Chapter 70

The scorching sun beat down like molten gold, spilling across the experimental desert plots at the edge of the Serenitea Pot. Clusters of resilient sea-buckthorn bushes, their dark brown branches intricately intertwined, locked the shifting sands beneath them firmly in place, building a green Great Wall to withstand the howling winds. Clinging to wooden frames, the modified Iron Thorn Vines—dubbed "Power Vine" and entrusted with Limeng's high hopes—interlaced their deep brown tendrils, their thorns flashing with a metallic, razor-sharp gleam in the fierce sunlight. The air was thick with the scent of dry earth, mingling with a faint, elusive hint of rust. A medicine cauldron sat atop a simple earthen stove, firewood crackling beneath it. Inside the pot, brown medicinal liquid rolled violently, sending up steam laced with a bitter and slightly numbing sensation. Limeng and Baizhu stood side by side, brows furrowed, staring at the turbid liquid in the cauldron. Holding a slender silver needle, Limeng carefully probed into the boiling concoction. A moment later, he withdrew it; the tip was startlingly coated with an ominous layer of pitch black.