The smell of burning herbs hit Luo Feng's nose before he even stepped through the guild's ornate doors.
"User," the System chirped, *"today's check-in requires brewing a Tier-3 pill. Suggested recipe: 'Heavenly Purification Pill'—guaranteed to impress and/or explode."*
Luo Feng sighed. After the disaster at the Heavenly Sword Clan and the very temporary identity scam at the Nightshade Bazaar, he'd hoped for a quiet day. But the System had other plans.
[New Check-In Location: Azure Flame Alchemy Guild]
[Mission: Successfully Refine a Tier-3 Pill]
[Reward: Poison Immunity (Basic)]
The Fox Spirit, still disguised as a silver-haired scholar, elbowed him. "You look like you're about to vomit."
"That's just my natural reaction to alchemy," Luo Feng muttered.
Li Qing, now back in her usual frosty demeanor, gave the guild a disdainful once-over. "This is a waste of time."
"Not if it gets us poison immunity," Luo Feng countered. "Unless you enjoy worrying about assassins?"
Li Qing's fingers twitched toward her sword. "I handle assassins just fine."
[The Setup: A Recipe for Disaster]
The guild's interior was chaos—cauldrons bubbled, apprentices scurried, and at least three different arguments about flame temperatures were happening simultaneously. A harried-looking attendant shoved a basic pill furnace into Luo Feng's hands.
"Newcomers start with the 'Gentle Breeze Detox Pill.' Don't blow yourself up."
The Fox Spirit snatched the recipe scroll. "Ooooh, ingredients: Moonbloom Petals, Ghostroot, Frost Salamander Liver—wait, liver?"
Luo Feng grimaced. "Why does every alchemy recipe sound like a dark ritual?"
Li Qing, who had somehow procured a cup of tea and was sipping it like an unimpressed noble, said, "Just follow the instructions."
"Actually," the System interrupted, "optimal path detected. User should substitute Frost Salamander Liver with… Void-Eyed Toad Venom."
Luo Feng froze. "That's literally poison."
"Precisely! Poison + Antidote = Immunity. Basic science."
The Fox Spirit's grin was downright demonic. "I'll get the toad."
[The Brewing: Everything Goes Wrong]
Step one: Grind Moonbloom Petals into powder.
Luo Feng managed that much without issue.
Step two: Infuse Ghostroot at precisely 212 degrees.
His furnace flared. The Ghostroot turned black.
Li Qing pinched the bridge of her nose. "You're hopeless."
Step three: Add Void-Eyed Toad Venom (???).
The Fox Spirit returned, holding a squirming toad by one leg. "Who's ready for SCIENCE?"
The moment the venom hit the cauldron, the mixture turned an ominous shade of neon green. The furnace rattled. The guild's chatter died.
[System Alert: Chemical Instability Detected]
[Recommendation: Add stabilizing agent. Or run.]
Luo Feng, in a moment of pure desperation, dumped the rest of the ingredients in.
The cauldron screamed.
[The Birth of the Pill Emperor]
With a sound like a dying whale, the furnace exploded—but instead of shrapnel, a single, perfectly formed pill shot out, hovering midair. It glowed. It pulsed. And then… it spoke.
"REJOICE, MORTALS. YOUR EMPEROR HAS ARRIVED."
Silence.
Then, from the back of the guild: "What the fuck."
The pill—now self-proclaimed Pill Emperor—spun in a slow, regal circle. "I AM THE PINNACLE OF ALCHEMY. THE ULTIMATE LIFE-FORM. KNEEL, AND I MAY GRANT YOU A FRACTION OF MY WISDOM."
Luo Feng's eye twitched. "System. What. Did. You. Do."
*"User successfully created a Tier-3 pill! Technically."*
The Fox Spirit was already bowing. "Oh mighty Pill Emperor, what is your first decree?"
"FIRST, YOU WILL FIND ME A BODY. PREFERABLY ONE WITH MORE… LIMBS."
Li Qing's sword was out. "I'm destroying it."
The Pill Emperor tsked. "VIOLENCE? HOW PREDICTABLE. GUARDS—SEIZE HER."
Every alchemist in the room, their eyes glazed over with unnatural fervor, turned toward Li Qing.
Luo Feng grabbed both women and bolted.
[The Escape: Poison Immunity Acquired (Sort Of)]
They burst out of the guild just as the first wave of brainwashed alchemists gave chase. The Pill Emperor's voice boomed behind them: "YOU CANNOT RUN FROM PROGRESS!"
Luo Feng's lungs burned. "How is a pill this powerful?!"
The Fox Spirit, despite sprinting at full speed, was laughing. "I LOVE HIM."
Li Qing flicked her wrist, sending a wave of ice to block the guild doors. "We need to kill it."
"Actually," the System chimed in, "User has been exposed to enough toxins to trigger Poison Immunity (Basic). Congratulations!"
Luo Feng coughed. His veins itched. "Is it supposed to feel like my blood is on fire?"
"Side effects may include: nausea, hallucinations, temporary inability to die. Enjoy!"
A crash—the alchemists were breaking through. The Pill Emperor's glow lit the street like a malevolent beacon.
"YOU THINK THIS IS OVER? I WILL USHER IN A NEW ERA! A WORLD WHERE PILLS RULE AND ALCHEMISTS SERVE!"
The Fox Spirit wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm so proud."
Li Qing grabbed Luo Feng's collar. "We're leaving. Now."
END OF THE CHAPTER12