Mimicry, a Master-Apprentice Ceremony?

Lin Ze'an blinked his clear eyes, skipping the topic entirely as he turned to Yan. "Senior, the plaque for my courtyard hasn't been inscribed yet."

"The plaque?" Yan paused at the mention, then realized what he meant. "Haha, you mean that empty board above your gate?"

Lin Ze'an nodded. "Yes, that one. I wanted to write the name myself, but I can't reach it. Could I trouble you to do it, Senior?"

He tilted his small face up, his gaze filled with a mix of plea and anticipation as he looked at Yan. "Senior, could you... help me write it?"

"Sure thing, little junior." Yan agreed readily. "What do you want it to say? I'll carve it for you while I'm at it."

As the two spoke, Hu Liena and Xie Yue exchanged a glance, both seeing the same speechlessness in each other's eyes.

Where had Yan's brain gone? He was being led around by the nose by such an obvious change of subject...

Hu Liena stepped down from the bed, walked over to Lin Ze'an, and leaned down slightly. "Little junior, my calligraphy isn't bad. Shall I help you instead?"

Hearing Hu Liena suddenly speak up, Lin Ze'an froze for a moment before looking up at her.

Despite what had just happened, her every gesture still carried an innate charm, though there was a touch more sincerity in her smile now.

He flashed a well-behaved, polite smile. "Alright, then I'll trouble you, Senior Sister."

The next morning.

Lin Ze'an sat at the table, eating the exquisite breakfast Yue Guan had prepared in small bites.

A cup of warm milk, a few freshly baked cakes, and a small plate of fresh fruit.

He didn't know who had invented this strange combination, but at least it tasted good.

Yue Guan sat opposite him, asking with interest, "So, Hu Liena tried to probe you and ended up suffering a backlash from her own spiritual power?"

Lin Ze'an was nibbling on a piece of cake; he nodded at the question. "His Majesty the Pope probably hasn't told her about my innate soul power yet."

"If Hu Liena had known the quality of my martial soul or my soul power rank, she wouldn't have been so reckless and ended up hurting herself."

Yue Guan smiled and nodded. "It's normal for young people to interact, and since you treated her, the Pope won't hold it against you."

Once Lin Ze'an finished his breakfast, Yue Guan spoke up. "Disciple, after obtaining your second soul ring, your soul power has reached level 22."

"This means you have officially become a two-ring Great Soul Master. You must work even harder in your cultivation from now on."

Lin Ze'an sighed slightly at this. His soul power should have been even higher, but alas... sigh.

He forced a smile and nodded at Yue Guan. "Yes, Master, I will work hard!"

Judging by the ages of Hu Liena and the others, he was likely a few years younger than the main protagonist group, right?

Still, with his talent, if he put in the effort, he could catch up in soul power rank.

Yue Guan smiled with satisfaction and continued, "Good. Since you are now a Great Soul Master, it is time for you to be exposed to certain cultivation resources."

"Later, I will take you to the Mimicry Cultivation Field."

"You can choose an environment suitable for your martial soul's characteristics to cultivate in, which will accelerate your progress."

Lin Ze'an looked thoughtful at this. He tilted his head and blinked those clear eyes. "Master, it doesn't seem like it needs to be that much trouble."

Under Yue Guan's puzzled gaze, Lin Ze'an stood up and slowly raised his small hand.

"Hum--!"

A soft, majestic, emerald-green light suddenly radiated from his small body.

In the blink of an eye, it enveloped the entire courtyard.

The next second, countless flowers broke through the soil in the courtyard at a speed visible to the naked eye, blooming in competition.

Not only that, but the bamboo in the yard began to grow wildly; their stalks thickened, and their leaves turned lush and dense.

Thick, thorny vines surged from the ground, the corners of the walls, and even under the eaves, twisting and intertwining until they wrapped the entire courtyard in an instant.

In just a few breaths, the courtyard had completely changed.

It had transformed from a simple, plain residence into a vibrant, fragrant, vine-covered mini-forest.

A rich, woody fragrance wafted over; taking a deep breath felt as if even his soul had been cleansed, leaving him feeling exceptionally refreshed.

Yue Guan stared blankly at his disciple, his mouth twitching involuntarily. "This... I suppose that works too."

Since it had grown into the real thing, why bother going to a mimicry field?

However, this was for the best; cultivating at home would save him from the prying eyes of those with ulterior motives.

Just then, a slightly hoarse voice suddenly sounded from the direction of the courtyard gate. "This...?"

Lin Ze'an turned his head instinctively, following the sound.

At the entrance of the courtyard, a figure had appeared silently, though he didn't know when.

Gui Mei stood there quietly, his gaze fixed on the cluster of plants that had just sprouted in the yard.

His eyes moved slowly, landing on the innocent-looking Lin Ze'an, then shifted to the dumbfounded Yue Guan.

Lin Ze'an tilted his small face up obediently and greeted him with a crisp voice: "Morning, Uncle Gui."

Gui Mei: "...Morning."

Yue Guan looked at Gui Mei's expression, rubbed his forehead in resignation, and quickly recounted what had just happened.

After listening to Yue Guan's narrative, Gui Mei remained silent for several long seconds.

Such a massive commotion... wouldn't it have drawn attention? I'm afraid quite a few people saw it.

Just then, Yue Guan seemed to recall something.

He reached into his storage soul tool and fumbled for a moment, and soon, a gemstone necklace radiating a verdant green light appeared in his palm.

The gem was about the size of a thumbnail, crystalline and translucent throughout.

Yue Guan held the necklace and walked over to Lin Ze'an, a trace of apology on his face: "Disciple, our apprenticeship was rushed, and I didn't have time to prepare a proper gift."

"This necklace is something I obtained by chance during my travels in my early years."

He leaned down and fastened the necklace around Lin Ze'an's neck.

The emerald gem rested right against Lin Ze'an's chest; following the initial cool sensation, a gentle flow of soul power began to seep into his body.

"This necklace is called Emerald Leaf. It can accelerate the cultivation speed of plant-type soul masters, and it is especially effective in places where vegetation is lush."

"However, it has no effect on my current soul power, so I'm giving it to you... I hope you don't mind it."

Truth be told, if this necklace didn't happen to be useful to my disciple, it would truly be too embarrassing to offer.

Lin Ze'an looked down at the gem emitting a soft green light on his chest, then looked back at Yue Guan.

His master had followed Qian Xunji for so many years and gained nothing, and then Qian Xunji had died.

Later, he followed Bibi Dong, but as for this new master... in any case, after all these years of working himself to the bone, he hadn't received anything of value.

If he wasn't mistaken, the reason he was only giving it now was because this necklace... was likely the best thing he could possibly produce.

Thinking of this, Lin Ze'an hugged the slightly worried Yue Guan in front of him and said with a smile: "Thank you, Master!"