World-saving Plan: The Only Savior
Chapter 343 - 227: What Went Wrong?

Chapter 343: Chapter 227: What Went Wrong?

With the infusion of the Dark Energy Technique, the crucible, which had been a jumbled mess, immediately underwent a change.

The ingredients and water began to boil and roll as if someone had lit a flame underneath.

Zhang Xiaoman saw this and knew the formula must be taking effect, and Lin Sisi, too, through her Spirit Detection Technique’s special sensory field of view, observed the changes in the pot and showed delight on her face.

"It’s working! It’s actually starting to move on its own!"

Dane said, pointing at the pot, for him and Sam, such a scene was exactly like the mysterious alchemy they had imagined.

In a secret place full of mystery, a powerful "Mage" was adding ingredients to the crucible.

The pot let out "gurgling gurgling" noises, which left people filled with anticipation about what kind of magical potion could be concocted within.

The two brothers were experiencing such a process firsthand.

Even though they understood that the other person was not some so-called Mage but an Awakener from the Star Alliance,

they could not help but let their imaginations drift in that direction.

Just like Brother Hero, who could not resist thinking about the Sword Control Technique every time he saw Zhang Xiaoman wield the Purple Cloud Divine Sword.

This immersive experience gave them a feeling as if fairy tale legends had become reality, filled with novelty and excitement.

However, as the ingredients in the crucible were being simmered, they began to dry up more and more, until finally, they went out completely and turned into a hard, gummy mass stuck together.

"What... what’s going on, did it fail?"

Sam couldn’t help but ask upon seeing the scene before him.

If he remembered correctly, the Star Lord had said they were trying to concoct some kind of potion, right?

But looking at the current state of the pot, it didn’t seem to have anything to do with a potion at all.

Zhang Xiaoman was also frowning as he watched all this, currently also under the influence of the Spirit Detection Technique.

In his perception, the Dark Energy fluctuations that had been churning inside the pot decreased drastically, and then simply vanished altogether, leaving behind the material in its current hardened, crusty state.

"Did it fail?"

He, too, had his suspicions, since the substance hardly resembled a potion; to say it was successful seemed even less likely.

But such an outcome had already been anticipated by him. Before coming, Zhang Xiaoman had prepared sufficiently, bringing plenty of materials to afford many attempts.

"My steps were correct just now, there was no issue with the Dark Energy Formula, and the material ratios were accurate. So where did it go wrong?"

Zhang Xiaoman couldn’t quite grasp the reason for the failure and, after some contemplation, decided to start over.

"30 milliliters of Touching Spirit Flower, 80 milliliters of pure water, 3 drops of snake venom, 5 grams of ginseng... there, all of these are correct now, next is to infuse the Dark Energy Technique..."

On this new attempt, he performed each step with even more care, thoroughly weighing each ingredient several times before adding it to ensure no mistakes were made.

With the infusion of the Dark Energy Technique, the contents of the crucible boiled once again.

However, the results this time were no different from the last, the dark energy fluctuations in the pot gradually decreased until they finally vanished completely, along with a heap of ingredients all solidifying into stiff crusts at the bottom.

"Another failure? Why is this happening? I’ve definitely followed the recorded steps..."

Zhang Xiaoman helplessly looked over his notebook on Dark Energy Techniques, trying to pinpoint where he might have gone wrong.

"Could it be that I put in too much long whisker grass? No, that shouldn’t be the issue. Perhaps I didn’t add enough pure water... Never mind, let’s try again. I must be more careful this time!"

After considering for a long while, Zhang Xiaoman couldn’t figure out the cause, so he decided to attempt a few more times.

...

Three hours later.

Within the Wencheen Manor, beneath the charred remains of a burnt down granary, four people were gathered around a small crucible. Inside it were some coffee-colored hard substances stuck together, and in a nearby trashcan, there lay many such discarded remnants.

It was clear that Zhang Xiaoman’s inspiration potion had repeatedly failed to materialize, despite hours of attempts, all ending in failure.

"Where exactly is the problem? I’m sure all the steps are correct, but why does the concoction always fail? Could the recorded Dark Energy Technique be wrong?"

Zhang Xiaoman looked distressingly at the formula in his hand, having failed five times already. Since each attempt required more than a hundred units of dark energy, his progress was slow. Often he had to refill his energy with Starry Stones after running out of mana, and then he would use Teleportation Technique to rush back.

The Wencheen brothers were also somewhat helplessly staring at the crucible in front of them, reminded of scenes from legendary stories they had heard.

Mages, when concocting new magic potions, would need numerous failed attempts and accumulations of experience before they could successfully create a finished product.

After recently going through these events, the two had come to appreciate this notion even more. It seemed Alchemy wasn’t so easy to master. Indeed, creating a new potion was not a simple task.

"Dane, when will the next batch of Touching Spirit Flowers be ready?"

Zhang Xiaoman, looking at the last bit of Touching Spirit Flower essence in his hand, inquired about their maturation time.

"According to my observations, the next batch of Touching Spirit Flowers will mature in about ten days. That’s the nearest lot, but there aren’t many—probably enough to extract around ten bottles," Dane answered, referring to the amount needed for one batch, which is 30 milliliters.

"Ten days? It looks like the production of the inspiration potion will have to be delayed for a while..."

Zhang Xiaoman frowned, deep in thought. He now had only one set of ingredients left.

If this attempt also failed, acquiring the inspiration potion would have to wait at least until after those ten days.

As he pondered the issue, Lin Sisi, who had been silently observing this whole time, suddenly showed signs of activity.

In the time that had just passed, she would cast the Spirit Detection Technique on herself every hour.

While she couldn’t see with her eyes, her unique dark energy perception allowed her to clearly sense the changes in dark energy during the alchemy process.

At that moment, Lin Sisi seemed to have an epiphany and immediately lifted her head. Her eyes, shimmering with silvery light, focused intently on the person in front of her.

"Star Lord, I know where the problem lies..."