The Immortal Ascension

Chapter 25: Planting Willows and Reaping Rewards

Another night passed, and early in the morning, Han Li got up and headed straight for the herb garden, eager to see if there had been any changes in those medicinal plants.

Before he even stepped into the herb field, he suddenly caught a whiff of several strong medicinal aromas.

Han Li was momentarily stunned, but then a thought struck him: "Could it be…?"

Unable to contain his curiosity, he quickened his pace and finally arrived in front of the herbs that were emitting such intense fragrances.

Were these the same herbs from yesterday? Han Li couldn’t believe his eyes. He slapped his slightly sleepy face several times, stopping only when the pain became noticeable.

"The leaves of the Yellow Dragon Grass have turned slightly purple, the Bitter Lotus Flower has actually grown nine petals, and the skin of the Forget-Sorrow Fruit has turned black. Haha! Haha!" Han Li could no longer hold back his excitement. Even though he was usually as calm as still water, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter, looking up at the sky.

"I’ve hit the jackpot! Overnight, these herbs that were only one or two years old have all transformed into specimens that appear to be over a decade old. The color of the leaves, the shape of the fruits, and the fragrance of the petals—they all match the descriptions of rare herbs that have matured for many years." Han Li carefully inspected the herbs again, confirming that they were indeed consistent with the descriptions in the medicinal texts. These were truly precious herbs that had aged significantly.

"If I can accelerate the growth of herbs like this, I’ll have as many rare medicinal plants as I want! And the ones I don’t need can be sold to others. This way, I’ll be able to earn a fortune!" Han Li could no longer suppress his excitement and began to let his imagination run wild.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, and the further his thoughts wandered. He felt like he had truly stumbled upon a treasure. Suddenly, he flipped several somersaults on the ground, completely shedding his usual calm demeanor and acting like an exuberant teenager of fourteen or fifteen.

After a long while, Han Li finally calmed down, his mind regaining its usual sharpness. He began to consider the challenges that came with this unexpected windfall.

First, while the herbs appeared fine on the surface, their actual medicinal properties still needed to be tested. After all, they had transformed after absorbing that strange liquid. Who knew if there were any mutated components inside? He had witnessed the tragic fate of those rabbits yesterday, so it was best to proceed with caution.

Second, the green liquid from the mysterious vial had been used up. He wasn’t sure if any more of it would appear or if it was a one-time thing. He would need to check again tonight to confirm.

If both of these issues turned out to be non-problems, he would still need to fully grasp the details and steps of this herb-accelerating method to completely control this incredible technique.

After deep contemplation, Han Li identified the above issues that needed to be resolved. Without solving these challenges, this windfall would remain as elusive as flowers in the mist or the moon reflected in water.

Once he had considered everything, Han Li sprang into action.

He first went to the large kitchen outside the valley and asked the manager to sell him two more gray-haired rabbits. This move left the kitchen manager both pleased and puzzled. Why did this young man keep buying live rabbits? Was he planning to practice his culinary skills by slaughtering them himself?Han Li paid no heed to what others might think. This time, he didn’t tie the rabbits in the herb garden but instead tethered them at the entrance of his own room, making it convenient for him to observe their changes at all times.

Then, he went to the herb field and carefully harvested the few herbs that had been accelerated in growth. He processed them into several doses of medicine that could strengthen tendons and bones. He then mixed the prepared medicine into the rabbits’ favorite food and fed it to them three times a day to test whether the herbs were toxic.

After completing all this, Han Li anxiously waited for nightfall. It felt like an eternity to him, but eventually, the night arrived as he had hoped.

As soon as darkness began to fall, Han Li rushed outside, took the small bottle out of his bag, and placed it on the ground. He then focused intently, eagerly anticipating any changes in the bottle.

Fifteen minutes passed, and the bottle remained motionless.

Thirty minutes passed, and still, there was no movement from the bottle.

Forty-five minutes…

As time dragged on, Han Li’s heart sank deeper and deeper. He waited until almost dawn, but the bottle showed no signs of any unusual activity.

He was utterly disheartened. Could the bottle really be a one-time consumable item? Or had he done something wrong?

Han Li forced himself to stay alert and looked around his surroundings.

“Nothing seems suspicious, except that it’s a bit dark,” Han Li muttered to himself.

Suddenly, he froze. He abruptly looked up at the sky, which was pitch black, with nothing visible. The phrase “a bit dark” suddenly struck a chord in Han Li.

“Could it be because it’s overcast, with no stars or moon?” Han Li recalled that the previous anomalies of the bottle had occurred on clear nights when the stars and moon were visible. Today, however, the sky was overcast, covered with thick clouds.

Han Li’s spirits lifted slightly as he formed a plan. Seeing that the sky was beginning to lighten, he knew nothing would happen that night, so he put the bottle away, intending to try again once the weather cleared.

But to Han Li’s surprise, over the next half month, the sky not only failed to clear up but also began to drizzle continuously. This weather persisted until now.

Han Li looked at the soft, drizzling rain outside, feeling extremely frustrated. The more he anxiously waited for the weather to clear, the more it seemed to rain endlessly, with no sign of stopping.

He turned back to look at the two rabbits sheltering from the rain inside the room. Their lively, energetic state only added to his frustration. Ever since the rabbits had eaten the food mixed with the medicine, they had not only shown no signs of illness but had also become more spirited than before. Over the past ten days, Han Li had carefully observed them daily, confirming that the rabbits showed no symptoms of poisoning. Instead, they had grown stronger from consuming the medicine that strengthened tendons and bones.

This positive outcome, however, did not bring Han Li any joy. Instead, it left him feeling anxious and unsettled, unable to calm himself. For him, whether the bottle could produce the green liquid again had become the key to all his problems. Yet, this prolonged, dreary weather had delayed the revelation of this mystery, leaving Han Li in a state of extreme frustration!

(End of Chapter)