Back to the Spirit Hall Branch

"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 wisp of life energy for its initial nourishment.

The leaves of the Nine Heart Begonia seedling unfurled slightly, as though responding to him.

He stood up, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth.

What had happened today was ten times more exciting than winning over a hundred Gold Soul Coins from three spirit battles in Heaven Dou City.

A Nine Heart Begonia—this level of plant 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 might just vomit blood on the spot from anger.

He stood in the courtyard for quite a while, watching the seedling stand quietly beneath the sunlight, its nine heart-shaped leaves swaying gently in the breeze, while he slowly sorted through his plans for cultivating it in the future.

It needed plenty of sunlight, moderate water, and soft, well-aerated soil.

Once it had grown a little larger, he could use Spring of Vegetation to stimulate its growth regularly, supplementing it with continuous nourishment from endless life to maximize its growth rate.

If he kept raising it at this pace, perhaps he would see it bloom in a few years.

That was a day well worth looking forward to.

Over the following 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 it for a while, checking whether it had grown taller, whether its leaves had spread, 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 nourished it with life energy for a quarter of an hour.

Under such meticulous care, the Nine Heart Begonia seedling thrived. In just a few days, its stem had grown a small stretch taller. The nine heart-shaped leaves gradually deepened from emerald green into a richer jade hue, while the pinkish-white coloration became more pronounced, giving them a gentle, jade-like texture beneath the sunlight.

The Blue Silver Grass sprouted again.

Although spring had not yet arrived, he persistently infused the soil in the courtyard with life energy through Spring of Vegetation every day. Beneath the Blue Silver Grass stalks that had been withered for most of the winter, fresh green shoots actually emerged.

One after another, they broke through the soil in scattered clusters, and the entire backyard slowly regained its greenery from its former gray-yellow desolation.

The Nine Heart Begonia stood planted in the middle of that newly born Blue Silver Grass, like it was surrounded by a sea of green, 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 ought to 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 one-ring Soul Master at level twelve.

From his breakthrough at level twelve to his current level twenty-three, including the acquisition of his second soul ring, he had never gone to the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City to update his information.

Though his position as Chief Physician was already enough to let him swagger through Nuoding City, formal Soul Master rank registration concerned his monthly stipend and his identity verification throughout the nation in the future. It was best to settle it as soon as possible.

He stood, dusted the dirt from his hands, returned inside 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 and majesty of Spirit Hall's headquarters in Heaven Dou City, it was still a respectable landmark in 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 queuing to have their Soul Power tested, while two deacons sat behind the counter chatting as they flipped through ledgers.

The deacon closest to the entrance looked up when he saw Lan Tian. He froze slightly, then recognized him and smiled. "Physician Lan? What brings you here? Don't you usually come collect your stipend on the fixed date each month? It isn't time yet today."

Lan Tian walked up to the counter, removed his Soul Master badge, and set it on the countertop with a smile. "I'm not here for the stipend today. I'm here to update my rank. I've broken through to Soul Grandmaster, and I've absorbed my second soul ring. It's time to register again."

"A Soul Grandmaster?" The deacon was visibly surprised. He hurriedly picked up the Soul Master badge from the counter and turned it over several times. "The last time you registered, you were a one-ring level-twelve Soul Master. How long has it been... and you've already broken through to level twenty-three? Physician Lan, your cultivation speed is really fast."

"I was lucky enough to find a suitable soul ring. Besides, I haven't been idle in my cultivation. It was simply a matter of long preparation finally paying off." Lan Tian answered casually without offering further explanation.

The deacon did not press him further. Turning around, he called toward the back, "Old Zhao, come out for a moment! Physician Lan needs to update his rank!"

Then he turned back to Lan Tian and smiled. "Please wait a moment, Physician Lan. We only need to test your Soul Power and soul ring configuration. It'll be quick."

Before long, an elderly deacon in his fifties emerged from the inner room. His hair was mostly gray, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses while holding a stone disc for testing Soul Power.

He clearly knew Lan Tian. After walking over and giving him a once-over, he nodded with a genial smile. "Physician Lan, we meet again. Some time ago, I heard from the City Lord's Mansion steward that you had been appointed Chief Physician. I haven't had the chance to congratulate you."

"You're too kind, Elder Zhao. It is only because the City Lord thinks highly of me." Lan Tian cupped his hands in greeting.

The elderly deacon had him stand before the counter, placed the soul-testing stone disc in front of him, and gestured for him to place his palm against it.

Lan Tian did as instructed. The instant his palm touched the cold stone surface, a stream of Soul Power naturally surged from within him and entered the soul-testing stone. The markings across the disc spun rapidly before coming to a firm stop at a certain point.

The elderly deacon leaned closer to examine it, then straightened. "Level twenty-three Soul Power. Correct—a solid Soul Grandmaster. Your foundation is also very stable. The density of your Soul Power doesn't look like someone who has just broken through. It seems more like you've been stabilized at this level 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. With a slight exertion of force beneath his feet, his Blue Silver Grass martial soul emerged. Two yellow hundred-year soul rings rose from its roots and slowly revolved before him.

The yellow soul rings radiated a steady, weighty glow. The second ring was visibly darker than the first, with a faint amber sheen at its edges.

The elderly deacon pushed up his glasses and inspected them carefully for several moments before clicking his tongue in admiration. "Both are hundred-year soul rings, and they appear to be perfectly suited to you. Otherwise, your Soul Power could not have improved so much. Physician Lan, a soul ring configuration like yours is rare in Nuoding City. Even in Heaven Dou City, it would be considered first-rate. No wonder your cultivation is progressing so quickly. Plant soul rings of the same origin truly have a remarkable enhancing effect on a Blue Silver Grass martial soul."

"You flatter me, Elder Zhao."

Lan Tian withdrew his martial soul and soul rings, then straightened his clothes again.