"This will be your home from now on."
Lan Tian crouched down and used Blue Silver Grass vines to gently circle the soil around the seedling once more, infusing it with a thread of life energy for its initial nourishment.
The Nine Heart Begonia seedling's leaves stretched slightly, as if responding to him.
He stood up, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth.
What had happened today excited him more than earning over a hundred Gold Soul Coins from three spirit battles in Heaven Dou City.
Nine Heart Begonia—this was a priceless treasure that could only be encountered by chance across the entire continent, yet he had bought it without spending even a single Silver Soul Coin.
If that fat stall owner ever learned that he had sold Nine Heart Begonia seeds for one Silver Soul Coin, he wondered whether the man would be so furious that he vomited blood on the spot.
He stood in the yard for quite a while, watching the seedling stand quietly beneath the sunlight, its nine heart-shaped leaves swaying lightly in the breeze as he gradually sorted through his plans for cultivating it.
It needed plenty of sunlight, appropriate moisture, and soft, well-aerated soil.
Once it had grown a little larger, he could regularly stimulate its growth with Spring of Vegetation and nurture it continuously with Endless Life, maximizing its growth rate.
If he continued raising it at this pace, perhaps he would see it bloom in a few years.
That was a day worth looking forward to.
Over the next few days, Lan Tian devoted all his attention to the Nine Heart Begonia seedling.
Every morning, the first thing he did after getting up was run to the backyard and squat beside the seedling for a while, checking whether it had grown taller, whether its leaves had unfurled, and whether its color had changed.
He never skipped a day of watering it. Every three days, he used Spring of Vegetation to stimulate its growth, and every day, he nurtured it with Endless Life for a quarter of an hour.
Under such meticulous care, the Nine Heart Begonia seedling grew wonderfully. In just a few days, its stalk had risen a little higher. The nine heart-shaped leaves gradually changed from emerald green to a deeper jade hue, while their pinkish-white mottling became more distinct, giving them a warm, jade-like texture beneath the sunlight.
The Blue Silver Grass sprouted again.
Although spring had yet to arrive, he persisted in injecting life energy into the soil of the yard every day with Spring of Vegetation. Beneath the Blue Silver Grass stalks that had been withered for most of the winter, fresh green shoots actually emerged.
One after another, they pushed sparsely through the soil, and the entire backyard slowly recovered its greenery from its previous grayish-yellow desolation.
The Nine Heart Begonia was planted in the center of this newly born Blue Silver Grass, as though surrounded by a green sea, making it especially conspicuous.
That morning, Lan Tian squatted beside the seedling as usual and watched it for quite some time. Just as he was considering that he should loosen the soil around its roots in a few days, something suddenly crossed his mind.
His Soul Master rank was still registered at the Spirit Hall Branch as a level-twelve One-Ring Soul Master.
From his breakthrough from level twelve to level twenty-three, to obtaining his Second Soul Ring, he had never once gone to the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City to update his information.
Although his identity as chief physician already allowed him to walk sideways through Nuoding City, formal Soul Master rank registration concerned his monthly subsidy and his future identification throughout the country. It would be better to get it settled sooner rather than later.
He stood up and patted the dirt from his hands, returned to the house to change into clean clothes, then headed out toward the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City.
Nuoding City's Spirit Hall Branch was located slightly west of the city center. It was a two-story stone building. Though it lacked the grandeur of Spirit Hall's headquarters in Heaven Dou City, it was still a rather respectable landmark within Nuoding City.
When Lan Tian pushed open the door and entered, there were not many people in the hall. Only two or three young people were waiting in line to have their Soul Power tested, while two deacons sat behind the counter, chatting as they flipped through account books.
The deacon nearest the door looked up at Lan Tian and froze slightly. He then recognized him and smiled. "Doctor Lan? What brings you here? Don't you usually come to collect your subsidy on the same day every month? It isn't time yet."
Lan Tian walked up to the counter, removed his Soul Master badge, and placed it on the countertop with a smile. "I'm not here to collect my subsidy today. I'm here to update my rank. I've already broken through to Soul Grandmaster and absorbed my Second Soul Ring, so I should register again."
"A Soul Grandmaster?" The deacon was visibly surprised. He hurriedly picked up the Soul Master badge on the counter and examined it repeatedly. "The last time you registered, you were a level-twelve One-Ring Soul Master. How long has it been... and you've already reached level twenty-three? Doctor Lan, your cultivation speed is truly fast."
"I was lucky enough to find a suitable Soul Ring. I also never slacked off in my usual cultivation, so it was simply a matter of accumulated effort finally paying off." Lan Tian answered casually without elaborating.
The deacon did not press further. He turned and called toward the back, "Elder Zhao, come out for a moment! Doctor Lan needs to update his rank!"
Then he turned back to Lan Tian with a smile. "Please wait a moment, Doctor Lan. We just need to test your Soul Power and Soul Ring configuration. It will be quick."
Before long, an elderly deacon in his fifties came out from the inner room. His hair was heavily streaked with gray, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses while carrying a stone disk used to test Soul Power.
He clearly knew Lan Tian. He first looked him over, then nodded with a genial smile. "Doctor Lan, we meet again. Some time ago, I heard from the steward at the City Lord's Mansion that you were appointed chief physician. I haven't had the chance to congratulate you yet."
"You flatter me, Elder Zhao. It is only because the City Lord thinks highly of me." Lan Tian cupped his hands.
The old deacon had him stand before the counter, placed the Soul Testing Stone disk in front of him, and gestured for him to place his palm on it.
Lan Tian did as instructed. The instant his palm touched the cold stone surface, a stream of Soul Power naturally flowed from within him and entered the Soul Testing Stone. The markings on the disk spun rapidly before steadily stopping at a certain position.
The old deacon leaned closer for a look, then straightened up. "Level twenty-three Soul Power. That's right, a solid Soul Grandmaster. Your foundation is also very stable, and the density of your Soul Power does not look like someone who has just broken through. It seems more like you've already stabilized at this rank for some time."
He set down the Soul Testing Stone and gestured for Lan Tian to display his Soul Rings.
Lan Tian did not hesitate. He exerted slight force through his feet, and his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul appeared. Two yellow century-old Soul Rings rose from its roots and slowly revolved before him.
The glow of the yellow Soul Rings was steady and weighty. The Second Soul Ring was noticeably darker than the first, with a faint amber sheen around its edge.
The old deacon adjusted his glasses and examined them carefully several times. He could not help clicking his tongue in admiration. "Both are century-old Soul Rings, and they look perfectly suited to you. Otherwise, your Soul Power could not have increased so much. Doctor Lan, your Soul Ring configuration is rare in Nuoding City. Even in Heaven Dou City, it would count as first-rate. No wonder your cultivation is so fast. Plant Soul Rings of the same origin truly have a remarkable enhancing effect on the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul."
"You praise me too highly, Elder Zhao."
Lan Tian withdrew his Martial Soul and Soul Rings, then straightened his clothes again.
Before you continue