Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

This class model afforded students a great deal of freedom. Instructors never questioned what subjects they wanted to research or when they wanted to attend class. As a result, Ning Xuan didn’t see a single classmate on her first day.

Two teachers had come specifically to meet her, knowing it was her first day.

Teacher Fang was scholarly and amiable. He looked to be in his forties or fifties, but he was actually over a hundred years old. He gifted Ning Xuan a mechanical puppet that could assist with Alchemy. It wasn’t a product of technology, but a masterpiece from an Artifact Refining Master.

Mr. Yang had a somewhat rougher appearance and was also over a hundred years old. He gave Ning Xuan a Medicinal Qi Condensation Plate. This device resembled a bronze vessel. When an Alchemist was performing Alchemy, they would place the plate around the Alchemy Furnace, and it would automatically collect the dissipated medicinal qi, re-condensing it to reduce waste.

Both teachers were exceedingly polite to Ning Xuan. After accepting their gifts and thanking them, they gave her a tour, showing her the ultimate class’s classroom, laboratory, and herb-cultivation garden.

Although the ultimate class had virtually no students on campus, it was equipped with a state-of-the-art laboratory and a sprawling herb-cultivation garden. The lab and garden were maintained by staff responsible for cleaning and planting. These positions were filled by students from other classes in the Alchemy Department on a rotating basis. They could earn a stipend from the school for their work and occasionally enjoyed other perks, so these positions were always in high demand.

"Miss Ning, we’ve seen videos of your competitions. Your Alchemy Technique is in a class of its own; it’s truly incredible. There’s not much we can teach you. Of course, if you have any questions, feel free to come to us. We may not have all the answers, but we can certainly discuss them together. You are free to use any of the resources here in the garden and laboratory. If you need anything else, just give a list to the staff on duty, and they’ll procure whatever they can. In addition to the Alchemy Department courses, the school offers many others. You are welcome to attend any of them." Teacher Fang finished, then introduced Ning Xuan to Fang Heng, the student serving as the ultimate class’s general assistant for the semester.

Fang Heng was a fifth-year student in the Alchemy Department and Teacher Fang’s nephew. He looked to be in his twenties and had a quiet, gentle face.

Fang Heng seemed to know Lin Mo, and his gaze toward him was quite fervent. In contrast, while he was respectful and polite to Ning Xuan, he was clearly less enthusiastic.

Lin Mo had also graduated from this academy and had earned countless honors during his time as a student. It was only natural that he had a few admirers.

Ning Xuan spent the morning familiarizing herself with the campus. When she went to the school cafeteria for lunch, she unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance.

It was Tang Xue, who greeted her enthusiastically. Ning Xuan remembered her as the beautiful woman she had met in the Lingxiao Secret Realm. However, the two male Spirit Controllers with her were strangers, and the white wolf that had nearly undergone a complete transformation was nowhere to be seen.

"Ning Xuan, I need to ask for your help. It would be a trivial matter for you, but if you help me, I’m willing to be at your beck and call from now on." Seeing that Ning Xuan was about to leave, Tang Xue quickly blocked her path.

Tang Xue had been tracking Ning Xuan’s movements ever since she left the Lingxiao Secret Realm and arrived on Central Star. But with so many people protecting Ning Xuan, both openly and covertly, she’d had no opportunity to approach her. Having finally managed to corner her today, Tang Xue wasn’t about to miss her chance.

Ning Xuan was curious. Tang Xue’s Spiritual Power Level wasn’t low, she was capable enough to enter the Lingxiao Secret Realm, and her physical constitution and combat abilities were quite good. Now, she was even a student at the Central Star Military Academy. ’What could she possibly need help with that she can’t handle on her own?’

"Miss Tang, I saved your men in the Lingxiao Secret Realm, and in return, they ambushed me that very night. After an incident like that, I would have thought we could only be enemies." Ning Xuan and Tang Xue found a private room to continue their conversation.

"You’ve misunderstood, Miss Ning," Tang Xue explained. "The one who ambushed you was Zhou Yi from the Wind Wolf Mercenary Corps. They were the ones who discovered and tracked the lead on the Golden Scale Beast. They couldn’t stand the thought of you reaping all the benefits, so they followed you in secret and attacked that night. While Zhou Yi is my Contractor, he is also my enemy. He and his father, Zhou Tianqiao, used Min Wu’s life to threaten me, forcing me into a Contract with Zhou Yi. I’ve wanted to be free of them for a long time, and the incident in the Lingxiao Secret Realm finally gave me my chance."

Tang Xue knew, of course, that Ning Xuan wouldn’t believe her so easily, so she stated her request directly. "Miss Ning, Zhou Yi was too deeply affected by the poisonous miasma in the Secret Realm. The Purification Masters can’t clear it from his system, and he won’t wake up. Now, Zhou Tianqiao is hunting Min Wu like a madman. I want to ask you to shelter Min Wu for a while. I’ll find a way to deal with Zhou Tianqiao, and once he’s taken care of, I’ll come back for Min Wu."

"Min Wu is the white wolf?" Ning Xuan asked.

"Yes. He was abandoned at birth because he has the traits of a Half-beastman. He was adopted by Uncle Min. When we were ten, Uncle Min and my parents were in an accident. After that, Min Wu and I had only each other to rely on as we grew up." To convince Ning Xuan, Tang Xue was essentially baring her entire soul. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Isn’t he very powerful? Zhou Yi was about to die that day, but he suddenly appeared and rescued him," Ning Xuan said, looking at her with suspicion.

"Zhou Yi had a tracking device on him. Besides, all the people with us were the father and son’s men. We were no match for them. We had no choice but to save him." Tang Xue could only be fully protected on Central Star. In the Secret Realm, or anywhere else, she would only drag Min Wu down.

But now that Tang Xue had escaped the grasp of the Zhou father and son, Min Wu was being hunted by Zhou Tianqiao.

"I’m sorry, but I can’t take on such a risk. You’ll have to find another way, Miss Tang," Ning Xuan refused.

"Miss Ning, I’ve already taken care of everyone who knew you excavated the Golden Scale Stone Mine. Zhou Tianqiao had his eye on those Golden Scale Beasts for a long time. If he finds out you’re the one who took the mine, it will be a major problem for you, too."

"You’re safe on Central Star, but you can’t stay here forever..." Seeing that Ning Xuan was still unwilling to help, Tang Xue blurted out in desperation.

"Feel free to spread the news, Miss Tang. Even if you don’t say a word, I was planning on finding a buyer for those stones anyway," Ning Xuan said with a soft laugh.

Tang Xue shook her head frantically. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to threaten you. I just don’t have any other options. I can’t lose him." As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and tears began to fall.

Perhaps it was because she had met so few women in this world, but seeing Tang Xue cry, Ning Xuan couldn’t stop herself from blurting out, "How long will it take you to deal with Zhou Tianqiao?"