Chapter 115: Geniuses Everywhere

Seeing Le Kai smile, Li Yan also beamed, her face filled with excitement as she asked, "Le Kai, when will you start alchemy? I really want to see it for myself!"

Le Kai replied, "Let's get our living space settled first. There’s no rush for alchemy; I need to organize things before I can begin. These medicinal ingredients are extremely precious, and it would be a huge loss if I ruined them through poor preparation. As for my ability to perform alchemy, Yan’er, you must keep it a secret for me."

Li Yan nodded and said excitedly, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Le Kai's idea of "organizing" was actually quite simple: setting up a tent for Li Yan. After all, she was a young woman and couldn't just lie on the bare rocks like he could. Furthermore, the "Flame Stone" constantly emitted Fire-attribute spiritual energy. This aura was a treasure to a Fire-attribute alchemist, but to an ordinary person, it was like a lethal poison; contact meant death from what was known as "fire toxin."

Once everything was set up for Li Yan, she finally got to witness the performance she had been longing for: alchemy.

An hour later…

"Le Kai, so this is what they call alchemy? It’s so dull. It’s been an hour and you haven't even moved. If it takes this long to make a pill, wouldn't it take forever?" Once the initial novelty wore off, Li Yan felt a bit disappointed. This was nothing like what she had imagined. In her mind, immortals were elegant and ethereal figures who flicked their fingers to cast spells, waving their whisks with grace while streams of fire danced in the air, creating shimmering lights and intoxicating aromas in mere moments…

But Le Kai looked more like he was boiling medicine. He had been crouching there, fiddling with things for ages using nothing but primitive, plain energy. For a whole hour, he hadn't budged. If alchemy were truly this tedious, it would be a grueling job indeed.

Finally, Le Kai took action. He circled his hands, and a faint mist of energy radiated out, enveloping the pill furnace. This time, both the energy and his control were near perfect. Without a hitch, he successfully refined a batch of "Qi-Recovery Pills." These were the most essential pills for their current situation, so Le Kai had prioritized them.

Next, Le Kai refined several batches of the other pills he was currently capable of making: "Strength-Enhancement Pills," "Violence-Boosting Pills," and "Resurrection Pills." With his surge in mental power and the increase in his refined internal energy, combined with the unique properties of their location, he didn't make a single mistake. It was perfection.

Li Yan went from restlessness to quiet awe. She couldn't help but admire Le Kai even more. Setting aside everything else, the sheer solitude required during the alchemy process was something few could endure. Having to hold a single posture for so long was a true test of patience.

Seeing Li Yan’s curious expression, Le Kai chuckled. "Well, now you know what alchemy is all about. Do you still want to learn?" Even for a fanatic like Le Kai, he deeply admired this young girl's thirst for knowledge. It was said that she had been devouring books since she was a child and would change teachers every month, usually because the teachers themselves resigned, feeling they could no longer teach her anything more. Such a prodigy was rare in the world—a genius among geniuses. Aside from alchemy, she had dabbled in almost every miscellaneous field, covering even more ground than Le Kai.

Li Yan shook her head. "I just enjoy researching, not the actual hands-on work. You’ve already explained the principles and procedures to me, and that’s enough." She added with a competitive glint in her eyes, "If you gave me the same problem again, I’m sure I wouldn’t do any worse than you."

Le Kai laughed heartily. "Of course. Our Yan’er is the galaxy’s number one talented woman; no one can compare." However, Le Kai was still puzzled: with such excellent conditions, why didn't Li Yan practice martial arts? She hadn't even undergone the basic physical enhancements that most people did, remaining a completely natural, ordinary human.

Li Yan had her own explanation for this: "I don't like fighting and killing. As for safety, I have 'Princess One' to protect me; most people can't harm me anyway, so why bother learning martial arts? In the time it takes to practice, I can do many more meaningful things."

To each their own—one cannot force such things. However, having a better physique obviously provided more energy to do what one loved. Le Kai took out some "Body-Strengthening Pills" and instructed her to take two a day. Even if they couldn't turn her into a fighter, they would at least detoxify and beautify the skin! Since the pills worked without the need for exercise, Li Yan was curious to see their magical effects and did not refuse.

However, unlike with the Wu siblings or Lan Bo, Le Kai gave Li Yan a detailed explanation of the precautions. Li Yan, face flushed red, pushed Le Kai out of the stone room before she began taking them.

Le Kai took this opportunity to get some exercise and, incidentally, to give the "Strength-Enhancement Pills" to Jingang.

He wondered what would happen if Jingang, who already possessed god-like strength, took these pills. How much would its combat power increase? It was truly something to look forward to!

"Actually, Jingang already possesses the qualifications to cultivate. It could learn special martial arts just like a human. I have a technique here; try teaching it to see what happens," Xianxian’s voice rang out, and a manual appeared in Le Kai’s mind.

"Berserk Combat?" Le Kai was stunned after reading it. "How is this so similar to my 'Berserk Technique'? Is there a connection?"

Xianxian replied, "There is indeed a connection. Beasts are more prone to berserk states than humans. If it practices a more savage technique, it will achieve twice the result with half the effort. You could actually practice this 'Berserk Combat' yourself, too."

"I don't want to use the 'Berserk Technique' again until I become a master alchemist. It’s completely uncontrollable and drains one's life potential; it’s too dangerous." Whenever Le Kai thought of the drawbacks of his technique, he couldn't help but look somber. Clearly, his father had overused it, leading to a massive decline in his cultivation realm.

Since his father had once been a master, Le Kai was even more convinced that his father was definitely still alive. With his father's formidable strength, which allowed him to traverse the universe, even if he exhausted his life potential, it was impossible for him to become a mere ordinary person.

There had to be a reason for his father's departure. What Le Kai needed to do now was follow his plan step-by-step, work hard to increase his strength, uncover the truth of that year, and avenge his mother.

With Le Kai's intelligence and abilities, memorizing the few hundred characters of the technique was effortless.

This "Berserk Combat" was indeed derived from the "Berserk Technique." The path of internal energy circulation was incredibly strange, even intentionally causing pain or stimulation to make oneself angry, which accelerated blood flow and increased the speed of internal energy...

If he didn't know the power of the "Berserk Technique," Le Kai would have jumped up and called it madness. Such a training method was akin to walking the path of insanity; if it didn't kill the practitioner, it would likely leave them crippled. It was simply too brutal. He figured only Jingang’s meridians could withstand such savage shocks.

Jingang had been guarding outside the cave, restless and anxious.

It had been waiting for Le Kai to come out and brew the medicinal liquid for it, but Le Kai had been inside for five or six hours. The wait had almost driven the already temperamental beast mad. Upon seeing Le Kai, Jingang thumped its chest excitedly, bounded over in a few strides, and looked at Le Kai with eager eyes.

Le Kai laughed. "Can't wait, huh? Here."

He tossed the large supply of supplements prepared for Jingang, who caught them happily one by one, twisted off the caps, and poured them into its mouth. It made Le Kai’s heart ache to watch—this creature was treating pills worth ten thousand War-Wolf coins like candy. After downing them in a few bites, the beast looked at Le Kai with a pitiful expression.

Le Kai’s face darkened. "Do you really think these are candy? Let’s talk business. Jingang, since you have already sparked internal energy, these pills aren't of much use to you anymore. Would you be willing to follow me and cultivate?"

After saying this, Le Kai felt a bit awkward. Negotiating cultivation with a giant gorilla was absurd and outrageous; if anyone heard, they would laugh their heads off.

To his surprise, Jingang seemed to understand. It nodded repeatedly and let out a series of squeaks, acting just like a little puppy.

At Le Kai's gesture, the usually restless beast sat down obediently, looking as if it were listening intently, leaving Le Kai dumbfounded.

Xianxian laughed, "Don't be so surprised. After evolving due to radiation, a gorilla's intelligence is not much lower than a human's. Plus, it has consumed so many of your precious medicinal herbs; even a fool would have become smart by now. If it can develop mental power, it will be able to transmit information directly!"

Hearing this, Le Kai grew expectant.

Although Jingang was intelligent, explaining the structure of the body, acupoints, and meridians in detail was a massive undertaking.

It took three full days for Le Kai to successfully teach the hundred-character "Berserk Combat" to it. He even spent his own internal energy to help it control the faint flow of energy within its body. The task was no less difficult than his first time practicing alchemy. Of course, "faint" was only relative to its massive size; in reality, its internal energy was even denser than Le Kai's.

But the sense of accomplishment afterward made Le Kai extremely satisfied. Watching such a naturally active, clumsy creature finally sit cross-legged and lower its eyes just like him made Le Kai want to burst into laughter; the scene was truly comical. Yet, Jingang was incredibly serious—animals understand the importance of strength better than humans.

Le Kai hadn't entered the stone room for those few days because Li Yan had refused him entry.

It wasn't until the fourth day that Li Yan walked out, looking shy.

Le Kai’s eyes went wide, and he stared at her, unable to speak for a long time. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, still unable to believe what he was seeing. He couldn't help but say with a hint of resentment, "Yan’er, I know you are the greatest genius of our age, but there's no need to be this monstrous! It's only been four days, and you've already reached the realm of the Three-Spirit Convergence."

Le Kai felt deeply frustrated. Back then, to reach this realm, he had been subjected to electric shocks by his professor and had fought wild beasts day and night... It had taken him several years to barely reach the Three-Spirit Convergence realm!

But looking at these people, he was truly speechless. Wu Nitian had reached perfection after eating a few of his pills; Lan Bo had reached the Three-Spirit Convergence after helping him refine medicine for two months; and now, Li Yan was even more ridiculous. In three days—only three days—she had completely transformed her physique and reached the Three-Spirit Convergence realm!

It seemed he, the self-proclaimed genius, was actually the slowest of them all.

After reaching the Three-Spirit Convergence realm, Li Yan had changed. Her original cold elegance was even more pronounced, making her look like a fairy descended from the heavens. She was suffused with an indescribable aura, ethereal and otherworldly. The only thing that remained unchanged were those eyes, still filled with compassion, as if she were caring for all things in the world.