The True Value of the Muscle-Building Potion

Seeing Li Ang's face full of confusion, utterly at a loss, Eve continued explaining:

"Li Ang, you still seem not to realize what exactly the potion you created means."

She paused, seemingly organizing her thoughts on how to make this extraordinarily gifted yet common-born apprentice understand its significance.

"You call it a Muscle-Building Potion? That is far too shallow." Eve shook her head slightly as she explained:

"For any species, skeletal density, muscle density, the number of times its cells can divide, and so on are all engraved into its level of life. Though individuals may vary, they will never exceed the limits imposed by that level of life."

Her gaze deepened. "Though your potion's effects are still very weak, its essence is guiding life to break through its own level and evolve toward a higher one."

"Evolve?" Li Ang repeated instinctively, his heart suddenly pounding.

"That's right. Evolve." Eve confirmed it, her tone carrying an inseparable worry.

"Do you know what that means? In this era when the gods have withdrawn from the earth, the major races of the continent—humans, elves, dwarves, beastmen, even the sea folk and those things underground—our life forms and the upper limits of our power have stagnated for tens of thousands of years."

At this point, Eve abruptly changed the subject and asked:

"Li Ang, do you know who the strongest wizards in human history were?"

Li Ang nodded. "Legendary Wizard Riley Serta, and Legendary Wizard Big Takara..."

Even a foolish village chief's son like him knew of these great legends in human history.

Eve stared directly at Li Ang and said, word by word, "Then do you know that these legends, after exhausting the efforts of their entire lives, could ultimately reach only Level 6?"

Li Ang seemed to understand. "Mentor, you mean that even spiritual power is constrained by one's level of life? Humans can only ever reach Level 6 at most?"

Eve nodded. "Not just humans. Most races are limited by their level of life and can only reach Level 6. So tell me—how do you think those humans and nonhumans, trapped at their level of life and unable to take another step forward, would treat you?"

A chill shot up Li Ang's spine. In an instant, he understood what Eve meant.

He would be fought over by every faction. And if they could not seize him, they would never allow anyone else to seize him either.

"This is only the first reason." Eve did not give him time to feel lingering fear, and continued:

"The second is the Cold Extraction Method you created. This method has completely overturned the foundation of the current potion system. It is a path... a brand-new path sufficient to let you join the ranks of legendary wizards and become a grandmaster of potions for a generation."

Eve's tone turned incomparably solemn. "But this path has also become the deadliest threat to your life. Do you know of the Dark Witch World?"

Li Ang shook his head blankly. The name was utterly unfamiliar to him. After all, Carter Village was merely a remote little village, and the Carlson Family were less nobles than they were simply village chiefs.

Seeing Li Ang shake his head, Eve showed an expression of exactly what she had expected and explained:

"It is an underground organization outside the Wizards' Alliance, made up of exiles, seekers of taboos, and all kinds of wizards who believe in the laws of darkness and chaos."

"They hate the Wizards' Alliance beyond measure and will never permit a new legendary wizard to emerge from the Alliance."

"Once your Cold Extraction Method is revealed at the competition, it will inevitably draw their attention. What awaits you then will be endless assassinations, or... a compulsory invitation. The Alliance will also do everything in its power to protect you, but who can guarantee that no flaw will appear?"

Li Ang nodded. He understood Eve's meaning. "I understand, Mentor. Thank you for your instruction."

Seeing that Li Ang understood her meaning, more than half the worry in Eve's heart dissipated, and her tone returned to its cool detachment.

"Mm. Oh, right. If it is only the competition, your Compound Stabilizer will be enough to win the championship."

Li Ang nodded, considering whether he should prepare some Stone Root Grass extract in advance. After all, the competition time limit was only two hours.

Seeing Li Ang being so obedient, Eve felt much more at ease. Earlier, she had worried that a genius youth like him might disregard her warnings, or worse, be tricked away by those dark witches.

Once she relaxed, the little cat in her heart began scratching again...

Seeing Eve's hesitant, half-spoken expression, Li Ang's heart tightened. He did not know what was wrong again. Could there be some other danger...

"Mentor... just say it. No matter what dangers remain, I will not be afraid." Li Ang tried to make his tone sound as confident as possible, though he was actually somewhat flustered inside.

Eve hesitated for a moment, then slowly spoke as if she had made some decision:

"You must have been working very hard lately. You should also remember to balance work and rest."

Huh? What did she mean? Li Ang was completely baffled.

Was it merely a casual expression of concern? If that was all, why had she been hemming and hawing?

Suddenly, inspiration flashed through Li Ang's mind, and he roughly understood what Mentor Eve meant. He asked tentatively:

"Yes, Mentor. But the way I relax is by writing novels. Once I have a new work, may I ask you to take a look?"

"Mm, you may." Eve agreed in a seemingly casual breath.

Uh, that answer had been awfully quick and decisive. It seemed his mentor truly liked reading novels.

After bidding farewell to Mentor Eve, he went to the workshop and casually accepted several commissions to brew Underwater Breathing Potions.

This potion was not difficult, and the reward was decent as well. In one afternoon, he earned five silver coins.

That evening, Li Ang returned to his dormitory and began turning the stories in his mind into the continuation of his knight novel.

Battle Qi, Strange Flame, Flame Mantra—there was no need to change anything. He could use them directly...

At three in the morning, Li Ang yawned. Looking at the novel before him, which already had more than twenty chapters written, he nodded in satisfaction and decided to call it a day.

Li Ang lay on his bed and quickly drifted into dreamland.

"Bang, bang, bang."

A burst of thoroughly impolite knocking shattered the morning's tranquility and violently dragged Li Ang out of his sweet dream.

"Who is it?" Li Ang shot upright in bed, an inexplicable rage rushing straight to his head.

There had been no classes these past few days, and his competition entry was already complete. Li Ang had planned to sleep in today, then write some more of his novel after waking up.

Frowning, he hastily pulled on his gray robe. Filled with the irritation of having been woken up, he yanked open the door, ready to see which blind fool it was.

However, the corridor outside was empty. There was not a single person in sight.

"What the..." Li Ang's anger turned to confusion. He stuck his head out and looked around, but there was still no one nearby. Could this be some bastard's prank?

Just then, a crisp voice rang out, though it was clearly filled with displeasure:

"Hey, look down, you rude human whose hair looks like a bird's nest after sleeping."