CHAPTER 60: DO YOU THINK THIS IS SOME KIND OF JOKE?!

"Is this a Blood Rush Pill?" Elder Tenfires asked, raising one eyebrow as he picked up the small glass vial between his fingers.

His voice was flat, but the flicker of curiosity in his eyes was unmistakable.

John gulped down a mouthful of saliva and nodded, keeping his posture respectful. "Yes, Elder."

The moment the words left his mouth, the entire hall seemed to freeze.

All movement stopped.

Conversations died mid-sentence.

Even the clinking of glassware and faint bubbling of cauldrons came to a standstill as if the air itself were holding its breath.

And then...

Murmurs erupted.

"A one-ringed Blood Rush Pill?!"

"Wait, did I hear that right? A ringed Blood Rush Pill?"

"Who the hell is this guy?"

"Is he really just an outer sect disciple?"

A group of junior alchemists near the side counter turned toward one another, whispering in shock.

"So what?" one sneered, trying to sound unimpressed. "What’s so special about it?"

"You fool," another snapped. "You’re still a beginner, that’s why you don’t understand. The Blood Rush Pill is one of the most unstable pills at Grade Three. The ingredients resist fusion, the spiritual essence dissipates quickly during refining, and the flame control required is damn near brutal."

"Right! Even making a standard one is tough, let alone a ringed version!"

"Only elders in the sect have ever refined a Blood Rush Pill with one or more rings... and even they fail more often than not."

Gasps and widened eyes followed that revelation.

The hall was now filled with awe and disbelief.

Some stepped back involuntarily, as if they were in the presence of someone far more accomplished than they had thought.

And those same few who had mocked John earlier? Their faces burned red, as if an invisible hand had slapped them all at once.

A few even bowed their heads, unable to meet his eyes.

John, of course, heard all of it.

And for the first time in weeks, a confident, smug smile curled his lips.

He let his gaze sweep around the room, slowly, deliberately.

The atmosphere around him had shifted.

He wasn’t just another outer sect disciple anymore.

He was someone they would remember.

Soon enough, those same judgmental eyes averted themselves, pretending not to have mocked him seconds ago.

Then John turned back to the counter, clearing his throat slightly. "How much can I sell this for, Elder?"

Elder Tenfires gently placed the vial on the table and gave it a long, slow glance. "Hmm. It’s rare, that’s true. But..." he tapped the glass with a fingernail, "it’s not a particularly useful pill. Mostly used in emergency healing or berserker-style enhancements. The instability makes it dangerous to most cultivators."

He paused, considering.

"At most, two hundred spirit stones."

John’s smile faltered slightly.

Two hundred?

That was decent, but still far below what he needed.

He clenched his fists beneath the counter as the numbers flew through his mind.

One mid-grade spirit stone equaled a thousand low-grade stones, and the entry to the Outer Depository required five hundred mid-grade stones.

That was half a million low-grade stones.

At two hundred per pill... he would need to sell 2,500 pills.

And even if he devoted himself fully to refining, he’d still need to upgrade each one using his system, something that could take him years, if not longer.

’That won’t do,’ he thought, jaw tightening. ’I have to find something better. A more profitable pill, or maybe something no one else dares to refine.’

His thoughts were interrupted by the elder’s voice.

"You still planning to sell it?" Elder Tenfires asked, his gaze sharper now.

There was a flicker of curiosity in his tone that hadn’t been there before.

John hesitated. His hand hovered over the vial.

The pill was valuable not just for the price, but as a show of skill.

Selling it could mean giving up a part of the recognition he just earned.

He stayed silent.

The elder seemed to interpret his hesitation and chuckled dryly. "Fine. You’ve piqued my interest. I’ll offer three hundred."

John blinked.

"Three hundred?" he repeated.

"Just because I want to study this," the elder admitted. "A one-ringed Blood Rush Pill at your level? That’s not something you see every day. There’s something different about your refining process, and I want to figure out what it is."

John hesitated for a few seconds longer, the pill still in his hand.

Doubt gnawed at him, but something inside urged him to take the risk.

From behind the counter, Elder Tenfires’s brow twitched.

His already sharp expression twisted further into annoyance.

"What are you thinking, boy? I don’t have all the time in the world," he snapped, voice cutting through the growing silence like a blade.

A few snickers rose from the crowd.

"He’s pushing it."

"So what if it’s one-ringed? Elder Tenfires can refine one himself."

"He’s gonna get slapped for making the old man wait."

John could feel the weight of all eyes on him again.

The confidence he’d worn earlier now felt like a fragile mask cracking under pressure.

But he clenched his fists and took in a slow breath.

"If Elder wishes to study the pill," he said slowly, "then I can give it to you for free."

The murmur turned to gasps.

"He’s giving it for free now?"

"Smart move. Better to lose a pill than lose teeth."

But John wasn’t done.

"However, I have a matter to discuss in private. Something... important. Personal." His tone was respectful, his eyes steady. "And I promise, it’s not trivial. It will pique Elder’s interest."

Tenfires narrowed his eyes sharply.

A sudden pressure filled the room, like a volcano preparing to erupt.

The air went heavy.

"Boy..." he growled, his voice thunderous, "don’t think you’re some miraculous prodigy just because you accidentally made a one-ringed pill. There are elders in this sect who can do it with their eyes closed."

John’s throat was dry, but he stood firm. "I assure you, Elder, this isn’t a joke. I wouldn’t dare waste your time without a reason."

A beat of silence passed.

The elder studied John’s face with a piercing glare that felt like it could dissect bone.

Finally, Tenfires exhaled and grunted. "Very well." He took the vial and tucked it into his spatial bag. "You have one chance. And listen carefully, if what you say doesn’t interest me, not only will I slap you in front of everyone here..."

He leaned closer, voice turning cold and precise,

"...but I’ll personally see to it that you’re banned from Main Cauldron Peak for an entire year. That means no selling, no trading, no learning, nothing."

The room reacted with gasps again.

"He’s screwed!"

"He’s done for."

"Bet he’ll be begging on his knees next."

John silently nodded, his face calm, but inside, a storm raged.

’This is it. I can’t back down now. I have to take this chance.’

With a huff, Elder Tenfires stood and gestured for him to follow.

The two vanished into a side corridor, entering a smaller, private chamber lit by warm spirit lamps and filled with the smell of ancient herbs and ink.

Tenfires sat down on a bamboo chair, crossing his arms. "One minute. Speak."

John stood before him, stiff and upright, as if facing a firing squad.

He looked at the elder, his voice calm but his heartbeat thundering in his chest.

"I didn’t create that pill."

Tenfires’s face darkened.

A slap already curled in his palm.

"But!" John quickly raised a hand. "Please don’t ask who did. I can’t reveal that. What I want to ask is, how much would I get if I sold a four-ringed Blood Rush Pill?"

There was a pause.

Then...

Cough, Elder Tenfires choked on his own spit, eyes bulging.

He leaned forward so suddenly that the wooden chair groaned under him.

"WHAT did you just say?"

John stood his ground. "A four-ringed Blood Rush Pill."

Tenfires’s face flushed. "Boy! Do you think this is some kind of joke?! Are you wasting my time on purpose?"

"No!" John insisted. "Give me seven days, and I promise, I’ll bring you one. A genuine, four-ringed Blood Rush Pill."

Tenfires looked like he might explode. His spiritual pressure surged for a moment, compressing the air so tightly John had to brace his legs not to fall.

But then, the elder paused.

His sharp eyes scrutinized John again, not as a fool, but as someone who had just provoked his curiosity.

"...You realize," he said coldly, "a four-ringed version of that pill hasn’t been seen in decades. I’ve only heard rumors of one created during the Grand Alchemy Tournament of the Eastern Heaven Region."

John nodded, slowly.

The elder inhaled and leaned back, rubbing his chin. "Fine. I’ll give you seven days. But if you fail..."

His eyes locked onto John’s with a deadly chill.

"I won’t just ban you. I’ll make sure you’re expelled from Blue Cauldron Sect. Permanently. Do you understand me?"

John’s heart raced, but his voice remained steady.

"Understood."

Tenfires waved his hand, dismissing him. "Then go. Prove you’re worth the trouble."

John bowed deeply, his fists clenched in determination.

As he walked out of the chamber, the pressure eased, but his path had just gotten ten times more dangerous.