Chapter 113: Bonding With The Tree

Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Bonding With The Tree

Sui Sui’s task for the day was to take care of the Spirit Jade Fruit Tree.

He couldn’t deny that he was a little nervous. This was his first time caring for a spiritual tree of this level, and according to Elder Shan Li, the difficulty was not simply in following the correct cultivation method.

The Spirit Jade Fruit Tree possessed its own consciousness.

Unlike ordinary spiritual plants that could simply be watered, nourished, and left to grow, a Spirit Jade Fruit Tree could sense the person caring for it and develop its own likes and dislikes. Its temperament was also notoriously bad. If it disliked someone, it could refuse to cooperate no matter how carefully that person tended to it. The tree could even reject the spiritual energy being fed to it, making all the effort completely useless.

In other words, knowing how to cultivate the tree was only part of the problem, the other part was whether the tree was willing to let you cultivate it. Sui Sui couldn’t help feeling a little apprehensive, he could only hope that this particular tree had a better temper.

Sui Sui began by preparing the soil around the Spirit Jade Fruit Tree. He took several Spirit Stones from the pouch and crushed them into fine particles before carefully scattering them over the soil.

Following Elder Shan Li’s instructions, he made sure not to place them directly against the roots. The soil needed to absorb the spiritual energy first, allowing it to seep toward the roots gradually rather than overwhelming them.

Once the soil was ready, Sui Sui moved on to guiding the spiritual energy into the tree.

He closed his eyes and released his own spiritual energy, letting it spread through the earth like countless vines. As the energy gradually reached the roots and entered the tree’s main body, Sui Sui experienced a peculiar sensation, almost as though he had become one with the ground itself.

The inside of the tree was unexpectedly cool and soothing. The sensation complemented his body very well that he found himself relaxing as his spiritual energy flowed through the tree. It was an unusual feeling, as though the tree’s interior were quietly welcoming him.

Soon, tiny green orbs of light began to appear around his spiritual energy. They drifted closer, gently brushing against it as if curious about his presence.

Wherever Sui Sui moved, the little green particles followed, trailing behind him like playful tails. Some even lingered near his spiritual energy, seemingly savoring its cool aura.

Sui Sui was fascinated by the sight, but he did not forget his task. He continued guiding his spiritual energy through the tree, carefully maintaining its circulation until he detected several patches of impure energy gathered within the roots.

He focused on removing the impurities one by one, taking care not to disturb the tree’s delicate internal flow.

Once he had finished, Sui Sui slowly withdrew his spiritual energy. The little green orbs followed him toward the edge of the tree’s consciousness, seemingly reluctant to let him go, but they eventually stopped as his energy retreated.

Sui Sui opened his eyes and looked at the Spirit Jade Fruit Tree.

He couldn’t be sure if it was his imagination or not, but the tree seemed noticeably lusher than before. Its leaves appeared more vibrant, and its branches swayed gently, almost as though the tree were happily responding to his care.

Sui Sui blinked at it in surprise.

Could it be that the tree actually liked him?

After finishing his work with the Spirit Jade Fruit Tree, Sui Sui moved on to the other herbs in the garden. As he walked between the neatly arranged fields, he couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer number of high-level spiritual herbs growing here. For any alchemist, this place was practically a paradise.

The air was also filled with a faint medicinal fragrance. With so many spiritual herbs growing together, traces of their medicinal properties naturally seeped into the surroundings, making the spiritual energy here feel especially refreshing and comfortable.

Sui Sui was enjoying himself as he carefully tended to the herbs when a familiar voice suddenly came from behind him.

"You seem to be quite familiar with the herbs here."

Sui Sui turned around and saw Elder Shan Li standing a short distance away.

He hadn’t even noticed when the elder had come outside.

"Greetings, Elder," Sui Sui said. "Have you finished your... uh, experiment?"

"En." Elder Shan Li nodded. "Finished for now. I’m waiting to see whether there are any results."

Sui Sui nodded and didn’t ask further. Whatever Elder Shan Li was doing was his own business, and besides, the contract between him and MuMu had not indicated any danger to MuMu’s body or surroundings.

So, at least for now, MuMu should be fine.

Unexpectedly, Elder Shan Li did not leave immediately.

He stood there for a moment, seemingly trying to think of something else to say. After a brief silence, he finally asked, "How long have you practiced alchemy?"

Sui Sui answered honestly, "I’ve only been learning for a few days. Before that, my cultivation wasn’t sufficient for me to actually practice, but I’ve been interested in alchemy for quite some time and have read quite a lot about it."

"Oh." Elder Shan Li nodded.

There was another brief silence.

Then, as though he had finally thought of another question, he asked, "Self-taught?"

"Not entirely," Sui Sui replied. "Senior Brother Ji Ling and Elder Jingyan have both guided me from time to time."

"I see."

Silence descended again.

Sui Sui waited.

Elder Shan Li waited too.

Neither of them said anything.

After a while, Sui Sui slowly turned back toward the herbs and continued tending to them. He could still feel Elder Shan Li standing behind him, his gaze following every movement.

The longer it continued, the more awkward Sui Sui felt.

Was the elder planning to say something else?

Should he say something first?

What was he supposed to talk about with someone who could end a conversation with "I see" and then stare at him for several minutes?

Sui Sui finally understood what Elder Jingyan had meant.

Elder Shan Li really was terrible at socializing.

It wasn’t that he was unfriendly. He simply seemed completely incapable of keeping a conversation going.

After finishing the herbs in front of him, Sui Sui finally couldn’t endure the silence any longer. He turned around and cleared his throat.

"Um... Elder, is there anything else you need my help with?"

Elder Shan Li seemed to suddenly realize that he had been standing there silently watching Sui Sui for far too long.

He blinked once.

Then he shook his head.

"No."

With that, he turned around and walked back toward the house.

Sui Sui watched his retreating figure in silence.

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

For someone who was already such a renowned alchemist, Elder Shan Li really had an unexpectedly strange way of interacting with people.