Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time

"That’s a common problem," she said. "These mass-produced talismans don’t have refined inscriptions. They weren’t made to handle high-precision control. That’s fine for beginner-level training, but it limits how much finesse you can apply."

Han Yu frowned. "So how do most alchemists get past this?"

She held up three fingers.

"There are a few methods."

"One," she said, folding down a finger, "is obvious. You improve your Spirit Qi control even further. That way, you don’t need to make as many micro-adjustments—you simply hold the right temperature the whole time."

Han Yu nodded slowly. "But that takes time."

"Exactly. That’s why most Outer Court disciples plateau quickly. They don’t want to spend three years just learning how not to burn their pills."

She raised a second finger. "Two. You invest in or borrow a dedicated Flame Array. These are array inscriptions specifically built to channel fire-type spirit energy more precisely. They’re set up around the cauldron and controlled with hand seals or specific rhythm inputs. They respond faster, and they’re far more stable."

Han Yu perked up. "That sounds better. How much does one of those cost?"

"Even the cheap ones? Tens of thousands of merit points," Li Mei said flatly. "Good ones? Upwards of a hundred thousand. You’d need to be in the Alchemy Peak to borrow them for free."

"...Of course."

She then raised a third finger, and her tone shifted slightly—quieter, more serious.