A New Bottleneck!

The old steward opened the register and swiftly filled in the new information, then took out a new Soul Master badge and handed it to him.

The new badge looked much the same as the previous one, except the number of rings had changed from one to two, and the material was slightly thicker and heavier.

The old steward took a money pouch from beneath the counter, placed it on the countertop, and pushed it over. "This is the monthly subsidy you are entitled to after updating your registration. A two-ring Soul Grandmaster receives ten Gold Soul Coins per month. Also, the previous standard of one Gold Soul Coin per month for a one-ring Soul Master has been discontinued. Starting this month, the new standard applies. Keep these ten Gold Soul Coins safe."

Lan Tian picked up the pouch, weighed it in his hand, and smiled as he tucked it into his clothes. "Thank you, Elder Zhao. By the way, do you need to take back my old badge?"

"Keep it as a memento. That's the old rule."

The old steward waved a hand, then leaned a little closer and lowered his voice.

"Doctor Lan, I shouldn't pry, but let me ask you this: now that you're already a Soul Grandmaster, have you considered being elevated to nobility?"

"The Tiandou Empire has a clear regulation: Soul Elders and above may apply for the title of baron."

"With your cultivation speed, breaking through to become a three-ring Soul Elder is only a matter of time if you keep this up. If you want a title then, it's better to prepare early than scramble at the last minute."

Lan Tian's heart stirred slightly.

Of course he knew about nobility. In the original story, Soul Elders could apply for a baronial title and could even possess fiefs and servants.

Although Nuoding City was small, once he reached that point, he could absolutely work something out through the City Lord's Mansion and obtain an honorary title.

When that happened, not only would his financial treatment improve, but his social standing would be completely different as well.

He nodded to the old steward. "Thank you for the reminder, Elder Zhao. I'll keep it in mind."

"Alright, then there's nothing else. Just come collect your subsidy at the usual time next month—the fifth of every month." The old steward smilingly saw him out.

Lan Tian walked out of the Spirit Hall Branch and stood on the steps outside, lowering his head to look at the new badge in his hand.

Under the sunlight, the two-ring emblem reflected a gentle gleam. It was only a simple metal badge, but it represented his official transition from a one-ring Soul Master into the ranks of Soul Grandmasters.

His strength was increasing, his status was rising, and the resources at his disposal were growing more abundant. Everything was moving along the right track.

He pinned the new badge inside his collar, then weighed the ten Gold Soul Coins in his pocket again.

Though this money was no longer a large sum to him, every little bit counted. An extra ten Gold Soul Coins each month would accumulate into a considerable amount of resources over time.

What was more, once he broke through to Soul Elder in the future, the subsidy standard would rise by another tier.

After returning to the rear courtyard of the clinic, he crouched beside the Nine Heart Begonia sapling as usual and checked the moisture of the soil around it. Only after confirming that there was no problem did he stand.

Sunlight slanted down from the eastern eaves, falling over the Nine Heart Begonia's nine heart-shaped leaves. A pinkish-white glow slowly flowed through their veins.

He gently touched the smallest leaf at the very top. It felt tender, smooth, and cool beneath his fingertips. A pulse of life flowed in through his fingers, carrying a warm, gentle rhythm.

"Grow well. When you're grown, I'll take you to see a bigger world."

Lan Tian stood, brushed the dirt from his hands, and turned to prepare for today's medicinal bath and meditation.

That evening, after finishing a set of punches in the courtyard, Lan Tian settled into his stance. A thin sheen of sweat had formed on his brow, yet he could not shake the feeling that something was missing.

His breathing was unsteady. The force of his punches always weakened slightly at the end, and the transitions between his steps were no longer as smooth as they had been some time ago.

Frowning, he performed the routine again and carefully felt the feedback from every part of his body.

There was nothing wrong with his muscles and bones, and his soul power circulated smoothly. Yet that hollow sense of something missing lingered in every punch and kick like a shadow.

He sat on the stone bench in the courtyard, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and slowly drank as his thoughts unfolded layer by layer.

Absorbing his first four-hundred-year Blue Silver Grass soul ring and his second nine-hundred-year Blue Silver Grass soul ring had indeed noticeably improved the quality of his Blue Silver Grass martial soul. His Innate Soul Power had also naturally risen by a level after those two absorptions.

Without the support of those two soul rings from the same origin, he might not even have broken through to level twenty within these two years.

But he knew clearly that the shortcomings of his talent and age still stood before him, as real and immovable as a mountain.

It had taken him nineteen years to climb from level zero to level ten. Even with the boost from same-origin soul rings now, it could not change the fact that his foundation was weak and that he had started too late.

The reason his cultivation speed had appeared so fast over the past two years was, on one hand, the enormous initial leap brought by the same-origin soul rings, and on the other, the concentrated release of resources accumulated over many years.

But now that he had reached level twenty-three, that explosive period had clearly begun to fade.

It was like a river. Clearing its source could indeed cause the water level to surge for a time, but the width of the riverbed had not changed. No matter how much the flow rose, it would still be limited.

Levels twenty-one, twenty-two, and twenty-three had been granted by his soul rings.

But he had also truly felt how difficult it was to continue improving. It would only become more obvious from here on.

"In the end, it's still the deficiency of my martial soul and Innate Soul Power."

Lan Tian set down his teacup and let out a long breath.

He raised his head and looked at the fresh green Blue Silver Grass gently swaying in the evening breeze. In their midst, the Nine Heart Begonia sapling had grown to three fingers in height. The pinkish-white tint on its nine heart-shaped leaves looked especially soft and beautiful in the lingering light of the sunset.

He had raised it for so long, stimulating its growth for a quarter of an hour every morning and nourishing it for another quarter of an hour each evening. In return, the life energy it gave off was faintly nourishing his Blue Silver Grass martial soul as well.

This mutual symbiotic relationship meant that although he had recently found cultivation difficult, at least he had not regressed.

"All I can do is give it my best."

Lan Tian murmured to himself, pushing away the empty teacup before him as he began reconsidering his plans for the future.

The medicinal ingredients he had used before could no longer keep up with his current needs.

Hundred-year lingzhi, purple-backed heavenly sunflower, snow lotus root—these had indeed been remarkably effective when he was between levels ten and fifteen, but now that he had reached level twenty-three, their medicinal potency was somewhat too mild for him.

It was like pouring small cups of water into a huge vat. It could be filled eventually, but it was far too slow and exhausting.

He needed materials with greater age and more potent medicinal effects—Poria chunks over five hundred years old, thousand-year-old fleeceflower root, even powerful medicines like blood ginseng over a hundred years old, if he could buy them—before he could possibly bring his cultivation speed back to an acceptable level.

Such things were difficult to find in Nuoding City.

The finest stock in Shopkeeper Chen's store was only two or three hundred years old. For anything better, he would have to visit a major city on Heaven Dou City's level for a chance of finding it.

Or he could take the more direct route: Star Dou Great Forest, or Sunset Forest.

He had previously only wandered through the outer regions and the edges of the middle layers. There were surely plenty of thousand-year medicinal herbs deeper inside, but the danger increased severalfold as well.

He took out the storage ring and inventoried its contents.

There were still over ten thousand Gold Soul Coins saved in his money pouch. Combined with the monthly subsidy of ten Gold Soul Coins and the clinic's regular income, he was not under much financial pressure for the time being.

He still had three pieces of two- to three-thousand-year Whale Rubber left unused, enough to strengthen his body several more times.

The Nine Heart Begonia was still in its growth stage. Once it grew a little larger, he might be able to harvest its leaves for medicine. The leaves of the Nine Heart Begonia were themselves an exceptional medicinal catalyst.