The leaves of Ailan continued to write:
"I know my limitations. As an ordinary tree spirit, the help I can offer is too limited. Miss Lilia can take care of Dale, manage accounts, and handle miscellaneous tasks. She even learned how to make petal candy..."
The tree spirit seemed to have put great effort into writing these words.
Her leaves paused for a moment, seemingly searching for a more accurate expression:
"I saw little Dale becoming stronger due to bloodline modulation, and I also hope to be able to..."
The leaves paused again, finally writing a few simple and direct words:
"...become more useful."
Ron could read more meanings behind these words:
A longing for belonging, a pursuit of value, and even unmentionable jealousy and fear.
The tree spirit feared being replaced, feared losing the "home" she had managed to find.
"I understand..."
Ron sighed softly, realizing that Ailan had always been the most silent and diligent member of the workshop, quietly undertaking countless trivial tasks without ever asking for any reward.
His tone then became serious:
"You know bloodline modulation is a dangerous process, especially for creatures like you. The life structure of a tree spirit is complex and intricate, and unlike the juvenile Dale, you’ve already matured, making modulation even more dangerous."
He paused, looking directly at Ailan:
"Moreover, complete modulation means you will bear my exclusive mark, just like Dale, which means that as long as I wish, your life will be entirely under my control."
This was not just a warning but also a probe.
Ron needed to confirm whether Ailan fully understood the depth and irreversibility of this connection.
This is also a trait inherent in the wizardry of bloodline modulation itself.
So after understanding this, he no longer considered buying completely modulated "works" from other modulators.
Ailan’s vines danced with determination, and the words on the leaves were deeper and more powerful than usual, as if generated with all her might:
"I fully understand and accept this, Master. In fact, I crave this connection."
Ron was silent for a moment, beginning to calmly weigh the pros and cons in his mind.
From an objective standpoint, the bloodline of a tree spirit indeed has astonishing growth potential.
Ailan had previously displayed abnormal signs of bloodline activation, as well as various humanoid transformations.
Now, after confirmation through "Extraordinary Recognition" and "Tracing," he verified that the tree spirit possessed the ancient bloodline of a Star Ring level "Forest Nymph."
Once fully activated, she would possess the powerful ability to manipulate plants and communicate with the forest.
If this bloodline could be successfully activated, Ailan would achieve a qualitative leap, not only significantly enhancing the workshop’s defense capabilities but also aiding his longer-term plans.
More importantly, among all the creatures dependent on him, Ailan’s initial loyalty was the highest.
Unlike Dale’s innocence and Lily’s initial pragmatic considerations, Ailan’s actions were driven purely by gratitude and recognition.
This pure emotion, at this moment, has become the strongest connection.
"Alright, I will help you."
Ron finally made his decision:
"I will design a gradual modulation plan to ensure the safety of the entire process. However, you must strictly follow my instructions. Any slight deviation could lead to severe consequences."
Ailan’s vines danced joyfully, like a child receiving a beloved toy, with grateful words appearing on the leaves:
"Thank you, Master. I will strictly follow every instruction."
Ron activated the dual abilities of "Extraordinary Recognition" and "Tracing," further probing Ailan’s bloodline status:
[Tree Spirit "Ailan"
Bloodline Origin:
Forest Nymph (Star Ring)
→ Golden Oak Queen (Quasi-Star Ring)
→ Ancient Tree Fairy (Golden Ring)
→ Ordinary Tree Spirit (Silver Ring)]
The Golden Oak Queen, according to legend, was a special plant directly inspired by the Earth Mother Goddess, and then evolved step by step into a pure natural being, often possessing the ability to rule forests and communicate with all trees.
The Ancient Tree Fairy, on the other hand, is the diluted product of that bloodline, still retaining the powerful ability to manipulate plants.
Perhaps there are other routes to choose from, but "Tracing" in its current state can only reveal the closest evolutionary route to the creature.
In the following days, Ron fully devoted himself to Ailan’s bloodline modulation work.
The essence of a tree spirit’s life is completely different from other creatures; conventional bloodline modulation methods do not apply.
Ron ultimately determined a three-stage plan:
The first stage is bloodline awakening, using special catalysts to activate the dormant bloodline within Ailan;
The second stage is energy reconstruction, guiding the activated bloodline energy to flow along a specific path, reshaping the internal structure of the tree spirit;
The third stage is complete transformation, allowing Ailan to enter a cocoon-like state to complete the final form change.
To implement this plan, Ron collected various rare natural attribute materials from the market:
The essence of Morning Dew Flower, capable of enhancing life energy;
The roots of the Sun Tree, containing abundant positive energy;
Fragments of Light Crystal, which aid in stabilizing the flow of bloodline energy...
Each material was carefully purified by Ron and mixed according to a specific golden ratio of 1:3:7, forming a special bloodline enhancer tailored to the constitution of tree spirits.
When Ron injected those precious material mixtures into the tree spirit’s root system, her vines twisted in agony, with burn marks even appearing at the edges of the leaves...