Chapter 58: Return to the Universal Environmental Protection Agency

Time flows like sand slipping silently and mercilessly through one's fingertips, impossible for anyone to stay in its hurried retreat.

In this inadvertent blur, the two weeks Su Hao spent in the real world passed as fleetingly as a white colt flashing past a crevice.

On this seemingly ordinary day, the cold and rigid prompt of the system, devoid of any warmth, sounded without warning in Su Hao's ear like a midnight funeral bell, shattering the original peace and serenity:

[Please note that in two hours, the teleportation program to the Universal Environmental Protection Agency will be initiated.]

That voice was like a basin of bone-chilling ice water, ruthlessly extinguishing the small flame of peace in Su Hao's life, instantly tightening his relaxed mind and disrupting his entire rhythm.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the living room also grew somewhat solemn.

Iris stood there, her posture elegant as she bowed slightly, a warm smile akin to spring sunshine resting on her face—a smile that seemed capable of dispelling the gloom in people's hearts and warming them. Her tone was full of politeness and respect, soft yet clear as she spoke:

"Mr. Su, Mrs. Su, I need to take Su Hao to attend his training classes now, so let us bid temporary farewell here. You can rest assured that in just a few days, I will surely bring Su Hao back to visit you both."

Hearing this, Wang Fang furrowed her brows tightly into a knot.

The look of worry in her eyes spread like a rising tide. She hurried forward, tightly grasping Iris's arm, and earnestly urged:

"Teacher Iris, you must never turn off your phone. And Su Hao, you are not allowed to turn yours off either. That incident last time frightened me to death; I wanted to contact you both, but no matter how many times I called, I couldn't get through. It felt as though my heart was being scratched by a cat, I was so anxious. You must remember this."

Seeing this, Su Hao quickly walked over to his mother's side, reached out to gently hold her hand as if transmitting his own strength to her, and spoke in a soothing tone:

"Mom, don't worry. During training, there are regulations prohibiting us from turning on our phones, and Teacher Iris has to teach classes, so she can't turn hers on either. The moment we enter that place, we are required by rules to switch off our phones—there's simply no way around it. Don't worry too much, I will take good care of yourself."

As he spoke, Su Hao was tightly hugging the book *Comprehensive Compendium of Alchemical Elixirs*, his arms like two indestructible iron hoops clutching the book desperately against his chest.

His cautious appearance made it seem as though he were holding not a book, but the world's unique and priceless treasure.

He was terrified that a single blink or a moment of carelessness might cause it to be lost in some unknown corner, never to be found again.

After all, over the past two weeks, this book had become an indispensable part of his life, his cherished obsession.

Whenever he had free time, he would eagerly open it.

Studying its contents with rapt fascination, his concentrated expression made it seem as though the world consisted only of him and this book.

Now, after this period of painstaking study, he had gained a fair understanding of many aspects of alchemy.

He was merely waiting for the actual ignition of the cauldron to test what he had learned, and his anticipation was boundless.

During these past two weeks, Su Hao had truly exerted tremendous effort.

Through his diligence and studious drive, he had managed to master three kinds of alchemical formulas that sounded extraordinary just by name.

One of them was called the Primary Rejuvenation Pill. Merely hearing the name made it seem infused with infinite miraculous power.

It was said that once this pill was ingested, even someone severely wounded and utterly weak could regain vitality in the blink of a breath and renew their flourishing life force.

Another was the Primary Vitality Pill, which seemed capable of instantly injecting a powerful surge of energy into a person, leaving them spirited and brimming with inexhaustible strength.

As for the final one, it was even more remarkable—a Primary Life-Saving Pill meant for critical moments. Just contemplating its efficacy revealed how precious this elixir was.

To memorize these three formulas firmly, Su Hao had spared no effort.

He recited and memorized them repeatedly every day, and by now, the formulas for all three elixirs...

were so deeply ingrained in his mind that he could recite them backward even with his eyes closed, showing the depth of his dedication.

Not only that, but in order to understand these formulas more thoroughly, Su Hao had specially carved out time to visit pharmacies in the real world to investigate.

Walking into a pharmacy, he gazed at the rows of shelves laden with various pharmaceuticals, his eyes widening instantly like two bright lightbulbs emitting an ardent glow.

He walked along the shelves, inspecting them row by row with a concentrated gaze that missed no tiny corner, as if searching for some rare treasure.

However, reality poured a bucket of cold water on him. He turned the entire pharmacy upside down.

In the end, he discovered with disappointment that the medicinal ingredients mentioned in the formulas simply could not be found in the real-world pharmacies.

Not even similar ones were anywhere to be seen, leaving him deeply disheartened.

Su Hao asked the pharmacy owner, leaving the latter dumbfounded. The owner seemed entirely unfamiliar with what Su Hao was asking about and shook his head repeatedly.

Yet even so, this failed to extinguish the fire of his passion for alchemy.

After bidding farewell to his parents, Iris brought Su Hao back to the room. Su Hao glanced up at the clock on the wall and found that there was still half an hour before the teleportation began.

He walked softly to the bed, sat down slowly, and—as if handling a fragile piece of porcelain—cautiously opened the *Comprehensive Compendium of Alchemical Elixirs* once more.

His gaze was filled with intense focus and eagerness.

It was as if he wanted to seize this final bit of precious time to unearth some overlooked, supremely valuable alchemical secrets from the book.

Recalling the journey here, Su Hao had curiously asked Iris about alchemy.

His appearance was precisely that of a child thirsting for knowledge.

His eyes were bright like twinkling stars in the night sky, brimming with anticipation and urgency.

He leaned close to Iris, tilted his head slightly upward, and asked crisply:

"Teacher, how much do you know about alchemy?"

Hearing this, Iris frowned slightly, her pretty eyebrows twitching like a pair of lively little caterpillars.

She pondered for a moment before speaking slowly:

"I do know a few things about alchemy, though the specific operations are not entirely clear to me. I only know that the Universal Environmental Protection Agency sells alchemical formulas, medicinal ingredients, cauldrons, and similar items. However, those things are extremely expensive and not something one can easily afford."

Su Hao was immersed in the world of the *Comprehensive Compendium of Alchemical Elixirs*, studying its contents with rapt attention.

Suddenly, that cold and mechanical system prompt exploded in his ear without warning:

[Teleportation back to the Universal Environmental Protection Agency commencing.]

Immediately afterward, that familiar and wondrous sensation of teleportation rushed over him like a surging tide.

It felt as though his entire body had been sucked into a massive, invisible vortex, spinning dizzyingly as everything around him blurred.

Su Hao felt a wave of dizziness in his head, and his body swayed uncontrollably.

After who knows how long, Su Hao finally struggled out of the dizzy sensation and slowly regained consciousness.

He instinctively looked around and found himself back in the exclusive room of the Universal Environmental Protection Agency, while in his hand, the *Comprehensive Compendium of Alchemical Elixirs* was still held firmly.

It was as though he had never left at all.

Seeing this, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and the heart hanging in his chest slowly settled back down.

The moment he thought about how he could soon begin the long-awaited alchemical practice, an irrepressible excitement surged within him.

It was akin to embarking on a wondrous adventure.

He eagerly organized the list of medicinal ingredients for the three formulas according to his memory.

His serious expression made it seem as though he were not organizing a simple list, but rather holding the mysterious key to a treasure trove.

After finishing the list, he hurriedly asked the system:

"How much do these medicinal ingredients on my list cost?"

Soon, the system's flat, cold, robotic voice came over:

"Candidate cleaner, the medicinal ingredients you require cost 5,878 universal coins per set. Do you wish to exchange?"

Su Hao calculated mentally, frowned slightly, gritted his teeth as if making a hard decision, and asked:

"If I exchange for 10 sets, how many universal particles will it cost?"

The system replied without any emotional fluctuation:

[4 universal particles.]

Hearing this, Su Hao reasoned that since he was still relatively unfamiliar with alchemy, preparing more ingredients was generally better to allow for more practice opportunities. Therefore, he decisively said:

"Then I'll exchange for 20 sets."

As the words fell, the system instantly deducted 8 universal particles.

Su Hao quickly checked his remaining balance of universal particles. Not looking was one thing, but looking gave him a start—goodness, only 491 were left now.

He couldn't help furrowing his brow slightly and muttering to himself:

"Money truly flows like water. Accumulating universal particles is not easy, yet so many are gone just like that. Still, in order to successfully practice alchemy, it can be considered worthwhile. Hopefully, I'll reap some rewards this time."

Looking before him, the pile of exchanged medicinal ingredients was neatly stacked there, with 20 sets for each of the three types of elixirs—a rather magnificent sight.

Su Hao walked forward, squatted down, and carefully inspected the medicinal ingredients.

They were vibrant in color and plump in texture, each plant exuding superior quality, clearly rare and fine goods.

Su Hao was immensely satisfied, a comforting smile blooming on his face.

He could not wait to ignite the cauldron and begin alchemy.