Chapter 525: Successfully Cultivating the Soul-Awakening Grass!

"Sinking Emotion Flower? Good!" Garden Master Xue nodded, then her expression turned somewhat awkward: "As for mid-grade spirit stones, I only have one..."

Her medicinal garden did indeed have a few Sinking Emotion Flowers, the oldest reaching seven hundred years, which she could offer. However... mid-grade spirit stones—even as a peak Transformation Fan stage 4 expert, she only had one.

Spirit stones of that grade were only circulated in the Huan Yu Empire; in the Ten Thousand Nations Alliance, only low-grade spirit stones were used. The entire royal family couldn't produce a few, let alone her.

"Only one? One is fine!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

He wanted the Sinking Emotion Flower to cultivate the Soul-Awakening Grass—a selfish motive—but the mid-grade spirit stone was not.

To rapidly enhance the spiritual nature of a weak plant, the pure spiritual energy of a mid-grade spirit stone was indispensable; relying solely on low-grade spirit stones would likely drag out the process.

"I'll prepare it now!" Garden Master Xue hurriedly turned and left.

Before long, she returned.

What Zhang Xuan had requested would be extremely difficult for others to gather, nearly impossible without months of effort. But as the premier medicinal garden in Ten Thousand Nations City, the required herbs were mostly available within the garden, making the search simple.

They even found a seedling of the Earth Vein Spirit Vine.

"I need absolute quiet for the treatment. Please, Garden Master Xue, take everyone out!"

Seeing everything prepared, Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

Transplanting spiritual nature required the techniques of a Soul Shaman. Although this profession was lost and few could recognize it even if displayed, it was still better to be cautious.

"Yes!"

Garden Master Xue knew that many techniques were closely guarded secrets, and many experts were unwilling to show them to others. She nodded and led everyone out of the medicinal field.

Seeing everyone leave, Zhang Xuan exhaled. Focusing on the spirit vine seedling before him, he moved his spirit, and his soul left his body to begin the treatment.

...

"Why is Master Zhang taking so long? Do you think he'll be able to buy the Sinking Emotion Flower?"

In the living room, Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai paced back and forth, occasionally glancing outside.

Only herb growers or master teachers could enter the medicinal field; as attendants, they couldn't go in and could only wait here.

But they had been waiting for two or three hours. Now it was completely dark, and still no one had come out, filling them with anxiety.

"He should be able to... He is Master Zhang!" Jin Conghai hesitated, then said.

Since meeting this young man, no matter the task, he always accomplished it easily, making one wonder if there was anything he couldn't do.

"I know Master Zhang's abilities, but... I've long heard that Garden Master Xue has a strange temper. She doesn't even give face to my father. Now that the Earth Vein Spirit Vine has problems, she's surely even more irritable. Trying to buy medicine from her now won't be easy. I'm afraid... as soon as Master Zhang speaks, she'll not only refuse but also throw him out!"

Although she admired Master Zhang's skills, Zhao Feiwu was still worried.

This Garden Master Xue didn't even take her father, the Alliance Leader of the Ten Thousand Nations Alliance, seriously. When she was in a good mood, it might be manageable—pay enough and say the right words, and perhaps she'd sell. But now... with the Earth Vein Spirit Vine half-dead and her spirits sunk, the difficulty of buying medicine would likely be several times greater.

She feared that Master Zhang might not even get a word out before being thrown out.

Such things had happened before.

The envoy from the Alliance Leader's residence had been driven away just like that.

"That... might really happen..."

Jin Conghai was startled and also showed concern.

"Master Zhang seems determined to get the Sinking Emotion Flower. If it really doesn't work, we should go back and ask my father to intervene. If he steps in, Garden Master Xue should... not refuse!"

After waiting a while longer with no sign of movement, Zhao Feiwu couldn't help but speak.

Even as she finished, she lacked confidence.

If her father's face were useful, the envoy wouldn't have been thrown out back then.

Garden Master Xue, relying on her formidable strength, was impervious to reason. Even with her own considerable wit, Zhao Feiwu found it headache-inducing and utterly helpless.

In the face of absolute power, all strategies were useless.

"We'll have to do that... Look, someone's coming!" Jin Conghai nodded, unable to think of a better plan. Just as he was about to continue, he suddenly pointed forward.

Outside the living room, a figure approached.

"It's Master Zhang..."

It was Zhang Xuan, who had gone in earlier.

"No need to guess—he must have been thrown out..."

Seeing him appear alone, Zhao Feiwu gave a bitter smile and hurried over with Jin Conghai.

"Master Zhang, you're out. It's okay if you didn't buy the Sinking Emotion Flower. I'll report to my father and have him step in to help you buy it..."

Approaching, she saw the young man's face was somewhat pale, appearing weak, likely from humiliation. Zhao Feiwu quickly offered comfort.

"Yes! Garden Master Xue's strange temper is well-known. Don't be angry..." Jin Conghai also said hastily.

"Huh?"

Before he could even speak upon returning, he was comforted by the two. Zhang Xuan found it both amusing and exasperating. Just as he was about to explain, he heard hurried footsteps behind him.

Garden Master Xue and the others rushed over.

"What are you trying to do?" Seeing the anxious looks on these people, Jin Conghai quickly stepped in front of Zhang Xuan and the princess.

"Master Zhang, here are a hundred medicinal herbs of about five hundred years old, a small token of my appreciation. Moreover, from today onward, my City West Herb Garden is your eternal friend. Whenever you need something, just say the word. Any medicine I have here will be provided free of charge!"

Ignoring the tense Jin Conghai, Garden Master Xue approached Zhang Xuan, bowed deeply, and handed over a storage ring, saying.

"Eternal friend?"

"Free of charge?"

Seeing the eccentric Garden Master Xue, who wouldn't even show face to the Alliance Lord's residence, bow as soon as he arrived and offer medicine, Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai's eyes went wide.

What on earth had happened...

Wasn't this guy impervious to reason? How... had he suddenly become like a student, bowing and offering medicine?

"Compared to Master Zhang, our herb-nurturing skills are pitifully weak!"

"Thanks to Master Zhang, otherwise this Earth Vein Spirit Vine would have had no hope of revival!"

Just as they were wondering what was going on, they heard the crowd's murmurs.

"Master Zhang... cured that Earth Vein Spirit Vine?"

Realizing the truth, the two exchanged glances and were both dumbfounded.

They had heard Zhang Xuan chatting with Lu Zhan earlier—a guy who didn't even know what herb nurturing was had gone and cured an Earth Vein Spirit Vine that a herb-nurturing family couldn't treat...

How could this not feel utterly unreliable?

...

"Master Zhang not only bought the Sinking Emotion Flower but also got Garden Master Xue to personally escort him out of the herb garden, even claiming all future medicine would be free... and he cured the Earth Vein Spirit Vine?"

At the Alliance Lord's residence, Alliance Lord Zhao's eyes widened as he listened to his daughter and Jin Conghai's report. The shock in his heart lingered long...

...

Sitting cross-legged in his room, Zhang Xuan stared at the deep red flower before him.

A seven-hundred-year-old fresh Sinking Emotion Flower!

With sufficient medicine and the methods of a Soul Shaman, curing the Earth Vein Spirit Vine wasn't too hard. By grafting, he restored the vine's spirituality, so Garden Master Xue was naturally full of gratitude.

The main purpose of this trip to the herb garden was the Sinking Emotion Flower. With it in hand, he didn't linger any longer and brought Zhao Feiwu and the others back to the residence prepared for him.

It was a modest mansion, close to the Alliance Lord's residence, fully equipped with guards, servants, and maids, saving Sun Qiang the trouble of searching.

After arriving, he settled the Demon Beast Roc to rest and went straight into his room, taking out the medicinal herb.

"Soul Extraction!"

With a mental command, a clear soul surged out from his acupoints. Zhang Xuan waved his hand, bringing the flower in front of his physical body to his soul.

"Soul Awakening Herb: carve on a plant that can contain soul imprints, set up a soul-gathering formation... then use the soul to provide power, allowing it to grow rapidly..."

Reviewing the cultivation method for the Soul Awakening Herb in his mind, Zhang Xuan's eyes fell on the flower before him.

The Sinking Emotion Flower, though a spiritual herb, had no spirituality of its own, so it could easily accommodate a Soul Shaman's soul power.

Otherwise, with a spiritual herb, any other soul touching it would immediately dissipate, and the soul-awakening effect would be lost.

Whoosh!

Soul power roiled, a powerful force enveloping the flower before him, slowly changing its appearance and form.

After cultivating the Soul Shaman Heavenly Dao technique, his soul power alone had reached the peak of Mortal Transformation Second Layer, far stronger than his true qi cultivation. Although the method for cultivating the Soul Awakening Herb was not easy, with his current soul power, he could still accomplish it easily.

For three consecutive days, he didn't leave his room.

Finally, on the fourth day, the bright red flower before him emitted a "hum" and, with a gentle shake, transformed into a pure white seedling.

The Soul Awakening Herb was successfully cultivated!

"From now on, nourish it daily with soul power, and it should mature in one or two months."

Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

Although he had cultivated the Sinking Emotion Flower into a Soul Awakening Herb, it was still a seedling and couldn't be used directly. But there was no rush; it would take at most a month or two to mature.

At that time, he could make Soul Awakening Incense, which should revive Lu Chong and fulfill one of his wishes.

These three days of hiding in the room using soul power had left his whole body somewhat fatigued.

Returning his soul to his body, he took out the medium-grade spirit stone he had swindled from Song Chao, absorbed it for a while until fully recovered, and then left the room.

Outside, the sun was blazing. Before he even entered the courtyard, he saw Sun Qiang approaching.

"Young Master, Master Su and Master Ling are here, asking to see you."

Master Su Su Fan and Master Ling Ling Yuheng were the two four-star master teachers who had invited him from the Tianwu Kingdom to participate in the Master Teacher Grand Competition.

"How did they know I was here?" Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned, then shook his head.

After arriving in Wanguo City, he hadn't hidden his tracks; in fact, he had gone to the City West Herb Garden to solve the Earth Vein Spirit Vine problem. The Master Teacher Pavilion, as a dominant force, finding out the news wasn't surprising.

He had said before that he would visit them as soon as he arrived in Wanguo City. Now that he had been here for a few days without going to the Master Teacher Pavilion, they could no longer sit still and had come looking for him.

"Let's go see them."

Understanding the situation, Zhang Xuan said nothing more and headed toward the living room.