After arriving at Elder Yu Yufan's courtyard, the two of them immediately noticed the colorful spiritual vine placed in the center. The vine's surface was mottled with withered yellow spots, which had begun spreading upward from the roots. The vibrant hues it once emitted had dulled to a lifeless tone.
"A few days ago, this vine suddenly caught a strange disease. Yellow patches began spreading from its roots," Yu Yufan explained.
"It's a shame," Shui Huanmeng said softly, her eyes filled with pity as she looked at the vine, now over two centuries old. "For a Blazingvine to grow to this age is no easy feat. Leaf-blight… how unfortunate."
To Chen Jinshu, it was her first time seeing such a beautiful spiritual vine. Its leaves and tendrils were all multicolored, like a rainbow. Now, those bright colors were blemished with sickly yellow patches—like a once-perfect painting smudged with stains.
"Can Elder Huanmeng cure it?"
"There are many causes of leaf-blight. We'll need to assess the plant's condition carefully," Shui Huanmeng replied, motioning for Chen Jinshu to help examine it.
Chen Jinshu stepped forward, giving Elder Yu Yufan a respectful nod before beginning her inspection. She noticed the vine's surface was coarse, with faint, uneven bumps dotting it—subtle, but present. After a moment of close observation, Shui Huanmeng identified the cause.
"Did you notice anything, disciple?"
"There are strange bumps on the vine… as if something's been draining it."
"Sharp eyes," Shui Huanmeng nodded. "If you ever come across something like this again, the first step should be using a detection spell."
She muttered a light incantation and flicked a thread of pure white spiritual energy from her fingertips. It landed on the vine and began swiftly sweeping over its surface.
"Ah—tiny pests have been sucking away its vitality!"
"Elder Yu, this situation is far better than expected. The vine is suffering from an infestation of minute spirit parasites—so small they resemble fine dust. Once cleared, it just needs some recovery medicine."
"Truly? I take great care of my vine… How did it get infested?" Elder Yu sighed with relief, though a furrow remained on his brow.
"Even the best care can't prevent everything. The soil, the spirit fertilizer—any of these could be the culprit."
Moments later, Shui Huanmeng cast a cleansing spell over the vine, purging the invisible pests. Then she poured a special tonic around the vine's roots. The vine's colors visibly began to return before their eyes.
"Many thanks for your help, Elder Huanmeng."
Elder Yu retrieved a small, vibrant segment of vine from his storage pouch as payment.
"This was left over from the last harvest. Please accept it as a token of thanks."
"Gladly," Shui Huanmeng accepted it with a small smile, quickly masking her excitement.
Blazingvine was a valuable material—useful for both artifact crafting and alchemy. In artifacts, it could give a faint hallucinogenic property. In alchemy, it could be used to refine Illusion-Breaking Pills, useful against illusion spells. Afterward, the two of them rode a Firefeather Crane back to the Pill King Hall.
"I have a few more rounds of the alchemist examination to supervise. You go back and organize what you learned today," Shui Huanmeng instructed. "Also, be sure to master the new spells I taught you."
Chen Jinshu nodded and left once her master departed. Halfway back, the token at her waist trembled faintly. She quickly sent a thread of spiritual energy into it, activating the communication function. The voices of her Sixth Senior Brother and Seventh Senior Sister came through.
"Done with your outing? Come by the Spirit Cuisine Hall if you can—Senior Brother's buying medicinal meals!"
"Thank you, Senior Brother! I just got back with Master. I'll head over now."
Though the outing hadn't been exhausting, taking in so many healing procedures left her mentally fatigued. A medicinal meal sounded like just the thing she needed.
Last time, it had boosted her spiritual energy significantly. If she was lucky, this meal might help her break into the sixth level of Qi Refining—a critical advantage for the upcoming Outer Sect Tournament.
With renewed motivation, she changed course and headed straight for the Spirit Cuisine Hall. In a quiet corner of the dining hall, she found her Sixth Senior Brother and Seventh Senior Sister already seated.
"Greetings, Senior Brother, Senior Sister," she greeted with a warm smile.
"No need to be so formal—come sit. The meal's almost ready."
She nodded and sat beside her senior sister.
"So, what did you think of today's trip with Master?"
"Master is so knowledgeable… I feel like I can't keep up. I just hope to one day follow in her footsteps."
"She's lived over a hundred years—naturally she's knowledgeable," her senior sister smiled. "But you're not bad either. You're the only one among us chosen to become a spiritual plant healer."
"But Sixth Senior Brother is amazing with plant arts. Why didn't Master choose him?"
"That's not Master's fault," he chuckled. "I just don't have talent in spiritual resonance. I'm decent at cultivation and raising spirit plants, but when it comes to being a healer… I simply can't grasp it."
"I see," Chen Jinshu said with some regret.
Soon, a servant disciple brought over three bowls of medicinal cuisine. Chen Jinshu noticed this dish was different from the one she had last time.
"This is a new one Master researched—more potent than the last," Dai Yuzhu said with a slight pout. "I'm not talented enough to benefit from it, so I'll just enjoy Senior Brother's generosity."
"What kind of dish is it?" Chen Jinshu asked curiously.
"It's called Phoenix Essence. The ingredients are expensive. I couldn't afford it myself," she sighed.
"You're joking, right?" Chen Jinshu turned to Sixth Senior Brother.
"Not at all. If you ever want more, just let me know," he said kindly.
"Really? Thank you, Senior Brother!" Dai Yuzhu immediately perked up.
"Eat it while it's hot," Wen Yushu smiled. "Give it a try, Junior Sister."
Chen Jinshu took one bite—and her eyes widened in shock. The surge of spiritual energy in that one bite was equivalent to a week of cultivation. As she swallowed, the lotus mark on her forehead lit up, instantly absorbing the energy.
"Oh, by the way, are you participating in the Outer Sect Tournament?"
"Yes," Chen Jinshu nodded.
"This one's bigger than usual," Wen Yushu said seriously. "The Xuanming Cave Heaven will open this year. The sect's rewards will be incredible. There's one prize you must aim for—the Moon Cleansing Pool slot."
"Moon Cleansing Pool?" It was her first time hearing the name.
"It's a special spiritual pool that opens once every century. Our ancestors crafted it after settling here. It's best to enter before reaching Foundation Establishment—it can purify your spiritual roots, enhance energy absorption, and improve overall cultivation potential. Everyone who's entered it has had exceptional achievements later."
"I wanted to enter it back when I joined the tournament," Dai Yuzhu said, biting into her meal, "but it wasn't the right year. You're really lucky this time."
Back then, she missed out on everything—the Xuanming Cave Heaven, the Moon Cleansing Pool, all the resources. No wonder her cultivation had stagnated at early Foundation Establishment.
Hearing all this, Chen Jinshu felt a mix of joy and anxiety. Her cultivation wasn't high. Competing for that rare slot among hundreds of disciples would be a true uphill battle.