Sunrise Alchemist, Ch 20: Amethyst Harrow Pill (Patreon)

The cauldron raged as Verse deftly controlled the pillar of emerald flame that surrounded it. The emerald rain dragon flew a tight spiral above the open lid, its wings tilting as it curved to stay inside the column. It roared as it sent down regular blasts of flames in different colors.

The flames barreled into the cauldron like meteors, each of them representing different concepts in his Dao of Fire, from emerald to silver, and gold to crimson.

The recipe for this pill didn’t require a Wood dao for vitality as its main component, but rather Fire. The Amethyst Harrow Pill was designed for battle and forged from flames.

Strangely, or perhaps appropriately given his dao, creating it came naturally. The materials flowed into his cauldron and melted seamlessly into the flames.

It was only the second pill recipe he’d ever made, but he already knew it wasn’t a normal one. The materials were only there to give it substance. Other than that, it was like the pill was made of pure Fire.

The recipe didn’t even call for a specific type of Fire, it just instructed him to fuse his flames and his understanding of the Dao of Fire into the materials. At the same time, the emerald flames of his bloodline were another integral part of the mix.

It required precise shifts of technique as he moved from one concept of Fire to another, which wasn’t entirely easy, but it felt natural, like he was following his own instincts with each step.

He’d thought that this pill would be more difficult than the Cleansing Rain Pill, but he’d underestimated how close it was to the daos that he already understood. Every shift in its creation felt familiar to him.

Except for a few steps to merge it with the materials, it was like he was just condensing his flames over and over again. The amount of energy that poured out of him was incredible. Now and then, he spoke a word of the draconic language that came out in a roar, which fused the spiritual energy with the materials.

Each time, a new layer was added to the mixture at the center of the cauldron. Unlike the rest of his batches of pills, he could tell that there would be only one pill when he was done. This recipe was all about strengthening that single pill to the utmost.

It was familiar in another way too. Each time he condensed a new layer of energy into the pill, it felt like he was fighting something intangible, a ghost that didn’t exist. The roar of the emerald dragon and the words he spoke were addressing something, like an enemy in front of him, and the flames were his attacks.

It was all about condensing the energy of Fire and aligning it to a specific principle that would harm ghosts and demons. The materials were just the necessary conduit for holding that energy in a stable form.

Before long, the image of the pill was clear in the cauldron. The materials had turned a brilliant amethyst hue like a gemstone, which was some result of the herbs mixing with the technique and the flames.

It filled the bottom of the cauldron like a glimmering pool of molten gems. Each blast of energy deepened its color, turning it a more vibrant purple. Flames burned on the surface, each of them leaping with amethyst light.

They were intense and crystalline, and they refracted the light of the cauldron like mirrors, making the inside shine brightly.

Hours passed as Verse’s body glowed with reflected flames and sweat rolled down his forehead and his arms, but his focus was intense. In between each blast of flame, there was just enough time to recover some of his spiritual energy in meditation.

His entire focus was on the cauldron, ensuring the pill stayed stable as he regained his energy and then poured it into the cycle again.

Finally, the amethyst liquid reached its limit. The materials he’d used were only Rank 1, and they couldn’t be refined any further or accept more energy. The gem-like liquid began to churn, the flames in it turning half-solid as they crashed down into the sea.

“Condense.” The word rumbled off of Verse’s tongue as he let out a low roar.

Above the cauldron, the emerald rain dragon curved around, releasing a final torrent of flames into the sea that heated it, ensuring everything stayed liquid for a little longer. At the same time, Verse swept the lid onto the cauldron and sealed it with a quick sigil that fused into the surface and locked it tightly in place.

Then he ignited the emerald scales at the base of the cauldron and enveloped the entire thing in flames, turning it as hot as an emerald sun.

A quick swipe of his hand made the entire cauldron begin to spin.

Inside, he could feel the amethyst sea rotate, the heat in it intensifying. Under the force of the additional flames and the pressure, it began to condense, slowly growing smaller until it was a vortex at the center the size of an apple.

Then the vortex began to harden, falling toward the center as a bright amethyst flame began to shine. The pill had reached the most critical point of its formation. He kept the seal on the cauldron and the flames at the exact same intensity. Now all he could do was wait.

An hour passed as the pill continued to condense. Spiritual energy flowed out of him into the cauldron the entire time, forming layer after layer of energy that wrapped around the nascent pill and helped it to settle the brilliant flames inside.

Eventually, a smile crept onto his face as he watched what was happening inside.

Where there had been an amethyst sea and then a vortex, now there was a bright amethyst pill spinning like a top, its sides flashing with light. With each rotation, it glowed like a miniature sun. The Dao of Fire and Verse’s own dao flickered on its surface, throwing lances of brilliant energy toward the sides of the cauldron.

He added the last few layers of energy to stabilize the outer surface of the pill and then he slowed down the rotation of the cauldron. The pill rolled around the inside, humming with intense heat.

When it was the right time, with a flick of his fingers, he released the seal on the lid and then he flipped the cauldron around, letting the pill roll out onto the lid on his palm.

It was a crystalline amethyst pill that glowed as it spun on the lid. It was translucent and it looked like there was liquid flame burning at the center. It felt ethereal and solid at the same time, like it was made from condensed spiritual flames.

The pill rolled around the lid as he tilted it, releasing a cloud of amethyst steam all around as it swiftly cooled off in the open air.

There were no dao markings on it. Instead, the entire thing was mystical and strange, as if the Dao of Fire had been locked inside an amethyst and refined into a pill. When its motion finally stopped, the pill rested there, looking like an explosion held in crystal.

Most pills seemed calm and stately and they were often surrounded by wisps of spiritual energy that made them auspicious treasures. This one had something of that aura about it, but its translucent shell looked like it could barely contain the mystery of the liquid flame inside.

The flame shimmered like it was dancing in an unseen breeze.

Nonetheless, when he touched it, it was like touching warm glass. The surface was hard and dense.

“Amethyst Harrow Pill,” Verse said slowly as he looked down at it. “It’s different from anything else I’ve seen.”

“This pill is unique when it comes to quality,” the shrine announced as it studied the result. “In some ways, it’s more like a talisman than a pill. It’s ranked by the cultivation of the alchemist who made it. Yours is a Rank 1 Essence Condensation pill, but in that grade, it’s at the absolute peak, just like you.

“It’s been formed from the condensation of your dao and spiritual energy over time, layer by layer. You just happen to be very well aligned to the purpose of this pill, so it’s a little easier for you than for most. All alchemists have some control over the Dao of Fire, so everyone can make it, but not everyone has that Dao of the Sun like you. The sun is a sovereign dao to purge ghosts, which is why you found it to be easy to follow the recipe. You were doing what came naturally.

“The entire purpose of this pill is to infuse you with an enormous burst of spiritual energy and purified flames,” the shrine continued. “You can think of it like a series of prepared attacks, which is why I said it’s like a talisman, but the energy will also infuse you at the same time. That’s where the pill’s fire aura comes from, as well as its protection against spiritual attacks.

“It can be used by anyone at a similar level or higher, but it’s best used by the one who made it, since you’re the one who can channel your dao the best. I look forward to seeing what it does when you use it on an enemy.”

“It should be useful then.” Verse nodded in agreement. “If it works against spiritual attacks, then it should work against some poisons, especially anything that can be burned away.”

He pulled out a white jade bottle and swiftly placed the pill into it. Then he sealed the lid so that no spiritual energy could escape.

For the next two days, he continued to make Amethyst Harrow Pills, using them as a way to focus his mind as he worked on enhancing the power inside each one. It took him half a day to make a single pill, far longer than his other pills or the salve, but each of them was a unique resource.

When he had five of the pills, he put away all of his materials and sat cross-legged at the center of the courtyard, meditating to consolidate what he’d just learned and to put himself in the best state of mind.

Eventually, he opened his eyes and let out a slow breath. His mind was clear and his heart was calm as he looked around the courtyard. He looked at the Spirit Cedar grove that was just beginning to sprout as seedlings beneath Leaf’s care and at the swirls of emerald mist that were drifting on the breeze. A smile creased his lips and he nodded.

It was time to leave.

He pulled out his silver-ranked badge and searched through it for a while until he found a mission that fit. Then he stood up and dusted off his robes. Leaf jumped onto his shoulder as he stepped out of his courtyard and headed for the city gate.

***

The land around the city was vibrant with life. The lushness of the forest met the heat of the volcanic plains here.  It wasn’t the same as the mountains near Whitestone, since everything was volcanic and low to the ground, but it was verdant in its own way.

The mission he’d selected from the Azurewind Guard was to eliminate a peak Aligned-realm beast that was dwelling in a volcanic chasm to the west. Its home was a sprawling domain of caverns filled with fire and lava.

It should work for what he had in mind.

The beast itself was supposed to be aligned to Stone or Magma, but there wasn’t much information on it. There was no description and even the peak Aligned-realm assessment was tentative. The guard was positive it wasn’t at the Primal Spirit realm, but that was all.

All the report said was that it had scales and it was big. It had been discovered by a group of cultivators who were looking for natural treasures in the caverns. Two of them had been killed before the rest were able to escape.

With his new strength from absorbing the Wood treasures, it didn’t matter if the beast was at the peak of the Aligned realm or not. He could deal with it.

It would also give him a chance to go all out with his cultivation first in a way that he hadn’t been able to recently. There were a number of insights from practicing alchemy and fighting the sect assassins that he wanted to test out and consolidate.

A hard fight would be a good opportunity for that.

If his cultivation wasn’t enough, he would tear it apart with his bare hands.

He’d spent some time assessing the Nine Dragon Meridian Art, and it really was a miraculous art. Its progress was natural as it matched his growth, and he had to wonder if this was the way it had always been intended to work.

Trying to master it when you were already at the height of your strength was doomed to failure. It definitely seemed the meridians needed to grow naturally with you.

The shrine’s assessment about the art giving him the strength of nine dragons was probably true, but he would first need to have the full strength of a dragon himself. From what his testing so far suggested, what it actually did was multiply his physical strength, durability, and regeneration.

Each meridian was the same as doubling his power.

With 49% of the first meridian complete, when he activated that meridian, he was basically 49% stronger than before. When the meridian was finished, he would be 100% stronger. Nine meridians would be 900% stronger.

The strength of nine true dragons.

It was only after asking the shrine more about the art that he’d learned its full name was the “Heavenly Nine Dragon Meridian Art” and that each of the meridians was aligned to a natural principle of the heavens.

He’d also learned that no dragon had ever mastered it past the Third Meridian before.

That made him want to shake Nine Revolutions and ask him why he’d taught it to him if he knew it was broken, but a slow shake of his head brought his focus back. Even a 300% increase was amazing.

If that was as far as the art went, it was still a better bloodline cultivation art than anything else he’d seen, and it did double duty as a body cultivation technique.

If he could create all nine meridians, the result would be legendary.

More than that, each of the meridians came with unique skills that corresponded to the celestial law that created them. First Dragon Breathing was about gathering energy from the natural world, and it promoted regeneration and stamina. It was based on vitality, which was why it needed Wood energy to grow.

Now that the meridian was almost half complete, his ability to regenerate his energy quickly was much faster than before.

The shrine refused to tell him about the arts that belonged to the later meridians. He just said to keep training and find out. It was an unaccustomed stubbornness from him and it came with a grumble, which made Verse suspect that he just didn’t know.

Most likely, they were a little different for everyone.

The shrine might have a guess based on the nature of each meridian, but he probably couldn’t tell him precisely what it would be.

Right now, it didn’t matter, since he hadn’t even finished the first one. It would take a lot more Wood treasures or a long time gathering vital energy for that. When it was time to create the second meridian, he would naturally discover its secrets.

His eyes were fixed on the distance as he aligned himself to the map he’d acquired, and he turned his attention back to his goal. The sky blurred past as he flew. Once he got to the caverns, the beast shouldn’t be hard to find.

Then his real plan could begin.

He sent a casual glance across the sky. There was no sign of the sect’s pursuit, but he knew they were out there, one way or another. There was no way they would miss this opportunity.

They might even have a Primal Spirit cultivator this time.

Verse’s hands curled and relaxed again. His eyes were bright.

***

A massive chasm opened in the earth in front of Verse. It was several miles long, its edges dark from old heat, and there was a wide field of hardened lava covering the surface of the plains around it.

It wasn’t possible to see the bottom from here. Even the mouth was over a mile deep, and then the chasm twisted out of sight, its depths hidden behind the lower walls. Holes and cavern openings filled the sides, some of them carved by hand and others natural.

This was the beast’s home.

It was no surprise that a group of adventurers had come here. This was the type of natural volcanic vent in the plains that was known for creating Fire and Stone-aligned treasures, one of the locations that brought great wealth to the city.

A good find here could set up an Essence Condensation or Aligned realm cultivator for years, or even longer. A moderate find could give them months of uninterrupted luxury and cultivation resources.

Volcanic spiritual herbs, rare elemental stones, crystallized essences of the earth, spirits of magma...there were all types of things that could be found here where the power of the earth rose to the surface in an explosion of fury and flame.

It was no surprise cultivators risked their lives to gather them.

He stood in the sky, studying the chasm below. The sun was high in the sky, adding even more heat to the flames that were radiating up from the base of the chasm. He could feel them.

Somewhere down there, lava was still bubbling.

It was filled with a rich natural energy that tempted him to dive into it and let it roll across his scales. He wasn’t immune to fire, but his resistance was extremely high. The lava might be a relaxing bath.

This was a good location.

A slight smile crossed his lips as he looked over his shoulder at a patch of sky. There was nothing visible, but a glint he’d seen while flying told him that one of his pursuers was in that direction.

The flames would hinder some of the Crimson Shade Sect’s abilities. Ghosts and cold-based poisons wouldn’t do well here. Their techniques would be limited.

Right now, there was no sign of the beast, but that fit with his plans.

If things went as he predicted, the sect would follow him in secret and wait for him to deal with the beast. There was no way they didn’t know about the mission. They were probably planning to block off the entrance and wait.

If he died, they wouldn’t have to do anything. If he survived, they would attack and try to make it look like his death was the beast’s doing. He was making things easy for them.

His expression turned serious.

Then with a flicker of flames, he flew down into the chasm. His form quickly disappeared between the massive dark walls that gaped open like the mouth of a giant beast.