Above The Sky
Chapter 531 - 531 500 Raising Disciples to Fight Beasts 44

531: Chapter 500 Raising Disciples to Fight Beasts (4/4) 531: Chapter 500 Raising Disciples to Fight Beasts (4/4) “The materials in the examination room can weaken Spirit Energy,”

Master Gossay didn’t respond, but Master Vana did.

She narrowed her eyes, “Moreover, the rules indeed didn’t say one can’t look at the choices of others—if he can see them, then that too is part of his ability.”

“To see past the Spirit Energy isolation materials and observe other candidates, his observational Spirit Energy…

is a bit excessively strong.”

Of course, Master Gossay thought to himself.

Initially, this youngster could even find the core of the Worm Nest Queen, which is equivalent to seeing through the weaknesses under the suppression of the Spirit Energy Network of a Second Energy Level Worm Nest—what’s a mere Spirit Energy isolation material?

But what’s strange is that with Master Gossay’s understanding of Ian, he felt that the latter shouldn’t be the type to peek at what others are doing and follow suit.

True enough, Master Alexey, who first mentioned cheating, also frowned.

He shook his head, “No—that’s not right.

He categorized and prepared his materials from the start, clearly also planning to make a Comprehensive Amplification Potion…

so why would he look at the others?

Although this exam doesn’t have a standard answer, the most optimal general solution is that one.”

The three Alchemy Masters didn’t quite understand Ian’s actions, and after pondering for a while, Ian began to get to work.

“This isn’t how one starts making a Comprehensive Amplification Potion.”

Master Gossay furrowed his brows and tapped on Yisen Gard, signaling him to speak, “What have you figured out?”

“I…”

Yisen Gard was baffled; although he was familiar with Ian, he hadn’t yet collaborated with the youth on any Alchemy projects.

How could he know what Ian was up to?

But Yisen, after all, was a bona fide Elite Alchemist.

He observed Ian’s every move in the light screen with great attention and soon had a discovery, “Ian is…

preparing to make an Anti-Damage Potion?

He’s processing Demon Hunting Bug Carapace and using ‘Crystal’ to purify the material structure, performing a precipitation to facilitate subsequent treatment, making it the main material.”

After saying this, he blinked with some confusion over Ian’s choice.

An Anti-Damage Potion is also one of the high-value potions among Elite Potions.

As the name suggests, it can make the body of the user, from the inside out, including all structures like blood vessels and lymph nodes, possess an extremely strong resistance to mechanical damage.

In simple terms, think of it as a comprehensive damage mitigation—there’s the example of a soldier who had taken an Anti-Damage Potion surviving a full-scale artillery bombardment from the enemy unscathed.

Whether it was the shockwave, flames, cutting, blunt trauma, or even suffocation and scorched heat, none of it killed him.

Although this case was also an extremely lucky exception, it is enough to show how strong an Anti-Damage Potion is.

Only…

a Comprehensive Amplification Potion also includes some effects of an Anti-Damage Potion, although not strong, the advantage of a Comprehensive Amplification Potion is that it can enhance physical fitness, undoubtedly making it more useful and valuable.

“Is he intending to make a perfect-quality Anti-Damage Potion?

That’s also an idea; it’s worth a considerable amount, and in certain environments, it might be more suitable than a flawed Comprehensive Amplification Potion,”

Master Vana also observed, and the old lady’s eyesight was the best.

She could tell that Ian’s handling of all materials was extremely skilled, not at all like a fourteen-year-old Alchemy novice…

He must have over five years of experience, which is frightening—does that mean he started learning Alchemy before he was ten?

While other people were still learning universal language and basic mathematics, was this guy already fluent in Alchemy texts?

Thinking this, Master Vana looked at Gossay, showing an envious expression—this hunchbacked old man really hadn’t boasted; he truly found a genius.

But it was at this moment that Ian made a choice that surprised everyone.

“How has he started crafting already?!”

The materials had not been fully analyzed yet, and the base had not been fully prepared; how could Ian have started working now?

All twenty other candidates were still in the preliminary preparation stages of making alchemical potions—that was the point of having an hour for the task.

Otherwise, if it took seven to eight hours for an alchemist to devote all his concentration to produce a single bottle of ‘Extreme Ferocity Potion’, wouldn’t it be four to five times stronger than a Comprehensive Amplification Potion?

With the same materials, all it required was more time and more precise techniques and focus.

Indeed, the side effects of Extreme Ferocity were quite terrifying, but the boost it provided to combat power was also truly formidable.

This was a potion that could turn an ordinary person into a little superhero, able to directly confront several Magical Beasts.

The light in Master Alexey’s eyes grew brighter as he carefully watched Ian’s actions, then he reached out and patted Karan Xir, “You tell us the logic here.”

—Seriously, are they comparing now?

The young alchemist with black hair showed a peculiar expression, but indeed he had been well prepared, so he seriously said, “Hmm… Based on my observations, Ian’s choice seems not to be ‘high value’ but ‘cost-effectiveness’…”

“He chose to make multiple vials of mid-to-high-quality Anti-Damage Potions, relying on the value brought by the number to consistently exceed a single Comprehensive Amplification Potion.

This is indeed a thought, but it requires more time, so he has chosen to make potions with the base that has been processed while waiting for the materials to slowly release their base.”

This was indeed a thought, and everyone present nodded slightly.

However, Karan Xir’s tone shifted as he started to criticize without reservations, “But doing this essentially errs on the side of caution too much.

Even a Comprehensive Amplification Potion lacking healing components requires high-grade, if not perfect-quality Anti-Damage Potions to compare with, and a general mid-to-high-quality potion would need at least four vials to match.”

“Ian’s choice to make multiple ordinary potions is essentially a loss of confidence in his operational precision; he doesn’t want to gamble on whether he can make a perfect potion and is avoiding his weakness of having less experience in potion-making—after all, considering the remoteness of his hometown, he probably has never made a related perfect potion before.”

“This is certainly not a wrong choice, but it is ultimately mediocre.”

With that said, Karan Xir spoke rather proudly, “Based on the completion of my Comprehensive Amplification Potion, Ian would need at least five vials to barely compete with me.

But when it comes to the results, he will definitely be lower.”

His evaluation was harsh, but it was actually what most people were thinking.

Ian’s choice, to make multiple ordinary potions, basically transformed the alchemy discipline of striving for perfection into a shortcut of winning by numbers.

Is there anything wrong with that?

No, multiple vials of potions are indeed more valuable than one… but what about skill?

Knowledge?

Techniques?

And what about the relentless pursuit of the pinnacle of alchemy?

All of this was not seen, transitioning from an alchemist to the realm of an Alchemist.

This is why Karan Xir felt Ian’s techniques were not up to par.