"Too ugly to wear?"
That was a badge from the Pill Tower! The Pill Tower, for heaven's sake!
In the world of alchemy, the Pill Tower was a sacred place revered by countless Alchemists. It was the most powerful Alchemist organization across the entire Dou Qi Continent. Located in the heart of Central Plains, the Pill Tower resided within a city named Dan City, a place regarded as the Mecca of Alchemists. Within a thousand li of that city was the domain of the Pill Tower, an area known far and wide as the Pill Domain.
Due to its vast influence and foundation, the Pill Tower's certification had become the strictest yet most prestigious across the continent. A rank issued by the Pill Tower carried universal recognition—it was enough to command awe no matter where it was shown.
Now, for someone as young as Lin Ran to already possess a six-tier badge issued by the Pill Tower—such a status was nothing less than a dimensional gap for those residing in this remote corner of the Northwest continent.
No wonder Lin Ran was so indifferent toward something like a local auction. No wonder he could so casually take out treasures like the Revival Pill and Dou Ling Pill, which others regarded as peerless treasures. For Lin Ran, these were nothing more than common items!
"Honored one… may I ask if you're from Central Plains?" the Black Rock City Lord asked cautiously, his voice trembling slightly.
Lin Ran cast a flat glance toward him. "Put away those pointless thoughts. I'm just passing through the Jia Ma Empire. There's nothing more to it."
After dismissing the city lord's curiosity, his gaze once again returned to Green Elder.
"Now, tell me. What Pill do you want me to refine? Of course, I hope the item you've prepared is of equivalent value. Otherwise…"
"Green Yi understands." The elegant woman bowed deeply, her demeanor showing both caution and reverence.
Then, as if finally making peace with the pain, she drew out a roll of old sheepskin parchment from her storage ring. Her expression betrayed the sting of parting with something hard-earned.
She hadn't just stumbled across this pill recipe. She had invested a tremendous amount of time, effort, and resources to obtain it. But in order to seek help from a high-tier Alchemist, she had no choice but to surrender it entirely.
This was the privilege of Alchemists. Even without lifting a finger, they could make others voluntarily hand over their most valued treasures—no questions asked.
Xiao Yixian stepped forward, receiving the ancient pill formula with a curious look. Her bright eyes scanned the label on the top of the scroll and read softly.
"Six-tier… Beast Transformation Pill?"
"Beast Transformation Pill?"
Lin Fei and Xue Mei blinked in confusion, exchanging glances.
Even Otto and Frank furrowed their brows, seemingly unfamiliar with the name. Clearly, this was a pill even they hadn't encountered before.
Only Gu Te's expression changed. His brows lifted as he gasped. "So it really is the Beast Transformation Pill! You people from the Tian Snake Mansion are truly ambitious."
"Huh? Old—er, Gu Te, you've heard of this pill before?" Otto asked, nearly slipping up before correcting his tone mid-sentence. Even so, he seemed a bit awkward under Lin Ran's presence.
Gu Te didn't seem to mind the casual address. Among the three top-tier Alchemists of Black Rock City, his friendship with Otto and Frank was longstanding, and he didn't care for formalities.
He nodded seriously. "I've heard my younger brother mention it once. The Beast Transformation Pill is a derivative version of the Human Transformation Pill. Its effects are similar, although slightly inferior. It can't allow a Magic Beast to fully transform into a human, but it can temporarily alter parts of their body into a humanoid form. Even with that limitation, it's considered an extraordinary treasure among Magic Beasts."
Magic Beasts that could partially transform into humans had a major advantage over those that couldn't.
Before transformation, Magic Beasts had powerful bodies but lacked the finesse to manipulate Dou Techniques or practice human cultivation methods. Once they transformed, however, they retained their beastly physique while gaining access to human combat skills and wisdom.
This was a qualitative leap—one that turned many Magic Beasts into true overlords of their species.
The only catch was that a Magic Beast needed to be at least seventh-tier to attempt full transformation.
That threshold was astronomically difficult to break through. Compared to human cultivators, Magic Beasts had an even harder time advancing. Many never reached that level, no matter how long they lived.
In those cases, the only alternative path was a pill—the Human Transformation Pill.
"To think Tian Snake Mansion wants a Beast Transformation Pill... your ambitions are far from ordinary." Gu Te glanced at Green Yi meaningfully.
But the woman seemed unfazed. With a light smile, she replied, "Birds die for food, people for wealth. It's all just a means to an end."
While they conversed, Xiao Yixian handed the scroll over to Lin Ran.
Beast Transformation Pill…
Those three aged characters were lightly inked onto the parchment. Even the texture of the scroll radiated an ancient aura.
Lin Ran calmly skimmed the page. Of course, he had heard of this pill before. In the Central Plains, this wasn't exactly a rare legend, although the recipe itself was seldom seen.
"Six-tier classification. Enables partial human transformation for Magic Beasts. Though not as effective as full transformation, it grants both enhanced cognition and partial human cultivation ability…"
Lin Ran's eyes narrowed slightly.
Green Yi watched with expectation as she clasped her hands. "I hope the honored one will be able to refine it?"
"It's doable. What about the materials?"
His reply was casual, as if this were no more trouble than making tea.
Then, in front of everyone, Lin Ran casually stored the ancient pill formula into his own storage ring.
There were certain unspoken rules in the alchemy world. When someone came seeking the help of an Alchemist to refine a rare or unique pill, they were required to bring the formula as well as the ingredients. More importantly—the formula would then belong to the Alchemist.
It was the equivalent of a fee. Whether the Alchemist copied it, modified it, or kept it, it was entirely up to them.
After all, formulating a new recipe wasn't a simple matter of writing down the ingredients. Alchemists used their soul force as ink, creating complex inscriptions filled with data regarding ingredient ratios, flame temperatures, timing, and other key variables.
Without the soul-infused signature, even an accomplished Alchemist could only replicate the recipe through repeated experiments—wasting valuable ingredients in the process.
That was why ancient pill formulas remained irreplaceable, even for high-level Alchemists.
Green Yi naturally understood all of this. Though she felt pain in her heart, she didn't show any signs of regret. She simply retrieved another storage ring from her sleeve and respectfully offered it to Xiao Yixian.
Inside were all the materials necessary for refining the Beast Transformation Pill.
Seeing that Lin Ran had accepted the commission, the others in the room—including the powerful figures of Black Rock City—fell silent.
They had witnessed firsthand the strength of a true six-tier Alchemist, recognized by the Pill Tower no less.
This was no longer a matter of admiration. It was a matter of awe.
Even if Lin Ran didn't say a single harsh word, the pressure of his identity alone was enough to crush everyone present into submission.
He was a walking miracle.
A teenager… certified by the Pill Tower…
A true six-tier Alchemist.
(End of Chapter)