Jin Shu moved swiftly through the dense forest, his every step stirring the eerie silence of the forest, left in the wake of the earlier battle. Broken trees and scorched earth bore witness to the clash of powerful cultivators. The air was thick with residual qi, crackling faintly as it clung to the atmosphere.

His heart pounded as his eyes scanned the devastation for any sign of his mother. He found bodies scattered across the ground—thankfully, all demonic cultivators. The grim scene painted a clear picture of the fierce conflict that had taken place.

“Mother…” he muttered, clenching his fists. His thoughts raced. She’s strong. She has to be okay.

The deeper he ventured into the forest, the clearer the signs of battle became. Pits where explosions had struck dotted the ground, and shattered weapons lay abandoned. Jin Shu's sharp eyes picked out a faint trail of blood leading eastward, but it vanished into the underbrush before he could follow it far.

Just as despair began to creep into his chest, his gaze fell on a glint of metal half-buried in the dirt. He knelt, brushing the soil away to reveal a rose-gold earring.

His breath caught.

“This…” His voice was barely a whisper as he held it up, the design unmistakable. It was the earring he had gifted his mother years ago—a crude attempt at crafting a soaring phoenix that had turned out looking more like a laying chicken.

She had worn it anyway, proudly showing it off to anyone who would listen. The memory of her soft smile as she called it her “prized treasure” made his chest tighten.

For a moment, the world seemed to still. A wave of nausea and panic threatened to overwhelm him. She wouldn’t leave this behind. Not willingly.

Jin Shu forced himself to take a steadying breath. Calm down. Think. She might have dropped it during the fight. That doesn’t mean… He couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought.

He turned the earring over in his hand, his mind racing. The demonic cultivators said she was fighting their leaders. If something happened to her…

He clenched the earring tightly. No. She’s alive. She has to be.

A memory surfaced—his mother mentioning the Immortal Phoenix Sect’s soul jades, used to monitor sect members. If a member died, their jade shattered. If she was alive, it could even guide him to her.

His chest tightened. If I can find her soul jade, I’ll know where she is.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

But the realization brought another problem. He didn’t know where her sect was located. His mother had always been careful about revealing the sect’s location, only mentioning that it was hidden near the border of the southern region, an area infested with demonic cultivators.

Jin Shu straightened, slipping the earring into his pocket. He needed answers, and there was only one person he could turn to now: his father.

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The journey back to Black Mountain City was uneventful, though Jin Shu’s mind was far from calm. He arrived at his home late in the evening, the towering gates lit by lanterns. The guards recognized him immediately and allowed him entry without question.

His father, Jin Chen, was in his forge, hammering a blade over an anvil. He looked up as Jin Shu entered, his expression hardening.

“What do you want so late at night, brat?” He asked as he set aside the glowing blade.

“I need to know where the Immortal Phoenix Sect is located,” Jin Shu said without preface.

Jin Chen frowned, as he leaned back. “Why are you asking about your mother’s sect? Did something happen to her?”

Jin Shu hesitated, then recounted everything—the attack, the battle in the forest, the earring. His father listened intently, his expression growing darker with every word.

When he finished, Jin Chen sighed heavily. Jin Shu could sense the barely suppressed fury beneath his unnaturally calm facade. “The Immortal Phoenix Sect’s location is hidden by a powerful illusion formation. Your mother told me it was necessary to protect the sect from the demonic cultivators in the southern region. I’ve never been there myself, and even if I had, I couldn’t guide you past the formation.”

Jin Shu’s frustration boiled over. “Then how am I supposed to find her? There has to be a way!”

Jin Chen shook his head. “The only ones who can navigate the formation are sect members or those guided by one. Your best chance is Fan Biyu. She’s your mother’s disciple—if anyone knows how to reach the sect, it’s her.”

Jin Shu exhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down. His father was right. Without Fan Biyu, he was at a dead end.

“But she’s in a coma,” Jin Shu muttered, his fists clenching.

“Then your priority should be waking her,” Jin Chen said firmly. “You said you needed a Divine Physician. Then, go see your uncle, he may be able to help. He has access to resources and connections beyond what we can manage here. If anyone can find a Divine Physician, it’s him.”

Jin Shu nodded, his resolve hardening. “I’ll head to the capital first thing tomorrow.”

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That night, Jin Shu returned to Dr. Bai’s courtyard, where Yin’er lay asleep. He had left her here in his rush. He gently picked her up, frowning. Something was off with his mental state. He needed to figure out how to calm his emotions before they drove him to do something reckless.

He carried Yin’er to Fan Biyu’s bedside and sat silently. His gaze fixed on her pale face and the faint rise and fall of her chest were painful reminders of his helplessness.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured as he placed his head into his palms. “I’m useless right now. I couldn’t protect you. I couldn’t protect my mother. I couldn’t even protect my men in my last life.”

He reached into his pocket, pulling out the rose-gold earring. Its soft shimmer caught the moonlight streaming through the window.

“Mother, wherever you are… please hold on,” he whispered. “I’ll bring you back. Both of you.”

Placing the earring back into his pocket, Jin Shu stood. Tomorrow, he had to get ready for what tomorrow would bring.