Chapter 39 – Crafting Potions

The might of mutated beasts was undeniable, but if asked whether Cheng Yang wished to encounter one now, he would emphatically raise both hands and feet in affirmation.

This wasn’t because Cheng Yang had a death wish, but rather due to the unique characteristics of mutated beasts that surpassed those of demonized creatures. The key difference lay in their potential to be tamed – in gaming terms, mutated beasts could become pets.

However, mutated beasts were exceedingly rare, with their strength ranging from extremely powerful to pathetically weak, making taming a formidable challenge. In Cheng Yang’s previous life, only one publicly known case of a mutated beast being tamed existed. This singular event had sparked worldwide covetousness among combat professionals. Many risked their lives venturing into remote areas in search of these elusive creatures, though most never returned.

While Cheng Yang longed to encounter a mutated beast, he knew it was wishful thinking. These creatures never appeared near settlements or main cities – areas most closely monitored by divine beings and where the laws of heaven and earth operated most completely. Mutated beasts, existing on the fringes of these laws, simply couldn’t manifest in such regions.

For now, mutated beasts remained a distant dream. Cheng Yang’s immediate priority was hunting demonized creatures to accumulate more spiritual energy.

Continuing his sweep through the jungle, Cheng Yang conserved his magic energy potions, only using them against groups of seventy to eighty monsters. He adopted a hit-and-run strategy, gradually whittling down smaller groups to maximize potion efficiency.

Over the next hour, Cheng Yang decimated a large monster group of over three hundred and two medium-sized groups of about two hundred each, along with seven or eight smaller groups. This brought his spiritual energy to sixteen hundred points, though it exhausted his magic energy potions, forcing him to return to Phoenix Village.

Back at the village, Cheng Yang found Liu Hao and his forty subordinates engaged in cultivation. To optimize efficiency, all housing was prioritized for those cultivating. Others had to make do with sleeping outdoors.

This arrangement, which might have caused discontent when they first arrived, now went unchallenged. The survivors had witnessed too much death during the cleanup of Huimin Town’s ruins. The sight of scattered corpses – some intact, others mere dismembered remains – had instilled a deep gratitude for simply being alive and fed. Comfortable sleeping arrangements had become a luxury no one dared demand.

Cheng Yang pondered whether to allocate another thousand points of spiritual energy for others’ cultivation after his own session. While this would accelerate the village’s growth, he remained wary. A thousand points, though not astronomical, was significant at this stage.

Yet hoarding the energy served little purpose. Achieving higher cultivation multipliers required far more – ten thousand points for six-fold speed, which would take Cheng Yang about seven to eight days to accumulate. Allocating the thousand points now could help others reach mid-level apprentice rank in that time.

After careful consideration, Cheng Yang decided to lend the energy to others, with the condition that it would be reclaimed once he accumulated ten thousand points for his own six-fold cultivation speed.

At around ten PM, with four hours until his cultivation session, Cheng Yang roused Liu Hao to discuss potential deputies. “What do you think of Chen Chao?” he asked.

“Chen Chao?” Liu Hao considered. “He’s excellent. A former professional soldier, now an archer. Despite only being an archer for a few days, he’s already highly accurate. He’s also deeply loyal to Phoenix Village, having been rescued from Huimin Town with his mother.”

Cheng Yang nodded. “If you think he’s suitable, develop him as your deputy. As our forces grow, you’ll need help with management.”

Liu Hao agreed, “Chen Chao would be ideal, given his military background. But don’t poach him from me!”

Cheng Yang chuckled, “Why would I? Everyone in Phoenix Village ultimately answers to me.”

As they discussed other potential deputies, Yu Kai returned with supplies from Huimin Town. When asked about deputies, Yu Kai immediately recommended Lu Jiacheng, the former taxi driver who had transported Niu Bing. Lu Jiacheng, a warrior with A-grade talent, would have been a regional powerhouse in Cheng Yang’s previous life.

Cheng Yang allocated a thousand spiritual energy points to Chen Chao, stipulating they be used solely for four-fold cultivation speed and passed to the next team’s deputy after four hours.

After purchasing twenty medium magic energy potions, Cheng Yang ventured out again, this time with a torch and a large bag containing his foot-tall medicine cauldron. With his enhanced physical strength, carrying the cauldron was effortless.

The early apocalypse proved a paradise for all professions, with basic materials abundant around settlements. Though the torch attracted monsters, it also illuminated medicinal herbs.

After two kilometers, Cheng Yang’s bag held over twenty herbs, enough for three small magic energy potions. Approaching monster-infested areas, he extinguished the torch to avoid being surrounded.

Using gasoline lighters salvaged from Huimin Town (as electronic devices no longer functioned), Cheng Yang alternated between hunting and gathering. By midnight, he had used most of his twenty medium potions but collected enough herbs for twenty small ones.

Retreating to a low cave, Cheng Yang prepared to craft potions. The process was straightforward: place the cauldron, add ingredients in the correct proportions, activate the crafting skill, and wait. As a level 1 alchemist, he had a 60% success rate with basic potions like magic energy and health potions. More advanced potions would have much lower success rates.

Each small magic energy potion took mere seconds to craft. Cheng Yang carefully poured each finished product into prepared vials.

Magic Energy Potion (Small): Crafted by Level 1 Alchemist Cheng Yang. Enhanced by the alchemist’s talent, this potion restores 20 magic energy instantly, followed by 4 points per second for 10 seconds.

PS: Seeking collections and recommendations…