Chapter Four: The Elixir

Vir looked at the little girl before him, named Wei Ling, and a playful smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

“You—!”

Wei Ling’s eyes widened in shock, her hands pressed desperately over her mouth to keep herself from screaming. She took several deep breaths to calm herself, then gritted her teeth and asked Vir, “When did you wake up?”

Upon hearing that, Vir felt a sense of relief. After all, she was just a fourteen-year-old child. Though clever, she was still very immature in some respects. To her, he was merely a stranger; she had no way of knowing if his awakening posed any danger. Wei Ling’s first reaction was to suppress her surprise, then to inquire when he had regained consciousness. Combined with the secrets she had inadvertently revealed earlier, Vir could see another trait in this girl: arrogance.

“Since entering this room,” Vir answered softly, appearing calm and collected before Wei Ling. He slowly stood up, removed the gauze draped over himself, and wrapped it around his waist to fashion a makeshift skirt, exposing his upper body.

Even before Wei Ling entered, Vir had noticed remarkable changes in his body. Not only was he puzzled as to why he hadn’t died, but he also realized his body had shrunk by half, now resembling a sixteen-year-old. Moreover, all his proud magical power had vanished without a trace. Yet Vir was not disheartened. In his view, regaining the rank of Divine Descendant would not be difficult; with his talent and understanding of magic, it was only a matter of time.

For now, his most pressing concern was survival.

Though Vir answered honestly, Wei Ling still frowned with dissatisfaction—this fellow was wandering freely in her room, and worse, the stranger had tampered with her potion equipment! Remembering how she had shouted at him so crudely before, a flush rose on her childish face, and a wave of shame and anger surged within her. Her small, pale hand opened, releasing a burst of green light.

As the light faded, a tiny image of a green luan appeared on Wei Ling, its body covered with crystal-clear, emerald feathers, occasionally emitting faint green glows from within. The crystalline body made it look dazzlingly beautiful. The luan, like its master, was clearly still young—tiny and delicate—but the instant it appeared, an oppressive atmosphere filled the room.

Although Vir still did not fully understand what a Soul Master or Soul Beast was, seeing Wei Ling’s current state made his heart tighten; the air carried a subtle hint of danger.

A trace of pride flashed in Wei Ling’s eyes as she addressed Vir, “Very well. From now on, you must answer every question I ask honestly. Otherwise—hmph!”

She deliberately snorted twice, her arms radiating a green glow, and with a casual wave, she conjured a strong gust of wind.

The ease with which she summoned such force deepened Vir’s doubts. He relaxed his shoulders, stepped back a few paces, and adopted a helpless expression. “Alright, what do you want to ask?”

Seeing Vir so ready to surrender, Wei Ling felt a surge of joy, raised her chin, and hurriedly asked, “How did you fall from midair? I mean, how did you get up there in the first place?”

“If I said it was the wind that carried me up? You know, the power of wind can be quite tremendous…”

Vir replied inwardly, though he knew Wei Ling would never believe such a trivial answer. She turned her head and noticed the dazzling array of potion equipment on the table behind him, a smile appearing at her lips.

“In that case, what if I told you I drank a peculiar potion and that’s how I flew up? Would you believe it?”

“Flying potion? Impossible!” Wei Ling immediately retorted. “There’s no such thing in theory. Don’t try to fool me—I am a magic potion master!”

Of course!

The moment Vir heard “magic potion master,” he realized his previous thoughts could now be fully realized.

“Theory? Miss, what is theory? Theory is merely a framework, a cage one sets for one’s own ideas, a barrier that confines expansion. Within this cage, anything you know is considered theoretically possible. Anything beyond your knowledge is deemed impossible, outside theory.”

Vir’s words were no lie; in fact, it was precisely so. He paused briefly, observing Wei Ling’s lack of rebuttal, and smiled with satisfaction. “Naturally, you wouldn’t believe it. After all, you’ve never seen nor heard of such potions. But, Miss, did you know I have the formula for such a potion in my mind? If you wish, I can make it for you at any time.”

“What? You can make potions?!”

Wei Ling was stunned. A potion she had never heard of—and this boy before her could craft it? It was widely known that potion-making was not a skill one could master in a day or two. The amounts, types, dilution, conductivity, and many other factors were not things one could learn with a few words; years of experience were necessary.

Moreover, magic potions were a branch of magic itself and extremely rare on the continent, making their creation truly difficult.

Vir, however, was unconcerned. Before Wei Ling could agree, he was already fiddling with the extensive collection of potion equipment on the experiment table.

“You—!”

Wei Ling shouted angrily as Vir began handling her things without permission, ready to scold him. Yet, upon seeing his skillful movements, she was stunned.

Though Vir seemed a bit unfamiliar with the magic potion tools, his technique was deft and precise. For magical plants that ordinary people couldn’t even name, he glanced at them once and immediately selected the right ones from the pile: Ka Leaf, Bone Orchid Vine, Morlock leaves, and more. As a “professional,” Wei Ling could easily see he was not blindly choosing—he truly knew how to make magic potions.