Above the clouds.

  After learning of the past through Lin Ge's mother's Heaven Chip, Xia Li couldn't help but think of many things.

  The matter of Shushan Sword Sect, the Mech-Corpse modification, and the list Heaven Alliance had compiled.

  That attitude of "better to kill wrongly than let escape" was chilling.

  Xia Li believed he might now be on Heaven Alliance's list too.

  "Young man, did you learn something?"

  The Third Elder's tone became urgent. He was extremely curious about what had happened back then—it had become his heart's obsession.

  "Yes. Your son and daughter-in-law were both harmed by Heaven Alliance."

  "But if it was just being harmed by Heaven Alliance... my son should have told me the truth!!"

  "There's more to it. Let me put it this way—your daughter-in-law was essentially considered a demonic cultivator where we're from. In the end, to let Lin Ge and her father escape, she used a forbidden technique and transformed into a monster."

  Xia Li tried to explain the past in terms the Third Elder could understand.

  "Demonic cultivator? Then it seems Xiao Ge's bloodline issue really was inherited from her mother. But even if her mother came from the demonic path, in my view she wasn't an evil person."

  The Third Elder was still speaking up for Lin Ge's mother. But the mention of bloodline made Xia Li instantly furrow his brows.

  Mech-Corpse modification wasn't simply mechanical implantation—it was a far more terrifying technology.

  Unfortunately, Lin Ge's mother's Heaven Chip didn't contain much relevant information either.

  "What's the problem with her bloodline?"

  "Her wounds form iron scabs, and her blood crystallizes into a special crystal-iron after coagulating. May I ask what constitution she inherited?"

  The Third Elder viewed Lin Ge's peculiarities as inherited constitution.

  After all, in the cultivation world, possessing a special constitution meant possessing the capital to become strong. No one didn't wish to have a special constitution.

  "Tsk..."

  Xia Li clicked his tongue upon hearing this. This was troublesome.

  Though he still couldn't obtain more information about Mech-Corpse modification, just from the video recording of Lin Ge's mother's final battle, he could see some things.

  Lin Ge's mother extended her hands, watching helplessly as her finger bones gruesomely broke through her flesh. The white bones rapidly changed color, becoming pitch black.

  Then...

  Hardened, steeled!

  Like shedding skin, casting off frail flesh and blood to welcome life-form ascension.

  "Is there a problem?"

  "There is. If this constitution goes out of control, she'll die."

  She'd transform into a Mech-Corpse, becoming a grotesque and terrifying biological weapon.

  "Then what can be done? Young friend, do you have any solution?"

  The Third Elder changed his address in his anxiety—no longer calling Xia Li "young man," directly upgrading to "young friend."

  "I'll have my friend procure some medicine later. Perhaps it can attempt suppression."

  "Thank you!"

  The Third Elder directly bowed to Xia Li. He didn't doubt Xia Li's words.

  Lin Ge couldn't precisely control her constitution, so he normally strictly forbade Lin Ge from anything that might cause injury.

  "Third Elder, please don't thank me yet. I can't guarantee anything about this demonic constitution. I suggest you... prepare yourself."

  Prepare for the possibility of Lin Ge losing control and dying someday.

  "I'm aware. Otherwise I wouldn't be managing her so strictly. You should be the thread of hope Heaven's Mystery Pavilion spoke of."

  "Heaven's Mystery Pavilion?"

  Xia Li was curious why he'd been called a thread of hope by those Heaven's Mystery Pavilion people.

  "Heaven's Mystery Pavilion—a power that claims to know what the world doesn't. I once paid a great price to ask Heaven's Mystery Pavilion, wanting to know what exactly Xiao Ge's constitution was."

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "But Heaven's Mystery Pavilion couldn't divine it either. They only said there would be crisis in the future, and left a Heaven's Mystery Jade on Xiao Ge. The jade would make Xiao Ge hold tight when she encountered that thread of opportunity."

  "So... you understand what I mean, right? You came from her mother's homeland and know about her constitution problem."

  The Third Elder had almost confirmed Xia Li was that thread of hope. He hadn't known how serious Lin Ge's constitution problem was until meeting Xia Li today.

  "I can only say... I'll try my best. Investigating that constitution is dangerous even for me—it's a forbidden matter in my homeland."

  "I'll accompany you there. Who would dare touch you?"

  The Third Elder now emanated a wordless dominance. He'd already lost his son and daughter-in-law—his only granddaughter absolutely couldn't have anything happen to her.

  "You can't go. My homeland is hidden within a secret realm space."

  "So mysterious?"

  "If it weren't mysterious, would you have found nothing in your investigation?"

  "True..."

  The Third Elder lowered his head in contemplation for a moment, then took out a stone pendant from his storage ring and handed it to Xia Li.

  "This is a Three-Aperture Stone Heart. Sealed within are three strikes of my full power, or it can temporarily grant you Void Refining realm power. Young friend, I implore you... please save my granddaughter!"

  The Third Elder lowered his posture considerably.

  "I cannot guarantee you anything. I can still only say I'll try my best."

  "Trying your best is enough, trying your best is enough!"

  The Third Elder nodded. Originally he'd prepared for Lin Ge to quickly cultivate to Nascent Soul, and if that didn't work, abandon her body to inhabit a puppet.

  But if she could keep her body, that would be better.

  Only then could Lin Ge go further, and someday when she met the right person, achieve fulfillment with them.

  Shortly after.

  Xia Li and the Third Elder returned to the Strange Grounds stone stele. Lin Ge was obediently leaning against it waiting.

  "Grandfather, Xia Li, what exactly did you two talk about? Why do you both look so preoccupied?"

  "Could it be... Xia Li, you're my father's illegitimate son left outside, and you're actually my older brother!"

  Lin Ge's imagination ran wild to an absurd possibility—that would explain why she couldn't help but feel close to Xia Li.

  But if that were the case...

  Things seemed somewhat troublesome—falling for her own brother and all.

  "No no no, it's not that outrageous!"

  Xia Li immediately shook his head in denial, then looked toward the Third Elder standing nearby.

  The Third Elder stepped forward and affectionately rubbed Lin Ge's head, his eyes full of doting.

  Lin Ge had encountered her thread of hope. Lin Ge had lost her parents, so this body along with that problematic bloodline were the first and last gift her parents had left her.

  He didn't want Lin Ge to lose these.

  "Xiao Ge, from now on, listen to everything he says. He can resolve your constitution problem."

  "Huh? What a coincidence?"

  "It's not coincidence—it's the thread of hope bestowed by Heaven's Dao. The one that escapes."

  The Third Elder bent down and removed a jade pendant from Lin Ge's waist. The pendant looked utterly ordinary, dull and lusterless.

  Seeing the pendant had become like this, the Third Elder felt quite grateful to Heaven's Mystery Pavilion. Otherwise Lin Ge would have missed this thread of hope that was Xia Li.

  Heaven's Mystery Pavilion—truly a fine Heaven's Mystery Pavilion. The great price he'd paid for this Heaven's Mystery Jade hadn't been wasted.

  "Huh? When did this jade pendant become so ordinary? When did its spirituality dissipate?"

  Lin Ge was also very curious upon seeing the pendant's change. Her grandfather had repeatedly insisted she carry this pendant at all times—she hadn't expected it to finally change today.