Chapter 31: Mystical Botanical Shaman

“What kind of terrible team name is that?”

Ji Xinghuo’s face stiffened. It sounded like a name a child, not yet out of middle school and filled with naive fantasies, might choose.

Chi Zhonglin touched his nose, looking embarrassed.

Ji Xinghuo glanced at him, instinctively thinking he was responsible. Chi Zhonglin quickly clarified, “Don’t look at me; it wasn’t my idea.”

“Then whose was it?”

“It was me.” Ren Mian’s voice came from upstairs, revealing her capriciousness, “Any objections?”

“Uh… no.”

Ji Xinghuo had guessed as much, but hearing her admit it still seemed unbelievable.

The image of maturity and wisdom Ren Mian had started to cultivate in his mind wavered. Beneath her stunning exterior, could there be a heart still untouched by cynicism?

“Mr. Xinghuo, please follow me,” said Jiangnan Caiyi.

“Caiyi, when you talk to me, don’t use formal language; it feels weird. Just call me by my name,” Ji Xinghuo spoke softly.

“Okay, Mr. Xinghuo.”

Leading the way, Jiangnan Caiyi turned back and gave him a sweet smile.

Ji Xinghuo felt helpless.

The three teammates in this group didn’t quite seem normal.

Jiangnan Caiyi opened a room on the first floor.

It was called a guest room, but it was quite spacious. It was fully furnished and had an en-suite bathroom. A balcony outside offered garden access, leading directly into its depths where one could stroll in the morning. At the other end of the garden were a training room and a shooting range.

“My sister and I stay on the second floor.”

“Mr. Zhonglin is next door. If you need anything, Mr. Xinghuo, you can always come to me,” Jiangnan Caiyi gave a brief tour of the villa layout. “I cook five times a day, remember to come down on time. Let me know if you have any flavor preferences now.”

Ji Xinghuo nodded, “Thanks, I’m not picky.”

“Then I won’t disturb your rest,” Jiangnan Caiyi bowed slightly and exited.

Ji Xinghuo walked around the room. It was much better than a hotel, with everything except electrical appliances, better than his apartment in Chang’an.

He sat on the bed and couldn’t resist using his electromagnetic induction.

Instantly, the entire villa’s layout unfolded in his mind. He saw just magnetic fields, not visual images or private details.

Ren Mian was in the master bathroom on the second floor, taking a bath…

“Cough.”

Ji Xinghuo hastily retracted his magnetic field induction.

Although magnetic fields were abstract to the senses and didn’t reveal actual scenes, body outlines could still be distinctly recognized from the field shapes.

“Plentiful attributes! Genuine quality! Hidden depth!”

Several phrases popped into Ji Xinghuo’s head as immediate thoughts caught him by surprise, and he quickly diverted his attention.

Jiangnan Caiyi was busy in the kitchen preparing a midnight snack for Ren Mian, while Chi Zhonglin had already fallen asleep, snoring loudly on his bed.

Outside, night had fallen completely dark.

Ji Xinghuo lay on the soft bed and soon fell asleep.

The next day.

As the golden rays of dawn touched Olympia City, Ji Xinghuo had already completed a training cycle.

The night in Warm Moon lasts thirteen hours. He didn’t need that much sleep; eight hours sufficed. To avoid disturbing others, he practiced the Thousand Nimble Hands quietly in his room without making a sound.

He entered the dining room just as Jiangnan Caiyi, wearing an apron, was cooking breakfast.

“Good morning, Mr. Xinghuo,” she greeted as she turned. “Breakfast will be ready in just a moment; please wait.”

“Good morning.”

Ji Xinghuo knew she had been up for over an hour.

This beautiful, diligent woman from Fusang, if not for the twin blades she always carried, could be mistaken for a housewife by anyone for her rare qualities.

When breakfast was served, Ren Mian also came downstairs.

She was neatly dressed in a different combat outfit from yesterday, though still in a simple, elegant style. Her face was bare, makeup-free, yet it didn’t decrease her beauty at all. Her skin was smooth and flawless, seemingly fragile enough to drip water.

Her skin as creamy as lard, her face as lovely as a peach blossom!

Ji Xinghuo admired her close-up and couldn’t help but silently praise.

If Ren Mian’s image were shared online, she’d become an instant global sensation, with countless film companies waving high contracts to have her debut.

Men would line up, enough to circle the equator, just to fall at her feet!

“Focus on your breakfast,” Ren Mian suddenly glanced at Ji Xinghuo with a look both charming and coy, “Just looking won’t fill your stomach.”

Ji Xinghuo responded with a grin, recognizing her personality, “Beauty is indeed a feast for the eyes, right?”

“Young you may be, but daring you are not lacking,” Ren Mian said, resigned.

“If I were indifferent, then I wouldn’t be a man,” Ji Xinghuo candidly replied, not believing any man could sit with Ren Mian at the same table and resist looking at her. He suddenly asked, “Ren, how old are you?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious,” Ji Xinghuo chuckled, “As a team member, I should at least know the age of my captain, right?”

“Nice excuse,” Ren Mian paused, then replied, “I’m 26.”

“Only four years older than me, huh!”

Ji Xinghuo was surprised; being a super-sapien at 26 was globally rare, a genius among humankind with potential at the pinnacle of human history.

Those who ascended to super-sapien status before 30 could potentially rise to kingship level!

He voiced his admiration, “Ren, being a super-sapien at such a young age, advancing to legendary and even kingship shouldn’t be too hard for you in the future.”

Jiangnan Caiyi’s expression turned odd.

“Who told you I’m a super-sapien?” Ren Mian chuckled.

Ji Xinghuo puzzled, “Aren’t you?”

“I’m just a high-level sapien,” Ren Mian explained, “Though I’m indeed close to the next ascension, probably in a year or two.”

Ji Xinghuo’s eyes widened, almost shocked.

That wasn’t right!

From his first meeting with Ren Mian, his magnetic field induction was clear; her magnetic field intensity not only met the super-sapien level but was stronger than any super-sapien he’d encountered, almost reaching a legendary displacement, yet not quite.

Now she claimed to be only a high-level sapien?

Ji Xinghuo subconsciously thought she was hiding her true strength. If not, could it be an issue with his own magnetic field induction?

Isn’t high magnetic field intensity indicative of high strength?

Jiangnan Caiyi softly said, “Sister ascended to high-level three years ago; that’s quite fast. Why are you so surprised, Mr. Xinghuo?”

Ren Mian also gave him a puzzled look.

“It’s nothing; I was mistaken,” Ji Xinghuo shook his head, “When you tested me last night, Ren, I thought you were a super-sapien.”

Pride filled Jiangnan Caiyi’s face, “You’re not wrong to think so. My sister’s strength surpasses even that of a super-sapien.”

Ji Xinghuo nodded; indeed it was so.

“I still don’t know what Ren’s profession is?”

Ren Mian replied, “Botanical Shaman.”

“Then I guessed right,” Ji Xinghuo laughed, Ren Mian’s brow had a peach blossom, and she emitted a floral scent. Also, the luxuriant rare plants in the villa garden, all indicated her professional template; she was undoubtedly a Botanical Shaman.

The first impression of a Botanical Shaman is healing.

In reality, their capabilities extend far beyond healing; healing is just their most basic skill.

The essence of a Botanical Shaman is a shaman who uses plants as casting mediums.

They manipulate plants, using various cosmic plant seeds, fruits, roots, leaves to achieve unimaginable effects.

Close-quarters combat,<|vq_55|> assists allies, physical attacks, energy bursts;

Defense, control, toxins, tracking, pharmaceuticals, beast mastery, training, and more…

There’s almost nothing a Botanical Shaman can’t do!

The comprehensive abilities of a Botanical Shaman far surpass other professional templates.

The diversity and complexity of cosmic plants make a Botanical Shaman’s potential nearly limitless, provided they can gather enough plant samples.

“What about you, Caiyi?” Ji Xinghuo asked.

He hadn’t been able to deduce Jiangnan Caiyi’s professional template; magnetic field induction revealed only the scope and intensity of the magnetic fields, not detailed enough to infer a profession.

Moreover, Jiangnan Caiyi’s magnetic field was strange, very dim and volatile.

Jiangnan Caiyi whispered, “I am a Demon Refiner and Evil Spirit.”

“Ah?”

Ji Xinghuo was taken aback, nearly dropping his chopsticks, “An advanced profession like a Demon Lord?”

Once a professional template is formed, sapiens might choose to integrate additional abilities to enhance their main profession or take up a second professional template.

Not just any two professional templates are combinable; some are, and some aren’t.

And some dual-careers are perfectly compatible, unleashing greater power.

That’s an advanced profession!

Demon Refiners are already incredibly rare and powerful; their paths to advancement are limited to just a few options, one of which is merging with an Evil Spirit, known as a Demon Lord!

Moreover, the prerequisite for an advanced profession is at least being a legendary sapien!

“No, not exactly,” Jiangnan Caiyi gently shook her head, “I’m just a high-level sapien, not advanced. I’ve partially integrated the abilities of both a Demon Refiner and an Evil Spirit, incomplete in both.”

“Is that even possible?” Ji Xinghuo was hearing this for the first time.

Professional templates exist to maximize combat effectiveness quickly, and the elements constituting a template are indispensable. Premature integration of other professional abilities, even if they are potential future advancements, could significantly delay strength progression, possibly leading to gains that do not justify the losses.

Ren Mian interjected, “As long as you find the correct method, successful integration and early advancement aren’t problematic.”

Jiangnan Caiyi nodded, “Sister taught me that.”

“I see.”

Ji Xinghuo appeared enlightened but was deeply shaken inside<|vq_93|>—the method for early advancement was undoubtedly a top-secret technique, inaccessible to ordinary people.

What exactly was Ren Mian’s background?

Just then, Chi Zhonglin, yawning, entered the dining room, grabbed a bun and shoved it into his mouth, swallowing in two bites, then downed a whole glass of juice.

“Morning, everyone.”

He greeted and continued eating.

Ji Xinghuo had finished eating and was chatting with the two women. During the conversation, he learned that Chi Zhonglin was also a high-level sapien but, surprisingly, not a Martial Artist—instead, he was an Unemployment Sapien.

Chi Zhonglin smiled proudly.

Ji Xinghuo was unimpressed by now; being an Unemployment Sapien wasn’t too rare.

Chi Zhonglin was among the top Unemployment Sapiens, but he hadn’t discovered his own evolutionary path; he too was guided by Ren Mian.

Ren Mian was the absolute core of this team.

The team, unique in the Five-Star Ten Realms, was formed five years ago when Ren Mian invited then 18-year-old Jiangnan Caiyi to join.

Three years ago, Chi Zhonglin, fresh out of college at 22, became the third member.

Both possessed exceptional talents and, under Ren Mian’s guidance, their abilities skyrocketed, advancing rapidly to high-level sapiens like a rocket.

Now, Ji Xinghuo was the third member Ren Mian had recruited!

The more he observed Ren Mian, the more enigmatic she appeared, as if draped in layers of mystery, inviting curiosity.<|vq_122|>

Fortunately, so far, Ren Mian had only shown aspects beneficial to him.

Ji Xinghuo sighed internally.

Something made him slightly pessimistic suddenly, hoping the secrets revealed in the future wouldn’t lead to a bad ending.

“Alright.”

Ren Mian clapped her hands, “Everyone follow me to the training ground. We’ll assess Xinghuo’s strength. It’s important to familiarize with each other’s abilities for better coordination in combat.”

She said this while glancing at Ji Xinghuo.

“Additionally, I’ll plan how Xinghuo can quickly enhance his strength.”