Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

Memory could split into six different cauldrons, which was why Alex had only used that many. If there were more of her, he would have made more pills. He could use other cauldrons, but considering the lack of bond he had with those cauldrons, he doubted things would be as simple as they were with Memory.

Besides, Alex was certain he didn’t need it. He was fine as he was.

The other reason why he had made only five pills in each cauldron was because of his technique. He had improved his pill-forming technique, especially the Pill-Splitting Qi, to split the pill into five pills. That was why he had been making five pills each.

Had he improved the technique to form more than five pills, he would have absolutely added more pills.

Although, Alex wondered if 30 was his limit even with that. He could only stop so many Pill Lightnings, after all.

“Memory, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“No,” Memory replied. “I’m perfectly fine, Master. Are we making another pill?”

“Another 30, yes.”

A soft laughter came from Memory. “Then, shall we get started!”

* * * * * * *

The audience was certainly surprised by the outcome of the very first set of pills that had been created. On one side was an alchemist who had managed to create seven pills with nine Pill Veins each, and on the other side was an alchemist who had made 30 pills with six Pill Veins each.

Under normal circumstances, Aethersage would have absolutely blown everyone’s mind with just the fact that he had summoned seven Pill Lightnings at once. To these people, summoning a single Pill Cloud was something to be surprised by during the start of this competition.

However, that shock had been eclipsed by Alex’s own performance. At this point, words like shock and surprise failed to encapsulate the realm of emotions the audience had entered.

Pearl and Whisker were excited, of course, but they were also wholly surprised. Alex had always hidden his ability to make pills, and for the first time, he was so openly showing everyone what he could do.

That, in and of itself, was a surprise.

Momo breathed heavily, unable to fathom how her master had done something like this. HER master. She breathed harder and harder, motivated by her master beyond anything else she was capable of, looking forward to the day when she too could do this very thing.

Everyone’s emotions were high at the moment, but no one felt these emotions more than Silvermist himself.

Grimsight looked toward the man next to him, someone who should have been jumping in his seat, crying out words of praise for his disciple. And yet, the man sat in his seat, unable to form a single word.

Not even when he had appeared before that incident of the massacred demons toward the end of the war had Silvermist’s emotions been this extreme. It was clear that he had been affected deeply.

* * * * * * *

Even the gods couldn’t help but be shocked at Alex’s performance. They were genuinely stunned at the young man who had managed to create 30 pills with 100% harmony, that too in the final competition.

It was unfathomable to them that it was even possible to begin with. Each god looked toward the Alchemy God, who stood with a gleaming smile on his face.

“Alchemy God, have you ever managed to do this before?” the Beast God asked.

The Alchemy God slowly shook his head while continuing to keep his grin. “I have made many pills that have managed to summon Pill Clouds at once, but my personal best as of yet has been 12. And I was quite proud of that record. But… it seems I need not be. He has managed to demolish that which I considered to be my best.”

“That’s… that’s frankly terrifying,” the Puppet God said. “How did such an incredible alchemist come to be?”

“I do not know.”

The Alchemy God lacked many words to explain anything else at the moment, and not many bothered to ask him either. They simply turned around and watched as both Alex and Aethersage prepared to make their pills once again.

There were still 45 minutes left on the clock, so the victor wasn’t decided just yet.

* * * * * * *

Fifteen minutes later, Aethersage completed making nine pills, each with nine Pill Veins, for a total of 81 Pill Veins. And yet, he couldn’t feel very happy about it.

Before him, Alex had once again created 30 pills, each with six Pill Veins.

Aethersage made his pills again and again. And each time, Alex made exactly 30 pills.

Aethersage wasn’t sure if he should stop being surprised upon seeing Alex make the same 30 pills each time or if he should instead be doubly surprised by Alex’s ability to consistently make 30 pills each time.

Aethersage had even waited to see how Alex did what he did one time and was perhaps most shocked by this of all. He saw Alex put in exactly 30 sets of ingredients.

That meant that Alex made all of those pills without wasting a single ingredient.

It was at that point that Aethersage knew he had lost. He still did the best he could do, but in the end, his best wasn’t enough.

By the end, Aethersage had managed to make four batches of pills, making a total of 33 pills. With nine Pill Veins each, he had made a total of 297 Pill Veins.

Alex had made four batches of pills as well, each of which had 30 pills. In total, he had managed to create 120 pills, each of which had six Pill Veins, for a total of 720 Pill Veins.

When the hour ended and the duration of time they had to make the pill became zero, Aethersage understood that he had completely and utterly lost.

He had done his best, and yet Alex had far surpassed him in this aspect of alchemy.

And somehow, Aethersage wasn’t sad that he lost at all. Considering Alex’s performance, he would have lost regardless.

He was just happy that he had lost to someone so incredible.