---
The Grand Alchemy Symposium was a place of legendary concoctions, forbidden elixirs, and enough suspicious fumes to knock out a sky serpent.
Naturally, Lin Feng was not supposed to be there.
Yet here he was, standing on a crystal stage, holding a porcelain teacup, while hundreds of alchemists from every sect stared at him like he'd just invented immortality in a teapot.
"Ladies and revered weirdos," the host announced, "our next presentation is from Azure Sky Sect's Elder Lin Feng—creator of the now-infamous Tea of Tranquility, also known as the nap juice of destiny."
A ripple of awe moved through the crowd.
Lin Feng leaned toward Bai Xue, whispering, "Remind me why we came here again?"
"You were summoned," she hissed. "Under threat of aggressive pillow delivery."
Right.
He cleared his throat and held up his teacup. "Uh… this tea makes you sleepy. That's it."
The crowd gasped.
An old alchemist in the front row stood up. "You lie! No simple tea can produce astral dreaming! I spent seventy years trying to synthesize sleep!"
A monk next to him shouted, "I drank your tea and dreamed of the Sage of Slumber! He blessed me with perfect lumbar support!"
A woman in gold robes rose to her feet. "Your tea made my husband snore so peacefully, he unlocked his dormant meridian."
Lin Feng blinked. "Wait. That's a thing?"
The symposium descended into chaos.
Alchemists began chanting for a demonstration.
Others waved scrolls, desperately asking for the recipe.
One rogue scholar tried to lick the steam rising from Lin Feng's cup. Bai Xue blocked him with a kick.
The host, clearly enjoying the drama, banged his golden gavel. "Order! We demand a formal brewing session from Elder Lin Feng!"
Lin Feng turned pale. "I—I didn't bring a kettle!"
Flame Duck, wearing goggles, waddled onto the stage and presented a portable brewing kit.
Lin Feng whispered, "You planned this?"
Quack: "You attract destiny like ducks attract breadcrumbs."
With a resigned sigh, Lin Feng began brewing.
Step by step, he performed the sacred (and completely accidental) technique:
Heat water to a temperature you'd want for a bubble bath.
Steep snoozeberries while thinking of nothing. Literally. Just vibes.
Add a single duckleaf. (Don't ask where it comes from. It just arrives.)
Serve with silence and a deeply sleepy soul.
As the steam wafted through the hall, alchemists began collapsing—peacefully—into the audience pillows.
One by one, they slumped over, smiling.
Someone murmured in bliss, "I see the dream cow again…"
Another sighed, "My anxiety just apologized to me."
The crowd was silent.
The host stood up, tears streaming down his cheeks. "You have not made tea. You have created Hope."
A giant banner unfurled behind Lin Feng:
"NAP SAGE LIN FENG – ALCHEMIST OF REPOSE"
Lin Feng squawked, "WHO MADE THAT?!"
The Demon King, sitting in the corner sipping from a giant mug, shrugged. "Was already there when we arrived."
By the time the symposium ended, sects from all corners of the continent had signed a joint treaty recognizing Lin Feng's Tea of Tranquility as a spiritual resource.
Bai Xue said, "You've accidentally invented a cult."
Lin Feng sighed. "Do I get tax benefits at least?"
---
Later That Night…
Back at Azure Sky Sect, Lin Feng collapsed into his bed, now nicknamed "The Holy Cushion."
"I just wanted naps…"
Flame Duck hopped onto his chest, wearing a tiny sleeping mask.
Quack: "Then sleep, O Brewmaster. The world dreams easier because of you."
Lin Feng stared at the ceiling.
"…Am I a prophet now?"
Bai Xue's voice drifted through the door: "NO!"
The Demon King grunted: "Yes."
Lin Feng smiled.
"Good enough.