Looking down at my tenth attempt at the Worldroot Conduit on the Blank Canvas Lily, I finally felt satisfied.

The pattern flowed perfectly - each root seamlessly connecting to form an endless knot that somehow managed to look both precise and natural at the same time.

"This one's ready," I declared, holding up the lily for inspection.

"Master, your inscribing speed has improved significantly," Azure noted. "The first attempt at the Fundamental Rune took considerably longer to perfect."

The vine around my neck extended a tendril to trace the pattern, giving what felt like an approving pat on my shoulder.

I had to admit, having a semi-sentient plant accessory that offered runic advice was not something I'd expected when I first arrived in this world.

"Just one moment!" Elder Molric called out, making his way over from the other side of the lab. A series of muffled growls followed him, but he seemed entirely unconcerned. "Let me see your work."

He examined the practice rune, turning the leaf this way and that to catch the light. After what felt like several minutes, he finally nodded.

"Excellent integration points. The energy flow paths are particularly well-designed." He glanced at me curiously. "Where are you planning to connect it to your Fundamental Rune?"

I pointed to the base of my chest where the tree pattern began. "Here, where the trunk emerges. The vine actually suggested it - the connection should create a more direct energy pathway while minimizing strain on the existing branches."

Elder Molric's eyes widened. "Oh? Speaking of the vine..." He reached toward it with an eager expression. "Perhaps it would like to come back to its creator for some additional experiments?"

The vine's reaction was immediate and dramatic. It coiled tighter around my neck and extended several thorny tendrils in the elder's direction, making what sounded remarkably like a hissing noise.

"Such ingratitude!" Elder Molric shook his head. "You should treat your creator with more respect."

The vine's only response was to tighten its grip around my neck - not enough to be uncomfortable, but definitely making its position clear.

The elder sighed. “You can keep him. Clearly, my own creation has abandoned me for a new master."

"I don't think either of us has much choice in the matter," I replied dryly, reaching up to pat the vine. The thorns immediately retracted under my touch.

"Well then," the elder's expression suddenly turned serious - a rare sight that immediately put me on edge. "Shall we proceed with the actual inscription? I should warn you, adding an elemental rune to your Fundamental Rune is... considerably more dangerous than our previous work."

My eyes narrowed. If Elder Molric, the man who treated exploding plants that could easily kill a Rank 2 Skybound as a minor inconvenience, was being cautious...

"How dangerous are we talking about?"

"Oh, nothing too concerning," he waved his hand. "Just a small chance of your Fundamental Rune destabilizing and releasing all its stored energy at once. But don't worry! I'll be right here to contain any potential explosions."

"Master," Azure commented, "I believe he's trying to be reassuring."

Strangely enough, I actually did feel somewhat reassured. Something about the look in the elder’s eyes suggested he would actually focus on preventing disasters this time, rather than treating them as fascinating research opportunities.

"No pressure then," I muttered, removing my outer robe to expose the silvery tree pattern on my chest. The vine helpfully shifted to give better access to the area.

"Now," Elder Molric instructed, all traces of his usual scattered demeanor gone, "channel energy through your Fundamental Rune. We need it active during the merging process."

I nodded as I drew on the power from the great red sun in the sky, sending it through the refined pathways of my Fundamental Rune. The tree pattern began to glow with a soft silver light, its branches rippling beneath my skin.

"Master," Azure said, "begin the placement exactly three centimeters above the base point we identified."

With careful movements, I pressed the Meridian Lotus leaf against my chest. The Worldroot pattern began to glow as it made contact with my energized Fundamental Rune.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then I felt it - a sensation like roots burrowing into my very being.

The Worldroot pattern seemed to come alive, its lines flowing like liquid as they merged with my Fundamental Rune. The tree pattern's branches shifted and expanded, creating new pathways that perfectly matched our planned integration points.

"Excellent," Elder Molric murmured, watching the process with narrowed eyes. "Now, try activating the elemental rune. Channel your energy through both patterns simultaneously."

I took a deep breath, aware that this was the moment where things typically went catastrophically wrong for cultivation world protagonists. Still, no point in hesitating - if I was going to explode, better to get it over with.

I channeled energy through the merged patterns, feeling it flow through the new pathways.

There was a moment of resistance, then... nothing. No explosion, no searing pain, just a subtle shift in the quality of my energy.

Where before it had been purely refined red sun essence, now it carried a distinct wood element quality.

I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

"HAHAHAHA!" Elder Molric's laugh boomed through the laboratory as he slapped my back hard enough to make me stumble. "Perfect integration! Though your Fundamental Rune's current capacity for red sun energy isn't quite up to typical Rank 2 standards, your actual abilities won't be any different. The efficiency of energy conversion is what truly matters at this stage."

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He turned away and began rummaging through various scrolls and books scattered across his workbench, muttering to himself. "Now where did I put... no, that's the flesh-melting variant... ah, here it is!"

He emerged triumphantly holding a particularly thick scroll. "My personal compilation of the most useful wood element runes! Took decades to refine these designs."

"Are these standard academy techniques?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Oh no, no," he waved dismissively. "The academy's approved techniques are far too... rigid. These are my own improvements. Much more efficient, though occasionally prone to unexpected side effects." He paused. "Nothing too serious though. Usually."

Why did that not fill me with confidence?

The elder continued, either not noticing or choosing to ignore my skepticism. "Now, these runes have an interesting feature - if activated while focusing on a specific plant, they'll enhance and control that plant. However, if there are no plants available, like in your match against young Tovel, the runes will create temporary constructs!"

I nodded slowly. That could be incredibly useful, though... "I'm guessing construct creation uses more energy?"

"Quite right! And at your current level, any plants you create will be essentially dead matter - you won't be able to properly infuse them with life force until at least Rank 5." He grinned. "Though given your natural affinity for plant manipulation, you might manage it sooner."

That aligned with my plans perfectly. I intended to keep seeds and small vines on me anyway - it would be far more efficient than creating constructs from scratch. Still, having the ability to generate plants in emergencies could be the difference between life and death.

"Now then," Elder Molric spread the scroll across his workbench, revealing dozens of runic designs. "I've selected three runes that should suit your combat style particularly well."

He pointed to the first pattern - a series of flowing lines that reminded me of a coiled whip. "The Vine Whip rune. Generates long, whip-like vines for ranged attacks. The more energy you input, the more vines you can control simultaneously."

I studied the design carefully. It was essentially a more refined version of what I'd been doing instinctively. Having a proper rune for it would definitely improve both speed and efficiency.

"The second," he indicated a compact pattern that somehow managed to look explosive even in its static form, "is the Explosive Seed rune. Creates seeds that detonate either on impact or after a short delay."

"Master," Azure murmured, "that could be quite versatile. Scatter them as traps, use them as distractions, or even enhance existing seeds for surprise attacks."

I agreed. There were many ways we could use them, especially if combined with the Vine Whip rune for delivery.

"And finally," Elder Molric pointed to an elegant pattern that resembled interwoven tree bark, "the Woodweave Seal. It creates a temporary patch of woven wood fibers that can seal and heal wounds."

Now that was interesting. My fight with Kiran had demonstrated just how valuable healing abilities could be. While this obviously couldn't regrow limbs or repair major organs, it would be perfect for dealing with the cuts and puncture wounds that seemed to be so common in battles.

"The inscription process is the same as your enhancement runes," Elder Molric explained. "Though given how long we spent on the Worldroot Conduit, perhaps I should handle these to save time? Then we can move straight to practice."

I wasn't about to turn down expert inscription, especially after seeing how quickly and precisely he'd carved the Aegis Mark.

"Thank you, Master. For the Vine Whip, I'd like it on the back of my right hand." I held up my hand, indicating the spot. "The Explosive Seed here," I pointed to my right index finger, "as small as you can make it."

The elder nodded approvingly. "And the Woodweave Seal?"

"Left side of my chest," I decided. "Easy to access but out of the way of my other runes."

"Good choices," he said, producing his crystal knife. "Now, hold still."

What followed was another impressive display of his skill. Elder Molric's movements were so swift and precise that the cuts barely had time to hurt before he was moving to the next location. In less than three minutes, all three runes were carved and ready for activation.

"Channel your energy," he instructed. "Let's make sure everything is working properly."

I did as he said, sending red sun essence through my Fundamental Rune and into the new patterns. Each one activated smoothly, the marks shifting from bloody cuts to dark red tattoo-like designs.

New Enhancements:

1. Vine Whip

* Type: Wood Element Combat

* Location: Right Hand, Back

* Effect: Generates and controls vine constructs

* Energy Cost: 20 units per vine

* Duration: Maintained

2. Explosive Seed

* Type: Wood Element Combat

* Location: Right Index Finger

* Effect: Creates detonating seed constructs

* Energy Cost: 30 units per seed

* Duration: Until detonation (maximum 15 seconds)

3. Woodweave Seal

* Type: Wood Element Healing

* Location: Left Chest

* Effect: Creates healing wood fiber patches

* Energy Cost: 40 units per use

* Duration: 1 hour or until naturally healed

"Excellent!" Elder Molric clapped his hands together. "Now we can move on to the fun part - learning to use them effectively!"