Chapter 1234
Matthew Merlin, just like those from Skyhold Fortress, has abandoned the true path of alchemy. It's time to shatter his misplaced confidence with real alchemy—let him see what a true alchemist looks like. Those who stray will always end up accomplishing nothing.
I'll gladly accept that Moltenfire Stone. Leaving such a treasure in Matthew Merlin's hands is pure waste—only a true alchemist, dedicated to potions, deserves something this rare.
"The final victor is Archmage Leon Merlin."
Gullard's verdict rang out, and Wattby's smile froze on his face.
"Impossible! This can't be, Gullard! I trusted your integrity to let you judge, and now you're showing such blatant favoritism!"
Gullard gave a bitter smile, his expression twisted and strange, then pointed to the stack of papers on the crystal table.
"Lord Wattby, see for yourself."
Wattby snorted, picked up the papers Leon had thrown down, and with just a glance at the first page, his face changed.
Because the data on that first page matched his own calculations exactly—every number was correct.
When Wattby saw the second page, he was stunned—it wasn't just another calculation draft, but a whole new set of data, though with a different ratio. The third, fourth, and fifth pages were all separate data allocations.
Wattby burst out laughing.
Archmage Matthew Merlin, do you really think five sets of data count as victory? In alchemy, accuracy is everything. If only one set is correct, what does it matter? There's only one batch of ingredients—can you guarantee you'll pick the right one?
Leon glanced at Wattby with indifference.
Who said only one is correct? Apart from the first Wind-Dispelling Potion, the other four can also be made with these ingredients. The second and third require different handling, and the fourth and fifth will just leave a few materials unused.
A mocking smile appeared at the corner of Wattby's mouth.
Archmage Matthew Merlin, are you joking? Can't admit defeat? A mistake is a mistake. I've never heard of these potions—look at this, Ghost Incarnation Potion. Do you take me for some ignorant apprentice?
Is there even such a thing as a Ghost Incarnation Potion? That's just a rare transformation spell mastered by very few mages...
Stibbe also sneered.
Some people just can't accept defeat. Mistakes are inevitable on the path of alchemy, but refusing to admit loss and honor a wager—that's a matter of character. I'm sure Astral Academy wouldn't want someone like that.
Gullard opened his mouth but didn't dare speak. He wasn't skilled in alchemical potions and couldn't tell if this was real or not. He saw Wattby had one set, while Leon had five—naturally, Leon had won. He hadn't expected this...
Rafael was also dumbfounded, unsure what to do. His specialty was alchemical arrays; with potions he was only a bit better than an apprentice...
Leon frowned. He'd written smoothly just now, but two of the potions were ahead of this era, and two were so obscure that Wattby hadn't even heard of them...
The Wind-Dispelling Potion greatly reduces hurricane elemental damage. When entering the Hurricane Elemental Plane, taking this potion means you won't need to constantly burn mana to survive the harsh environment. It's a rare true spirit potion, extremely difficult to make—only a Creator can craft it.
The others were even more difficult. That Ghost Incarnation Potion grants complete immunity to physical damage for three minutes. In the future, when conquering certain special planes in Northend World, this thing is practically a divine artifact.
In this era, no one has managed to create this potion yet...
Normally, Leon wouldn't bother arguing with Wattby, but that Songblood Bloom was too valuable to him. Leaving it with Wattby would be a waste...
Leon said nothing, walked to the crystal table, and took out a set of alchemical tools. He uttered a rune, and a dozen Mage Hands appeared—flames, frost, dazzling techniques. In just seconds, he refined all the ingredients.
Wattby saw this and immediately fell silent, quietly watching Leon. As an alchemist, the basic rule was never to interrupt another's work.
No one said a word; everyone just watched as Leon processed the ingredients with dazzling skill.
After refining all the ingredients, Leon didn't stop—he proceeded to perform secondary extraction on five of the materials.
Then he performed tertiary extraction on one material, summoned a ball of pure water, then a ball of cold flame, and completed the final configuration.
A dozen Mage Hands aided Leon's alchemy, making the process seem ten times faster. In fifteen minutes, a bottle of deep blue potion appeared on the crystal table, exuding a mysterious aura—almost like the breath of a ghost.
Wattby stared blankly at Leon, completely dumbfounded by his technique.
Eighteen Mage Hands—my god, he can control eighteen at once for alchemy, and he completed secondary extraction perfectly, even managed tertiary extraction on one material. Damn it, how did he do that?
Why can't I understand any of this? What technique is he using, what formula?
Could that potion actually be real?
Stibbe looked at the potion on the table and sneered stubbornly.
Who knows if that potion is real, or if it actually matches the data? Everyone knows about armchair theorists...
Gullard walked over, picked up the potion, and swallowed it in one gulp.
As the judge, I'll just test it myself.
Before Gullard could finish speaking, his body rapidly turned translucent.
Leon picked up a sword and stabbed it through the back of Gullard's head. The blade passed right through, as if through a phantom, causing no harm at all.
Seeing this, Wattby's face instantly changed, and Stibbe didn't dare say another word.
It wasn't just those two—even Rafael's expression completely changed.
My god, there really is such a potion—complete immunity to physical damage. Archmage Matthew Merlin can actually make it.
If this potion could be mass-produced, then the plane we're conquering from Skyhold Fortress could be taken without any losses, right?
We've spent over a hundred years conquering it, lost countless mages—was it all for nothing?
Just one potion could leave that entire plane defenseless...
Gullard was startled by his own transparent body. He tried casting spells and found everything normal, but had no physical attack ability. But for a mage, who needs to fight with fists anyway?
After three minutes, Gullard's body gradually returned to normal, with not a single side effect.
Wattby, looking utterly defeated, placed the Songblood Bloom on the crystal table. His gaze unfocused, he walked into the cabin.
When Wattby inadvertently saw the draft papers Leon had left behind, his expression changed completely.
The data on those draft papers was concise to the extreme, with many calculations showing only the final key numbers. Between each two figures, Wattby would need at least half a page to compute, sometimes even a whole page!
Leon had worked out five potion formulas with just four or five pages, while Wattby had needed over twenty pages for a single formula.
Given the same amount of time, this meant Leon's calculation speed was at least twenty times faster!
Faced with such a crushing defeat, Wattby couldn't bear to stay on deck any longer and hurried into the cabin.
Wattby didn't even have the face to try cheating, and Stibbe could only toss down the Hurricane Heart Gem in frustration before following him into the cabin.
Rafael grinned from ear to ear, holding the Hurricane Heart Gem—his joy was impossible to hide.
As expected, Archmage Matthew Merlin's greatest strength is alchemical potions—it's really true. Wattby is supposed to be an expert in alchemical potions, very powerful, and was even praised by a dean of Astral Academy.
I never expected such a crushing defeat against Archmage Matthew Merlin—we're simply not in the same league.
Damn, is Archmage Matthew Merlin about to become a Saint?
Such terrifying alchemical mastery—even though I'm not skilled in potions, I can tell how difficult this is. Just look at Wattby, that arrogant guy couldn't even bear to stay here.
With this Hurricane Heart Gem, my demi-plane will be much improved. I might reach Tier Two soon—all thanks to Archmage Matthew Merlin.
Rafael was all smiles, and the Hardward family had no face to stay, all retreating into the cabin. Word even spread—not to call them before reaching Odin Kingdom. At this level, wizards are almost a different species, a month without food is nothing.
Leon found a cabin and immediately entered his demi-plane. That Songblood Bloom was already extinct—maybe a few seeds survived, but like the Mana Vine seed he'd obtained before, without the right conditions, they were useless.
Just like Mana Vine gathers mana, but in a stable demi-plane, it can't draw mana from the void—only in a naturally unstable demi-plane can it sprout and grow.
Songblood Bloom needs a place with immense mana to grow. Wattby must've gotten lucky to find a sprouting one, but to make it bloom requires an unimaginably huge amount of mana.
Usually, Soul Magic Crystals are used to supply mana. Breaking the pot revealed a pile of crystals buried in the soil, the Songblood Bloom's roots wrapped around them. Most of the mana in those crystals was nearly depleted.
Once all the mana in those Soul Magic Crystals is exhausted, the Songblood Bloom will bloom, and its flowers can be used as alchemical ingredients.
The potion crafted from Songblood Bloom is called Infinite Mana. Even for Tiered powerhouses, it has a strong effect—during its ten-minute duration, your mana is nearly limitless, letting you cast any high-cost spell you can manage.
But that's just an ordinary potion—it's a waste of Songblood Bloom. This plant is rare; each one used is gone forever, since soul magic crystal cultivation never yields seeds.
Strictly speaking, this Songblood Bloom is a defective product, much less potent. The most effective part of a complete Songblood Bloom is actually the seemingly useless green leaves.
With abundant pure mana, the flower will produce several seeds, which absorb all the flower's power. When the flower blooms, it immediately withers, and the seeds mature inside.
Those seemingly useless leaves turn blood-red, absorbing the tiny runes swirling around the flower. The faint song becomes clear.
All the leaves together form a Bloodsong—this is the true, complete alchemical ingredient!
The potion made from this is the legendary Bloodsong Potion, famous in Northend World at its peak, said to let Tiered powerhouses gain half a level of strength.
The gap between tiers is huge—even at the same level, a stronger mage can easily crush a weaker one.
Gaining half a level is enough to turn the tide and become a trump card in any situation.