Chapter 110: Clear Mind Brew - Returning to the Dream Realm

The first class with Combat Class Three concluded, leaving Feng Qi with a preliminary understanding of his 11 students.

Some, like Xu Hongyun and others, were there to "polish their credentials" before returning to their respective organizations upon graduation. But there were also those like Xu Hongyun, Yang Xiaoxin, and Cai Guo, who aspired to achieve something significant through their own efforts.

The most laid-back among them was, without a doubt, Hui Xu. His goal was simple: to coast through his time at the academy.

And then there was Lü Yue—the most enigmatic of them all—who had yet to reveal his true purpose for enrolling in Star City Academy.

After class ended and the students dispersed, Feng Qi asked Le Ping'an to stay behind. Facing the shy and reserved young man, Feng Qi smiled and asked, "Ping'an, can you brew something similar to Meritorious Wine?"

At the question, Le Ping'an immediately shook his head. "I've studied the ingredients for Meritorious Wine before. It's incredibly complex, requiring hundreds of spiritual materials blended together. At the very least, it would take an advanced or even master-level spiritual apothecary to successfully concoct it."

After his explanation, Le Ping'an looked curiously at Feng Qi and asked, "Teacher Feng, do you have a specific need for it?"

Feng Qi nodded. "I spend a lot on spiritual materials for my cultivation. Someone like you, a spiritual apothecary, could really help reduce the cost. Of course, I wouldn't expect you to help me for free—I'll compensate you with money or resources."

Le Ping'an nodded shyly. "I can't brew Meritorious Wine, but I can prepare other energy potions. What's your budget? I can try to come up with something."

"There's no set budget. Just aim for the best cost-performance ratio you can manage. Let's exchange contact info, and you can send me a materials list when you're ready."

"Sure, no problem."

After they exchanged contacts, Feng Qi returned to his dormitory. Sitting at his desk, he thought about the mysterious girl Lü Yue had mentioned. Why had Lü Yue called her a "miracle"?

His thoughts drifted to Mu Qing. In the annals of history, she was an enigmatic figure, her origins shrouded in mystery, as if she had appeared out of thin air. Feng Qi suspected that Mu Qing might have come from the Path to Ascension.

Her youthful appearance certainly matched the description of a "girl." As for whether she had lived for an extended period, he couldn't say for sure.

Lost in thought, Feng Qi noticed a blinking icon in the corner of his screen. Opening it, he found a message from Le Ping'an, along with an attached file titled "Clear Mind Brew." The document contained a detailed list of the required spiritual materials.

Feng Qi was surprised by Le Ping'an's efficiency—he had compiled the list so quickly.

After skimming through the list, Feng Qi opened a shopping website to calculate the total cost of purchasing the materials.

It didn't take long to arrive at an answer. Brewing a batch of Clear Mind Brew would cost about 1.2 million credits.

Lacking sufficient funds, Feng Qi fell into a moment of silence before pulling out his phone and calling Bai Fusheng.

The phone rang a few times before Bai Fusheng answered with a hearty laugh. "Xiao Qi! What do you need this time?"

"Shi-gong, I need to discuss something with you," Feng Qi said with slight embarrassment.

"Go ahead. As long as you're not asking me to make you the headmaster, we can talk."

"What about making me the vice-headmaster?" Feng Qi joked.

"If you're not serious, I'm hanging up," Bai Fusheng replied, his voice laced with mock irritation.

"Don't! Actually, I just wanted to ask if I could get an advance on the 3 million credits from the Tiger Soul Concept Competition prize," Feng Qi explained, his tone more serious now.

"An advance? You seem awfully confident about winning," Bai Fusheng teased.

"Isn't it obvious?" Feng Qi countered, his confidence unshaken.

Hearing this, Bai Fusheng let out a sigh. He wanted to refute Feng Qi's self-assuredness but realized he couldn't. The "Planting Deities in the Body" concept was a guaranteed win, leaving no room for doubt.

After a moment of silence, Bai Fusheng replied, "Even though I believe you're going to win, I can't just approve the funds outright. The academy's budget has to go through formal channels, and I'd need a valid reason to allocate those credits early. Otherwise, it would look like favoritism."

Feng Qi fell silent, realizing he hadn't considered this obstacle. While the victory seemed inevitable, without an official result, Bai Fusheng couldn't justify the expense.

Just as Feng Qi was about to give up, Bai Fusheng added, "There is another option. There's a budget allocation for facility upgrades. I could reallocate 300,000 credits from that for now, and you can pay it back once you receive the prize money."

"Isn't that still favoritism?" Feng Qi asked, a little taken aback by Bai Fusheng's suggestion.

"Do you want the money or not?" Bai Fusheng shot back.

"Will using the funds affect the academy's construction schedule?" Feng Qi asked cautiously.

"Not at all. It's only 300,000 credits. Besides, this payment isn't due until after the upgrades are completed and inspected—about a month from now. You don't need to worry."

"In that case, I'll take it. Thanks, Shi-gong!" Feng Qi said gratefully.

Moments later, Feng Qi received a transfer of 300,000 credits from Star City Academy, marked as "Specialized Maintenance Fees for Custom Track Upgrades."

Originally earmarked for an external contractor, the funds had now landed in Feng Qi's account. He knew this move carried significant risk for Bai Fusheng, and he felt a deep sense of gratitude.

With the money in hand, Feng Qi reopened the shopping website and filled his cart with the items listed in Le Ping'an's file. After completing the purchase, his total expenditure came to 1.21 million credits.

By the time he finished, night had fallen.

Reaching out to Lin Ran, Feng Qi left his dormitory and headed to the academy's cafeteria. After dinner, the two spent the rest of the evening studying in the library, only returning to their rooms in the early hours of the morning.

Early the next morning, Feng Qi received eight express delivery packages.

After contacting Le Ping'an, he carried the packages to his dormitory. When he knocked on the door, Le Ping'an, wearing blue pajamas and slippers, opened it.

"Teacher Feng, please come in," he said.

Feng Qi nodded with a smile and stepped inside. Le Ping'an's room had the same layout as his own dormitory, but it also housed four small mechanical devices. Noticing Feng Qi's curious glance, Le Ping'an quickly explained:

"These machines are essential tools for a spiritual apothecary. They're used for extraction, grinding, blending, and precise measurement. Without these machines to assist, it would be hard for someone at my level to successfully mix spiritual materials."

Feng Qi nodded in understanding. He was somewhat familiar with the field of spiritual apothecaries—precise control over quantities was crucial when mixing materials. Even a slight imbalance could turn an otherwise beneficial brew into a deadly poison. Hence, mechanical instruments were indispensable for assistance.

Of course, there were legendary apothecaries who no longer relied on machines. These masters could determine the weight of materials with a mere handful, estimate their potency with a sniff, and assess the age of a material with a glance. These top-tier apothecaries were like walking diagnostic tools.

As Feng Qi and Le Ping'an opened the packages together, the room filled with a rich, herbal aroma.

"Teacher Feng, the steps for brewing Clear Mind Brew aren't complicated. Would you like me to teach you?" Le Ping'an asked, his tone serious.

Feng Qi blinked in surprise. "Is it that easy?"

"It's not hard if it's just this recipe. Being a spiritual apothecary is mainly about having extensive knowledge, but for single-formula brews like this, it's just a matter of following the steps and using measuring tools," Le Ping'an replied with a smile.

Hearing this, Feng Qi's interest was piqued. If he could learn the process himself, he wouldn't need to bother Le Ping'an every time.

Thus, the two got to work. Le Ping'an patiently guided Feng Qi through each step, explaining every detail with care and showing no signs of impatience. Feng Qi, in turn, was an eager learner, asking questions whenever he encountered something unclear. Their open exchange slowly dissolved the initial sense of formality between teacher and student.

Three hours later, a blue liquid flowed from the mixer, dripping into a prepared glass bottle via a soft silicone tube. The scent of herbs and a faint alcoholic tang filled the room as the process concluded.

"The materials for Clear Mind Brew include Drunken Fragrance Fruit, which gives it a high alcohol content. Teacher Feng, please drink it sparingly," Le Ping'an warned as he handed the bottle to Feng Qi.

"Thank you," Feng Qi said, accepting the brew and nodding earnestly.

"No need to thank me. I'll likely bother you with cultivation theory questions in the future. Just don't find me a nuisance," Le Ping'an said, his face breaking into a shy smile.

"How could I? I've always liked students who are eager to learn," Feng Qi replied warmly.

The camaraderie between them had deepened. The invisible wall of hierarchy had melted away, leaving behind a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

With the Clear Mind Brew in hand, Feng Qi bade Le Ping'an farewell and returned to his dorm. Sitting at his desk, he stared at the blue liquid in the glass bottle for a moment before deciding to give it a try.

He unscrewed the cap and took a gulp. The liquid brought a rush of icy coolness as it slid down his throat, leaving a tingling chill in its wake that made him shiver involuntarily.

The energy gauge from his last Dream Realm visit, which had been reset to zero, began to rise. It slowly climbed from 0.8% to 4.7% before stopping.

Without hesitation, Feng Qi downed the rest of the brew in one go. A surge of freezing cold enveloped his body as the energy gauge rapidly increased at a rate of 0.5% per second.

Several minutes later, the chill dissipated, and the gauge settled at 175.9%, reflecting a total increase of 175.1%.

By comparison, a single Twilight Wolf Rune Crystal costing 880,000 credits could replenish approximately 100% of the gauge, translating to 8,800 credits per percentage point. Clear Mind Brew, which cost 1.25 million credits to brew, delivered 175% at about 6,900 credits per percentage point.

Although it wasn't as efficient as Meritorious Wine, it was far better than relying on raw Rune Crystals. A sense of satisfaction spread across Feng Qi's face—he had found a way to save money.

He already had a basic grasp of the brewing process thanks to Le Ping'an's guidance. After a few more sessions, he planned to invest in his own set of brewing tools. This way, he could handle the production himself in the future.

Curious, he searched online for the cost of beginner-level apothecary equipment. According to the shopping platform, a complete set would cost around 400,000 credits—a worthwhile long-term investment.

Feeling a pleasant buzz from the Clear Mind Brew, Feng Qi lay down on his bed. His next Dream Realm visit was already planned: infiltrating the Crimson Research Institute to uncover its secrets. To prepare for this, he had compiled four research projects in the field of biological sciences.

With everything ready, there was nothing left to do but dive into the Dream Realm and see the plan through.

As sleep beckoned, Feng Qi chuckled and said, "Narrator, ready to get back to work? Excited?"

[Excited my foot. Requesting time off!]

"Request denied."

[Hmph, go to hell!]