Sunrise Alchemist, Ch 19: Nine Treasures (Patreon)

The White Cloud Auction House was an enormous building made of white marble, but he already knew where he was going. It didn’t take long for him to reach the sales counter. There was an elegant young woman behind the counter who flashed him a smile and then handed him a jade plate to browse through the available items.

He spent a while looking through what was available. Now and then the clerk drifted past, sending him teasing glances and asking him if he wanted tea or help in looking through the items, but he only shook his head, much to her disappointment.

It was clear that the auction house was very familiar with how to get people to spend more money.
There were quite a few things available at the auction house, showing that they had wide-ranging interests, but unlike regular merchants they weren’t a business that sold in bulk. Everything they had was unique or at least in very limited supply.

There were items of every type, from weapons and armor to cultivation manuals, rare pills, spiritual treasures, and even stranger things. Reading through the list of what was available was an education in itself, one that opened his eyes to what was possible in Boreas.

He was sure this wasn’t everything they had on hand, but it was still a significant collection with more than a thousand high-quality items. After he looked through it, he turned to the section he was most interested in: the spiritual treasures.

There were both natural and crafted treasures available on the list, although only a few of the second type. He studied them in depth as he compared them with what was available from the Azurewind Guard. He had checked the list available through his badge on the way over.

When he made his final choices, he ended up spending nearly 2,500 mid-grade spirit stones. The clerk was enthusiastic as she placed five items in front of him. Each was in a specially-carved jade box inscribed with a formation to protect the item and suppress its aura.

“Thanks for the help.” He gave the clerk a smile as he set a small bag of ten mid-grade stones on the counter as a tip. Then he tucked away the boxes in his bracelet and headed out.

He stopped at a small restaurant for late lunch, which he mostly gave to Leaf, but the location afforded him a private room where he spent even more spirit stones acquiring a few items from the Azurewind Guard.

When that was complete, he had nine jade boxes stored away in his bracelet, as well as several potent war talismans. When he looked at the collection he had, a quick grin flashed across his lips, even though his pockets were lighter by another 2,000 mid-grade spirit stones.

He was growing swiftly, but the world was large and there were cultivators who had many years on him. Since he couldn’t jump ranks directly, he’d have to do the next best thing.

Defeat them with money.

It was an advantage he planned to make the most of while he had it.

Even for a Primal Spirit cultivator, it was difficult to take out thousands of mid-grade spirit stones at once. As long as he didn’t mind spending his money as fast as he made it, he would be able to keep up for a bit.

The real plan, of course, was to increase his cultivation as soon as possible, so that there was no longer a need to spend so much.

He organized his gains and sipped on a cup of tea as he waited for Leaf to finish munching on a plate of spicy steamed mushrooms. The elemental was lying upside down on the table, tossing them into the air with his claws and letting them fall into his mouth. Verse had to laugh as he watched.

When it was nearly time, he straightened his robes and headed back to the guild to meet Vesana.

He would absorb the Wood-aligned items soon enough, but it needed to wait until he was back in the privacy of his courtyard and his wards. He didn’t want to show off that much bloodline power in public.

When he arrived at the guild, he headed straight for Vesana’s office. It was close to the center of the building, well-protected behind layers of guards and other offices. Her rank gave her one of the best locations here.

The inner section of her office opened onto a verdant courtyard not so different from his own, where the guild cultivated several types of rare herbs to create a relaxing and studious atmosphere. It was her private cultivation and alchemy chamber, and there were formations inscribed around it to enhance the effect.

Vesana was waiting for him at the center of the courtyard, dressed in an elegant green robe. Her hair was pinned back by a golden crane pin and she was studying a scroll as she compared it to a jade tablet in her hand. She looked very studious and serious about it, with her brow furrowed.

When she caught sight of him, she stored away the records and a smile lit up her face as she came to meet him.

“Let’s go!” she said immediately as she set her hand on his arm. “I sent them a runner to save us a table, but the sunset view from their balcony is one of the highlights of the city. If we leave now, we should be just in time.”

Her eagerness made him laugh, and he felt himself relaxing more than he had in a long time. It was rare that he did things outside of practice these days.

“So, you picked a sunset to show the Knight of the Crimson Sunset?” he said with amusement as he turned and they began to head back the other way.

“It seemed appropriate,” Vesana replied cheerfully, not at all daunted by the prospect. “And it is really one of the attractions of the city. The tea is top notch too.”

“Then we should hurry,” he said with a chuckle as he surrounded them both in a curtain of Wind, accelerating their steps until they were almost flying down the hallway.

It wasn’t technically flying, so the city guards couldn’t complain about it. Not too much, anyway.

If they did, being an Honored Guest of the city had to be good for something.

Stones and statues in niches blurred past as they shot through the entrance to the guild a moment later. Their exit made the guards jump as they twisted to look at the commotion, and their spears rose as they prepared an attack.

Before they could do anything, however, Verse and Vesana were already halfway down the street.

When they saw who it was, their expressions froze and they slammed their spear butts back on the ground as they grumbled, but that was all. They had no desire to cause trouble for either Verse or the deputy branch manager.

“Is this what it’s like to be a Knight?” Vesana laughed, her hair streaming behind her in the wind, as she was carried along by the wind. Her smile was radiant. “Blazing through everything and causing trouble?”

“This is the fun part,” he said with an answering grin.

His eyes glowed with emerald flames as he looked up at the sun, judging its position. Lazy silver clouds were drifting across the sky, heading toward a dusky and radiant sunset. The open expanse of the sky called to him, echoing in the wind.

“It’d be a shame to arrive late,” he said suddenly as he felt a rush of delight. “Hold on.”

With that, he increased the speed until they were moving so quickly that the streets blurred around them. Only his grasp of Wind and his draconic eyes let him see everything clearly.

Vesana’s laugh echoed with his as the two of them flew like lightning down the wide boulevards of Boreas. Her hand was tight around his arm.

Here and there, travelers on the street were surprised by a river of wind that swept past them before they could blink, but the energy was so neatly controlled that it only rustled their robes with a passing breeze.

Some of them turned in shock as they tried to trace the source, but all they saw was a trail of flame and wind curling into streams of auspicious energy that brushed along the cobblestones. Wherever the wind touched, the stones of the streets thrummed in response, echoing like thunder from the heavens was rolling along.

***

Many hours later, Verse escorted Vesana back to the Alchemists’ Guild and returned home. There was a smile lingering on his features. As he’d predicted, there was no sign of the sect that evening.

He didn’t doubt they were around somewhere, but he’d been able to keep them on the edge of his mind while enjoying the time with Vesana. The sunset and Green Mist Tea were good suggestions, but they were only gems placed in the sky of an absolutely stellar evening.

The memory made him smile as he walked into the courtyard. Vesana was elegant and intelligent, with expressive moods and broad interests. She was more than pleasant company, but for now they were both content to leave it at that.

The possibility of more might be there, but they were both cultivators with independent paths. His own would take him far from Boreas one day, and perhaps from the empire. Her future was linked to the Alchemists’ Guild and its wide-flung interest, at least if she followed in her family’s footsteps.

There was no need to rush things, so they chose to avoid anything too direct. That understanding was implicit and made it easy to enjoy one another’s company. They spent hours talking over tea and watching the sunset, and then the night stars after that.

Boreas had a wonderful view of the heavens from the plain where it was situated. The skies were clear and bright, stretching endlessly away to the horizon. The scents of flame and grass, oak and stone, drifted on the wind from afar.

The tea house turned out to have excellent privacy wards on its more expensive tables, since a lot of unofficial business was done there in the city, so Verse kept his promise to tell her about the Outer Heavens, and she told him a great deal in return about the state of alchemy in the empire.

It was a successful evening in many ways.

It was the first time since arriving on this world that he felt like he was at the height of power, as if he could reach up into the sky and pull down a star for Vesana, to show her the truth of the world and the places he’d seen.

The thought made him laugh as he shook his head, since he wasn’t there yet at all, but the promise of the future was clear. With his bloodline and knowledge of cultivation, his rise was a matter of time.

Then he could figure out what had happened to his parents and his old self at the Jade Scripture Sect.

As he sat down in the center of the courtyard, he spent some time gathering his thoughts. Then with a wave of his hand, materials began to appear around him, spinning in intricate spirals as he considered possible combinations.

At that moment, Leaf jumped off his shoulder and curled up under a dark bush, where he immediately went to sleep. Watching his dragon work was fine if there was nothing else to do, but sleep was much more important. Verse just chuckled at him.

The night was long, and there was no need for him to sleep right now, so it was time to start on the next pill.

The question was which one.

He considered making another utility pill, but he needed to leave the city soon, so it would be better to use the time on a combat pill. Right now, he could only make Rank 1 pills, so whatever he chose, it wouldn’t be too powerful.

It would be best to choose something that would give him more options in a fight.

That narrowed his options down to just a few possibilities, but he scanned over the list of all his combat pills to double check.

There was the Dragon Breath Pill, which granted a fire aura and the ability to breath out flames as an attack for a short duration, but it didn’t interest him too much. In the future, he would keep a few on hand in case anyone saw his draconic abilities and wondered where they came from.

After that, there was the Cedarflame Pill, which boosted physical strength and regeneration. That one was more tempting, and it could be taken repeatedly, but his physique was already very strong and he had an innate regeneration ability with Jade Slow Healing, his bloodline, and the Dao of the Endless Dawn.

It would be better to give that one to others or to sell it to the guild.

After that, there was the Enduring Autumn Pill, which was a miraculous creation that boosted defense and regeneration, and added a protective shield, but it required tedious effort to create and some skill with formations. It would take longer to succeed with it than with any of the other options.

The remaining options were between the Amethyst Harrow Pill, the Dragonwing Pill, and the Brilliant Jade Pill.

The Brilliant Jade Pill was a combat restorative, a powerful and vigorous one that both healed the user and restored spiritual energy, but it couldn’t be taken repeatedly in a short time.

He would like to have a few of them on hand for emergencies, but since he was planning to use bulk production of the pills as an advantage, it wasn’t the best choice.

The Amethyst Harrow Pill created an aura of spiritual flames that would protect him from evil spirits and spiritual attacks, and since those were two things the sect was likely to use on him, he put it at the top of his list.

It had been designed originally to contend with the Netherblood Demons and their related arts, but using it to deal with the Crimson Shade Sect shouldn’t present much trouble.

The other contender was the Dragonwing Pill. It was an agility pill that had a long-lasting effect, and it was highly attuned to Wind, so his understanding of that dao would help with it. It was potent enough to let a Qi Condensation cultivator fly, but for him it would speed up his movements and conserve his stamina.

It was an excellent pill for long fights and better in many ways than a combat restorative, since it would help him to use less energy overall. He also liked the idea of flying that was part of it, even if he could already fly on his own.

The downside to both of the pills right now was that he could only make them at Rank 1. That meant that whichever he chose, it would be lower than his own rank, which would reduce its effectiveness in battle.

If he could get them to Rank 3, it would be an entirely different matter, but that would take more time, as well as mastering higher-level techniques.

It was the same reason he hadn’t worked on the Wind and Cloud Pill yet, even though he wanted that one. A Rank 1 Wind and Cloud Pill would be very useful for Qi Condensation cultivators, but not for him as he was approaching the Aligned Realm.

He’d originally planned to spend a long time working up to it, but the sect had interrupted his plans. Making it too early would be a waste of time and materials, so it was best to increase his techniques first and then work on it after his breakthrough.

Until then, the Bright Storm Wine should have enough energy for him to use.

With that in mind, he considered the effects of the Amethyst Harrow Pill and the Dragonwing Pill, debating how useful their Rank 1 versions would be. It was a choice between a rather unique spiritual effect and a stamina-conserving effect.

After a moment, he settled on one.

He stored away everything except the materials for the Amethyst Harrow Pill.

It was one of the most unique recipes he had and it directly targeted the sect’s strengths. If it was similar to the Cleansing Rain Pill, then even if one of them didn’t work, he might be able to use more to boost the effect.

Its effect against evil spirits had some similarities to his Dao of the Crimson Sunset and Endless Dawn, so he might be able to try some type of dao infusion while making it. He’d have to see.

As the materials he needed floated in front of him, he divided them up into their different preparatory stages and then set them to the side. That much was ready. Before he started that, there was one thing he needed to do.

Nine jade boxes appeared in front of him.

These were the ones he’d acquired from the auction house and the Azurewind Guard. Each of them cost almost as much as his house. The minimum strength among them was the peak of the Aligned realm, and two were at the early Primal Spirit realm.

For a normal cultivator, using items that far above their own cultivation would make them explode from the storm of uncontrolled energies, but for him, it could only be called a good supplement.

He wasn’t sure how much these Wood items would enhance his bloodline, but he was about to find out. A familiar storm of emerald flames and mist flooded out across the courtyard as he took the first item from its box and began to absorb it.

It was a small, heart-shaped stone knot, which looked like it had once been attached to a large tree. It smelled of cedar and balsam, with a faint hint of winter mint and pine that drifted around it. Green and yellow energies swirled across the surface.

Its name was Stone Cedar Heart.

It was a unique natural treasure that was formed from the earth at the heart of a Spirit Cedar grove, and it had to be harvested very carefully in order to move it. Wherever it was planted, living things around it would receive a boost of vitality.

If it was left there long enough, eventually it would fuse into the earth and send out shoots. Then a new Spirit Cedar grove would appear. It was a useful item, one that he wouldn’t have minded keeping in his courtyard.

That was why, as he absorbed the energy from it, he was careful to not break it. He only drew off the excess energy and left the functioning core behind.

By the time he was done, new energy was raging through his bloodline and the heart was as translucent as crystal, but there was still a bright green and yellow energy at the center.

When it was time, he turned toward Leaf and saw that the elemental was awake and watching him with shining green eyes. A moment later, the elemental reappeared in an empty patch of grass not far from the center of the courtyard and tapped his foot on the ground.

Before long, the heart was planted and Leaf curled up on top of it, looking pleased with himself. With his attention, it shouldn’t take long before the heart recovered.

It wouldn’t be a good idea to drain its vitality again in the same way, but it should create the foundation of a new grove for the courtyard, one that would enhance the level of spiritual energy here.

The rest of the items weren’t things that could be saved, so he didn’t worry about them as he opened the next box and began to absorb it. Tidal waves of green Wood energy crashed through his meridians and were cleanly absorbed by his bloodline, which roared like a raging river as it swelled in strength.

This item was a single green leaf, called a Dreaming Green Leaf, but his attention turned away from it as he focused on the Nine Dragon Meridian Art and directed the vitality into the first dragon meridian.

Torrents of vitality flowed into the meridian and into his bloodline at the same time, making them grow together. The meridian was like a strand of emerald mist tracing a pathway along his body, like a cloud drifting above the firmament of his bloodline.

It didn’t take long for the meridian to reach 30% completion, but at that point it began to slow down. In his veins, his bloodline roared like a waterfall as it absorbed vitality and tried to catch up.

The leaf crumbled away to ash. For all the power it had contained, it wasn’t enough to satisfy him. A moment later, he replaced it with another Wood treasure.

One by one, the treasures were consumed in emerald flames, all of their vitality going to fuel his first dragon meridian and his bloodline. As he absorbed them, silver scales began to appear more densely across his skin.

At first, they looked like silver scars, with just the outline of the scales visible like a spiderweb, but as his bloodline continued to grow, the interior of the scales filled in. Before long, his body was covered in a silver metallic shine, making it look like he was forged from layers of overlapping silver scales.

In the depths of the scales, a trace of emerald light was visible. It made the silver surface seem young, like the rest would change to emerald eventually. Instead of being bulky or awkward, the scales shimmered on his skin with a powerful and dignified presence.

In his blood, the current of emerald power doubled and then doubled again in size. It pulled in the energy from the natural treasures like a bottomless ocean, leaving nothing behind, and it grew.

Emerald flame roared around him, flowing through his nose and mouth as he breathed, and mist covered the courtyard so densely that nothing could be seen more than a few inches away. As the wind shifted, the air sparkled with motes of emerald light.

With a deep breath, Verse drew the flames and mist back toward him, deep into his lungs. The energy raced through him, making his bones crackle as they became denser and more powerful, and his skin, organs, muscles, and everything else followed.

When it all settled, he could feel new strength everywhere.

His bloodline had replaced half the blood in his veins now, and his first meridian was also almost half complete. It had doubled in size and was denser than before. He could feel energy circulating through it, pouring into his bloodline, and then returning again in a harmonious cycle.

“Not bad, hatchling,” the shrine said approvingly. “You’re making good progress. You’re at 49% on the first meridian. I estimate your body is as durable as a Primal Spirit cultivator’s now, and your physical strength is about the same.
“As you can see, your progress on the meridian and your bloodline are walking hand in hand. I didn’t expect that, but I should have. Normally, you’d have a true dragon body before even starting this art, but in your case, you’re cultivating them both together. They’re integrated.

“This might be even better than doing it the other way, since you’ll have a solid foundation as you advance. Your meridians will be completely innate, since they’ve always been there. I don’t know if any other dragon has ever done that with this art. It was one of the best cultivation techniques, but it was always very difficult to train.

“At any rate, your bloodline is denser and you can call on more energy from it now, which will enhance your strength at need. Your emerald flames, senses, spiritual aura, and other arts will also benefit. Foundation is everything, and you’re building an excellent one.”

Verse looked down at his hands, which were covered with the elegant pattern of silver scales. They were part of his skin, rather than something on top of it, but it looked like they would spring to the surface at any moment and form a layer on top.

With a flick of his will, the scales faded away and then reappeared again. He pressed a finger into the palm of his other hand. Where he pressed down, it felt like he was pushing against living stone.

There was a tiny bit of give and he could feel the heat of his body, but his skin was unyielding. He knew the bones beneath were the same. The absorption of that much vital energy had gone a long way to strengthening him. It felt like he could fight for days without running out of energy.

Even if the sect wanted to kill him, they would have a hard time of it now.

A quick smile flashed across his lips, but then he dusted off his hands and stored away the jade boxes, swiftly cleaning up the area as he turned his attention back to the materials for the Amethyst Harrow Pill.

He was more sure of his choice than ever now. If there was any pill that would be useful against the sect, it would be this one. If the Rank 1 version didn’t do the trick, it was still an important step to making one that was even stronger.

If the Netherblood Demons were still around, it would be good to become very familiar with this pill. The dragons had considered it a sovereign aid against their interference, something that was extremely useful in battle.

Emerald flames surged in front of Verse as he created a soul cauldron and began to swiftly prepare the materials. Before long, a column of warm emerald flames roared up in the center of the courtyard.

An emerald dragon soared around it, its wings tilting from side to side as it flew through the column of flame, continually stirring it. Now and then, it opened its mouth and let out a roar, sending a column of flame shooting downward.