Jiang Chen was somewhat surprised by Albedo's words.
Klee?
During his time in Mondstadt, he hadn't interacted with that little cutie.
After all, she had been under house arrest at the time.
So during his stay in Mondstadt, Jiang Chen hadn't seen Klee.
Otherwise, Jiang Chen would have definitely played with her.
In fact, if Klee had been out and about, Jiang Chen wouldn't have left Mondstadt so quickly.
Who could resist such an adorable little one?
"What a pity."
"I've also heard of Mondstadt's Spark Knight."
"Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet her during my time in Mondstadt."
Speaking of this, Jiang Chen's face was full of regret.
He hadn't been able to meet the little cutie.
Albedo smiled.
Thinking of Klee, Albedo's face softened with affection.
However, he quickly composed himself.
His gaze shifted to Albedo Junior, who was standing beside Jiang Chen.
"Have you mastered the alchemy in the notebook?"
Hearing Albedo's question, Albedo Junior fell silent.
So Albedo really knew everything.
Jiang Chen wasn't surprised.
Albedo indeed knew everything.
"The main reason I came here is to ask for some alchemy materials."
"I plan to take him to Liyue to develop there."
"Liyue will need some alchemists to help out."
Jiang Chen didn't hide his reasons for taking Albedo Junior with him.
Instead, he openly explained it to Albedo.
Hearing this, Albedo nodded thoughtfully.
"That's not a bad idea."
"Please take good care of him in the future."
Just as Jiang Chen had thought earlier, Albedo Junior was like a younger brother to Albedo.
He was also somewhat aware of Albedo Junior's thoughts.
After all, when he first learned of Albedo Junior's existence, Albedo had observed him closely.
In fact, from the moment Albedo Junior was "born," every move he made had been under Albedo's watchful eye.
Otherwise, why do you think Albedo spent so much time in Dragonspine?
And even set up a camp here?
Was it really just because of the special ores in the mountains?
Jiang Chen didn't think so.
If it were just about ores, he could have simply sent people to mine them.
There was no need for him to come here personally.
And Albedo didn't strike Jiang Chen as someone who would mine ores.
At least, that's what Jiang Chen thought.
Whether that was true or not, only Albedo himself knew.
Albedo readily agreed to Jiang Chen's request.
He was willing to provide Albedo Junior with alchemy knowledge.
And not just any knowledge—he would give him everything he had.
After agreeing to Jiang Chen's request, Albedo took out the materials Jiang Chen needed from his Vision.
A stack of his personal notes.
These were essentially Albedo's life's work.
"I hope you study hard."
"In the future, I look forward to seeing you surpass me."
Albedo spoke with a serious expression as he looked at Albedo Junior.
Hearing this, Albedo Junior was surprised.
He truly hadn't expected Albedo to say something like this.
In fact, he wouldn't have been surprised if Albedo had outright refused Jiang Chen's request.
But instead, Albedo not only agreed but also generously handed over his knowledge.
On top of that, he hoped Albedo Junior would surpass him?
"I will!"
"I'll become very strong."
"Stronger than you!!"
Albedo Junior's resolve was now firm.
He wouldn't let Albedo look down on him.
Moreover, he wanted to prove that he wasn't weaker than Albedo.
This became his new life goal.
Jiang Chen watched this scene with amusement.
He wasn't afraid of people having goals; he was afraid of them having none.
The fact that Albedo Junior had solidified his determination was the best possible outcome.
After all, this would give him the motivation to master more alchemy knowledge.
Wasn't this the birth of an excellent worker?
Thinking of this, Jiang Chen couldn't help but grin.
Albedo, seeing Jiang Chen's expression, nodded in satisfaction.
This was the best possible outcome.
If Albedo Junior could truly surpass him, Albedo would only be happier.
"Take a seat."
"Jiang Chen, I have some questions I'd like to discuss with you."
Albedo's gaze settled on Jiang Chen.
A traveler from another world.
He had previously learned a lot about other worlds from Alice.
But Alice hadn't shared everything.
Now that he had the chance to meet someone from another world, he had many questions he wanted to discuss with Jiang Chen.
Facing Albedo's invitation, Jiang Chen didn't refuse.
"What a coincidence, I also have some things I'd like to discuss with you."
As one of the top alchemists in Teyvat, Jiang Chen naturally had many things he wanted to discuss with Albedo.
Preferably, he could even get Albedo to work for him!
That would be perfect.
The two hit it off immediately.
Without further ado, they sat down in the camp and began their conversation.
As for Albedo Junior?
He glanced at the two who were already deep in conversation and decided to go off to the side to read.
From now on, he would master more alchemy and develop his own creations based on Albedo's knowledge.
He couldn't just follow in Albedo's footsteps forever.
Only by creating something of his own could Albedo Junior have a chance to surpass Albedo.
Otherwise, if he spent his entire life following Albedo's path, he would never be able to surpass him.
This was something he understood very clearly.
...
Jiang Chen and Albedo began their discussion.
What Albedo was interested in was actually the source of Jiang Chen's power.
Facing Albedo's questions, Jiang Chen was somewhat at a loss.
He didn't really know how to answer this.
After all, he had only gained his powers recently.
While he knew how to use them, explaining the principles behind them was another matter entirely.
It's like knowing how to use a phone but not knowing how it's made.
So, after some thought, Jiang Chen decided to explain some concepts about magical circuits.
He shared what he knew.
Then there was the concept of spiritual materialization.
Through spiritual materialization, one could achieve immortality and the like.
When Jiang Chen brought up spiritual materialization, Albedo's interest was clearly piqued.
"Go on!"
Seeing his interest, Jiang Chen decided to elaborate.
"Human flesh decays over time."
"But the soul does not."
"After death, the soul continues to exist. This is something you already know."
"So in that world, there's a type of magic that allows the soul to replace the body."
"By replacing the aging flesh, one can achieve eternal life."
"Additionally, in that world, a person's magical circuits are part of their soul."
"Once the soul replaces the body, the entire person becomes a magical circuit."
"Therefore, their magical energy becomes nearly infinite."
After organizing his thoughts, Jiang Chen explained these concepts.
As Jiang Chen spoke, Albedo fell into deep thought.
It all sounded quite fascinating.
Suddenly, Albedo looked up and studied Jiang Chen.
Then he couldn't help but ask, "I've felt something was off about you since we met."
"Is what you're describing your current state?"
Jiang Chen's appearance was identical to a human's, but his aura was different.
It was more like... a soul?