My health recovery is incredibly fast.

"!!!" Xia Zuo suddenly raised his eyebrows, his face full of shock. "I'm going too? To join the battle?"

“Yes. Your potential in alchemy has already been fully demonstrated. I witnessed your spellcasting talent in your first magic lesson. So, I want to help you explore your combat potential. I feel very reassured with Dim guiding you.”

After hearing this, Xia Zuo muttered, "Combat potential..."

Beatrice gazed at the students across the table and encouraged them in a cheerful tone:

"Alchemy and combat are not mutually exclusive. The alchemy school urgently needs mages with top-notch alchemical skills who can also participate in combat. If you can handle combat missions, you will receive more preferential treatment."

Those responsible for combat missions in the Eastern Continent are mainly the Demon Hunter School and the Warrior Guild. The former focuses more on combat matters and can even be said to make a living by fighting monsters.

Judging from Beatrice's words, the Alchemy School is not only recruiting students with high willpower, but also training its own combat personnel, trying to further undermine the Demon Hunter School...

Chapter 28 2000:00

Beatrice looked at the students with complicated expressions and said with a smile:

"A Master-level Elemental Bottle requires 25000 points. I've already calculated it for you. When Anru first started practicing meditation, if you only earned points through poison orders, you would be about 2000 points short of being able to exchange for a Master-level Elemental Bottle. This wasn't a point shortage I intentionally set; I only discovered it myself."

She snapped her fingers lightly, "You helped Dim capture the traitor among the fourth-class mages, and I'll give you 2000 points as a reward. How about it? Want to take this mission?"

Upon hearing that he could earn 2000 points, Xia Zuo immediately pulled out his points booklet and checked his remaining points balance:

[Mage Guild Points] 10560 points

The income from poison orders is approximately 270 to 340 points per month. As the mentor said, there will indeed be a difference of about 2000 points.

Xia Zuo's eyes flickered, and he decided to take on the mission.

He was just about to reply to his mentor when he remembered the four types of mages the mentor had mentioned earlier, and asked:

"Professor, can I use points to redeem a qualification to travel to the Eastern Continent?"

"No."

Beatrice shook her head. "I know what you're thinking. If you want Anru to go with you to the Eastern Continent... I think she still has a chance of qualifying."

"Why?" Xia Zuo looked at his mentor and winked.

“You may not have noticed something, but Anjou’s alchemical potential is quite good.”

The emerald ribbon spoke in an appreciative tone:

"I confirmed this when I was teaching her functional pharmacology."

"The quality of the potions she makes is almost always perfect. No wonder some of the perfectionist Professor Zhuolang would entrust his oil orders to Anruer. Don't forget, she started refining oils and fulfilling orders from outside the academy at the beginner level."

Xia Zuo touched the hair on his head. He had assessed Anru'er's alchemical potential, but he hadn't considered it from the perspective of orders.

Whether it's a toxic substance order or an order from another discipline, they all share a unique characteristic—they require products of perfect quality.

Because alchemical products of other qualities can be made by the resident mage or his assistant, there is no need to entrust them to the academy.

"Didn't you ever ask her about the specifics of refining oils and potions?" Beatrice asked, puzzled.

"Uh...yes..."

Xia Zuo scratched his head.

“But I roughly know that she has excellent alchemical potential… A few years ago, I worked with her in the poison alchemy zone to concoct poisons. Looking back now, her alchemical potential was probably around the top level four or five.”

"Hmm~ Then let me tell you another secret. For students of oil and potion alchemy, the higher their alchemical potential, the greater the possibility of conceiving rare element properties."

Beatrice bent her elbows and rested them on the table, her hands clasped together to support her chin. "Those elemental qualities that can expand the ocean of the mind more quickly are all, without exception, the rarest qualities. This is mentioned in the beginner meditation method, which you should know."

Xia Zuo nodded.

"It's true that rare traits limit the number of spells that can be learned, but there are still some unique, exclusive spells that cannot be cast with other elemental traits."

Beatrice raised the corners of her mouth. "If Anru obtains this exclusive spell, then she can still go to the Eastern Continent. The chances are very, very low. In the more than two hundred years of the academy, only one person has been allowed to go to the Eastern Continent because of their innate spell."

Xia Zuo shrugged, saying with a hint of helplessness, "Well...it all depends on her luck..."

"It also depends on how hard you work."

Beatrice snapped her fingers to draw the students' attention.

"Mrs. Morton and her husband are students at the academy, both from the Western Continent. Her husband's innate magical talent is very useful, and he is currently working hard in the Eastern Continent, trying to bring his wife and children there as soon as possible. You can do the same in the future. Or, you can return to the Western Continent with a mission from the Temple of Mages and continue living with your loved ones."

"No wonder Senior Mars has never mentioned his father." Xia Zuo raised an eyebrow; he had thought…

Beatrice changed the subject, pointing to the points booklet in the other person's hand and asking:

"Getting back to the main point, are you willing to take on this task? I'm not forcing you."

“Of course, Professor.” Xia Zuo grinned.

Beatrice's smile faded, and she emphasized her words:

"Then you must remember that you must not tell anyone what you heard today, or the whole process of investigating the fourth type of mage with Dim."

“Yes, Professor.” Xia Zuo nodded solemnly in response.

"Yes, the permit from the Mage Temple should arrive in about three months. I will let you know when that happens."

Beatrice pondered for a moment, tilted her head, and brushed aside a stray strand of hair. "By the way, how's your elemental toxin formula deduction coming along?"

“I’ve made quite a few new discoveries.” Xia Zuo took out a thick notebook from his bag, opened it to a page, and handed it to his tutor.

When identifying elemental toxins, he could never accurately determine their toxic effects.

Before taking the elemental toxin for testing, he suspected that the manufacturer had deliberately added ingredients to the elemental toxin to interfere with the identification process.

But the feedback from the poison test reminded Xia Zuo of something.

It's possible that some kind of toxicity produced this encryption-like effect, in order to protect the formula from being cracked.

Xia Zuo first deduced a compound toxin with a confusing effect.

The results of the simulation were somewhat surprising, but also within expectations.

Even with only two basic toxins, there are as many as five compound toxins that can cause confusion.

Each compound toxin has a disorienting effect, as well as additional toxic effects.

In other words, it is not enough to deduce only the eight compound toxins; the corresponding base liquid formula must also be deduced.

The work involved in deducing elemental toxins is far greater than imagined.

This is not over yet.

Xia Zuo discovered that after mixing a toxin with a disorienting effect into Black Eye Agent, the identified toxicity would change randomly, but as long as the reaction was repeated enough, the toxicity of Black Eye Agent could still be identified.

After repeated experiments, he confirmed that only by combining the confinement effect and the confusion effect could the shielding and identification effect be achieved.

As of today.

Xia Zuo has created an antidote that can bypass the shielding and identification effects, and has identified the remaining 6 types of elemental toxins.

At this moment, the notebook placed in front of the mentor contained detailed records of his thinking and reasoning process.

Beatrice read through the pages, occasionally tapping her chin and letting out a soft, affirmative hum.

“Very good, Xia Zuo. I’m very satisfied that you were able to detect the effects of confinement and confusion so early.”

Beatrice smiled and closed the notebook, handing it back to Beatrice, "Go and concoct poisons."

"Farewell, Professor." Xia Zuo packed his bag and headed for the door.

He heard the scribbling sound of writing behind him. When he turned around to close the door, he saw Beatrice engrossed in handling official business.

noon.

In the university cafeteria.

Xia Zuo and An Ru'er sat on the same side of the table, where delicious dishes were laid out.

Xia Zuo turned to the side, cupped the other's delicate face in his hands, and rubbed it back and forth a few times. "Do you know that most of the oils and potions you make are of perfect quality?"

“Hmm…” Anru’er chewed on a small piece of meat and muttered, “Zidao, isn’t this normal? You’re the same way.”

She swallowed the food in her mouth and chuckled:

"Did the Dean tell you? Hmph, isn't it because you've been so engrossed in concocting poisons that you haven't been talking or chatting with other classmates? Several months ago, when I was promoted to a skilled functional pharmacist, the Dean praised me in public."

"Ah..." Xia Zuo was speechless, realizing that he was indeed a bit out of touch with the news.

His daily life consisted of a monotonous routine between home, work, and study. Beatrice only had him as a student, and he only learned about many interesting stories from Anruer. He never actively paid attention to anything outside of poison-making.

"I also know one of your little secrets."

Anru blinked her left eye, and a deep affection appeared on her sweet smile.

She hugged Xia Zuo's shoulders and whispered in his ear, "You're saving up points to help me exchange for a Master-level Elemental Bottle."

"You know?!" Xia Zuo was momentarily stunned.

"Have you forgotten which branch of alchemy you're studying now?"

With his mind completely focused on concocting poison, how could he have forgotten about this... Xia Zuo covered his forehead and said, "Elemental representation theory."

“Mmm.” Anru’er shook her head up and down. “The introductory textbook introduces meditation and mentions the function of a master-level elemental bottle. Professor Bethel also said that it takes 25,000 points to exchange for a master-level elemental bottle. A normal mage apprentice would have to save up for ten years to accumulate that number.”

"I never realized I was so important to you."

Anru rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder, two blushes rising on her cheeks. "I've already given you the most precious thing. I can't give you anything more in return. I can only study elemental representation diligently, refine oils and potions carefully, and conceive of rare elemental properties so that I won't let you down after all you've done for me."

"Is the part about elemental properties also taught in the study of elemental representation?" Xia Zuo asked softly.

"Yes, yes. The class also introduced the Ocean of Spirit, basic meditation, and other meditation methods from the academy."

Xia Zuo pondered for a moment and said:

"Now that you know why I'm saving up points... I have something to tell you. I'll be leaving the academy in three months. My advisor has assigned me a task that will likely take several months to complete."

"Is it dangerous? What if we run into bad people?" Anru sat up straight and nervously held her boyfriend's hand.

“It’s not dangerous.” Xia Zuo shook his head calmly. “And we won’t run into bad people. I can’t tell you the specifics of the mission; my mentor has given me a veto.”

"Phew~ That's good." Anruer tapped her chin with her finger. "Three months from now, I should be preparing for the advancement test in Elemental Concreteness."

Anru thought for a moment, then clapped her hands. "I remember now. During the time you left the academy, I was in my dorm making beginner-level elemental bottles and couldn't leave for many days in a row."

"That's great!" Xia Zuo grinned. "When we're both apprentice mages in the future, we can arrange to cultivate together in seclusion, so the other won't have to wait."