Chapter 24: Accelerating Herb Growth

Just as Han Li began to fear the gloomy weather would persist indefinitely, the sun finally reappeared.

Nearly half a month had passed since he discovered the green liquid's secret, and his patience had worn thin. That clear evening, he witnessed the same spectacle from four years prior: countless light points swarming around the vial, coalescing into a radiant orb.

Relief washed over him. *The vial isn't a one-time tool—it's reusable!*

After seven more days of waiting, a single drop of green liquid formed inside the vial. Though he'd anticipated this outcome, joy surged through him. *Now I'll have an endless supply of rare herbs!*

Rarity and potency of herbs depended on their age. Older specimens grew in remote, perilous locations, often requiring great risk to harvest. Wealthy clans might cultivate a few century-old herbs as life-saving treasures, but ordinary folk lacked such resources.

Han Li conducted further experiments:

1. **Diluted Green Liquid**: Sprinkled on multiple herbs, yielding only mediocre one-to-two-year-old specimens.

2. **Undiluted Green Liquid**: Dropped directly onto a ginseng root, transforming it overnight into a century-old treasure.

3. **Storage Tests**: The liquid vanished within a quarter-hour if removed from the vial, regardless of container type.

Next, he tested cumulative effects. By repeatedly applying drops to a Three Crow Grass, its leaves shifted from green to yellow, then black, until it became a millennia-old rarity—a feat unmatched in the mortal world.

Yet triumph soon gave way to caution. *This vial is a priceless secret. If discovered, I'll be hunted like prey.* Memories of tales warning "possession invites doom" haunted him.

Lying on his bed, Han Li stared blankly at the jet-black herb. *How to balance using the vial for cultivation while hiding its existence?* His stagnant progress in the nameless口诀 gnawed at him—its advancement was tied to his very survival.