“What next?” Cha Ming asked.
“Next?” Sun Wukong said pensively. “Next we use what you’ve grown in this garden to make every damn pill you can think of. By the time you get out of here, you’ll be a real heavy hitter in alchemical circles, but probably not quite elder level.”
“That fast?” Cha Ming asked, surprised.
“Compared to the progress you could have made before, you’ll be flying,” Sun Wukong said. “A lot about alchemy involves quickly spotting problems and then reacting appropriately. I beat that into your bones, and with your affinity for plants, you’ll be able to sense even the slightest deviations and make corrections on the fly. There shouldn’t be many low-level curveballs you can’t handle, and with every pill you make, you’ll learn that much more.”
“Good,” Cha Ming said, invigorated. Alchemy was only a means to an end, a way to heal his core and advance quickly. He’d now be able to find Yu Wen that much faster.
Time flew by quickly. Once Cha Ming formed his Grandmist flame, he was no longer required to undergo trial after trial. He only had to concoct pill after pill from a seemingly endless library of knowledge he gleaned from Yu Wen’s Space-Time Camera. Occasionally, he read her letter. It made his desire to see her grow and egged him on. After a year’s time, he pushed his way to early grandmaster in alchemy before finally running out of medicinal herbs.
One year after beginning his seclusion, Cha Ming roamed the familiar streets of Haijing Academy once more. The familiar living quarters were just like he remembered them. Scholars argued and played Angels and Devils while others drank. Some meditated beneath the trees, while others played musical instruments. It was almost picturesque. Almost. He frowned as he looked around and realized something.
Cha Ming let out a bright laugh and summoned blades of destructive energy. They tore through violet strings that were otherwise imperceptible to him, revealing five shadows that advanced toward him.
“Interesting,” Cha Ming said. “Come at me with everything you have.”
His opponent attacked with a formation and staff, using his superior weapon and incarnation techniques to fight like five men at once. He used different runes than before. They sometimes combined in defense and sometimes in offense. They linked together between avatars, using clever elemental combinations to wear away at Cha Ming’s defenses.
At the start of the battle, Cha Ming had restrained his qi and body to initial core formation and initial bone forging. This clearly wasn’t enough against this aggressive opponent. He thought for a moment before upgrading his qi to early grade and manipulating it in a new way. He then summoned creative wind and destructive lightning. The lightning ravaged his opponent’s formations, striking at their weakest points as wind reinforced certain elements, throwing his opponent’s formations off balance as Cha Ming sparred with the avatars. They continued this dance for five whole minutes, and every time his opponent found a way to fix his weaknesses, Cha Ming found new ones to pick on.
Finally, when it seemed his opponent could learn nothing more, Cha Ming summoned a gray flame in his palm. He threw it out at his opponent’s web of formations, and everything burned. Wood, metal, even flame itself burned under its world-ending, world-birthing heat.
“Grandmist!” Zi Long said as he appeared where his clones had disappeared.
“Indeed,” Cha Ming said. “I thought it would benefit you to see it. I’m relieved to learn you took my teachings to heart. Your runic arts now match your cultivation.”
“I still have a long way to go, it seems,” Zi Long said. “Though I have some ideas now that I’ve seen you wield creation, destruction, and Grandmist so exquisitely.”
“I’m glad I could help,” Cha Ming said. “Has anything new happened?”
“More of the same,” Zi Long said, following Cha Ming through the garden. “Uncle Huxian went on an excursion and found something you might like, and the elders want to speak with you. Something about getting destroyed at council meetings.”
“I’ll bet,” Cha Ming said, adjusting their route. “And your brothers and sisters?”
“Ling Dong is doing better than ever,” Zi Long said. “It seems Huxian and his friends are great teachers for him. I doubt you could outdo them. As far as their bunch is concerned, Ling Dong is an honorary demon. That aside, he’s got the entire City Guard in his back pocket. Everyone is fighting to get on his waiting list for demonic arms.”
“Jin Huang?” Cha Ming asked.
“Concocting away,” Zi Long said. “He’s gotten to early core formation like us, and his alchemical arts have caught up. His poison arts are still devastating, and he’s managed to frighten the Alchemists Association in Haijing to supply him ingredients. It seems his reputation from the Evergreen Kingdom influenced their decision.”
“What exactly happened there?” Cha Ming asked. He’d heard Jin Huang’s journey mentioned many times, but he’d never asked for specifics.
“They tried to bully him into giving away runic alchemy secrets,” Zi Long said. Seeing Cha Ming’s eyes narrow, he continued. “It didn’t work, and he paid them back in spades. They were so scared of him that they did everything he asked. The rest of the alchemists boycotted him because they thought he’d grown too big for his britches. Seems they’ve changed their mind.”
Cha Ming chuckled. “And Yue Bing?” She was the one he was most worried about.
Zi Long winced. “Her case is… complicated,” he said. “You should really go talk to her. She’s cold and withdrawn, but if someone asks, she’ll help. Unfortunately, those in our faction don’t take kindly to her blood doctor and blood master occupations. It puts her in a very bad position, both financially and emotionally.”
Cha Ming sighed. “I’ll talk to her. And to them. It’s my fault for avoiding the issue.”
“Please don’t judge her before hearing her out,” Zi Long said, stopping suddenly. “The rest of us think she’s made all the right choices, and it wouldn’t sit well with us if you keep giving
