Before Yang Ying’s eyes, the void revealed strange herbs being forcefully expelled of their moisture, flattened into thin sheets. Intense heat scorched them, causing internal transformations.

Magical ores were pulverized by psychic ultrasound into fine dust, yet this powder remained strangely suspended in the air.

There were also all manner of bizarre creatures; their viscera were squeezed dry, their bones leached of marrow, hard horns ground to dust, and hair soaked in expensive reagents, with effective components extracted to the molecular level by focused psychic energy, while unusable matter was discarded.

After a phase of spiritual refinement, hundreds of powders and droplets were drawn into threads, each intertwining with others to form small nodes, the entire mass resembling a tangle of thread that was simultaneously chaotic and orderly.

Yang Ying plunged his hands into this mass of threads, plucking them upward. His agile fingers blurred into afterimages, like a master weaver overseeing the entirety of his loom.

The formulation of a Level Ten Elixir was an immensely complex process. Each node represented a reaction: the threads entering the node were reactants, and the threads emerging were products.

Dozens of reactions were proceeding simultaneously; an ordinary apothecary would struggle to oversee even one. Yet, Yang Ying’s mind was as still and clear as a mirror, reflecting every single reaction. He intended to guide all these concurrent processes along their correct trajectories.

Threads danced, nodes shifted. As time passed, the number of threads and nodes diminished, while the remaining nodes grew larger. Even someone lacking pharmaceutical knowledge could discern that these materials were coalescing toward the final product.

Suddenly, Yang Ying’s gaze grew solemn. He clapped his hands together, and the remaining ten nodes in the air instantly arranged themselves in a circle, beginning to spray threads outward frantically. These threads carved arcs through the air, converging toward the circle's center, as if an inward whirlwind had struck.

Where the threads met, a droplet of hazy color grew from small to large, gradually taking form.

Yang Ying’s heart remained unmoved, his thoughts empty, as if the droplet’s generation were as insignificant as a roadside stone to him.

The droplet swelled to the size of a fist, and the ten nodes gradually diminished until they were entirely consumed, their substance flowing into the central mass.

The final step arrived. Yang Ying shot out a finger, directing a surge of psychic energy toward the liquid mass. Instantly, the mass flared with brilliant light, then abruptly vanished, like a single flash of a colored strobe light. What remained was a pool of liquid as clear as pure water.

Only then did a hint of joy grace Yang Ying’s features. He took out an empty vial, carefully poured the clear liquid inside, and sealed it.

The Apex Longevity Elixir was finally complete!

It had only been two days since he had sought counsel from the Old Dean.

Concurrently, among the other five hundred and ninety-nine avatars in the virtual laboratory, one hundred and thirty-two had also successfully formulated the Apex Longevity Elixir. Yang Ying internally synthesized the lessons from one hundred and thirty-three successes and four hundred and sixty-seven failures, gaining complete mastery over this elixir.

The six hundred avatars commenced a new round of formulation.

This time, the success rate climbed to ninety-seven point seven percent; only fourteen avatars failed due to various unforeseen mishaps.

Yang Ying again summarized five hundred and eighty-six successful experiences and fourteen failures, grasping subtleties he had previously overlooked. He felt certain he had completely mastered the method for this Rank Ten, Class One elixir.

This achievement meant he had reached the zenith of the Imperial Apothecary certification: the rank of Grand Apothecary. For most Imperial Apothecaries, this was cause for delirious celebration. Yang Ying was less extreme; after a hearty laugh, he exited the virtual laboratory and instructed his avatars to immediately begin researching the next Rank Ten elixir.

Formulating the Apex Longevity Elixir meant more to Yang Ying than merely becoming a Grand Apothecary; it signified taking another significant step closer to Rank Four. In comparison, Yang Ying found the latter prospect more gratifying.

Returning to the Dean’s office, he found the Old Dean absent. He inquired with the Dean’s assistant and learned the Old Dean had left Ice River Star for a pharmaceutical exchange conference in the Capital Sphere.

He then sought out Vice Dean Tissar, only to find him gone as well. A professor next door informed him that Tissar was at the Apothecary Guild handling official business and wouldn't be at the Academy today.

As for the other Vice Dean currently managing affairs at the Pharmacy Institute, Yang Ying was not well acquainted with him, so he did not look for him.

Back at his dormitory villa, Yang Ying paused before sending a message to his three close friends, sharing the good news.

Barely five minutes later, Laiya, Dannan, and Pormas convened in the small courtyard before Yang Ying’s villa. Yang Ying welcomed them inside and summoned the service automata to entertain them in the living room.

“Igor, how can you advance so rapidly and leave the rest of us in the dust?” Laiya began as soon as she arrived, feigning indignation. “Look at us—we’ve been here less than two years and are still struggling for our basic apothecary certifications, yet you, this rogue, already possess the prowess of a Great Apothecary. Tell us, how will you compensate us?”

She crossed her arms, chin held high, projecting an air of expectation.

“Bizarre, utterly bizarre,” Dannan muttered, circling Yang Ying. “Even though you’re a peak Third-Rank master, this rate of progress is unheard of in the history of pharmacy. I’m quite familiar with pharmaceutical history; Lord Du Neihao, a Ten-Leaf Grand Apothecary, achieved Rank Four through pharmacy, but even his initial advancements weren't this swift.”

“There must be a conspiracy,” Pormas declared darkly, his face shadowed.

“Go dream up conspiracies, Pormas!” Yang Ying playfully shoved him, then turned to Dannan. “What’s so bizarre about fast progress? Maybe I’ll follow the path of pharmacy too and become a Rank Four existence.”

“This...” Laiya narrowed her eyes to crescent moons. “Perhaps it is actually possible.” Though she voiced the thought, everyone present could tell she didn't believe it.

“Igor, if you become a Rank Four existence, won’t that mean we attended class alongside a Rank Four being? The envy we’ll inspire will be legendary!” Dannan laughed, half-jokingly.

Pormas scrutinized Yang Ying intently, then stated with certainty, “I believe it!”

Of the three friends, Pormas’s tone was the most resolute; the others realized he wasn't jesting.

Laiya and Dannan looked at him in astonishment. Laiya touched her forehead. “Pormas, have you lost your grip on reality too? A Rank Four being represents a dual evolution of both life form and essence. The entire Empire might not see one such achievement in a century.”

Pormas glanced at her. “How many Igors appear in a century?”

Laiya lowered her head, contemplating for a moment, then shook it. “Perhaps not one in ten millennia.”

Yang Ying quickly interjected. “Alright, stop making me sound like a monster. I formulated the Rank Ten Elixir today, and I’ve already sent my promotion application to the Apothecary Association. They just replied—they want me to undergo an assessment in the virtual testing hall tomorrow. If I pass, I’ll treat you all to a proper meal.”

“Deal, it’s settled then!” Dannan snapped his fingers. “When we enrolled, everyone called me a genius, but next to you, I, the ‘genius,’ dim completely. If I don't eat you into bankruptcy, how can I quell the resentment in my heart?”

“Good, good, good,” Yang Ying agreed. “If you can bankrupt me, I’d welcome it. But I fear you’ll choke first. For the sake of your health, perhaps reconsider that notion.”

After some lighthearted banter, the friends departed.

The next day, Yang Ying logged into the virtual world, took out the key card sent by the Apothecary Association, swiped it against the reader next to the universal door, and opened the way into a virtual laboratory prepared by the Association for this assessment.

Five people awaited him inside, a young man standing at their center, presumably the chief examiner. Seeing Yang Ying enter, he smiled. “Senior Apothecary Igor, your profile indicates you are quite young.”

“Your Excellency the Examiner doesn't look old either,” Yang Ying replied after quickly surveying the virtual lab.

“I look young because I’ve consumed the Ageless Potion. That’s quite different from the youthfulness reflected by your actual age,” the chief examiner waved his hand. “Enough pleasantries. Let’s begin. The assessment has two parts: practical and theoretical. First, the practical section. Your application stated you successfully formulated the Apex Longevity Elixir; you will now create another one for us right here. All materials are on the workbench.”

Yang Ying acknowledged the instruction and approached the workbench. He glanced over the setup, confirmed all reagents were present, and began the process.

Although he had only learned this elixir yesterday, he now possessed hundreds of successful formulation attempts, making him perfectly practiced. He started by preliminarily processing the various materials into liquid droplets and powdery essence components, then weaving them into threads and nodes, proceeding step by step. Finally, he synthesized a mass the size of a fist.

In the end, a burst of colored light erupted, and the clear, transparent product was sealed into a small vial.

“Your technique is very proficient; you must have been learning this for quite some time,” the chief examiner approached, retrieved the vial, conducted several tests on the elixir inside, and announced, “Pass.”

“It hasn't been that long, actually—I only learned it this month.”

Yang Ying wished to avoid showing off how he had only mastered the formulation yesterday but was already supremely skilled today, so he used a truthful statement as a modest veil. Since most of the month had already passed, the examiners interpreted his statement to mean he had spent over ten days achieving his current level—which, while still fast, was less astonishing than a single day. Indeed, the examiners seemed to find the timeframe perfectly normal and asked no further questions.

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