Chapter 36: Cultivation Again, and News of Blood Jade

As the three reward orbs surged inward, the accumulated quantitative changes from several harvests finally seemed to achieve a qualitative leap. Ciel had never felt anything so profound. He distinctly felt magic flowing through his veins, not like a distant river, but a vibrant, living stream. With every thought, his magic subtly fluctuated, a living extension of his will. It was as if, were his intent strong enough, or should he grip his magic wand and utter a spell, the magic would immediately respond, weaving miracles into reality that science could never explain.

This captivating experience lasted for more than ten seconds, an eternity in that moment, before slowly receding. When Ciel finally returned to his full senses, a faint sense of loss lingered.

But his attention was quickly drawn to the changes on his system panel. The luster of his Magical Perception Enhancement ability had been completely transformed, now fully covered by the subtle, yet distinct, glow of Bronze.

Magical Perception Enhancement (Bronze Tier)!

Ciel took a deep breath, a surge of emotion filling his chest. It took so much effort just to get Lumos to Bronze Tier, he mused. But Magical Perception Enhancement only required a few reward harvests to advance. The sheer efficiency of the Planting System's abilities still astonished him.

A strange glint flickered in his eyes. With the Planting System, the initial low magical talent of his current body was no longer an insurmountable obstacle. Though the improvement was gradual, he knew that, given enough time spent cultivating Marguerites and Goldfish Vines, his magical strength and perception would one day reach unprecedented levels in the wizarding world.

It was widely understood that magical talent had two main components: magical strength and magical perception. Magical strength directly correlated with a wizard's raw power. A wizard with high magical strength would cast the same spell with far greater impact than one with low magical strength, and would find it easier to master high-difficulty magic. Harry Potter, for instance, despite his limited theoretical knowledge, would eventually surpass Hermione in raw magical power due to the sheer potency of his core.

Magical perception, while less significant for raw spellcasting power, played a crucial role in fields like Alchemy, Potions, and Herbology. Strong magical perception allowed a Herbologist to intimately sense the state of magical plants, and a Potions Master to directly perceive the intricate magical reactions occurring within a cauldron, knowing precisely when and how to intervene. It was this innate perception that allowed Severus Snape, even as a student, to overturn countless established Potions recipes. For a wizard with ordinary magical perception, it would take countless years of study and practice to match the intuitive brilliance of a genius like Snape.

And now, Ciel was experiencing a taste of that "genius" firsthand. Even with the blessing of Bronze-Tier Magical Perception Enhancement, his inherent magical perception talent was still considered weak among the young wizards of Hogwarts, probably among the lowest in his year. But it was undeniably stronger than before. It wasn't a complete overhaul, but a definite improvement.

He casually cast a Lumos.

"Tsk!" he muttered, a grin spreading across his face. "Smooth! Silky! I can feel every bit of magic flowing with greater clarity. If I'd had this level of Magical Perception before, Lumos would have advanced much faster. When the hardware is strong, the effect is indeed different, huh?"

Then, a new thought arose in Ciel's mind. His Magical Perception had undergone a qualitative transformation. Could he try cultivating the Guardian Tree again?

The thought of the Guardian Tree's generous rewards quickened his pace. He returned to the Greenhouse, took out the Guardian Tree cultivation materials Professor Sprout had left for him, and carefully began his preparations. He consciously calmed his mind, ensuring his mood was completely peaceful and would not negatively impact the precious Guardian Tree seed.

He gently picked up the seed and lightly tapped it with his magic wand, focusing his thoughts on happy and joyful memories. Last time, he couldn't tell if this mental exercise truly had any effect on the magical output. But this time, Ciel could vaguely feel it. The magic he was channeling seemed to become lighter, more vibrant, more lively. This subtle, joyful magic also seemed to cause the vitality within the Guardian Tree seed to begin to stir, to revive.

Ciel's eyes widened. Magical Perception truly had a profound impact on Herbology!

He re-immersed the seed in the potion bottle, attempting to sense the magical fluctuations emanating from within. However, the potion's magical fluctuations were still too complex, too intertwined with the seed's own energy for Ciel to clearly discern them. After a moment of focused sensing, Ciel decisively gave up on trying to understand the intricate patterns. Following a vague, intuitive feeling, he lightly tapped the bottle mouth three times with his magic wand, then drew three concentric circles clockwise in the air above it.

He recited the spell aloud, his voice steady: "Protego—Arboris!"

The Guardian Tree seed in the potion bottle began to tremble violently. The transparent potion inside quickly turned a vibrant green. One second, two seconds, three seconds… the green spread throughout the entire test tube, a brilliant emerald hue. But after more than ten seconds, this crystal-clear green gradually dimmed, fading back into a murky silence. The Guardian Tree seed returned to its inert state.

Ciel shook his head. "Failed again," he murmured. But there was no dejection on his face; instead, he looked invigorated. Although the final result was the same as his previous attempts, the process this time was significantly different. At the very least, he had taken a crucial step closer to success. He could now clearly see the path forward.

"For the seed treatment step, my Magical Perception Enhancement needs to reach at least Silver Tier," he mused. "And for the subsequent treatments until the Guardian Tree is fully grown, to have a successful grasp, it will probably require Gold Tier Magical Perception Enhancement."

Ciel was only at Bronze Tier now. Gold Tier was still a distant goal. But he was not in a hurry. "By the end of this school year, I should have a good chance of growing the first Guardian Tree," he thought. "Let's take it slow."

Just then, a figure walked into the Greenhouse. It was Professor Sprout. She was holding a petri dish containing the Lumos Shroom variant Ciel had discovered earlier – the Blood Jade.

Professor Sprout's voice carried a hint of joy. "Ciel, regarding this Lumos Shroom variant you named Blood Jade… I've pretty much figured out its characteristics."

Upon hearing this, Ciel's eyes lit up with joy. That fast? Aunt Sprout truly is a Herbology Master. It was indeed the right decision to give her the Blood Jade to research. Otherwise, if he had tried to figure it out on his own, he might not even have understood its characteristics by now, or worse, he might have inexplicably killed this precious variant.

He looked at Professor Sprout with expectant eyes.

But Professor Sprout suddenly froze, her gaze fixed on the potion bottle in Ciel's hand, which still contained the Guardian Tree seed.

"This…" she stammered, her eyes widening. "Ciel… did you do this?!"

(End of Chapter)

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