Life Potion is a well-known and the most common type of gene potion in the interstellar cultivation world. It is rich in various nutrients and rare energy ions, containing almost all the elements the human body needs, and is a miraculous creation of human genetics.
Even a sickly person, after consuming it, could quickly grow into a strong and robust man, but only if they can endure its powerful medicinal force. Ordinary mortals who haven't awakened their mythical genes or evolved their lives would be instantly burst apart by the potent energy of the Life Potion if they rashly take it.
It really does burst...
This is no joke; it's something that has actually happened before, and not infrequently. Often, people who know nothing about cultivation try to leap to success overnight by drinking this potion, unaware that their bodies can't even withstand its force, leading to tragic outcomes.
Life Potion is truly meant for cultivators to drink, while the so-called nutrient fluid is merely a simplified version produced using Life Potion technology, a liquid food for ordinary people to supplement their nutrition.
"Where can I buy Life Potion?" Feng Lin asked the virtual beauty guide again.
"Life Potion? That's easy to find. You can buy it at the Life Potion vending store in the southwest corner of the 256th floor of the building!" The virtual beauty guide smiled and answered instantly, even giving the exact location.
"Good! Let's go there!" Feng Lin nodded without delay and walked side by side with the virtual beauty guide onto the cloud elevator, heading straight to the 256th floor.
On the southwest corner of the floor, a fully automated, intelligent vending store appeared before them. It was entirely controlled by a smart optical computer, with no salesclerks. Customers could pay by swiping their identity chips, and the amount would be automatically deducted—very convenient.
The door slid open silently, and Feng Lin entered. His eyes swept across the store, finding it densely packed with various Life Potions, neatly arranged in a dazzling array of types.
Red, green, blue, purple... a rainbow of colors, each with a different flavor to suit various tastes, with prices ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 star coins.
Feng Lin thought for a moment and then asked, "Why is there such a big price difference for the same Life Potion?"
The virtual beauty guide, with intelligence rivaling that of a human, recognized that Feng Lin was a first-timer at this Golden Tower. As an AI, she had no emotions, but her face bore a rigid yet polite smile. Her voice was gentle as she patiently explained, "Life Potion is just a general term for a type of gene potion. Based on differences in potency and flavor, it comes in various types, and the price gap is enormous. It's one of the few gene potions that can be artificially synthesized, but even artificial synthesis has different grades!"
"Oh?" Feng Lin grew interested.
He had always thought artificial synthesis was just one method, but now he learned it had levels too—this was the first time he'd heard of it. He waited eagerly for more.
These were basic facts about cultivation resources, things he'd never known before. Now was a perfect chance to learn. Bit by bit, these pieces of knowledge would accumulate and eventually become part of his foundation.
The virtual beauty guide didn't keep him in suspense. She raised her hand in a highly human-like gesture, holding up three fingers. "Generally speaking, artificial synthesis is divided into three grades. The first is mechanical synthesis, where optical computers and machinery work together for mass production, yielding huge quantities. Even a small gene potion factory can produce tens of thousands of bottles per second, sold everywhere across the galaxy. But this type of Life Potion is average in quality, with inconsistent potency, making it the lowest grade, usually selling for around 1,000 star coins."
She pointed to the cheapest Life Potions in the store, which were also the most abundant.
Then, the virtual beauty guide moved to some potions with more elaborate packaging and higher prices. "The second grade is manual preparation. In the interstellar era, labor costs are very high. This method increases the production cost of Life Potion, so naturally, it's much more expensive, typically starting at 2,000 star coins per bottle!"
Feng Lin nodded, fully understanding. The more advanced the technology, the higher the labor costs. That's why some minor families encouraged their lower-status members to reproduce in large numbers—to fill their factories and exploit their labor.
"Why is manual preparation necessary? What's the difference between these two synthesis methods?" Feng Lin asked the key question.
"Of course, there's a difference!" The virtual beauty guide covered her mouth with a light laugh. "Life Potion is essentially an artificially synthesized gene drug that requires extremely high precision in its components, yet its effects are highly random—a slight difference can lead to a huge deviation. Mechanical synthesis is fast, but since it's a lifeless process, it can only produce standardized items and can't accurately judge potency. The quality of the potions produced is stable, but the potency won't be very high. Only humans can achieve that, so better Life Potions are always manually prepared."
"Oh?" Feng Lin was noncommittal, then suddenly pointed to a spot. "What about that bottle?"
In the most prominent part of the store sat a Life Potion, clearly priced at 10,000 star coins. Unlike the other potions in red, green, blue, purple, and other colors, this one was entirely black, deep as the night sky, with silver specks twinkling within like stars—breathtakingly beautiful. The potion itself was a work of art!
"That's a Life Potion personally prepared by a Gene Master!" The virtual beauty guide's tone slowed, giving a sense of seriousness and gravity, as she enunciated each word clearly.
"Gene Master!" Feng Lin was taken aback. It was the first time he'd heard this term. Anything related to genes was extraordinary, and this seemed to be a new profession tied to genetics, exuding an air of mystery. A strong interest welled up inside him.
Seeing his curiosity, the virtual beauty guide, as a sales assistant, naturally had to answer every customer's questions. She began detailing the information about Gene Masters from her database.
She explained, "Every Gene Master is an expert in the field of mythical genes, deeply studying genetic theory, deducing and proving the relationships and evolutionary paths between various genes. Starting from genes, they develop all sorts of wondrous items for interstellar cultivators. Some concoct miraculous gene potions, others create mechanical devices that enhance human gene power... For instance, Life Potions and gene armor are both their creations. A gene potion personally prepared by a Gene Master far surpasses the potency of similar types, and its price is significantly higher, starting at least at 10,000 star coins..."
The more Feng Lin listened, the brighter his eyes grew, shining with intensity.
He suddenly realized...
This Gene Master profession suited him perfectly!