From his words, it appears that the old man had no interest in Emery's Wolf Bloodline gene, and instead in the mutation that had happened within.
While his pair of eyes were still completely fixed at it, the old man spoke.
"Well, I'm sure that the wolf gene still has some part in this wonder of a mutation."
He then tore his gaze off the serum and looked at Emery. "So… young man, are you willing to sell this serum to me? This rank 8 plant-based mutation gene is really hard to find."
Emery was still amazed by the surroundings and things inside the house, this made him wonder if it has some connection with the mutation within his blood gene, hence instead of answering, he asked another question.
"Senior, may I know what you are researching the mutation for?"
Emery was prepared to be replied with a harsh response when that question got out of his mouth. After all, asking about their research was generally offensive to some apothecarist, especially in this case where the other party is, supposedly, a grandmaster.
But the old man didn't seem to be offended by his question as he had an understanding smile on his face. Then he took out a seed from his pocket. It was such an ordinary-looking seed that looked like a small peanut.
"Young man, I know you have excellent proficiency in nature element. So, answer this question of mine." The old man extended his hand towards Emery and said, "Can this seed be considered a lifeform?"
This unexpected question evidently caught Emery and Silva off guard, as both of them simultaneously fell silent. Emery, of course, quickly went into contemplation and tried to give the best possible answer.
It was known that the essence of the plant element is life itself. If there was no life, then the vibrant grasses and lust trees would not grow and would be no more. Therefore, even though it was currently still a mere seed, it certainly had a glint of life in it.
As a result, Emery answered confidently with "Yes".
When he heard Emery's answer, the old man let out a slight smile. He then cast a spell and suddenly small and big cracks appeared on the seed.
From within the cracks, a tiny leaf poked out like a newborn baby, followed by a few more leaves, then stems and roots. Within seconds, the seed had transformed and turned into a small plant.
In that moment, Emery could clearly feel 'life' shining out of the plant. The brilliance it exuded as the seed bloomed into a plant.
The old man, however, was still not finished yet as he continued to speak.
"Now, answer this question: "Now how can plants be considered different from animals in terms of life?"
Emery was once again deep in thought. A moment of silence ensued, but the old man didn't seem to mind it at all. He simply smiled when he saw the contemplating expression on Emery's face and calmly waited for his answer.
Other than a more advanced and complex motoric function that allowed the former to move freely and a better ability to communicate with their kin, animals and plants were actually and essentially still the same - a life.
"They are the same," replied Emery in a confident tone.
The old man's smile widened a little, and this time he cast a stronger spell and the plant began to change again. It grew to double its initial size before slowly but surely turning into a certain shape.
Emery seemed to see the faint images of limbs being created, and within a few minutes, a wooden figure the size of an arm formed on the ground next to the old man.
When he saw this marvelous process of creation, Emery immediately assumed that the spell used was similar to that of Summon Golem or Summon Tree shown by the witch Meave in the past.
The plant-turned-wooden figure was able to move on command just like any other summon; this much Emery understood. However, he also knew that the old man certainly hadn't finished whatever he was doing right now.
The old man this time asked in a serious tone.
"Now, what about humans? What differentiates this plant and humans in general?"
By this point, the question had become harder to answer, and Emery was silent causing Silva to be the one trying to answer.
"The difference lies in intelligence and the higher level of consciousness."
The old man smiled and didn't agree nor refute Silva's answer. It was clear that he was still waiting for an answer from Emery, who was still thinking.
"Do you agree with that, young man?"
Emery knew and understood that Silva's answer was right, but at the same time, he also felt that it was not completely right. He closed his eyes in order to contemplate deeper, then his mind suddenly thought about the essence of [Nature Grasp] and then remembered the warmth he always felt within.
"The higher level, no, should I say a higher state of consciousness is right, but this answer is only half true. In order to be us, humans, one needed to know about what made humans human; …feelings."
Emery looked the old man in the eye and continued, "Anger, grief, regret, joy, and many other emotions; combined with intelligence, they created choices, a free will. That is what differentiates that plant from humans."
The old man's smile became much wider that it now could clearly be seen. "Good, good answer. It seems you are already halfway through understanding the essence of the soul."
He then did a simple gesture with his hand, and immediately, one of the vials on the table nearby flew into the air and uncorked its cap by itself. The green liquid in the vial floated out and slowly made its way towards the plant-turned-wooden figure.
Then, he raised his finger and a drop of blood shot out of it and merged into the liquid.
As the green liquid seeped into the wooden figure, the old man cast another spell, and within a minute, Emery could feel a certain explosion of life force occurring within the wooden figure.
The next moment, the limbs of the wooden figure twitched and began to move as if awakened from a deep sleep.
Both Emery and Silva could clearly see that the wooden figure looked terrified as it frantically turned its head left and right. Fortunately, the wooden figure began to calm down and looked comfortable when the old man pulled it into his arms.
This entire process brought an inconceivable impact on Emery's mind, and he involuntarily closed his eyes. It was as if at that moment, he just received an epiphany, enlightenment, a newfound understanding.
This assumption was quickly proven when Emery saw a notification appear in his mind.
[Spirit force has increased]
Emery felt there was built-up energy within, unfortunately, there was a wall that stopped him to advance. Knowing this is not the time or place to take care of his cultivation development, Emery opened his eyes and what greeted him was an appreciative smile on the old man's face.
"Very good, you managed to learn the basic understanding of the law of nature."
Still amazed by the process, Emery asks "Senior, please tell me what you just did with the plant."
The old man look him in the eye and said
"The majority call it a mutation, but I prefer to call it an evolution, or for this case a metamorph. With the right spell and ingredients, we can enhance and evolve a life even as tiny as a seed. This is what I am currently researching."
The old man looked at Emery and smiled. "So young man, will you sell this serum to me?"