The Potions Professor's Challenge
Finn Leigh, clutching the amber-colored "Improved Basic Stamina Potion," paced excitedly through the sparsely furnished "Eastern Secret Medicine" shop, his mouth babbling incessantly as he planned his grand scheme:
"Miss Ling! This is what we'll sell! The price... the price is higher than the standard basic stamina potion... no, it's 50% higher! With such good effects, it's absolutely worth it!"
"I need to go to the Mercenary Guild and spread the word first; those roughnecks need this the most!"
"And the Adventurers' Guild! We're sure to make a fortune before the next academy trial!"
"Should we make a sign? Something like 'Finn's Mighty Pill'? Uh... or maybe 'Ling's Divine Medicine' would sound more impressive..."
"..."
Ling Yao sat in the only relatively intact chair, propping her chin up with one hand and casually tossing a red gem (magic core) containing fire energy that she had taken from the money pouch given to her by the mercenary with the other. She paid no attention to Finn's passionate speech. Opening a medicine shop sounded like a viable business, but this kid's taste in names was truly questionable.
She was more concerned about the stone in her hand. The energy within it was much purer and more concentrated than the scattered elemental power in the air. Although absorbing it still felt somewhat difficult, like drinking water through a greasy paper, it was better than nothing. If she could get more of these stones, her recovery speed should be much faster.
Just as Finn was envisioning opening branches all over the continent, and Ling Yao was figuring out how to keep the stone as payment, the creaking wooden door of the shop was knocked on from the outside.
Knock, knock, knock.
The rhythm is clear, carrying a rigid politeness and an unquestionable tone.
Finn's daydream came to an abrupt halt as he looked towards the door in confusion: "Who is it? It's not open for business yet..." he muttered to himself as he walked over and opened the door.
Outside the door stood a female professor, Eleanor Silvers, wearing a meticulously pressed dark professor's robe, gold-rimmed glasses, and with a serious expression as if she were attending a funeral.
Holding a thin record board in her hand, her gaze, like a precise measuring ruler, instantly swept over the empty shop, Ling Yao sitting there playing with stones, and Finn with a bewildered expression.
"Professor Yin... Professor Yinrui?!" Finn was startled and instinctively stood at attention, like a delinquent caught by the headmaster. "You... what brings you here?"
Professor Eleanor's gaze finally settled on Ling Yao. She adjusted her glasses, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. "Mr. Liver, I've received a report that there are potion-making activities here that are not authorized by the Academy and may involve dangerous materials." Her voice was steady and clear, each word sounding meticulously calculated. "According to Article 17 of the Rockefeller Academy of Magical Sciences Safety Management Regulations, I have the right to conduct an on-site inspection."
Her gaze passed over Finn and went directly to Ling Yao: "Furthermore, I have many questions about the non-standard treatment you used before, and its theoretical basis. I hope you can answer them."
Ling Yao stopped tossing the gems. Looking at the imposing, clearly unapproachable female professor at the door, she knew perfectly well—someone looking for trouble had arrived. And not the kind of trouble Silas was causing with threats and violence; this was something far more troublesome, an academic kind of provocation.
Finn panicked and quickly explained, "Professor! You've misunderstood! Miss Ling didn't concoct any dangerous potions! She just... just improved the formula! It works exceptionally well! Look!" As he spoke, he tried to hand over the amber-colored potion in his hand as if presenting a treasure.
Professor Eleanor merely glanced at the potion, not taking it. "Improvement? The so-called improvement of replacing 'Earthroot' with 'Ironthorn'?" Her tone was laced with undisguised skepticism. "Mr. Liver, it seems your potion-making fundamentals need a re-evaluation. The elemental affinity, magical conductivity, and potency stability of these two materials are completely different. Forcibly replacing them will only lead to potency conflicts or even an explosion. This is basic common sense."
“But it really worked! And the results…” Finn tried to argue.
“Effect?” Eleanor interrupted him, her gaze sharpening again as she looked at Ling Yao. “This is precisely what I need to investigate. An ‘effect’ that hasn’t been rigorously tested and repeatedly verified is often a dangerous and uncontrollable illusion. I need to know the specific refining process, the energy channeling method, and… the nature of the power you’re using, which isn’t magic.”
She took a step forward, an invisible, authoritative aura emanating from her: "Please explain how you completed the fusion of the medicinal properties without using any magic circles or incantations? What is the nature of the special energy you injected? How is its stability and safety guaranteed?"
A barrage of professional, precise, and extremely sharp questions came crashing down on Finn. Not only was Finn dizzy from listening, but even Ling Yao, though she couldn't understand the specific words, could sense the relentless, inquisitive tone and expression from the other person's words.
Ling Yao sighed. Troublesome.
She slowly stood up and walked behind the empty "counter"—where Finn's rudimentary potion-making tools and the remaining ironthorns lay.
She picked up an ironthorn plant, pointed to the illustration of "Earthroot" in an open potions book next to her, and then shook her head.
Professor Eleanor frowned: "Are you insisting that Ironthorn can replace Earthroot? Why?"
Ling Yao, of course, couldn't explain in words the subtle differences in quality and applicability between "life essence" and "earth magic". She thought for a moment, then stretched out two fingers, gently pinched the leaf of the ironthorn grass, and a trace of imperceptible fairy power seeped into it.
Then, under the watchful eyes of Eleanor and Finn, the ironthorn that had been somewhat drooping seemed to be infused with some powerful vitality. Its leaves became fuller and more expansive at a speed visible to the naked eye, and their color became deeper, even faintly revealing a layer of warm luster!
Professor Eleanor's pupils constricted! There was no magical fluctuation! But the plant's vitality had indeed been stimulated! This completely violated the "Principles of Activating Magical Plant Activity"!
Ling Yao released her grip, pointed to the illustration of the Earth Root Grass, and shook her head, indicating that the Earth Root Grass couldn't do that. (Actually, advanced nature magic could do it too, but she didn't know; she'd just scoff at it for now.)
Eleanor's brow furrowed even more: "This only proves that you possess a special ability to accelerate the growth of certain plants, not that Ironthorn Grass is suitable for medicinal use! The fusion of medicinal properties requires precise energy ratios and a stable structure..."
Before she could finish speaking, Ling Yao picked up the small copper crucible, threw in a few basic ingredients, and heated it. Her movements were fluid and even somewhat casual, but the timing and amount were incredibly precise.
Eleanor watched her every move intently, trying to find traces of her using magic or some unknown ritual, but to no avail.
At the most crucial step, Ling Yao picked up the ironthorn grass that she had "activated" and prepared to put it into the crucible.
Eleanor couldn't help but exclaim, "Wait! The temperature is too high! Adding the main ingredient now will cause the activity to be lost instantly..." Her common sense about potions was frantically alarming.
Ling Yao seemed not to hear, and with a flick of her wrist, the iron thorn grass fell into the churning medicinal liquid.
Eleanor almost intervened! But the next moment, she saw Ling Yao extend that finger again and point it at the cauldron from a distance!
There was still no magical fluctuation!
But Eleanor's keen mental perception detected that an extremely subtle power, yet carrying a sense of supreme order, suddenly descended and violently intervened in the medicinal energy inside the crucible, which should have begun to clash and run rampant!
That wasn't guidance, that wasn't reconciliation, that was more like... an order! It was forced suppression and assimilation!
The liquid medicine in the crucible churned violently for a moment, then quickly calmed down, its color gradually changing to a warm amber hue, emitting a rich medicinal aroma.
The whole process was incredibly fast, completely overturning Eleanor's knowledge of the traditional potion-making process, which required careful control of the heat, slow infusion of magic, and chanting of spells to stabilize the structure!
Ling Yao picked up a new bottle, filled it with the medicine, pushed it in front of Professor Eleanor, and then gestured for her to try it.
Eleanor stared at the bottle of potion, her expression incredibly complex. As a rigorous professor of potions, she would never easily try a potion of unknown origin with such a bizarre concoction process. But as a scholar, the perfectly blended medicinal properties and the harmonious aroma were irresistibly tempting.
Ultimately, the scholar's curiosity outweighed her caution towards the unknown (or rather, her confidence in her own immunity and first-aid skills). She took a deep breath, picked up the bottle, and carefully took a small sip.
The potion entered her throat, a warm, soothing sensation spreading throughout. As a potion expert, she could appreciate its extraordinary qualities even more clearly than Finn—its effects were gentle yet long-lasting, its absorption efficiency extremely high, and its burden on the body minimal, far surpassing standard basic stamina potions on the market!
How... how is this possible?! Using the worst materials, the simplest tools, and such a crude refining method, how could such a quality potion be made?
Her worldview was shaken like never before!
“This…this doesn’t conform to the theory of elemental resonance…” Eleanor muttered to herself, as if she were deeply perplexed. “Without magical guidance, how did the medicinal properties remain stable and blend? The power you injected at the end…it…it seemed to forcibly dictate the ‘order’ of the medicinal properties?”
She suddenly looked up, her gaze fixed intently on Ling Yao, even more fervent than before: "That's not magic! What is it then? Is it a completely new energy system? What are its operating rules? Tell me quickly!"
Ling Yao: "..." She looked at the female professor in front of her, who seemed ready to pounce on her and dissect her at any moment, and helplessly shrugged. How should she explain it? Explain true energy to her? Explain the roles of the ruler, minister, assistant, and envoy in alchemy? Explain the rules of the Heavenly Dao? It would be like talking to a brick wall; this was practically interspecies communication.
She could only point again to the bottle of medicine, then to herself, and shake her head. —The process doesn't matter, as long as the result is good. Don't ask, it's a secret formula.
Professor Eleanor clearly couldn't accept this answer. She stepped forward, her voice rapid, "This is impossible! Every effect must be supported by a corresponding principle! Your method violates the existing fundamental theories of magic! Unless you can prove the existence of your theory, this is an unrepeatable, dangerous coincidence!"
Ling Yao raised an eyebrow. Prove it? How? Should she be given a lecture on the *Tao Te Ching* or *An Introduction to Daoist Alchemy* right now?
One of them was as excited as if he had discovered a new continent, while the other was as calm as if he were dealing with a naughty child. They were talking at cross purposes and couldn't reach an agreement.
Finn watched in stunned silence, cold sweat pouring down his face. He felt that Professor Yinrui was about to have an academic duel with Miss Ling at any moment (although one of them was completely on a different wavelength).
Just then, Ling Yao seemed to get a little annoyed by Eleanor's stubbornness. She suddenly reached out and picked up a piece of cheap parchment that Finn used for drafting and a charcoal pencil from the side.
Under Eleanor and Finn's questioning gazes, she recalled the simplest basic magic circle pattern used to stabilize the potion's properties that she had seen while flipping through the potion book earlier.
Then, with her wrist suspended in the air, she used her fingers as a brush and that meager amount of magical power as ink, and with a few swift strokes, she "draw" an identical magic circle on the parchment!
The lines drawn by the immortal power shimmered with a faint light, incredibly precise, even more so than those printed in the book!
Eleanor was taken aback. She recognized the magic circle; it was the most basic "micro-stabilization circle," often used at the end of the refining of basic potions, requiring the injection of a small amount of magic to activate it.
But before she could react, Ling Yao's fingers didn't stop!
She casually added a few strokes to that standard magic circle! She added a few lines that completely deviated from the principles of traditional magic circle science and looked superfluous and awkward!
In Eleanor's eyes, this was blasphemy! It was like scribbling on a perfect work of art! This alteration would completely disrupt the energy flow, causing the formation to malfunction or even backfire!
“What are you doing! This is completely wrong! The energy nodes will be blocked…” Eleanor couldn’t help but exclaim.
But her voice stopped abruptly.
Because Ling Yao had already completed the modifications, and casually injected a wisp of immortal power into the magic circle that she had modified, which looked rather incongruous.
The formation was instantly illuminated!
However, instead of collapsing and exploding as Eleanor had predicted, it emitted a... softer, more stable light! Its stabilizing effect seemed to be even slightly stronger than the original formation!
Professor Eleanor froze on the spot, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly agape, as if she had seen the most unbelievable thing in the world.
Her mind went blank.
The standard theory has been overturned.
Common sense has been shattered.
At this moment, the entire knowledge she had acquired throughout her life was shattered by a few casual scribbles from the other party, creating a crack in it.
Ling Yao put down the charcoal pencil, clapped her hands, and felt a little better seeing the other person's expression of existential doubt.
Compared to the intricate and profound array patterns in alchemy, the magic circles in this world are like a child's simple drawing. They can be modified a few times and used; what's the big deal?
You can't stand this? If you saw what was engraved in our alchemy furnace, wouldn't your Dao heart collapse on the spot?
An eerie silence fell over the shop. Only Professor Eleanor's heavy breathing and the cracking sound of a worldview shattering could be heard (or perhaps it was just an illusion).
Finn glanced at the petrified professor, then at Ling Yao who looked like she was doing "basic stuff," and silently swallowed.
He felt that Miss Ling's shop was unlikely to be quiet from now on.
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