The preparation for Yang Ying's batch of decoction was far from smooth. He delegated all the intricate, precise processing to his assistant robot. This liquid-state android performed this part flawlessly, capable of operating with three heads and six arms simultaneously, its pace no slower than Yang Ying's.

In fact, due to its greater familiarity with the laboratory and all the high-tech equipment than Yang Ying, its efficiency was slightly superior.

However, when Yang Ying personally began the spiritual refinement of the semi-finished product, issues arose. The process of guiding the active components within the agent through reaction using mental power failed over ten consecutive times.

Yang Ying utilized every technique he had learned from Tis'a during the entrance examination, yet he still could not induce the reaction to occur, resulting only in numerous inert components that ruined the entire batch.

Fortunately, since the volume used in each attempt was minimal, the loss was also small, negating the need to return to the precision processing section for a rerun.

Yang Ying paused for a moment, deep in thought. This newly learned decoction felt elusive; perhaps it was because he had only memorized the formula and preparation process. While he knew the necessary precautions during formulation, he possessed only theoretical mastery, and practical application involved nuances not covered in the theory.

Different agents, based on their constituent ingredients, demanded distinct methods of spiritual processing. Although the Advanced Gene Stimulant and the Primary Longevity Agent were both Level Seven agents, their compositions were worlds apart. According to the Imperial Pharmacological Classification System, the Primary Longevity Agent fell under Level Seven, Class Four, while the Advanced Gene Stimulant was Level Seven, Class Seven. The difficulty of its spiritual processing was already approaching that of some Level Eight agents.

The Imperial Pharmacological Classification System was quite intriguing. Level One agents had only one class, while Level Two agents were divided into two classes, Level Three into three classes, and so on.

Thus, Level Seven agents had seven classes, with preparation difficulty increasing sequentially from Class One to Class Seven. Classes One through Three could be entirely manufactured using precision processing, but from Level Seven, Class Four upwards, spiritual processing became mandatory. The higher the grade and class, the more demanding the spiritual processing requirements.

Therefore, when Tis'a mentioned during the entrance exam that the Primary Longevity Agent was the most fundamental decoction requiring spiritual processing, it was entirely accurate.

Be that as it may, a few failures did not deter Yang Ying; instead, they focused him further. Encountering failure was perfectly normal when conducting scientific experiments. At this moment, he felt an even stronger urge to synthesize the agent. He once more used his mental force to draw up two drops of the solution from the small cup and recommenced the spiritual processing.

Diligence pays off. As the one-hour rental period neared its end, a faint, ethereal blue light suddenly burst forth before Yang Ying. Although the light was not intensely bright, it possessed a dazzling quality capable of seeming to draw the very soul into it.

Success!

Yang Ying thought to himself. According to the description in the formula, when the agent emitted this light, it meant the synthesis was very likely complete.

For Yang Ying, he had long since mastered the ability of memory recall; every attempt at preparation remained vividly imprinted. After this initial success, any subsequent attempt at the same formulation would become second nature.

"Your rental time for this laboratory has expired. Would you like to renew?" the assistant robot inquired.

"No need," Yang Ying set down what he was holding and exited the virtual laboratory.

Standing up from the mat, Yang Ying opened the door to his small room. Almost simultaneously, the door to the adjacent small room was opened by Laiya.

"Cadet Igor, what were your results?" Laiya asked, a confident smile gracing her features, preempting him.

"Not bad, I suppose," Yang Ying stretched his limbs. "If I hadn't known it was a simulated world, I might genuinely have believed that body was real. Inside, I synthesized another agent, one I just learned about in the library."

Laiya raised an eyebrow and laughed, "That’s right. These virtual labs, like the one we used for the exam, are highly realistic simulations. Although this one is a bit smaller in area, the equipment is richer and more advanced. It allows for greater freedom of action. It’s truly a superb place. Also, let me tell you, I synthesized two new agents in there—one more than you! They are also things I just learned about in the library, and both are Level Seven, Class Five agents, a step beyond what we used in the exam!"

She felt a surge of pride, thinking that in this area, she had finally surpassed Igor by a measure. In her estimation, when Igor came to test new agents, he would generally choose either a Level Seven, Class Four agent, the same as in the exam, or follow her lead and select a Level Seven, Class Five agent incrementally. What she didn't know was that Yang Ying, driven by pure interest, had directly targeted a Level Seven, Class Seven agent for synthesis.

Yang Ying perceived her line of thinking in her eyes and inwardly chuckled, sighing to himself, "Alas, it's not that I didn't want to try a few more batches, but the Advanced Gene Stimulant is just too complex. Even pushing myself to the limit, I barely managed to complete it as the hour concluded. I reached my limit."

"Reached my limit," Laiya repeated stiffly, the stark contrast leaving her momentarily unable to process it. She uttered the phrase through clenched teeth, shooting Yang Ying a fierce glare, "Why didn't you say so sooner? Why choose a Level Seven, Class Seven agent?"

She made me look like such a fool!

Laiya's "fury" was entirely a facade to conceal her embarrassment. A Level Seven, Class Seven agent was undeniably more difficult than a Level Seven, Class Five agent. Her earlier boasting in front of Igor now made her feel like a clown. What a lapse in composure! Would Igor be secretly mocking her?

"Interest, ah. Just sheer interest," Yang Ying laughed it off. "Shall we check out another place?"

"Forget it," Laiya turned her head away. "Go walk by yourself if you want. I'm not your keeper. Why should I wait for you? I think this place is great. I plan to continue experimenting with new formulas here. See you next time!"

With that, she didn't wait for Yang Ying's reply. Her figure flashed, and she darted back into her small room, the automatic door hissing shut.

Yang Ying watched her retreat and shook his head slightly. For some inexplicable reason, he suddenly thought of the Masters at the Earth's Psionic Temple. Though both were Third Level experts, Laiya’s personality was passionate and vivacious, lacking guile; she spoke whatever came to mind. The Psionic Masters, however, were always composed elders, preferring language rich in wisdom and philosophical depth. The contrast between them was truly vast.

Laiya was a true human; power came easily, her cultivation faced no bottlenecks, and she had never endured war. Judging by her demeanor, she must have grown up sheltered by her family. Masters like Pang Qian, on the other hand, achieved breakthroughs through arduous practice, tempered by conflicts and wars, witnessing countless instances of life’s partings and farewells. How could the two be compared?

Yang Ying gave a faint smile and turned to leave. He himself was no different. Apart from the difficulty in breaking through the bottleneck to the Third Level, everything else had gone smoothly. He hadn't even cultivated his own Psionic Power, making his path far easier than that of a true human. In that case, how was he supposed to break through to the Fourth Level?

Holding this thought, Yang Ying lost the inclination to wander further. He left the experimental building and returned to the library, hoping to find his answers within knowledge.

For the next few days, Yang Ying remained immersed in the library. After all, his physical body was transcendent; abstaining from food, drink, or sleep was not an issue for him.

The knowledge the academy currently opened to him peaked only at the Seventh Level. Yang Ying required about two to three hours to read one small orb representing Seventh Level knowledge.

Frankly, this rate was terrifying to those around him.

Here, it took Second Level cadets anywhere from two to three days to over ten days to read and absorb a single piece of Seventh Level knowledge. No one devoured knowledge orbs like Yang Ying—one after another, like eating meals. Not even ordinary peak Third Level experts could match this speed!

Consequently, within a few days, Yang Ying became famous in the library.

Laiya visited a few times during this period. She apologized for her outburst in the experimental building, and Yang Ying, not taking it to heart, readily accepted the apology, letting the matter drop.

Later, other freshmen from the pharmacy department began to arrive, including Dimas and Dannan.

Dimas was another bookworm. Since entering the library, he hadn't left. He was a taciturn fellow; apart from a brief greeting when he first encountered Yang Ying, he never initiated any further conversation.

As for Dannan, he hadn't yet obtained the Top-Tier Gene Stimulant and remained an ordinary person. A life without eating, drinking, or sleeping was still a distant prospect for him. Nevertheless, he utilized every spare moment to enrich himself. Lacking Psionic Power, his reading speed was painfully slow—like a snail compared to Yang Ying and Dimas. Furthermore, what he read, he easily forgot, needing to review material several times to retain it. Of course, for an ordinary person, his memory was already genius-level.

From a macroscopic perspective, the cultivation of the empire's people was generally good. However, not everyone adhered to this standard. After Dannan frequented the library, some patrons noticed he was just an ordinary person and began muttering disparaging remarks, which eventually escalated to outright harassment.

Coincidentally, Yang Ying, Dimas, and Laiya were all present that day. Seeing what was happening, they didn't say much but stepped in to resolve the situation for him.

Dannan's tormentors were cadets, some even from higher grades, none of whom had reached Third Level Psionic Power. Yang Ying merely unleashed a crackling arc of electricity in front of them, sending them fleeing in terror.

It was evident that these harassers were not influential figures; their grades were mediocre. They acted out of imbalance because someone like Dannan, an ordinary person, could be admitted to the academy. Those who truly held sway within the academy would never bother an ordinary person like Dannan.

Following this incident, the group became more familiar with each other, and as days passed, the official start of the semester drew near.