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In his body, there seemed to occur a tumultuous storm, with boiling strength pulsating through his limbs and every part of him. The balanced and tranquil Primary Dou Qi had already surged into his cells.
It seemed to undergo metamorphosis within the cells, and when the new Dou Qi returned to the meridians, it had completely transformed.
The reborn Dou Qi had become Intermediate Dou Qi, possessing a unique attribute; Liszt stood quietly in the little garden, motionless. His heart felt as if flowers were in furious bloom; he tried hard to suppress his excitement and experience the nature of the freshly emerged Intermediate Dou Qi—his mission was indeed real and had brought about the sublimation of his Dou Qi.
He had now, truly become an Earth Knight!
For the cultivation of Dou Qi, this was a brand-new starting point; it was only as an Earth Knight that one represented truly extraordinary power.
"So my Dou Qi attribute is fire, huh? It's a bit conflicting with the Water Attribute of 'Thousand Waves'; it looks like I need to prepare a new Intermediate Dou Qi Manuscript... I thought I would awaken the same Water Attribute Dou Qi as the Tulip Family."
Water, fire, earth, wind, lightning, ice, light, dark.
And gold, as represented by dragons, and wood, as represented by elves—all are natures of magical power.
There is no superiority among these attributes; they are merely different aspects of power. However, ever since before they had received the Earldom, the Tulip Family had been studying Water-Attribute Dou Qi. Their family's 'Thousand Waves' is also a top-tier Water-Attribute Dou Qi Manuscript, containing vast insights and experiences from their cultivation.
Descendants who practice it could accomplish more with less effort.
But Liszt was not suited to cultivate 'Thousand Waves' now; forcing it would be counterproductive.
Fire Attribute Dou Qi would naturally be more fitting for the practice of fire attribute manuscripts.
"Teacher Marcus has a Wind Attribute and cultivates the 'Gale Breaker' manuscript, which also doesn't match my attribute. Let me think, when I was at the Knight Academy, I came across a 'Flaming Wave'... In a few days, I'll arrange for Teacher Marcus to make a trip back to Coral City to fetch it for me."
During this initial stage, the Intermediate Dou Qi needs to be nurtured and stabilized, so there's no rush to cultivate from the manuscript.
In fact, Liszt is not eager for a boost in strength. Indeed, nobles have to go to battlefields, but Coral Island, far from the mainland, sees little strife. As the third son of an Earl, nobles on Coral Island wouldn't dare to trouble him, thus he can develop in peace.
Besides, even if one cultivates to great strength, in a hundred years, it will all be but a handful of yellow soil.
To live as a stable landlord, enjoying the service of servants, is good. The dirty work of fighting and killing can be left to the subordinates.
"Of course, being promoted to an Earth Knight is still something to be excited about. This means I'm less likely to fall ill and my resistance to severe cold and scorching heat has greatly strengthened! In this world, what could be more fortunate than being healthy and living a long life?"
He exhaled a deep breath.
Liszt's emotions, once stirred with excitement, now began to settle, and he turned to walk towards the castle.
His personal servant hurried over, looking for something to attend to: "Master, you have just finished your knight's training, do you need fresh bathwater prepared?"
"Would that be too troublesome?"
"Of course not, serving you is our honor."
"Okay, prepare another bath then."
...
Dinner time.
Marcus and Goltai arrived as promised.
"Liszt, you look even healthier now, it seems you have fully recovered, that's worth a toast," Goltai lifted his cup, deeply inhaling its scent, for he was as fond of drink as he was of life.
This was a common malady among nobles.
Yet, Marcus's gaze flickered: "Baron, have you… made a breakthrough?"
"Just an hour ago, inspired, I made new progress in my Dou Qi cultivation." Liszt replied with restraint, for after all, making a breakthrough to become an Earth Knight after his sixteenth birthday was nothing to boast of.
"Congratulations, my lord!" Marcus spoke solemnly, his tone changing slightly. He used to address him with "Baron," but now he directly called him "my lord," a welcome change.
"Wow, this is tremendous news, no wonder when I left the house today, the magpies were bustling and chirping all over town. Liszt, you are truly worthy of being the Earl's offspring, inheriting the fine lineage of the Tulip Family. You, will inevitably wield power!" Goltai burst out exuberantly.
"Compared to my brother and sister, my talents are not outstanding; I can only make up for it with more diligent cultivation."
"The fact that you think this way proves that you are equally excellent. Historical figures aren't always outstanding in their youth. A knight's creed is to continuously catch up and progress. In you, I see such qualities."
"Thank you for the praise, Teacher Goltai."
"Therefore, tonight, we must celebrate properly and have a few more drinks." Goltai chuckled, then turned to Butler Carter and said, "Mr. Carter, to celebrate Liszt's advancement to an Earth Knight, shouldn't you bring out some fine wine from the castle's cellar to toast this glorious moment?"
Old Carter had a broad smile on his face, "I think so too, Mr. Goltai."
But he did not move; to drink or not to drink wine, the decision had to be made by the master of the castle.
Liszt did not want to dampen the mood and nodded, "Mr. Carter, please bring out a bottle of Crescent Moon Wine and also prepare a pudding for each gentleman and lady."
"As you wish, my lord," Carter turned and left, descending to the wine cellar.
On his way, he passed the kitchen door and said, "Mrs. Abbie, the lord has granted us, each to have an extra pudding with dinner tonight."
Abbie·Spoon was a plump woman, and upon hearing the news, she exclaimed loudly, "Butter pudding, oh my, the lord is too generous; there really is no need for this. The maidservants will eat anything, and besides, we don't have much cream left."
Kitchen maid Eileen, who was mopping the floor, looked up eagerly, "Mr. Carter, can the kitchen maids also get an extra pudding?"
"Of course, today is a joyous day, as the lord has advanced to an Earth Knight!"
"Oh, heavens, the lord is so great!" Abbie exclaimed loudly again, and then she turned and shouted, "Eileen, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and finish mopping, then go to the storeroom and bring over the cream. It's a big day for the lord; you get to eat the pudding that's only available on festive days, so let's get spirited and work hard!"
"Understood, Mrs. Abbie, praise be to the lord."
...
Crescent Moon Wine.
A specialty of Coral Island, harvested during the first new moon of each autumn to make wine.
Tulip Castle has a grape Minor Elf who grows a variety of grapes, one of which is specifically for winemaking. Although they don't taste very good when eaten, the wine they produce is sweet and sharp, a top-quality wine that is well-known throughout the Duchy of Sapphire. The Court would purchase a batch every year.
When Liszt left Tulip Castle, he took a box with him.
"An aged bottle of Crescent Moon Wine is like an old story gracefully emerging from a deep tunnel of time, subtly telling you what true beauty is, what lasting flavor is," Goltai swayed the crystal wine glass, watching the bright red liquid rise and fall against the crystal wall, speaking poetically.
Liszt took a small sip.
To be honest, he didn't think there was anything particularly enjoyable about wine; he didn't like any alcohol, preferring only to eat wine-soaked rice. His body, inherited from his previous life, had a certain ability to assess alcohols and could adapt to the taste of various types.
So, when in Rome, he would have a drink occasionally.
After all, without high-proof distilled spirits, it was hard to get drunk.
"By the way, Teacher Goltai, is there a problem with the peanuts from Peanut Hamlet?" He suddenly recalled his new mission. His Dou Qi had sublimated, and he was very eager for the new rewards.
"Hmm, indeed, it seems that this year's climate hasn't been very good, and Peanut Hamlet is likely facing a total crop failure. I've sent someone to look, and the Peanut Fields are extensively turning yellow. In a few days, they'll probably die off... Poor serfs, they'll go hungry before winter even arrives." Goltai spoke pitifully but without a hint of sympathy in his expression.
Putting down his glass.
Liszt stated unequivocally, "Tomorrow, come with me to Peanut Hamlet for an on-site inspection, to research how to resolve the crisis."