Bai Ying shook his head lightly, turned away, and continued reading his book.
Everyone had their own path to walk. Yue Fang's talent was extraordinary — perhaps not at the absolute pinnacle, but in Bai Ying's eyes, he possessed enough potential to one day reach the realm of legends.
After all, with magic still in the process of recovery, having SS-level potential was already a rare and remarkable feat.
A pity, though. He had fallen.
Bai Ying didn't dwell on it. When Yue Fang's time came — whether in desperation or on the brink of death — he would draw out the man's soul and fuse it into a divine dragon.
Even then, his achievements wouldn't be wasted. The legend would continue.
Half a month later, a new entry appeared on Bai Ying's skill panel — an alchemical poison technique. Without hesitation, he poured several skill points into it, maxing it instantly.
[Your Master-level Alchemy (Pharmacy) proficiency has reached the limit. Advancing to Master-tier Alchemy (Pharmacy).]
[Promotion task completed. Rewards obtained: Alchemical Metamorphosis Energy ×1, Special Skill Point ×1, Attribute Points +10, Random Reward ×1.]
[Alchemy (Pharmacy), Alchemy (Science), and Alchemy (Transformation) have all advanced to Master-tier. Five-star title "Alchemy Master" has evolved into seven-star title: "Alchemist."]
[Title: Alchemist]
[Quality: ★★★★★★★]
[Effect 1: Knowledge absorption rate +20%.]
[Effect 2: Gain one special skill point every 1,000 natural days.]
[Requirement: Master-level proficiency in all alchemy disciplines.]
[Description: In the vast field of Alchemy, you have transcended imitation and become a pioneer. From now on, others may look to you as a guiding star.]
[Special Skill Point +1 acquired. Cooldown for next skill point: 1,000 natural days.]
Bai Ying stared at the new title, momentarily stunned.
A seven-star title… and this powerful?
Just moments ago, he'd spent his last special skill point — now he had two again. Each represented the birth of a top-tier knowledge.
Even in three years, he had only managed to obtain one such point before. To get another so soon... it was beyond expectations.
Still, he reminded himself not to rush. Despite the temptation, becoming a Sage wasn't something that could be achieved overnight.
Even with unlimited skill points, anyone would need at least ten years of pure comprehension and refinement to reach that level.
Unless… there were enough special skills to bridge the gap.
He set that thought aside. For now, the combination of his new Alchemist title, fresh skill points, and Metamorphosis Energy was more than enough.
Accepting the alchemical energy, Bai Ying felt his body tremble.
[Level Up: Your level has reached 71.]
A quiet boom resonated within him as a faint pulse of power spread throughout his body.
No grand light, no spectacle — Alchemist advancements were always subtle.
Yet, the surge of strength was unmistakable. His magic attribute climbed sharply to 735, and after assigning his ten newly gained attribute points, it reached 745.
That was a terrifying number. At this point, even casual study could produce new methods of attack — or entirely new schools of alchemy and sealing.
He clenched his fist. A ripple of magic cracked the surrounding space.
His magic had reached the legendary threshold, and his spiritual power followed closely behind — though in truth, he was only standing at the very peak of the gold rank.
Still…
"Hah. That's strong."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
Next came the matter of Divine Evil Transformation.
That was where his next step lay — in the domain of alchemical pharmaceuticals.
He used a special skill point to study the Divine Bone, instantly gaining an overwhelming flood of knowledge.
It was dangerous — fatally so. The transformation into a Divine Evil was not something even saints could endure.
It required items like the finger bones of the Goddess of Life, the sin essence of the God of Cersis, the blood of four deities, and finally, the crystallized evolution of evil thought.
Each ingredient carried cataclysmic potential.
Especially the sin of the God of Cersis — its corruption was immense. Bai Ying no longer intended to add another layer of instability with the Heart of Divine Malice.
Using that malice could corrupt the Goddess of Life's bones, plunging his darker half into uncontrollable madness.
If he avoided it, the balance of four divine essences would suppress the darkness, allowing him to manage it safely.
He exhaled slowly. "Better to have Luo Ning divine it first," he murmured. "No reason to risk everything blindly."
Before that, though, he'd deal with the random reward he had just obtained.
He walked to the courtyard's rear, eyes landing on the faint countdown flickering in the air.
[Version 2.0 Launch Countdown: 28 natural days.]
A familiar feeling of déjà vu surfaced. Just as before, time flowed differently between Thia and Blue Star.
In his past life, while Blue Star experienced two short years, Thia had gone through three decades.
He still remembered that long, agonizing wait for the 2.0 → 3.0 update. Two months of real-time agony. Other games were abandoned instantly — yet for Rise of Dawn, players always came back.
No matter how much they cursed, when those four words appeared on the screen, they'd put on their helmets once again… and sleep peacefully within that world.
Under the Tree of Life, a young girl sat reading on a swing — Luo Ning.
She had spent a full year within the Cursed Doctor's inheritance space. According to Thia's calendar, she was now fifteen — but her physical development made her look sixteen.
She had lost some of her childish roundness, though a hint of youthful charm still lingered.
"Brother Bai!" she called, noticing his gaze. Her smile bloomed like sunlight through leaves.
Bai Ying waved casually, smiling faintly.
Two years had passed — his once-anxious apprentice had grown into a remarkable young woman.
Luo Ning gestured toward a stool beside her. "Boss, come sit."
Her spiritual power rippled gently, forming a small wooden stool nearby. Bai Ying's servant rushed to fetch it and placed it obediently beside him.
"You've grown taller," Bai Ying said with a trace of nostalgia. "And prettier."
Luo Ning blushed slightly. "It's the boss who's been too busy," she replied softly. "Have you started already?"
"Mm. It's begun."
"Then let's test something by the way," she said, summoning a golden coin shimmering with destiny.
Fate's power rippled faintly as the coin spun in midair before landing smoothly in her palm.
"This will suit Sister Irene better," Luo Ning murmured thoughtfully, pressing the coin onto a crystal orb.
Her dark eyes turned golden as ethereal energy connected the two. The crystal ball floated before Bai Ying, humming with gentle light.
"No light means no reward. Blue glow is one thousand gold coins, purple means ten thousand, and golden light… one hundred thousand," she explained calmly.
Her tone was practiced — confident.
"Impressive," Bai Ying said sincerely.
Luo Ning flushed faintly, waving it off. "I'm not a child anymore. Don't praise me like that."
"But it's true. You're more talented than most professional seers."
Her progress was astonishing — approaching gold-tier already. Even Bai Ying, with all his knowledge and advantages, couldn't match that rate of growth without divine aid.
Magic recovery had accelerated everything. Across the Federation, prodigies were rising like stars in a night sky.
Among the top nine geniuses:
Helen Renchu had reached Level 78, surpassing most legislators and solidifying her position as the Federation's number one talent.
Diane, once last among them, had climbed steadily to Level 65.
In Dongwu City, Bai Ying himself stood at Level 71 — the very peak of gold.
Luo Ning was close behind, soon to ascend.
Irene had already broken into gold rank — the first elf to do so in nearly a millennium.
Even her constant complaints couldn't hide the fact that her healing was unparalleled. Patients lined up years in advance for a single appointment.
The entire Federation had changed. Hope burned brightly again.
Cities modeled themselves after Dongwu, adopting its systems — even if at a smaller scale.
"My master really is the greatest fortune teller," Luo Ning said proudly, then hesitated. "But, Boss… when will you pick up Sister Diane?"
"Not yet," Bai Ying said with a sigh. "She's in a sealed training realm. It opens only once every six months."
He paused, thoughtful. "In truth, her cultivation might take years. Even back then, I rarely heard of any new legends emerging for decades."
He remembered his past life — thirty long years with no third legend recorded. At the time, he'd been too focused on potions, gold, and forums to understand the upper world.
Even so, his instincts told him — those high-level geniuses were being protected, hidden away for the Federation's future.
"I understand," Luo Ning said softly. "Still… I miss her."
Bai Ying smiled faintly. "Then when she returns, we'll invite her to move her secret realm here."
Her eyes brightened immediately. Then she blinked toward the Tree of Life, thoughtful. "Should we move these trees elsewhere? I heard undead mages hate life energy."
"The real undead don't," Bai Ying replied. "They may avoid life energy, but they don't despise it. True undead mages remain human — not spirits."
He considered for a moment. "Still, you're right. We should limit the life energy overflow. Perhaps… a controlled forest of life."
"Boss, look!" Luo Ning suddenly exclaimed.
A sharp ding rang out as the gold coin of fate gleamed brightly — golden light bursting forth.
Bai Ying froze, eyes widening. "It actually worked?"
Without hesitation, he activated it.
[You have opened Random Reward ×1.]
[You have obtained: Fate ×1.]
"…Fate?" Bai Ying whispered, blinking. "What kind of reward is that?"