Hartley's face scrunched in contemplation, his head tilting to the side curiously as if he had misheard the man's claim.

He waved back the security team, they probably couldn't hurt the man if he decided to defend himself, he was a xiantian expert after all.

The former bandits quickly retreated behind Hartley in an organised fashion, leaving Hartley facing the mature man with no one in between them.

"Who are you working for and what did you do to Alrick?" Hartley asked his questions in a serious and commanding tone as he stepped forward with menace.

The man gave a grim stare before saying. "I serve the western hills, threats are are not necessary young lord. I am no danger to you all."

He gave an extravagant bow that reminded Hartley of the first time he met the bumbling old hunched back man, only this time it was a lot more refined and elegant coming from a contrasting character standing as straight as an arrow.

"Young lord remember I told you once that it was my pleasure to serve the western hills after you granted me this independent lab?"

The man's voice certainly didn't sound like Alrick's voice to Hartley, so he continued to move forward exerting pressure, the man hastily continued.

"That was right after one of my experiments in the basement of your manor went awry, but that particular experiment produced the blue and red waste products, which I then used in the design of the black orbs which you now arm your elites with."

Hartley stopped moving forward and stared at the man with a quizzical expression as if asking himself if the man's words could be remotely possible.

The man's eyes beamed with pride as he continued, "at that time I told you that my formula would change the world, I have finally made a small breakthrough."

The security detail and the two serving girls standing behind listened attentively to the back and forth between Hartley and the strange man.

The lab went quiet again.

Hartley looked around at everybody present in the lab then said, "Qin Li stay, everybody else leave."

Everyone except Qin Li quickly shuffled out of the lab and closed the door leaving silence behind.

Three people were left in the quiet lab facing each other, Hartley finally noticed the man's stained and worn out robe, similar to the ones the mad scientist usually wore, but how could it be possible?

Shaking his head in denial, Hartley couldn't hold back his suspicions from being transmitted clearly onto his face.

"You expect us to believe any of that, you're obviously a spy caught red handed." Qin Li barked at the man as he too came forward slamming his right fist onto his left palm with a thud. "I'm going to skin you alive if you don't confess what you've done to Alrick."

The man shook his head slowly from side to side as if showing his disappointment in Qin Li.

"You've been locked away every waking moment of everyday cultivating, you're as dedicated to cultivating as I am to potion-making, you've had your rewards from cultivating and now I've had mine from potion-making. Do you think only cultivators can make breakthroughs?"

There was another pregnant silence in the lab as Hartley and Qin Li exchanged looks.

The man's voice rose once more, "12 stalks of ice flowers, 24 stalks withering oil plants, 2 metal cylinders lined with lead..."

The man named a list of ingredients and equipment, before bringing out a dingy piece of parchment which was full of illegible text scribbled all over for Hartley to inspect.

Hartley's face twitched, the ingredients and equipment the man had named was the exact list of things he'd provided to Alrick but he could not make heads or tails of the parchment presented to him.

As the man explained further Hartley started to look at him in disbelief, not daring to believe the evidence presented.

Qin Li too was looking on in baffling amazement....

Even though the man made a convincing argument. Hartley wouldn't just take the man's words at face value, this had to be proven beyond doubt.*****

Hartley and Qin Li shadowed the man in the lab for the next 3 days. Meals were dropped at the door and the man wasn't allowed contact with anyone outside. The man went through the process of producing the elixir once more with both men watching keenly.

There was only enough materials left for five attempts. The man had stated that his odds of producing the elixir was somewhere around one in five.

If he couldn't produce the elixir with the remaining materials then he would have to be tortured, interrogated, killed and disposed of as a spy.

Hartley would take no chances.

With three men and the complex array of equipment snaking around the room, space in the lab was limited but it wasn't a hindrance. The mature man moved effortlessly around the cramped confines of the lab like fish taking to water.

On the third day, on the man's third attempt, there's was a loud ping as a drop of yellow liquid hit the bottom of the jade container placed beneath one the tubes.

The man's face lit up with elation. He excitedly started to explain the process to a bewildered Hartley and Qin Li.

After explaining the use of the single bead of liquid, the man became misty eyed and began to pour out his heart and story to the duo.

"I was a young genius with all the success one could imagine. I had mastered all types of potions which made me famous. I kept pushing the boundaries of what was possible through potion making, always searching for a new challenge.

One night with a sudden burst of inspiration, a theory popped into my head.

Was it possible to make a potion that could shatter the mortal shackles and allow a normal man to step right into the saint realm. Instantly giving one a thousand years of longevity?

Conventional thinking would answer no, but the more I thought about it the more obsessed I became, I lost everything of value and was eventually shunned by the fellow apothecaries of my era, labelled a madman I chased the theory and met with failure after failure but the formula was always swirling in my head as if teasing me. I couldn't give up.

I spent 50 years in constant disappointment but never wavered in my pursuit of this ultimate formula that seemed to be permanently implanted within my thoughts.

I had never once told anyone of the potential of the formula. I knew they would only chastise and think me mad or even worse, think I was a con-artist."

Alrick's eyes went glazed and out of focus.

"Aim for the stars and if you miss you might still end up among the clouds." He murmured to himself.

"Even though my ultimate dream has not been achieved, here in the western hills I made a giant step on the path to achieving that goal. All my sacrifices has finally reaped a small reward, confirming that I am on the right path.

I haven't quite broken the shackles of mortality and stepped into the saint realm, but I have stepped into the xiantian realm. Now I've got another two hundred years to try."

Alrick's voice trembled and cracked as he had an enormous outpouring of emotions.

It was awkward for Qin Li and Hartley. They had had no words to console the man, and honestly they still couldn't shake the hint of suspicion in their minds.

Hartley relaxed as he sent for Shao Law. He was the orphan boy who had come to the capital from the Rykers crime guild in the wawrika province.

The boy had been cultivating with Fu Jianu and Zhi Ruo for the past months with the cultivating techniques Hartley had acquired from Prince Jian.

Shao Law turned up half an hour later with nervous eyes as he made his way pass the elites stationed outside the lab, when he entered there were three people present in the white building waiting in silence.

Hartley spoke to the boy as he stood staring, "Shao Law, there is an opportunity for you to change you life right here in my hands, but it is up to you if you want to take this once in a lifetime chance, the risks might also include death." Hartley looked over at the strange man, indicating that there was a chance the elixir could be poison. Turning back to Shao Law he finished by saying.

"I will not force you."

Shao Law immediately dropped to one knee in a knight's salute. "What do you ask of me young lord? as long as it is within my ability I will not refuse."

"Take this elixir," Hartley said, stretching out the jade bottle towards the youth.

Without hesitation the boy took the jade bottle and drank the single bead of liquid inside, almost instantly his eyes rolled back and he fainted on the floor of the lab...

It was a long night, Shao Law sweated profusely and had a high fever. Hartley and Qin Li watched the whole process side by side under the dancing flames of the mounted torchlight.

Alrick constantly checked the boys condition in the dimness of the corner where the boy was laying on blankets, taking measurements and scribbling notes ad usual.

From time to time the boy turned and twisted letting out howls of pain.

As another morning rolled in, the western hills burst into life once more except for the lab located at the east forest.

There was a nervous silence, this was the moment of truth. Three people watched silently as Shao Law roused from his overnight coma, as soon as the boy opened his eyes there was a flash of bright green light that illuminated the lab for a split second.

Hartley and Qin Li reacted quickly, rushing over to inspect the boy whose robes were soaked through.

Shao Law had a strong aura of vitality and subtle changes to his facial features. He stood at least two inches taller than he was the prior evening and his hair had lengthened by 3 to 4 inches.

However the most startlingly amazing change was that now the boy was a bonafide 1st layer xiantian expert giving off strong elemental fluctuations.

Alrick continued to scribble down notes on his parchment. "So," Alrick said with his head still down looking at the parchment, "do you believe me now?"

Hartley and Qin Li were shaken to the core, what they witnessed defied the laws of nature.

"Alrick it is really you." Hartley blurted while pointing at mature man's improved features.

Alrick snorted, "why so surprised? I've been telling you that for five days."

"What happened?" Asked

Shao Law in utter confusion. He felt hyperactive, like there was a tsunami of surging power within his body, battering against his skin demanding to be released.