Devor scanned the list of elixirs on the parchment Nyuru had provided, carefully reading through each one.

  He had to admit—Nyuru’s notes were exceptionally thorough.

  She didn’t just list the effects of each elixir.

  She broke down their intended uses, detailing how they interacted with plant structures, elemental affinities, and energy refinement.

  Some elixirs were designed to fortify roots, strengthening a plant’s foundation.

  Others helped purge excess energy, preventing spiritual overaccumulation.

  A few focused on enhancing essence storage, increasing long-term resilience.

  Every elixir had a purpose, and choosing the right one was a matter of precision, not luck.

  Devor’s gaze flickered with thought.

  "Alchemy isn’t just about mixing ingredients—it’s about understanding how their properties change when combined, refined, and absorbed."

  His next step was critical.

  As he read, a thought surfaced in his mind.

  "I need to work with Nyuru in the future if I want to sell Portable Gardens."

  So far, their knowledge exchange had been purely based on mutual curiosity and intellectual collaboration.

  But if he was serious about commercialization, he needed more than an informal alliance.

  Nyuru was one of the best alchemists in the Azure Sky Sect. If he wanted his Portable Gardens to become a valuable, large-scale product, her expertise would be indispensable.

  Devor leaned back slightly, exhaling.

  "Anyone can learn Spiritual Farming and Alchemy," he murmured. "But to master them, you have to invest time, effort, and failure."

  He knew that better than anyone.

  He had a sharp mind, capable of absorbing complex theories from books at a glance.

  But knowledge alone wasn’t true understanding.

  What had brought him to his current level wasn’t just studying—

  It was the thousands of failures, the countless hours of trial and error, the relentless refinement of techniques.

  And alchemy was no different from farming.

  If he wanted to truly integrate alchemy into his cultivation methods, he needed to work with it firsthand—not just rely on Nyuru’s instructions.

  Devor stood up and made his way toward the Poison Element Garden, stepping through the protective formation.

  Soon, he arrived at the heart of the garden, where the Bloodbane Lotus stood.

  Crouching down, he studied the plant closely.

  Its thick, stable roots pulsed with refined poison-element energy—deeply integrated, nearly impossible to uproot.

  But its petals…

  They were delicate, fragile enough to wither under an unstable energy influx.

  Devor narrowed his eyes.

  "That means I need an elixir that reinforces the petals—something that enhances resilience without disrupting energy flow."

  One by one, he eliminated unsuitable choices, setting aside four sheets of parchment.

  "The Bloodbane Lotus doesn’t absorb raw Spiritual Energy," he mused aloud. "It only takes in processed energy with a poison-element affinity, sourced from the Venom Spiritual Tree."

  That meant it already had a built-in purification process—it didn’t need an elixir that filtered impurities.

  Instead, he needed something that:

  Reinforced delicate structures (Petal Fortification).

  Enhanced energy absorption without disrupting balance.

  Had a poison-element affinity for optimal synergy.

  He cross-referenced Nyuru’s notes with his own observations.

  Time slipped away as he analyzed every variable.

  By the time he looked up, the sun was setting, casting a deep orange glow across the garden.

  In his hand, only three sheets remained.

  "That means there are three possible elixirs that could work." Devor furrowed his brows. "None of them have fatal drawbacks. But which one is the best?"

  One of the three stood out—an elixir that Nyuru had personally refined from one of his older formulas.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Out of six variations, only one had proven compatible with the Bloodbane Lotus.

  Devor reached into his Spatial Ring and retrieved a small vial.

  Inside, a deep purple liquid shimmered, speckled with tiny white and black seeds.

  He turned the vial slowly in his fingers.

  "Nyuru altered the formula. She replaced the original white liquid with seeds from a specific plant. The base of this elixir has an incredibly dense and potent poison-element energy."

  For the first time, hesitation flickered across his face.

  Would it work?

  Or would it introduce an unforeseen variable—one that even Nyuru hadn’t accounted for?

  Before he could decide, a faint tremor passed through the air.

  The Venom Spiritual Tree, which had remained silent all this time, suddenly shuddered for a few seconds.

  Devor’s eyes flickered toward it.

  An impression—almost like a whisper—surfaced in his mind.

  Not words, but an impulse. A reminder.

  A wake-up call.

  His expression shifted.

  Then—he smacked his forehead.

  "That’s right."

  "I have money."

  "I’m wealthy enough to buy more Bloodbane Lotus seeds if this one doesn’t survive."

  A small chuckle escaped him.

  He turned to the Venom Spiritual Tree, shaking his head in amusement.

  "Thanks," he said. "I almost forgot something so simple."

  Sometimes, having too much data and worrying about success rates made him overthink things.

  It clouded his decision-making.

  But risks were part of cultivation.

  Part of discovery.

  He exhaled, relaxing his grip on doubt.

  His gaze returned to the vial in his hand, and his fingers tightened around it.

  "If it fails, I can try again."

  "If it succeeds, I push cultivation to new heights."

  Devor’s smirk returned.

  "In that case… I choose you."

  Holding the purple elixir, its black and white seeds swirling within, he stood.

  Tomorrow, the experiment would begin.

  And whatever happened next…

  He was ready.

  ??????

  The next morning, Devor awoke before the sun had even risen.

  His breathing was steady, his mind sharp.

  After cleansing himself with Spiritual Energy, he wasted no time heading toward the Venom Spiritual Tree.

  By the time he arrived, the first light of dawn was breaking over the horizon, painting the sky in hues of violet and gold.

  He rested a hand on Venom’s thick trunk, offering a quiet greeting before settling down nearby.

  As he sank into meditation, he retrieved a Cultivation Pill, rolling it between his fingers before swallowing it whole.

  These pills weren’t ordinary.

  Refined specifically for his body’s constitution, they accelerated his cultivation process significantly. Combined with the cultivation technique he had refined alongside Master Nie, his progress had reached levels he never could have imagined in the past.

  Even so, there were gaps in his foundation.

  He had once cultivated using a Five-Element Garden, each section brimming with refined elemental energy.

  But now?

  That garden was gone, and he had yet to fully replicate its benefits.

  An hour later, as the sun fully emerged over the sky, Devor slowly opened his eyes.

  It was time.

  Stretching his body, Devor exhaled deeply before turning toward Venom.

  "Alright, Venom. You ready?"

  There was a subtle note of excitement in his voice.

  "We both need to keep a close eye on this. If you notice anything off, let me know. I'm not all-seeing—I can't catch everything instantly."

  The Venom Spiritual Tree trembled slightly, signaling its readiness.

  With that, Devor stepped into the Poison Element Garden, making his way toward the Bloodbane Lotus.

  It was still lush and thriving, its crimson petals shimmering under the morning light.

  He placed a gentle hand on the plant, whispering, "Let's hope this works."

  Then, retrieving the elixir vial from his Spatial Ring, he held it firmly.

  The black and white seeds swirled within the deep purple liquid, pulsing with barely restrained energy.

  Uncapping the bottle, he began dripping the elixir onto the Bloodbane Lotus.

  One drop at a time.

  At first, there was no change.

  Then—

  At the twentieth drop, a sudden shockwave of energy rippled through the plant.

  The stem and leaves began to wither rapidly, their once-vibrant energy collapsing as though drained of strength.

  Devor’s eyes narrowed.

  Through his keen spiritual perception, he could see the white seeds behaving like a deadly toxin, breaking down the plant’s structure at an alarming rate.

  Meanwhile, the purple liquid seeped into the soil, feeding directly into the roots—offering crucial early support.

  And then—

  The black seeds remained motionless, hovering within the petals.

  Waiting.

  Devor immediately stopped pouring and stepped back, increasing his distance.

  "Send energy," he commanded.

  The Venom Spiritual Tree reacted instantly, releasing a surge of deep purple energy, wrapping the Bloodbane Lotus in a nurturing aura.

  Meanwhile, Devor activated Spiritual Analyzer, his mind focused entirely on the numbers appearing before him.

  [ Essence: 87/100 ]

  It was dropping.

  Fast.

  Within seconds, the essence had fallen to 63/100.

  Devor’s breath slowed.

  The plant had reached a critical threshold.

  If the decline continued…

  "It won’t survive."

  Then, as if sensing its own crisis, the black seeds within the petals suddenly shifted.

  Like a living organism, they were devoured by the petals, absorbed in an instant.

  Devor held his breath.

  Now, everything depended on how the plant adapted.

  Thirty seconds passed.

  Then—

  The essence counter ticked upward.

  [ Essence: 64/100 ]

  Then 65.

  Then 66.

  Devor let out a slow breath.

  It had survived the worst of it.

  Now came the recovery phase.

  He didn’t waste time.

  "Now, Venom!"

  His voice cut through the air.

  The next step was crucial—

  To push the Bloodbane Lotus further, forcing its body to evolve at an accelerated rate.

  Venom unleashed a wave of pressure, surrounding the plant with dense energy, testing its limits.

  Devor’s eyes flickered as he fine-tuned the intensity, adjusting between moments of relief and moments of strain.

  Unexpectedly, the process dragged on for ten full minutes.

  Sky-Grade plants weren’t fragile.

  They had extraordinary resilience, capable of withstanding even the harshest environmental stress tests.

  At the fifteen-minute mark, just as Devor was about to tell Venom to increase the pressure—

  Something unexpected happened.

  A new stalk sprouted from the Bloodbane Lotus.

  Devor’s pulse spiked.

  He quickly signaled Venom to stop, his eyes fixed on the emerging growth.

  The stalk was a deep, dark black—similar to before.

  But something was different.

  The energy it emitted was even darker.

  More ferocious.

  More merciless.

  A chill ran down Devor’s spine.

  He activated Spiritual Analyzer again, his heart pounding slightly.

  [ Plant Name: Abyssal Bloodbane Lotus ]

  [ Quality: Sky-Grade (B/A) ]

  [ Status: Very Weak ]

  [ Essence: 56/100 ]

  “…It worked?”

  His voice was barely above a whisper.

  He hadn’t expected success—not this fast.

  But that was how grade advancement worked.

  It wasn’t about instant power.

  It was about surviving the breaking point and emerging stronger.

  Now came the next phase—

  Nurturing and restoration.

  Whether the plant successfully transitioned from Grade-B to Grade-A depended entirely on its recovery process.

  Devor took a deep breath.

  "That's enough, Venom. Start healing it now."

  As Venom’s energy shifted into a gentler flow, Devor exhaled in relief.

  Only now did he notice—

  His body was drenched in sweat.

  He felt like he had been practicing sword techniques for hours without rest.

  Exhaustion weighed heavily on him, both physically and mentally.

  Yet, despite the fatigue, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

  He was one step closer.

  One step closer to creating the Portable Garden of the future.

  And perhaps—

  One step closer to something even greater.