Chapter 165 - A Single Grass That Can Slay a Dragon

“I heard, Professor Ye, that you brought back a Longleaf Swordgrass from the ascension realm. I’m quite interested in the Longleaf Swordgrass and was wondering if I could have a look at it.”

“Oh.”

Inside a certain research institute, Professor Ye, while watering plants and answering her phone, nodded and replied, “I see.”

She kind of understood. Lu Ran’s Captain Doofus was proficient with sword-like weapons, so Lu Ran must have gotten a whimsical idea to see if the Longleaf Swordgrass could serve as a sword.

“Originally, it wouldn’t have been a problem,” Professor Ye said regretfully in response to Lu Ran’s request.

“If you had come to me earlier, perhaps there might have been a chance.”

“What do you mean?” Lu Ran was surprised.

“That Longleaf Swordgrass is on the verge of death. It’s already withering. Its toughness and sharpness are all gone, and it’s gone soft. If you want to see the Longleaf Swordgrass, now isn’t the right time.”

Lu Ran was dumbfounded.

Grass is still a type of plant. You’re a botanist, aren’t you? How could you let it wither!?

“It’s fine, Professor Ye. Do you have time now?” Lu Ran still insisted on seeing it.

“Sure. Come over to my place. We live quite close to each other.”

Both Professor Ye and Lu Ran were professors in the Cultivation Department, but one specialized in Cultivation while the other focused on Culinary Arts.

Their respective research institutes weren’t far apart. Not long after, Lu Ran arrived at Professor Ye’s place. Professor Ye, a woman appearing to be in her late twenties, was dressed in a white lab coat.

Her round face, speckled with faint freckles, and framed by short brown hair, gave her a scholarly look. When she saw Lu Ran, a young and accomplished man ten years her junior, she greeted him warmly.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” he replied.

After shaking hands as a gesture of goodwill, Professor Ye turned and gestured.

“Follow me if you want to see the Longleaf Swordgrass.”

She led Lu Ran toward a massive open-air facility resembling a botanical garden. Along the way, Lu Ran observed many unique plants potted instead of planted in the ground. The soil in each pot told him why.

[Red Soil: Suitable for fire-type vegetation...]

[Black Soil: Suitable for dark-type vegetation...]

Each plant required distinct soil types, and their vibrant colors stood out. It was evident that ordinary soil from Blue Planet could not satisfy the environmental needs of Professor Ye’s experimental plants.

“This is it,” she announced.

Soon, Professor Ye led Lu Ran to a designated section. Here, a single plant stood alone under a special light source that attempted to provide nutrients. Yet, even that could not stop the plant from wilting.

Lu Ran examined the Longleaf Swordgrass. Its appearance closely resembled the sisal plant from the Blue Planet’s herbal medicine collection.

Of course, the difference was that sisal plants had multiple sword-like leaves, dozens in total. This Longleaf Swordgrass had only one leaf.

[Name: Longleaf Swordgrass]

[Grade: Treasure]

[Description: A rare vicious plant with a minute chance of developing intelligence and beginning its path of evolution.]

Indeed! The description of vicious plants differed significantly from resources designed to nourish familiars.

“What a pity,” Lu Ran remarked.

He now understood why Professor Ye was so regretful. The vibrant green sword-like leaf was now mostly yellow and withering, with the sharpest part appearing limp. This was a Treasure-grade vicious plant on the brink of death.

“After relocating it from the ascension realm, I immediately simulated its original environment using various methods and provided it with the nutrients it required.

“But I couldn’t replicate the conditions of its original habitat. It simply won’t grow as it should, never mind trying to cultivate its intelligence. At this point, I’m not even sure I can keep it alive as a regular plant,” Professor Ye admitted with a self-deprecating smile.

“I guess I was overreaching. I should focus on Common-grade Transcendent Species for my plant-familiar research moving forward.”

After all, losing a Treasure-grade vicious plant was a colossal blow, one no researcher could afford.

“Indeed. But Professor Ye, since this Longleaf Swordgrass is on the verge of death, would you consider selling it to me?” Lu Ran suddenly proposed.

“Hmm?” Professor Ye’s glasses reflected light as she looked at him, puzzled.

“If it were a healthy Longleaf Swordgrass, I wouldn’t be surprised by your request. Many have asked to purchase it before. But as you can see, it’s in this state.

“I’ve tried everything, including using plant familiars to nourish it and unique resources to revive its vitality, but nothing has worked. It’ll be completely dead within a month. Why would you want it? Wait, you’re not planning to cook it, are you?” she asked incredulously.

That was absolutely unacceptable! She had cared for this plant for so long, and even though it was dying, she had grown attached to it. Letting it end up as food would be too cruel.

“Of course not.” Lu Ran’s lips started to twitch.

Everyone knew that vicious plants weren’t edible. Nutritional value? It probably wouldn’t even compare to Rare resources. Not only was its nutritional value low, but most vicious plants were harmful to consume. Just like the plants on the Blue Planet, some were delicious and nutritious, while others were harmful and unpleasant.

“If you’ve given up hope of saving it, why not let me try? If I succeed, it’s my skill, and I have gotten lucky. If I fail, I’ll accept the loss, and you can recover some of your losses. Would you consider parting with it for a low price?”

If it were a healthy Longleaf Swordgrass, Lu Ran couldn’t afford it unless he sold his most valuable resources. But this near-death Longleaf Swordgrass gave him hope.

Would the Spirit-Converting Pot restore its vitality?

Lu Ran had previously purchased nearly rotten plant ingredients from Limitless City and rejuvenated them in the Spirit-Converting Pot until they became fresh and vibrant.

Although the Longleaf Swordgrass wasn’t an ingredient, Lu Ran felt its revival might align with the pot’s mechanism. The only challenge was its Treasure grade.

The grass’ quality was near the pot’s limit, so reviving it might take a long time, rendering the pot unusable for other purposes during that period. But that didn’t matter much. Lu Ran wasn’t short on ingredients or crystal coins at the moment.

He had enough fresh Dragon-type ingredients from Beastmaster University to sustain him without the pot’s help. Lu Ran had set his sights on the swordgrass. It was also the perfect size for Captain Doofus to wield without looking odd.

At this moment, hearing Lu Ran’s words, Professor Ye furrowed her brows while looking back and forth between the Longleaf Swordgrass and Lu Ran.

Did Lu Ran claim he had a method to reverse the grass’ withering state?

To be honest, she had purchased some intelligence from the Cat Maid Cafe, identifying a few possible ways to restore vitality. Yet, none of the methods available on the Blue Planet could achieve this. She wasn’t optimistic about Lu Ran’s claim.

“It’s possible,” Professor Ye said after some thought.

She had indeed already given up on the Longleaf Swordgrass. As Lu Ran suggested, this deal would minimize her losses. Additionally, considering Lu Ran’s young talents, Professor Ye felt it wouldn’t hurt to do him a favor.

However, even if she agreed to part with the Longleaf Swordgrass, whether withered or not, trading it for only a few crystal coins or common resources felt like a loss. After all, she had invested tremendous effort to obtain and cultivate this swordgrass in the first place.

“But can I make a request? I don’t need crystal coins. Instead, I’d like to request a favor, Professor Lu. Can we exchange it for your culinary expertise?” Professor Ye asked as she looked at Lu Ran.

“Culinary expertise? Dragon Cuisine?”

If Professor Ye wanted to exchange for Dragon Cuisine, Lu Ran thought this might be the least painful trade for him. In this era, having money wasn’t nearly as valuable as having a unique skill set.

“Close. I’d like to ask you to use your Culinary Intent to make some fertilizer,” Professor Ye clarified.

Lu Ran was dumbfounded.

Seriously? Are all you Cultivation professors out to torment chefs?

“I’ve been cultivating several Unique plants imbued with Dragon attributes. Usually, I water them with Dragon Blood, but after seeing you, I got curious about what changes might occur if I used fertilizer derived from Dragon Cuisine for their growth.”

Professor Ye adjusted her glasses, her interest piqued. While her efforts with the swordgrass had failed, other experiments were ongoing.

“No problem,” Lu Ran agreed without hesitation.

After all, Professor Ye would be his collaborator from now on as they researched Dragon-type plants together. Investing a bit of Dragon Cuisine felt entirely reasonable.

***

Even Lu Ran himself hadn’t expected to acquire the Longleaf Swordgrass so easily, even if it was a dying blade of grass.

After leaving Professor Ye’s place, Lu Ran placed the Longleaf Swordgrass inside the Spirit-Converting Pot. It wouldn’t take long; it’d just be a day or two for him to observe any changes in the Longleaf Swordgrass. He’d know if the Spirit-Converting Pot had any effect by then.

If it didn’t work, Lu Ran would simply accept the loss. But if it worked, even if it required months to rejuvenate fully, it would be a tremendous gain.

Of course, Professor Ye wasn’t losing out either. By gaining Unique-grade Dragon-type fertilizer from the only Dragon Chef, her losses were minimized. Lu Ran was especially fond of such win-win outcomes.

“Alright, as far as weapons go, let’s gamble on this one for now.”

To prepare for the Legendary Secret Realm, he decided to make additional arrangements. He took out his phone and called Fang Lan.

“What are you up to?” Lu Ran asked as the call connected.

“Working on an experiment! Waiting for the reaction to complete...” Fang Lan replied.

Fang Lan had also applied for her own laboratory at Beastmaster University. For the university, Fang Lan was a significant talent. Although her ranking in the freshman competition wasn’t at the top, she wasn’t part of the combat department.

She was in the Medical Department, specializing in Toxicology. Within Xia, the number of beastmasters from the first three generations was limited. Among them, the majority were from the Combat Department. Even those with secondary professions were usually chefs or blacksmiths.

Doctors, on the other hand, were a rare occupation. And those proficient in the Poison attribute were even rarer—practically nonexistent. After all, why would most beastmasters ignore cool attributes like Lightning or Fire and instead focus on Poison, a hazardous field?

It was common knowledge that studying toxicology came with significant risks. Many early researchers had perished due to accidents, and establishing a new field of knowledge was always the hardest.

But Fang Lan, benefiting from her family’s medical background, had access to a complete toxicology framework from the beginning. Currently, there were fewer than ten beastmasters in Xia that were proficient in Poison attributes.

A toxicology genius like Fang Lan was a rarity, and Beastmaster University wouldn’t let her talent go unnoticed. Her training resources likely exceeded even those of more combat-oriented prodigies.

“Have you seen the news about the Snow Federation successfully raiding a Legendary Secret Realm?” Lu Ran asked.

“I have! Are you planning to raid a level 1 Legendary Secret Realm too? Take me with you! Let’s form a team!” Fang Lan’s sleepy voice suddenly turned energetic.

“I refuse,” Lu Ran replied firmly.

“Excuse me???” Fang Lan was taken aback.

“Legendary Secret Realms are different from Hell Secret Realms. They’re incredibly dangerous. I can’t guarantee your safety. Even for myself, I have to be extremely cautious. One mistake and I might not make it out alive.

“Moreover, according to my intelligence network, the more participants in a Legendary Secret Realm, the worse the rewards. Unless the teammates are an excellent fit, solo runs are the safest and most cost-effective option.”

“Fine.” Fang Lan pouted.

She wasn’t unreasonable and understood that mismatched team strength could make challenging a secret realm even riskier. Bad teammates were often the most terrifying.

Strong bosses would always target the weakest link in the team. A teammate in danger could disrupt the rhythm of an entire battle. Fang Lan certainly didn’t want to be Lu Ran’s weakest link.

“That said, while you can’t participate directly in the secret realm, you can still contribute indirectly. Can you, like last time when I raided the Abandoned Laboratory Secret Realm, prepare another batch of toxin?” Lu Ran asked with a grin.

“No problem. But Dragon-type creatures have very high poison resistance. Their dragon blood naturally contains detoxifying properties, making it very difficult to develop an effective toxin.

“If I could enter the realm myself, I could enhance the toxin using Poison Energy. But for pre-made toxins, the conditions are quite restrictive.”

“So, it’s still possible, right?” Lu Ran pressed.

“Yes, but I’ll need a sample of Diamond Dragon blood. The more, the better. Only then can I prepare a highly targeted toxin. Can you get it?” Fang Lan asked.

“Yes! But give me some time. Within half a month, I’ll deliver it to you.”

“Alright. I’ll wait for your Dragon Blood,” Fang Lan agreed.

***

After two days had passed, Beastmaster University had officially started. However, it looked like Lu Ran would not need to go to classes nor teach classes.

The Forging Department had determined that, given Lu Ran’s mastery of the Flame Spirit, he was already more skilled in ore refinement than some seasoned blacksmiths.

Attending regular freshman courses would only waste his potential. Therefore, Master Lin decided to give Lu Ran individual instruction, starting with the study of Inscription Techniques.

Meanwhile, in the Culinary Department, the administration decided that Lu Ran’s time was better spent on research rather than teaching. While Lu Ran had the skills to teach the basics, it was deemed unnecessary.

Instead, they designated his knife skills and fire control lessons as Advanced courses, available only to the top students selected during the semester’s final evaluations.

With these adjustments, Lu Ran found himself free from minor academic responsibilities, allowing him to focus entirely on culinary research and training his familiars.

During this period, he also began experimenting with more complex recipes, such as dragon beard noodles, dragon meat dumplings, mala dragon lobster, squirrel dragonfish, and more.

Moving beyond the basics of roasting, he incorporated various Transcendent ingredients and seasonings into his culinary creations.

Naturally, there were both successes and failures. Sometimes the nutritional value far exceeded expectations, but other times, the results fell short of the anticipated standard.

Lu Ran, being a true food lover, enjoyed the process regardless. Even when a dish didn’t meet his stringent expectations, it was still edible and delicious.

After finishing a bowl of dragon blood vermicelli soup, Lu Ran returned to observing the Longleaf Swordgrass inside the Spirit-Converting Pot.

“Huh?”

After two days, the Longleaf Swordgrass finally began to show some changes. Surprisingly, instead of further wilting, the plant seemed to be recovering. Compared to when Lu Ran first acquired it, its vitality had significantly improved. The previously withered sections now showed hints of green returning!

“Holy shit, you can do it! I don’t need you to develop intelligence like Professor Ye hoped. Just be good and regain the vitality of a normal swordgrass, and that’s enough for me. Once you’re restored, I’ll show beastmasters from all over the world what it means to slay a true dragon with nothing but a blade of grass!”

Lu Ran tried using telepathy to motivate the Longleaf Swordgrass with some heartfelt words, though it was doubtful whether the plant, still far from developing intelligence, could understand.