The Science of Cultivation

Chapter 257: Affinity with Woodsmithing

“Gentlemen, behold,” a man wearing dark green robes declared as he held up a seed the size of a coin for all to see. “After a year of hard work, I’ve had the fortune to complete this masterpiece.”

A good portion of the people in the room craned their necks over to get a better look. A sharp-eyed individual would notice they consisted predominantly of members with lower cultivation. That was because the stronger individuals were often more experienced, so they weren’t as eager to lay their eyes on every single item presented. In clear contrast to those composed individuals, one of the young men in the room slipped through his peers to get a front-row seat.

Everyone within the room stayed silent for a few moments as they busied themselves trying to analyze their colleague’s work

“This shouldn’t be a Skyrunner,” a man sporting a long ponytail muttered. “It is material devised for the handle of brushes used in brushweaving? No, perhaps for alchemy reagents?”

A heavyset man sitting right next to the previous speaker scoffed. “Anyone with a bit of skill can see that.”

The haughty attitude of the large man amused the presenter in green robes.

“Oh, does this friend here see something more?”

“Of course. After all, I’ve done something similar in the past. Accelerating the growth cycle is hardly a rare goal to pursue. You did a decent job at it, but it seems the drawbacks of these types of improvements remain.”

“You’re correct in that, but the quality drop once my Truesoul Ginseng matures isn’t nearly as severe as most cases. I made sure of that.”

The debate continued, with most of the audience staying silent. Most of them simply observed, while the more fervent among them circled the seed the man in dark green robes presented.

Of course, Li Lang was part of the fervent party. He ignored the strange looks he received from a few of the younger experts in the room, taking in every detail he could. It was obvious to all how engrossed he was.

I should’ve learned Woodsmithing sooner! The basics Wei Ping taught me should’ve hinted at what it could do earlier, but it took attending this informal seminar for me to realize the possibilities.

Heck, woodsmithing is the closest aligned with my study of biodefense compared to all the other professions.

Having recently tested his poisons that aimed to damage the DNA of its target, Li Lang’s passion for his old field of study was reignited. Now that he was exposed to higher-level woodsmithing, he found numerous similarities with his old work.

His main focus was on helping humans adapt to the alien ecology of various worlds they planned to colonize. He had at some point chosen to focus more on cultivation science as that was the most relevant field for him, but now that he had a reason to dip his toes into his old field of study, the lock he had put within his mind was quickly thrown out.

Just by seeing the seed of the supposed Truesoul Ginseng the man held, dozens of ideas filled his mind. He couldn’t wait to sample its DNA and start modifying it right away. The only thing stopping him was the lack of equipment. Without access to even the most basic system, such as CRISPR/Cas9, he couldn’t perform any genetic modification.

However, he didn’t lose hope because he was listening in on an alternative that excited him. It was naturally woodsmithing techniques that experts around him employed. Many of them presented their works, and from the discussions, Li Lang could tell they were doing something similar to gene editing, whether they knew it or not.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

It made Li Lang almost want to race to the nearest Woodsmith Guild and find a mentor. While he didn’t doubt the addition of Qi into the equation complicated things, he only lamented at the fact he wasn’t even at the start line yet. After all, among the five crafts, this was the one he was most confident in!

Still, I can’t rush things. I have to hold it in. The gathering to discuss Earth-grade cultivation techniques is starting soon. Legs move! It’s time to leave.

With much regret in his heart, Li Lang soon exited from the private room in one of the restaurants within Sword Saint Isle. Wei Ping had somehow managed to track him down, sending a messenger to relay the various discussion groups happening. He was clear on his objectives when attending this event, so he forced himself to go through with it.

Woodsmithing wasn’t the only craft he needed to learn. Formations was another one he had yet to learn. Mastering the five crafts was his utmost priority for the moment, as his cultivation would only stagnate without an Earth-grade cultivation technique to practice. If he continued to get sidetracked, he would inevitably fall behind his students again.

Nevertheless, Li Lang didn’t fail to make several new entries on his computer about perspective new projects. As his need for resources increased as he expanded his nascent organization, he needed new methods of making wealth. Relying on only a few streams of revenue would only make him vulnerable, but that wasn’t all. Woodsmithing had a tremendous affinity with all his future re