Chapter 11: Experiments

Chapter 11: Experiments

I ended up spending most of my night in my memory palace. It was somewhat a poor idea in retrospect, as I wasn't truly resting while in this state. Physically, I was fine, but I felt drained mentally. I created several trees relating to each major discipline in my life. The most recent of which was in regard to my cultivating journey.

It was small, but I knew with time they would grow to surpass even the World Tree in size!The initial posting of this chapter occurred via N0v3l.B11n.

My time experimenting with new potions and herbal combinations was well spent. By combining milk thistle and Cleansing Lotus, I made a concoction that could detoxify a person's body! Although it was weak, it would be a great hangover cure for the folk down in the village. This was just one of the four successful recipes I created, but they'd need some further testing and refining to get a working product. Perhaps Elder Ming would enjoy this energy-boosting tonic of mine? Those old bones weren't getting any younger!

And my little projects had been rewarded with a satisfying message from the Heavenly Interface.

Herbalism has reached level 10.

Your skill has reached the qualifications to evolve to the next stage, Spiritual Herbalism.

Spiritual Herbalism grants you two new abilities.

Essence Extraction - You can extract the spiritual essence of plants for the creation of pills and elixirs

Spiritual Plant Cultivation - You can infuse plants with your qi, increasing their potency or imbuing them with new properties.

The sun dawned on me, tired and victorious. The knowledge I currently had within me seemed to extend and lengthen into ways I didn't think of prior. It bridged the gap between my understanding of qi as well as herbalism, and I glanced over at my hands with a gut feeling about how to accomplish the extraction and infusion of plants. The Heavenly Interface was building upon the foundation of knowledge I already had. Whoever created this must've been omnipotent; if this was what it was like for other disciplines like blacksmithing, carpentry, or fishing, they would've had to condense the knowledge of entire civilizations into this little box.

It made me wonder who or what could've made the Heavenly Interface. Was it some sort of immortal at the Divine Pinnacle Stage? A god who descended from the heavens and shared this power to mortals? The interface was powerful beyond belief. It made me think back to the ruins that disappeared, and why it was left there untouched until I came along.

I shook my head at such thoughts. Those answers will come with time. For now, let me try these new skills out!

It was my day off, so the shop would be open for the whole day. I opened the door and inhaled the smell of earth and fresh herbs, shouting at the top of my lungs.

"Good morning!"

The first skill I was going to try out was Spiritual Plant Cultivation. It seemed to be an offshoot of my Qi Manipulation skill, or more specifically, the act of infusion, which I did with the Moonlit Grace Lily some time ago. I don't know what the difference will be, but I'm hoping for something good!

I knelt beside my ginseng. They were one of the slowest to grow amongst my crops, which was why I've dedicated an entire section of my garden to the ginseng. This particular batch was supposed to be fully matured by next year, but they've been growing a bit faster than I expected. Perhaps it was the effect of Tianyi's Qi Haven skill? There were very few places where ginseng could grow naturally while being saturated with qi. I placed my palm towards it and did the same thing I did with the Moonlit Grace Lily.

For some reason, my energy was far more responsive than I last remembered. The flow felt less forced as it transferred from my arm to the ginseng plant. I let it go for a few seconds before I paused and observed it again. The once-green leaves took on a brighter, almost luminescent shade, reflecting the energy that now coursed through every part of the plant. Although the real prize was the root itself, I couldn't take it out prematurely. It would take some time for the plant to be ready for harvesting. Maybe within a few months, if this accelerated growth kept up.

Monitoring my reserves, I could gauge it took about a tenth of my energy in those few seconds of infusion. I frowned and looked at my entire patch of ginseng plants, knowing I wouldn't have nearly enough to infuse them all today. I decided to start with the first row, recover, and assess which other plants I would try afterward.

The act of infusing the plants with my qi wasn't as draining as I thought. In fact, it felt invigorating. Like it was a natural motion. I ended up having some leftover energy and decided to save it, lest I pass out. I watered the rest of my flourishing garden before sitting down to rest and meditate. Early in the morning surrounded by a garden teeming with life, this was probably a better spot to cultivate than whatever those disciples had in other sects!

I could feel Tianyi's presence even without opening my eyes. Maybe it was due to my deep bond with her, but I could clearly visualize her fluttering around, taking note of the freshly-watered flowers, and absorbing some nectar. She continued to get closer until finally landing on my shoulder.

Her delicate touch was barely noticeable, but the moment she settled there, I felt a warm, tingling sensation begin to spread through my body.

From my shoulder, the warmth radiated outwards, filling my limbs and coursing through my veins. It was as if a gentle, soothing energy was washing over me, seeping into my very core. I closed my eyes, focusing on the sensation and allowing it to envelop me completely.

The process was subtle and almost imperceptible, but as Tianyi drew on the qi in our surroundings, she transferred some of that energy into me. It was a slow, gradual process, but I could feel my exhaustion lifting, replaced by a renewed sense of vitality and strength.

I had to make more. I had to sell these!

While I wrote down the effects and ingredients I used in my own notebook, the familiar jingle of a customer entering my shop alerted me. I turned to see Lan-Yin with a smile on her face.

"How goes things, Dreaming Gardener?"

"Lan-Yin! Just the person I wanted to see!" I greeted her enthusiastically, unable to keep the grin off my face. "Anybody in the village feeling ill? Tired? Down with the flu?"

She seemed surprised by my exuberance, which was even higher than it usually was. But Lan-Yin couldn't know about everything I'd been doing the past few days. The brown-haired girl put a finger to her chin, trying to think of an answer.

"Well...Xiao Bao's been coughing an awful lot. Elder Wen's been complaining about his back, like always. But that's about it. Why?"

"Perfect...Let me write that down. What were you here for?"

"Not much, just wanted some ingredients for tonight's dinner. Could I have some chili and bamboo shoots?"

I acquiesced and handed her the ingredients she needed, and I put away the coins she gave me. Looking at my variety of new concoctions, I selected the ones I was most confident in, alongside the products that would help with little Xiao Bao and Elder Wen's problems. An idea was brewing in my head, and I wanted to go out there and test it as soon as possible.

Tianyi seemed content to stay home, so I bade her farewell and tagged along with Lan-Yin, carrying several of my new potions and the essences with me. I would give some to Xiao Bao and Elder Wen, but I'd be seeing if I can sell my products to the traveling merchant, Huan. To do that, I'd need proof that my concoctions work. And I was certain they were, but one could not convince a merchant just on their word alone.

It would have to be through action!

"You seem... enthusiastic. I suppose your cultivation journey's going well?" She teased, giving me a slight bump with her hip. But my core and lower body were immensely stable now in comparison to even a week before. The horse stance and squats I'd been doing were having an incredible effect. That small hit would've stumbled me before, but I barely even reacted, except for a small grin.

"Couldn't be better. Elder Ming's training is keeping me sharp. Soon I'll be the size of Wang Jun!" I declared.

Lan-Yin giggled and we delved into more pleasant topics. Although we were all teenagers, her and Wang Jun's betrothal still forced responsibilities upon them. They were good friends, but the prospect of being married was somewhat of a shock. Nevertheless, Lan-Yin seemed happy for the stability it would provide, and Wang Jun was growing into a fine man!

"So, do you think he's gonna take Master Qiang's title as village blacksmith anytime soon?" I asked, genuinely curious about how their relationship was progressing.

Lan-Yin shrugged, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. "I think so. He's been working really hard lately. Even with all the orders they've been receiving, he's still managed to be attentive to me. It's... nice, actually."

I smiled, happy for her. But the corners of my mouth turned upward into a cheeky grin. "That's good to hear. I will provide you both with energy-boosting tonics for the night your marriage is official."

She stuttered madly and blushed, slapping me on the shoulder several times and shouting out 'Stupid Kai!' and other rude monikers. I howled like a hyena, trying to fend her off while carrying my stash of potions and essences.

"Honestly, you're so perverted." She paused for a moment, her expression turning mischievous. "And what about you? Are you too busy being a cultivator to have a girl of your own? Or rather, you couldn't find one and gave up!"

Oof. That was a low blow.

I laughed, putting on a comically serious face. "Ah, the life of a young master is fraught with peril and responsibility! I must tend to my ever-growing garden, cultivate my inner self, and create wondrous elixirs and potions! How could I possibly find time for love in such a hectic life?"

Lan-Yin laughed, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"I do my best," I replied, grinning.

As our conversation carried on, I waved off any names she pointed out when thinking of girls compatible with me in the village. They were all perfectly good women, but I aspired for a jade beauty! A female cultivator who can match or surpass me in wit and strength! Lan-Yin rolled her eyes, seemingly giving up and shaking her head at my ridiculous desire. The pleasantries continued until we arrived at the village square.