Yasuo walked the fields with his eyes closed. His soul force brimmed all around him.
All of a sudden he stopped moving.
Pixie looked behind her. "Yasuo?"
Yasuo frowned. He grunted, then his feet lifted off the ground. His eyes opened up glowing a pure white as his power surged from within him.
He landed on the ground. "I finally hit it. Tier 1 Grandmaster Profound Realm."
Pixie crossed her arms. "You really ran through the Saint Realm huh?"
Uwibami, who was walking on the ground, started glowing and then grew in size. It was now the length of a medium-sized dog. "rawr~"
Pixie's eyes sparkled. "Awww! Look at his little teeth!"
Yasuo rubbed Uwibami's head. "Our souls must be connected. So when I power up, you get stronger too huh, Uwi?"
"rawr, rawr~"
Yasuo stood up. "Alright. Let's keep going."
-
After another two days of walking and cultivating, Yasuo finally caught sight of the city.
He looked up at the gigantic stone wall that encircled it all.
Pixie went away in case she'd get seen.
Yasuo put Uwibami back in his crystal.
"Now how do I get in...?" He looked around. The main gate, two giant wooden doors 50 meters-high reinforced with steel, was closed.
He started running towards the wall. "Guess the only way is up then!"
woosh!
Yasuo flew up to the top of the 80 meter-high wall and stood on the top. He looked out into the city. "Woah! It's so different from Alverus!"
< "The Great City of Liu closely resembles ancient China from your previous life." >
Yasuo put a hand to his head. "Really? It's still really cool to look at..."
fwoosh!
Out of nowhere, two men in dark teal uniforms put their hands on Yasuo's shoulders, one on the left and one on the right. "We have an intruder. Entering Liu from over the wall is strictly prohibited and taken as an act of hostility. You are under arrest."
Yasuo looked back. "Huh? Hostility? No! You've got it all wrong!"
"Save it kid. Just put your hands behind your back."
Yasuo decided to just follow their orders. He didn't want to enter Liu as a fugitive from the beginning.
-
"Oof!"
Yasuo was thrown to the floor inside of a building. He looked up and saw a man in similar uniform to the people that arrested him.
"My name is Long Jing. I am in charge of this city's security." This man had a mean look on his face, and a black moustache that he stroked by habit. "So you thought you could just sneak in eh?"
Yasuo shook his head. "I didn't know, I promise I mean no harm!"
"If I believed those words that came out of every person's mouth that was thrown in here, do you think I'd still have my job?"
Yasuo put on a nervous smile. "Probably not."
"So now I have to think about what I should do with you. It's true that you haven't done much, but you did in fact break a rule. Where do you come from child?"
"Uh, I don't have memories of long ago, I just woke up under a tree one day." Yasuo made it sound convincing. ("I mean, it's partly true.")
Jing bent over to get closer, eyeing him while stroking his moustache. "Suspicious. Veeery suspicious. What's your name?"
"Oh Yasuo."
"Oh? Never heard of the name. You come from a poor family?"
"I-I don't know."
Jing stood up and sighed. "Well what do you do for a living?"
"I'm an alchemist."
His eyes narrowed. "Alchemist? At your age? Impossible. I'm not falling for that."
Yasuo put on a slight smile. ("Jackpot.") "It's true! I make items of very high ranks! I used to sell them for profit in another city."
"High ranks? Like what? Basic Earthly Realm, maybe even Lower Earthly?"
"Third Tier Saint."
"Hm?!" Jing's eyes widened, and so did the men behind Yasuo who brought him in.
He leaned closer. "You lie."
Yasuo smirked. "Untie me and I'll show you."
"Hah! Foolish boy. Just because you say that you can make such things, doesn't mean that I'll let you free. Even the creation of a saint-realm item requires one to be of at least the Master Profound Realm! And even then you'd be a prodigy!"
"Oh yeah? Feast your eyes on this then! Come out, Uwi!"
The crystal on Yasuo's neck glowed, and out came Uwibami. It looked up at Jing and yawned.
"Eh...?! Is that... a dragon?!"
The men behind Yasuo were astounded. "Hey, don't you have to be a genius to tame a dragon...?" "But that's not just any dragon...! It's...!"
Jing stopped stroking his facial hair. "Uwibami...!!"
—
Yasuo was escorted into a large building in the center of Liu by Jing and a few guards. He was still tied up.
When they entered the doors, a man sat on a red and gold throne. He had black hair tied back, a scruffy black beard, and small but fierce red eyes. He wore red and gold clothing. "Who have you brought in front of me, Long Jing?"
Jing bowed his head. "Lord Fang, I have brought this boy, who attempted to enter the city by jumping over the wall."
Yasuo looked at the man on the throne. "Lord...?"
Lord Fang frowned. "So what is he here for? Isn't this your job? Lock him away or something, you're wasting my time!"
Jing looked up. "Please hear me out! This boy claims to be an alchemist who can produce saint-realm elixirs! He has tamed the legendary Uwibami, so it seems that it wasn't just a bluff..."
Fang stood up. He balled his fists. "The dragon? Uwibami? This kid? Something's up..."
Yasuo turned his head and whispered to Jing. "Who is that guy?"
"He is the Emperor of Liu, Yi Fang."
Yasuo's eyes lit up. "Ohhh, so he's the Emperor! He didn't look that important..."
The guards quickly put a finger to their mouths, signaling him to keep quiet, but Fang was already irritated. "That's a quick mouth you've got there. I advise you to choose your words carefully. You will not enter my city illegally, and then disrespect me to my face!!"
Yasuo quickly looked down. ("Wow, scary!")
Fang calmed himself and sat down. "What's your name?"
"Oh Yasuo."
"Never heard of it."
"I know. I lost all of my memories of my past."
"Jing. Untie him. If he tries to escape, I'll kill him."
Yasuo cried on the inside. ("Why do I feel like he's not bluffing?!")
< "Answer. He isn't." >
Fang rested his head on his left fist. "Show me that you are an alchemist. Make something. Right now."
Yasuo's hands were freed. "Like right here?"
"I will not repeat myself."
Yasuo sat down on the spot. He took a cauldron out of his spatial ring, some various herbs and minerals, and a stone pestle.
Jing looked almost worried. "This kid's really using the most basic cauldron possible!" he thought, "He's really just an apprentice!"
Fang remained silent. He kept watch.
Yasuo started glowing with white energy. He started adding ingredients to the cauldron. The stones broke apart easily with his expert workings of the pestle, and soon he ground everything up into powder.
Next, Yasuo held a small clay pot of water. He poured it into the cauldron.
Jing was almost grimacing now. "And he's using common water?! He's actually just a rookie!"
Yasuo was intently focused on his work. Soon the liquid inside the cauldron began to glow blue, and swirls of gentle energy rose like steam.
Yasuo poured all of the fluid into a medium-sized pot, which was just large enough to hold with two average-sized hands. He put a lid on it and set it down. "All done."
Fang remained in the same position. "Indeed. You have some skill. But do you take me for a fool? I don't know what minerals or herbs you used, but I can clearly see that you used an entry-level cauldron and plain river water! That elixir won't be above the Lower Earthly Realm!"
Yasuo frowned. He slapped his hand on top of the pot. "I don't appreciate you disrespecting my work, Emperor. This is a High-Grade Saint Profound Realm Elixir!"
Jing stepped back. "There's no possible way...!"
Fang sat up. "I don't have time for your games!! Jing, lock this boy up where I won't see his face."
Jing grabbed Yasuo by the arms.
Yasuo grit his teeth and yelled out. "Hey, you stubborn old man!! At least drink the elixir first to test it!! If I say it's saint-realm, then that's what I made!!"
Jing and his guards froze. "Now he's gone and done it..."
Fang stood up. He brimmed with red aura that shook the entire palace. "Why you insolent...!!"
"Let's make a bet!!" Yasuo exclaimed.
Fang's aura ceased. "A bet...?"
"Yeah! If you test that elixir and it's below saint-realm, I'll be sentenced to death! But if it is saint-realm, then you have to let me stay here in Liu, housing included!"
Jing simply let him go. "You're a stupid one aren't you?"
Yasuo crossed his arms. He wasn't budging.
Fang smirked. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. Fine. I'll humor this bet of yours. If it is truly an inferior elixir, I'll kill you with my own two hands. And if it happens to be the Saint Profound Realm elixir you claim it to be, I'll make you a citizen of Liu."
Fang stepped down the three steps leading up to his throne, and walked down the red carpet to pick up the pot. "Now. Let's see, shall we?"