While Feng Hao was still puzzled, the thief had already darted over.
After they came face to face, Feng Hao's eyes widened in disbelief. The thief before him was none other than Lin Luo, whom he hadn't seen in ages—the benefactor he met right after he transmigrated. "Brother Lin Luo?!"
"Huh, what are you doing here?" Lin Luo was equally surprised, a strange expression on his face. "Don't tell me you're here on business, too?"
"..." Feng Hao rolled his eyes, speechless. His old friend seemed to be addicted to this "business" of his. "Business my ass. This is my shop."
Lin Luo froze, looking surprised and a little awkward. "Well now, you're doing pretty well for yourself, little brother!"
"It's nothing special," Feng Hao said with a modest smile, then asked, "By the way, what were you trying to 'get' from my shop, big brother?"
"There have been rumors recently that the Miao Medicine Tower in Rongcheng has pills that can increase one's power. A lot of factions are rushing over here, so I thought I'd pop in and take a look." Lin Luo said thoughtfully. "Honestly, little brother, you're in a lot of danger right now."
"The Beixing Clan spread this news?" Feng Hao's expression turned grim.
"Seems like it." Lin Luo nodded.
Feng Hao couldn't help but grow tense. He hadn't expected the Beixing Clan to stoop so low. Given the effects of the Experience Pill, probably any faction would be tempted. 'Looks like I'll have to figure out a way to skip town.'
"With your big brother here, what's the need to run?" Lin Luo said with a slight smirk. "Since this is your turf, little brother, of course I'm not just going to stand by and do nothing."
Feng Hao's face lit up. "You have a plan, big brother?"
"Who needs a plan? Strength is the most direct solution!" Lin Luo said confidently.
Feng Hao was stunned. "You're that strong, big brother?"
"I'm decent. In any case, those people rushing here are no match for me," Lin Luo said with a smile.
"Well, that's fantastic!" Feng Hao was overjoyed. 'This big brother is truly my destined benefactor!'
Lin Luo squinted, his gaze sweeping over Feng Hao, a look of surprise on his face. "Tsk tsk, we haven't seen each other for a few months and you're already level sixteen, little brother!"
"If it weren't for your help back then, big brother, I wouldn't be where I am today," Feng Hao said gratefully.
"No, no, no, I just gave you a small helping hand. Your current strength is all the result of your own hard work. Especially this medicine shop... even I find it a little hard to believe." Lin Luo's eyes were filled with admiration.
"It was all just luck," Feng Hao said with a laugh.
Lin Luo didn't press the issue and continued, "By the way, with how fast you're cultivating, your gene activity must be pretty high, right?"
"Not at all, not at all. It's only forty-eight," Feng Hao said awkwardly.
"..." Lin Luo was speechless. He said, "Your aptitude is really... sigh... let's not talk about that. Did you raise your gene level with pills?"
Feng Hao nodded lightly. He didn't want to hide anything from Lin Luo.
"Do these pills really work?" As he spoke, Lin Luo took out an Experience Pill from his Spatial Ring.
Feng Hao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The guy had clearly already gotten his hands on some. "They definitely work, but the one you're holding is just a Tier One Experience Pill. It has no effect on Mages above the second rank."
"No wonder I ate so many yesterday and didn't feel a thing," Lin Luo said with sudden realization.
"..." Feng Hao shook his head, speechless, and said with a smile, "Big brother, just tell me what tier of pill you need. I can refine it for you."
Lin Luo's body stiffened. He looked up and stared intently at Feng Hao. "You're the one who created these pills, little brother?"
Feng Hao smiled without a word.
"Well, I'll be," Lin Luo marveled, circling Feng Hao and looking him up and down. "I never would've guessed you were an Alchemist, little brother!"
"Where I'm from, there are a lot of Alchemists, and I'm one of them." Feng Hao made up an excuse. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell the truth, but that no one would believe it if he did.
Lin Luo nodded thoughtfully, then frowned and asked, "I need a tier seven pill. Can you refine one?"
"You're a Seventh Rank Mage, big brother!" Feng Hao exclaimed. It was hard to imagine a seventh-rank expert being a thief. "Don't worry, I can even whip up a tier nine for you!"
Hearing this, Lin Luo was even more shocked than he was. "You're a ninth-rank Alchemist, little brother?!"
"What's so strange about that? Where I'm from, ninth-rank Alchemists are a dime a dozen." Feng Hao gave a casual smile. He wasn't just making it up. Back in the game *Mage*, ninth-rank Alchemists were indeed everywhere, especially since most Assassin Players basically had to learn Alchemy Techniques.
Lin Luo gulped. It took him a good while to snap out of it. "Your hometown must be an amazing place, little brother. If I ever get the chance, I have to go see it for myself."
"To be honest, I can't even find my way back myself," Feng Hao said with a wry smile.
"So you really aren't from the Ancient Cang Realm, little brother." Lin Luo gave him a meaningful look and sighed wistfully. "The billions of worlds in the universe are truly full of wonders. To think there's even a planet dedicated to cultivating alchemy."
"You know about other planets, big brother?" Feng Hao was overjoyed. This was the first time he had heard the word "planet" since he transmigrated.
"I've only heard about them," Lin Luo said with a wry smile and a shake of his head. He continued, "You don't need to be so sad, little brother. Once you reach level one hundred, you'll naturally have the chance to travel across the starry sky and the Ten Thousand Realms."
'Level one hundred? Travel across the starry sky and the Ten Thousand Realms?' Feng Hao's heart pounded wildly, a sharp glint in his eyes.
All this time, he thought he had transmigrated to an Otherworld, but after hearing what Lin Luo said, his entire worldview was upended.
This wasn't some game world, but a distant planet. Earth was perhaps in some corner of the universe, waiting for him to find it.
'But if that's the case, why was I teleported here? And who is pulling the strings behind all of this?'
'Could it be that massive, illusory figure that appeared in my sea of consciousness when I awakened my racial talent?'
"Don't overthink it, little brother. Level one hundred is still a long way off," Lin Luo said with a soft chuckle. "By the way, what ingredients are needed to refine the Experience Pill? I can go prepare them. Don't worry, no matter how precious the ingredients are, I can get my hands on them."
Feng Hao pulled himself out of his chaotic thoughts and said, "Mainly a Tier Seven Crystal Core and a Level 7 Magic Crystal. I have all the other ingredients here."
"What a coincidence, I have both of those on me." Lin Luo's eyes lit up with delight as he casually took out the two ingredients.
"Where did you get a Level 7 Magic Crystal, big brother?" Feng Hao was amazed. A Tier Seven Crystal Core wasn't a big deal, as level-70 monsters dropped them, but a Level 7 Magic Crystal was a different story.
After all, although Magic Crystals were used as currency, only levels one through five were actually in circulation. Magic Crystals above level five were exceptionally rare, even more precious than some heavenly treasures.
"I probably just swiped it during one of my 'business' trips," Lin Luo said uncertainly.
"..." Feng Hao felt a dark cloud forming over his head. "Since we have all the ingredients, I'll just refine it for you now!"
"Alright." Lin Luo nodded.
After speaking, Feng Hao led him directly to the Alchemy Room downstairs.
In the meantime, Wang Gui and a few other clerks finally noticed the commotion and rushed out brandishing pots, bowls, and ladles, only to be shooed away by Feng Hao with a look of disdain.
Lin Luo teased from the side, "Little brother, with a shop of this scale, you should really hire some Mages to act as guards."
"You're right." Feng Hao looked slightly embarrassed.
Entering the Alchemy Room, Feng Hao wasted no time and got busy refining the tier seven Experience Pills. With his alchemy skills, it was naturally no trouble at all. A batch of nine Experience Pills was soon produced, and the miraculous refining method left Lin Luo amazed.
"A ninth-rank Alchemist is truly incredible!" Lin Luo exclaimed in admiration.
Feng Hao smiled and handed all nine Experience Pills over. "Just consume them directly when you cultivate. You can take five at most. Keep the remaining four to give away to others, big brother, just as long as it doesn't cause any trouble for me."
"Haha... You can rest assured when I'm on the job." Lin Luo took the pills with a loud laugh, then picked one up and hesitated, bringing it to his lips. "By the way, these pills don't have any side effects, do they?"
"There shouldn't be any," Feng Hao said thoughtfully.
"Alright then, let me see how effective these pills of yours are!" Lin Luo no longer hesitated. He tilted his head back, swallowed an Experience Pill, and sat down on the spot to begin cultivating.
The pill's effects quickly spread. A look of delighted surprise appeared on Lin Luo's face, and he hurriedly closed his eyes to focus on his cultivation.
Half an hour later, he opened his eyes and eagerly swallowed a second pill.
...
After consuming five Experience Pills in a row, an incredibly tyrannical aura erupted from Lin Luo's body.
Opening his eyes, his face was filled with unconcealable excitement. "I can't believe it! I just broke through to the seventh rank not long ago, and now I'm already at level seventy-five in the blink of an eye. Your pills are amazing, little brother!"
"I'm glad you're satisfied, big brother," Feng Hao chuckled softly.
"Haha...," Lin Luo laughed heartily, his gaze toward Feng Hao growing warmer. "I've decided—you're my brother now!"
Feng Hao nodded joyfully. "In that case, why don't we celebrate with a drink, big brother?"
"An excellent idea!" Lin Luo laughed delightedly.
The two went upstairs to a room with their arms around each other's shoulders, drinking and talking freely all through the sleepless night.
Feng Hao held almost nothing back from Lin Luo, telling him everything he had been through since they last parted. Lin Luo, in turn, shared many strange and fascinating stories with him. They laughed and talked until dawn, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
When they parted the next day, Feng Hao was still reluctant to see it end. "The academy has its trial assessment coming up soon, so I'll have to entrust the Miao Medicine Tower to you, big brother!"
"Rest assured, Brother Feng. As long as I'm alive, no one will touch the Miao Medicine Tower," Lin Luo said solemnly.
"Then I'll take my leave."
Lin Luo nodded, watching Feng Hao until he was gone.
Only when Feng Hao's figure had disappeared from sight did Lin Luo smile and turn back into the shop.
......
After returning to Rongcheng Academy, Feng Hao went straight to Xi Yueyao's residence, intending to give her the Tier Two Experience Pills.
But when he arrived at Xi Yueyao's residence, he was dismayed to find that Xiyue Frost, that violent woman, was also there. For a moment, Feng Hao really wanted to turn around and leave.
"Feng Hao, you're here!" Xi Yueyao bounced over to greet him. "Are the Experience Pills ready?"
Xiyue Frost stood not far away with a stony face, clearly holding a grudge against Feng Hao.
With that woman around, Feng Hao didn't want to stay long. He quickly handed the refined Experience Pills to the little girl. "Here are five Experience Pills in total. If there's nothing else, I'm gonna take off."
"What's the hurry!" Xi Yueyao pouted, displeased.
Although Xiyue Frost really disliked Feng Hao, she still walked over and asked coldly, "How many Magic Crystals?"
"Uh, no charge, no charge!" Feng Hao said, waving his hands.
Xiyue Frost's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Is five hundred thousand enough?"
"Really, there's no need!"
Not wanting to get entangled with Feng Hao, Xiyue Frost casually tossed him fifty Level 2 Magic Crystals and turned to walk back to the residence.
Feng Hao looked helpless. Thinking of his big brother Lin Luo, who was now holding down the fort at the Miao Medicine Tower, he couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile. 'Sigh... looks like this misunderstanding will never be cleared up!'
"Actually, you don't need to be afraid. My sister just doesn't like the look of you," Xi Yueyao said, landing a critical hit with her words.
"..." A dark line appeared on Feng Hao's forehead. 'This girl's words are seriously toxic.'