"I just got a little lucky," Pei Ze said humbly.

Usually, he might not even produce one top-grade potion out of ten batches of Ferocity Potions. To succeed on the first try now could only be attributed to a fair bit of luck.

Of course, it was also possible that after his promotion to Third-level Wizard Apprentice, his fine control over his Spiritual Power had become smoother and more adept, naturally making potion-making easier.

Mo Weng gave a noncommittal nod. His expression suddenly turned serious as he asked solemnly, "Are you willing to take me as your teacher?"

At these words, both Pei Ze and Yin Xue were stunned.

When she came to her senses, Yin Xue was overjoyed and quickly gestured with her eyes for Pei Ze to accept.

Pei Ze bowed without hesitation.

"Teacher!"

A faint smile finally appeared on Mo Weng’s face.

With a flick of his wrist, a thick book and a Crystal Ball materialized out of thin air, slowly drifting toward Pei Ze.

Pei Ze subconsciously reached out and took them. The book was bound in a layer of grayish-white leather that felt slightly cool to the touch, almost like human skin.

The cover read, ’Compendium of Tier-One Potion Formulas’.

’The title alone sounds incredibly valuable!’

The cheapest Tier-One potion formula sold by the Logistics Department cost six or seven Magic Stone Coins.

This book had to be worth at least several hundred Magic Stone Coins.

As for the other Crystal Ball, Pei Ze quickly recognized it as a Memory Crystal Ball.

"The Crystal Ball has recorded an Advanced Meditation Technique," Mo Weng said in a low voice. "Go back and practice it diligently. Do not disappoint my expectations."

"Yes, Teacher!" Pei Ze nodded firmly in acknowledgment.

He had to admit, Mo Weng’s gifts were truly generous.

For any Wizard Apprentice, this was an exceptionally valuable present.

Seeing Pei Ze’s expression, Mo Weng nodded in satisfaction and said gently, "To have achieved so much in just a month and a half shows that your talent in alchemy is quite remarkable. You must continue to study it diligently."

"If you need any materials, you can get them from me. Of course, to make you understand the principle that you only reap what you sow, the materials are not free. They are merely cheaper than those from the Logistics Department. You can ask Yin Xue for the details."

Pei Ze nodded to show he understood.

Wizards were a group that revered the principle of equivalent exchange, so he naturally didn’t expect to get free materials from his teacher.

Being able to buy materials at a discount was already a great benefit.

After offering a few more words of encouragement to Pei Ze, Mo Weng waved his hand dismissively.

Yin Xue and Pei Ze understood the gesture, bowed slightly, and took their leave.

After the two had left, a figure materialized out of thin air beside Mo Weng, a strange expression on his face.

"...You really lucked out with that one."

Mo Weng glanced at Gu Yi, his expression impassive, and said nothing.

But as a friend of many years, how could Gu Yi not see Mo Weng’s secret delight? He couldn’t help but point at him, laughing and chiding, "You were so reluctant when I suggested you take Pei Ze as your apprentice before. Now that you’ve discovered his outstanding talent, you couldn’t wait to accept him and even gave him such lavish gifts. Yin Xue didn’t get this kind of treatment when she became your student, did she?"

"...Say whatever you want." Mo Weng turned and went back to brewing his potions.

Gu Yi chuckled and shook his head, his gaze turning in the direction Pei Ze had left, a bright glint in his eyes.

’Not only is his aptitude for being a Wizard outstanding, but his talent in alchemy is also exceptional. It seems a truly remarkable little fellow has appeared among this year’s new students.’

’Once he matures, perhaps he can really stir some waves in the stagnant waters of Chenxi City.’

...

Walking out of the castle, Pei Ze was still in a bit of a daze.

The events of the day had been truly unexpected.

He still couldn’t figure out why Mo Weng had suddenly wanted to see him, much less test him on the spot and make it clear he intended to take him as a student.

But despite his confusion, Pei Ze had decided right then and there to seize the opportunity.

For him, at this moment, the advantages of becoming Mo Weng’s student far outweighed the disadvantages. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

For one thing, as he progressed in alchemy, he would inevitably need to acquire more potion formulas.

But tiered potion formulas—even just Tier-One potion formulas—were not easy to obtain.

The Logistics Department only sold a few types of Tier-One formulas, and they were the most common ones at that.

To obtain more High-tier Potion formulas, one either had to rely on their family or become an apprentice to an Alchemist.

And Mo Weng, as a renowned Tier Five Alchemist in Chenxi City, was undoubtedly an excellent teacher.

On the other hand, with Mo Weng as his backer, the pressure from Pei Yonggao would be greatly reduced.

Against the student of a Tier Five Alchemist, the methods Pei Yonggao could use were extremely limited; at the very least, he couldn’t resort to any underhanded tactics.

Otherwise, Mo Weng would never sit idly by.

With most of the pressure lifted from his shoulders, Pei Ze felt much more relaxed.

’But in the end, it’s not safe to pin my hopes on others. The most reliable thing is my own strength.’

Pei Ze secretly resolved to become a full-fledged Wizard as soon as possible.

Back at the entrance to the wooden house, Yin Xue smiled and said, "Junior Brother, we’re fellow apprentices now. If you need any materials, just come find me. I’ll take you to the supply storeroom."

"Thank you, Senior Sister," Pei Ze said with a smile.

The two parted ways at the exit, and Pei Ze immediately headed for the Logistics Department.

As he walked, Pei Ze clearly felt many eyes falling on him.

Every now and then, other apprentices would approach him to say hello.

Some of them were even upperclassmen.

Clearly, word of the trial had already spread.

Pei Ze responded to each of them as he hurried on his way.

He took a moment to check his Apprentice Badge; the five thousand contribution points for winning first place in the trial had already been deposited.

’I still have over six thousand Gold Coins in my dimensional bag, and with these contribution points, it should be enough to brew the first batch of Tier-One potions.’

There was no rush to buy materials. Pei Ze planned to first go back and look through the ’Compendium of Tier-One Potion Formulas’ to decide which potion to make before heading to Medicine Garden No. 8 to purchase them.

’Wuyu’s food is also running out. I’ll have to exchange for some more Magic Stone Coins.’

Even though he had just received five thousand contribution points, Pei Ze still felt like he was stretched thin.

All he could say was that being a Wizard was just too expensive.

Before long, Pei Ze arrived at the Logistics Department. He walked straight to the desk and tapped on its surface.

"Excuse me, I’m here to claim my trial reward."

The small, thin apprentice, who had been buried in his paperwork, looked up with a blank expression. But when he saw it was Pei Ze, his face instantly broke into an enthusiastic smile.

"Oh, it’s you! Have a seat. Here to claim your reward, right? Just a moment."

With that, he immediately began searching through his drawer.

A few other apprentices nearby saw the thin apprentice’s behavior and suddenly looked as if they’d just swallowed a fly.

Just a moment ago, when they were exchanging their items, this guy had worn a wooden expression the entire time, acting as if they owed him thousands of Gold Coins. When had he ever been so eager to please?

But then they turned to see who he was fawning over.

’Oh, the first-place winner of the new student trial. Well, that explains it.’

"Found it." The thin apprentice looked up, beaming, and handed over a list. "This lists all the Glimmer-grade Magic Items available for exchange from the Logistics Department. Pick one."

Pei Ze said his thanks, took the list, and began to browse it carefully.

Although Glimmer-grade Magic Items weren’t as precious as Wizard Artifacts, they were still considered rare and valuable items.

Especially for a Wizard Apprentice, possessing a suitable Glimmer-grade Magic Item could increase their combat effectiveness by forty to fifty percent.

In total, there were only about twenty-odd items on the list.

Pei Ze’s gaze focused mainly on the defensive Magic Items.

He had Wuyu, his trump card, and was also about to learn One-Ring Spells, so he wasn’t lacking in offensive options.

On the defensive side, however, he only had his Protective Ring and the Active Shield, which was far from enough.

’When you’re out in the world, the most important thing is to protect yourself.’

’Only by protecting yourself first can you even think about killing your enemies.’