If I could start over

Lin Xi was momentarily at a loss for words. 

If someone else had said the words "I trust you," he might not have felt anything particularly profound. However, the nature of this female associate professor was as clear as a book written in black and white. The fact that she had waited here for an entire day without doing anything, simply because she trusted him, was a testament to true trust. 

In one's lifetime, how many people can you genuinely trust? 

Lin Xi had initially believed that he could execute the tasks outlined on the sheepskin scroll without error, but after glancing at An Keyi, he nodded earnestly and said, "Let me review it once more." 

An Keyi, unhurried, gathered her slightly disheveled hair and nodded in agreement, "Alright." 

After carefully examining the instructions again and confirming that he had no issues with his potion, Lin Xi looked at the glass vial An Keyi had retrieved, observing the viscous black liquid soaking the bead within. He couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is this substance?" 

According to the sheepskin scroll, once their combined potion was completed, it was Lin Xi who would test its potency by dripping it into this vial. 

"This is the blood essence and soul pill of practitioners from the Inferno Mountain of the Great Mang Dynasty," An Keyi explained, her gaze calm as she looked up at Lin Xi. "Inferno Mountain is a powerful cultivation site similar to our Qingluan Academy. Their training methods are not much different from ours, but they possess a unique technique known as 'Demonic Transformation.' This is achieved by altering certain properties of their blood essence through the blood of spiritual herbs or beasts during their training. In combat, they can unleash this transformation using their soul power, significantly enhancing their combat capabilities for a brief period. Although this boost cannot be sustained for long, a practitioner of national-level cultivation from Inferno Mountain can elevate their strength to that of a Grand Master for a short duration. Moreover, this transformation seems to be related only to the characteristics of soul power and the body's endurance, rather than cultivation level; even some soul masters from Inferno Mountain can undergo this transformation. However, their meridians and muscles suffer damage during the process, leaving them weakened for an extended time, requiring considerable recuperation." 

Lin Xi was taken aback, exclaiming, "Isn't that akin to going berserk?" 

"Berserk?" An Keyi raised her delicate brows slightly. "While your term is novel, it is indeed quite fitting. When practitioners from Inferno Mountain employ this method, they do resemble the frenzied state of a madman, largely indifferent to physical pain." 

"It seems he was not mistaken; there are indeed many unknown powerful beings in this world," Lin Xi pondered, furrowing his brow. Before he could voice his thoughts, An Keyi continued in her usual scholarly tone, "My research project aims to explore whether we can use certain potions to negate the energy that supports their Demonic Transformation. This would make it considerably easier to confront them." 

"They are like poisoned individuals... and our research is akin to developing an antidote. Ideally, they would already be transformed, and we could use our potions to render them incapable of sustaining it. Thus, they would be devoid of the power of transformation yet burdened by its aftereffects, significantly diminishing their combat effectiveness. Am I understanding this correctly, Professor?" 

"That is indeed our starting point. In recent years, Inferno Mountain has produced many formidable practitioners." 

Lin Xi nodded and asked, "But didn't you mention earlier that you couldn't disclose the specifics of this project to me? Why are you sharing everything today?" 

An Keyi replied naturally, "Because Vice Dean Xia instructed me to clarify things with you, allowing you to gain a better understanding... Moreover, if we succeed in compounding the potion, not only will you earn two credits, but the potion itself will also be a reward for you. However, this matter must remain strictly confidential; you cannot speak of it to anyone, including other faculty members." 

"You mean the potion we create will also be a reward for me?" Lin Xi was momentarily stunned. 

An Keyi's response was straightforward, almost as if she were reading, "Vice Dean Xia must have his reasons for viewing you favorably, though I am unaware of those reasons." 

"Could it be because of the Celestial Star?" 

Lin Xi chose not to dwell on unanswered questions, instead turning his curiosity back to the soul pill steeped in the black liquid. 

He was acutely aware that in this world, those who possess a soul pill are referred to as national champions, elite warriors unmatched in battle. Such individuals are exceedingly rare. The hierarchy of soul practitioners—soulists, soul masters, grand soul masters, and national champions—was still a vast chasm away from his current status as a novice soulist. The thought that even a high-level soul master could easily throw him aside with their immense strength sent a shiver down his spine as he contemplated the softly glowing soul pill, resembling a stone, which belonged to a being capable of effortlessly defeating soul masters. 

Indeed, it is only through formidable power that one can inspire awe. 

... 

One by one, Lin Xi carefully retrieved the labeled potion vials from the shelves along the surrounding walls, arranging them neatly before An Keyi and himself in the order of use. 

An Keyi's trust in him surpassed even her own, as she entrusted all preliminary tasks to Lin Xi. 

After verifying that there were no mistakes, she furrowed her brow slightly and took out the glass vial containing the blood essence and soul pill from Inferno Mountain, carefully removing the wax seal. Although she understood that the swift delivery of this item to the academy must have come at a great cost, and that her current actions held significant importance for the institution, she couldn't shake a feeling of discomfort in her heart. This discomfort stemmed from the knowledge that these substances were taken from practitioners much like herself. Yet, she believed Lin Xi would also feel uneasy, so she naturally refrained from having him handle the vial. She felt this was the most natural course of action, unaware of how rare such integrity truly was. 

Once she had removed all the wax seals from the glass vial and placed it before Lin Xi, An Keyi realized that her heart was racing with anxiety. She understood that this was due to the time and effort she had invested in this endeavor. It seemed only yesterday, while waiting for Lin Xi, that she had realized how swiftly the years had passed. "It must succeed," she thought, offering herself a childish pep talk. Taking a deep breath, she nodded to Lin Xi, "Alright, let us begin." 

Lin Xi, unaware of the delicate emotions within the seemingly bookish An Keyi, recognized the gravity of the situation and refrained from saying much. He nodded and steadily picked up the first vial. 

Like a chemistry experiment at a university, Lin Xi and An Keyi meticulously mixed various potions drop by drop. 

For Lin Xi, timing posed no challenge, and he executed his part flawlessly. After approximately five intervals, he successfully compounded a bottle of deep red, viscous potion. 

Simultaneously, An Keyi completed her task, producing a deep green potion three times the volume of Lin Xi's. 

Lin Xi steadily combined the two potions into a larger crystal vial, shaking them according to the method already documented on An Keyi's sheepskin scroll. The two liquids quickly merged into a peculiar shade of azure, and remarkably, their volume continued to shrink, becoming increasingly viscous until it transformed into a transparent, molten blue rubber-like substance. 

"It must succeed," An Keyi silently reaffirmed in her mind, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and nodding vigorously at Lin Xi. 

Lin Xi poured the potion into the specially crafted crystal vial, then carefully opened the glass vial containing the blood essence and soul pill from Inferno Mountain, following An Keyi's instructions to add three drops of the azure potion. 

"Fizz!" 

In an instant, a plume of burning green smoke erupted from the vial's opening, the black blood within almost boiling. As the three drops of potion dispersed, streaks of bright red emerged, but within just a few breaths, those streaks vanished, entirely consumed by the black liquid, leaving no more smoke to escape. The luster of the soul pill dimmed. 

An Keyi's complexion turned ashen. 

Lin Xi's heart sank; although he had no understanding of the potion's properties, An Keyi's expression felt like a heavy stone pressing down on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. 

"Is it truly a failure?" 

An Keyi felt an emptiness in her heart. Years of effort had seemingly culminated in this outcome. Had she known that adding an extra thirty percent of the Seven Star Grass potion might have yielded some chance of success, how long would it take to gather these materials again? 

"Lin Xi, I'm sorry, but I can't reward you these two credits." 

She unconsciously lowered her head, her voice tinged with an unsteady tone. 

"Could it be that the potion's potency was insufficient? Should we try adding a few more drops?" Lin Xi's heart grew heavier as he softly suggested to An Keyi. 

"No need. Even if it worked, this potion would lose its value; we can't simply inject large quantities into our opponent," An Keyi shook her head, her face growing paler. 

Lin Xi furrowed his brow. This matter directly impacted his credits, and An Keyi's current demeanor compelled him to take action to assist the female professor. "Professor An, since these materials are exceedingly rare, why are we attempting to compound so many potions at once? Is there a particular rationale behind this?" 

"The principles of pharmacology are quite profound. Before I took on this research project, I had already reviewed the materials left by several preceding professors. Numerous experiments have been conducted... Although the materials are precious, many require a specific quantity to interact effectively with other potencies. The reactions must occur in stages, and only then can additional potions be introduced. Therefore, we cannot simply reduce the quantities," An Keyi explained slowly, her tone more somber than usual. "This batch of potion is the smallest possible dosage we can prepare at once. Among them are two primary ingredients... because they are rare, this is the minimum amount required." 

Lin Xi took a deep breath. Although An Keyi's explanation was clear, it felt overly verbose compared to her usual manner, indicating her profound disappointment and sorrow. 

"Professor, if we still have these materials, could we attempt it again? Is there anything we could adjust to enhance our chances of success?" After another deep breath, he looked earnestly at An Keyi and inquired, "Do you believe there are any adjustments we could make to improve our success rate?"