C3 Supreme Grade Spirit Recovery Pill

Lysander's expression darkened. Lloyd's behavior was undeniably disrespectful, yet he couldn't help but be intrigued by the origins of the pill. As he strode inside, he shot his son a stern look. "I've instructed you to dedicate yourself to your training, hoping for a prosperous future for you. Instead, you've surrounded yourself with worthless companions! You show no respect for your elders, and at such a young age, no less!"

Josh merely shrugged, not taking the words to heart, though concern for Lloyd began to gnaw at him.

One by one, they made their way into the inner courtyard. Lloyd had arrived first and was already seated in the chair of honor.

Ignoring the seated elders, Lloyd caressed the armrest of the redwood chair, lost in memories of his once carefree days.

Back then, he was held in the highest regard, his life marked by splendor and glory.

Now, all that seemed like a fleeting dream. He was faced with the daunting task of starting anew.

Lysander, watching Lloyd's increasing disregard for decorum, barely contained his rage. His knuckles rapped sharply against the table as he demanded, "Lloyd, where exactly did you acquire this pill?"

Lloyd leisurely emerged from his reverie and responded with ease, "I crafted this pill myself, naturally."

"You lack skill and now resort to fabricating tales. Do you honestly expect me to swallow such absurdity?" Lysander's anger erupted, and the other Alchemists looked on, their arms folded, smirking at the audacity.

Before a crowd of Alchemists, Lloyd had the gall to make such a claim.

Unfazed, Lloyd maintained his composure and proposed, "Proving my words is a simple task. Uncle Lysander, provide me with another batch of ingredients, and I will demonstrate the creation of such a pill right here."

Upon hearing this, Lysander's eyes bulged with indignation. He jabbed a finger towards Lloyd's nose, berating him, "You're quite the schemer, devising such a ploy to swindle my ingredients. You think I'd be duped by that?"

With a dismissive gesture, Lysander barked, "Enough! Leave now. Should you ever dare to take materials from my shop again, I'll make sure it's your legs that pay the price!"

As a formidable level four expert, Lysander's voice boomed like thunderous roars.

Yet Lloyd stood his ground, unfazed, and his laughter rang out, bold and jarring to the ear.

"Lloyd!" Josh called out, unable to contain himself. He was all too familiar with his father Lysander's fiery temper. Once Lysander lost his cool, there was no holding him back.

Sure enough, Lloyd's smile only deepened the scowl on Lysander's face. "What's so funny?" Lysander demanded icily.

Judging by Lysander's look, Lloyd had better have a good explanation, or Lysander might just lash out. With his level of cultivation, Lysander could incapacitate Lloyd for a good ten days or more with a mere flick of his finger.

Yet, Lloyd showed no fear. His grin grew even broader. He had encountered numerous formidable figures in his time, and Lysander's abilities were insignificant in comparison—hardly intimidating to him.

With a laugh, Lloyd addressed his uncle, "Uncle Lysander, you may be a businessman, but you seem to miss the essence of trade. Medicinal herbs might cost a few dozen taels, but supreme grade pills can fetch a hundredfold profit. If I were swindling you with the herbs, your loss would be minimal. But if I'm telling the truth, and you get the supreme grade pills I refine, you stand to make a clean ten thousand taels."

"Ten thousand taels of silver," Lysander echoed, his pupils dilating as he fixed his gaze on Lloyd, a curious glint in his eyes.

It had been years since Lysander had last seen Lloyd, but the young man before him now was a far cry from the Lloyd he remembered. His serene composure suggested he had weathered great storms and witnessed the vastness of the world.

Lloyd spoke with an effortless authority that seemed to brook no argument.

Lysander's desire for the lucrative supreme grade pills was palpable.

Without warning, Lloyd flicked the pill towards him. Lysander caught it reflexively, surprise etched on his face. He shot Lloyd an angry look and said tensely, "You reckless boy, that pill is worth ten thousand taels of silver. What if it had hit the floor?"

"I'm right here," Lloyd replied nonchalantly. "And you, a level four warrior, let a pill drop? Tell you what, consider this pill a down payment. Whether I succeed or not, this supreme grade pill is yours. Does that sound fair?"

"Really?"

Lysander's eyes sparkled, his voice brimming with excitement.

This was indeed a deal too good to pass up. Even if he didn't fully trust Lloyd's word, the allure of the supreme grade Abyss Pill was enough to secure his cooperation.

He turned to Levi with resolve and instructed, "Fetch the ingredients for the Abyss Pill."

No sooner had he spoken than Lloyd interjected, "Hold on, Levi. Use this prescription to gather the herbs."

Lloyd had no intention of crafting an Abyss Pill for someone else. His primary goal was to concoct a Cultivation Pill.

He tossed the pre-written recipe to Levi. Catching it, Levi's eyes widened in surprise. "This is for the Spirit Recovery Pill!"

Lysander, along with the other Alchemists, shared in the astonishment, crowding around to inspect the recipe. Indeed, it outlined the formula for the Spirit Recovery Pill.

Within the ranks of yellow level pills, the Spirit Recovery Pill was notoriously challenging to produce, even more so than the Abyss Pill.

Lloyd was not only set on crafting the Spirit Recovery Pill but also brazenly declared he would produce a supreme grade one!

"The nerve of this guy!" Lysander seethed internally. His anger was at its peak; in over forty years, he had never encountered such a brazen youth. If it weren't for the Supreme Grade Abyss Pill, he might have been tempted to smack the arrogance right out of the boy.

Nevertheless, he gestured dismissively, signaling Levi to procure the necessary herbs.

Once Levi returned with the ingredients, Lloyd secluded himself in an adjacent room. The door shut behind him, he commenced the pill refinement.

Meanwhile, Lysander sat in the main hall, his expression dark and stormy. Only when his gaze fell upon the supreme grade Abyss Pill did a sliver of a smile break through. The thought of effortlessly gaining a pill valued at ten thousand taels of silver was indeed a pleasant one.

The Alchemists huddled to one side, smirks playing on their lips. They were already concocting the perfect barbs to throw at Lloyd should his pill-making endeavor fail.

Josh alone was fraught with anxiety, wondering if Lloyd had lost his senses. To wager against his father was a bold move. Should Lloyd fail, he would surely be barred from taking even the smallest amount of herbs from the family's apothecary ever again.

An hour later, a tantalizing fragrance wafted through the door's crevice.

"That scent... it's the Spirit Recovery Pill!" an Alchemist abruptly rose from his seat, his face etched with astonishment.

The others, equally familiar with the aroma, exchanged bewildered glances.

"The emergence of the pill's scent means it's time to harvest. This kid actually made it to the final step. How could that be?" one Alchemist muttered, his brow furrowed into a deep "V."

Back when they were Lloyd's age, they were mere apprentices, not yet initiated into the art of Alchemy, much less at the stage of harvesting pills.

This fact alone left them inwardly astounded.

Even if Lloyd's Spirit Recovery Pills were all of low grade, it would still indicate he possessed the skills of a yellow level Alchemist, matching those in their thirties.

Yet Lloyd was merely fourteen.

"There's no need for alarm, everyone. Even at the final step, countless factors could still ruin the pills," Lysander said with a steady voice.

The group nodded in agreement, though their anxiety lingered.

As the scent faded with the passing of an incense stick's time, the door swung open.

Lloyd strolled out leisurely, hands clasped behind him, and nonchalantly set the furnace on the table.

Clearly, he hadn't bothered to open the furnace to inspect the pills after refining them, exuding supreme confidence.

A sense of foreboding washed over the onlookers. An Alchemist approached and gingerly lifted the furnace lid, his face instantly freezing before he cried out, "He's produced six pills!"

His declaration sent shockwaves through the crowd, who quickly huddled around to see for themselves.

The sight of six pills, including one low grade, two medium grade, two top grade, and one supreme grade pill, was nothing short of astonishing.

The quantity and quality of pills a furnace yielded were a direct testament to an Alchemist's prowess.

Anyone capable of crafting six Spirit Recovery Pills in a single session would have to be at least a third grade yellow level Alchemist.

With the emergence of a supreme grade pill, it was conceivable that Lloyd might even be a profound level Alchemist!

"Did you really refine these pills yourself?" Lysander's voice quivered as he spoke, his gaze upon Lloyd transforming entirely.

Who could have imagined that the Haynes family's martial arts reject was, in fact, an alchemy prodigy?

To merchants, an alchemy genius represented a wealth of opportunity!

For a family patriarch, it was a direct path to the resurgence of the clan!

And the other Alchemists? They stood there, stunned, their minds a jumbled mess, their thoughts lagging behind.

Despite the shock on everyone's faces, Lloyd remained composed. Had he possessed his past life's cultivation level, he surely would have produced more than just one supreme grade pill.

He pocketed five and left behind a single supreme grade pill, stating, "This fulfills our earlier agreement."

With that, Lloyd turned to leave.

The room was still reeling from the revelation, but Lysander was quick on his feet. As Lloyd stepped towards the door, he called out, "Nephew, hold on a moment!"

He swiftly approached Lloyd, his previously stern face now squeezed into a broad grin as he eagerly rubbed his hands together. "You don't visit my apothecary often. Why the rush to leave?"

"If I don't go now, I fear you'll accuse me of swindling your herbs once more," Lloyd replied, his lips curling into a sardonic smile.

Lysander burst into hearty laughter, clapping Lloyd on the shoulder with a warm smile. "I was only teasing you. Did you take me seriously? We're family, after all. Whatever herbs you need, I'll have someone fetch them for you."

Lloyd observed him in silence.

Hastily, Lysander added, "As much as you want!"

At that, Lloyd allowed a half-smile to appear. He spoke deliberately, "Uncle Lysander, since you're being so generous, I suppose I'll stay and discuss this further."

With that, Lloyd leisurely reclaimed his seat at the head of the table, while Lysander took a seat beside him, still wearing his smile.

Seniority was forgotten in that moment, as Lysander's thoughts were consumed by the supreme grade pills. The other Alchemists had only just managed to regain their composure, their eyes wide with astonishment and awe. They struggled to accept the turn of events.

They had ridiculed Lloyd moments before, and now it felt as though they had slapped their own faces – a stinging, embarrassing realization.

They ridiculed others, oblivious to their own limited perspective, like frogs at the bottom of a well.

"So, Lloyd, does this mean you've attained the rank of a third-grade yellow level Alchemist?" Lysander inquired with caution.

"Something like that," Lloyd responded nonchalantly.

Upon receiving the confirmation, Lysander's face lit up with a smile, and he spoke with an unusually warm tone, seeking to ingratiate himself, "I've seen you grow up and always knew you were destined for great things. Now that you've become a third-grade yellow level alchemist, it's only right that I offer you my support. You're welcome to use any of the medicinal herbs here for your pill concoctions. In return, how about you provide me with some supreme grade pills each month? What do you say?"