Nighttime, Inverted Alley No. 431.
Locke sat cross-legged in his bedroom, burning incense made from a mixture of Badan West Wood and dragon blood leaf powder. His mana fluctuations mimicked the heartwood of an ancient tree as he practiced Root Origin Meditation.
A continuous stream of elemental particles transformed into spiritual energy, pouring into his soul. Yet Locke frowned—unlike his usual steady and substantial progress, this meditation session felt painfully slow, with almost negligible growth in his mental energy.
'Once mental energy exceeds 200 points, each additional point becomes excruciatingly difficult to attain.' Locke abruptly ended his meditation. "Continuing like this is too inefficient. Would I even gain 10 points of mental energy in a year?"
"Ordinary meditation methods simply can't support a First Class Wizard Apprentice's advancement to Formal Wizard status."
Locke picked up a Rose Ruby and began absorbing the aether element within it. This time, the aether merged with his mental energy, accelerating its growth slightly faster than standard meditation—but not by much.
He soon abandoned the idea of relying on Rose Rubies to maintain his mental energy growth rate.
His mana's purity and total capacity had reached such heights that previously effective methods for boosting mental energy now showed diminished returns.
At this stage, passively increasing mental energy by learning spell models or relying on natural growth was virtually impossible.
"At the First Class Wizard Apprentice level, neither ordinary meditation nor Rose Rubies make significant impact," Locke mused. "Then how do other First Class apprentices in the academy make progress?"
"Never mind. Mentor Sophia will guide me next Wednesday." Giving up on immediate mana improvement, Locke left his bedroom for the study, where he began designing his first original Bloodline separation potion targeting Shadow Leech Worms.
Draft after draft took shape under his hands.
The next morning, after just half a night's sleep, Locke straightened his clothes and instructed his Gray Dwarf servant before setting off toward Chimera Market with a bag of Wire Tendon Grass seeds.
Regardless of circumstances, a First Class Wizard Apprentice required vastly more magical resources—dozens of times more than before.
Magic Stones were always better in greater quantities.
Thus, his synthetic plant business needed to continue, even expand in scale.
And Lijin Secret Language would be the first step in establishing his reputation as a breeding prodigy.
Inside Chimera Market's Lijin Secret Language...
Locke entered what resembled a miniature garden, with elegant Vine Language Boxes displayed on the shelves. To his surprise, besides three customers and Yuli Burns, Madam Irina was also present in the shop.
Standing at the center, Madam Irina surveyed the surroundings. "Shopkeeper Yuli, you've truly impressed me recently. Excellent work."
"Remember to nurture relationships with talented Breeders. They serve as both our premium clients and valuable collaborators."
Madam Irina hinted meaningfully, "Especially since, Manager Yuli, neither of us are wizards specialized in botany. For laypeople like us to keep the business running, we inevitably need the help of those excellent breeder clients."
"Therefore, we can afford to give them the maximum possible benefits."
"Geniuses always deserve more."
Yuli Burns forced a smile onto her aged face, standing respectfully before Madam Irina as she bowed her head and said, "Madam Irina, it's my honor to work for you. I'll treasure all the advice you've given me."
"I'll find ways to maintain Lijin Secret Language for you, ensuring it forever remains the leader in Chimera Market..."
"Honorable Madam Irina, I've already listed our potential competitors and formulated strategies against them."
Madam Irina appeared thoroughly satisfied. "Manager Yuli, now I believe hiring you was the right decision."
Yuli knew exactly how to please a First Circle Wizard boss.
Was Lijin Secret Language important to Madam Irina?
Both yes and no.
Madam Irina owned dozens of shops in Chimera Market, some even larger than Lijin Secret Language.
The reason she paid such attention to this small shop was simply because Lijin Secret Language had once been the finest Magic Plant store in Chimera Market.
For a Formal Wizard like her, compared to the Magic Stones earned by the shop, its reputation as the number one store—particularly appealing to Madam Irina who enjoyed others' admiration—held greater value.
Especially since this was the top Magic Plant shop within Lilith's Cottage.
In certain aspects, it could even bring Madam Irina some minor intangible benefits.
Turning around, Madam Irina noticed Locke entering the shop.
As the hidden owner of Lijin Secret Language and a First Circle-level shapeshifter, her gaze fell on the Breeder Assistant badge and Platinum Star Member Badge pinned to Locke's chest.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
Madam Irina approached and said, "Augustine, when you last visited my shop, you were merely a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice. Now you've become a First Class Wizard Apprentice."
"Such remarkable talent for one so young."
"My manager told me you recently commissioned her to sell a new variety of magic vines. Keep up the good work. Shops like Lijin Secret Language exist precisely for people like you."
Madam Irina patted Locke on the shoulder.
Locke bowed respectfully to Madam Irina and replied, "Thank you for your praise, Madam Irina."
"This is mutually beneficial. I've also earned substantial Magic Stones through your shop. That previous Super Mandrake Vine was completed under the guidance of my mentor, the witch Sophia. But today, I've come to commission a second Magic Plant."
"This one I completed independently."
Turning to Yuli Burns, Locke handed her the Magic Plant inspection certification report that Sophia had prepared for him yesterday.
"This is Wire Tendon Grass, which can be used in conjunction with the cantrip model [Wild Grass Entanglement]. A similar type of cantrip model, [Green Thicket Entanglement], is also compatible," Locke explained. "My teacher, the witch Sophia, has provided efficacy certifications for both Spells."
Yuli Burns was stunned. She never imagined that the wizard apprentice she had brought from overseas two years ago would become so closely intertwined with her life.
Moreover, this apprentice had only been a third-class wizard apprentice back then, but now he stood as her equal—a First Class Wizard Apprentice—with prospects that seemed far brighter than hers.
Yuli Burns gave Locke a complicated glance, but with Madam Irina present, she had to focus on her work first.
She quickly reviewed the certification issued by Sophia and then addressed Madam Irina and Locke, "According to this document, using Wire Tendon Grass enhances the effect of Wild Grass Entanglement by 1.5 times and more than doubles the effect of Green Thicket Entanglement, despite its higher difficulty and casting cost."
"Not just that," she continued, her eyes gleaming, "all other similar cantrip models can also be amplified using Mr. Augustine's creation—Wire Tendon Grass."
Madam Irina's gaze toward Locke grew even warmer, filled with the pride one reserves for an outstanding junior. "In that case, I'll leave you two to discuss business properly. I won't disturb your work any further."
"Locke, from now on, you may call me Madam Irina. No need for such formalities as 'my lady.'"
Locke gave a slight nod. "Understood, Madam."
With an elegant smile, Madam Irina turned and exited the shop.
Locke then turned to Yuli. "Senior Yuli, I just heard your employer say she wants to offer the most favorable terms to outstanding partners. May I ask what price you're prepared to pay for Wire Tendon Grass seeds?"
Yuli Burns looked at him with a mix of emotions—admiration, a hint of barely restrained envy, and professional enthusiasm. "Augustine, please don't call me 'senior' anymore. Just Yuli or Burns will do."
"As for the price," she continued, "we should sit down and discuss it properly. Your talent in cultivation is truly remarkable—to produce another outstanding creation so quickly."