The Cornflower Witch

Chapter 65: Visitors from Afar

They stayed at Winnie’s place all day, and by evening, Sylutia and Talier returned satisfied.

This trip not only let them bring thanks to Sister Winnie, but also gave them a lot of preliminary information about the Hidden Grove’s initial screening assessments.

Apparently it occurs every two years. Since Winnie’s last time, four years had passed; Scholar Hyde had retired and did not preside over that session. The previous winner was a commoner from Scorchstone City whose father worked for the guild, so the family could afford to support his studies. The young man himself also had talent, showing a special aptitude in the Dead Embers Aspect.

At only seventeen, he had mastered two abilities of the Dead Embers Aspect, and by using a self-made “corpse rot poison” he succeeded in killing the second-stage target during the exam and secured his spot.

As for Winnie’s cohort, the two people who finally slew their targets were different types. One was an expert hunter who used specially made traps to sharply weaken the target’s stamina before delivering the killing blow. The other was a warrior who fought head-on with a massive axe and defeated the target in direct combat.

Although that young warrior was badly injured after slaying his target, his bravery impressed Viscount Xuefeng and Scholar Hyde, and he was awarded a slot.

During these days, Sylutia finally fused the Dew Prayer Method and the Branch Grooming Method she had learned earlier, completing her transition into the Gardening Apprentice profession rank.

Her Fate Card changed from Maiden in the Sea of Flowers to Gardening Apprentice Girl, and based on the identification eye and Nature Perception effects, it additionally unlocked Dew Prayer·Branch Grooming Lv.2 — the combined version of Dew Prayer Method and Branch Grooming Method — freeing two more ability slots in her status panel.

Converting a Fate Card into a specific profession allows multiple abilities to be absorbed and fused, creating vacant slots for an individual’s continued growth and learning. It’s an important sign of whether a Transcendent is truly powerful.

Organizations with deep inheritances often keep condensed secret arts for high-rank professions, which is why their members surpass ordinary Transcendents.With empty ability slots, Sylutia could begin learning new skills.

Back at Lady Franne’s manor, Sylutia took out the transcribed Flower Blooming Method and read it again. The difficulty of learning this art had clearly increased by one tier; even she had spent a week and still could not completely master it.

She needed more practice, the girl thought, slightly annoyed, then moved to the pot with the Swan Orchid, gently placing her hand on it, closing her eyes to sense the orchid, and synchronized her Verdant Nectar Aspect with the Swan Orchid, drawing out the Verdant Nectar power contained within the plant.

That subtle sensation felt like searching for a fragile thread in the dark; it required extreme patience to catch, left no trace, and had no other aids.

Sometimes it was a matter of luck, Sylutia considered.

This time, she finally found that thread, gradually aligning her rhythm with the plant, then followed that faint perception down into the Swan Orchid under her hand. A marvelous sync of sensations unfolded, as if she herself had become the orchid, experiencing a completely different world through plant senses.

That strange realization absorbed Sylutia so deeply she lost track of time.

When she came back to herself, the sky outside had already gone completely dark.

How long had passed? It was already eight in the evening, Sylutia realized, astonished at how quickly time had flown, and then recalled that she seemed to have fully executed the Flower Blooming Method without the previous interruptions or loss of perception.

Flower Blooming Method Lv.1 (Verdant Nectar): Blooming magic that activates a flower’s faint effects and spreads them into the surrounding environment. (Completion 4/300)

Phew, finally learned it, she thought, it took a whole week. I don’t know if I’ve gotten slower or if my method was wrong, the girl mused.

Sylutia felt a little pleased at initially mastering the skill, stood up, and wanted to tell Lady Franne, but Lady Franne had gone out again yesterday and didn’t know when she would return.

Never mind, continue studying instead. She also needed to check on the Fire Glow Orchids’ cultivation.

In her small private garden a transparent glass enclosure had been set up; the space looked like a delicate glass greenhouse where Sylutia’s plants were arranged.

At night, Sylutia carried a candle there, placed it on a side tray, and eagerly approached the row of Fire Glow Orchids.

Compared to the native Swan Orchid, the Fire Glow Orchid is an artificially bred new species favored by gardeners that demands higher environmental care. If mishandled it would die easily and hardly survives in the wild.

Fire Glow Orchid (Excellent-63): A variant of the Lelaylan species, its petals blaze like crimson fire. Requires good lighting and ventilation; dislikes dampness and low temperatures, and is afraid of direct sunlight and dryness.

Because it neither likes damp cold nor direct sun and dryness, tending these is a tier harder than Swan Orchids.

Their growth medium requires a special mix of red-reflecting ironstone and fir bark. Watering must be moderate — not too much, but never allowed to dry out.

Holding a small watering can, Sylutia pressed the spout to spray mists of water, giving the Fire Glow Orchids some moisture, then placed her hand near the stems to sense their current growth.

It would take some time before their quality could rise from Excellent (60+) to Exceptional (70+).

The nearby White Camellia was much easier to care for. The small sapling was slowly growing and was still in the lush foliage stage; it needed a longer cultivation period than the Fire Glow Orchid but required less attention and was lower in difficulty.

After tending them, Sylutia turned her gaze to a Bubblegrass plant. It was doing well, but according to Lady Franne, at Sylutia’s current strength she could not make it bloom. She’d have to wait until the girl reached Second Tier Verdant Nectar to properly cultivate it.

Bubblegrass is a key raw material for Floating Potion. These potions are costly — useful not only for preventing falls from great heights but also in training certain Vaulted Sky Aspect abilities, which makes them expensive.

She took a notebook from the greenhouse, recorded today’s watering amounts and conditions, then closed the door and left.

That night she said “good night” to the Swan Orchid under the glass dome by her bedside and fell asleep.

Late at night, Sylutia’s breathing rhythm gradually synchronized with the bedside Swan Orchid’s, as if in her dreams she continued practicing the Flower Blooming Method, bringing her rhythm ever closer to the plant’s.

...

The next day, Sylutia followed her usual routine: watering in the morning, inspecting the flower fields, and handling necessary minor tasks.

But today felt different. Someone rang the bell at the front gate.

Without waiting for Lining’s summons, Lining quickly returned to her room, changed into a bright yellow formal dress, tidied up before the mirror, and then walked slowly down the steps.

The guest looked like a man in his thirties, wearing a black suit and moving with polished manners. He had a neat figure and a handsome mustache under his nose.

Led by Lining, he waited patiently in the manor’s front hall. When he heard Sylutia coming downstairs, the man immediately stood, bowed from afar, and saluted the delicate, graceful girl.

“I am honored to meet Miss Anluo’er.” It seemed he had prepared in advance and knew Sylutia’s current reputation in Scorchstone City.

“Hello.” The girl entered the parlor, briefly lifted her skirt in a polite return, then sat.

Silently, Lining served tea to the two of them and stood quietly behind Sylutia.

“I come from the distant Windcliff City up north, which lies in the northern part of Regas.” He began by introducing himself.

“Because it’s near the border battle zones, Windcliff City requires a large quantity of medical potions, and I am the guild representative from there. I’ve specially come here to request your assistance.”

“Medical potions...” Sylutia pondered.

Among the many Transcendent Aspects in this world, few have healing effects. The primary four are Blazing Sun, Luminous Moon, Verdant Nectar, and Bloodline, with Dragon Eye, Snail Fish, and Slumbering Winter as secondary supports.

Each Aspect has different practical ranges. Blazing Sun and Bloodline suit severe external trauma, while Luminous Moon and Verdant Nectar are better for treating illnesses and hidden injuries. As for Snail Fish and Slumbering Winter, their methods are more like inventive fixes — for example freezing a severed wound or petrifying it might stop bleeding.

Because this was a battlefield, external wounds would dominate, meaning urgent demand for Blazing Sun and Bloodline ingredients. Although sunflowers themselves lack direct healing power, their Blazing Sun Aspect can significantly boost certain medicines’ effectiveness and replenish wounded soldiers’ vitality.