The most shameless alchemist in history

“Her condition is very bad, and we can’t delay any longer.” Dure frowned. He had lived in the snow-capped mountains for a long time and knew very well that if Tanya’s condition continued to deteriorate, it would be extremely dangerous for her.

“But we can’t find a doctor here, and we have no other choice. Even if we hastily take Tanya away from Winter’s Abyss, it will take at least two days to reach the nearest town, Winter Town. Tanya can’t withstand such a journey.” Dr. Sarah was worried. She knew her student’s condition very well, and she was also tormented by guilt.

“Well… I’ll figure something out. Rhodes, dig a hole right away, boil some hot water and get ready. I’m going out for a bit.” Dure thought for a moment. Without enough time to get to the nearest town to find a doctor, they had to choose another way to save Tanya.

"Think of a way? At this point, what other way is there?" Rhodes was very concerned about Tanya's safety. In the course of the day, he had thought of countless ways to help Tanya, but none of them were of any use.

"Don't worry, there will be a way. I'll be back soon. You all stay here and take good care of Tanya. I'll leave some magical energy at the cave entrance to keep the magical beasts away. As long as you don't leave the cave entrance, you'll be safe." As Dure was about to leave the cave, he remembered that there were a lot of magical beasts around. To ensure the safety of Dr. Sara and the others, he drew a line at the cave entrance with his finger.

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697 Mutual generation and mutual restraint

The line looked unremarkable, merely a shallow mark drawn on the snow, but only magic users knew that Dure had infused it with his unique magic energy. It was as easily recognizable as monster droppings, intended to warn nearby monsters that a powerful magic user existed in the cave, and to make them behave and not cause trouble.

"But Dure, it's so dangerous outside, have you... already gone far away?" Dr. Sarah originally wanted to give Dure some more advice, but at this moment Dure's figure had already disappeared into the vast blizzard.

"Doctor, does that guy really have a way to save Tanya? I'm very worried about Tanya's condition. I'm afraid she won't last much longer..." Rhodes felt extremely guilty, blaming himself for not taking better care of Tanya.

He couldn't imagine what he would do if something happened to Tanya, because Tanya held a very important place in his future plans. But if that place disappeared, he couldn't imagine the huge emptiness in his heart, and how he would spend the rest of his long life.

"Now, besides trusting Brother Du Lei, what other options do we have? And don't forget that he was able to escape unscathed from the siege of so many magical beasts. This proves that Brother Du Lei is quite capable. Rhodes, don't worry too much, trust him."

Dr. Sarah could completely understand Rhodes' feelings; after all, how could he be in a good mood himself? It was just that as an elder and a teacher, he was more resilient and composed.

"I understand, Tanya, you must hold on a little longer, you must hold on a little longer!" Rhodes held Tanya's hands tightly as her body temperature continued to drop and her lips turned bluish-purple.

“Alright, Rhodes, let’s do as Dure suggested and set up a fire first. That should make Tanya feel a little better.” Dr. Sarah reminded Rhodes, who nodded and began digging a hole in the snow to prepare to light the firewood.

After leaving the cave, Du Lei began searching around the Winter Abyss. He had noticed on his journey that many precious medicinal herbs grew there. Back in Hot Spring Village, he had often collected herbs and sold them to herb merchants who came to the village to buy herbs. As a result, he was able to identify many kinds of herbs from a young age and knew that different herbs had different pharmacological properties.

If his childhood experience of collecting herbs in the mountains was merely based on his own experience, then after entering Maple Leaf Academy, he spent a lot of time in the library, where he read many books, including those with detailed records of the pharmacology of medicinal herbs.

Du Lei had a good memory. By reading books about medicinal herbs, he memorized all kinds of different herbs. Although he had never seen many of them before, he could recall the pictures and related information about them. Therefore, he was able to recognize the herbs that grew in the Abyss of Winter, which were all very rare as recorded in the books.

“Professor Winston said that everything in nature is interconnected, and this is also recorded in his notes. However, he called it mutual generation and mutual restraint. That is, near areas where poisonous snakes are found, you can definitely find antidotes, and in areas that are bitterly cold, you can definitely find herbs to treat frostbite... I've got it! This should be a Rejuvenating Flower, and that's a Gentle Grass. They should be helpful for Tanya's condition.” Dure walked through the snow and ice against the howling wind. He searched in the crevices of the rocks and soon found some useful herbs. He carefully collected and packed them away, but he knew that this was not enough.

“Tanya not only has frostbite, but she is also sick because of her weak constitution. Having medicine to treat frostbite is not enough... Right, I remember that in the notes my teacher left me, there were several synthesis formulas. One of them is the Elixir of Rejuvenation. Isn't the medicine needed to synthesize the Elixir of Rejuvenation the same as the Rejuvenating Flower?”

Just after Du Lei had collected the Rejuvenating Flower and the Gentle Grass, he suddenly remembered something recorded in the notebook left to him by the man he had dug out of the ice hole many years ago.

"But besides these two, there are several other medicinal herbs I need to keep searching for." Du Lei had a good memory, so he remembered the synthesis formula. He also knew that refining the All-Encompassing Revival Elixir was no easy task; it required the fusion of many rare medicinal herbs. However, he didn't have nearly enough. Therefore, he braved the blizzard and continued his journey, searching in various treacherous places…

While Durei braved the blizzard to search for various medicinal herbs, Tanya's condition in the cave was getting worse. Her forehead was burning hot, and her breathing was becoming more and more rapid. Most importantly, she was still unconscious. Rhodes was watching over her, not knowing what to do.

"Why hasn't Dure come back yet? Didn't he say he had a way? If he doesn't come back soon, Tanya might..." Rhodes was very worried about Tanya's safety. More than once, he wished that he was the one who was sick.

"Rhodes, don't worry, I understand how you feel. But worrying won't solve anything. Dure... he'll definitely be back soon." Dr. Sarah wasn't sure when Dure would return either, but that was all she could say for now. After all, having hope was better than having no hope at all.

"How can I not be worried when Tanya is in this state? Damn it... If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have carried Tanya away from here to Wintertown to find a doctor. It would have been better than watching her die here!" Rhodes was upset and regretted not sticking to his opinion earlier.

“But even if we take Tanya with us, she can’t withstand the bumps and jolts, Rhodes, can’t you just calm down… Hey, Dure, you’re finally back!” Dr. Sarah didn’t know how to comfort Rhodes. In fact, she herself was also feeling very heavy-hearted. But at this moment, she noticed that someone had braved the storm and walked in at the entrance of the cave. At this time, there was no one else but Dure who could come in.

"Durey, you're finally back! Please save Tanya, she's dying!" Rodzi felt like he had grasped a lifeline when he saw Durey. He immediately stepped forward to ask Durey what he could think of, as Durey was the only person who could save Tanya.

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698 Refining medicinal materials

"Rhodes, don't worry, wait a moment. I can't save her right now." Dure waved his hand, signaling Rhodes to be patient.

"What did you say? You can't save her? Dure, that's not what you said before you left the cave!" Rhode had thought he could get a way to save Tanya from Dure, but he didn't expect Dure to give him such an answer, which he simply couldn't accept!

"Rhodes, calm down. Dure risked his life to go out for so long, he has done his best." Dr. Sarah thought that Dure's trip was in vain. Although this made her very disappointed and her heart ached, at least she was rational. She knew that she could not blame Dure for this.

"Try your best? Don't talk about trying your best. If you can't do it, you shouldn't have stopped me from taking Tanya away from here. If I had taken Tanya away from here to Winterhold, maybe she could have been saved. But look at her now, she's become like this, there's no way she can return to Winterhold. Am I just supposed to watch her die here?"

Rhodes was on the verge of a breakdown. Normally, he would never say such hurtful things to someone else. But at this moment, holding Tanya's hand, which was growing colder and colder, he could clearly feel Tanya's life fading away. Even though there was a fire burning nearby, its intense heat was not enough to revive Tanya.

“Rhodes… Brother Dure, please forgive his rudeness. Rhodes isn’t usually like this, it’s just that Tanya is like this now…” Dr. Sarah originally wanted to apologize to Dure on Rhodes’ behalf, but as she spoke, she felt her nose tingle and couldn’t control her emotions.

After all, no matter how rational he was, Tanya was one of his favorite and most satisfied students. Now that his student was facing a life-or-death situation, and he could do nothing about it, feelings of guilt and self-blame spread through Dr. Sarah's heart and tormented him.

“I only said that we can’t save her right now, not that we can’t save her in a moment.” Dure was much calmer than Dr. Sarah and Rhodes, who were both emotionally distraught. He deliberately emphasized the words “right now” and “in a moment”.

"What did you say? You have a way to save Tanya?" Rhodes was stunned. When he received a not-so-good answer from Dure earlier, he almost completely lost hope. Despair spread through his heart. Although it was hard for him to accept, he had indeed prepared for the worst. But judging from Dure's tone this time, it seemed that it was not what he had imagined.

“Although I’m not 100% sure, I can at least give it a try.” Dure nodded slightly. At this moment, he took out some things from the backpack he was carrying. Dr. Sarah and Rhodes looked over and found that Dure had taken out some unknown minerals and a few flowers and plants.

"This is... a worm ore? And that's a rejuvenating flower? These things... right, these are all precious medicinal herbs that grow in cold regions. Du Lei, were you going out to find these things just now?"

Dr. Sarah examined the items carefully and recognized the large and small piles of things that Dure had dumped out of his backpack. After all, he was a scientist who had been engaged in scientific research for decades and also had some knowledge of pharmacology, so he was able to recognize these things.

“Precious medicinal herbs? Can these things really save Tanya’s life?” Rhodes didn’t have Dr. Sarah’s extensive experience. He didn’t know much about pharmacology. Right now, the only thing he cared about was whether he could save Tanya’s life, because he clearly sensed that Tanya was at a critical juncture and he didn’t know if she could hold on.

“These alone are probably not enough.” Dure shook his head slightly, giving him a straightforward answer that stunned Rhodes, as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water.

"What? No? Then Tanya is now..." Rhodes's mood went through several ups and downs. At first, he thought there was hope, but he was quickly given a bucket of cold water. Just when he lost hope, he was given hope again, but then he was given a bucket of cold water again, and so on.

"She's alright for now. Judging from her condition, she should be able to hold on until dawn at least. So just take good care of her until then. I need to finish refining these medicinal herbs." Du Lei's attitude was quite calm. After giving Rhodes a few instructions, he took the medicinal herbs and walked to the other side.

"You heartless bastard! To you, Tanya is insignificant, so you don't care whether she lives or dies? Don't forget, if Tanya hadn't insisted on helping you, I wouldn't have agreed to bring you here!" Rhodes was furious, thinking that Dure didn't care about Tanya's safety, and immediately shouted at him.

“Rhodes, don’t say that. But… as for refining… wait, I understand. If these herbs are given to Tanya as is, they won’t have any effect. But if they are refined, then it will be very different.” Dr. Sarah originally wanted to comfort Rhodes and calm him down, but he soon realized the unusual meaning in Durei’s words and exclaimed in surprise.

"Refinement? What does that mean?" Rhodes was stunned for a moment. He didn't quite understand what the word meant. At the same time, he looked at Dure, who had walked to the other side. Dure was sitting on the ground with his back to them, and he didn't know what he was doing.

"Refining is a branch of alchemy. Its core element is fusion, which combines several different things with different properties. The fused substance not only possesses the properties of the original materials but also evolves into a completely new one. For example, with medicinal herbs, several herbs can be fused together through refining to create a new medicine whose efficacy is exponentially greater than that of the original materials!" Dr. Sarah said excitedly. As a scientist, extensive knowledge is a basic requirement, and since alchemy is a branch of science, it's not surprising that she understands it so well.

"Alchemy? So that means Dure knows alchemy? Does that mean Tanya can be saved?" After being doused with cold water several times, Rhodes dared not be too optimistic and asked cautiously.

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699 Revival Elixir

“Although I’m not entirely sure… but since Brother Dure just said that, I think there’s a high probability. Rhodes, take good care of Tanya and don’t disturb Brother Dure.” Dr. Sarah wasn’t too sure either, but it was at least a hope for them, and a high-probability one at that. She immediately gave Rhodes this advice.

"I understand, Tanya, did you hear me? You'll be saved soon, so you must hold on!" Rhode held her hand tightly. If there was one thing in this world he absolutely could not lose, it would be, besides air, her still unconscious body...

Du Lei wasn't very confident about refining the All Things Reviving Elixir, because he had never refined such a thing before. After all, the basic materials for refining the All Things Reviving Elixir were very precious medicinal herbs and minerals, which were usually very difficult to find. Fortunately, he was currently in the Abyss of Winter, where these medicinal herbs grew in this extremely cold place. However, he hadn't found all the materials yet; there were still three or four herbs he hadn't found.

After all, it would be too much of a coincidence to be able to gather all the materials for the Rejuvenating Elixir of All Things at once. There are no such coincidences in the world. But even so, Dure had no choice but to bite the bullet and start refining it, because he knew that Tanya couldn't wait.

"The gloves... were left in a box on the train, not on me. The cursed bracelet is also missing. Does that mean I can only maintain the balance of the alchemy process with my own magical energy?" Dure discovered that he was missing two items before he started alchemy: the gloves and the bracelet.

The Cursed Bracelet is an alchemical amplification item that can greatly enhance the effects of alchemy, while the Gloves are an energy field that maintains a balanced state of elements during the alchemical process. Without the gloves, he would have to use his own hands to face the possible collisions and conflicts between elements, and he would be the first to suffer damage if anything went wrong during the alchemical process.

"There's no other way. Even without the bracelet and gloves, we have to give it a try. Hopefully, it will work out." Dure knew that Tanya's condition was extremely dangerous. The only thing that could save her was the Rejuvenating Elixir. He didn't have much time left, so he had to try.

Dure drew a circle on the ground with his hand, similar to the line he drew when he left the cave to protect Dr. Sarah and the others from the monsters. Both were defined by his magical energy, forming a boundary. This area would be an independent space, and he cleared all the magical elements from this small space, keeping it in a vacuum.

The purpose of this was to ensure that no impurities were present during the refining process. If even a trace of other elements were introduced, it could trigger a very serious chain reaction. Dure remained calm and quickly completed this step.

The next step was to analyze all the materials. He covered the surface of the herbs and minerals with his magic, forming a thin film, and then gradually analyzed the constituent elements of the herbs. Du Lei had done similar things many times before, so he was familiar with them and it went very smoothly. Before long, he had completely decomposed all the materials.

“So next…” Dure’s expression was focused. He knew that if there was even the slightest mistake, these medicinal herbs would be completely destroyed. And for Tanya at this moment, she didn’t have time to wait for Dure to find a second batch of herbs. In other words, Dure only had one chance. If he failed, then Tanya would be completely beyond saving!

Under immense pressure, Dure's forehead was covered in cold sweat. He began to use his own magic as a guide, and a faint glow appeared in his hands. Within the glow, the medicinal herbs were enveloped and began to decompose into specks of light at a visible speed. They began to gather into starlight like fireflies, a very strange scene.

“Almost there…” Du Lei was completely focused, not daring to be careless in the slightest. Under his control, all the medicinal herbs turned into streams of light. Different herbs had different radiance because they contained different elements. Several different colored rays of light intertwined together, forming a twisted columnar object. This was very peculiar. If others saw it, they would definitely exclaim in surprise.

Outsiders may not understand the principles of alchemy, but they can clearly see the measurements. The iridescent colors that appear within the circle he has drawn are the basic elements extracted from different medicinal materials and are in a gaseous state. The core element of alchemy is the process of decomposition and reforging, and Durei has now completed the first step of decomposition.

The multicolored light in his hand began to spin, and the speed of the spin increased, like a tornado forming in a storm. If you looked closely, you would see that Du Lei's palm had turned crimson, and you could clearly see blood flowing in it. The veins on the back of his hand were also bulging, which looked very frightening.

The elements release a large amount of energy during the recombination process, and Dure's hands are the first to bear the impact of the energy. He cannot let the energy exceed the range of his hands, as this will cause a chain reaction. He must control the recombination of the energy. If he had gloves on his hands, he could withstand most of the energy impact, but he does not have gloves now. He can only suppress it with his own hands. This is not an easy process. If he makes a slight mistake, he will suffer a powerful energy impact.

After this state lasted for a few minutes, the multicolored light gradually formed a pillar of light. The pillar of light existed in a floating state, but at its tail, it began to vaporize. Du Lei carefully channeled his magic power to promote the vaporization process, because only vaporization could turn the multicolored light into liquid, and liquid was the elixir of revival he needed.

The vaporization process was extremely slow and could not afford the slightest mistake. Dure was completely focused, unable to tolerate any external disturbance. It took about half an hour for the liquid to form a single drop, and every minute and second was agonizing for Dure. Time slowly passed, while on the other side, Tanya's condition deteriorated rapidly.

Tanya, who was originally unconscious, was relatively calm, but gradually she began to convulse, and the frequency of the convulsions increased, which terrified Rhodes.

700 explosions

"Tanya, what's wrong with you, Tanya... Doctor, why is Tanya suddenly like this?" Rhode had been praying that nothing bad would happen to Tanya, but her sudden violent reaction made his heart tighten.

"Well... I'm not quite sure either. Rhodes, don't worry, Tanya will definitely be alright. Just wait a little longer, and once Brother Dure has finished making the medicine, Tanya will be fine!" Although Dr. Sarah knew some pharmacology, she wasn't a doctor herself and didn't know Tanya's current condition. She could only comfort Rhodes with kind words, while also comforting herself.

"We've been waiting for so long, and he still hasn't finished? We can wait for Tanya's condition, but she can't wait any longer!" Rhodes's voice was already trembling with tears. He wasn't a man of weak will; otherwise, he wouldn't have followed Dr. Sarah to such a harsh place as the Abyss of Winter. But seeing Tanya's condition, he was already in a state of utter turmoil, wishing he could take all of this upon himself.

“I understand how you feel. Just hang in there a little longer, just a little longer. Brother Dure said there wouldn’t be any problems, you have to believe in him,” Dr. Sarah pleaded earnestly. She knew very well that this was the only thing they could do at this stage.

"Bang!" Just as Dr. Sarah and Rhodes were anxious, an explosion suddenly occurred not far away, which startled them both. The explosion came from Dure's direction. During this time, they had not disturbed Dure in order to keep him focused on refining. However, this sudden explosion completely shattered Rhodes' last hope.

"Is this... a failure?" Rod stared blankly at Dure's location. In his mind, explosions often meant failure, because when he was still in the laboratory at Sena University, he saw students from other majors cause explosions during experiments, which was a sign of failure.

"Brother Dure, are you alright?" Although Dr. Sarah also had a bad feeling, she was more worried about Dure's safety, because Dure had started the process to save Tanya. If something went wrong during the process, she would be tormented by her conscience.

"Cough cough, as expected, refining the All Things Reviving Elixir is even more difficult than I imagined." Du Lei, who had been focused for quite some time, took a deep breath. The explosion he had just caused was quite large, and he was the first to be hit. His face was covered with a layer of black ash, all of which was due to the blast.

"Damn it, Tanya... It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let you come to the Abyss of Winter in the first place..." Rhodes was plunged into deep pain and self-blame. He pounded the ground with all his might, and his fists were soon covered in blood and flesh. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the torment he was suffering in his heart.

"Hey, you're a man, stop crying here, aren't you ashamed?" At this moment, Durei walked over and kicked Rod when he saw Rod's dejected look.

"How could you possibly understand my feelings? Someone as cold-blooded as you wouldn't shed a single tear no matter who fell in front of you, would you? Or is it that someone like you doesn't even have anyone who is important to you?" Rhodes roared angrily, grief spreading through his heart.

“Rhodes, don’t say that. Dure has already done his best and he was injured in the explosion. Dure, you should rest too…” Dr. Sarah understood Rhodes’ feelings, but it was really too much for him to ignore Dure’s feelings and criticize him like that.

“At least when someone important to me is seriously ill, I won’t shed useless tears. Instead, I will do everything I can to try and do something that is truly meaningful.” Dure was not angry at Rod’s accusation, but responded coldly.

"Try? What good were all those attempts you made?" Rhodes' face was streaked with tears, and he wore a ridiculous smile. For him, losing Tanya meant that nothing he said mattered. How could that girl possibly understand his grief?

“It’s useful.” Dure said calmly, holding something in his hand, but neither Dr. Sarah nor Rhodes noticed it at the time.

"Useful? If it were useful, Tanya wouldn't be like this. She's already in this state, can't you just stay away and stop saying these meaningless things that hurt her?" Rhodes was already on the verge of a breakdown, and he growled hysterically.

"Get out of the way." Dure ignored Rhodes' voice and uttered only two simple words, which stunned Dr. Sarah. While Rhodes' words and tone were inappropriate, Dure really shouldn't have provoked Rhodes' sensitive nerves.

"What did you say?" Rod didn't quite understand what Dure meant and stared at him blankly.

“I’m telling you, if you don’t want the person you care about to die, you’d better step aside and boil some more water. Otherwise, if this drags on for too long, I’m not sure if she can hold on any longer.” Dure stared directly into Rhodes’ eyes and said coldly, which made Rhodes, who was about to get angry, go blank.

"You mean... Tanya can still be saved? But didn't you just fail?" Rhodes recalled the explosion just now, and Dure's face was covered in soot from the explosion, which seemed to prove that Dure's refining had failed.

"When did I say I failed in refining it? Although the process was somewhat difficult and I almost failed, I finally succeeded... Of course, due to the incomplete materials, this Rejuvenating Elixir is only a defective product, but for the time being, I can't find a better medicine." Du Lei held a transparent ice crystal container in his hand, which was formed by the solidification of very thin ice flakes. A drop of colorful liquid floated in the container, crystal clear and looking very strange.

"Will this really work for Tanya?" Rhodes stared blankly at the multicolored liquid, unsure of what to do.

"If I were you, I would obediently go and boil water instead of wasting time dawdling here," Dure reminded him. Only then did Rhodes realize that time was the last thing Tanya could afford to waste!