Chapter 468: Weeping Beauty + Sun Crown Flower
The metal door of the inheritance chamber finally swung open.
Master Cai Jing, Da Bei, and Zhong Bei finally beheld the scene within the chamber.
The vast space held only a single potted plant.
Nothing else.
The legacy left behind by the famed Master Fan Sheng Za Zhong was unexpectedly meager.
“Only this one item?” Magician Zhong Bei voiced his disappointment.
His father, Magician Da Bei, and Master Cai Jing also wore unsatisfied expressions.
Especially Master Cai Jing.
He had invested immense time and effort here, yet the reward seemed meager.
Compared to him, Magician Da Bei remained more composed: “This potted plant appears to be a Weeping Beauty, but it doesn't quite match the descriptions in the records.”
A single blossom stood planted in the pot.
The flower remained in bud form, not yet fully bloomed. The bud was plump and firm, hanging slightly downward. Its petals shimmered ice blue, dotted with faint fluorescence.
Judging by the flower alone, it was a Weeping Beauty.
It was a water attribute magic plant.
However, examining its roots revealed significant differences from the typical Weeping Beauty.
The roots of a Weeping Beauty were deep green and slightly curved downward. Their sinuous S-shaped curve resembled the graceful form of a slender beauty. Paired with the drooping bud and two large leaves, it evoked the image of a flower-like maiden weeping with her face hidden.
Hence the name “Weeping Beauty.”
Yet in this potted specimen within the inheritance door, the Weeping Beauty's rhizome was now entirely concealed beneath a vast expanse of orange-yellow petals.
These petals were densely arranged, layered upon each other like a woven orange skirt. Its hem trailed to the ground, creating a truly magnificent sight.
For a moment, all three magicians' gazes fixated on this extraordinary floral skirt.
Magician Zhong Bei mused, "I think I understand why Flower Skirt Island bears its name now. This island's moniker embodies the very essence of Fan Sheng Za Zhong, doesn't it?"
These words stirred something within Master Cai Jing.
He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing closely. "The petals resembling an orange-yellow skirt appear to originate from the Sun Crown Flower."
The Sun Crown Flower was also a magic plant, belonging to both the light and fire attributes.
Magician Da Bei nodded slightly, acknowledging Master Cai Jing's observation. He continued his analysis: “This must be a magic plant specially grafted by Master Fan Sheng Za Zhong.”
“It has two main components: the Weeping Beauty and the Sun Crown Flower.”
"The Weeping Beauty is a water attribute plant capable of absorbing and secreting vast amounts of moisture. This plant is extremely delicate, often succumbing to root and leaf rot due to excessive moisture secretion."
"The Sun Crown Flower, conversely, thrives on sunlight, acting as a solar collector among plants. Yet it lacks intelligence; its petals can be scorched and damaged from storing too much sunlight, eventually withering and dying."
“Both are notoriously difficult magic plants to cultivate.”
“Yet Fan Sheng Za Zhong seems to have combined them perfectly.”
"The Sun Crown Flower's skirt of petals absorbs and stores immense sunlight. This light and heat dispels the heavy moisture inherent in the Weeping Beauty. Simultaneously, the Weeping Beauty's moisture nourishes the Sun Crown petals, cooling them and preventing scorching."
"Fan Sheng Za Zhong excelled at cultivating magic plants through grafting. Now, it seems his inheritance holds profound meaning, this magic planter perfectly aligns with his style."
Magician Da Bei's analysis earned agreement from the other two.
Zhong Bei spoke up: "Both the Weeping Beauty and the Sun Crown Flower are highly valuable magic plants. Now that they're stably grafted together, large-scale cultivation becomes feasible. Once mass production begins, the profits will be enormous!"
Master Cai Jing added: “Druids differ from us magicians. They don't impart knowledge directly but set trials, emphasizing practice and encouraging self-discovery. This magic planter is likely a milestone achievement from Fan Sheng Za Zhong. But how much knowledge one gains from it depends entirely on personal insight and ability."
Master Cai Jing analyzed it from his personal approach.
As the three conversed, the magicians' wisdom shone through.
With each comment, they dissected the scene before them piece by piece.
After confirming no danger or ambush lay ahead, the task turned to retrieving the magic planter.
Magician Da Bei stepped aside, deferring this opportunity to Master Cai Jing.
Throughout this excavation of inheritance, Master Cai Jing had always taken the lead. On this point, Magician Da Bei understood his place, demonstrating keen tact.
Master Cai Jing felt a quiet satisfaction at his own maneuver.
However, as he approached the secret door of inheritance, he suddenly picked up a hidden message.
“So Master Fan Sheng Za Zhong's legacy isn't confined to this place alone!” Cai Jing's eyes flickered, but he maintained his outward calm as he reached out and retrieved the magic planter.
He held the hidden message to himself for now, instead scrutinizing the magic planter in his hands.
He immediately noticed the extraordinary nature of this flowerpot.
Approximately three magic spells and five divine spells were imbued within it. Enchantment techniques had been employed, effectively stabilizing most of the magic and divine spells within.
This was hardly surprising. Fan Sheng Za Zhong was a great druid, skilled in both divine and magic spells.
The soil within the pot was Abundant Earth.
This was a renowned product of the Fertile Land Church.
True to its name, Abundant Earth contained immense earthen blessings, capable of nurturing nearly any crop to bountiful harvest.
Finally, Master Cai Jing began to deeply examine the grafted magic flower.
He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, “This is nothing short of a work of art.”
Master Fan Sheng Za Zhong had ingeniously grafted two distinct bloodlines together, achieving not only balance but mutual benefit.
The master had carefully selected two magic plants for grafting. Though multiple divine and magic spells were used to enhance the flowerpot, the grafted plant itself possessed almost no extraordinary power!
This meant that even separated from the pot, the grafted magic plant possessed strong inherent vitality.
In stark contrast, the large-scale grafted magic plants previously cultivated by Master Cai Jing and others required cryogenic preservation techniques just to survive for a short time.
The gap between the two approaches was truly enormous!
Moreover, the masterfully concise design by Fan Sheng Za Zhong made the previous works of Master Cai Jing and others seem like childish scribbles by comparison.
After examining it for a while, Master Cai Jing handed the magic planter to Magician Da Bei for inspection.
Witnessing this, Magician Zhong Bei nearly cried out in excitement.
Earlier, he was still slightly worried.
After all, this inheritance excavation was led by Master Cai Jing. Zhong Bei and his father had only been invited to join midway.
Though the father-son duo contributed significantly, it would have been perfectly reasonable for Master Cai Jing to withhold the final inheritance gain from them, offering compensation instead.
But reality was different, Master Cai Jing handed the magic planter directly to Magician Da Bei for inspection.
The significance of this gesture was extraordinary, leaving Master Zhong Bei deeply moved.
Magician Da Bei hurriedly expressed his gratitude, took the planter, and held it close to examine it carefully.
After a moment, he spoke: “This confirms our previous conjecture.”
“Just as you, Master Cai Jing, had suggested.”
"Master Fan Sheng Za Zhong left us only one outcome. It's deeply connected to the grafting techniques we examined during our assessment. But this single result clearly surpasses the sum of all our previous grafted creations."
"How much knowledge can we ultimately gain from this result? That's impossible to say. It depends on each of our insights and abilities."
"Personally, I prefer the legacy left by magicians. Their inheritance consists of knowledge, far more straightforward than this."
This difference revealed the essence of magicians versus druids.
Mages pursued knowledge, leaving behind legacies that were knowledge itself, ensuring absolute precision. One was one, two was two, ambiguity was taboo.
Druids, however, often practiced both divine and magic spells. Compared to magicians, they placed greater emphasis on intuition and perception. They encouraged people to feel the present moment, to seek the meaning of life itself. They wanted the inheritor to achieve personal growth through their own practices. As for how much one could advance? That was nature's choice, life's evolution, fate's destiny. There was no need to force it.
Zhong Bei gazed at the magic planter in his father's hands, his voice brimming with excitement: "In truth, even the worst outcome of this insight grants us a never-ending goldmine. Simply mass-cultivating these grafted magic plants would yield staggering profits."
Master Cai Jing added: "Therefore, moving forward, we can collaborate. Let's cultivate these grafted magic plants together!"
Da Bei and Zhong Bei, father and son, both looked stunned.
Cai Jing looked at them and continued, "You know me well. Though honored as a master, I'm really just an outcast from the mainstream alchemy world, an exiled wandering magician. But you're different. You have connections back home and possess considerable strength yourselves. You could easily establish large-scale cultivation zones right in the heart of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom."
"You also contributed significantly to this legacy. Without the ice-preservation technology you provided, we never could have achieved success so swiftly."
Upon hearing this, Magician Zhong Bei nearly danced with excitement. He never imagined Master Cai Jing would be so generous, this meant complete sharing!
He'd assumed Master Cai Jing would only lend the magic plants for a short time. Yet here he was offering full access. This was an absolute windfall for the father-son duo.
Da Bei felt a pang of doubt, but outwardly played it coy: "Master Cai Jing, please don't misunderstand us. We would never touch what we shouldn't, nor harbor the slightest covetous thought. Your self-assessment is far too modest. With your abilities, you could easily leave the Ice Sculpture Kingdom behind and find suitable cultivation bases on countless islands. Wherever you go, whatever faction you join, you would be welcomed as an honored guest."