Against Heaven's Will

"What…?" Xuefeng blurted out, unable to believe his ears. "Isn't that too much? Lisa's pills are the best on the market."

Ten million pills was an astronomical number that Alchemists rarely reach throughout their lives, not to mention the short six months they had. Even if she only stayed behind and produced pills every day, it would be hard to fulfill such a big order on her own.

Emi only shrugged and tossed him the ring. "If you have any complaints, you can direct them to Wu who agreed to this exchange. She said Lisa won't have any problem completing the order," Emi commented. "Besides, ten Million isn't the exact number since that number was calculated based on Tier 2 Healing Pills she gifted to Founder Miara. If you can produce Tier 3 or Tier 4 pills, that number will lower drastically."

Xuefeng caught the ring and peeked inside, his jaw dropping at the sight. All kinds of Spirit Herbs filled the ring to the brim, the space so vast his mind couldn't envelop it all at the same time. He had no idea if any of them were of any use so he passed the ring to Lisa.

Everyone's eyes fell on their genius alchemist and Emi explained, "This ring contains enough Spirit Herbs to produce over a billion worth of pills. They are all yours to experiment with so don't worry about wasting anything. Even if you fail to produce any high-tier pills, the failure will still be a valuable learning experience."

Lisa remained composed as she scanned the ring and sighed with a disappointed expression, "Xuefeng's reaction raised my expectations for a second. I thought I would receive some rare gems, but I overestimated the riches of the Realms Beyond the Heaven.' 

"Excuse me?" Emi frowned at her words. "I personally emptied our treasury of the best Spirit Herbs to the point all the Elders begged me to stop. Based on our Alchemists, one can make pills all the way up to Tier 5 with them. I thought that would be enough since the Spirit Herbs growing in my Realm are at most Tier 2."

"Wait, those tiers you use are so confusing. Can you tell me how the Alchemists Beyond the Heaven rank them?" Lisa questioned in confusion. "I never liked rankings since I always mix various herbs to achieve a desired result." 

"That cannot be right since one cannot mix herbs of different tiers. I'm guessing you only used a single tier then," Emi replied with a relaxed chuckle. "I thought you would know this with how Wu praised you, but let me explain. Spirit Herbs are divided into nine tiers from 1 to 9 and the pills are ranked based on what tier of herbs you used. If you try to mix the tiers like using higher tier herbs to boost your chance of success, you might accidentally create poisonous pills." 

Lisa raised her eyebrows in surprise, wrapping her arms together. "Oh, is that so? Let me ask you another question. How do you recognize what tier the herbs and pills are?" 

"We use a device called Appraisal Tablet," Emi explained as a single white plate appeared in her hand. "You only need to place a pill or a herb on top of it and the spirit inside will provide you with an answer."

"I can accept that, but then how did you get to the conclusion that only Tier 2 herbs can make a Tier 2 pill?" Lisa asked skeptically. 

"That's common knowledge about pill making and all Alchemists practice the same. Every Alchemist will tell you the same," Emi replied with a shrug, causing Lisa to laugh. 

"I guess we finally found where the problem was. I'm sorry I have to break it to you frankly but all those Alchemists have lied to you," Lisa revealed with an amused smile. "I really thought I would find some competition soon, but I guess everyone is just a scam artist." 

"What do you mean?" Emi asked in genuine confusion. "You must know that Alchemists are the second most respected people in the Realms Beyond the Heaven, right after the Constellations. Why would they lie about the most basic rules of Alchemy?" 

"If they didn't lie to you because they wanted to hide the fact they are completely and utterly trash, it means they are completely and utterly trash for not even knowing the basic rules of Alchemy," Lisa replied in disgust. "Here, I can quickly prove how wrong that rule is." 

Lisa waved her hand and numerous Spirit Herbs appeared in front of her. "These herbs are from the Earth Realm. Could you check what tier they are in?" 

Emi seemed skeptical about it but still tested the herbs by placing them on the Appraisal Tablet. To everyone's surprise, the tablet didn't even react to the herbs as if they were non-existent. "It looks like the Qi inside those herbs is not enough to be detected by the tablet which means they are below Tier 1, basically weeds," Emi informed. 

"Perfect," Lisa nodded with a snap of her fingers, causing a golden flame to appear on her palm. "Based on your understanding, would you believe me if I said the Tier 2 healing pills that Wu gifted your Founder Miara were made with those herbs?" 

"I don't know how that would remotely make any sense, so my answer is no," Emi replied only to notice everyone's smirk. "What? There is no way Spirit Herbs with this little Qi can be turned into a Tier 2 pill. Even a Golden Earth Flame won't change it." 

Xuefeng only chuckled, his gaze beaming with confidence, "I just thought you already learned not to underestimate anyone in our group. My wives are all talented individuals."

Emi's expression tightened as she focused on Lisa, her curiosity piqued. "Alright, then show me. I want to see how you make a Tier 2 pill from these weeds."

Lisa's eyes twinkled with mischief as she faced Emi. "With pleasure." She glanced at the Spirit Herbs and threw them all directly into the golden flame. 

Emi momentarily gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief. She expected to see the flame burst out wildly or at least burn all the herbs to crips but it danced instead, weaving the different herbs together in a mesmerizing ballet of fire.

"The whole point of Alchemy is to bring out the hidden potential of the herbs to create a powerful pill. If you use Tier 2 herbs just to create Tier 2 pills, it means you haven't done any Alchemy besides just melting the herbs. Those Alchemists of yours must have never bothered to improve their skills, to truly understand the essence of the herbs. They were content with the superficial knowledge that handed them success without challenging them to grow."

The air was filled with the intoxicating aroma of the herbs as they melded together in the golden flame. The flame seemed to understand each herb, unlocking its potential and essence, and forming a perfect harmony between them. The herbal liquid shone as it compressed with each second before Lisa closed her hand and the flame vanished, leaving behind a single, shimmering pill.

Emi's mouth fell open, her mind struggling to comprehend what she had just witnessed. The pill that rested in Lisa's palm possessed Qi which wasn't comparable to the Spirit Herbs from which it was created. 

"This pill," Lisa said, her voice soft yet firm, "is the product of understanding, creativity, and a willingness to challenge conventions. It's not bound by the tier of the herbs but by the skill and intuition of the Alchemist."

She walked up to Emi and placed the pill on the Appraisal Tablet. This time it reacted properly, the words appearing on the screen.

Tier 2 Healing Pill

Effect: Heals all wounds and injuries.

"This... You were right. I guess we have been lied to this whole time," Emi admitted defeat, looking at Lisa in admiration. "But then why were you dissatisfied with the herbs I got you? You have such great skills and many of those herbs are Tier 4 and 5 which would allow you to form even stronger pills. You can easily become the most powerful Alchemist in the Realms Beyond the Heaven with the number of pills you can make from them." 

"That's because this tier system is flawed. The Appraisal Tablet only measures the quantity and quality of Qi inside the Spirit Herb instead of its properties. Some herbs have rare properties that can make or break the pill, and you won't discover them unless you actually experiment," Lisa explained with a shrug. "With my experience, I can sense rare herbs from a mile away and I barely saw any in that ring. They are mostly uncommon with high content of Qi." 

"I see… Do you want me to return and apply for more rare herbs?" Emi suggested. "I'm sure Founder Miara would agree if I vouch for you myself." 

"That's fine, but why would you return with empty hands? Let me complete the order first, just give me a couple of hours and I will be done," Lisa replied casually, causing Emi to tilt her head.

"A couple of hours? That's impossible even if you were the best Alchemist in the world. That's still ten million pills to make," Emi pointed out.

"Didn't you say the number will lower drastically if I produce higher tiers? Well, I can produce Tier 5 pills with ease," Lisa announced, her expression turning smug. "I can also make more of them so that Founder Miara owes us some good treasures. Equal exchange, am I right?"