saints and Ancestors were only one step away from immortality. Why would they waste time developing an entirely new form of cultivation instead of just taking that last step?
I knew what was important. I just didn’t know why it was important. I was still missing a piece of the puzzle.
This wasn’t the time to be asking such questions, however. At the moment, I needed to respond to the Ancestors who were circling me like starving vultures.
“Elder Yargui, Ancestor Kaeo, Ancestor Li, Ancestor Wong… I appreciate your offers. However, I do not believe that it would be appropriate for me to join any of your factions. Instead, I feel that it would be best for me to remain at the Palace in the City of Selfless Courage, experimenting and growing my skills.”
I bowed deeply to the scaled giant. “Ancestor Kaeo, you are right about me. I truly would like to see what herbs the Abyssal Depths has to offer. Instead of going there myself, however, I would suggest that we formalize a trade deal. The Abyssal Depths can supply me with herbs, and in return, I can either provide you with pills or I can research any new recipes you desire.”
I bowed to Ancestor Li, Ancestor Wong, and the empty air off to Wong’s left. “I offer these terms openly, with no favor or prejudice toward any faction.”
The empty air that I had just bowed to split apart, but this time, the only thing that passed through was a growling voice. “If he remains in the Heroes Domain, then he remains our enemy. The agreement holds. None of you are allowed to interfere.”
There was a long pause before Yargui sent out a pulse of qi. “Agreed.”
That was, apparently, all the voice needed. Without so much as a goodbye, the portal slammed shut.
“Wong,” said Kaeo, “if he’s staying in the Heroes Domain, then Tian needs to change some of her rules. You can’t keep this to yourself. Traders from the Depths must have access to his Palace.”
The old man gave a short nod. “I will discuss this with her. I am sure that we will be able to come to an equitable arrangement. We may need to relocate the Palace away from Selfless Courage, though. With the old dog’s threat, keeping it there might prove troublesome.”
“If there is nothing else,” said Yargui, “then it is time for all of you to depart.”
After taking a moment to look at each other, the Ancestors all nodded and swiftly disappeared, leaving only the Temple’s elders behind.
Once they were gone, Yargui sent streams of qi toward the translation formations. “Considering Alchemist Su’s predicament, I must retract my offer.”
Having witnessed everything that had just happened, everyone understood this was just a statement to save face, but not a single person in the stadium was willing to call the elder out on that.
“Alchemist Mandakh, though I cannot accept you into my Bloodline, if you are willing, I will take you back to the Myriad Herb Domain as my protégé and assist you in gaining entry into the Temple. Do you accept?”
Mandakh couldn’t fall to his knees fast enough. “Yes, master. Disciple accepts.”
Once everything in the stadium was at an end, Yargui used a portal to whisk me away for a private conversation. As she sat down across from me in her ‘human’ visage and began drinking tea through a thin branch, I couldn’t help but ask the question that was still burning through my mind.
“Why? Why does everyone care so much about beast alchemy? Why is it so important? Yes, a Strengthening Pill can improve a person’s body, but the effects it would have on a Bloodline tier cultivator are marginal. So, why?”
Yargui froze, and I felt the tension in the room increase by several degrees. “You don’t already know? Why don’t you know? Even if your last life was in the distant past, this… This is something that someone who gained enough power to reincarnate should already know…”
I winced. I had known that question held dangers, but I needed the answer. So, all I could do was press forward and provide Yargui with a convenient ‘truth.’
“My previous lives… they were on the Nine Rivers Continent—the Small World under the control of the Nine Rivers Saint. My knowledge of the Central Continent is… limited.”
Yargui’s branches regained their subtle movements, but she seemed to have become more cautious. “Is that so? That would certainly explain your inconsistencies.”
The rose-like elder fell silent for several seconds before continuing, “There are certain truths that everyone is aware of but that no one is willing to voice. To do so would only weaken our resolve. In 50 years, Enkhtuya will make a trip to Myriad Herb Domain. Join her, and you will understand.”
I nodded slowly, not willing to push things any further.
“In the meantime, focus on developing new pills. The Saint will ensure that none of the creatures you faced interfere with this. They seek the hope you represent, but they are patient. They will wait to see the true effectiveness of your pills before taking any further action. However, you must still be wary of the Saint of Tooth and Claw. Make use of this short respite to prepare yourself for what’s to come.”
I cupped my fists and bowed. “I understand. Thank you, Elder.”