192: Cultivating dragon embryo mother trees

After assuming the role of Elder, the Elder Council did not assign Lin Yan any specific tasks.

This was a special arrangement; Lin Yan's most important task right now was to Cultivate diligently.

...

In the spirit field, Lin Yan stood under the dragon embryo mother tree, his brows furrowed.

【spirit plant Name: dragon embryo mother tree】

【growth progress: 12826 / 1000000】

【spirit plant Trait: It seems to be gestating a dragon egg!】

【Growth Status: Continuous catalysis, experience + 10】

...

Every day, he used his own Purple Mansion true liquid to catalyze the mother tree, and diligently watered it with high-quality fertilizer.

Three months passed, and the growth progress of the mother tree had improved somewhat.

But compared to its progress bar as a Tier 6 spirit plant, it was far too little.

The main trunk of the dragon embryo mother tree had not thickened much, and the dragon scale patterns had not deepened either.

The pale golden dragon egg at the top of the mother tree also showed no changes; the miniature dragon silhouette inside the eggshell remained the same.

"At this growth rate, it will take over a hundred years to mature..." Lin Yan pondered inwardly:

"Logically speaking, as a mutated spirit plant, it shouldn't be this slow..."

Generally, the growth cycle of a mutated spirit plant is the same as the original.

Even if the growth progress bar becomes longer, the growth speed increases accordingly, so it should mature when it is supposed to...

If it were any other spirit plant, growing slowly would be fine, but he was anxious about this dragon embryo mother tree.

There are limitations to a purple mansion strange artifact.

Generally speaking, a Cultivator can only perfect their own purple mansion strange artifact while in the Purple Mansion Realm.

After the Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm, one can no longer nourish the purple mansion strange artifact.

Regardless of the type of purple mansion strange artifact, it must be perfected while in the Purple Mansion Realm.

Otherwise, one will only possess an incomplete strange artifact in the future.

And a Heaven-Defying purple mansion strange artifact like the three lives lotus has even more restrictions.

As a consumable strange artifact, it must not only be perfected in the Purple Mansion Realm but also used to refine a Clone.

Once one reaches the Golden Core Realm, the opportunity is lost.

This is somewhat like the Dao Foundation of the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Once that window of opportunity passes, there is no going back.

Lin Yan estimated that two reasons were limiting the growth of the dragon embryo mother tree.

First, the grade of the spirit field was too low; his spirit field was currently only Grade 4, while the dragon embryo mother tree was a Tier 6 spirit plant.

Second, the fertilizer was not the right type; the best fertilizer was related to Dragons, such as flood dragon flesh and blood, flood dragon essence blood...

"I need to prescribe the right medicine for the illness." Lin Yan thought to himself.

He decided to start by upgrading the grade of his spirit field.

As an Elder of the Spirit Herb Hall, he naturally had to make good use of his advantages.

He went straight to the Treasure Pavilion of the Spirit Herb Hall.

"Elder Lin, you have arrived! Please forgive me for not welcoming you sooner!"

The manager of the Treasure Pavilion saw Lin Yan and immediately came up to greet him.

"Long time no see, Manager Qian." Lin Yan responded with a smile.

This Manager Qian had previously helped Lin Yan collect Concealing Breath Flower seeds, and he had a good relationship with Lin Yan.

Over these years, as Lin Yan's status continued to rise, Manager Qian had also been doing increasingly well for himself.

Lin Yan explained his purpose to the manager and requested to requisition a treasure capable of upgrading the spirit field's grade:

"Manager Qian, I need to requisition a treasure that can upgrade the grade of a spirit field to raise my spirit field from Grade 4 to Grade 5."

Manager Qian was taken aback upon hearing this, then respectfully replied:

"Upgrading a Grade 4 spirit field to Grade 5 depends on the soil. The Treasure Pavilion does indeed have such a treasure, for example, the Profound Soil Essence."

He paused, then added:

"However, such treasures are precious, and there is only one left in the Treasure Pavilion. Requisitioning it requires going through the Elder Council's review process; I do not have the authority to lend it out directly."

Lin Yan understood; this was Sect protocol, so he said no more, simply leaving his application and asking the manager to submit it to the Elder Council.

For the next half month, Lin Yan tended to the dragon embryo mother tree while waiting for news.

Half a month later, in the main hall of the Spirit Herb Hall, the Elder Council approved Lin Yan's application.

When Lin Yan arrived at the Treasure Pavilion again, the manager had already prepared the treasure, his attitude even more respectful than before:

"Elder Lin, this is the Profound Soil Essence you applied to requisition. It has been registered according to the Elder Council's resolution."

Lin Yan took the jade box, feeling the immense earth-attribute Spiritual Qi contained within, and smiled at the manager:

"Thank you for your trouble, Manager Qian."

...

Returning to the Small Valley with the Profound Soil Essence.

"This Elder status is really useful," Lin Yan couldn't help but sigh.

In reality, as long as he asked, the Spirit Herb Hall would basically give him whatever they could.

But if he were to ask for this and that as a Disciple, it would not be in accordance with the rules.

Being an Elder was different.

Opening the jade box containing the Profound Soil Essence, a rush of immense earth-attribute Spiritual Qi and earth qi greeted him.

The Profound Soil Essence was not ordinary mineral soil; it was more like a piece of "living soil" that had sealed away ten thousand years of earth qi.

Its surface was dark brown, with an understated luster, yet it was extremely smooth and dense.

Its texture was between soil and jade, possessing both the heaviness of earth and the warm, moist luster of jade.

It was also very simple to use.

He buried it directly into the spirit field, then curled his five fingers like claws and slowly pressed them into the soil.

Operating the Azure Emperor Longevity Art within his body, wisps of cyan Spiritual Qi surged along his Meridians into his palms, then penetrated the soil to be injected into the Profound Soil Essence.

Hum...

The soil essence trembled slightly, and the previously dormant yellowish-brown spiritual light suddenly flared up, turning into fine veins that, guided by Lin Yan's Spiritual Qi, seeped bit by bit into the surrounding soil.

The soil in the spirit field, which had originally been slightly dull, became dark and glossy at a speed visible to the naked eye; Spiritual Qi became dense and misty, and earth qi flowed slowly like veins.

Several hours later, the last trace of the soil essence's essence was also refined and completely integrated into the spirit field.

Lin Yan slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air.

He stood up, his fingertips lightly stroking the warm, moist soil, feeling the vibrant vitality contained within, and whispered to himself:

"The soil quality has improved by a notch, and the spirit field itself is full of vitality..."

"A Grade 5 spirit field is just different." Lin Yan nodded in satisfaction.

Upgrading the grade of a spirit field is extremely difficult, far exceeding things like cultivating spirit plants.

Like this spirit field of Lin Yan's, it was a treasure in itself.

Grabbing a handful of soil and giving it to a Qi Refining Cultivator to brew with boiling water could improve their Cultivation and strengthen their body!

The other Elders of the Spirit Herb Hall still only had Grade 4 spirit fields.

In the entire Sword Pavilion, those with a higher spirit field grade than Lin Yan's could be counted on one's fingers.

After the spirit field grade was upgraded, the effect on the dragon embryo mother tree was immediate.

The growth speed increased by five or six times all at once.

But Lin Yan was still not satisfied; this was not the full potential of the dragon embryo mother tree.

According to this progress, it would take twenty or thirty years of effort to mature.

Still too slow!

"It needs to be even faster." Lin Yan thought thoughtfully.

He took out a jade bottle from his Storage Pouch, which contained dark golden Dragon Carp Essence Blood.

This was something he had painstakingly saved up during this time, prepared to use as an "extra meal" for the dragon embryo mother tree.

Flicking his finger, the Essence Blood dripped precisely onto the roots of the mother tree.

In an instant, the dark golden blood light burrowed into the soil like a living thing, rapidly spreading along the root system.

The dragon-shaped patterns on the mother tree lit up one by one, and fine dragon scale phantoms even appeared on the tree trunk.

The entire tree seemed to awaken from a deep slumber, emitting a low hum.

The growth progress of the mother tree rapidly increased by a notch.

【spirit plant Name: dragon embryo mother tree】

【growth progress: 21629 / 1000000】

【spirit plant Trait: It seems to be gestating a dragon egg!】

【Growth Status: Absorbed a small amount of dragon blood, experience + 10000】

...

"Not bad."

With the continuous nourishment of the Dragon Carp Essence Blood and the Spiritual Qi of the Grade 5 spirit field, the power of the mother tree was continuously injected into the dragon egg, the dragon patterns on the surface of the eggshell became increasingly distinct, and the dragon might it emitted also became increasingly solid.