Chapter Thirteen: The Gap Between the Exceptional and the Supreme

“I recall the book mentioning that potions or elixirs come in five quality tiers: low, medium, high, supreme, and transcendental. Since such classifications exist, it should be possible to concoct supreme or even transcendental potions. Yet, despite numerous attempts, I’ve made no progress!” Mo Xuan misunderstood Lan Bing’s meaning. In frustration, Lan Bing grabbed a nearby cup and flung it, ruining Mo Xuan’s potion.

“You idiot, I’m talking about illusions, illusions!” she snapped.

“My ingredients, you—” Mo Xuan protested.

“So what if I ruined it? It was a failure anyway; sooner or later, it would have been wasted,” Lan Bing retorted.

“Sigh... I know about illusions; just give me some time to try it myself!” Although Lan Bing’s words were blunt, Mo Xuan took them to heart. He knew this experiment was uncertain and merely an attempt. “How do you know?”

“Heh, you’re quite confident. Supreme potions require more than just the alchemist’s level. To craft a supreme potion, one must be at least a fifth-tier alchemist. Even then, the highest quality they can achieve is three tiers below supreme. As for transcendental potions, forget it. Apart from low-grade ones, I’ve never seen transcendental potions exist among mid- to high-level potions.”

Mo Xuan was surprised. He hadn’t realized quality was such a barrier. Still, he saw opportunity in it. “I see. This could be a chance. If I can create a supreme potion, it would grant much greater advantages.”

“I advise you to take it one step at a time. Isn’t that better?” Lan Bing was unsure what Mo Xuan was thinking.

“How will I know unless I try?”

“I don’t want to bother with you. That girl is so playful; she’s driving me crazy. Next time, don’t come to me with this kind of thing—handle it yourself!”

Mo Xuan chuckled but steered the conversation back. “Sigh, Sister Bing, you’re so knowledgeable. Tell me, what foundational conditions are needed to craft a supreme potion?”

Lan Bing roughly understood Mo Xuan’s intent. She hadn’t wanted to get involved, but if Mo Xuan kept busy with this, her own work would be delayed. Thinking it over, she decided to help; after all, supreme potions aren’t concocted casually.

“Actually, it depends on the alchemist’s fundamentals: proficiency, mental strength, spiritual power, and the purity and richness of that spiritual power. These are divided into ten levels for an alchemist. Reaching level four in all these does not affect advancement—it only lets you attempt potions below medium quality. Level six allows crafting high-quality potions; levels seven to eight, supreme; above eight, transcendental.”

“Can excelling in one aspect compensate for deficiencies in others?” Mo Xuan had a rough idea. The first two didn’t concern him much. As for mental strength, he was stronger than Lan Bing; his proficiency was undeniable. Though of average talent since childhood, his family’s wealth had allowed him to study both alchemy and elixir arts extensively. Perhaps the purity and richness of his spiritual power were his greatest shortcomings.

“If you’re that eager to craft supreme potions, I can teach you.”

“Really? Are you an alchemist too?”

“We thieves... cough, anyway, people like us often face unexpected situations. Such life-saving skills come naturally,” Lan Bing said, shifting her tone quickly when mentioning thieves. She couldn’t openly admit that, after all. “Don’t look at me like that. You think I enjoy this? If you want to learn, my price is steep. Think carefully.”

“How about sixty percent of the profits from crafting supreme potions?” Mo Xuan proposed.

“Heh... You’re generous. Fine, it’s settled. Don’t back out!” Lan Bing hadn’t planned to ask for so much, but seeing Mo Xuan’s sincerity, she agreed.

“Of course!” No matter what, Lan Bing’s help was invaluable now. It was nothing compared to that.

Lan Bing immediately produced a white, diamond-shaped crystal, available in four colors: red, blue, white, and black. “These four crystals test your proficiency, mental strength, spiritual power, and purity of spiritual power. Just channel all your spiritual and mental energy into them.”

As Mo Xuan prepared to test himself, Lan Bing abruptly stopped him, pocketing the blue crystal. “Wait, forget mental strength. This thing is expensive, and if it breaks, I’ll lose out.”

Mo Xuan waved off her concern and continued. The results showed seven lit segments on the red crystal, and five on the white.

At this point, Lan Bing grew visibly excited. “You really are a little monster. So young, yet your mental strength and other capacities are impressive!”

Finally, it was time for the black crystal. Initially, eight segments flickered, but then came the sound of shattering. The black crystal had broken. Lan Bing’s first thought wasn’t Mo Xuan’s remarkable ability but the loss of her precious black crystal. “How could this be? I spent two million spirit coins on this! No way—this is a huge loss. You have to compensate me.”

Two million? Mo Xuan was stunned. Even at the peak of the Mo family’s prosperity, monthly income was only about one hundred thousand spirit coins. This crystal was absurdly expensive. “Uh, is this thing really that pricey? It’s just a crystal, isn’t it?”

“You dare call it just a crystal? It measures the purity of spiritual power and can condense spiritual whirlpools. It’s invaluable for cultivation,” Lan Bing said, clearly distressed.

“I’ll pay you back, but I don’t have that kind of money right now. I’ll owe you for the time being,” Mo Xuan had no choice but to accept. Who knew he’d run into someone like her?

“That’s better,” Lan Bing said, brightening upon hearing Mo Xuan’s promise. “Your spiritual power purity is very high—probably above level nine, as expected.”

“Wait, are you sure you’re not testing...” Mo Xuan asked.

“Of course not. That kind of equipment is too expensive for me to afford. Your overall profile suggests mental strength and spiritual purity are at least level nine. Proficiency is barely level six. But your spiritual power’s richness is terrible—completely failing. That shouldn’t be. Don’t tell me you don’t have a proper cultivation method?”

Mo Xuan hadn’t expected her to guess so quickly. “No. My spiritual veins were blocked before, so I focused on alchemy and elixir arts, thinking I’d deal with cultivation later. But now, it seems I have some problems.”

Of course, this was only part of it. Previously, he had only reached level six in the spiritual realm, and could only practice cultivation after sealing his spirit. His cultivation path had always been poor, unqualified to advance. Only when he was about to be expelled from the family was he given a rare chance.

Mo Xuan kept these facts from Lan Bing.

“So your abilities are decent, but you lack a cultivation method that suits you. If that’s the case, handle it yourself. If problems arise, we can talk,” Lan Bing said, feeling she couldn’t offer much more help.

She explained that without a cultivation method tailored to oneself, no matter how good these attributes are, they cannot be effectively utilized. It’s like the world’s finest metal—unless someone forges it into a sword or tool, it remains just metal, never becoming something greater.

That was the truth.

Mo Xuan expected Lan Bing to leave immediately after speaking, but she stayed. She even motioned for Mo Xuan to stand and made room for herself. “I’m not the type to only help halfway. Let me show you what a supreme potion really is!”