Chapter 80: Chapter 80

Locke followed Witch Sophia to her magical plant room, because after Sophia had taught him the path forward as a first-class wizard apprentice, it was time for breeding classes.

The two walked through the botanical garden as vast as a castle.

Only now did Locke realize this was a medium-sized botanical garden. Since Witch Sophia had only been promoted to formal wizard for just over two years, she hadn't had time to apply for a large-sized botanical garden yet.

Due to the possibility of not renewing her contract with Lilith's Cottage, Witch Sophia also had no intention of applying.

Witch Sophia asked Locke, "Locke, have you finished reading the first-class wizard apprentice handbook I gave you three days ago?"

Locke nodded, "Yes, teacher. I've read it several times already. I've started practicing and mastered the knack of the methods for hiding and withdrawing my magical pressure recorded in it."

This wasn't inherently difficult, just like a person having arms and being able to learn to bounce a ball with just a little learning.

Locke withdrew the magical pressure he was emanating, restraining his aura and no longer radiating magical pressure outward.

Witch Sophia nodded slightly. "That's good. Over these years, you've already skillfully mastered the grafting cultivation method and initially grasped the hybridization cultivation method and cutting cultivation method."

Witch Sophia had undoubtedly been a genius among apprentices, pursuing how to rapidly advance in level.

She absolutely couldn't do something like staying in the first-class wizard apprentice stage for over ten years in order to gain more competition championships and specialize in all three major cultivation methods.

Witch Sophia walked through a field of phoenix tail flowers. "So today, I'm prepared to teach you what breeders should know, the knowledge and skills needed to pass the breeder examination."

Locke's heart jumped. He knew it was coming.

Now that he was a first-class wizard apprentice, the Horadric Synthesis Cube's synthesis level had increased to Level 7, allowing him to synthesize better synthetic plants.

As long as he could obtain a breeder certificate, he could openly sell Level 7 synthetic plants as his own works.

Moreover, he didn't need to worry too much about the Blood Curse Court anymore. After all, they had already sent people to assassinate him.

And now that he was a first-class wizard apprentice, for them to send assassins, they would need to send first-class wizard apprentices.

But directly sending first-class wizard apprentices here to assassinate him would be no different from directly engaging in local wizard warfare with Lilith's Cottage.

Witch Sophia said, "Before that, I need to test you. What cultivation method is suitable for phoenix tail flowers? Answer within 3 seconds, otherwise it's considered poor fundamentals."

Locke immediately responded, "Yes, teacher."

"Phoenix tail flowers belong to medium-to-high quality magical plants, classified as magical flowers. They're suitable for artificial pollination to hybridize different phoenix tail flowers, screening out phoenix tail flowers that combine the excellent traits of both parents. They can also be pollinated with pollen from other flowers to cultivate new varieties."

"Therefore, they're suitable for the hybridization cultivation method."

Witch Sophia changed the question, "What method is suitable for cultivating Whomping Willows? I need to mass reproduce the spell characteristics of a high-quality Whomping Willow without any changes."

Locke immediately answered, "Then use the cutting cultivation method, taking a willow branch from the Whomping Willow and letting it regenerate into a complete plant."

The supporting spell for grafting cultivation method was Minor Grafting Healing, the supporting spell for cutting cultivation method was Minor Rooting, and the supporting spell for hybridization cultivation method was Minor Pollination.

Of the three breeding methods, Locke was only very skilled with Minor Grafting Healing, while he could barely use the other two.

Because he hadn't had much time to practice.

Hybridization cultivation method had long breeding cycles and many trait variations, suitable for breeding magical flowers.

Cutting cultivation method was quick and completely cloned the parent, suitable for cloning offspring of certain plants or taking very healthy branches or parts of some plants for reproduction.

Grafting cultivation method was usually used on magical vines and magical trees, with medium breeding cycles and moderate trait variation numbers, and was a relatively common specialization area chosen by Breeder Assistants.

Actually, besides these three major cultivation methods, there was another cultivation method called selective cultivation method.

Selective cultivation method was simply selecting high-quality seeds for magical plant breeding.

This was something even a mortal could do, so generally only the three major cultivation methods for Breeder Assistants were mentioned, while selective cultivation method was overlooked.

But Locke believed selective cultivation method still required some skill. It didn't need high spell levels but required rich experience and knowledge.

Witch Sophia turned back to look at Locke in the flower field, nodding with satisfaction, "You've learned well, with very solid fundamentals."

"Locke, now I need to tell you that these three breeding methods are only assistant-level, each with their own advantages and disadvantages."

"These three cultivation methods are even more inadequate when breeding high-level magical plants. So breeders need a more powerful breeding method, combined with the original three breeding methods, to form more efficient and superior breeding methods."

Witch Sophia said, "Thus, breeders left the crude stage of staying on the surface characteristics of magical plants and entered the mana level stage."

"Breeders discovered the Mana Co-frequency Cultivation Method."

Witch Sophia threw a monocle into Locke's arms. "Put this Focus Monocle on your left eye. I'm lending it to you."

"Then carefully observe this acre of phoenix tail flowers."

Locke immediately placed the monocle in front of his left eyeball, and suddenly he saw another world.

This was vision that mortal natural sight could not see.

Under the effect of the Focus spell enchanted on the monocle by the Enchantment School, Locke found his visual ability magnified dozens, even hundreds of times.

The distance of what he saw hadn't changed, only the details had.

Locke was already very sensitive to wood element particles, and under the Focus spell's effect, he could even see the various magical energy particles flowing and forming inside these phoenix tail flowers, as well as those incredibly tiny plant essences with various shapes and colors. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel~fire~net

Witch Sophia said, "Do you see them? Those complex plant essences determine the characteristics of magical plants."

"The assistant-level three major cultivation methods only combine these plant essences at a macro level."

"And magical power affects those plant essences. This is the Mana Co-frequency Cultivation Method."

Witch Sophia spread her right hand, and immediately her right hand radiated intense, blazing light. A ball of white light, full of energy, like the sun.

Under the influence of this energy, Locke, wearing the Focus Monocle, was amazed to discover that Sophia's magical energy radiation was actually changing the various plant essences of these phoenix tail flowers and forcing these plant essences to undergo certain changes.

This caused this patch of phoenix tail flowers to begin producing genetic mutations.

Witch Sophia said seriously, "In magical fields, release specific powerful magical radiation, use magical radiation to forcibly interfere with the plant essences inside magical plants, forcing them to mutate, then use the three major cultivation methods for directional cultivation."

"This is the domain of breeders."

Locke understood. "Teacher, can I understand this as first increasing the mutation amount of magical plants, then conducting directional cultivation?"

Witch Sophia nodded. "Yes, very good. You understand correctly."

"Magical radiation will produce a certain co-frequency resonance with the magical power inside magical plants, conducting energy to strengthen or weaken these magical plants."

"So the key lies in how to choose the radiation frequency of your magical power, otherwise you can easily end up killing or actively degrading your magical plants."

"Therefore, before the Mana Co-frequency Cultivation Method was developed, few breeders could realize that this was possible."

Witch Sophia said, "Moreover, this is a cultivation method that can only be used by wizards of first-class wizard apprentice level and above, because only the mana of first-class wizard apprentices and above can relatively precisely control so-called frequency."

"What is meant by magical radiation frequency? Because first-class wizard apprentices' mana forms magical pressure, and magical pressure forms mana, so mana undergoes magical pressure-mana cyclical changes during transmission, thus forming the basis for controlling frequency."

"Different plants naturally resonate with different mana frequencies, so mastering the key to this technique lies in exploring which mana frequencies these magical plants are more suitable for resonating with, and how powerful a mana source is needed."

Witch Sophia said, "Most high-level magical plants even resonate with dozens of frequencies. Some can even produce so-called optimal resonance frequencies with over ten mana frequencies, at least currently optimal resonance frequencies."

"Breeders discover different optimal resonance frequencies, then rely on that little bit of luck, plus the four cultivation methods, to better directionally breed powerful magical plants."

"So you see, the complexity and difficulty lie here."

"Breeders are the wizard profession that most requires mana stability and precision." Sophia looked at Locke, "When I initially prioritized having you take this path, I saw that you possessed unparalleled mana stability talent."

"And this talent will be maximized when you learn the Mana Co-frequency Cultivation Method."

Witch Sophia dispersed the magical light orb in her hand, and immediately the phoenix tail flower field that had been stirred up by waves from the magical pressure also calmed down.

Locke watched thoughtfully. "I see..."

He thought to himself: 'Then I'll need more Indigo Jades and Deep Blue Jades, and it would be best to find more synthesis formulas that can improve mana stability.'