Chapter 311

Chapter 311: Wolf Gold Chrysanthemum Potion

The second round of preliminaries began next. The teacher announced on stage.

“The second round involves making the [Wolf Gold Chrysanthemum Combat Potion]. Anything above 85 points is considered qualified.”

As soon as the words were spoken, a groan erupted below. “Wow, this is so difficult.”

“Wolf Gold Chrysanthemum Combat Potion, such a niche and high-level potion, how could the school set this as a question?” Some students who specialized in pharmaceutical research discussed among themselves, while most other students looked around bewilderedly at their classmates.

“What is this potion used for? I’ve never heard of it before,” one student asked.

“This, how should I explain it? Everyone knows it’s good, but few people actually use it,” another student replied.

“The [Wolf Gold Chrysanthemum Combat Potion] is rated as Silver grade. Its effects include temporarily enhancing the physical condition, resistance, willpower, etc., of the user. It’s generally used by a small number of elites in the military. It can keep the user energetic for three days, rapidly recover stamina, greatly enhance immunity against diseases and infections, and also resist intimidation, fear, and charm, with a heart as hard as steel, even providing a slight soul protection effect.”

“Due to its multifaceted effects, it’s very difficult to make. One wrong move can result in skewed effects or conflicts. Among Silver-grade potions, it’s a rare type with low cost-effectiveness. Back when the Verdant Empire was rising, due to the need for prolonged warfare, the military ordered a large quantity. Since then, few have made it.”

“Wow, that means many people will struggle with it.”

More than fifty students participating in the second round of preliminaries mostly looked worried. Few had made this potion before, and suddenly having to make it now, let alone reaching 85 points, even a passing score of 60 would be challenging. For a moment, the courtyard fell into a brief silence.

At this moment, only a few students showed little reaction, slowly beginning to act, carefully selecting materials provided by the school, grinding them, and crushing them.

Lolan Hill had never made this potion either, but fortunately, the [Wolf Gold Chrysanthemum Potion] was one of the assessment items for mid-level alchemists. She knew the recipe, though it wasn’t widely used. However, many had heard of its name and had some understanding.

After pondering for a while, she took out a pen and jotted down notes on paper. After listing five different methods, she started working.

First, she picked out a small bowl of wolf gold chrysanthemums, tearing off the golden petals slowly and placing them aside. Then she prepared other auxiliary materials, grinding and crushing them, melting and heating them, filtering them, and following the recipe step-by-step.

Other students, after hesitating, also began trying according to their memories. Some even flipped through books on the spot. Nearby students watched with interest. The second round of the competition lasted from noon to evening, about 5-6 hours, so there was ample time. If someone was truly proficient in making this potion, they might even produce three batches within this time.

However, most people were exploring this for the first time, so progress was slow.

Among the participants, Gene stood out prominently. As the chief of the High Tower Academy and a prodigy alchemist, he had passed the assessment for high-level alchemists last year. He had made this potion before, so his process was smooth and quick.

Another notable participant was Othuna, with her purple hair and black dress. For some reason, she was well-versed in this obscure potion, seemingly having made it recently, and her movements were quite proficient.

Some spectators initially had high hopes, but after several hours, most participants progressed slowly, repeatedly starting over, making mistakes, and failing to meet standards, gradually losing patience. After all, unlike battles, pharmaceutical production lacked much spectacle.

“Lolan can pass, right?” Lily stood on one side of the courtyard, whispering to herself. At this point, there weren’t many people left in the courtyard.

“She’ll definitely pass,” Bumansa said without concern.

Outside the field, a small cheer broke out. It turned out Gene and Othuna had completed their potions and were now packaging them. The golden liquid, like amber, looked particularly beautiful under the afternoon sun.

“Go for it, Miss Othuna,” a round of cheers echoed.

Lolan Hill didn’t look up. She continued methodically experimenting, orderly producing five potions with slightly different techniques. Her calm demeanor gradually attracted a group of nearby spectators.

“Who is that hooded girl?”

“I haven’t seen her before. But judging by her skillful technique, she must be quite capable.”

“Her figure is really good,” a female student commented enviously.

“Participant 104, 94 points, 92 points, 96 points, average 94 points, passed.” The teacher’s score came out. This was Gene’s score.

“As expected, the chief performs well. Even such a niche potion scored 94 points,” some students began looking at a young man in the courtyard.

This young man wore a monocle, dressed in a delicate suit with gold thread on a black base. He had clean short black hair and a rather handsome pale face. He was the chief of the High Tower Academy. After graduating from the Dual Dragons, he was now the undisputed top student at the High Tower Academy, president of the ‘Mystic Puppet’ club, holder of one of the ten crowns, ‘Gear Crown’, and a Magic Sequence 6 Black Puppeteer, Gene Nerland.

After completing the potion, he calmly put on white gloves, picked up his staff, and turned to leave. Today was just the preliminary round; the final would take place the following weekend.

“How handsome~” Many girls whispered to each other, eyes filled with admiration.

“Apparently, this senior doesn’t have a girlfriend yet,” a girl whispered.

“Wow, so devoted,” another round of cheers followed.

Some boys nearby rolled their eyes. What nonsense. Handsome and single called devoted, ugly and single called troublemaking. That wasn’t fair.

“Participant 210, 90 points, 89 points, 92 points, average 90.3 points, passed.”

Othuna’s potion also received a high score, drawing a round of cheers. She looked around proudly, seeing the students still struggling below, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

Although her score wasn’t as high as Gene’s, it didn’t matter. As long as she passed the preliminary round and entered the finals, the new potion would be reviewed by the masters at the school. If it performed well and had a high cost-effectiveness, it could spread throughout the alchemy community, earning great fame.

Like last year’s Senior Lamb, despite his average strength, he gained widespread praise in the nobility and upper circles for inventing a hair growth potion. Even though he hadn’t graduated yet, he received numerous sponsorships. In the future, he wouldn’t need to pay anything to have his own alchemy workshop built for him. After all, hair is linked to dignity and authority. Most nobles and wealthy individuals take pride in having full heads of hair, which symbolizes health and strength.

After passing the preliminary round, Othuna didn’t linger much longer. She still had to attend a banquet tonight, rumored to have many nobles from various countries. She also wanted to thank Senior Aniel, who informed her ahead of time about the [Wolf Gold Chrysanthemum Combat Potion].

—

As the sky darkened, students began submitting their work, encapsulating their potions and handing them to the proctors for scoring.

“Participant 12, 88 points, 84 points, 85 points, average 85.6 points, passed.”

After the announcement, a young man below sighed deeply. Fortunately, he passed. This task was indeed not easy.

“Gates, over here,” a voice came from above the hall. The young man looked up and saw his good friend, a roommate from freshman year.

“Alright, I’m coming.”

Inside the courtyard, the afternoon light softened around three or four in the afternoon. Lolan Hill, multitasking, adjusted several potions simultaneously. It was almost time to finish.

One, two, three, four, five, good, all done, Lolan thought to herself, her slender fingers labeling each test tube before checking them herself. Since observation was frequent during the experiment, she removed her hood.

If possible, she liked to try every possibility, including alchemy and pharmaceutical production. Since she hadn’t made the [Gold Wolf Chrysanthemum Combat Potion] before, she found it difficult to judge which method would be better. So she estimated and thought in her mind, then wrote down what she believed to be the five best methods and proceeded to make all five together.

Though it took longer, this approach allowed her to find the most suitable and excellent method.

After her own evaluation, the scores for the five potions were approximately 94, 97, 95, 99, and 96. The fourth potion had the best effect, but if she had to choose, she might prefer the fifth potion, even though it scored only 96. The fifth potion was easier to make, and the success of the fourth was due to her precise operation and sensory perception. Others might not find it so easy.

After some thought, she put away the other four potions, took the fifth one, labeled it with her number, and handed it to a nearby staff member.

Not long after, the staff delivered the potion to the main stage. The teachers, seeing the number, paid close attention.

“Is this the same child again?”

“Ah, it’s her.”

Since there weren’t many participants left, the teachers noticed the black-haired girl standing by the table.

“She seems to have made several potions. This one must be the best,” a teacher remarked.

“That’s good too. I really like thoughtful students,” another teacher nodded in approval.

“Let’s see,” the teacher holding the potion poured a bit onto a white porcelain dish and examined it closely, then dipped a cotton swab to taste it.

“Hmm, the effect is very good. Although not as impressive as the morning, it’s still quite remarkable.”

“Yes, she’s only a sophomore, probably around sixteen years old.”

“If this were outside, she’d be close to the level of those masters. They say the original master who invented the potion scored 98 points, but it was quite difficult to make.”

“Participant 54, 95 points, 94 points, 97 points, average 95.3 points, passed.”

“No way, that girl’s score is higher than Senior Gene’s.”

“It looks like we’re going to see a dark horse this year, ha ha.”

—

PS: Yesterday, I missed mentioning “Scarborough Fair” in the playlist. In Chapter 23, “The Maiden’s Dream,” Jena sang a modified version of the lyrics based on “Scarborough Fair.” I forgot, but someone noticed it.

“Do you want to become a hero?”

“Then go to Emanas.”

“Tower, bridge piers, temple, fortress.”

“Give my regards to every wise person there.”

“They taught me courage and love.”

—

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,

Remember me to one who lives there.

He once was a true love of mine.