The next morning, when Ruan Shu woke up, she groggily looked over at the little kumquat plant, only to find it already blossoming and bearing tiny fruits overnight.
The entire family was baffled by this strange occurrence.
“How could this happen? Isn’t Shushu’s ability supposed to be healing-related Jingshen? How could it cause a mutated plant to blossom overnight? And why is she even able to grow a mutated plant?”
Ruan Xinglan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe we’re overlooking something.”
Everyone turned to look at him.
Ruan Xinglan held onto the cat’s tail and said, “Who said she could grow a mutated plant purely because of her Jingshen? Have you considered that there’s another possibility—that Shushu has awakened an innate ability?”
The entire room fell silent at his words.
“But Shushu’s Jingshen level is only F.”
It was common knowledge that someone with F-level Jingshen could never awaken an innate ability.
Besides, wasn’t the Ruan family’s innate ability related to controlling the ice element?
Yet, when it came to Shushu, they seemed unable to apply conventional reasoning.
“If it really is due to an innate ability, then it makes sense.”
Father Ruan picked Shushu up, saying, “However, her innate ability has never been seen before. It resembles wood-eleJingshens but isn’t quite the same.”
In this world, very few people awaken innate abilities, usually only the most powerful individuals. The strongest abilities involve control over various eleJingshens or even space and time manipulation.
But these abilities are typically inherited within families.
For example, their family’s inheritance is the control of the ice element, and the only family members who have awakened it are Ruan He, Ruan Xiao, and the father-son pair of Ruan Linzhan. Ruan Linzhan’s father, however, is currently missing and presumed dead.
No one else in the family has awakened their innate ability.
The awakening of innate abilities is also closely related to one’s Jingshen, which is one reason why Jingshen strength is so valued.
In fact, throughout the entire Star Beast Empire, only one in ten thousand people might awaken a family-inherited innate ability.
Ruan Shu’s situation seemed very much like she had awakened an innate skill, but it wasn’t the Ruan family’s inherited skill.
Her ability didn’t even resemble any known innate skill.
Shushu stretched out her little paws, resting her chin on her dad’s knee, feeling drowsy.
Innate abilities… she remembered Almer talking about it. She had even seen Almer demonstrate a massive fire.
And her eldest cousin—the ice that appeared during his loss of control that day was also an innate skill, right?
So, what was her own innate skill?
The little cat tilted her head and looked at her paws, quietly reciting the elements in her mind: fire, ice, wood, and so on.
Nothing happened.
Then, her tiny paw was gently pinched by her dad.
Ruan Xiao smiled, “Experiment slowly, and you’ll figure it out.”
Ruan Shu nodded and thought, ‘Alright, then I’ll just keep farming and see if I can grow any more mutated plants.’
While the Ruan family discussed Shushu’s talent and abilities, the Imperial Research Institute was anything but calm.
The reason was the orchid His Majesty had ordered to be delivered there.
At first, they had no idea why His Majesty would give them an ordinary orchid.
After all, while orchids are precious, they weren’t so rare that the best research institute in the empire would need to guard them, especially not one that was personally handed over to Director Hao by the head of the knights.
Then, His Majesty dropped a bomb on them.
That orchid was mutated!
What?! A mutation?
This had to be a joke. Did that orchid look mutated? It clearly appeared to be just an ordinary orchid!
As they were processing this surprising news, one researcher decided to take a closer look at the orchid bud. After all, the orchid’s bud looked exceptionally beautiful, and they hadn’t identified what variety of orchid it was.
But as soon as they tried to touch the bud, the orchid’s leaves directly blocked the hand reaching toward it.
The orchid seemed perplexed. Why were all these people so odd, constantly trying to mess with its bud?
From that moment, the tranquility of Director Hao’s lab was completely shattered.
“This orchid doesn’t look mutated at all. How could it be?”
“Where exactly did His Majesty find it? It’s so docile—none of the mutant plants in the botanical garden are this gentle!”
If it were any other mutated plant, anyone attempting to touch its bud would probably end up hurt. But this orchid merely blocked the hand, behaving so gently that it was almost unbelievable—it showed no sign of aggression at all.
So, is it mutated or not? It doesn’t look like it, but it’s also not entirely normal.
Finally, Director Hao decided to study the orchid himself.
True to the reputation of the top research institute, it only took one night for Director Hao and his apprentices to discover the orchid’s abilities and unique traits.
Yet, it was precisely because of their findings that they were even more unsettled.
“This orchid is the only mutated plant discovered so far with a pollution level of zero!”
“Its fragrance can calm Jingshen, and with prolonged exposure, it can even reduce pollution levels.”
“The fragrance components cannot be replicated. There is a unique energy in it that is irreplaceable. Extracting the scent alone wouldn’t have the same effect—we must protect it at all costs!!!”
The discovery of this orchid was like a bomb detonating in the research institute, leaving the researchers in a daze.
Director Hao even personally issued an order to keep the orchid’s details top secret, with all researchers sworn to absolute confidentiality.
From then on, everyone in the lab treated this orchid as a national treasure. They carefully placed it in the highest-specification protective enclosure, and a group of genius researchers spent the night combing through records to determine its species and learn how to care for orchids.
Even if it meant their own lives, they would ensure nothing happened to this orchid. If even a single leaf withered, they would feel too distraught to eat, and they were particularly attentive to its mood.
Director Hao instructed his apprentices to keep a close eye on the orchid, then hurriedly rushed to the palace.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
His voice trembled as he called out.
“Your Majesty, where did you find that orchid? Do you realize how important it is?”
Before Almer could answer, he continued speaking on his own.
“That orchid will change all of history! It’s the only known mutated plant with a pollution level of zero, and it can even calm Jingshen! Your Majesty, where did you find such a treasure?”
Almer replied, “Director Hao, calm down.”
Actually, it wasn’t the only one—who knew how many more the Ruan family might have.
However, he had no intention of revealing Shushu’s existence. Just like the Ruan family, he cared deeply about her safety, even though he was the emperor of this nation.