CH 5 - 6

Chapter 5: Birthmark

With tears in his eyes and a strange taste in his mouth, Xiao Qingyang quickly swallowed the bowl of nutrition supplement. For someone who loved food, it was nothing short of torture.

"Grandpa Du, I'm going upstairs now," Xiao Qingyang said weakly, still trying to recover from the trauma of the nutrition supplement.

The old butler nodded and replied, "Alright, young master. Rest early."

Back in his room, Xiao Qingyang planned to lie down on the bed. However, the sticky sensation on his body made him uncomfortable, so he decided to take a shower before resting.

Following the memories of the original host, Xiao Qingyang entered the bathroom. He looked at the high-tech devices that were completely different from what he used before and took some time to figure out their functions. Once again, he marveled at the intelligence of the people in this world.

After a relaxing bath, most of the discomfort caused by the nutrition supplement was alleviated, and he finally felt a sense of revitalization.

On the opposite side of the bathtub was a mirror. Due to the side effects of the nutrition supplement, Xiao Qingyang hadn't had the strength to even look at himself and see what he looked like. Now that he had recovered, he took the opportunity to examine his body for the first time.

The appearance of the original host was exactly the same as Xiao Qingyang's original appearance, which made him very happy. He wouldn't have to feel guilty about taking over someone else's body.

However, compared to Xiao Qingyang's original body, the original host's body seemed somewhat frail. His skin was fairer, possibly because he rarely exposed himself to sunlight. His abdomen was soft, and the eight-pack abs had turned into a single piece.

"Huh? What's this?" Xiao Qingyang carefully observed a fingernail-sized birthmark on the chest of the teenager in the mirror. It resembled a small pocket with a drawstring.

He distinctly remembered that the original host didn't have this birthmark.

Xiao Qingyang rubbed it forcefully, only to realize that it was indeed a birthmark. It couldn't be rubbed off, no matter whether he used water, soap, or other cleaning products. It seemed as if it had grown on his body.

"Perhaps it's an aftereffect of the transmigration," Xiao Qingyang finally concluded.

Since the birthmark didn't cause any pain or discomfort and had no sensation, it was soon forgotten by Xiao Qingyang after a few days.

It had been a week since Xiao Qingyang arrived in this world, and he had adapted well to life here.

Though this place had fewer people than his previous residence, it was still sparsely populated. Most of his time there was dedicated to cultivation. He hadn't found an effective method for cultivating spiritual energy yet, but he was gradually recovering his magical power.

Xiao Qingyang's body carried the bloodlines of both dwarves and elves. Dwarves focused on harnessing the power of the earth, excelling in mining, and crafting weapons. This planet, even in its abandoned state, remained rich in minerals, making it a mining planet. By continuously searching for and mining ore, and then forging weapons, he could enhance his power of the earth.

On the other hand, elves honed their skills in harnessing the power of nature, specializing in planting and nurturing flora. Therefore, he could develop his natural magic through cultivation.

The most significant change in his daily life was undoubtedly the issue of food. He truly, truly, truly didn't want to consume those gloomy nutrition supplements anymore; they were a genuine form of torment!

During the past week, apart from studying how to cultivate spiritual plants using the local methods on the Light Brain, Xiao Qingyang relentlessly searched for edible ingredients to rescue his pitiful taste buds and stomach.

Fate smiled upon him as he managed to find several familiar wild ingredients, much to his delight.

Though Xiao Qingyang lacked culinary skills himself, his extensive dining experience allowed him to make educated guesses about cooking methods. He conveyed these insights to the old butler, leaving the rest to the butler's culinary prowess.

The old butler possessed natural talent in the kitchen, easily recreating the dishes based on Xiao Qingyang's simple instructions. While the taste couldn't surpass what he had enjoyed in his previous life, it was a heavenly delight compared to the nutrition supplements!

He felt content and satisfied.

*************

Chapter 6: Relic Seeds

Every day, Xiao Qingyang would go to the forest, sometimes spending the entire day there.

The scent of the forest made him feel incredibly comfortable. In that place, even the dried-up magic springs became somewhat soothing.

On that day, like every other day, Xiao Qingyang informed the old butler and prepared to go to the forest to continue searching for spiritual plants to transplant back to their yard. They had already brought over many low-grade plants, although their levels were quite low.

Through the Light Brain, Xiao Qingyang learned that in this world, most of the spiritual plants could only survive through cultivation by individuals with spiritual power.

Because these plants needed to absorb spiritual energy, the higher the grade, the more energy they required, and the higher the demand for spiritual power.

The spiritual plants that could grow in the wild were generally of the lowest grade, requiring almost no spiritual power. They were used as auxiliary materials for potion-making. Although the demand for them was high, potion masters and plant cultivators didn't pay much attention to them.

Xiao Qingyang naturally desired some higher-grade spiritual plants, but unfortunately, he was currently penniless and didn't have much natural power. It would likely be very difficult for him to cultivate higher-grade spiritual plants.

For now, he decided to patiently accumulate natural power using these low-grade plants and then figure out a way to obtain seeds for higher-grade ones.

Just as Xiao Qingyang was preparing to leave, he heard the voice of the old butler. "Young master..."

"Duke Du, what's the matter?" Xiao Qingyang stopped and looked at the old butler.

The old butler hesitated, as if struggling to find the right words.

Xiao Qingyang remained patient, waiting for the old butler to speak.

Seemingly having made a decision, the old butler approached Xiao Qingyang and asked, "Young master, do you really like spiritual plants?"

"Yes," Xiao Qingyang nodded earnestly.

Apart from the beloved little hammer his mother had given him, spiritual plants were his favorite things in this world. They were adorable living beings that only needed a bit of natural power to sustain themselves. In return, they would provide him with even more natural power, serving as a source of magic for the elves.

The old butler had observed all of Xiao Qingyang's recent actions, feeling both regretful and gratified.

Although the young master had almost no spiritual power, he was, after all, the son of the young miss, and his fondness for spiritual plants was innate.

"I have some spiritual plant seeds here that the young miss left for you, young master." The old butler carefully took out a small package from his pocket. Inside were several seeds of different shapes.

Xiao Qingyang's knowledge about spiritual plants in this world was limited, so he couldn't identify the exact species of these seeds. However, the careful treatment by the old butler indicated that they were definitely something special.

"Grandpa Du, I don't currently possess the ability to cultivate these seeds," Xiao Qingyang admitted honestly.

The old butler's eyes momentarily dimmed, but then he regained his composure and said, "These were left by the young miss for the young master to play with. Whether you cultivate them or not, it doesn't matter."

Although the old butler said so, Xiao Qingyang didn't believe it. If they were merely meant for the previous owner's amusement, why weren't they presented earlier?

The previous owner had almost no spiritual power, and they couldn't even perform the basic task of nurturing spiritual plants, let alone become an alchemist. The old butler was well aware of this, and it was likely that the previous owner's mother knew it too.

Perhaps the previous owner's mother left these seeds behind as a token for her son, without much hope of them actually being cultivated. The old butler, however, still held onto that glimmer of hope.

Observing Xiao Qingyang's recent activities, coming and going with so many thriving plants, may have ignited that tiny flame of hope in the old butler.

Nevertheless, even though the previous owner couldn't achieve it, Xiao Qingyang could. It was just that his current natural power was insufficient to cultivate these seeds. However, that didn't mean he couldn't cultivate them in the future.

Since the old butler intended to give him these seeds, Xiao Qingyang was determined to exert his utmost effort to grow each and every one of them. It would be his way of repaying the previous owner.

Taking hold of the spiritual plant seeds, Xiao Qingyang didn't rush to the forest. Instead, he decided to consult the Light Brain to identify the specific species of these seeds and treat them accordingly.

In this world, plant cultivators relied on their spiritual power to nurture spiritual plants. The level of spiritual power in his current body was only E. While he possessed some spiritual power, relying solely on supplying spiritual power to cultivate the plants would likely take many years to grow just one.

For instance, if it took a month to cultivate a plant with D-level spiritual power, it might take several years or more with E-level spiritual power. This was due to the fact that the reserve of D-level spiritual power was several times greater than that of E-level, and with each higher level, spiritual power grew exponentially.

Therefore, Xiao Qingyang decided not to employ the conventional methods of this world to cultivate the spiritual plants. Instead, he resolved to nourish them with natural power.