Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

Windborn asked Alex about his cultivation speed. Alex answered with mostly truths, which made his answers extraordinary. However, since Windborn didn’t have the context of where he was born, the answer wasn’t as fascinating as he should have taken it to be.

“30 years in the True realm, and 200 years in the Saint realm, huh?” Windborn asked. “Your speed increased quite a lot during the Saint realm. Why is that?”

“That is when I advanced further in my alchemy,” Alex said. “I joined a good sect and learned a lot. I found out what Pill Clouds were and mostly ate pills with pill veins for cultivation. What should have taken me over a thousand years back then took no more than just 200.”

Windborn slowly nodded to himself. “I see. And would you say you were interested in alchemy from the start? Or did you pursue it further because you noticed you were good at it?”

Alex thought for a moment. “I think I wanted to do it at the start because I saw how rich it made the others. But once I realized I was good at it and I realized I could do something good with it, I grew a genuine interest in alchemy.”

“And would you say you will pursue this interest for the rest of time?” Windborn asked.

“The only way you can stop me from practicing alchemy is if you send me to hell,” Alex said with a light chuckle.

Windborn looked up, confused and curious. He seemed worried for some reason.

“I’m sorry,” Alex said quickly. “I just learned hell is real today, so I was making a small joke. But I’m not lying when I say that there is almost nothing that will make me stop practicing alchemy.”

Windborn relaxed a little. “That’s good. You made me wonder why you were talking about that prison for a second there.”

Alex raised an eyebrow.

“Can you tell me a little about your tools for alchemy? Like your cauldron or the formations you use?” the man asked.

“For one, I don’t use formations for making pills,” Alex said. “And I don’t know what else I can tell you about my cauldron except that it’s good.”

“Does it have a spirit?” Windborn asked.

Alex remained silent.

Windborn waited for the answer, and when he did not receive any, he moved on. “What about your pill-forming technique? How good is it?”

Alex shrugged. “I would say it is pretty good. I haven’t compared it with other techniques, so I cannot tell you with a guarantee how good it really is, though.”

“But you did call in all those pill clouds during the replacement test, didn’t you? That had to be due to your pill-forming technique,” Windborn said.

“That is not the only way to guarantee pill clouds from forming,” Alex said. It was not really an answer to the man’s question, but it did divert the topic for Alex, which he wanted the man to realize he was doing.

“There are other things you can do to improve your chances in Pill Clouds that are not the pill-forming technique?” Windborn asked with great curiosity.

Alex didn’t answer again and simply chose to smile.

Windborn didn’t need the answer anymore. He had gotten his answer, so he thought of other questions he wanted to ask.

Alex waited for the questions and started having some of his own. “May I ask something?”

Windborn looked up. “You want to ask me—uhh, sure. Please.”

“The ones you interviewed before, have you already confirmed who will not be getting the pin?” he asked.

Windborn narrowed his eyes. “What makes you think I’ve made that decision?” he asked.

Alex shrugged. “Seems obvious. Surely you have already judged the ones that came before me and at least made the decision on rejecting a few of them,” he said. “I wanted to ask if you have told them that already or not. Or will you tell it to everyone at the end?”

Windborn nodded. “Those I’m certain about already know my decision. Only those that I’m not sure about are waiting for it,” he said.

“Did they take it well?” Alex asked.

Windborn laughed a little. “I don’t think they could. It’s hard being told you won’t be given the one thing you’re here for. They were civil, of course, but they were certainly disappointed. The only one not disappointed by the news was perhaps Aethersage alone.”

Alex nodded for a moment before pausing. Then his eyes widened in shock. “I’m sorry, brother Aethersage failed?” he asked.

Alex couldn’t believe it. “I’m surprised you rejected him, considering he is one of the best alchemists in the tournament,” he said.

Windborn nodded. “Yes. I didn’t even let him take the interview. I told him why I rejected him from the start, and he took it well.”

Alex couldn’t believe it. “I’m surprised you rejected him, considering he is one of the best alchemists in the tournament,” he said.

“He is,” Windborn agreed. “But I’m not really just looking for a good alchemist. I have other criteria, and from his interview, it was apparent that Aethersage wouldn’t fulfill any. So I told him from the start.”

Alex still couldn’t imagine. “May I ask what the criteria were, and if I passed?” he asked.

“It’s mostly to do with your dedication to practicing alchemy for life. Aethersage said he was leaving with the Formation God once the tournament was over, so I didn’t think his heart was in the right place for him to deserve my pin.”

“I see,” Alex said slowly. “That’s why you asked me that question.”

Windborn nodded. “I asked him outside the stadium whether he would be willing to not go with the Formation God should I give him the pin, and he rejected my proposal. I didn’t need anything more after that.”

Alex remained silent, just surprised how easily Aethersage had been rejected. Without Aethersage, his chances of receiving the pin improved a lot.

“Anyway, getting back to my questions, could you tell me if you have a body constitution, and if it is helpful with alchemy?”

Alex told Windborn that his body was good against poison, and Windborn accepted that answer. Not only was that the answer Alex told everyone about his body, but it was also partly the truth.

Windborn asked more questions, trying to pry more information from Alex. Questions that wanted to dig deep into his life and alchemy. He asked about his parents, any siblings he might have, the sects he had joined, and various other questions.

He asked about Silvermist and how Alex came to meet the man, as well as questions about what he had learned from him.

Alex answered the questions he felt he was okay answering and chose to remain silent on a few just to keep up the illusion of him having eaten the pill.

There were some questions he also didn’t want to lie about and yet could never answer truthfully, so he always had to remain silent.

One by one, Windborn knocked through the various questions, getting closer and closer to making his decision.

“I nearly have all the information I need,” Windborn said. “But do indulge me in a few other questions, the first of which is about the immediate future.”

“What will you do after the tournament is over?”