Chapter 45 60,000 Leos are waving

The ball was crowded with people, and it wasn't something Luo Lan could easily suppress.

By the next day, the news had spread rapidly throughout the academy. A second-year nobody, along with two Beastmen and an unknown companion, had beaten up Wizard Academy's third-year Ma Tan. Moreover, it was a bold four-on-seven fight. This was already bizarre enough, but what made it even more talked about was Luo Lan's subsequent punishment.

Everyone in the academy knew about Luo Lan's relationship with Ma Tan. Yet, the entire Old Wang team got off scot-free, while Ma Tan had to apologize and was given a month of community service.

This move was utterly baffling, leading some to dig deeper into the background story, uncovering Old Wang's past as well.

Last semester, he was relatively unknown at the Institute of Potions, but he did cause a major lab accident that blew up a building. Despite this, Principal Karida didn't expel him; instead, she personally assigned him to the prestigious Rune Academy, where only three new students were admitted this year—the other two being Yin Fu from Gandharva and Mo Tong from Mahoraga.

Was this something the cold-hearted rose, Karida, would typically do?

Moreover, Wang Feng was officially a "commoner." Was there such a commoner?

Anyone with a brain found it hard to believe. Many influential figures had entered the academy during its expansion. Wang Feng was likely one of these bosses, and he even teamed up with Beastmen. Who would dare be so arrogant?

Regardless, Wang Feng and his Old Wang team quickly became famous throughout the campus.

Old Wang, a man with impeccable morals, didn't care much about fame, especially since he needed to keep a low profile. However, the rumors did reduce their troubles, as most people avoided provoking them.

Even Kela and Wu Di received better treatment in the academy over the past few days; at least no one spat on them anymore.

Lingyu Ointment was truly miraculous, and Old Wang's minor injuries healed quickly. Still, he lazed around for a couple of days.

Meanwhile, the enthusiastic Fantasia finally managed to gather all the materials for the potion.

Judgment Academy...

Aurora City was once a key stronghold against the Nine Gods Empire's invasion, and due to its unique geographical location, it was left with two Holy Sanctuary colleges after the war.

Rose Holy Sanctuary and Judgment Holy Sanctuary.

Both were prestigious institutions, with Rose Holy Sanctuary known for its runes and Judgment Holy Sanctuary being more balanced.

Initially, Rose Holy Sanctuary, with its significant contributions to rune studies, was firmly superior to Judgment Academy.

However, with the advent of peace and the widespread use of runes, rune studies either became foundational or overly complex, leading to a decline in public interest. Judgment Holy Sanctuary seized this opportunity by emphasizing combat professions, favoring elite classes, and promoting individual heroism, gradually surpassing its rival.

With the emergence of the current principal of Judgment Holy Sanctuary, Ji Fan Tian, who excelled in talent cultivation and consistently achieved outstanding results in hero competitions, the old principal of Rose Holy Sanctuary retired, partly due to this rivalry.

After all, being a principal isn't just about research; each Holy Sanctuary involves significant interests behind the scenes.

Karida took charge under pressure, implementing drastic reforms and creating various topics. While there were some buzzworthy elements, they often had negative connotations, and no tangible results had been seen yet. To most, Rose still represented "old age," and changing such perceptions is challenging.

Judgment offered far better conditions, from faculty to students and facilities. The financial disparity between the two institutions was the most obvious barrier.

Old Wang and Fantasia were both wearing Judgment uniforms,

which Fantasia had rented. "I have to say, the material of these Judgment uniforms is really comfortable, and the tailoring is excellent. Even the shoulder pads are made of silver," Old Wang remarked, "Can we take them off?"

"I tried last time, and I had to pay double," Fantasia replied, feeling a shared sentiment.

Tailoring was also a life skill in Imperial Nine Heavens, overseen by Yueran. Although Old Wang hadn't delved deeply into it, his taste had improved.

"Alright, stop touching them. Be careful not to reveal anything," Fantasia warned, but Old Wang remained nonchalant: "Be serious. This potion-making must succeed!"

"Ah shit, you're putting a lot of pressure on me. These things depend on success rates."

Fantasia, exasperated, said, "I don't care about your success rate. I've bet everything on this. If you fail, I'll jump off the top of Burj Al Arab. You decide!"

"Calm down!"

They passed through the grand entrance, about five stories high, heading in the direction Fantasia had previously scouted. Soon, they reached the famous potion workshop of Judgment Academy.

The workshop was vast, with a four-meter-high foyer. On either side were long corridors lined with approximately thirty to forty rooms. At the entrance, a young student, presumably working part-time, was responsible for registration.

The rules were clear. Unlike Rose Holy Sanctuary, any Judgment student could register at the front desk.

"Name, grade."

"Wang Sanshi, second-year at the Institute of Potions."

As he registered, the student glanced at Fantasia, carrying a large box, with some suspicion: "So many herbs? Haven't seen you before."

In the academy, those who brought large boxes of herbs were usually teachers or star students from the Institute of Potions, or wealthy students who didn't care about money. It was impossible for someone to be unknown.

Shit, they had overlooked this detail, and Fantasia felt a bit nervous.

Wang Feng shrugged helplessly, "I didn't want to come either. I was forced to. I was recently chosen by Teacher Chacha, and now I'm her assistant."

It was common for Potion Academy teachers to take external orders and earn extra income. They often delegated low-level tasks to capable students, claiming it was for their training. But these students ended up doing unpaid labor, risking their reputations if they made mistakes.

Everyone in the Potion Academy had experienced this. Some teachers were lenient, but Teacher Chacha...

The student empathized, quickly handing them a token for a beginner potion workshop. "I used to work under Teacher Haskar. Good luck, brother!"

Old Wang was moved, "Brother! You..."

"No need to talk more!" The student patted his shoulder, eyes filled with tears, "I chose the quietest spot for you. Take care!"

Take care of yourself!

I wanted to ask your name and shift schedule for future reference.

But silence spoke louder than words, and further conversation was inappropriate.

Fine, let's focus on today's task first.

With Fantasia's help, they moved the materials inside, and then Old Wang sent him back to Rose Holy Sanctuary.

Wang Feng had prepared two hundred sets of ingredients. He was definitely going to work through the night. More importantly, with his success rate, he was bound to experience eight or nine consecutive failures. Old Wang feared that Fantasia would develop a heart attack if he stayed here. Besides, he couldn’t help anyway, so it was better not to have him sighing and causing annoyance.

The location was indeed excellent. Once the door was closed, all sounds from outside were instantly blocked.

Old Wang cracked his knuckles. He had bathed and fasted today, ready to start working.

The box contained two hundred sets of ingredients, yet he only needed to refine thirty bottles. This preparation was more than sufficient.

Unlike the raw ingredients last time, these materials had been processed overnight by Old Wang yesterday. The ones that needed slicing were sliced, and those that required grinding were ground—all neatly organized. Otherwise, even if he worked through the night, he might not finish.

Entering the workshop smoothly gave Old Wang a good start. He succeeded on the first attempt, making him feel as if six thousand lios were already waving at him. However, what followed was a disaster.

Eight consecutive failures, then a success on the ninth try. Including the earlier success, it barely made a fifty-fifty split.

But then came an even worse ten consecutive failures.

It was evident that the crucial step in determining the success rate was the final "soul infusion" of the potion, similar to casting. The final soul infusion was the key to success, but the slight discrepancy between Old Wang’s soul and body was fatal.

Wang Feng rolled his eyes. Could it be because he forgot to burn incense?

All his fault, why choose such a ridiculous name like “A Different Feeling”? Now watching these items worth two thousand lios each turn into trash in his hands truly felt like “a different feeling.”

My money!

Old Wang was heartbroken. This feeling was different from the previous ten consecutive failures, as back then, he was mostly experimenting. Now, however, it was real money at stake.

Suddenly, he felt like having a cigarette, but unfortunately, he didn’t have any.

Speaking of which, the biggest gain since coming to this world was successfully quitting smoking... No, this wasn’t a gain; it was a tragedy!

Old Wang took a deep breath and dumped the nearly full bin of spoiled potions.

Calm down, calm down!

Don’t act tough; acting tough invites trouble! Don’t think of yourself as a grandmaster; just consider yourself a beginner who started learning potion-making in the game Nine Heavens.

Maintain a good mindset. Think about the six thousand lios, the teleportation array, the stocks back on Earth, and the lovely junior Yue Ran, and that filtered cigarette...

Damn, Old Wang suddenly felt reinvigorated!