The morning bell echoed across the Azure Cloud Sect.
Disciples gathered on the training terraces, their voices rising and falling with the sounds of practice. Wooden weapons struck against each other while instructors shouted corrections.
Life inside the sect followed its usual rhythm.
At the edge of the grounds, however, the Outer Sect Library remained quiet.
Inside the Archive Hall, Lin Mo stood near the doorway holding a small cloth pouch.
He looked exactly as he always did—calm, unremarkable, dressed in the plain robes of an outer disciple.
But today was different.
Hidden inside his sleeve was a folded piece of paper containing the sketch he had copied from the travel journal.
Three narrow leaves.
A thin stem.
Spirit Thread Grass.
Lin Mo stepped outside the hall and gently closed the wooden door behind him.
The courtyard was empty.
Most disciples were already busy with their morning training.
That was precisely why Lin Mo had chosen this time.
He walked calmly along the narrow stone path that led away from the library.
Rows of tall cedar trees surrounded the building, their branches swaying softly in the wind. Beyond them, the mountains of the Southern Ridges stretched endlessly into the distance.
Lin Mo slowed his steps as he reached the edge of the sect's outer grounds.
Technically, outer disciples were allowed to explore the nearby forests. Some went hunting for herbs or practicing survival skills.
However, few traveled far.
The deeper mountain regions were dangerous.
Wild beasts lived there.
Sometimes even rogue cultivators appeared.
But Lin Mo had no intention of going too far.
He only needed to search the shaded cliffs near the sect.
After passing through the last row of cedar trees, the stone path gradually faded into a dirt trail.
The air changed immediately.
It smelled fresher.
Cooler.
Thicker with the scent of soil and growing plants.
Lin Mo walked slowly, observing everything around him.
Tall grass rustled in the breeze.
Small birds darted between branches overhead.
Sunlight filtered through the forest canopy, forming scattered patches of light on the ground.
The mountains were peaceful in the morning.
Yet Lin Mo remained cautious.
He had read enough travel records to know that nature in Tianyuan could be deceptive.
Even small creatures sometimes possessed spiritual energy.
After walking for nearly half an hour, the terrain began to change.
The forest thinned.
Rocky slopes appeared along the sides of the trail.
Lin Mo stopped.
According to the journal, Spirit Thread Grass grew near shaded cliffs.
He looked carefully around the area.
A tall rock wall rose a short distance ahead, partially covered in moss and vines.
One side of the cliff remained in shadow, protected from direct sunlight by a cluster of overhanging trees.
Lin Mo approached slowly.
The ground beneath the cliff was damp and cool.
Perfect conditions for delicate plants.
He crouched down and began examining the vegetation.
Many herbs grew between the stones.
Some had broad leaves.
Others were tiny sprouts barely visible among the moss.
Lin Mo searched patiently.
Minutes passed.
Then—
His eyes suddenly paused on something familiar.
A thin plant growing between two cracks in the rock.
Three narrow leaves.
A slender stem.
Exactly like the drawing.
Lin Mo leaned closer.
A faint ripple of spiritual energy surrounded the plant, so subtle that most people would likely ignore it.
But Lin Mo felt it immediately.
His chest warmed slightly.
The First Path inside his body responded.
He had found it.
Spirit Thread Grass.
Lin Mo did not rush.
Instead, he carefully studied the plant first.
The leaves were delicate.
Bright green with faint silver lines running through them.
Just as the journal had described.
Satisfied, Lin Mo gently reached forward and pulled the herb from the ground, roots and all.
The moment it left the soil, a faint cool sensation spread across his fingers.
The spiritual energy inside the plant was weak…
But real.
Lin Mo placed the herb carefully inside the cloth pouch he had brought.
Then he stood and looked around the cliff area again.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
There was not just one plant.
Two more grew nearby.
Most cultivators would have walked past this place without even noticing.
But Lin Mo knelt down again and carefully collected them as well.
Soon the pouch held three small herbs.
That was enough for now.
Lin Mo tied the pouch shut and placed it safely inside his robe.
The wind moved softly through the trees above.
The forest remained calm and quiet.
But Lin Mo knew better than to linger too long.
He turned and began walking back toward the sect.
Behind him, the shaded cliff returned to silence.
Only a few tiny empty spaces in the moss remained where the herbs had once grown.
And somewhere deep within Lin Mo's chest…
The faint warmth of the First Path had grown slightly stronger.
The herb had already begun responding to him.
Tonight…
He would finally test its true effect.