CHAPTER 560: SELLING THE BLOOD FLOOD PILLS

Han Yu mixed the ground Spirit Fenugreek Seeds with the Blood Gooseberry juice. He broke the Blood Thorn Nettles into smaller pieces and added them in whole. He simmered the mixture for an hour and used precise spirit sense to control the heat until condensation began.

The scent filled the cave. Thick, pungent, and strangely metallic.

Despite the shoddy alchemy cauldron, three pills formed with ease.

Not lumpy. Not cracked. Not burnt. But smooth and perfectly rounded.

He let them cool and then sealed them in a jade bottle. This was just his test batch to see if he could make them in such conditions after all. He then made a ’proper’ weak batch.

The next morning, he sold the weaker local version first. As expected, they sold instantly.

The person buying them even whispered, "Whoever made these did not do a terrible job."

Good enough.

Then after a month of repeating this, Han Yu returned with the proper pill.

The disciple at the counter blinked when he saw the bottle. He opened it and inhaled slightly. His eyebrows rose high. He looked at the pill closely. The aroma, the sheen, the weight. Everything was correct.

"You made this?" the disciple asked.

Han Yu grunted and nodded coldly.

The disciple checked the records and found that Han Yu had indeed been submitting self made pills for months now. He relaxed and nodded without suspicion.

"Not bad, Senior Brother. I did not expect you to become an alchemist. You have shown progress."

Han Yu took his merit points and left without saying anything.

Outside, he smiled slightly.

His plan was working.

Slowly, steadily, perfectly.

He would soon create a river of profit far more valuable than the Blood Moon River itself.

And he would do it without anyone ever suspecting him.

Han Yu walked away from the External Alchemy Hall with a calculated expression, his mind already working several steps ahead.

Now that he had established himself as a passable beginner alchemist, and more importantly proven he could consistently make Blood Flood Pills, it only made sense to take the next logical step. If he wished to secure his future income, protect his identity, and strengthen his credibility, then he needed an official position.

He needed to join the Alchemy Division.

A proper identity as a Novice Alchemist would not only allow him to purchase higher grade materials without raising suspicion but would also provide the perfect cover for the sudden improvement in his alchemy output.

After months of pretending to be incompetent, followed by gradual improvement, this was the moment of transition he had planned from the beginning.

So he turned around and made his way back inside the External Alchemy Hall.

He approached one of the counters where the staff handled alchemist exams and certifications. The disciple manning it froze for a moment upon seeing him, eyes widening slightly as if bracing for trouble.

’Crap... This guy.’ The disciple thought.

Ju Fan’s reputation still lingered like a ghost.

Han Yu kept his expression cold and neutral, neither aloof nor aggressive.

He simply presented his token and said, "I want to apply for the Novice Alchemist exam."

The disciple blinked.

Then blinked again.

"You... wish to take the Novice exam?" he repeated, as if making sure he heard correctly.

Han Yu simply nodded.

The disciple swallowed and quickly marked his token, opening the registration. To his credit, the clerk did not argue or try to stop him. It was not his job to judge who could or could not take the alchemist tests. He only provided the information.

"The exam chambers are in the west building. Tap your token to an available room. You may take the exam immediately. Materials will be provided automatically, and the cost will be 100 merit points per try." the clerk explained in a slightly rushed voice.

Han Yu accepted that and left. He did not bother to look back at the mutters and whispers behind him.

As he entered the long hallway leading to the exam chambers, he noticed how quiet it was. The entire area was soundproofed, designed to prevent distractions. The structure reminded him of the test rooms in his old sect, but the sophistication here was on an entirely different level.

Everything ran on arrays.

Everything was automated.

CREAK

He stepped into one of the empty rooms, tapped his token, and the door slid open without noise.

The interior was a pristine chamber with smooth white stone walls. A formation circle glowed underfoot. At the front, an enormous glowing panel flickered to life with a list of beginner pills.

The instructions were simple.

Pick one pill from the list. Make it. Place it in the analysis box. Wait for the verdict.

No human examiners. No oversight. No pressure. No judgmental elders staring at him.

"This is perfect." Han Yu smiled.

He skimmed the list and chose the most basic Qi replenishing pill. It would take him only ten minutes with his skill. And since he had spent months refining his technique to appear believable, the result would be neither too terrible nor too good.

A perfect pass-grade.

The shelves around him glowed and ingredients materialized. A basic cauldron rose from the floor on a platform. A faint hum filled the air as the room scanned his presence and aligned the equipment accordingly.

Han Yu smirked slightly.

This sect truly spared no expense.

He took a deep breath and began. His movements were smooth but not flawless. He made sure to stumble once or twice, as if slightly nervous. He had no idea if the arrays were observing his methodology after all.

He added ingredients with minor hesitation to make it seem realistic. The flame control was steady, but he purposely did not push the temperature too perfectly.

The result was a pill that matched his goal.

Decent. Not impressive. Solidly average.

He placed it inside the small crystalline analysis box.

CLICK

The lid closed on its own.

SHUA

A series of lights flickered before lines of formation runes scrolled rapidly across the surface.

DING

Then... a soft chime rang out.