Chapter 67: Have I Let Success Go to My Head?

Lin Xiao had originally thought that Li Tai was going to take him back to his own dormitory, but to his surprise, Li Tai led him into a laboratory instead.

The moment he stepped inside, Lin Xiao caught a faint, refreshing fragrance in the air. It was, without a doubt, the scent of elixirs. Just from the smell alone, Lin Xiao felt his mind become clear and his spirit invigorated. Suddenly, the idea of testing pills didn’t seem so bad—he might even gain some unexpected benefits.

The laboratory lights were off, and the room was dim, but Lin Xiao felt no discomfort. Instinctively, he activated his newly acquired night vision skill, and to his amazement, the entire room seemed to brighten instantly. To his eyes, it was no different from daylight.

This ability was quite useful—at the very least, he would never have to worry about stumbling into holes during nighttime operations. Just then, Li Tai turned on the laboratory lights, and Lin Xiao’s eyes adjusted automatically without the slightest discomfort.

He had to admit, his F-rank ability wasn’t as worthless as he had initially thought.

Lin Xiao had been so focused on experiencing his night vision that he hadn’t properly observed the room until now. As he took a closer look, he realized there was nothing particularly special about the laboratory—just rows of cabinets filled with bottles. Presumably, those bottles contained elixirs.

At this sight, Lin Xiao couldn’t help but swallow. He didn’t know the exact value of these elixirs, but they were surely worth a fortune. If he could sell all the elixirs here, he would make an enormous amount of money.

What did surprise him, however, was that there didn’t seem to be any pill furnaces in the lab. He wondered how Li Tai, as an alchemist, could call himself one without a pill furnace.

Li Tai, however, didn’t seem to dwell on such details. Noticing Lin Xiao’s gaze lingering on the bottles, a proud smile appeared on his face.

“Brother Lin, don’t underestimate these things,” Li Tai said. “This is the fruit of my life’s work. Look, this one’s a Spirit Restoration Pill. Its main function is to restore spiritual energy. Even the basic variety can fully replenish the energy of an ability user below level five. The intermediate ones work for those below level seven, and the advanced ones for those up to level nine. Impressive, isn’t it?”

“This one is my special Rejuvenation Pill. Unless you’ve lost an arm or a leg, it can heal any injury instantly.”

“And here, the Spirit Gathering Pill—it doubles your absorption rate of spiritual energy for a short time.”

“This is a Breakthrough Pill. Anyone below level seven who takes it can temporarily advance a whole level, though there are side effects—weakness for a period afterward.”

…

As Li Tai continued his introductions, Lin Xiao could barely keep from drooling. What kind of miraculous elixirs were these? Any one of them, taken outside, would fetch a price beyond his wildest dreams. And here, they seemed to be in abundance.

Li Tai noticed Lin Xiao’s thoughts and was unconcerned. “Brother Lin, don’t worry. Since I invited you to test the pills, you won’t be shortchanged. For every pill you test, I’ll give you a bottle of elixirs from here. How does that sound?”

Lin Xiao hadn’t expected such benefits and almost burst out laughing. “Deal!”

“Then let’s begin. There aren’t too many pills whose effects I haven’t figured out yet—maybe eight or nine. We’ll start with the most basic ones.” With that, Li Tai set several pills on the table and handed Lin Xiao the least conspicuous of them.

“This is my latest creation. Based on the herbs I used, it should enhance physical strength. Try it.”

Lin Xiao examined the pill and, seeing nothing amiss, steeled himself for the reward. He popped it into his mouth without hesitation.

To his surprise, the pill tasted quite good—like rock sugar and pear. A look of enjoyment even crossed his face.

But soon, he felt the pill’s effects. His muscles tensed, veins bulged across his skin. At that moment, Lin Xiao felt as though even Shen Yao, using her spiritual skills, couldn’t match his raw strength.

Li Tai watched him with a serious expression. “How does it feel?”

Lin Xiao focused, then reported back. “You were right—this pill really does boost strength. I’d say about threefold.”

Upon hearing this, Li Tai frowned. “Only three times? That’s so-so, not as good as I’d hoped. Let’s see how long it lasts.”

Lin Xiao: (??_?)

Was this something a human would say?

A threefold increase in strength, and Li Tai thought it was mediocre? That was already incredible!

After three minutes, Lin Xiao returned to normal and immediately reported back. “Three minutes. Still just average. Let’s call it the Power Pill, then. Got it. Next, this second one I made by accident—I lost focus and used the wrong herbs, but since it formed, I kept it. Give it a try.”

Lin Xiao: =????(??? ????)

Was this man serious? He dared let him eat a pill made with the wrong ingredients?

Liu Jiao couldn’t help but laugh aloud. “Relax. With me here, you won’t die.”

Lin Xiao thought that was true—having a level nine healer as backup, what was there to fear?

If it meant getting more elixirs, he’d take the risk!

Without hesitation, he swallowed the second pill. The taste was pleasant again—orange this time.

The moment it entered his mouth, his stomach began to churn. Unable to hold back, he let out several loud farts!

Lin Xiao wished he could crawl into a hole and disappear. What was happening? He had no control over his own body!

Li Tai and Liu Jiao immediately backed away dozens of meters and quickly opened the windows to air out the room.

At first, Lin Xiao was genuinely afraid he might soil himself, which would be truly mortifying. Fortunately, besides the persistent flatulence, he managed to retain his last shred of dignity.

Five minutes later, once Lin Xiao had calmed down and the air had cleared, Li Tai returned.

“Uh… That one’s a failed pill—useless, but good for pranks. Let’s call it the Fart Pill!”

Luckily, only Li Tai and Liu Jiao had witnessed the scene. If more people had been around, Lin Xiao felt he would have died of embarrassment.

Seeing Lin Xiao’s resentful look, Li Tai was slightly apologetic. “I had no idea what the pill would do, which is why you’re testing them. How about this: I’ll give you two bottles of elixirs this time, all right?”

Lin Xiao’s mood instantly brightened. Who cared about dignity when there were real benefits to be had?

These elixirs could easily sell for a million or two outside!

Good enough!

Damn it, ever since coming to the retirement home, his entire worldview seemed to have shifted. Now, even a million or two felt unimpressive.

Was he getting carried away?