Yun Qingxue and Jin Lin stood at the edge of a lush, thriving forest.
Faint strains of celestial music drifted from the distance, and a thin veil of white mist obscured the scenery beyond, making it appear ethereal and dreamlike.
“This must be the Divine Realm,” Jin Lin said, turning his head to glance at Yun Qingxue.
“Mo Su said the Cangmu Bamboo grows by the Divine Spring, the Purple Jade Osmanthus thrives amidst the auspicious clouds, and the Red Zhanglan is found near the Divine Prison. We don’t know where we are right now, but judging by how dense the forest behind us is, there must be a water source nearby. Let’s search around first,” Yun Qingxue pondered for a moment before suggesting.
“Alright!” Jin Lin grinned, and the two turned to step into the forest behind them.
The dense foliage, with its verdant leaves, blotted out the sky, and the air within the Divine Realm’s forest was thick with spiritual energy, making it an ideal place for cultivation.
Jin Lin took a deep breath. “Xuexue, the Divine Realm truly is different—it’s brimming with the essence of heaven and earth.”
“Jin Lin…” Yun Qingxue’s face suddenly paled.
The spiritual energy here was too potent. As she inhaled it, the overwhelming energy agitated the Suoling Poison within her, causing a dull ache to spread through her body.
Damn it!
She cursed inwardly, furious at how fragile she had become.
“Xuexue, what’s wrong?” Jin Lin noticed her distress and immediately tensed.
“The dense spiritual energy here… it’s aggravating the poison in my body…” Yun Qingxue gritted her teeth.
Without hesitation, Jin Lin bent down, scooped her up in his arms, and took off into the air.
“Hold on, Xuexue! I’ll get you through this forest right away!”
“Jin Lin… I… I can walk on my own…” Yun Qingxue’s face flushed slightly as she found herself cradled in a princess carry.
“I sense water deep in this forest. Let’s check if the Cangmu Bamboo is there,” Jin Lin replied, showing no intention of putting her down as he swiftly navigated through the trees.
Before long, they arrived near a murmuring mountain spring and waterfall, where birds chirped and insects hummed.
Jin Lin gently set Yun Qingxue down on a clean, flat rock. “Rest here for now, Xuexue. I’ll look around for the Cangmu Bamboo!”
“Be careful,” Yun Qingxue reminded him.
With a smile, Jin Lin began his search.
After a while, he returned to her side, his expression slightly dejected. “Xuexue, there doesn’t seem to be any nearby! There’s a cliff a bit further away—I’ll check there.”
“I’ll go with you!” Yun Qingxue stood up, an inexplicable sense of unease creeping into her heart.
“Alright,” Jin Lin hesitated before nodding.
The cliff was still some distance from where Yun Qingxue had been resting. After all, this was the Divine Realm—what if some idle deity happened to be strolling by?
In any case, Jin Lin wasn’t comfortable leaving her too far behind.
He bent down, ready to carry her again.
“No need, I’m feeling much better now. I can walk on my own!” Yun Qingxue quickly stood up.
The two rode the wind and soon arrived near the cliff, splitting up to search.
According to Mo Su’s description, the Cangmu Bamboo was a plant that grew near the Divine Spring—gray in color, shaped like bamboo, but only the size of an adult’s palm.
Yun Qingxue carefully combed through the grass near the water, afraid of missing even the slightest clue.
If the Cangmu Bamboo wasn’t here, they’d have to search for another Divine Spring in the Divine Realm—a task that would waste precious time. And the longer they lingered, the higher the chance of being discovered by the denizens of the Divine Realm!
“I found it!” Just as Yun Qingxue was meticulously sifting through the undergrowth, Jin Lin’s voice rang out in a hushed, excited whisper.
She looked up to see him standing at the edge of the cliff, peering downward.
Yun Qingxue hurried over and followed his gaze. Below the cliff, mist swirled in thick, white clouds.
On the visible part of the cliff face, a gray, bamboo-like object—about the size of a palm—grew at an angle.
Jin Lin turned to her, flashing a bright grin. “Wait here, Xuexue. I’ll go down and get it for you!”
“Be careful,” she cautioned, but Jin Lin had already leapt off the cliff, riding the wind.
“Ah—!!!” The moment he jumped, Yun Qingxue heard a startled cry.
“Jin Lin!” She rushed to the edge and looked down, but all she saw was a sea of white mist.
The Cangmu Bamboo that had been growing on the cliff was gone.
“Jin Lin, where are you?!” Yun Qingxue shouted frantically into the abyss.
“Damn it! Magic doesn’t work on this cliff! Xuexue, I got the Cangmu Bamboo! Be careful—!”
Jin Lin’s voice grew fainter, and deep within the layers of mist, Yun Qingxue caught a fleeting glimpse of purple light.
“Jin Lin!”
“Jin Lin!” She called out twice more, but there was no response.
With a sigh, she stepped back from the cliff.
Before entering the Divine Realm, the Purple Melody Sage had given each of them a purple jade token, instructing them to use it to return once they’d gathered the herbs.
Neither of them had expected the cliff to nullify magic, so Jin Lin must have activated his token mid-fall and been transported back to the Xuanling Continent.
Now, the remaining two herbs would have to be found by her alone.
Meanwhile, Jin Lin’s mind was a storm of frustration.
He had assumed he could simply ride the wind to the cliff, pluck the Cangmu Bamboo with ease, and be done with it.
But the moment he jumped, he realized—this damned cliff had some kind of power that suppressed his magic!
Thankfully, during the fall, he remembered his mission and managed to grab the Cangmu Bamboo in his panic…
A flash of purple light engulfed him, and after hurriedly shouting a warning to Qingxue, he opened his eyes to find himself back in the Luoyun Mountains.
Jin Lin swiftly made his way to the main peak.
By now, Mo Changxing had already returned with the herbs he’d gathered, and the Purple Melody Sage had also come back from the Underworld with the Green Pearl.
The moment Jin Lin appeared, everyone rushed to surround him.
“Back so soon?” The Purple Melody Sage raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Where’s Qingxue?” Mo Changxing frowned, his worry evident when he didn’t see Yun Qingxue.
“Where’s the Flower King? Did you find all the herbs already?” Mo Su also approached, peering behind Jin Lin.
“Uh…” Jin Lin handed the Cangmu Bamboo to Mo Su and gave an awkward smile, his hopeful gaze shifting to the Purple Melody Sage.
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