"Pay attention, some herbs' attributes may change over time."
Lady Allen said while tallying the accounts, "What you've just learned from books might not work in practice."
Ron nodded and began carefully observing the pile of herbs.
With the ability of Herb Recognition, he could sense the unique "aura" emitted by each material.
"This..." He picked up a glass bottle filled with silver powder and, after some thought, said:
"According to reason, this should be Moon Dew Flower powder, but this dark color seems different from what's recorded in the books."
"Very good." Lady Allen raised her head, "Did you notice the faint purple mark on the bottle's mouth?"
Ron observed closely again, "Is it because it reacted with other herbs?"
"Exactly." Lady Allen put down the account book:
"Moon Dew Flower powder is supposed to be pure silver, but it's sensitive to various energies. Yesterday, a supplier brought in a batch of Purple Crystal Grass, and because it wasn't stored separately in time..."
She glanced at Ron with a testing look: "So what do you think should be done with this bottle of powder?"
Ron pondered for a moment, "First, it needs to be resealed to prevent further contamination, and then..."
He recalled the contents of Basic Magic Potion Theory:
"If it has reacted with Purple Crystal Grass, it could be used to make potions. Though the purity is reduced, its mild nature is beneficial."
"Nice idea."
The old witch's eyes flashed with approval, and she nodded slightly in acknowledgment, "It seems you not only remember what's in the books but can also apply it practically."
Ron carefully put the bottle of powder aside and continued sorting the other herbs.
Gradually, he noticed that there seemed to be some kind of pattern hidden among these seemingly chaotic materials.
For example, those herbs that glow mostly carried a faint star-like aura;
And those emitting heat all had a certain special rhythm, reminding him of the solar energy described in the Crown Breathing Technique.
"I see..." He muttered thoughtfully to himself.
In the process of actually handling these materials, the knowledge from books was gradually turning into practical experience.
Those once obscure descriptions were now becoming vivid.
"Huh?" Ron suddenly discovered a small bottle tucked away in the corner.
A thin layer of dust covered the bottle, but through the dirty glass, he could still see a faint glimmer inside.
Just when he was about to take a closer look, Lady Allen's voice suddenly sounded:
"It's been a while since someone cleaned there; it seems you've found something interesting."
"Is this... Star Dust Liquid?" Ron carefully wiped the bottle, "The book says this material can help stabilize spiritual power fluctuations."
"That's right." Lady Allen walked over and took the bottle to check in the light, "But this bottle has been left for too long; most of its potency has faded."
She glanced at Ron's slightly disappointed expression, "What? Are you interested in this?"
Ron didn't hide it, "Yes, three months from now is the test that will determine if I can remain here as an apprentice; I need to quickly enhance my spiritual power."
"I see."
Lady Allen chuckled casually, "No wonder you chose to apply here; it's indeed a good place to access various rare materials."
She placed the bottle back on the shelf, "But to enhance spiritual power, relying solely on external substances is not enough. The true breakthrough depends on your own understanding."
Ron fell into deep thought; indeed, the meditation during this time had allowed him to capture certain special inspirations. If he excessively relied on external assistance, extremely frightening things might happen.
At this moment, the shop door was pushed open, and a gust of wind carried a few dead leaves inside.
"Welcome..." Lady Allen's words abruptly stopped.
Ron looked towards the sound and saw a tall figure standing at the entrance.
The visitor wore a grey robe with purple edges, a badge set with deep blue sapphire pinned on the chest—an emblem of an Advanced Apprentice.
He took off his hood, revealing a young but slightly pale face.
"Lady Allen." The figure nodded slightly, "I heard you received a new batch of Moon Dew Flowers?"
"Yes, Holt Apprentice."
Lady Allen's tone was calm, as if she was familiar with this young Advanced Apprentice before her, "They were all picked on the night of the full moon three days ago."
"Continue with your work; I'll handle the guest." She turned her head and whispered to Ron, "Don't ask anything, don't say anything."
Ron nodded silently, continuing to sort through the herbs.
But he could feel that the atmosphere in the shop suddenly became stagnant.
The Advanced Apprentice, who seemed to be a regular, said nothing and just slowly paced between the shelves.
His robe fluttered without wind, and each time he passed by the bottles containing herbs, the materials inside would produce subtle fluctuations.
Ron observed with a sidelong glance while sorting herbs.
This was a rare opportunity—to get close to an Advanced Apprentice, perhaps to learn something.
Leveraging the keen perception granted by Herb Recognition, he noticed that the apprentice would pause slightly when passing certain herbs.
These materials seemed ordinary yet carried a special "resonance."
"Quality is good."
Holt examined the herbs carefully and actually took a complete magic stone from his robe, "I want them all."
Ron looked at the magic stone, his heart shaken.
Unlike the fragments used by ordinary apprentices, a complete magic stone contained pure and powerful energy.
At this moment, the Star Grass he was sorting emitted a faint glow, seemingly responding to the energy in the magic stone.
The grey-robed apprentice paused and turned to look in Ron's direction.
Though the expression was unseen, the sharp gaze was spine-chilling.
"Interesting..." He murmured, "This Star Grass still retains its vitality. Little one, how did you do it?"
Ron's heart raced, but he maintained a calm demeanor, "Sir, I just followed the book and stored it with Salt Crystal Powder..."
"No..." Holt interrupted him:
"Ordinary preservation methods can't achieve this level; this grass was picked over several days ago. To maintain such vitality indicates you have understood its 'rhythm.'
Ron was taken aback, having indeed felt the plant's unique "rhythm" during sorting, which resembled the mental waves he experienced during morning meditation, hence instinctively using a similar method to place it.
"Very impressive, what's your name?"
Just as Ron was about to answer, Lady Allen suddenly interrupted their conversation:
"He's my new assistant; he's still just a Candidate Apprentice."