Chapter 42: Masterful Skills (Seeking monthly tickets in June, please keep reading)

"Senior Brother, it is true that I commissioned Junior Brother Lin to plant these Multitudinous Wonders Flowers."

Xiao Yi did not hesitate: "Commissioning Immortal Seedlings saves a massive amount of spirit stones compared to commissioning disciples from the Spirit Plant Hall. Moreover, Immortal Seedlings are dedicated; for over a year now, Junior Brother Lin has guarded the spirit fields day and night."

"Worried that he wouldn't care for them well enough, he even helped me bring in several more Immortal Seedlings to assist. He has been conscientious and devoted; I am deeply moved."

"This is the contract we signed originally. Senior Brother may inspect it."

Liu Jinyang said in surprise, "Aren't you afraid these seedlings would ruin everything for you? This was an investment of over a hundred spirit stones!"

"As long as I can become a low-grade Tier 1 Alchemist, it is all worth it! Besides, hasn't Junior Brother Lin succeeded?"

Liu Jinyang nodded, then turned to Lin Donglai with a satisfied smile: "You are quite capable and know how to navigate social circles; that is relatively rare in our Spirit Plant Hall. Our hall needs talents like you."

"However, I can certify you alone as a low-grade Tier 1 Spirit Planter since you did successfully grow the Summer-Born Flowers. But certifying all eight of you at once—I cannot be certain of the skill levels of the other seven."

Lin Donglai said, "Everyone has achieved a minor mastery of spirit plant spells. Although we only planted spirit grains on the surface, there are several varieties, such as Pearl Rice, Blood Marrow Rice, and Golden Millet... they all have different properties. Combined with these Multitudinous Wonders Flowers and Summer-Born Flowers, I wouldn't have been able to keep them alive without the help of several others."

"If only I were certified as a low-grade Tier 1 Spirit Planter, it would be unfair to them. I would rather delay my own certification."

Huang Yue added, "Achieving minor mastery is actually sufficient. When Senior Brother speaks of certifying eight people at once, it exceeds his authority. Furthermore, while disciples from previous generations have cooperated in caretaking, they always worked in small groups of two or three. There has never been a case where someone dared to accept commissions from Alchemists to grow medicinal herbs without being a certified Spirit Planter."

She then gave Liu Jinyang a way to save face: "Senior Brother, I feel that Junior Brother Lin Donglai possesses some talent and has good character. Why not avoid delaying him? Perhaps you could mention it to Master and ask for his opinion?"

Liu Jinyang nodded, then had the group demonstrate their spells one by one.

Lin Donglai was the first to demonstrate the Sprouting Technique. A single seed, encased in a layer of soil from the outer courtyard, sprouted within a few breaths under Lin Donglai's stimulation. It even sent out roots that completely enveloped the soil ball, appearing exactly like a healthy, finished spirit seedling.

"Is this a Great Mastery level Sprouting and Gestation Technique?" Liu Jinyang was astonished. Great Mastery spells were not so easily mastered.

"Only the Sprouting Technique has reached Great Mastery; the Gestation Technique is still at minor mastery," Lin Donglai said sheepishly. "Since all the grain seeds here have passed through my hands for sprouting before planting, I have practiced it quite a lot. It is really just a matter of being well-practiced."

"What are you saying!"

"A Great Mastery Sprouting and Gestation Technique can already be used to attempt sprouting Tier 1 high-grade spirit plants. Do you realize that?"

"At the entry level, one can sprout low-grade Tier 1 plants. At minor mastery, sprouting mid-grade Tier 1 is no longer difficult."

"Next, you can attempt to sprout high-grade spirit plants and sense the changes in their vitality."

"And if you cultivate it to perfection, you can sprout top-grade Tier 1 spirit seeds."

"However, throughout the history of the Spirit Plant Hall, few have reached perfection. Top-grade Tier 1 spirit seeds are generally sprouted using Tier 2 spirit plant spells, such as the Spring Breeze Sprout-Pulling Technique."

The Spring Breeze Sprout-Pulling Technique was a spell used by Foundation Establishment cultivators to summon a gust of spring breeze, which could accelerate the growth of spirit plants in an area, ripening them to save planting time.

The Sprouting and Gestation Technique was a simplified version derived from the Spring Breeze Sprout-Pulling Technique.

The other three techniques also had corresponding spells.

For example, the advanced spell for the Spirit Casting Earth-Shaking Technique was the Spirit Vein Field-Transformation Technique, which could shatter parts of a spirit vein, turning the decline in the vein's grade into a large expanse of fertile spirit fields.

Combined with Spirit Gathering Arrays and specialized soil-cultivation methods, one could stabilize the spirit fields; even spirit veins that had dropped in grade could slowly recover.

Liu Jinyang was truly amazed: "You are only at the second level of Qi Refinement, yet you have mastered the Sprouting Technique to Great Mastery. Our Spirit Plant Hall has truly found a treasure!"

Huang Yue, the Spirit Plant Hall disciple who had guided Lin Donglai into the profession, also felt a sense of pride. She said, "Although Junior Brother Lin's cultivation is low, he possesses a low-grade Jia-Wood Physique, which aids him during the Qi Refinement stage. A Wood-elemental constitution is naturally compatible with flora, and combined with his diligent practice, reaching Great Mastery is quite normal!"

But the most shocked person was actually Xiao Yi. He thought to himself, *If he has reached Great Mastery, doesn't that make him equivalent to a high-grade Tier 1 Spirit Planter?*

*Good heavens, how many spirit stones have I saved! Have I been lucky lately? It seems even Heaven can't bear to watch me struggle; my becoming a low-grade Tier 1 Alchemist is now a certainty!*

*No, if Junior Brother Lin maintains this relationship, becoming a mid-grade Tier 1 Alchemist might also be certain—I might even be able to aim for high-grade Tier 1!*

The other members of the Spirit Field Mutual Aid Society were also surprised. They truly had no idea that Lin Donglai's skill had reached Great Mastery. Even by the standards of social debt, the weight of a favor from minor mastery is different from that of Great Mastery.

For a moment, they were deeply moved and filled with admiration: *It's a good thing I joined this Spirit Field Mutual Aid Society with Senior Brother Lin. Otherwise, relying on myself, I would struggle even to reach the entry level, let alone minor mastery!*

"Junior Brother Lin has a bright future! It's a pity his spiritual root aptitude is somewhat lacking."

"However, if he can take first place in this session of the Immortal Seedling Competition and consume a Green Essence Fruit, and if he finds the opportunity later to refine other Tier 2 wood-attribute spiritual items, he might be able to change his aptitude postnatally and have a chance at Foundation Establishment."

Spiritual root aptitude is not entirely determined by fate; what is innate can never be changed.

To say one could directly upgrade a person from a low-grade spiritual root to a high-grade one, or from a multi-attribute root to a single-attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root, would be pure fantasy. However, making small, gradual changes to spiritual root aptitude and cultivating a postnatal constitution was possible.

For instance, Lin Donglai's Wood-elemental constitution was currently a low-grade constitution. But if he consumed enough wood-attribute spiritual items, especially Tier 2 wood-attribute treasures, he could actually advance to a mid-grade Jia-Wood Spirit Constitution. Furthermore, if he obtained Tier 3 wood-attribute items, there would be a possibility of evolving into a high-grade Jia-Wood Spirit Constitution.

However, such items were too precious and were generally not given to disciples with low aptitude.

But if Lin Donglai's talent in spirit planting was high enough, he could become a Tier 2 Spirit Planter himself, allowing him to attempt cultivating these wood-attribute items, or use sufficient spirit stones and merit points to exchange for them from the sect.

Within the Green Wood Sect, there was a treasure called the Thousand-Year Spirit Wood Core, which was a wood-attribute Foundation Establishment spiritual item that could increase the probability of Foundation Establishment by ten percent.

It was also a natural treasure that could enhance a wood-elemental spirit constitution.

Changes in the spirit constitution would feed back into the spiritual root aptitude, though the effect was quite weak and required many years to show significant results, and it required specific conditions and the use of certain secret techniques.

(End of Chapter)