Devor hadn’t received a response from Nyuru for several days.

  Had she been caught up in sect duties? Or was she choosing not to reply?

  The uncertainty lingered in the back of his mind, but he refused to let it disrupt his work.

  Falling into a steady, controlled routine, Devor immersed himself in his research, refining his methods and expanding the foundation of his experiments.

  As he stepped into the Poison Element Garden, his eyes immediately landed on the Bloodbane Lotus—a genuine Sky-Grade specimen.

  Positioned at the heart of the garden, the lotus pulsed faintly, its energy influencing the surrounding plants like the beating of a great heart.

  But what stood out most was the thick, purple energy stream extending outward from the lotus, linking six other plants into a perfectly symmetrical hexagonal pattern.

  Devor's gaze sharpened.

  With a mere thought, he activated his Spiritual Analyzer ability.

  [ Plant Name: Bloodbane Lotus ]

  [ Quality: Sky Grade-B ]

  [ Status: Very Good ]

  [ Essence: 100/100 ]

  The plant was in perfect condition, meaning it was fully prepared for more rigorous experimentation.

  Devor stroked his chin, murmuring to himself, “I can push it to Earth Grade-A, but achieving harmony with other Earth-Grade plants is where the real challenge begins."

  He had successfully upgraded plants to Grade-A before, but synchronizing them into a stable formation was far more difficult.

  Not all Grade-A plants were compatible enough to coexist in harmony.

  One miscalculation—and the entire foundation would collapse, forcing him to start over.

  Devor narrowed his eyes. A direct upgrade isn’t the answer. He need a different approach.

  Pulling out his notebook, Devor flipped through pages filled with notes, calculations, and previous test results.

  "First, I need to establish a foundation of harmony. I’ve already identified six Earth-Grade plants and one Sky-Grade plant that can form a strong synergy."

  He grabbed his pen and jotted down a few more observations.

  “Once the Bloodbane Lotus reaches Grade-A, I can use the Venom Spiritual Tree to guide the six others, ensuring they absorb the energy from the lotus efficiently.”

  This was the first phase of his experiment—turning the Bloodbane Lotus into the central core that would support the evolution of the six supporting plants.

  Devor’s eyes flickered with calculation.

  "A hexagonal energy flow is the most efficient structure."

  If each plant was connected through the Bloodbane Lotus, the energy flow would be balanced, allowing each species to adjust and evolve naturally.

  He scribbled rapidly, refining his approach.

  "Once the Bloodbane Lotus reaches Grade-A, I can start upgrading the six others simultaneously. That way, as they evolve, they’ll adapt to one another in real time."

  Every plant—and every living being, for that matter—adjusted to its environment.

  His plan was straightforward:

  Establish a foundational harmony among the plants.

  Construct a stable formation where they could evolve together.

  The core plant had to be of the highest quality, capable of maintaining balance.

  That was why Devor had chosen a Sky-Grade specimen as the centerpiece—it had the greatest potential for controlled evolution.

  If the core was stable, the supporting plants could grow without resistance.

  However, if the supporting plants advanced first, the entire formation could collapse due to imbalanced energy flows.

  Devor tapped his pen against the page, reviewing his calculations.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  This was the safest path forward.

  Nearby, the Venom Spiritual Tree silently observed Devor, letting out a quiet sigh in its mind.

  Who would have thought that a cultivator like Devor would be more engrossed in gardening experiments than in chasing raw power?

  Venom had encountered some cultivators over the years, and their ambitions were always the same.

  Power. Strength. Domination.

  That included Juyin, the man who had raised Venom since childhood.

  Juyin’s hunger for power had always been ferocious, almost devouring in nature.

  At times, Venom had even feared him, keeping a cautious distance.

  But Devor…

  Devor was different.

  Perhaps it was because he was blessed by nature itself.

  Venom had seen many aura patterns before—glimpsed into the deepest desires of cultivators.

  Some burned like raging infernos, desperate for dominion.

  Others were cold and calculating, hungering for immortality and control.

  But in Devor’s case—

  There was no thirst for power.

  Only insatiable curiosity.

  It was as if Devor was walking across a vast, blank parchment, his eyes scanning each and every unwritten word, eager to decipher the secrets hidden within.

  ??????

  Just like that, four days passed in the blink of an eye.

  It had now been over a week since Devor had sent his letter to Nyuru.

  This morning, while he was cultivating near the Venom Spiritual Tree, a shadow swept across the sky.

  Devor’s eyes snapped open as a streak of motion descended toward him.

  A messenger bird.

  His anticipation sharpened.

  The bird landed swiftly on his shoulder, its talons light as a feather, and carefully placed a small cloth-wrapped package into his hands before taking off again, vanishing into the canopy above.

  Devor didn’t waste a second.

  Unwrapping the bundle, he found a spatial ring—deep blue with delicate golden patterns etched along its surface.

  His gaze flickered with curiosity.

  The ring wasn’t locked, meaning Nyuru had left it open for him to inspect immediately.

  He slipped it onto his finger and scanned the contents within.

  A slight crease formed between his brows.

  The ring held dozens of small bottles, each filled with a different liquid, their shimmering hues ranging from crimson red to midnight black to translucent silver.

  Each bottle was labeled meticulously, indicating unique alchemical compositions.

  But what puzzled Devor most was that—

  There were at least a dozen letters inside.

  "Why would Nyuru send me so many elixir bottles?"

  His confusion only deepened as he pulled out the stack of letters, his fingers flipping through them with growing amusement.

  A chuckle escaped him.

  He wasn’t particularly excited about the elixirs themselves—but the sheer volume of responses from Nyuru brought an unexpected sense of genuine satisfaction.

  It meant that within these letters, there was knowledge.

  Valuable insights that he desperately needed.

  Tucking the bottles away for later, Devor opened the first letter and quickly scanned its contents.

  “Come back to the sect, and you can study alchemy in depth.”

  “Why are you only starting to take alchemy seriously now—after you’ve run off so far away from the sect?”

  Devor smirked.

  It was such a Nyuru-like response.

  Sharp. Direct. Laced with just the right amount of exasperation.

  He could almost hear her voice saying it, accompanied by a pointed glare.

  Nyuru had always been like that—logical and pragmatic, but with a streak of dry humor that made her lectures bearable.

  She wasn’t the type to sugarcoat things.

  And she definitely wasn’t the type to approve of him experimenting recklessly on his own.

  He continued reading.

  "What you mentioned before is quite interesting."

  "The ingredients you combined weren’t wrong, but in alchemy, you need to control the temperature, add stabilizing agents, and follow precise steps."

  "So, the failure you described wasn’t because the ingredients were incompatible—it was because your execution was flawed."

  Devor’s fingers tightened slightly around the letter.

  He exhaled slowly, deep in thought.

  "I used my Ultimate Synthesis ability to determine the possible combinations for the elixir inside the furnace..."

  The ability was powerful, but it wasn’t omniscient.

  It could reveal which ingredients were compatible, but if his refinement method was flawed, the result would still be… unstable.

  Ultimate Synthesis wasn’t an instant mastery technique.

  It was a tool—and like all tools, it could be misused.

  He continued reading.

  "Your success could be considered pure luck."

  "Your method was unique—using White Cloud Elixir as a base to weaken the Bloodbane Lotus before adding the Godly Flower Seed as a secondary ingredient while the plant was in a weakened state?"

  "And you claim it worked."

  There was a pause in the writing, as if Nyuru had stopped to process his insanity before continuing.

  "But I noticed that you cooked the elixir using a method meant for a completely different type of elixir, didn’t you?"

  "That’s why I said you were lucky."

  "Copying an existing elixir-making process to create a new elixir carries a high risk of failure."

  Devor ran a hand through his hair, his smirk widening.

  Even through the ink on the page, Nyuru’s voice carried that same familiar tone—a mix of amusement, mild disapproval, and begrudging respect for his unpredictability.

  His smirk faded slightly.

  "What kind of failure was Nyuru referring to?"

  As far as he understood, the elixir hadn’t lost any of its essential properties.

  It hadn’t burned, spoiled, or collapsed in structure.

  So why was she warning him so seriously?

  There was only one possibility.

  The failure she was talking about wasn’t about the elixir itself—

  It was about the unknown consequences it could create.

  Devor shifted his focus back to the letter.

  "I’ve refined a few of the elixirs based on the ingredients you mentioned."

  "I’ve detailed everything in the next letter—their effects, what makes them different, and what you should watch for."

  "Test them yourself. Figure out which one is best suited for the Bloodbane Lotus."

  His eyes gleamed.

  This was perfect.

  Nyuru had refined and improved the elixirs based on his foundation.

  This meant he now had a stable reference point—a solid baseline from which to develop his own techniques further.

  It also meant something else.

  She had taken his experiments seriously.

  Despite her usual sarcasm and critiques, she had actually invested time into improving his work—something she wouldn’t have done if she didn’t see potential in his method.

  The more Devor thought about it, the more excited he became.

  "Ultimate Synthesis isn’t a shortcut—it’s a compass. Whether in alchemy or spiritual farming, it guides me toward the best combinations, refining both my experiments and cultivation methods. If I master these techniques, I can elevate my craft to new heights."

  But mastery was never easy. The real challenge was just beginning.