“Seriously?”
“That little shop across the street sure has some nerve, putting up an ad like that… Could they really be trying to go head-to-head with the Mu Family Pharmacy to the death?”
“Anyone stupid enough not to grab free stuff? Who wants to go check it out?”
“Guys at the end of the line! Anyone going over there?”
“I’ll go!”
The line at Dali Magic Potion Shop was so long that those at the back might not get served until the next morning. Naturally, some started getting curious.
The first to switch sides were a few college students at the tail end of the line.
Seeing the endless line ahead, they decided to give the shop across the street a try.
“Welcome~”
The clerks immediately greeted them warmly.
“It’s really quiet in here. That sign outside can’t be lying, right?” The college students looked skeptical. “If you’re really selling it like that, how are you making money?”
“Our boss is just taking a loss to get the word out. No one knows how long we can keep this up.” The clerk shrugged. “You came early; if you come later, there might be none left.”
“Is the effect really twice as strong?”
“There’s a testing wooden dummy outside— you can all give it a try.”
“Also, we’re planning to launch a potion effectiveness test strip. Once these are mass-produced, no merchant will be able to cheat customers by watering down their products anymore.”
“That’s impressive!”
The students hesitated.
The discounts were huge, which made it look like a scam.
What if the potions were fake? It would be bad if the Xianling suffered any side effects.
Healing Xianling was difficult, after all.
As they debated, a man arrived.
He drove a flashy sports car arrogantly, flooring the accelerator and making the engine roar explosively, drawing every eye in the block.
“Who does that?! Have some manners!”
“Wait, doesn’t that guy in the car look familiar?”
“It’s Yazhe! Rock-type Gym Leader Yazhe!”
Yazhe swaggered out of the car and stopped in front of Xianlu Magic Potion Shop.
Flipping off his sunglasses, his brown hair catching the light, with the face of a charismatic idol, he calmly announced, “I received a distress letter from Xiao Luo Xian and came here to test your potions.”
Yazhe’s personal endorsement instantly dispelled the onlookers’ doubts.
The Gym Leader’s name carried immense weight, and someone like him represented the city’s upper echelon. Yazhe wouldn’t risk his reputation on a joke.
“Fine, I’ll test the potions, but if the effects don’t meet the standards, don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because this is Xiao Luo Xian’s shop!” Yazhe’s tone grew serious. “Drug safety can’t be compromised.”
“Of course, please proceed.”
With Yazhe backing them and those ridiculous discounts, the crowd’s attention shifted completely.
“Not bad,”
Yazhe entered the shop and randomly picked one bottle of each potion.
He then went outside to test them.
“This is… a Skill Enhancement Potion?” Yazhe pulled the stopper and sniffed the bottle. “Then why do you call this Burst Potion?”
“Because its effect is twice that of the Skill Enhancement Potion. The Skill Enhancement Potion boosts the next skill’s power by 10%, while Burst Potion increases it by 20%.” The clerk quickly explained.
“20%??”
Yazhe frowned. “Who are you trying to fool? Increasing a potion’s effect isn’t about throwing in more ingredients or simmering longer… You have to consider the human body’s absorption limits.”
“Sorry, Mr. Yazhe. The exact brewing method is our boss’s secret. But he insists the effect is exactly as stated.”
“I’ve never seen a skill potion that increases power by 20%. That’s a world of difference. But your ingredients don’t seem any different.”
Yazhe pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and swallowed the potion.
Appendage!
He raised his palm toward the empty space before him.
“Boom!”
A solid, piercing rock spike shot up in an instant, towering as high as the nearby skyscrapers!
This had to be a hundred meters tall!
Even I, just watching from the side, was stunned. This move’s power had reached early Golden Core level!
In the previous battle, this guy had held back too much.
“Damn!” Yazhe’s face lit up. “You’re serious about this, huh? Who brewed this potion? The person who improved this formula is a genius!”
With a wave of his hand, the mountain-like rock spike quickly retracted back into the ground.
Even the shattered pavement neatly repaired itself as if nothing had happened.
[ Burst Potion, effective! — Rock-type Gym Leader Yazhe’s Certification ]
Yazhe jotted this down on a fresh whiteboard next to him.
Next came the following potion.
……
There was no need for fanfare or fireworks — next to the spectacular display from a Gym Leader-level powerhouse, any loud celebration looked like a firecracker against a space shuttle.
Yazhe’s demonstration captured everyone’s attention. Moreover, he personally tested every potion in the shop.
“Double Initial Strength Potion, effective! My goodness… I don’t even know what to say.”
As the one testing the potions, Yazhe was the most shocked of all.
Everyone knew that initial, intermediate, and advanced Strength, Agility, and Magic Potions — these permanent attribute boosters — could only be used once in a Xianling’s lifetime.
These were called Growth Potions, and each tier could only be consumed once. This was common knowledge.
But now, Xianlu Magic Potion Shop had launched an entirely new series — the Double Growth Potions!
Double Growth Potions increased attributes to double the effect of the initial, intermediate, and advanced potions and could even override the effects of regular potions!
In other words, even if you’d taken normal Growth Potions before, taking the Double Growth Potions would replace those effects with the doubled version! No worries about Resistance!
“Our boss also plans to release a Triple Effect series next year. The formula’s already been improved. Mr. Yazhe, please keep it confidential,” a clerk whispered.
“What? Even stronger?” Yazhe’s eyes nearly popped out. “Don’t joke with me! And if you want me to keep it secret, why is your boss telling me? Are you trying to kill me with anxiety?”
As a Gym Leader with deep pockets, Yazhe always stocked up on all Growth Potions.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gotten this strong.
Hearing there’s an even stronger version coming made him almost have a panic attack, terrified someone else would beat him to it.
“The boss said to thank you for coming, you’ll get to try the early access version in a few days — a whole year ahead of others.”
“That’s generous.”
“Of course. Also, we hope you can help spread the word among the Senior Masters. We’ll have ten early access versions to auction at high prices this year. The public version will be released next year with reviews.”
“…When does your boss start selling street lamps?”
The clerk smiled and bowed politely. “Our boss said, we don’t rip off the poor.”
“…”
When Yazhe first encountered the Burst Potion, he wasn’t overly serious.
Though the Burst Potion was good, it was just a one-time buff with limited uses.
But doubling the effect of Growth Potions… that was absurd!
“Can I meet your alchemist?” Yazhe’s tone turned respectful and solemn. “A genius who can improve all potions like this deserves to be treated like a god by the whole world.”
“Sorry, sir, our alchemist refuses to meet anyone and forbids revealing her identity.”
“A recluse, huh? Understandable… Geniuses at that level find it tiring to interact with ordinary people.” Yazhe nodded regretfully. “If you get into trouble, be sure to call me.”
“Yes, sir.”
……
More customers began coming in.
“No way?? These Growth Potions really have double the effect, and their prices are half of the other place?”
“Are there any side effects?”
“But even the Gym Leader praises them… He wouldn’t risk his reputation and career, right?”
“Buy! Buy! Buy!”
Yazhe’s endorsement worked wonders.
Xianlu Magic Potion Shop didn’t have enough funds for advertisements, fake followers, or social media, but the other side had already pulled customers over for them.
At times like this, broad advertising wasn’t necessary.
Just steal customers directly from the competitor.
……
“Naive.”
At Dali Magic Potion Shop, Mu Tianzhou sat unperturbed.
Watching his clientele rapidly evaporate, he wore a face of complete indifference.
“Boss, our crowd is thinning.” Teng Master looked anxious. “Only two-thirds of the line remains.”
Mu Tianzhou calmly shook his head. “Teng Master, tell me, why did we open this shop?”
“To make money, of course!”
“How skilled are our alchemists?”
“Top hundred in the world!”
“And our profit margin?”
“Thirty percent.”
“Here’s the problem: Their potions’ effects are twice as strong but priced at half. How much do they lose on each bottle?”
Teng Master thought it over and finally understood:
“Normally, to double the effect, you’d need two to three times the materials, plus top alchemists spending painstaking effort brewing slowly. So if our cost is 1, theirs is at least 2 or 3. And their price is half of ours… They’re losing about 80% on every bottle!”
“They’re bleeding cash!” Teng Master slammed the table, laughing maniacally.
This was practically charity; no financial strength could withstand such losses.
“Customers are practical. Many try to take losses at first to get popular, then raise prices later.”
“But that causes strong backlash.”
Mu Tianzhou’s strategic mind shone through his confident merchant smile. “Especially at their prices. To break even, they’d have to raise prices by more than four times! The price gap is too huge—they’ll lose customers quickly.”
“People come for the cheap prices and leave when it gets expensive.”
“They won’t last long.”
With that in mind, time ticked on.
Soon, Xianlu Magic Potion Shop’s sign was being photographed and shared by customers, spreading word organically.
[ I thought Mu Family Pharmacy would be the star today, but no, no… look, look at that little shop across the street! Look at that bold sign! ]
[ Hurry and grab the freebies! The manager says the stock is full, come buy! ]
[ The Gym Leader personally endorses them, what are you hesitating for? ]
Reputation instantly tilted in favor of Xianlu Magic Potion Shop.
Mu Tianzhou stood leisurely.
“Teng Master, go fetch our stock. It’s time to unleash our trump card.”
“You mean…”
“Exactly. Bring out our 1.25x Growth Potions and price them five times higher.”
“This is the market’s first-ever improved effect! The Mu Family spent a billion developing this Annual Flagship Product! It’s guaranteed to cause a buying frenzy!”