The question surprised Alex; he is not made of wood. When he saw Isabella for the first time, he was attracted to her, as she indeed seemed perfect like a goddess.
However, he still couldn't forget his first crush, Julie, from his past life, and with his current level of strength, such pursuits felt meaningless. Turning around, he asked, "Why? Do you like her?"
"Nah, I am just an admirer. This girl is so far away from me; I cannot have those kinds of thoughts. I don't even know how many people within the academy are hoping to be the lucky man; however, most of them are not worthy. But, what makes me most jealous is the fact that she is also a genius Alchemist."
"She is an Alchemist?" Alex already had an understanding of these unique professions, as his father is also a weapon master.
Generally, these unique professions have a high demand for talent, and the number of people holding those professions is small.
"En, an Alchemist can utilize herbs and various ingredients to make pills required by cultivators, which can help in the improvement of cultivation at various stages.
This profession requires a high level of talent and a strong soul force. But once one becomes an Alchemist Master, even if it is low rank, earning money would be as easy as eating and drinking!" said Lucas in envy.
"It is said that her attainment in Alchemy has reached a high level. She is unmatched amongst her peers and could even beat many disciples from the older generation."
As Lucas was eloquently explaining, he suddenly realized that Alex had his head lowered as though he was deeply thinking about something.
"Brother Alex… Brother Alex, you're not feeling aroused, are you? Well, considering what a heavenly beauty she is, this is normal."
"Nothing," Alex waved his hand, and soon they came across a stall selling some pills.
A woman dressed in green robes looked towards Alex's direction, her figure moving attractively with every step she took, drawing quite a few eyes.
The woman noticed Alex and Lucas and asked, "Little brothers, do you need any assistance?"
"For your information, I'm not little," Alex replied, as by adding his past life age and his present life, he should be 38 years old. Well since it is a cultivation world then even being hundred years old is considered young.
The woman was intrigued by Alex's reply. "That's funny. You look like you haven't reached adulthood yet," teased the woman.
"What a nymph! Dad was right, beautiful girls will only be a man's downfall," thought Lucas when he stared at the woman's face and immediately said, "We're both here to buy an Origin Heart Pill."
"Which grade do you want?" asked the woman, her focus more on Alex.
Some of the sellers around the fair sighed and wondered why Stella, known for her refined taste, had suddenly shifted her interest to younger boys.
"We want four Perfect-grade pills," Alex replied. They came here to buy pills because Origin Heart pills are costly, but during the fair, you could buy them at a 60% discount.
"You're lucky! I am only left with four pills, and if you had come late, you would have missed out," said Stella, taking out two pill bottles, each containing two pills.
Alex and Lucas each took one pill bottle from her. As Alex examined the pill markings, a smile appeared on his face.
When Stella looked at Alex's smile, she blushed slightly and couldn't help but think, 'What happened to me? I'm obviously not interested in young boys and was only teasing him but why does this guy look so handsome'
Meanwhile, Alex was elated as he observed the four markings on the pill. Each marking denoted the sub-grade of the pills, categorized as Low, Average, High, and Perfect grades.
The number of markings directly influenced the price; one being the lowest and four indicating the highest grade.
Starting from Higher-grade pills, the pills not only enhanced training experience but also fortified blood flow and strengthened mana routes, surpassing the effects of Low and Average pills.
Alchemy practitioners capable of refining pills with more than two markings demonstrated exceptional mana control, enabling them to advance to higher stages in Alchemy in the future.
"How much do these pills cost, senior?" Alex inquired, carefully stowing the pill bottle in his storage bag.
"One pill is priced at 15 Middle Grade Spirit Stones, it is already very cheap, and I cannot decrease more than that " Stella replied, emerging from her momentary distraction.
Both Alex and Lucas nodded, taking out 60 middle-grade spirit stones from their storage bags and giving them to Stella.
"Bye, senior," said Alex, cupping his hands, and they went on their way. Stella waved her hands to bid them farewell.
After buying the pills, Alex headed home, having come solely for buying these pills.Meanwhile, Lucas continued to explore the area.
"Hello, Alex!"
As Alex was halfway to the academy, a slightly shocked voice from a girl interrupted him. Turning his head, he saw Clara, Silvia, Leon, and Noah together. Clara spoke something to them and approached his side.
Wearing a white dress, Clara walked in front of Alex and asked in a friendly tone, "Alex, do you want to come along with us to the fair?"
Having already obtained what he needed, Alex politely rejected her invitation. "Sorry, I already bought what I wanted. You guys enjoy it!" and started moving towards the academy.
Clara felt slightly embarrassed, as it was the first time she had invited a boy voluntarily and got rejected. She walked back to her friends, murmuring something.
"Well, let's go; otherwise, everything will be bought out," said Leon, who had been anticipating this fair for about a month.
Upon hearing him, the three of them nodded and started using agility battle skills to swiftly reach the fair location.