“What’s the matter?” Mu Yuxing looked at Lin Su curiously, “The final is about to start, why do you need to master a pet beast with hypnosis skill at this time?”
“It’s like this,” Lin Su coughed lightly, his thoughts racing as he quickly came up with a reason, “When I face a particularly stressful situation, I like to sleep for a short while to relieve the pressure, so I hope to sleep for ten minutes under the hypnosis of a pet beast to improve my condition during the final.”
“I see,” Mu Yuxing nodded.
Everyone has different methods of relieving stress, and although Mu Yuxing had not heard of Lin Su’s method before, he could understand it.
“I don’t have one, but Zhang Ran does,” Mu Yuxing glanced at another Beast Tamer beside him.
That was a member of the Yongnan City Beast Taming Union who had also entered the semifinals. He had heard the conversation between Lin Su and Mu Yuxing, and upon hearing this, he smiled warmly at Lin Su, “If you need it, I have a Whisper Bell that can do the job.”
Lin Su was overjoyed, “Then, thank you, Brother Zhang, please let your Whisper Bell hypnotize me and then wake me up after ten minutes.”
“Sure thing,” Zhang Ran smiled slightly. Geese-yellow light interlaced at his feet, and soon the Whisper Bell appeared, carried out a simple communication with Lin Su, and began to apply the hypnosis skill on him.
With the hypnotized person offering no resistance, the hypnosis skill took effect very quickly, and soon Lin Su lay sound asleep on several chairs lined up side by side.
…
Blue Star.
Woken by the alarm of the communicator, Lin Su opened his eyes, a hint of excitement in his gaze.
Indeed, even though he did not enter sleep normally, being hypnotized could still facilitate travel to another world.
This afternoon he would go to Zone 1 with other people from the research institute, but he had free time in the morning.
During this time, he had about five to six hours.
As long as he focused on a high-difficulty basic energy potion within this time frame and then traveled back, by his reckoning, he would have only slept for ten minutes in the world of martial arts.
As for how to travel back…
The Six-sided Rubik’s Cube, which was currently assisting in the evolution pathway research of the Burma Aquila, was still in the research institute. As long as he found it to help him with another round of hypnosis, he could naturally return.
After getting up from the bed and quickly freshening up, Lin Su dressed neatly and rushed to his research lab like the wind.
Quick!
Seize the time to practice!
He had managed to secure several extra hours with his own method, and if he still could not win the grand competition for potion makers, it would truly be inexcusable.
After entering his research lab, he expertly modified the door code, took out a locked alloy box from a cupboard, and unlocked it with his iris scan. He then took out various potion-making tools, identical to those used in the world of martial arts, and placed them on the lab table.
He had not planned to tell anyone about making the energy potion, and he had these tools custom-made with the help of someone; with the technology level of Blue Star, it was easy to make these tools.
In the past on Blue Star, Lin Su had occasionally tried making energy potions, so he was well-practiced by now.
After choosing one high-difficulty basic energy potion, Lin Su buried his head in the task and began to make it.
…
Rising from his seat in the waiting area of the potion makers’ competition, Lin Su’s eyes showed a touch of relaxation.
“Did I sleep for ten minutes?” he asked Zhang Ran curiously.
“Exactly ten minutes,” Zhang Ran nodded, “My Whisper Bell’s hypnosis has reached the second tier, and precise timing hypnosis is effortless.”
As he spoke, Zhang Ran winked at Lin Su, “Little brother Lin Su, I have no hope of making it into the top five, but you must push on!”
“Yes! I will!” Lin Su nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with confidence.
After all, only after fully mastering the perfect quality production of that high-difficulty basic energy potion did he allow the Six-sided Rubik’s Cube to hypnotize him back.
With it, winning was a sure thing!
At this moment, Lin Su was brimming with confidence.
Mu Yuxing watched Lin Su’s vastly improved spirit and nodded in satisfaction.
It seemed as Lin Su had said, this method of stress relief was indeed very effective for him.
The mental state plays a role in the making of the energy potion, as the process requires concentration.
With a better mental condition, Lin Su’s chances of winning the championship increased significantly.
…
“Teacher, I’m about to take the stage,” Zhou Qiyi stood up and looked at his teacher beside him.
“Are you feeling a bit nervous?” the team leader asked Zhou Qiyi.
“Yes,” Zhou Qiyi nodded, his tightly clenched fist opening to reveal a palm dotted with sweat.
He was indeed nervous; after all, he was the only alchemist from Star Light City with any hope of winning the championship, and this year’s alchemist competition was fiercer than ever.
Lin Su felt that he might not necessarily defeat Zhou Qiyi, and Zhou Qiyi felt the same.
At this moment, he actually started to admire Lin Su’s state of mind.
He had clearly seen that while he was nervously sweating, that alchemist from Yongnan City named Lin Su was able to take a nap with the help of his companion’s beast.
This was a state of mind that he admitted he could not achieve.
The woman chuckled softly, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Zhou Qiyi’s palm, and her voice softened, “Qiyi, you’ve only been studying alchemy under me for three years, and you can already produce foundational energy potions of perfect quality. I’m very proud of you, so don’t take the Beast Taming Union of Star Light City as a pressure on yourself.”
“At Star Light City, we’re not at the point where we have to rely on a single Star Glow alchemist to represent us,” the woman’s eyes gleamed with pride, “This is your own battle, and all you need to do is to stay true to your conscience.”
“Teacher, I understand,” Zhou Qiyi nodded heavily, seemingly regaining his confidence and original intent under his teacher’s encouragement.
Indeed, he had originally signed up for the competition simply to exchange ideas with other alchemists. Now that he had found an opponent of similar strength, he should feel delighted.
With his fists clenched once again, this time Zhou Qiyi’s palms did not sweat from nervousness.
“Teacher, it’s my turn to go up,” he said.
“Go ahead,” the team leader said with an encouraging smile.
She also reflected in silence; perhaps she had put too much emphasis and special care on Zhou Qiyi on the way here, unwittingly causing him to shoulder such a heavy burden.
It was her failing as a teacher.
…
“Teacher, I… I’m going to go on stage now,” Tang Hao said nervously.
“Mhm,” Chu Feng’s expression was slightly somber, “Go, and prepare an energy potion of perfect quality.”
“I…” Tang Hao started to explain that he wasn’t sure he could do it but then reconsidered.
His teacher was a Corona-level alchemist; wouldn’t he be aware of his own abilities?
No amount of explanation was useful; he could only do his best.
With this in mind, Tang Hao gave a wry smile, “Okay, teacher.”
After saying that, Tang Hao quietly stood up and joined the other two finalists on the competition stage.
Strangely enough, once he was on stage, where he should have felt more nervous, Tang Hao found his breathing eased and the pressure seemed to diminish.
Perhaps the pressure his teacher had placed on him was simply too great…
As his disciple left, Chu Feng’s expression darkened even more.
He certainly knew the level of strength his disciple possessed.
Even if he managed to prepare a potion of perfect quality in the finals, it would likely only match the level from the semi-finals, and the chances of defeating those two bothersome youngsters were next to none.
Unless his disciple could, by some fluke, create an even better energy potion.
The probability was extremely low, but Chu Feng wanted to give it a try.
That’s why he intentionally said those words to his disciple.
He was deliberately pressuring his own disciple.
Without pressure, where would the motivation come from?
Only under the utmost pressure could his disciple possibly burst forth, turning the impossible into possible and defeating those two annoying boys to claim victory.
Once, Chu Feng’s teacher had treated him the same way, and indeed, Chu Feng had managed to perform beyond his abilities during one potion preparation session due to immense pressure.
Thus, he had absolute faith in this theory.
Chu Feng’s hands slowly clenched, his gaze fixed tensely on the three competitors who were now standing ready on the stage, about to begin the final contest.
This was Qingyun City’s home ground!
If he could only secure third place, he, Chu Feng, as the head alchemist of Qingyun City’s Beast Taming Union, would become a complete laughingstock!