Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

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three days later.

When Adele returned to Golden Oak Street, she was clutching a heavy dimensional ring tightly in her hand, looking exhausted.

She stood in the workshop courtyard, looking at the tightly closed metal door, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open to enter.

Inside the door, Ian had just woken up from deep meditation.

On the lab bench, rows of empty crystal bottles are neatly stacked, next to which are processed and categorized material residues.

The entire laboratory was filled with a crisp, starlight-like atmosphere, mixed with a faint, slightly burnt scent of grass and wood.

Edel placed the storage ring in a corner of the lab table.

The metal collided with the stone surface, producing a crisp "click" sound.

"All the materials you need are here."

Her voice was a little hoarse, but her eyes were surprisingly bright.

Ian didn't reach for it immediately. He looked up and saw Adele's tired face.

Within three days, all the materials on his list were gathered, and the quality had to meet the requirements.

He knew exactly what this meant.

This woman... probably used the last bit of her connections and savings.

It's even possible that some important treasure was mortgaged.

"No need to be nervous, it's all... worth it." Ian's voice was calm.

He saw Adele's desperate determination and offered a soft word of comfort.

He picked up the ring and focused his mental energy into it.

The interior space was packed full, with each material neatly packaged and clearly labeled.

The quality... is higher than he required, no lower.

Ian's eyes flickered slightly as he put the ring on his finger and turned to walk towards the lab table.

No more chit-chat, let's get started.

For the next three days, the lights in the underground laboratory at 12 Golden Oak Street remained almost constantly on.

Old Finn no longer guards the front hall.

After finishing his business, he moved a low stool and sat down at the laboratory entrance, leaning against the cold stone wall.

Instead of fiddling with the abacus, he held a yellowed potion notebook.

But those cloudy eyes always peeked through the crack in the door at the young figure inside.

He watched as Ian pressed his hands together, and five pale golden energy threads weaved through the air like living things.

Simultaneously controlling seven crucibles, the temperature curves are so precise they're mind-boggling.

Grinding, extraction, blending, condensation...

Every step was so smooth, as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times.

There were no mistakes, and no pauses.

Even the removal of material residue is done with such precision that it's as if it were measured with a ruler.

Old Finn's breathing grew lighter and lighter.

In the end, he almost held his breath.

His thin, bony fingers gripped the edge of the notebook tightly, his knuckles turning white.

He wasn't watching someone concoct a potion.

It's more like... watching an art performance.

An art form that perfectly controls materials, fire, spiritual power, and even rules.

On the morning of the fourth day.

The laboratory door finally opened.

Ian came out, his face showing a hint of fatigue, but his eyes were still clear.

Behind him, on the experimental table, were two hundred and thirty-seven crystal bottles neatly arranged.

On the left are 195 branches, with silver light flowing inside the starry blue liquid.

Improved version of high-purity [Starlight Elixir].

The forty-two on the right contain a dark amber liquid with fine golden particles slowly rising and falling inside.

The bloodline potion upgraded to Tier 1: [Rock Bear Potion].

Adele stood in the courtyard, the morning light filtering through the sparse leaves of the old golden oak tree, casting dappled patterns of light on her face.

She looked at Ian, then at the crystal bottles in the laboratory.

His throat bobbed, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

Ian walked up to her and took a list from his dimensional ring.

"This is the cost breakdown and preliminary pricing." He handed over the list.

Adele took it, her fingertips trembling slightly.

She glanced down and her pupils suddenly contracted.

The cost was at least 30% lower than she had estimated.

The price... was 50% higher than she had expected.

"This price..."

She looked up at Ian, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes.

Will they buy it?

"You'll see when you get there," Ian said confidently.

He picked up a Starshine Potion and held it up in the morning light.

The starry blue liquid flowed in the light, and the silver specks inside rotated slowly as if they were alive.

"Because this thing... is worth the price."

The family's internal exchange meeting was held in the main hall of an old stone fortress in the south of the city.

The hall is not large, and can accommodate more than a hundred people.

Most of those who came were middle-level deacons and captains of the guards of the family, as well as a few free wizards who were attached to the heirs.

Figures dressed in robes of various colors gathered in twos and threes, talking in hushed tones.

The air was filled with magical fluctuations of various attributes, as well as the complex aromas of various potion ingredients.

As Edel entered the hall, many eyes immediately turned to her.

Curiosity, scrutiny, mockery, schadenfreude...

She wore a simple dark blue robe and no fancy accessories.

His back was ramrod straight, and his face was expressionless.

Behind her, Delia was pushing a small metal cart.

After discussing it, they decided not to put the potion in the dimensional ring.

The car was covered with a dark velvet cloth, concealing what was underneath.

Upon seeing Adele, a hint of undisguised mockery curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Xiao Qi, you're here to join in the fun too?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for several people nearby to hear.

"What good stuff did you bring this time? Did you just pick up some junk from some street stall again?"

The two guards behind him chuckled in unison.

The Thunderhawk on her shoulder tilted its head, its sharp eyes fixed on Edel.

Adele didn't even glance at him.

She walked straight to an empty stall on the right side of the hall and lifted the velvet cloth.

More than two hundred crystal bottles are neatly arranged, refracting a halo of starry blue and amber under the light.

Instantly, the attention of several deacons who were selecting potions nearby was drawn to them.

"This is……"

A top-tier deacon with gray hair and a scar on his face walked over.

He picked up a modified version of the Starshine Potion, held it up to his eyes, and examined it carefully under the light.

A few seconds later, his pupils suddenly contracted.

"This purity..."

He abruptly raised his head and looked at Adele, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock.

"Miss Edel, this potion... whose work is it?"

His voice was quite loud, and several deacons and guard captains gathered around.

Adele's face remained expressionless, but her fingertips tightened slightly.

"These potions were concocted by my guest... Wizard Marcus."

"Marcus..." Scarface repeated in a low voice, his shock deepening.

He didn't ask any more questions and simply pulled out the cork.

A clear, cool energy wave, carrying the aura of starlight, instantly spread out.

Several wizards nearby, who were selecting potions from other stalls, paused simultaneously.

They all turned their heads in unison.

"Can I try the medicine?"

Adeline felt a tightness in her chest, but her face showed no fear.

Having a reading slump? Come and read more!

Without hesitation, Scarface Deacon tilted his head back and poured the medicine down his throat.

The liquid entered my throat, transforming into a gentle yet surging energy that instantly flooded my mind.

He closed his eyes, feeling the energy flowing and nourishing within his spiritual sea.

It even subtly draws in the surrounding magic, causing it to converge.

Three seconds later, he opened his eyes.

His eyes were frighteningly bright.

"The effect... is at least 40% stronger than standard Moon Essence Dew and Soul Crystal Fragments on the market!"

His voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Moreover, it contains very few impurities and leaves almost no residual side effects!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere in front of the entire stall changed abruptly.

The deacons and guard captains watching instantly turned fervent.

"How much is one?" A burly guard captain in leather armor pushed his way to the front, his voice urgent.

Adele quoted a price.

It's twice as expensive as the standard moonflower essence on the market.

But no one hesitated.

"I want ten!"

"Give me twenty!"

"I'll take the rest!"

……

Almost the instant Adele announced her price, a flurry of bids erupted.

The space in front of the stroller was instantly filled.

Arms reached out, each holding a magic stone bag or a crystal card.

Edel stood still, while Delia continued her busy trading.

She looked at the chaotic yet passionate scene before her, and her heart trembled slightly.

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging emotions in her heart, and began to collect money and hand out medicine.

The movements were a bit clumsy, but still quite methodical.

Not far away, Edwin's mocking expression froze completely.

The wine glass in his hand tilted slightly, and the amber-colored wine spilled out, dripping onto the stone ground with a soft "sizzle".

But he was completely unaware.

He just stared intently at the bustling scene in front of Adele's stall, his eyes so dark they could drip water.

"This is impossible... Could it be?"

He muttered to himself, his teeth grinding together.

"That trash from some remote island... how could that be..."

The two guards behind him were also stunned; the sneers on their faces had vanished, leaving only astonishment.

The Thunderhawk on the shoulder seemed to sense its master's emotions and flapped its wings uneasily.

On the other side of the hall, Rodney, Edmund's steward, was standing in the shadows.

He held a cup of tea in his hand, his gentle smile unchanged.

But a faint, almost imperceptible chill flashed in those deep, abyss-like eyes.

He watched quietly as the crowds gathered at Adele's stall, then glanced at Edwin's gloomy face.

Then, he slowly took a sip of tea and put the cup down.

He turned around and left the hall quietly.

More than two hundred vials of medicine were sold out in less than half an hour.

The last deacon to buy the potion, carrying a small bag of crystal bottles, left in a hurry with an excited blush on his face.

The area in front of the stalls was empty again.

Edel stood there, looking at the velvet fabric swaying above the cart and the heavy magic stone bag in her hand.

The weight transmitted through her fingertips felt so real that it made her feel somewhat dazed.

Delia walked over to her and gently patted her arm.

"Miss, we should go back now." Her voice was soft, but her eyes held a relieved smile.

Edel nodded and put the magic stone bag into her dimensional ring.

He turned around and glanced at the left side of the hall.

Edwin was still standing there, his face ashen, his eyes terrifyingly sinister.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

one second.

Adele didn't say anything, she just slightly raised her chin.

Then he turned around and walked out of the hall without looking back.

His back was ramrod straight.

It was already evening when we returned to Golden Oak Street.

Old Finn stood at the workshop entrance, a pipe in his hand, smoke rising slowly.

When he saw Adele and Delia return, his cloudy eyes swept over their empty stroller and then looked at the blush that had not yet completely faded from Adele's face.

Then, he didn't ask anything.

He simply nodded, turned around, and walked back to the front hall.

But old Finn noticed a hint of relief in the young lady's eyes.

In the courtyard, Ian sat under the old golden oak tree, holding an empty crystal bottle in his hand, carefully examining it against the setting sun.

Some traces of starry blue still remained on the bottle wall, shimmering faintly in the afterglow.

Gaga perched on his shoulder, rubbing its little head against his cheek.

"Ian, we did it!"

Its voice was full of joy.

"Mm," Ian responded, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He put away the empty bottle and looked at Adele who was walking over.

"How is it?"

Edel walked up to him, took the heavy magic stone bag from her dimensional ring, and placed it on the stone table.

The bag was open, and a large amount of high-grade magic stone energy surged, reflecting a dazzling halo in the setting sun.

"They're all sold out." Her voice was very soft.

"The price... is more than double what we expected."

The first-tier bloodline potion, in particular, is even more sought after than the Starshine Potion.

This is a great item that can quickly enhance one's strength, and it seems to be even more popular in a dog-eat-dog world like the Central Continent.

Adele has already accepted over a hundred commissions for [Rock Bear Potion], and an even larger number for Starlight Potion.

She did not set a specific delivery date, which needed to be discussed with Ian.

Right now, Ian is the best card she has, and she doesn't dare to make any rash decisions.

She paused for a moment, then looked at Ian.

His eyes held a complex mix of emotions: gratitude, excitement, and a hint of exhilaration at finally seeing hope.

"Ian, thank you."

Ian shook his head.

"No need to thank me, this was agreed upon beforehand."

He picked up a high-grade magic stone and gently... .

A cool touch, pure energy fluctuations.

Then he looked up at Idyl.

"But this is just the beginning." His voice remained calm.

"From now on, they won't just be watching."

Adele's eyes sharpened, she nodded, and clenched her fists.

"I know."

She took a deep breath and straightened her back even more.

"But I... have nothing left to be afraid of."

After agreeing on a delivery time, Adeline hurriedly left again to gather more materials.

As the sun completely set, the sky turned a deep, inky blue.

Lights began to illuminate the stone building at number 12 Golden Oak Street.

The news that "Eddie has recruited a highly skilled potion master" has spread like wildfire among the upper and middle classes of the Just family.

Some people's expressions began to turn sour.

Some calculations have also begun to be quietly adjusted.

The undercurrents are surging faster.

At the center of the vortex, Ian was sitting under the old tree in the courtyard.

A glint of silver light flickered in his eyes.