“Sky-Mending Vine…”


    Lu Qingmo murmured the name of this rare treasure several times under her breath.


    On the white jade plate before her, there were messages relayed by Junior Brother Song. Among them was a clear record of a treasure called the Sky-Mending Vine.


    It was said to mend the flaws of the heavens themselves—capable of repairing any imperfection, transforming the incomplete into the complete, and turning flaws into flawlessness.


    While its effects might be somewhat exaggerated, it undoubtedly belonged to this category of miraculous treasures.


    Lu Qingmo shared the details from the jade plate with Han.


    “Mending flaws…” Han hesitated before responding, “It doesn’t sound like it perfectly suits your situation, Aunt Mo.”


    In fact, Han couldn’t help but think it seemed more fitting for Zuo Tianzheng. Rumor had it that Zuo Tianzheng suffered from a crippled physique, making cultivation a struggle for him.


    Lu Qingmo, on the other hand, had been ravaged by a forbidden technique compounded by the Poison of Impermanence. Her very essence had been tainted, her yin and yang thrown into chaos, and her soul left in disarray.


    Of course, her foundation and potential had also suffered catastrophic damage—nearly depleted entirely.


    The Sky-Mending Vine could be useful, but it wasn’t a precise cure for her condition.


    “You’re right,” Lu Qingmo nodded. “This is just one of the treasures listed in the ancient text Junior Brother Song uncovered—a single piece of the puzzle.”


    “The complete method requires three treasures, refined through masterful alchemy, to produce a single dose of the Celestial Restoration Elixir.”


    “The Celestial Restoration Elixir? What are the other two treasures?” Han pressed.


    Lu Qingmo shook her head. “The ancient cryptic text describing the other two hasn’t been deciphered yet. Junior Brother Song says it’ll take more time.”


    “…”


    “So, this Celestial Restoration Elixir—can we be sure it’ll work for you, Aunt Mo?”


    “If the records in that ancient text are true, then the Celestial Restoration Elixir could completely resolve my issues,” Lu Qingmo said, her eyes glinting with excitement.


    “‘Blessed by celestial might, it restores the true soul—pure as a divine spirit, flawless and untainted.’”


    “It can heal all disorders of the soul, cleanse the corruption of my essence, and repair the damage to my foundation. It could even restore my soul to its original state—or perhaps elevate it to a higher form entirely.”


    “If I can refine this elixir, the fifteen years I’ve lost might even be partially reclaimed.”


    Seeing Lu Qingmo’s barely contained excitement, Han quietly took her hand, offering her strength and comfort to steady her emotions.


    As expected, the gesture immediately shifted her focus, calming her down.


    “We have the method, and your Third Senior Sister is a master alchemist. Now, it’s just a matter of gathering the materials,” Han said.


    “The other two ingredients are still unknown for now, but this Sky-Mending Vine—where do we find it?”


    “Have you heard of it before, Aunt Mo? Did the ancient text mention anything?”


    “I’ve never heard of such a treasure,” Lu Qingmo admitted, “but Junior Brother Song included some details in the information he sent me.”


    Her gaze shifted suddenly, settling on a direction beyond the town.


    “It’s said to grow in sacred lands or hidden paradises. If a sacred land experiences a sudden surge of divine fortune or an upwelling of spiritual energy, the chances of a Sky-Mending Vine appearing increase significantly.”


    “Its exact location is unpredictable—it could sprout at the heart of the sacred land or in some obscure corner.”


    “The vine is three feet, three inches, and three fractions long. Its body is colorless and transparent, with only its edges lined in black. It bears nine leaves—four green, four purple, and one white—each etched with patterns resembling water, fire, wind, earth, and more.”


    “To harvest it, you must dig it up with a golden tool, roots and all, and store it in a jade container. During the process, it must not touch anything other than gold or jade, or its potency will be compromised.”


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    As Lu Qingmo explained, Han followed her gaze toward that same direction.


    A sacred land blessed by divine fortune and brimming with spiritual energy…


    So distant, yet so near.


    Wasn’t that exactly what Black Mountain was right now?


    “Aunt Mo, this is fate,” Han declared.


    “Heaven itself wants you to mend your broken path and reshape your future.”


    “A sacred land touched by divine fortune—at this moment, there’s likely no place in the world like Black Mountain.”


    “It’s a golden opportunity!”


    Lu Qingmo took a deep breath, steadying herself.


    “Whether there’s a Sky-Mending Vine in Black Mountain remains uncertain. It’s only a possibility, not a guarantee.”


    “And as for the other two treasures—what they are, and whether they still exist in this world—that’s even harder to say.”


    She was tempering her own expectations, knowing that the higher her hopes, the greater the potential disappointment.


    “But it’s still a chance—a glimmer of hope,” Han mused after a moment.


    “Though now that I’ve advanced to the Day Roaming realm, I can’t enter Black Mountain anymore. I can’t search for it on your behalf.”


    “Eldest Senior Sister and the others can go in, but they’re a bit underpowered on their own. Plus, Black Mountain is vast—finding a vine just over three feet long in there would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.”


    “So, to hunt for this Sky-Mending Vine, there seem to be only two options right now. The first is to send a large group of cultivators into the mountain to scour it…”


    Han paused, a flicker of recognition crossing his mind.


    Why did this plan feel so familiar?


    “Could Zuo Tianzheng be after the Sky-Mending Vine too?” Han ventured.


    “It’s possible, but not certain,” Lu Qingmo replied, shaking her head. She had no way of knowing.


    “Still, since Junior Brother Song found this in an ancient text, the odds of it being Zuo Tianzheng’s target are probably slim.”


    Slim, but not zero.


    “Let’s hope not,” Han thought silently. The Celestial Restoration Elixir was at stake, and he’d rather not compete with the imperial envoy.


    Not only would it be a hassle, but an extra rival would only shrink their chances of securing the vine.


    “Sending people into Black Mountain isn’t an option,” Lu Qingmo said firmly, dismissing the idea.


    “I can’t justify risking the lives of the Ghost God Division and countless unrelated cultivators just for my own gain.”


    Han agreed wholeheartedly.


    “It’s not a good plan. Dispatching a search party would also risk tipping others off. If word of the Sky-Mending Vine gets out, it’ll only complicate things.”


    Whether or not Zuo Tianzheng was after it, a treasure like this would undoubtedly be valuable to him.


    If he caught wind of it, even if it wasn’t his original goal, he’d likely set his sights on it too.


    “That leaves us with just one option,” Han said, locking eyes with Lu Qingmo.


    They’d arrived at the same conclusion.


    The Black Mountain God.


    If they couldn’t tackle it from the ground up, they’d have to aim for the top.


    “I’ll reach out to the Yun family,” Lu Qingmo said slowly.


    She couldn’t meet the mountain god herself, so the Yun family was her best starting point.


    She glanced at her left hand, where a larger hand rested, gently rubbing hers.


    “Had enough yet?”


    “Just a little longer…” Han grinned sheepishly, reluctantly letting go of her jade-like hand.


    Some things might lead to ruin, but a hand like hers? Never.


    Later, at the martial arts school, Han found a water tank and tossed the magical conch inside.


    As long as there was water, the conch would work.


    Last time, he’d gone to the Yun River to avoid Eldest Senior Sister catching him chatting with the dragon girl.


    But this time was different.


    He had serious business.


    Han asked the dragon girl if she knew anything about the Sky-Mending Vine. Her answer was a no.


    “Do you need it?”


    “Not for me—for a friend.”


    “Oh, a friend,” she replied, her tone teasingly suggestive.


    “I can check the Dragon Palace archives for you, see if there’s any mention of it.”


    “Thanks, and please keep it under wraps.”


    “Don’t worry.”


    After stowing the conch, Han turned—only to spot a head peeking sneakily from behind the door.


    Of course, Eldest Senior Sister had caught him.


    “Little Junior Brother, you’ve been talking to Ao Xuanwei a lot lately, huh?”


    “What, you’re gonna tell me how to live my life now?” Han strode past her with his head held high, unbothered by being busted.


    Bai Ruoyue frowned and charged at him.


    You’re getting too bold!


    That night, Han couldn’t wait to ask Lu Qingmo for updates.


    “Aunt Mo, what did the Yun family say?”


    She sighed. “Well…”


    “The Yun family was cooperative and willing to ask their elders on my behalf.”


    “But their patriarch told me the mountain god isn’t available to meet anyone right now.”


    Han’s mood sank. If they couldn’t meet the god, getting information about the Sky-Mending Vine from it was a pipe dream.


    The Yun family had been gracious and helpful, but their influence in Black Cloud Town was limited—they could only act as a go-between.


    “How about asking the experts from Xuandu Temple to step in and speak to the mountain god directly?” Han suggested.


    Lu Qingmo gave a wry smile. “It’s not about our lack of strength that the god won’t see us.”


    “The Yun patriarch contacted Black Mountain right in front of me. The response was clear: the mountain god isn’t in a state to meet anyone—not even the Yun River Dragon Lord could get an audience.”


    “When the god is ready, if I’m still willing, I can go into the mountain to see it.”


    This was trickier than if the god were simply looking down on them.


    If even the Dragon Lord couldn’t get through, the mountain god’s condition must be dire.


    At this point, there was little they could do.


    They couldn’t exactly drag the Xuandu Temple master over to force the god out, could they?


    “But I did get one piece of news from the Yun family,” Lu Qingmo added. “Next month—or the month after at the latest—the mountain god should be available.”


    “And they hinted that once it’s ready, the god might take some kind of action.”


    “Take action…” Han’s mind drifted to something the dragon girl had told him after the Water Yuan Festival.


    A trial from the mountain god was coming, she’d said—a chance he needed to seize.


    Was this what the Yun family meant? The same thing she’d warned him about?


    “Let me think about what to do…” Lu Qingmo fell into deep thought.


    Han left her to it, heading off to train on his own.


    If only I could still enter Black Mountain with my omniscient view—that would make finding this vine so much easier.


    Now, with his martial arts honed to the visceral level and his soul in the Day Roaming realm, his cultivation had undergone a fundamental leap since the early days.


    If he still had that cheat-like perspective, it would’ve evolved too—wider range, more detailed insights.


    Too bad that advantage had long since expired.


    The next day, an invitation from Zuo Tianzheng arrived at Tai Bai.


    This time, it wasn’t just for Bai Ruoyue to discuss matters—it was for every disciple of the Tai Bai Martial School.


    And the tone was unmistakable.


    Attendance was mandatory.