Translator: CinderTL
After the first class of Combat Class Three concluded, Feng Qi had gained a preliminary understanding of his eleven students.
Some were merely using Star City Academy as a stepping stone, intending to be reclaimed by their respective factions upon graduation.
Others, like Xu Hongyun, Yang Xiaoxin, and Cai Guo, aspired to achieve greatness through their own efforts.
The most apathetic was the monk, whose sole purpose was to coast through his days.
The most enigmatic remained Liu Yue, who had yet to reveal his true motives for attending Star City Academy.
As the students dispersed after the first class, Feng Qi kept Le Ping'an behind.
Observing the shy and bashful Le Ping'an, he smiled and asked, "Ping'an, can you brew a Spirit Potion similar to Merit Wine?"
Le Ping'an immediately shook his head. "I've studied the ingredients of Merit Wine. It's incredibly complex, requiring hundreds of Spirit Materials to be mixed and refined. At the very least, a High-Tier or Special-Tier Spirit Pharmacist would be needed to prepare it."
After a moment of silence, Le Ping'an asked curiously, "Teacher Feng, do you have a need for such a potion?"
Feng Qi nodded.
"I usually spend a lot on spirit materials for my cultivation, so I need a spirit pharmacist like you to help. But I won't take advantage of you for free. I'll compensate you with funds or other means."
Le Ping'an nodded shyly.
"I can't brew Merit Wine, but I'm capable of formulating other Energy Potions. Teacher, what's your approximate budget? I can give it a try."
"There's no fixed budget. Just aim for the best cost-effectiveness you can manage. Let's add each other as contacts first, and then you can send me the materials list later."
"Alright, no problem."
After exchanging contact information with Le Ping'an, Feng Qi returned straight to his dormitory.
Sitting at his desk, he pondered Liu Yue's description of the mysterious girl, wondering why Liu Yue had called her a "miracle."
As he pondered, Mu Yao suddenly came to mind.
In historical records, she was an enigmatic figure, her origins unknown, as if she had materialized out of thin air.
Feng Qi suspected she might have come from the Heaven-Reaching Road.
Judging by her appearance alone, she fit the description of a "girl" perfectly. Whether she had lived for an exceptionally long time, however, remained a mystery to him.
Lost in thought, a bouncing avatar frame appeared in the lower right corner of the screen.
Clicking it open revealed a message from Le Ping'an, attached to a document titled "Clear Heart Wine." Opening the document revealed a detailed spreadsheet listing the required Spirit Materials.
He hadn't expected Le Ping'an to be so efficient, already compiling the list.
After quickly scanning the Spirit Material names, he opened a shopping website to calculate the total cost.
Moments later, he had his answer: brewing a batch of Clear Heart Wine would cost approximately 1.2 million.
With his dwindling savings, he clearly couldn't afford the materials right now.
After a moment of silence, he pulled out his phone and dialed Bai Fusheng's number.
The phone rang several times before Bai Fusheng's cheerful laughter came through the line.
"Xiao Qi, what can I do for you?"
"Grandmaster, I wanted to discuss something with you."
"Go ahead. As long as it's not about making you principal, everything's negotiable."
"What about vice-principal?"
"I'm hanging up if you don't have anything serious to say," Bai Fusheng snapped irritably.
"Wait! Actually, I just wanted to request an advance on the 3 million Tiger Soul Concept Competition prize money," Feng Qi said, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Advance your prize money? You really think you've already won the championship?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Bai Fusheng sounded helpless over the phone, faced with Feng Qi's unwavering confidence. He wanted to argue, but the truth was undeniable: the Human Body Deity Seeding Concept's victory was practically guaranteed.
After a long silence, he spoke again:
"Even though I'm certain you'll win, don't think being the principal means I can do whatever I want. The three million can indeed be awarded to you as a bonus after you secure the championship, but the academy's funding allocations require reporting to higher authorities. If I advance the money now, what justification would I use? It would essentially be using public funds for personal gain."
Feng Qi was speechless. He hadn't considered this at all. While the championship was practically in his grasp, Bai Fusheng couldn't report it until the victory was officially secured.
Just as Feng Qi was about to give up, Bai Fusheng's voice came through again:
"We have a batch of infrastructure upgrade funds being allocated soon. How about I divert three million to you now, and you can replenish it after you win the championship?"
"Isn't this using public funds for personal gain?" Feng Qi asked, stunned, struggling to follow Bai Fusheng's train of thought.
"Just tell me if you want it or not!"
"Will taking this money delay the academy's construction progress?"
"No, 3 million won't make much of a difference. Besides, this sum was originally scheduled to be paid after the final inspection, which is still a month or two away. So don't worry about it."
"Then I'll take it. Thank you for your consideration, Grandmaster!"
Moments later, Feng Qi received 3 million credits under the name of Star City Academy.
The memo read: "Specialized track maintenance and upgrades for Star City Academy's athletic field."
Originally, this sum was intended for the outsourced construction company.
But now, it had landed in his own pocket.
He knew Bai Fusheng had taken considerable risks to make this happen, and he felt deeply moved.
After receiving the funds, he opened a shopping website and systematically added the Spirit Materials to his cart, following the list provided by Le Ping'an.
By the time he had cleared his cart, he had spent a total of 1.21 million credits.
With all that done, night had fallen outside his window.
After contacting Lin Ran, he left his dormitory and headed straight to the Academy Cafeteria.
After dinner, he chose to spend the rest of the evening studying with Lin Ran in the library until the early hours of the morning before returning to his dormitory.
The next morning, Feng Qi received eight express delivery packages.
After contacting Le Ping'an, he brought the packages to Le Ping'an's dormitory room.
When he knocked, Le Ping'an opened the door, dressed in slippers and blue pajamas.
"Teacher Feng, come in."
Feng Qi nodded with a smile and stepped into the room.
Le Ping'an's room layout was identical to Feng Qi's own dormitory, except for the four small mechanical instruments arranged inside.
Sensing Feng Qi's curiosity, Le Ping'an immediately explained:
"These instruments are essential tools for spirit pharmacists. They're used for refining, pulverizing, blending, and measuring. Without these machines to assist, it would be quite difficult for me to prepare Spirit Materials using only my hands."
Hearing Le Ping'an's explanation, Feng Qi nodded in understanding.
He had a general understanding of spirit pharmacists. When blending Spirit Potions, precise measurement was crucial.
Adding too much of a single Spirit Material could turn the potion into a deadly poison, hence the need for various mechanical instruments to assist.
However, some exceptional spirit pharmacists had completely mastered the art and no longer required any mechanical assistance.
With just a glance and a quick weigh in their hands, they could accurately estimate the quantity of Spirit Materials.
As for the age and medicinal efficacy of the materials, a keen eye and a discerning nose were all that was needed. Top-tier spirit pharmacists were akin to living detection instruments.
After Le Ping'an had unpacked all the parcels, the dormitory filled with a rich medicinal aroma.
"Teacher Feng, the process for brewing Clear Heart Wine isn't complicated. Would you like me to teach you?"
Feng Qi paused, surprised. "Simple?"
"Actually, the complexity of being a spirit pharmacist lies mainly in mastering a vast amount of knowledge. But for a single-formula concoction like this, it's not difficult. Once you understand the steps and have the right measuring instruments, it's quite straightforward."
Hearing Le Ping'an's explanation, Feng Qi's interest was immediately piqued.
If he could learn this himself, he wouldn't have to bother Le Ping'an every time.
For the next few hours, he began learning how to mix Spirit Potions under Le Ping'an's guidance. Throughout the process, Le Ping'an explained each step with meticulous detail, showing not the slightest hint of impatience.
Feng Qi studied with great diligence, never hesitating to ask questions whenever he was unsure. He felt no embarrassment about seeking clarification.
Through their interactions, the initial awkwardness between them gradually dissipated.
After three hours of meticulous preparation, a blue liquid flowed from the Pharmacist Auxiliary Instruments, dripping through a flexible tube into a pre-prepared glass bottle.
Moments later, a rich medicinal aroma filled the room, spreading and permeating the air.
"The Spirit Materials for Clear Heart Wine contain Drunken Fragrance Fruit, so this potion's potency should be quite high. Teacher Feng, please consume it in moderation and avoid overindulging," Le Ping'an advised earnestly, handing Feng Qi the glass bottle.
"Thank you," Feng Qi replied with an immediate nod of gratitude.
"You're welcome. I'll need your guidance on cultivation studies in the future, so please don't mind me bothering you," Le Ping'an said with a bashful smile.
"How could I mind? I love having students who are eager to learn."
As they chatted casually, the barrier between student and teacher dissolved completely.
After finishing the Clear Heart Wine, Feng Qi bid farewell to Le Ping'an and returned to his dormitory.
Sitting at his desk, he gazed at the blue liquid in the glass bottle and decided to try it immediately.
He unscrewed the cap and took a swig.
The blue liquid burst with a chilling sensation as it entered his mouth, sliding down his throat and instantly piercing his heart with cold. He couldn't help but shiver.
The energy progress bar, which had been reset to zero during his last entry into the Dream Realm, began to tick upward, slowly rising from 0.8% until it stopped at 4.7%.
Without hesitation, he gulped down the rest of the Clear Heart Wine.
As an icy chill spread through his body, the energy progress bar surged upward at a rate of 0.5% per second.
Within minutes, the cold receded, and the energy progress bar reached 175.9%, a total increase of 175.1%.
A single Dusk Wolf Rune Crystal, costing 880,000 credits, typically replenished about 100% of his energy progress bar, meaning each 1% cost roughly 8,800 credits.
The Clear Heart Wine, priced at 1.25 million credits, provided a 175% energy boost, making each 1% cost approximately 6,900 credits.
While it couldn't compare to Merit Wine, the Clear Heart Wine offered a significant improvement over consuming raw rune crystals.
Having discovered a cost-effective method, a smile spread across his face.
Under Le Ping'an's guidance, he had already grasped the basic brewing process for Clear Heart Wine. After a few more lessons, he planned to purchase his own set of Pharmacist Auxiliary Instruments and brew the wine himself in the future.
With this in mind, he searched online for the prices of Pharmacist Auxiliary Instruments.
A primary-level set wasn't too expensive, costing just over 400,000.
Considering the long-term benefits, it was a worthwhile investment.
While still under the hazy intoxication of the Clear Heart Wine, Feng Qi immediately lay down on his bed.
This time, his Future Line involved joining the Scarlet Research Institute to uncover its secrets.
He had already prepared four research findings in the domain of biological sciences for this purpose.
With his plan meticulously laid out, there was no need for further deliberation. He decided to enter the Dream Realm immediately to investigate.
Just before drifting off, he couldn't help but chuckle and ask:
"Narrator, time to clock in. Excited?"
Excited my ass! I'm calling in sick!
"Request denied."
Pfft!
(End of the Chapter)