[Chapter 188: Beauty-Preserving Elixir]
"A place of evil, with an undying nature -- I shall call you the Underworld Undying Vine." Daniel named the vine, then waved his hand. "Let's go."
The succubus immediately transformed into a streak of pink light and dove back into the phone.
Exiting the Karst Cave, Daniel swam through the lake water, surfaced, and climbed back onto the shore. A bright smile spread across his face.
He changed into a fresh set of clothes, and his smile grew even more radiant.
This trip was definitely not in vain; the gains were immense.
...
Daniel didn't wait until he got home -- he immediately sent a message to Marcus Hale, asking him to pack up the other ingredients for the "Beauty-Preserving Elixir" and send them over.
He hadn't requested these before because he hadn't found the key ingredient: the Foul Vitality Nectar. Sending the others earlier would have been pointless.
But now, everything was different.
...
Three days later, a specially made refrigerated safe was delivered by UPS.
Daniel checked the contents: Sevenfold Frost Lily, Crystal Heart Fungus, First Dawn Dew... Each ingredient had been properly preserved, retaining its full medicinal potency.
"Everything's here," Daniel closed the box and said to the Succubus, who stood quietly nearby, watching with curious eyes: "I'm going into seclusion to focus on alchemy for two or three days. During that time, everything remains as usual -- unless the sky falls, do not disturb me."
"Yes, Master!" the Succubus responded immediately, her expression serious.
...
Daniel carried the ingredients into the specially prepared quiet room.
The induction cooker, pressure cooker, and specially calibrated stove fire were all ready.
With Daniel's current status as a Radiant Sovereign of Lesser Ascendant Order and his expertise in Fourth-Tier Sacred Alchemical Transmutation, refining a Fourth-Tier Beauty-Preserving Elixir was challenging but not impossible.
The key was in precisely extracting and harmonizing the evil vitality within the Foul Vitality Nectar. If he were careless, what he ended up with wouldn't be a Beauty-Preserving Elixir -- it could become a poison that accelerated decay.
...
By the third day, the quiet room was silent.
A trace of fatigue marked Daniel's face, but his eyes shone with vitality.
In his hand, he held a warm, moist white crystal bottle. He gently shook it, and the soft clinking of seven elixirs colliding inside sounded faintly.
Seven elixirs -- the success rate wasn't high, but their quality had all reached High Grade.
Daniel poured a bit out. The elixir shimmered with a pearlescent glow.
Four golden elixir patterns flowed across its surface, emitting a crisp, exotic fragrance brimming with life.
This was unmistakably a Fourth-Rank Elixir.
Daniel took a sip, and it immediately transformed into a gentle medicinal force that spread warmth throughout his body.
Though his body felt warm and soft, there was also a hint of coolness beneath, a strangely comforting sensation.
But after a short while, the feeling faded completely.
Daniel used his Spiritual Sense to examine himself -- there was no change in his outward appearance.
Only when looking inward could he detect that beneath his organs and skin, his body was filled with a powerful, vibrant life force.
This was exactly the energy that could preserve a person's looks, keeping them unchanged forever.
Even in death, the corpse would not decay for a thousand years.
"Incredible," Daniel murmured, smiling broadly.
...
"Master, did you succeed?"
The door to the quiet room opened, and the succubus appeared instantly, her eyes fixed eagerly on the crystal bottle.
Daniel nodded but didn't open it. Instead, he placed the bottle into the System space.
The elixirs were made, but aside from the one he'd taken, Daniel didn't intend to use the others yet. This potion was far too precious to give away recklessly. He could only wait and observe how things unfolded.
"Ah... can't I take a look?" the succubus asked, disappointed.
"There is no rush," Daniel said coolly, changing the subject. "What are updates from everyone?"
The succubus immediately switched to work mode: "Miss Fox has sent messages both yesterday and today. Her tone keeps getting more excited, like there's good news, but she hasn't said anything outright yet. Miss Hathaway mentioned that her new movie is about to be released, and she's feeling a bit nervous. Miss Johansson is on set, Miss Seyfried shared new fitness photos, and Dr. Miranda Grey asked about your recent sleep quality..."
Just as she spoke, Daniel's phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was Megan.
"Damn!"
As soon as the call connected, Megan's excited voice broke through, with noisy background chatter behind her.
"Transformers! It's finally been greenlit! I found out DreamWorks and Paramount are co-producing, and Michael Bay is directing! The official announcement comes in a few days!"
"Congratulations," Daniel said, moving to the living room and sitting down. His tone was calm but smiling. "You're well informed."
"But..." Megan's voice dropped, sounding nervous. "I already had my agent submit an inquiry about an audition, but I haven't heard back. No invitation, nothing. Daniel, do you think I really can do this? Such a huge production..."
"Don't worry," Daniel said confidently.
According to the timeline from the other world, Megan was the female lead -- she would definitely get an audition invitation.
There were rumors she only landed the role because of her relationship with Michael. Now, obviously, she couldn't use that connection, so maybe Daniel needed to give her a little help.
"Keep your phone on. I'll handle the rest."
"Really? Daniel, you... you really have a way?" Megan's voice was instantly hopeful.
"Wait for my news."
He didn't say more and hung up.
...
Daniel paused to think, then quickly searched his contacts and found Julia Roberts' number. This big-name Best Actress had deep Hollywood connections and a strong reputation. She was also close with Spielberg; getting her to put in a word to secure an audition invitation shouldn't be hard.
The call connected, and after a few pleasantries, Daniel got to the point.
"...So, Julia, I need a favor. For that Transformers project with DreamWorks and Paramount, I have a friend who fits the role perfectly but hasn't been offered an audition."
"Just an audition opportunity?" Julia asked cautiously.
Spielberg's projects were high-profile; she wouldn't make promises lightly.
"Yes, just an audition opportunity."
Julia relaxed. "That's no problem -- I still have enough pull for that. Wait for my call... By the way, is it for a male or female role? What part?"
"The female lead."
Julia sighed, half amused. "Okay, it's just an audition. What's her name?"
Daniel gave Megan's info.
"Wait for my news. It should be soon."
...
Ten minutes later, Julia called back.
"Daniel, it's all taken care of. Tell your... girlfriend to watch for the notification. Someone will be calling her soon."
Daniel laughed. "Thanks, Julia. I'll treat you to a meal sometime."
"Make sure you follow through. It's best to set a date."
Daniel chuckled. "How about this: after Megan gets the news, I'll bring her along."
"Then I'm really looking forward to it. Emma wants to see you too."
Emma?
Daniel immediately thought of that night -- when Emma had burst into his room and asked him to be her boyfriend.
"No problem," he said.
...
The very next day, Megan called.
"Damn! I got it! I really got the audition invitation for the female lead in Transformers!"
Her excitement was contagious. "Oh my god, you really did it! I'm coming over tonight."
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.
https://discord.gg/HjHHhUXPn7.