Li Wen's eyes briefly stayed on the two apprentices, then moved away as if nothing had happened, and continued to pace slowly between the bookshelves.
Sunday Secret College is a stubborn and conservative association, as people often jokingly call it: the temple collects faith, while Arcane Academy monopolizes knowledge. This is not entirely correct, but it is not a fallacy either.
Normally, if Sunday Secret College students want to climb up in this pyramid, talent, hard work, and family background are all indispensable. For the vast majority of ordinary apprentices like the two people in front of them, "learning points" are the only currency they can use to exchange knowledge.
Completing the topics assigned by the instructor, assisting in research in the Arcane Academy's workshop, completing designated tasks for the association... all of these can be exchanged for varying amounts of learning points. These learning points can be used to borrow more advanced books, use more sophisticated alchemy equipment, and even obtain private guidance from high-level magicians.
While this system ensured that knowledge would not be easily leaked out, it also spawned an almost cruel internal competition.
For Li Wen, this is both an obstacle and an opportunity.
It is impossible for her to enter the interior of the Arcane Academy through formal channels, let alone come into contact with the core area where clues to "Book of Truth" may be stored. This is the same even if she moves out of Marymana. But if you just want to check some side books about the ancient Giant race myth or Death Cult, you may not need such high permissions. In other words, why should she sneak into the Arcane Academy as a student.
She casually pulled out a book and walked slowly past the two apprentices. The moment they passed each other, she pretended to whisper casually at a volume that only the three of them could hear.
"The difficulty of Aether Flow Sculpting has never been how to guide the flow of ether, but how to stabilize the medium carrying ether. If you just blindly pursue the speed and accuracy of shaping, no matter how many times you try, the result will only be a collapse. This is a common mistake made by beginners."
After saying that, she continued walking forward without looking back, as if what she just said was just an unconscious murmur to herself.
The complaints of the two apprentices stopped abruptly. They looked at each other with a bit of shock and vigilance on their faces.
"Hey, wait! Stop!" The younger, more impulsive apprentice quickly caught up and stopped in front of Li Wen. He looked up and down at the figure in front of him who was completely shrouded in a cloak, with a hint of the Arcane Academy apprentice's arrogance and offended displeasure in his tone, "Who are you? How dare you eavesdrop on our conversation, and still talk nonsense here!"
Li Wen stopped and raised her head calmly. The shadow of the hood covered most of her face, revealing only a white lower jaw and straight curved lips.
"I just happened to hear it and said the truth casually." Her voice was flat, without any emotion.
"You!" The young apprentice choked at her neither humble nor arrogant attitude. He was about to have a fit when his companion who followed behind him held his shoulders down.
The older apprentice's expression was much calmer. He first signaled to his companions to be calm, and then looked at Li Wen. Although his tone was polite, the scrutiny and suspicion in his eyes did not diminish at all.
"Your Excellency, I don't know... what you just said seems to be very insightful about Aether Flow Sculpting. This is not an area that ordinary magic enthusiasts can understand."
"I am not a magician." Li Wen's answer was beyond their expectations. "I am an alchemist, from Sigrut. My teacher is Master Libavius. Maybe you have heard of his name. He has made some achievements in the field of potion refining and Array Studies."
Libavius?
The two apprentices looked at each other again, and both saw confusion in each other's eyes. They had never heard of the name. But this is not surprising. The world of magic and alchemy is vast, and there are so many legendary figures outside of Arthur. It is normal for low-level apprentices like them who cannot even enter the literature room on the second floor of the Arcane Academy to not know.
Because of this, they dare not question easily. If the other party is really a disciple of a certain hidden master, and they offend him rashly, they will not only lose their own face, but also damage the image of Sunday Secret College. But in other words, it would be too stupid for them to believe it easily. Who knows if this is a lie made up by some swindler.
For a moment, the atmosphere fell into a subtle stalemate.
Finally, it was the older apprentice who broke the silence. He pondered for a moment, seemed to have made up his mind, took a step forward, and bowed slightly to Li Wen, his attitude was much more respectful than before.
"It turns out that you are Master Libavius's disciple. I'm sorry." He said politely at first, and then changed the topic, "To be honest with you, I have been troubled by a difficult problem in potions recently. Since you are the disciple of Master Libavius, can you help me clarify it?"
This is undoubtedly a test. If the other party cannot answer, then her identity as a liar will be destroyed.
Li Wen did not answer immediately, but looked at him quietly, as if waiting for him to continue.
The older apprentice took a deep breath and said slowly, "When I try to refine 'Sun Dew Potion', I always fail at the last step. According to the ancient formula, when the juice of 'Light-Perching Grass' is mixed with the refined 'Serpent Vulture Blood' When the solvent is mixed, the potion should appear clear and golden. But every time I try, a large amount of white crystals will precipitate instantly, causing the potion to lose its effectiveness. I have consulted many books and consulted several scholars, but I can't find the problem."
After he finished speaking, he stared at Li Wen closely, waiting for her answer. This problem has been bothering him for nearly a month, and even caused him to miss the registration for the promotion assessment.
The young apprentice also watched nervously. Although he did not understand potions, he also knew that this problem should be difficult to a certain extent, otherwise his companions would not be so distressed.
Li Wen When he heard "Sun Dew Potion" and "Light-Perching Grass", he already had the answer in his heart. In the vast knowledge of "Emerald Tablet", there is the most detailed and essential explanation of the interactive reaction of magic materials.
"Old recipes always omit some common sense steps, because at that time, all alchemists understood certain truths. The failure of Sun Dew Potion is not due to wrong materials or inappropriate proportions, but due to your ignorance of the nature of the materials."
Her voice was not loud, but it echoed clearly among the bookshelves, causing the expressions of the two apprentices to freeze at the same time.
"The essence of Light-Perching Grass is 'light', which is pure and sensitive and cannot tolerate the slightest bit of Impurities. And Serpent Vulture Blood, even after the most rigorous refinement, is still the filthy thing of Mortal World." Li Wen slowly explained, and every word she said seemed to contain some kind of undoubted truth, "If you touch the turbidity with light, the result will inevitably be precipitation. The white crystals you see are the remains of the 'light' that was forcibly stripped out of the potion after it was contaminated."
The older apprentice was stunned. He subconsciously repeated Li Wen's words in his mind. The blood on his face faded at a speed visible to the naked eye, and was replaced by a paleness as if he was enlightened. He had never thought about the problem from this perspective. All the books he read and all the mentors he asked just told him to follow the steps of the recipe, but no one ever explained to him the principles behind the steps.
"Then... how to solve it?" He almost blurted out, with an unconcealable awe and inquiry in his tone.
"Before mixing, you need to use moonstone powder as a medium to 'solidify' the juice of Light-Perching Grass." Li Wen gave the answer, "Or, place it under the full moon overnight to soothe its activity. In this way, you can ensure that it will not produce strong repulsion when mixed with Serpent Vulture Blood."
As soon as the words fell, the entire corner fell into deathly silence.