Evening.
Locke completed the grafting and cultivation of the Tiff Loron Vine using the Advanced Growth Serum Gel, Advanced Nutrient Soil, and Advanced Nutrient Solution prepared for the examination.
He let out a long exhale. "The work is finished."
Meanwhile, the other four Breeder Assistants had also completed their works.
Unlike the second round of the exam, this round wasn't one where lacking the relevant knowledge would result in producing nothing at all.
The cultivation of the Tiff Loron Vine was something even a Breeder Assistant could accomplish.
The final exam was simply testing the actual cultivation skills of the Breeders based on foundational techniques.
Thus, while there were five works submitted, their quality varied greatly—some high, some low, with significant differences among them.
As the three Formal Wizards evaluated the five candidates' works, they frowned at the four other submissions.
Especially in front of Martin's Tiff Loron Vine, Senior Breeder Jonas Cortes shook his head. "This is unacceptable. If this quality of Tiff Loron Vine were the work of a Breeder Assistant, it would indeed be considered decent."
"But it falls far short of the average standard expected of a Formal Breeder. Martin, you still have much to learn."
"Even your use of the Minor Grafting Healing Spell is far from satisfactory."
Martin's face turned pale. "Y-yes… I just didn't have enough time. Otherwise, I could have done better."
Jonas Cortes didn't respond, only giving him a dissatisfied look. Given his status, he naturally wouldn't bother correcting this foolish student's grave misconception.
Madam Morgana's sharp gaze swept over Martin as she spoke. "It's not a matter of time. The problem lies in your overall approach. Your discernment isn't sharp enough to pick the best two vines out of two hundred Tiff Loron Vines."
"Moreover, you didn't consider slightly adjusting the spell model of the Minor Grafting Healing Spell. These are the two key areas you're lacking in right now. Without addressing them, you won't pass the Breeder examination within the next decade."
Martin broke out in a cold sweat, his face ashen. He stared at his work, pondering briefly before bowing to Madam Morgana and Wizard Jonas. "Thank you for your guidance, esteemed ones."
"I do indeed have many shortcomings."
His gaze toward Madam Morgana was especially grateful. As expected of a veteran First Circle Wizard, she was one of the most formidable academic authorities in Lilith's Cottage.
With just a few words, she had pinpointed his current issues—her insight was even sharper than that of his own Wizard Mentor.
Madam Morgana paid him no further attention. Pointing out his flaws was merely her duty as the chief examiner. Whether the student took her advice to heart or not was of no concern to her.
After all, he wasn't her student.
Madam Morgana stepped in front of Locke's work, a glint of approval flashing in her eyes. The corners of her lips curled slightly. "It's almost like looking at Sophia's work."
"I can't find any faults."
"This Tiff Loron Vine of yours has exceptionally perfect traits—clearly a meticulously cultivated high-grade specimen. This work is more than enough to prove you possess the skills of a Formal Breeder, and not just an average one at that."
Madam Morgana smiled faintly, a rare expression, and nodded at Locke. "Sophia... has taught quite an outstanding student."
In fact, Madam Morgana was even pondering internally. 'What was Francis thinking, sending such a promising Wizard Seedling to Sophia first instead of me?'
'Could it be that he arranged it this way precisely because I'm Sophia's mentor?'
It was no wonder Madam Morgana was astonished. Locke's research on magic vines had reached an extraordinary depth.
Currently, he had developed three new varieties of magic vines—the Super Mandrake Vine, the Invisible Mandrake Vine, and the Omen Mandrake Vine.
If he were to publish papers on all of them, he could produce at least three A-grade articles, not to mention numerous B-grade and C-grade ones.
Thus, from the very beginning, Locke had identified the two best-performing magic vines among two hundred pots of Tiff Loron Vines.
Moreover, he had fine-tuned the spell model of the Minor Grafting Healing Spell before proceeding with the grafting cultivation.
This was thanks to the solid foundation laid by Sophia, as well as the proficiency and expertise he had developed in the Minor Grafting Healing Spell over the past month while working to create the Emerald Iris Lichen to solve the Magic Plant Curse.
As the saying goes, breeding is a craft that requires practice. Without sufficient hands-on experience, no Breeder can achieve mastery.
Hearing Madam Morgana's words, the other two Formal Wizards gathered around. After inspecting the vines, they nodded in approval. "For a Formal Breeder's level, this is indeed quite impressive."
Wizard Jonas shook his head slightly. "Impressive is an understatement."
"He's not a Senior Breeder. He hasn't mastered the Finite Element Analysis Cultivation Method or the relevant Single Magic Pathway data, yet he's produced magic vines of this caliber. It's... exceptional."
Jonas Cortes continued, "To us, this work may seem average because we can use the Finite Element Analysis Cultivation Method for costly, targeted cultivation."
"But he's neither a Formal Wizard nor a Senior Breeder. Yet, using standard Formal Breeder techniques, he's achieved this level. It can only mean this student has an extraordinary depth of research in magic vines."
"Among all the apprentices in Lilith's Cottage, he must stand out as exceptional."
Wizard Jonas Cortes looked at Madam Morgana with a puzzled expression. "Madam Morgana, do all the students from your lineage have such a strong foundation?"
Madam Morgana smiled faintly and shook her head. "Jonas, how could that be?"
"It's simply that people are different. Both Sophia and this boy are absolute geniuses in the field of breeding."
Another Formal Wizard suddenly recalled something. "Ah, right. One of my students mentioned to me recently that Lijin Secret Language has been selling a magic vine called the Super Mandrake Vine, said to have the potential to surpass the Tiff Loron Vine."
"That must be this student's creation."
He turned to Locke. "Is that correct?"
Locke bowed respectfully. "Indeed, sir. The Super Mandrake Vine is my work."
Madam Morgana even glanced at Locke in surprise and praised him. "That's truly impressive."
"No wonder you performed so exceptionally in the third round of the exam. Your research in the field of magic vines is already quite profound—such questions must be as easy as taking something from a bag for you."
Madam Morgana frowned slightly, displeased. "Then why didn't Sophia have you publish a few more papers in the field of magic vines? Oh, right—she's been busy with her faculty assessment for the Star Domain Sea lately. She's really neglecting her students."
"If it were me, I'd have had you publish at least three A-grade papers by now."
The other examinees also looked at Locke in astonishment.
However, they didn't find it unfair at all. After all, his Magic Plant works had long been selling like hotcakes in Lijin Secret Language.
Seriously, anyone could see he was a future heavyweight among Breeders—it was his innate talent, and there was nothing for them to question.
Just being able to take the exam alongside a future Breeding prodigy was already good luck for them.
Even Martin, a First Class Wizard Apprentice from Lilith's Cottage, now looked at Locke differently.
It was the gaze of an ordinary person looking upon a genius—filled with admiration.
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!