After much persuasion and earnest assurances from Russell, Tang San was finally convinced.
Tang San took the potion bottle, curiously examining the potion that Russell had praised for its remarkable effects.
The light blue liquid resembled clear seawater under sunlight, refreshing to behold.
Bringing it to his lips, a minty fragrance wafted over.
He raised it slightly and drank a small amount.
Instantly, Tang San felt his mind clear significantly.
The weariness from cultivation and the fatigue from reading vanished completely.
Reassured, he drank the remaining potion.
In that moment, it was as if he had returned to his past life, secretly studying the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record.
Countless inspirations burst forth in his mind, his Soul Power flowing as effortlessly as moving his own arm.
His vision seemed to slow time; tiny specks of dust and the trembling of grass blades entered his sight, making him feel divinely assisted.
Without a doubt, Tang San had entered a state of sudden enlightenment, an occurrence as rare as one in ten thousand.
Russell shook his head, unsure whether Tang San’s luck was good or bad.
To say his luck was bad: the probability of sudden enlightenment from an ordinary-quality Mind-Clearing Potion was less than one in ten thousand, yet he encountered it on his first try.
To say his luck was good: the garden was clearly not an ideal place for sudden enlightenment.
Falling into this state abruptly, and one induced by external forces—a “weak enlightenment”—he was clearly unprepared to utilize this “flow state.” Sighing inwardly, Russell did not interrupt Tang San.
This was a perfect opportunity to observe the changes that a potion-induced enlightenment brought about in a Soul Master.
Two minutes later, Tang San’s Soul Power fluctuated violently, accompanied by an illusory “pop” sound as his Soul Power broke through to level 18.
A thoughtful glint flashed in Russell’s eyes as he watched Tang San recover.
He asked, “How do you feel?
The potion is quite effective, isn’t it?” Tang San’s eyes were exceptionally bright.
His usual aloof calmness had transformed into a pure, emotionless clarity, viewing the world from a rational perspective.
“It feels excellent.
My mind is extremely clear.
The flow speed of my Soul Power remains unchanged, but my control has increased by at least thirty percent.” Simultaneously, his mental power stabilized.
When activating the Purple Demon Eye’s mental shock, both the consumption and backlash would be reduced and weakened.
A hint of purple flashed in Tang San’s eyes as he inquired seriously, “How long can this state last?
And how much do you plan to sell this potion for?” Russell answered each question in turn: “Depending on individual differences, digestion time, and body size, the duration varies.
For our age, it should last over eight hours.
For adults, it would be halved or even shorter.” “As for the price, ordinary people wouldn’t have much use for it after drinking it.
But for Soul Masters, it allows them to discard emotions and the laziness of physical fatigue, achieving the theoretical maximum meditation time.” “So I plan to start selling it at ten gold coins, gradually increasing the price based on quality.” Russell was in high spirits.
The potion’s success proved that his efforts during this time were not in vain and demonstrated that he could gradually replicate items from the wizard game using the Synthesizer.
Perhaps the Synthesizer was powerful, but genuine deities existed in this world.
He couldn’t be sure if a god would bestow a Divine Trial upon him.
The best approach was to hold his own fate in his hands.
Tang San nodded, acknowledging the price based on his personal experience.
Yet he knew in his heart that relying solely on odd jobs and the Soul Master subsidy, he couldn’t afford such a potion.
His clear mind told Tang San that he needed to earn money.
Tang San estimated that if he took one bottle of Mind-Clearing Potion daily, his cultivation efficiency would increase by thirty percent.
Over the long term, his control over Soul Power would also improve.
But soon, his clear mind found a flaw: “A Soul Master’s daily meditation time is limited, and I’m already very close to that limit.
Improving efficiency would save time, but that saved time isn’t actually very useful.” He continued pondering: “This clear-headed state is perfect for thinking and making decisions.
It could be used before a battle or when learning and mastering some martial techniques.” What Tang San thought of, Russell naturally thought of as well.
The effects of the Mind-Clearing Potion destined it to be far more valuable to lazy, unfocused individuals than to those who were focused and diligent.
The most suitable target buyers were precisely those noble youths with weak willpower who enjoyed lavish pleasures.
It couldn’t teach spoiled nobles to weigh pros and cons, but in a rational state, with an additional thirty percent cultivation boost, even the most spoiled noble would understand the trade-offs.
Tang San bid farewell and left.
He needed to cultivate and test the potion’s specific effects to decide whether to purchase some.
Russell continued refining the formula.
A perfected formula, at the very least, had to allow anyone to brew the potion by following the steps.
…
Tang San returned to the dormitory and encountered Xiao Wu.
He still found Xiao Wu adorable, but he no longer felt the possessiveness and protective urge he once had.
Reason told him he should smile, but his facial muscles told him it wasn’t necessary.
His focus also kept him centered on himself rather than on the pretty girl around him.
Tang San suddenly realized: he now knew the side effect of the Mind-Clearing Potion.
It caused emotional detachment, making him uninterested in anything beyond self-improvement.
Yet he still felt no surprise or panic.
He thought about telling Xiao Wu what had happened but felt it would be a waste of time—she would undoubtedly pester him with endless questions.
It would be better to wait until the potion’s effects wore off before telling her, maximizing the benefits.
Reason told him this thinking was wrong—Xiao Wu was, after all, the sister he had acknowledged.
But biological instincts were inherently selfish, driving him forward.
He nodded slightly at Xiao Wu and quickly walked away.
“Little San!” Xiao Wu called out to Tang San.
If her feelings toward Russell were a mix of curiosity and fear, her feelings toward Tang San were an inexplicable sense of closeness and trust.
Tang San, like Da Ming and Er Ming, took great care of her.
But Tang San merely gave a slight nod and walked past her, leaving only a brief remark that he had something to attend to.
Xiao Wu froze, turning to stare blankly at Tang San’s retreating figure.
“What’s wrong with Little San today?
He’s so cold.” She was usually carefree and didn’t dwell on things, but she had no storage space—her carrots were all stored in Tang San’s Bright Moon Night of the Twenty-Four Bridges.
Pouting in frustration, she felt wronged.
With the girl-specific instinct to hold grudges, Xiao Wu immediately noted Tang San’s cold attitude.
She secretly vowed not to speak to Tang San for the entire day.
If he didn’t buy her crystal carrots, she would never forgive him!
Meanwhile, Tang San, having cultivated to his limit and maintaining an absolutely calm demeanor, went to the teachers’ dormitory to find Yu Xiaogang.
“Teacher, Russell invented a potion…” He clearly explained the effects and side effects of the Mind-Clearing Potion, emphasizing his personal experience.
Yu Xiaogang was utterly astonished, instinctively disbelieving the news.
After all, the medicinal bath formula of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family was the result of countless years of experimentation by the clan’s ancestors.
Russell had managed to develop a highly effective potion in such a short time, making it difficult for Yu Xiaogang to believe that such a genius existed in the world.
His first instinct was to seize the formula.
If the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family obtained it, they might one day surpass the Haotian Sect and become the number one sect in the world.
‘But I’m just a useless outcast expelled from the family.’ Yu Xiaogang recalled the contemptuous gazes of his clansmen, finding it hard to forgive them easily.
Moreover, if word of this got out, it would tarnish his reputation.
And so, he gave up.