The sudden attack sent Qian Qi into a cold sweat. Fortunately, she had been on guard and immediately raised her hoe to block the incoming root whip.

However, the force of the lotus root’s attack was incredibly strong. The frail girl was sent flying in a parabolic arc.

Qian Qi: ???
[Pfft.]

Qian Qi landed on her butt, dumbfounded. She pointed at the lotus root, which was now triumphantly waving in the air, and exclaimed in a cracked voice, “How is it so strong?!”

Not only that, but the lotus root seemed much darker in color than what was recorded in the books. Its length and thickness were nearly double the usual size. Most importantly, the inhibitor had no effect on it!
Could it be that she had nurtured it too well, making it stronger?
But she had been eating and drinking well lately, becoming a stronger version of herself—Qian Qi 2.0! Why couldn’t she defeat it?
System Panel: [Your second skill, remember?]

Qian Qi was puzzled. She tried to recall her second skill, and her face immediately darkened.

The second skill, “Divine Hand,” increased the yield and mutation level of magical plants cultivated by the Awakened.

An increase in mutation level meant a direct rise in danger!

Oh no! She was just a weak girl! Why did she have to suffer such a ridiculous side effect?!
[Don’t be sad. An increase in mutation level means the medicinal effect of the Fire Qilin Fruit will also be enhanced.]

[The Fire Qilin Fruit from this Fire Qilin Lotus can fetch at least 30,000 yuan!]

Qian Qi: !!!
Qian Qi suddenly felt that the increase in mutation level wasn’t so terrifying after all~
“So, how do I deal with it?” The sodium bicarbonate solution was no longer effective. How could she safely retrieve the Fire Qilin Fruit?

[Analysis Technique.]

Qian Qi: …

“I can only use the Analysis Technique three times a day!” Qian Qi complained. “And now I have to waste one of those chances on a mutated Fire Qilin Lotus?”

[＾＿＾ Up to you~]

Qian Qi: …Is it mocking me?

Can I tolerate this?
Of course, Qian Qi couldn’t tolerate it. She turned around and prepared a high-concentration sodium bicarbonate solution. Just in case, she also grabbed a handful of sodium bicarbonate granules and scattered them on the soil.

Sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda, is generally used as a food additive and sometimes for medicinal purposes, such as reducing excessive stomach acid. Consuming too much can lead to indigestion and, in severe cases, diarrhea.

The textbook didn’t explain why sodium bicarbonate inhibited the aggressiveness of the Fire Qilin Lotus roots, but Qian Qi suspected it was because the solution affected the lotus’s “appetite.”

Or perhaps it made the roots “soft” and less aggressive? After all, baking soda can also make steamed buns soft, hmm…

Qian Qi’s thoughts wandered as she cautiously stepped into the experimental field with her hoe. This time, the lotus root didn’t attack her. She stomped her feet a few times, and when the root still didn’t react, she boldly slapped the Fire Qilin Lotus.

[…] She really is asking for a beating.

Seeing that the lotus root still didn’t attack her, Qian Qi finally felt at ease and bent down to touch the Fire Qilin Fruit. The freshly grown fruit was bright red and translucent, even glistening with a thin layer of dew. She barely managed to suppress her professional habit of taking a sample for analysis.

Damaging its appearance would mean it couldn’t fetch 30,000 yuan!

Qian Qi opened her communicator and contacted Li Shuyun. Half an hour later, Li Shuyun arrived on the mountain, panting.

Seeing the three Fire Qilin Fruits on the Fire Qilin Lotus, she was completely stunned.

What’s going on? Did she really grow them?
Li Shuyun felt like the world was spinning. To figure out Qian Qi’s cultivation method, she had been camping by this field every day, even her fair and delicate skin had tanned.

But Qian Qi hadn’t shown up for a single day!

Yet the Fire Qilin Lotus grew healthier each day, and today it even bore fruit.

Could it be that the Fire Qilin Lotus can bear fruit just by being left alone?
Impossible. Li Shuyun immediately dismissed the idea. When her grandfather conducted his research, leaving the Fire Qilin Lotus unattended would only lead to wilting and inevitable death. So, Qian Qi couldn’t have just left it alone.

But how else could one explain that a slacker who didn’t take her studies seriously managed to cultivate a high-quality Fire Qilin Lotus in just seven days, even surpassing the usual yield by producing three top-quality Fire Qilin Fruits?

“Qian Qi, you…” She stared at Qian Qi, her eyes gleaming like a hungry wolf’s, “How on earth did you grow these?”

Qian Qi quickly waved her hands, her eyes darting innocently to the side, “I don’t know, maybe just dumb luck?”

“No way!” Li Shuyun didn’t buy her act. Qian Qi had been so confident just a few days ago, and now she was playing dumb?
But Li Shuyun understood. The Fire Qilin Fruit was expensive, and if it could be mass-produced, the profits would be enormous.

Thus, the cultivation method for the Fire Qilin Lotus naturally became incredibly valuable. It was normal for Qian Qi not to want to share it.

But if she had to figure it out herself… The soil samples she had secretly taken earlier had already been analyzed, and they were just ordinary fertile soil. As for the fertilizer ratio, no matter how she calculated it, it didn’t make sense.

Taking a deep breath, Li Shuyun said seriously, “Qian Qi, tell me the truth. Do you really know how to grow Fire Qilin Lotus?”

Seeing Li Shuyun’s seriousness, Qian Qi also put away her playful expression and nodded.

Li Shuyun gasped, “This is huge! Qian Qi, would you be willing to share this cultivation method? I can guarantee you’ll graduate without any issues! Oh, and if you want the cultivation rights, I can help you apply for them!”

Qian Qi stroked her chin.

For her, graduating was something she could achieve through her own efforts. There was no need to waste a valuable cultivation secret.

As for the cultivation rights… She had already checked. As long as she passed the A-level cultivation exam at the Magical Plant Research Institute, she could buy the cultivation rights for the Fire Qilin Lotus for just a few thousand yuan.

But then again, her success in growing the Fire Qilin Lotus would eventually get out. She couldn’t underestimate the dangers of human greed. What if someone kidnapped her, forced her to reveal the cultivation method, and then disposed of her…

Oh no, what if someone died because of this?

Would she go to jail? She was so young, with her whole life ahead of her…

Seeing Qian Qi’s alternating expressions of deep thought and worry, Li Shuyun’s heart was in turmoil. Finally, Qian Qi spoke, “Forget about the graduation certificate and cultivation rights. But I might consider selling you the cultivation method in a week.”

Qian Qi smiled innocently, “Senior Li, if you really want the Fire Qilin Lotus cultivation method, you’d better start saving up.”

“How much do you want?” Seeing a chance to buy it, Li Shuyun quickly asked.

Qian Qi thought for a moment, “I haven’t decided yet. I’ll give you an answer in a week.”

“Oh, and one more thing!” Qian Qi pointed at the Fire Qilin Fruits, smiling, “These fruits can fetch at least 30,000 yuan. I’ll take two, and you can have one. Help me sell them, okay?”

“Of course!” Li Shuyun agreed without hesitation. She had only managed to get a Fire Qilin Lotus seed through her connections. Now, not only did she have a top-quality Fire Qilin Fruit, but she might also get the real cultivation method. This was a huge win!

Watching Qian Qi leave, Li Shuyun turned on her communicator and immediately called her grandfather.

“Hello? Yunyun, what’s up?” On the other end of the call, an elderly man in white appeared on the screen.

“Grandpa, I think I’ve found the correct cultivation method for the Fire Qilin Lotus!” Li Shuyun quickly explained the situation with the Fire Qilin Fruits and showed him the Fire Qilin Lotus in the experimental field. “Can you believe it? This plant has three Fire Qilin Fruits, and their quality is at least three times better than what you’ve been cultivating!”

“What?!” The old man’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the Fire Qilin Lotus on the screen. “Your academy has such a prodigy? Which student is it? Lin Qi? Or Xu Fei?”

Lin Qi and Xu Fei were top-performing seniors who had already been pre-selected by the Magical Plant Research Institute as trial researchers. If anyone could figure out the correct cultivation method for the Fire Qilin Lotus, Li Hongsheng could only think of these two.

“Is it one of them?” Li Hongsheng asked excitedly.