An Astonishing Acceleration in Growth

After exchanging a few pleasantries with his neighbor, Lin Li returned home.

Once home, he went into the kitchen and took out the ingredients he had just bought at the market from the Mysterious Small Island, then put them in the refrigerator.

Although Lin Li's cooking skills were nothing to write home about and he rarely cooked, seeing the refrigerator packed with ingredients made him feel deeply satisfied. The next time he wanted to cook something, he would no longer have to make egg and shredded-pork noodles simply because he had no ingredients, as he had a few days ago.

There was still some time before lunch. Lin Li had just turned on the television in the living room when he suddenly remembered that the white radishes he had planted while clearing and farming the Mysterious Small Island probably needed watering.

With a thought, a flash of pale golden Spiritual Light swept over his body, and he vanished from the sofa.

"No way! This... How have they already taken root and sprouted?!"

After arriving on the Mysterious Small Island to water the white radish seeds he had planted, Lin Li discovered in astonishment that they had already taken root and sprouted after barely a day.

"This is way too unscientific! How could seeds that were just planted take root, sprout, and grow seedlings in only a day?" Lin Li muttered to himself, then scratched his head.

"Uh, the appearance of this Mysterious Small Island was unscientific to begin with. Since I'm clearing land and growing vegetables here, this situation can't exactly be explained by whether it's scientific or not.

"Forget it. I'll just leave it at that! At this growth rate, the white radishes in the field should be ready for harvest in about a week. I'll see then how these accelerated-growth white radishes taste."

Compared with the little fruits grown by the Miracle Small Tree at the center of the island, the vegetables taking root, sprouting, and growing seedlings at such speed were not quite as difficult to accept.

The transition from astonishment to calm acceptance took no more than a few seconds.

"Splash."

Lin Li picked up the bucket, went to the edge of the island, drew a bucket of water, and began watering the white radish seedlings in the field.

"Watering with a bucket isn't very convenient. I'll buy a watering can tomorrow." Lin Li looked at the field he had watered once and muttered.

Afterward, he went to the edge of the island and drew another bucket of water, then carried it toward the center.

"Splash..."

After watering the Miracle Small Tree, Lin Li set the bucket down on the grass and looked at the utterly ordinary-looking tree before him.

With a thought, a piece of information immediately surfaced in his mind.

"Seven percent."

"Only seven percent? I'll set out after lunch. I'll have to put in more effort over the next few days and raise the progress to one hundred percent as soon as possible."

After watering both the white radishes he had planted and the Miracle Small Tree, Lin Li prepared to leave the Mysterious Small Island and return to the real world.

Just as he was about to leave, a hint of azure caught his eye. If he did not look carefully, the azure speck—only slightly larger than a grain of rice—would be nearly impossible to notice.

Lin Li hurried forward and leaned his head toward the branches of the Miracle Small Tree.

"This...?"

After observing it carefully, Lin Li, his face full of confusion, suddenly burst into laughter, his expression overflowing with delight.

"Hahaha... It's grown a fruit! This Miracle Small Tree has grown another fruit... Looks like my previous guess was right. That percentage that appeared in my mind is the progress of the Miracle Small Tree growing its little fruits."

Lin Li's eyes shone as he stared at the azure fruit on the Miracle Small Tree, which was only a tiny bit larger than a grain of rice. His heart surged with excitement.

Actually, although Lin Li had always fantasized about eating dozens or even hundreds of the little fruits grown by the Miracle Small Tree and becoming a powerful Cultivator, that had only been a fantasy. It was entirely possible that the Miracle Small Tree would grow only one fruit and never grow another. That possibility had not been out of the question.

But now, the Miracle Small Tree had grown an azure fruit, proving that Lin Li's previous fantasy could become reality.

"Mutated beasts! Mutated beasts! I need more mutated-beast flesh, all of it freshly harvested within the past hour."

Looking at the exquisite little azure fruit before him, Lin Li's fighting spirit boiled over. He wished he could appear in the wilderness outside the city that instant and hunt one mutated beast after another for the Miracle Small Tree.

"Calm down. Don't get excited."

"Whoosh..."

Lin Li closed his eyes and took several deep breaths in succession, doing his best to calm his surging emotions.

Three minutes later, after regaining control of himself, Lin Li slowly opened his eyes.

Although a look of wild delight spread across his face again when he saw the exquisite little azure fruit, his heartbeat, which had accelerated nonstop from excitement, was no longer pounding as rapidly as before.

He raised his right hand and extended his little finger, wanting to lightly touch the exquisite little azure fruit.

"Smack."

His left hand suddenly shot up and slapped his right hand.

"Hold it. There's a saying: 'A moment's impatience can ruin a great plan.' The azure fruit has already grown, and I'm the only one who can enter this Mysterious Small Island. There's no need to rush.

"If I touch the azure fruit out of curiosity and cause some uncontrollable change in it, that would be a terrible bargain."

After reflecting inwardly, Lin Li stopped thinking about touching the azure fruit grown by the Miracle Small Tree.

He gazed at the azure fruit with an affectionate expression, like an old man looking at his precious little treasure.

"Oh, the color of this fruit is different from the previous one. If it's still this color once it grows and ripens, does that mean I'll awaken another superpower after eating it?

"If that's really the case, wouldn't I become a rare dual-superpower awakener?

"Ah, a dual-superpower awakener. Just thinking about it is so cool... Cultivators who have awakened superpowers are already few and far between, and Cultivators who have awakened two superpowers are rarer than phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

"I remember seeing a news report before saying that the Ability Management Bureau was recruiting investigators and would give priority admission to Cultivators who had awakened two superpowers.

"If I really awaken two superpowers by then, should I consider applying to the Ability Management Bureau and becoming an investigator?

"Being an investigator is an iron rice bowl. Not only are the benefits and treatment excellent, but the profession also enjoys a high social standing."

"I once saw an article online about the benefits of becoming an investigator.

"One point was that if you became an investigator and went on a blind date, the moment the woman learned that your profession was investigator, your success rate would be through the roof.

"Still, an investigator's work is not only grueling but dangerous as well. And my personality is rather lazy, so this job probably isn't suitable for me after all!"