Chapter 6: Bring The Sh*t

Words : 2056 Updated : Feb 26th, 2025

"You better get ready to eat shit!" Abel snapped back before tuning out the chatter around him, focusing entirely on his alchemy. Nine steps involved refining pills: warming the cauldron, selecting ingredients, extraction, liquefaction, fusion, sealing the cauldron, forming the pill, opening the cauldron, and collecting the final product. He had already completed the first step. However, during the second step, Abel deviated from the standard method, drawing ridicule from the onlookers. The extraction process involved purifying each ingredient separately, removing impurities before setting them aside for later use. It was tedious and time-consuming, requiring extreme precision. But Abel ignored all that. Instead of refining each ingredient individually, he threw everything into the cauldron simultaneously, seemingly reducing effort and time. Yet, refining all the ingredients together? Not even a ninth-level alchemist could manage that. How could Abel possibly pull it off? To the alchemy experts watching, especially Caleb, Abel wasn't just failing—he was making a complete mockery of alchemy. He wasn't even worthy of being called a novice. Abel ignored the condescending stares, increasing the intensity of the alchemy flame as he pressed on. After all, his memories contained knowledge of the highest forms of alchemical techniques—methods these people couldn't even comprehend. Fifteen minutes later, the cauldron lid trembled. Abel lifted it, and a thick medicinal aroma immediately filled the air. Along with it, the impurities from the ingredients were expelled. The crowd sneered, fully expecting failure. But Abel didn't hesitate—quickly shut the lid and proceeded to the next step. Before long, the sound of flowing liquid came from within the cauldron. The ingredients had successfully liquefied. Time passed. The cauldron began to shake violently, the tremors growing stronger as if it were about to explode. "Looks like it's about to blow!" "Poor flame control—no surprise if it explodes." "Yeah, he's just cranking up the heat without control. It'd be weird if it didn't explode." Mocking voices echoed around the room. Abel had reached the fusion stage, the most critical step in pill refinement. Without precise flame control, the cauldron could easily detonate. And yet, he continued to intensify the flame as if he had no concept of fire regulation. At this point, no one believed in his success. Caleb, in particular, was grinning from ear to ear, eagerly anticipating Abel's failure—the moment his cauldron would explode and leave him utterly humiliated. "Seal the cauldron!" Abel suddenly extended his left hand, pressing down firmly on the lid. Then, channeling his soul power, he enveloped the entire cauldron, instantly suppressing the chaotic energy. Crack! A crisp sound echoed from inside the cauldron. "That… That was the sound of a pill forming!" "I thought the cauldron was going to explode. How did he manage to form the pill instead?" "Abel never studied alchemy at the Elixir Pavilion, right? Where did he even learn these techniques?" A wave of astonishment swept through the crowd. Alchemy was an arduous path, and alchemists were rare. Pills and elixirs were essential for warriors, making alchemists highly respected figures. If Abel were an alchemy expert, his status in Sunway City would be extraordinary. But before the admiration could take root, Caleb's snide voice cut through the air. "He made a mistake at the ingredient selection stage. One mistake leads to another. Even if the pill forms, so what? There are refined pills, and there are failures. I bet what he made is just worthless trash." The crowd quickly shifted their expressions, nodding in agreement. "Open the cauldron and see if you've just made a pile of shit." Caleb sneered, exuding arrogance. He was dying to see Abel humiliated, reduced to nothing more than a laughingstock in Sunway City. "Open the cauldron!" Without hesitation, Abel lifted the lid. Usually, opening the cauldron and collecting the pills requires careful technique to ensure quality. But since this was just a low-grade pill, Abel couldn't be bothered with all the formalities. As the lid lifted, the bitter scent of burnt medicine wafted through the air. Inside the cauldron, there were no pills—only a pile of blackened residue. "He failed!" "Hahaha! He did make a pile of shit!" "If you don't know how to refine pills, don't pretend! What's the point of showing off?" The crowd shook their heads, looking at Abel with disdain. "Abel is a fraud, disgracing the art of alchemy. That alone is an unforgivable offense!" Caleb scoffed and waved his hand. "Men! Seize Abel, break his arms, and throw him out!" Though Caleb wasn't sure where Abel had learned his alchemy, he wasn't about to let him go unscathed. This was a golden opportunity to cripple Abel for good, ensuring he would never pose a threat to the Showyer family again. "Hold on. Who said I failed?" Abel chuckled and casually swiped through the waste pile, revealing a perfectly formed yellow pill beneath it. Silence fell over the Elixir Pavilion. The onlookers were stunned. No one expected a pill to be hidden among the burned remnants. And it wasn't just any pill—it was a mid-grade Body Refining Pill. "Mr. Caleb. Here, why don't you inspect this pill yourself?" Abel smirked, motioning toward Caleb before pointing at the pill in the cauldron. "No need… It's real." Caleb's face flushed red as he quickly shook his head. Even the customers could tell it was a genuine pill. If a high-tier alchemist like him had to inspect it, he'd be a laughingstock. "In that case, where's the Awakening Dragonroot?" Abel asked, his tone calm. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Caleb had no choice but to follow through. He immediately ordered someone to fetch the Awakening Dragonroot and handed it to Abel. "You can leave now." Caleb waved his hand, his face dark with frustration. Being humiliated like this was unbearable. "Wait," Abel said, his lips curling into a playful smirk. "Didn't you say if I successfully refined a pill, you'd eat shit on the spot?" The room went dead silent. Caleb froze, his expression twisted in embarrassment. "Bring the shit!" Abel raised a hand, his voice loud and clear. The crowd nearly collapsed in shock. Was Abel going to force Caleb to eat shit? There was no way Caleb would go through with it. He was a high-tier alchemist, the city lord's nephew—his status was far too lofty for such humiliation. If he ate shit in public, not only would he lose all dignity, but the Elixir Pavilion and even the city lord's reputation would take a hit. Caleb's face turned ashen, his fists clenched in fury, ready to explode. "Why would you trouble an alchemist?" A commanding voice echoed through the hall. A middle-aged man appeared, dressed in the same black robe as Caleb—but his robe bore a striking red stripe beneath the Gold Elixir symbol. The middle-aged man was a Level One Alchemy Master. "Mr. Denver!" The crowd immediately bowed in respect. Only Abel remained motionless, not even acknowledging the man. Denver Casson wasn't just a Level One Alchemy Master—he was also the owner of the Elixir Pavilion, holding a monopoly over Sunway City's pill market. His influence was second only to the city lord, Luca. Denver had an acquaintance with Luca, so Caleb became a high-tier alchemist. The refusal of Abel's entry into the pavilion likely bore Denver's influence. Denver glanced at Abel and spoke indifferently. "Caleb's words were just a joke. No need to take them seriously." Then, with a wave of his hand, he ordered, "Bring fifty mid-grade Body Refining Pills for this young alchemy expert. Consider this matter settled." The hall erupted in murmurs. Body Refining Pills were basic yet essential and in high demand among martial artists. They were difficult to produce, scarce, and expensive. A regular martial artist could only afford a few low-grade Body Refining Pills in a year. Mid-grade ones were even harder to craft and costlier, accessible only to wealthy, influential families. Denver's offer was a generous gesture to preserve Caleb's dignity. Everyone looked at Abel with envy. Abel accepted the pills without hesitation. Forcing Caleb to eat shit wasn't realistic, but embarrassing him and making a fortune in the process? That was more than enough. Just as Abel turned to leave, Caleb's voice rang out again. "Abel, since you claim to be an alchemist, do you dare face me in a refining duel? Return the Awakening Dragonroot and the fifty Body Refining Pills if you lose. If I lose, I will give you fifty Spiritual Energy Pills."

Chapter 6: Bring The Sh*t

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