The Fountain of Beauty settled back into its original place, and a system notification chimed in his mind:
[Ding! The Fountain of Beauty has been successfully improved!]
Lucien let out a slow breath. The loan for the Advanced Earth Element Magic Pattern had been repaid.
This improvement had gone much more smoothly than expected.
On one hand, thanks to the detailed guidance from his teacher, Nicolas, regarding the original Alchemical principles of the Fountain of Beauty, he had saved a significant amount of time on preliminary analysis and trial and error.
On the other hand, the advanced Elemental Magic Patterns of water, fire, and earth that he had already mastered provided a massive boost to his Alchemy.
These Magic Patterns greatly enhanced his affinity for and control over the basic elements, and elemental manipulation was the very foundation of the entire Alchemical system.
To the side, Fleur finally began to recover from the shock of witnessing the whole process.
Her gaze moved from the shimmering spring water to Lucien's calm profile, her expression incredibly complex.
Fleur was proud at heart, a pride born from her undeniable talent, striking beauty, and the praise and wonder that had surrounded her throughout her life.
The first dozen years of her life had been smooth sailing. Her greatest setback, or perhaps regret, was likely failing to become the student of that legend when she visited Nicolas Flamel last summer.
Fleur had "seen" Lucien then. Though it had only been a fleeting glance, she had remembered those rare dark green eyes, and a vague sense of defiance and competition had taken root.
She had originally looked forward to seeing the abilities of this "student of Nicolas" during the Alchemy event of the Tournament, perhaps even competing with him to prove that she was by no means inferior.
But now, before the competition had even begun, she had personally witnessed the chasm-like gap between them.
Suppressing the emotions churning within her, she stepped closer, her gaze falling on the fountain that appeared no different than before, and used a conversational tone to hide her inner turmoil.
"Lucien, the appearance of the Fountain of Beauty... doesn't seem to have changed?"
Indeed, whether it was the winding channels, the smooth stone walls, or the statue of the Flamels embracing warmly in the centre, everything remained as it had been.
The true transformation was hidden deep within the flowing spring water.
"The appearance remains the same, but the essence of the spring water has undergone some adjustments."
Lucien explained as he made the final minute adjustments with his wand, his tone as calm as if he were answering a homework question.
"Now, bathing in it will achieve a beautifying effect much closer to what the rumours suggest..."
He then briefly explained the Alchemical principles.
The original spring water primarily served to cleanse and provide slight nourishment, requiring long-term use for even minimal effects.
But after the improvement, this temporary beautification would become a continuous optimisation.
In fact, during the process of human growth and development, factors such as lifestyle, environment, and even expressions and ways of speaking could cause facial features to change to some extent, and these changes usually tended toward ugliness.
The improved Fountain of Beauty water could slowly and continuously optimise the user's appearance and skin texture, guiding them naturally toward the most ideal state within their own genetic potential.
This combined Alchemy, Potions, and the Transfiguration that Lucien excelled at most.
Of course, this beautification had its limits. At most, it would allow an individual to reach their theoretical upper limit, and it would not turn everyone into a stunning beauty or a handsome man.
Fleur listened intently, her eyes sparkling with interest, even a little eager to try it.
"That sounds wonderful. Can I try it?"
Hearing this, Lucien's gaze naturally fell on her face, but he shook his head slightly.
"Well, for you, this spring water would probably be nothing more than a simple mirror."
Fleur was startled for a moment, then her lips curved into an understanding smile, her sapphire-blue eyes narrowing slightly.
"You really do fit the stereotype of a British gentleman. Even your compliments are so indirect?"
Uh, this was probably the age-old difference between the French and the British.
Although he simply preferred the subtlety, Lucien thought to himself, while maintaining a polite smile and nodding in admission.
"Perhaps so. Sometimes, a subtle compliment is more worth savouring."
"Oh?" Fleur raised an eyebrow and leaned forward slightly, her silver hair shimmering faintly with the movement. "In that case, do you think what I said to you in the mountains today was... too direct?"
Lucien recalled their conversation in the mountains earlier that day, when Fleur had said to him in the language of the Veela:
"Your eyes are truly clearer and more beautiful than lake water."
Fortunately, Lucien was used to being praised. Otherwise, he might actually have blushed.
...
A spacious and bright classroom at Beauxbatons had been temporarily converted into a written examination hall.
Lucien sat by the window, his quill gliding rapidly across the parchment.
The schedule for this Three-School Alchemy Exchange Competition was divided into two major sections: the written examination and the practical operation, each consisting of two parts.
The first part of the written examination was currently underway, mainly testing the foundations of Alchemy: the properties of magical materials and the interpretation of ancient runes.
The second part, taking place tomorrow, would involve more in-depth Alchemical principles and design.
As for the main event, the practical operation section, it required contestants to complete two Alchemical items within a set time. One was a project designated by the Professors, scored according to the completion and quality of the Alchemical work.
The other was a free creation, where contestants simply had to present a finished work within the time limit. The judges would score it based on dimensions such as completion, difficulty, and practicality. Besides the Alchemy Professors from the three schools, several specially invited renowned Alchemists were also among the judges.
The questions on the exam paper were not difficult for Lucien. They were more a test of the breadth of one's knowledge and the accuracy of one's memory.
However, there were quite a lot of questions, covering everything from the processing temperature of African tree snake skin to common variants of the Ansuz rune in energy-guiding arrays.
Lucien answered methodically, barely pausing at all, and finished the entire paper in less than an hour.
After a quick check, he lowered his eyelids, appearing to rest. In reality, he was deducing several optimisation plans for the magical mobile phone.
With the auxiliary acceleration of the Earth Element Magic Pattern, the main structure was already complete, leaving only some fine adjustments.
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