C4 Early Period of Qi Condensation Stage
Lloyd wasn't concerned about a handful of supreme grade pills, as his true need was a continuous stream of medicinal herbs. So, he offhandedly offered, "How about I give you four supreme grade Spirit Recovery Pills every month?"
Lysander perked up at the offer, his hands trembling with excitement.
To him, even a single supreme grade pill was an elusive treasure. He never imagined Lloyd would provide him with four each month.
These four supreme grade Spirit Recovery Pills were not only costly but also key to cultivating more exceptional members of the family, thereby elevating their standing within the collateral branch.
Several Alchemists exchanged glances, incredulous. Crafting even one supreme grade pill was beyond their wildest dreams. Lloyd's skills were truly formidable.
Lloyd then cautioned Lysander to keep his pill-refining abilities secret, to which Lysander readily agreed.
Subsequently, Lloyd selected an entire carriage's worth of herbs and had the shop assistant deliver them to his doorstep. Lysander saw them off with a smile, feeling no regret over the herbs. He couldn't resist singing praises of his son, who had made such an influential acquaintance.
Josh was baffled. His friend had somehow become a third-grade yellow level Alchemist. But he didn't dwell on it—after all, it was excellent news.
Upon the carriage's arrival, Lloyd's parents became aware of their son's return.
As Lloyd's parents entered the yard, they found the assistant busily unloading crates of herbs.
"What's all this, Lloyd?" Patel inquired, his brow furrowed in concern. He appeared to be a straightforward man in his forties.
"Where did all these medicinal herbs come from? You didn't steal them, did you?" Lloyd's mother asked, her voice laced with worry.
Lloyd reassured them with a smile, "These are from Uncle Lysander."
"All of these from your uncle? Why would he just give you these herbs?" Patel's confusion deepened.
Once the assistants had finished unloading the herbs and departed, Lloyd explained his new status as a third-grade yellow level Alchemist and his arrangement with Lysander.
His parents were astounded by the news. Lloyd's mother, overcome with joy, asked, "Lloyd, are you truly a third-grade yellow level Alchemist?"
Lloyd nodded with a smile and said, "Every day when I leave the house, I'm actually off to diligently practice alchemy in silence, hoping to one day make my family proud."
Though the couple weren't his birth parents, they had always treated him with great kindness. Thus, he aspired to provide them with a life of ease as a way to repay their generosity.
"That's fantastic," Patel exclaimed with emotion.
Patel had harbored little expectation for his son, wishing only for him to lead a safe and uneventful life. Yet, to his surprise, his son had shown remarkable dedication and had risen to become a third-grade yellow level Alchemist.
Even his typically miserly Uncle Lysander had agreed to supply medicinal herbs to his son, a clear indication that Lloyd had been truthful with them.
Half a month later, the early morning stillness of the courtyard was broken by a series of dull thuds as wooden stakes were reduced to splinters beneath Lloyd's sword.
Lloyd weaved through the forest of sturdy stakes with agility and precision.
Each strike of his sword resulted in another stake being pulverized.
In Lloyd's hands, the unassuming Spirit Snake Sword underwent a myriad of transformations, striking with the ferocity of a spirit python seizing its prey. Its might was on par with, if not superior to, that of a high-level blade formula.
Bolstered by the Spirit Recovery Pill and the Abyss Pill, Lloyd's physique had grown significantly stronger, his gaze now carrying an intense gleam.
As Lloyd sheathed his sword, the ground lay littered with wooden debris, yet he remained composed, neither flushed nor breathless.
He nodded slightly and spoke with calm assurance, "I've finally entered the early period of the Qi Condensation Stage. Now, I can truly call myself a Meridian Refining warrior."
The journey of martial arts is segmented into nine realms: Qi Condensation, Monolith, Iron Bone, Steel Soul, Golden Body, Profound Essence, Heavenly Dome, Spirit Aperture, and Thaumaturgy. Each realm represents a vast leap in power and is further divided into early, middle, and late periods.
Warriors who reach the ninth realm, the Thaumaturgy Stage, are rumored to possess the ability to glimpse the mysteries of the universe and enter the realm of true cultivation.
With his advancement into the early period of the Qi Condensation Stage, Lloyd had laid the groundwork for his Celestial Flame Embodiment Spell.
He was now ready to begin cultivating the first layer of the Celestial Flame Embodiment Spell, focusing on Meridian Refining.
Years ago, a destitute young man sought out Lloyd at his residence, desperate for medicine to treat his gravely ill father.
Despite his lack of funds, he claimed his ancestor was an Alchemist. His forebear had fortuitously acquired the Celestial Flame Embodiment Spell, a tome revered as an extraordinary Alchemy book. Although no suitable heirs in his family had arisen to master its contents, they had preserved the book as a treasured heirloom through the generations.
Faced with his family's faded legacy, the young man was willing to part with this precious volume in exchange for the medicine to save his father.
At the time, Lloyd gave little thought to the book, moved instead by the young man's devotion. He concocted a batch of pills for him. It wasn't until a year later, when Lloyd casually perused the so-called Alchemy book, that he realized its true value.
Typical Alchemy relied solely on fire control techniques for pill refinement, but the Celestial Flame Embodiment Spell was a standalone cultivation method with over nine distinct layers. Each level presented a vast chasm of difference, with the potential for a practitioner to forge the Celestial Flame Embodiment and ascend to the pinnacle of martial arts.
Having stumbled upon this treasure, Lloyd immersed himself in the study of numerous methods to cultivate the first layer. He ultimately opted to take the Inferno Pill to aid his cultivation, aiming for flawless results.
To craft the Inferno Pill, he needed a scarce ingredient: the Ember Stone.
Resolved, Lloyd made his way to Haynes Apothecary.
Levi greeted him with due reverence, not daring to show any disrespect.
Upon learning of Lloyd's quest for the Ember Stone, however, Levi shook his head, "We don't have that in stock. It might be available in the county, but with the recent heavy rains, it could take over ten days to procure it."
"I can't afford to wait that long," Lloyd replied, unable to spare even a single day. "Do you know where I might find the Ember Stone now?"
After a moment's pause, Levi suggested, "Peace Pharmacy might carry it, but it's owned by the Calderon family, who have always been at odds with the Haynes. Even if they have the Ember Stone, it's unlikely they'd sell it to us." With that, Lloyd turned on his heel and headed for East Street.
Before long, Lloyd arrived at Peace Pharmacy.
In terms of size and bustle, it matched Haynes Apothecary stride for stride. Several physicians were busy taking pulses and diagnosing patients.
Off to the side, an elder with the air of a shopkeeper was deep in conversation with a young man dressed in white.
No sooner had Lloyd crossed the threshold than the youth bellowed, "Look who it is, the Haynes family's good-for-nothing heir! Out and about so early, what a rare sight!"
His words set off a murmur among the shop's physicians and patients, punctuated by the occasional snicker at Lloyd's expense.
Embarrassments have a way of traveling far. The Haynes family boasted many notable figures in Castlebury City, and their younger generation was filled with martial and swordsmanship prodigies. Lloyd, with his exceptionally frail constitution, was the exception and the talk of the town.
Unfazed by the surrounding mockery, Lloyd cast a brief glance at the speaker—a robust youth of about thirteen or fourteen with a flat nose, narrow eyes, and thin lips, lacking any semblance of good fortune in his appearance.
A quick search of his memory confirmed the youth as Magnus, the junior manager of Peace Pharmacy.
In their younger years, Magnus had often used his size to bully Lloyd, even once hitting him with a brick that left him bleeding profusely.
Letting the memories pass, Lloyd spoke calmly, "Ah, Young Master Zhang. Might your shop have any Ember Stones?"
Magnus chuckled derisively upon realizing Lloyd had come to purchase medicinal herbs and whispered something to the old shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper dispatched an assistant, who soon returned with a stone in hand. The size of a fist, it was pocked with honeycomb-like holes and streaked with blood-red veins—a perfect Ember Stone.
Lloyd's face broke into a smile as he inquired, "How much for this Ember Stone?"
Magnus sneered, "The Ember Stone is a powerful restorative, meant for the gravely ill. They say Lloyd is weak, but who knew it was to the point of being on death's door? Better keep your distance, folks, lest he collapses and you find yourself blamed for his untimely demise."
He ridiculed Lloyd's frail build, prompting peals of laughter from the shop assistants. Nearby onlookers joined in, laughing heartily and treating Lloyd as the butt of the joke.
Despite the relentless taunts, Lloyd remained composed, responding coolly, "Just tell me the price. If it's beyond my means, I'll simply leave."
But Magnus couldn't resist the opportunity to mock Lloyd further. With a boisterous laugh, he said, "The Calderon and Haynes families share a deep bond. I don't need your money. However, I fear you might not survive the Ember Stone's potency and could easily perish. And if you were to die, would your parents not seek compensation from my shop? Would we not be held accountable for your death for no reason?"
The crowd erupted into laughter once more as the audience grew.
Unfazed, Lloyd asked in a steady tone, "How kind of you. So, how do you propose to sell me the Ember Stone?"
With a sinister smile, Magnus replied, "If you can get up after taking a punch from me, it'll prove you're healthy enough. Then, I'll give you the Ember Stone for free!"
"You'll punch me?" Lloyd chuckled, his handsome face suddenly alight with a chilling glint, as an intense aura of menace emanated from his gaze.
Magnus recoiled at the ferocity in Lloyd's eyes, shuddering involuntarily as a wave of cold fear shot from his feet to his forehead.
Still, he refused to believe that the Haynes family's so-called weakling could pose any threat to him. Lloyd's defiant stare only fueled his rage.
Pointing at Lloyd's nose, he bellowed, "Do you have the guts or not?"
"Let's do it," Lloyd replied with serene confidence.
Lloyd hadn't anticipated Magnus's boldness in challenging him.
But why would he, of all people, be intimidated by a mere late-stage Qi Condensation upstart?
After Lloyd's retort, the onlookers expressed surprise before resuming their jeers.
"Lloyd is delusional about his abilities; he can't fight to save his life. If Young Master Zhang really puts his back into it, Lloyd won't recover for weeks."
"Young Master Zhang is clearly out to humiliate him, and yet Lloyd willingly walks into the challenge. He's not the brightest, is he?"
"An Ember Stone could fetch upwards of a dozen silver taels. It's not exactly something you come by for free, is it?"
The crowd around buzzed with conversation, skepticism thick in the air; none of them believed Lloyd stood a chance against Magnus.
Magnus, seeing Lloyd accept the challenge, cracked his knuckles with a menacing sound and boasted, "It's been years since our paths last crossed. I must say, you've grown bolder. Very well, prepare to witness the formidable might of the Calderon family's martial arts."
He strode up to Lloyd, confidence oozing from every step, and hurled his fist forward.
"Hit the ground!"
Amidst his battle cry, Magnus's punch connected squarely with Lloyd's chest. The spectators almost visualized the outcome, certain Lloyd would be sent sprawling to the ground, begging for mercy.
