Ji Yunzhi didn’t follow.
Instead, he stopped by the counter, took a deep breath, and pulled a pill container from his storage ring.
This was not the one he had used before. It was clearly more special, more luxurious.
The bottle was made from phoenix-glass, a rare alchemy material formed by melting spirit crystal with fire-attributed jade under high pressure. It had a pale golden-red color, clear enough to see inside, but strong enough to block heat and light.
The surface had faint patterns of clouds and flames carved directly into the glass. Not just for decoration – those lines were part of a built-in array. They helped calm the pill’s qi and keep the ingredients from breaking down over time.
At the top, the stopper was sealed with a small sunstone. This wasn’t just to look pretty.
Sunstone kept the inside of the bottle at a steady warmth, perfect for pills that needed time to mature or settle after refining.
Phoenix-glass bottles were hard to make and expensive.
Even most Master Alchemists and Grandmasters wouldn’t use one unless it was for a top-grade pill. Too costly. Too precious.
Ji Yunzhi had to butcher his savings and sell off two whole batches of his older, flawed pills just to afford this one bottle.
But he had no regrets.
This version of the Cola-Inspired Enhancing Pill was worth it.
It needed protection.
Inside, the pills had changed.
No longer the dull dark brown from before, the pills had changed to a deep, almost black shade.
A soft shimmer came from within, as if tiny silver threads were woven far inside the vial.
The powder that once dusted their surface had now fused into each pill’s core.
Everything about them felt heavier. More whole and complete.
Hao immediately understood Ji Yunzhi’s intention today – it was about the cola-inspired pills, wasn’t it?
Curiosity sparked in Hao’s mind. He knew one thing for sure: Ji Yunzhi was a monstrous genius in alchemy.
Now, with the system’s hints and new information, Hao wondered just how far this bald alchemist had pushed the pill’s power.
“Storekeeper, I’m back again.” Ji Yunzhi said with a small smile.
“I’ve improved the pill and took your hint, storekeeper!”
He held the vial up carefully. “I’m pretty satisfied with the result and proud of it.”
“But I want to know your honest thoughts, whatever they may be, storekeeper.”
Ji Yunzhi’s heart raced, nervous and excited. He hoped the pill met the storekeeper’s standards.
To him, Hao was the pinnacle of alchemy knowledge!
Ji Yunzhi instantly showed gratitude. He cautiously loosened the stopper of the phoenix-glass bottle and tenderly transferred the pills into Hao’s outstretched palm.
’System, you know what to do.’ Hao said in his mind.
’Analyze the effects of this pill on a cultivator.’
This time, Hao only requested the effect analysis – no breakdown of the ingredients. Asking for that would have made the system charge extra crystals.
Although Hao was curious about Ji Yunzhi’s craftsmanship, he preferred not to spend a huge fortune.
[Analysis will cost 2 crystals, host.]
’Start it.’
That’s much more reasonable now, Hao thought silently.
[Analysis will begin now, host.]
Within seconds, a floating screen shimmered into view, hovering before Hao’s eyes.
────────────────
[Improved Version of Cola-Inspired Pill Analysis Complete]
Primary Effect:
Boosts a cultivator’s reaction speed and reflexes by about 21% for a solid 28-30 minutes.
This is an extraordinary achievement considering how nearly impossible it is to mimic Cola’s effects using conventional alchemy.
A brilliant fusion of rare stimulant herbs and exotic nerve-activating compounds.
Delivers a sharp, intense surge of energy designed for quick, explosive bursts of power.
────────────────
Side Effects:
Once the boost wears off, the user enters a recovery phase lasting around 1 hour and 30 minutes.
During this time:
Spiritual flow becomes sluggish but remains stable.
Physical strength dips to around 60% of normal.
Reflexes slightly lag behind baseline.
Some users may feel light fatigue or momentary muscle stiffness.
────────────────
[Do you want me to display the analysis results from the first Cola-Inspired Pill the customer submitted, host?]
Hao narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
’That’s not gonna cost me a crystal, right?’ he asked half-joking, half-serious.
Because if it did… he might actually cry.
[No, host.]
“Hm. Alright then. Go ahead.” Hao muttered, trying to act casual, though he was genuinely relieved.
A second screen flickered into place beside the first.
“…”
Hao scanned both windows and squinted.
He could see the numbers and all the fancy words, sure, but he still wasn’t entirely sure how much the new version had improved.
The time was longer, and the percentage was higher, sure, but for someone who hadn’t even tried concocting a trashy-ass pill, it all felt a bit abstract.
All of Hao’s alchemy knowledge came from web novels back on Earth, and frankly, he had to apologize to all his fellow readers… because he kind of forgot all the important parts.
At the time, those alchemy scenes seemed so cool and profound – flames dancing, cauldrons thrumming, ingredients fusing like destiny itself.
Too bad he never actually engraved any of that in his brain.
I mean, who really thought they’d ever use all those weird ingredients and complicated steps from a novel, right?
Sure, it was super interesting and fun to read at the time, maybe for a day or two, even a week if you were really into it, but no one seriously tried to remember it for the long haul.
Everyone just skimmed through, thinking it was cool background stuff, never really pondering that they’d actually need it someday.
So the epic lines stuck, but the actual technique? Poof. Gone.
He planned to learn alchemy someday.
Hao decided to toss that responsibility into the ’not right now’ pile.
’System, give me a quick summary.’
’Like… don’t use numbers. Just explain it in a way that even someone who failed basic pill theory can understand.’
’This is free, right?’
[Yes, host. It’s free.]
[Summary: The improved pill is designed to give a smooth, steady boost to a cultivator’s reaction speed and reflexes that lasts a good while. Instead of hitting you with a sudden jolt, it builds up quickly but keeps your energy stable for nearly twice as long.]
[When the effect wears off, the user feels tired, but not crippled. Their strength only drops a little, and their reflexes slow just slightly – no dizziness or weakness that would make you stumble around.]
[Achieving this kind of balance is incredibly difficult. Most enhancing pills hit hard but leave the body wrecked afterward.]