leaving the Cloud Clan, Lu Qingmo’s first words caught Han off guard.


    “I’m planning to take Yun Duo as my official disciple.”


    “What sparked this all of a sudden?” Han asked, puzzled.


    Lu Qingmo shook her head. “It’s not exactly sudden. She’s been my nominal disciple all along, but with my personality, I wouldn’t just leave her hanging. We’ve been together three years—I know her well. Making it official feels like the natural next step.”


    When Han first met Yun Duo, she’d already been with Lu Qingmo for two and a half years—back in the [Great Thousand Immortal Tree] days. Now, that had stretched to three.


    “Official disciple, huh? That’s great,” Han said. “Yun Duo’s solid—good talent, good character.”


    He had no qualms with Lu Qingmo’s decision; it seemed like a win all around.


    “Have you told the Cloud Clan head?” he asked.


    “Not yet,” she replied. “But three years ago, when Yun Duo came to apprentice, we talked about it—start her as a nominal disciple, then see how she does. It’s been in the cards since then.”


    “Got it,” Han said, piecing it together. Today’s events likely nudged her decision along. The Cloud Clan hadn’t guaranteed a Sky-Mending Vine, but their willingness to help showed sincerity. Taking Yun Duo officially wasn’t a quid pro quo—Lu Qingmo bringing it up now meant she’d do it regardless of the vine.


    Nominal versus official disciple? Night and day, especially with Lu Qingmo’s clout. Becoming her official disciple meant Yun Duo would truly join Xuandu Temple, part of Great Qi’s state religion—an identity the temple would recognize. As a nominal disciple, she’d only been tied to Lu Qingmo, not the temple itself. Claiming that title back then could’ve landed her in hot water.


    Some lax masters took dozens, even hundreds of nominal disciples, barely caring if they lived or died—unfazed even by their murders. A saying floated around the cultivation world: Nominal disciples aren’t real disciples. That’s the general vibe—exceptions aside. A good master might still mentor a nominal disciple seriously, like Lu Qingmo with Yun Duo.


    “I’ll check with the Cloud Clan,” Lu Qingmo added. “If they’re on board, when I leave Black Cloud Town, I’ll take Yun Duo with me back to Xuandu Temple.”


    “Take her with you…” Han froze.


    Master and Senior Sister were leaving. Aunt Mo and Yun Duo too. And Bai Tian’s plans for Shen Long and the others—if those sent them far off… When that day hit, they’d all be gone. Just him left.


    A tangle of emotions stirred, but Han masked it, shifting gears. “Aunt Mo, I’ve got a suggestion—not sure if I should say it.”


    “Spit it out.”


    “If you’re taking Yun Duo to Xuandu Temple, I don’t think she’s the best fit as your disciple.”


    Lu Qingmo frowned. “Not a fit for me?”


    “Yeah,” Han nodded. “I feel like she’d vibe better with your junior brother—Song, right? Didn’t you say he’s all about mastering crafts?”


    “They’d make a perfect master-disciple pair, don’t you think?”


    “…” Lu Qingmo opened her mouth, then shut it, stumped. He had a point.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    She knew Yun Duo’s quirks and passions inside out after three years—better than Han did. He didn’t even know Yun Duo once asked her how to whip up bizarre concoctions, leaving Lu Qingmo flustered. Stuff like beast dung experiments? She had zero clue. But for her century-plus-old, white-haired, bushy-bearded Junior Brother Song? That was child’s play—he’d been there, done that.


    Lu Qingmo mulled it over, seriously weighing whether to hand Yun Duo off. Finally, she shook her head. “No, I’ll take her as my official disciple. She can learn from Song later if there’s a chance, but apprenticing under him directly? Not happening. Her talent doesn’t match his. If she gets too distracted by crafts, it’ll hold her back. Cultivation rank’s what matters most.”


    Unless you’re a freak of nature, stick to the grind and climb the ladder.


    She headed to the Ghost and Spirit Division; Han returned to Tai Bai, breaking the news about the Mountain God’s end-of-month test.


    “Sweet!” Bai Ruoyue rubbed her hands, hyped. “We’ve got to flex Tai Bai’s rep hard!”


    With so many out-of-towners around, a strong showing from Tai Bai’s disciples could spread their name across states—her dream come true.


    “Mountain God’s test…” Shen Long’s eyes lit up. “Wonder what perks we’ll get.”


    “Ten-odd days left—not sure I’ll hit Visceral Realm in time,” Su Changan mused.


    “Might be better staying at peak Sinew,” Zhang Yuantao said with a grin. “If you break through, you’re just starting Visceral. If the test’s tier-based, peak Sinew could give you an edge.”


    The crew nodded. “Makes sense.”


    Han laughed. “We don’t even know what the test is yet. Just go with the flow—break through if it’s time. No need to hold back on purpose.”


    Bai Tian strolled over. “Any word on this quake?”


    “Nope,” Han said. “Cloud Clan’s not going in—unlike last time.”


    Bai Ruoyue pouted. “Thought I’d tag along with Little Junior Brother to snag treasures again.”


    “…” Han sighed. “Senior Sister, that was gut instinct—not a sure thing this time.”


    [God’s Perspective] was gone—he couldn’t waltz into Black Mountain with a sack for loot anymore. Good thing this third quake wasn’t a repeat of the second. Missing out on stuffing his pockets with rarities would’ve stung. Less profit’s a straight-up loss.


    “I believe in you—you’ll pull it off,” she insisted.


    Enough with the blind fan-girl hype.


    Bai Tian added, “Shenhua Sect’s been by more than once lately. They’re big on you—really pushing for you to join their backers.”


    Han’s lack of Xuandu Temple ties wasn’t hush-hush. A wild prodigy like him? Everyone except Heavenly Dragon Sect was drooling to recruit him. No bad blood? Befriend and woo him—step one. Once he picked a side, attitudes would shift. Join Mo Clan of the state capital’s four families, and the other three, former buddies, would turn hostile—eyeing him as a threat, grudge or not. Position and profit dictated the game.


    Han wouldn’t touch the four families—True Blood Yin Spirit-tier groups knew they couldn’t lure him anyway. But their backers? That’s the real play. You don’t sit at that table without connections.


    “What’s their offer?” Han asked, intrigued.


    “True Seed status, martial and sorcery rewards, apprenticeship under Yellow Spring or Earth-Piercing masters, resource stipends,” Bai Tian said with a chuckle. “They’d take Shen Long and the gang too—second-tier treatment below True Seeds. If I’m in, they’d roll out the red carpet: top elder perks and support to grow Tai Bai.”


    Han frowned. “That’s it? Kinda skimpy.”


    “If I joined some faction not even here, they’d dig up my creds and slap True Seed on me anyway. Masters? Someone’d take me. Shen Long and them? Their talent’d clear big sect trials for inner disciple slots on their own. You joining them? They’d be the ones cashing in. Weak sauce—zero sincerity.”


    If he trekked to Eastern Zhou’s Saints’ Academy, the perks would blow his mind. Bai Ruoyue piped up, “Little Junior Brother, your standards are sky-high!”


    Bai Tian smiled. “Suzhen Palace is off-limits, Heavenly Dragon won’t touch you. Other factions lag behind those two—this is their ceiling. What, you want them to name you heir on the spot?”


    “If they threw that in, I’d think about it,” Han quipped. Laughter erupted.


    “Dream big, huh?” Bai Ruoyue clapped. “For the Mountain God test, we’ve got days left—grind hard, everyone! Let’s show Tai Bai’s flair. Oh—keep it under wraps, just us.”


    “No worries, Senior Sister—we’ve got it,” they assured. Yun Yuannan pulling Han aside was a clear favor—fueling their training with extra hype.


    Night fell. Han sat before the Three Yin Cauldron, diving into alchemy—no interruptions, solid vibe, decent haul. No fire-wood affinity nonsense here—just cultivators with flames could hack it; martial artists too, later on. Alchemy hinged on fire, mental focus, control, perception, and tradition. Han’s yang fire was elite; Three Yin Mountain God’s legacy was plenty. The rest? Talent helped, but cultivation was king. At his level, he picked it up fast.


    In his room, Han eyed the Marvelous Tree hovering before him, lost in thought. Beside the branch bearing the Righteous Sword, a new knob had sprouted. He’d seen this before—the first branch started the same. But he hadn’t fed it anything lately…