Okay, here''s a story based on your prompt, told through diary entries:
Diary of Lin, Alchemist
Entry 1: Day 1 of the Year of the Obsidian Serpent
The breakthrough came quietly, almost anticlimactic. One moment, I was a churning storm of Qi, the next, a calm, steady current within me. Foundation Establishment. The first true step on the path. I feel… different. More potent, more attuned. It’s a cold, detached feeling, like looking down on the world.
Today, a representative from the Azurewind City Council came, offering a position as a Guest Elder. A pitiful title, but the commission for each pill I formulate for their city’s cultivators is substantial. Enough to fund my more… ambitious… projects. I will accept, of course. This is just a means to an end, a stepping stone on my ascent. These mortals and their concerns are of no real interest to me. This is all data, a means, a resource to be exploited.
Entry 7: Day 15 of the Year of the Obsidian Serpent
The city is… chaotic. So much energy wasted on trivialities like politics and gossip. I''ve begun the initial phases of my current project, refining the basics, pushing their potential. My current batch are aimed at Qi amplification. They feel… promising. Crude, of course, like sledgehammers when I need chisels. But they work.
I tested a few on myself this evening. The raw power is palpable. My Qi reserves swelled, almost painfully. It was followed by an odd, predatory twitch of the muscles, a sudden sharpness of vision. My reflexes now have the unpredictable, wild quality of some feral beast. At the same time, there’s a dull ache in my bones, a weakening that makes each step a little heavier. There are… side effects. I must refine the ratios, the catalysts. Such an easy thing to balance, and yet these fools cannot so much as boil water. I''m starting to believe nobody here understands their potential.
Entry 18: Day 40 of the Year of the Obsidian Serpent
The Azurewind market is… stagnant. The same tired formulas, the same ineffective concoctions. A pathetic state of affairs. An upstart cultivator named Gao, a recent foundation establishment, has a near monopoly on most of the Qi enhancing pills. I''ve observed his methods. Crude, but effective enough for these simpletons. His formulas, I can only imagine. Such a waste of potential.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
I''ve decided the time has come to challenge his dominance, not just in the black market, but the open market. His profits? They will be mine. I will be opening distribution routes, all through the city. His arrogance will be his downfall. I''ve begun preparing a batch of "Combat Stimulants" using my newly refined ratios. They’re a vicious blend now, amplifying power, speed, and aggression while weakening the body, reducing the time it takes for a cultivator to exhaust themselves. It is a controlled gamble, meant to end a fight with brutal efficiency. They will be my tools of conquest.
Entry 22: Day 60 of the Year of the Obsidian Serpent
Gao was… predictable. He responded to my market inroads with fury, openly challenging me to a duel. Apparently, he believes in honor and pride. Amusing. We met in the city’s training grounds. He came armed with a rather potent artifact — a jade bracer that channeled earth energy. A crude but useful tool for reinforcement.
The fight was… messy. I intentionally started by using a basic Qi amplification pill this time. I baited him with false weaknesses, allowing him to believe he was winning. I took some damage, his earth-infused blows shook me to my core. Just a little, of course.
Then, I unleashed it. I consumed two of my Combat Stimulants, the surge of power was almost intoxicating. I moved faster than any other early foundation establishment cultivator should, his attacks became sluggish and slow. My movements were jerky and unpredictable like a cornered beast, but his were sluggish and predictable. His power meant nothing when he couldn''t hit me. I landed blow after blow, each one a precise, calculated strike that capitalized on his openings. I felt the weakness, the increasing exhaustion, but it was acceptable. Before long, his bracer was useless and he was on the ground, defeated.
He surrendered, panting and defeated. I claimed his market share, the open market. Just as a man reclaims what belongs to him. Victory is sweet, but it is merely a temporary milestone. The next one awaits. I will refine my methods, increase my power. The path to higher stages requires more, much more. This city and its inhabitants are merely the stepping stones that I require. Each one a tool for my ascent. And they will be used.
Entry 25: Day 70 of the Year of the Obsidian Serpent
My Combat Stimulants are a hit. The citizens flock to them, despite the side effects. They crave power, even at the cost of suffering. It''s… predictable. My coffers are filling, and with them, my ambitions expand. I have begun work on formulas that will allow me to take my advancement to the next level, bypassing the standard techniques. I will not be bound by common knowledge, nor will I be delayed by those that would rather waste their energies on such mundane affairs.
The world will tremble before me. Mark my words, it will tremble.