There was no doubt in his mind. Having absorbed the knowledge of the Protoss, Yang Ying was now the most feared xenobiologist in the galaxy, possessing a profound understanding of the essence of psychic power. To develop an awakening serum suitable for industrialized production, while not a matter of mere ease, was not overly difficult for him.

However, within the True Human Empire, this was clearly an epoch-making achievement, a turning point that would alter the course of history.

“How do you intend to handle this serum? Apply for a patent? Build a pharmaceutical plant? Or release it freely to the public?”

After confirming the serum’s efficacy, Dunaihao questioned Igor, recalling the background information on Igor that the organizers had provided him earlier: a brilliant young man, a genius graduate of the Central Glacier Academy’s School of Pharmacy, who had become a Grand Apothecary in just two short years.

In Dunaihao’s estimation, the chances of Igor willingly making this serum public for free were slim. Based on his experience and insight, Dunaihao could easily judge the unparalleled significance of this serum and the boundless wealth and power its derivatives would generate.

As the inventor of this serum, the name Igor was destined for eternal fame. With a mere gesture, countless investors would swarm his doorstep; money would come for asking, noble titles for the taking, and even the chance to marry a princess of the Imperial Blood was highly probable.

Thoughts flashed through Dunaihao’s mind like streaks of lightning. He awaited Igor’s answer, as did everyone else in the hall.

Yet, though Yang Ying had already planned how to handle the serum, he did not wish to reveal his decision at this time or in this place.

Under the gaze of all present, Igor spoke with composure, “I believe Marquis Dunaihao can also appreciate that the magnitude of the change this serum will bring to the Empire is not something that can be decided rashly with a passing thought or a mere intention. I require time to consider it carefully and plan for the long term.”

None in the hall were fools; they understood Igor’s implication immediately. Although the statement was long, its core meaning boiled down to a single concept: waiting for the highest bidder.

Ling Fei stroked his beard and chuckled toward Dean Faskerlun, “Your disciple is quite excellent, understanding the proper time to advance and retreat. A pity he isn’t mine.”

Dean Faskerlun smiled with gratification. “An Igor appears once in ten thousand years in the Empire. Taking him as a disciple is not so easy. I was merely lucky, ha ha ha.”

“The efficacy of this serum has been personally attested to by Lord Dunaihao, which carries the same weight as the highest-level inspection procedure of the Apothecaries’ Association. Its authenticity is beyond doubt,” Ling Fei seemed unsatisfied and continued, “Holding such a monumental achievement, even I might struggle to remain perfectly calm. Yet, under the scrutiny of so many Grand Apothecaries and Lord Dunaihao’s direct inquiry, he maintains such an even temper. Look at him—not a trace of stage fright. He does not carry himself like a youth who has just entered the wider world.”

“Igor is already a great master at the Third-Level Limit,” Laya added quietly from the side.

“Oh? Already at the limit?” Ling Fei nodded. “Perhaps he can break through the bottleneck of the Fourth Level and reach a plane equivalent to Lord Dunaihao’s.”

No one in the hall, including Dunaihao, had discerned that Igor possessed Fourth-Level psychic power. Such camouflage was simple for a clone of Yang Ying.

Following this, Igor provided an in-depth explanation of his serum, though he deliberately withheld several key, core processes.

Without these core steps, it would be impossible to deduce the production method of the serum from just the academic report and the demonstration he performed on the spot. These hidden steps incorporated the ways of the Protoss, taking unconventional paths that would take the Empire’s apothecaries a thousand years to decipher, if ever.

After Igor stepped down from the podium, the subsequent speakers lost all enthusiasm for taking the stage. If they did ascend, they offered only a few hurried sentences to conclude quickly. Below, the audience had little appetite for listening; all their attention had been captured by this awakening serum, classified as a Five-Class, Type Two breakthrough.

Not just them—the news spread throughout the entire Empire with the speed of a FTL drive.

Journalists, who had been stationed toward the rear of the hall interviewing attendees, began operating as if injected with a kilogram of stimulants from the moment Dunaihao delivered his appraisal. They exerted twelve thousand percent of their energy, transmitting everything happening in the hall back to their respective media outlets. Some of the more aggressive outlets immediately halted all other ongoing work to focus entirely on broadcasting this earth-shattering news, striving to seize the competitive advantage.

Moreover, before the seminar even concluded, a steady stream of reporters materialized from the Stargate hubs near the venue. They boarded their transport vehicles and swarmed toward the conference center.

As the seminar neared its end, the entire hall was encircled by layers upon layers of people. Looking out, one saw only a sea of heads. An uninformed observer might mistakenly believe that an event comparable to the Empress’s procession was taking place. In reality, what was unfolding here was far more significant than the Empress's movements.

“What do we do? Igor, there are so many people here. We definitely won’t be able to leave,” Laya tugged at Igor’s sleeve and whispered. As soon as the seminar ended, the reporters descended, completely encircling the group that had arrived from the Central Glacier Academy. The innermost ring was filled with ace reporters possessing peak Third-Level strength, whose tracking abilities were nearly on par with the most skilled professional detectives, capable of latching onto every subject they interviewed.

Slightly further away, Dunaihao was also surrounded. However, facing the group of high-caliber reporters, he merely offered a slight smile and sent a telepathic message to Igor: “Young man, we shall meet again.” With that, he transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the sky.

The crowd of reporters immediately surged back toward Igor’s position.

“Grand Apothecary Igor, please share your thoughts. What was your initial motivation for creating this epoch-making Five-Class serum?”

“Grand Apothecary Igor, why didn’t you research a Ten-Class serum back then?”

“Has the official name for this awakening serum been decided yet?”

“How do you plan to promote this serum?”

Igor was prepared for the barrage of questions. He cleared his throat gently and began, “Regarding the genesis of my research into this serum, it started when…”

He recounted the excuses he had meticulously prepared, fabricating the process and experiences of his experimentation so vividly that he concluded by advertising for the Central Glacier Academy’s School of Pharmacy, pointing toward Dean Faskerlun. “This is Professor Faskerlun, the Dean of our school. His attainments in pharmaceutics are extraordinary. Without his guidance, I would never have become a Grand Apothecary at my age. That is all for today. If you have further questions, I will notify you once there are new developments. Farewell for now!”

With that, Igor’s figure blurred like a reflection on water, then shattered, vanishing completely.

“Ah! It’s an Illusion Technique!” a reporter exclaimed in surprise. “We’ve been tricked! He got away!”

“Search!” The reporters scattered in a frenzy, but a small fraction remained, surrounding Dean Faskerlun and the three others, including Laya.

“Igor actually ran off!” Laya stared at the empty space where Igor had stood, sending a vexed telepathic message. “He left us here to deal with this!”

“We’ll settle the score with him when we get back!” Dannan echoed her sentiment telepathically. “He knows the Illusion Technique, yet he didn’t cast one on us—that’s really unfair!”

Dimas remained, as always, silent. However, the sharp-eyed Laya noticed a faint, prominent vein throbbing on his forehead.

Laya paused, then recalled touching Igor’s sleeve just moments ago. The illusion had even replicated the texture of the fabric, and it had answered the reporters’ questions. This struck Laya as both astonishing and admirable.

Regardless of what the others were thinking, the reporters relentlessly fired questions like machine-gun bursts: “You must be Professor Faskerlun. It is an honor to meet you. What are your feelings about having mentored such a genius disciple as Igor?”

Dean Faskerlun feigned a stern cough and began to muster his energy, addressing the reporters’ inquiries.

The other three students were not spared either.

“You are Grand Apothecary Igor’s classmates, correct? Did he have any standout performances at the academy? Could you tell us about his daily life?” another reporter asked.

He was addressing Dimas. Dimas looked at the reporter with a blank expression. The two stared at each other for a few moments before the reporter blinked first, discreetly wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.

Laya and Dannan found this amusing; the reporter had terrible luck choosing the taciturn Dimas.

But in the very next instant, both were stunned speechless. Dimas’s eyes suddenly flashed with fierce light. As if turning a page, his face changed entirely. His eyes became piercingly bright, and he began speaking: “Speaking of Igor, the first time I met him was during the entrance exam. The prompt was for Igor to use the fastest speed…” He continued, “He graduated barely over a year after enrolling. Actually, I was quite surprised by the academic presentation he gave today, because…”

Dimas began eloquently introducing Igor to the reporters, while Laya and Dannan stared at him with vacant expressions, as if looking at a stranger. They each pinched their own thighs, crying out in pain, confirming they were not dreaming.

What is happening to this world? they thought simultaneously. Igor suddenly invents a serum capable of changing the Empire, and Dimas transforms into a fluent conversationalist? Gods above, I hope Ice River Star doesn’t explode today…