Harvest

The cave wasn't large, but it was big enough for one person. There were a few cracks in the ceiling that allowed smoke to escape. After resting for a while, he began to set up simple defensive measures. He used magic powder to set up an Alert Spell at the cave entrance, which would trigger a sharp alarm if any creature approached.

After doing this, Jialan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He gathered some dry branches and lit a small fire with magic. The warm firelight dispelled the chill in the cave and also slightly relaxed his tense nerves.

He took off his soaked robe and used magic to dry it. He took out his rations and ate them simply with hot water. The heat from the food gradually warmed his cold body.

As night fell, the temperature outside the cave dropped sharply. The cold wind howled past the cave entrance, making a whistling sound. Jialan added more firewood to the bonfire, ensuring it would burn throughout the night.

He leaned against the cave wall, watching the dancing flames. Exhaustion washed over him like a tide, and Jialan's eyelids grew heavier. He knew he needed to rest to prepare for the journey ahead. After a final check of the Alert Spell, he wrapped himself tightly in his robe and lay down by the fire.

The sound of the wind outside gradually faded, and the warmth of the fire enveloped him. Jialan's consciousness blurred, and he fell into a deep sleep.

The morning sunlight streamed through the cracks in the cave ceiling, casting dappled shadows on Jialan's face. He slowly opened his eyes, feeling more clear-headed than ever before. After a night of deep sleep, his fatigue was completely gone, and his Mana Pool had also recovered to its optimal state.

Jialan stretched, loosening his somewhat stiff body. The world outside the cave was covered in a layer of white, and the sunlight reflected dazzlingly off the snow. He deactivated the Alert Spell at the cave entrance, took a deep breath of the crisp, cold air, and felt completely refreshed.

His stomach rumbled at the opportune moment, reminding him that he hadn't had a proper meal in a long time. Jialan took out his Staff and carefully walked out of the cave. The forest was exceptionally quiet after the snow, with only the occasional bird song breaking the silence.

He quickly spotted a snow rabbit foraging. Jialan held his breath and crept closer. From a suitable distance, he quickly cast an Ice Spell. The snow rabbit was frozen before it could even react.

Back in the cave, Jialan skillfully prepared the prey. He used magic to start a fire and threaded the rabbit meat onto branches to roast. Soon, a tempting aroma filled the entire cave.

After a satisfying meal, Jialan began to seriously assess the spoils from his trip to the ruins.

First were the most tangible gains: the expansion of his Mana Pool. After testing, its capacity had at least doubled. This meant he could cast more and stronger spells, and his sustained combat ability had greatly improved.

"A Mana Pool of this magnitude is already close to the level of an Intermediate Mage," Jialan couldn't hide his excitement. This undoubtedly greatly increased his survival capabilities.

Next were the newly acquired spells: Arrow Protection and Teleportation. Arrow Protection could form a magical barrier around his body to resist ranged attacks, while Teleportation allowed him to move quickly over short distances, which was extremely practical for both offense and retreat. However, the consumption was too high; with his current expanded Mana Pool, he could only cast it twice at peak condition.

The third gain was the improvement in his Mental Power. The Meditation Method he obtained from the Necromancer was much better than the one he was currently using. His cultivation speed had increased by about twenty percent compared to the Meditation Method provided by the military. This twenty percent shouldn't be underestimated; it could allow Jialan to reach the Intermediate Mage level three to four years earlier. Furthermore, the continuous battles and trials within the ruins had greatly exercised his Mental Power. Now, his perception range was wider, his control over Mana was more precise, and his realm was subtly progressing towards the advanced stage of the beginner level.

There was also the formation he had copied. With his current understanding, he could only comprehend twenty to thirty percent of it, but that didn't mean he wouldn't understand it in the future. With the improvement of his realm and the accumulation of knowledge, understanding it was only a matter of time.

Finally, there was the mysterious Little Green Bottle. Jialan carefully took out the bottle and examined it closely in the sunlight. The bottle was emerald green and looked quite ordinary. The liquid inside flowed slowly, as if it had a life of its own.

"What exactly is this?" Jialan muttered to himself. He decided to conduct some experiments to understand the properties of this mysterious liquid.

He first caught a snow rabbit and carefully took out a drop of the liquid. The snow rabbit seemed to sense danger and struggled desperately. Jialan hesitated for a moment before dripping the liquid into the snow rabbit's mouth.

Instantly, the snow rabbit's body began to convulse violently. Jialan watched in horror as the snow rabbit's body swelled at a visible rate, finally exploding with a "bang," scattering blood and flesh.

Jialan's face turned pale. He hadn't expected the liquid to be so terrifyingly potent.

"Perhaps it's too concentrated and needs to be diluted..." he mused. He used magic to collect some snowmelt and diluted the liquid dozens of times. This time, he chose another snow rabbit.

However, even the diluted liquid had a fatal consequence. Shortly after drinking it, the snow rabbit began to bleed from all seven orifices and died twitching in pain.

Jialan felt a wave of frustration, but just then, he noticed something strange. The plants around the snow rabbit's corpse began to grow at an astonishing rate. The trees, which had been somewhat withered due to the cold weather, sprouted branches and grew over a meter long within minutes.

"This... this is incredible! Although many Wood Element spells can promote plant growth, those plants wither immediately without the support of Mana, but this is completely different." Jialan's eyes widened. He carefully observed the changes in the trees and found that they not only grew quickly but were also exceptionally healthy, with full, vibrant green leaves.

This discovery excited Jialan immensely. He carefully poured the remaining liquid around a few seeds he had prepared for casting spells. Soon, the seeds broke through the soil and rapidly grew into mature plants.

"This liquid has a strong promoting effect on plants," Jialan recorded his observations, "but it is fatally toxic to animals."

Just as he was about to conduct further research, he discovered that the liquid in the bottle had been used up. Jialan was somewhat disappointed, but as he was about to close the lid, he was surprised to find that new liquid was slowly condensing inside the bottle. Fortunately, he was a Spellcaster with strong Mental Power, or he wouldn't have noticed. After observing carefully for a while, Jialan estimated that it would take at least half a month for the Little Green Bottle to condense a full amount of liquid.

This discovery plunged Jialan into thought. This mysterious liquid clearly contained immense power. If he could find the right way to utilize it, its potential would be immeasurable.