At the mountain gate, there was a stone. This stone was likely the key to activating Qingqiu Mountain's Mountain Protection Array. After leaving a Divine Sense imprint, one could sense any cultivator entering Qingqiu Mountain, preventing the unruly from causing trouble. If anyone dared to activate it recklessly, the array would launch and capture them effortlessly.

Brother Jiu waved his hand, indicating he didn't mind.

Wang Mu glanced at the Green Fox Clan girl. He noticed she didn't have a fox tail or anything similar; only her ears had many fluffy hairs, making her look delicate and charming.

Members of the Green Fox Clan were generally very attractive.

After leaving their Divine Sense imprints, they ascended the stairs. At the top, an exquisite small town came into view.

Gazing out, they could directly see the glowing, giant Divine Tree in the center, which resembled an enormous mushroom.

Pink petals danced in the air, emitting a refreshing fragrance sensible even from afar, creating an utterly stunning scene.

Lines of Taoist couples journeyed together, gazing at each other with tender affection, as members of the Green Fox Clan slowly guided them toward the giant Changqing Tree.

"What a view, truly a magnificent sight!" Brother Jiu exclaimed in appreciation. "It's said that the Changqing Tree bears a strange fruit, the Long-term Love Fruit. There's a kind of Divine Wine called 'Three-Life Fate', and its most crucial ingredient is this Long-term Love Fruit!"

"Its potency is no less formidable than the Divine Monkey Brew, perhaps even stronger! It is said that after drinking it, one can recall the romantic destinies of three lifetimes, thus harnessing one's own powerful emotional strength. The stronger the romantic destiny through the lifetimes, the greater the aid the wine provides!"

"At Alcohol Sword Peak, we have the brewing method for 'Three-Life Fate', but we have never been able to obtain this ingredient."

"Now, looking at the Changqing Tree, I wonder if there are any Long-term Love Fruits..."

Brother Jiu, true to his nature as a wine fanatic, thought of this the moment he saw the Changqing Tree.

Wang Mu said, "Since that's the case, why don't we take a trip near the Changqing Tree for a closer look?"

Wang Mu calculated the time. He and Brother Jiu had chatted leisurely on the road, making their progress a bit slow, but Miss Qing Yuan from the Riding Phoenix Clan should have arrived by now.

She should be near the Changqing Tree.

Brother Jiu's eyes lit up, and he nodded with a smile. "Alright."

The two of them joined the line and slowly approached the Changqing Tree.

Around the Changqing Tree, a large gathering of Taoist couples had congregated. There was also a designated viewing area where many Taoist couples who had pledged their romantic destinies stood close, gazing at the Changqing Tree as if waiting for something.

The line of people moved slowly forward. Brother Jiu remained captivated by the Changqing Tree, apparently searching for any sign of Long-term Love Fruits…

When they reached the viewing area, a few Green Fox Clan girls were explaining the Changqing Tree to some Taoist couples.

"Brother, why not ask?" suggested Wang Mu.

"Good point. I'd forgotten we could just ask directly," Brother Jiu said, then went forward to inquire about the Long-term Love Fruit.

"Long-term Love Fruits, ah, they're not so easy to obtain…" the Green Fox Clan girl said with a smile. "One must successfully pledge their romantic destiny beneath the Changqing Tree and obtain the Blue Sea Tide. Only then, based on the couple's romantic bond, will the Changqing Tree grant a Long-term Love Fruit."

The girl pointed to the top of the tree.

"You see, at the very top of the Changqing Tree are three main branches, representing, respectively, the Past Sorrowful Branch, This Life's Intertwined Branch, and the Next life long love branch.

"When making a love wish, if the couple shares deep affection, then the Next life long love branch will light up, symbolizing a bond for the next life. That's what many of you Taoist couples here seek—a continuation of love in the next life.

"The Next life long love branch will release a drop of Flower Dew. This dew is the Blue Sea Tide that many of you Taoist couples desire. With this, you'll be free to travel to the Bibo Sea, where the sea beasts won't attack you."

Hearing this, Brother Jiu nodded.

"If you want the Long-term Love Fruit, then you need This Life's Intertwined Branch to light up," the Green Fox Clan girl continued. "If this branch lights up, it means your romantic bond in this life is extremely strong. It's the Changqing Tree's blessing, signifying an even deeper connection. Only after this branch lights up will there be a Long-term Love Fruit.

"However, to get This Life's Intertwined Branch to light up, if you have participated in the Magpie Bridge Festival, then you must have at least a 'golden-jade match' level of romantic destiny Qi Fortune to make the Changqing Tree light up this branch."

Wang Mu listened. A 'golden-jade match'?

He hadn't seen many of those at the Magpie Bridge Festival.

Wang Mu remembered, Brother Qin… Wait, isn't Brother Qin's Married couple me? Although she really is disguised as a man... But I've already cut ties... Hmm...

"Without the romantic destiny Qi Fortune of a 'golden-jade match' level, unless there's a special marital blessing..." the Green Fox Clan girl said, "otherwise, This Life's Intertwined Branch won't light up, and you'll have no chance at the Long-term Love Fruit.

"Qingqiu Mountain has been open for a long time," the Fox Clan girl said. "No one has been able to light up this branch recently. During the last opening, there were one or two.

"The last one, the Past Sorrowful Branch..." the Green Fox Clan girl said. "To light this one up—the 'past' doesn't just mean the previous life. Rather... if you came to the Changqing Tree in a previous life to pledge your romantic destiny, and in this life, you can continue that destiny under the Changqing Tree, then this branch will light up.

"Being able to continue a former fate for two lifetimes is the best blessing of the Changqing Tree."

The young Green Fox Clan girl looked on with longing. "Unfortunately, many Taoist couples generally can't find each other again in the next life. Either they fall in love with someone else, they're from different clans, they lose their memories, or the gap in their cultivation is too great, and their romantic destiny fades over time...

"That's why it's also called the Bitter Love Branch. In the hundreds of years of my Qingqiu Mountain, the number of Taoist couples who could light up this branch can be counted on one hand...

"If all three branches light up, it means the couple's romantic destiny has reached the highest level—a fated bond across three lifetimes that's hard to break... The Changqing Tree will bestow its greatest blessing. But I haven't really seen this situation much... Many Taoist couples who endure great difficulties to find their past-life lovers come here, only to find their current relationship fraught with hardship. Conversely, some who share a strong romantic destiny in this life had their hearts committed to others in their pasts...

"Anyway, it's hard to say..."

Wang Mu listened thoughtfully.

"Sadly, it looks like I won't be able to get that Long-term Love Fruit," Brother Jiu said, shaking his head. "Looking at this situation, not many people can."

Just as he finished speaking, a faint voice drifted over from not far away:

"Is that so? How do you know if you haven't tried?"

Brother Jiu froze. He hadn't even turned his head, but in the next second, he wanted to run. However, the figure had already appeared in front of him.

"Brother Situ... do you really not want to see me that much?" Qing Yuan stood in the distance, her voice faint. "This is Qingqiu Mountain, and the Changqing Tree is right ahead. Since you've come all this way, if you don't go with me, I'll find someone else... Are you really willing to see that happen?"

Impressive, a killer move, Wang Mu thought.

Brother Jiu, as expected, fell silent. Not having seen it would have been one thing, but facing it now, he was definitely struggling immensely.

He never imagined she would appear here instead of recruiting a son-in-law within her clan...

"Brother, go and try," Wang Mu said. "You told me on our journey here that you like Miss Qing Yuan and have been praising her virtues constantly. Since she's on your mind, you don't need to consider anything else."

"If you can pledge a romantic destiny for your next life, then even if you can't be of the same clan in this life, perhaps you could be in the next?"

Brother Jiu gritted his teeth, looking at the woman before him, hesitating to speak.

After a moment, he sighed and nodded.

There was no helping it; the coincidence was too great...

Hearing this, Qing Yuan's face lit up with joy. She took the arm of Brother Jiu, who looked as conflicted as if he were being led to an execution, and pulled him towards the Changqing Tree ahead.

She turned back to give Wang Mu a thumbs-up, probably to thank him.

Wang Mu watched Brother Jiu's retreating figure, a sudden feeling of schadenfreude rising in his heart.

Look at them, look at all these people tormented and broken by their emotions.

Not like me, a man without emotions.

I don't have this trouble!

Just as he was thinking this, Sea Granny suddenly appeared before Wang Mu. Her voice was solemn as she said:

"Fellow Taoist Wang, I didn't expect you to come to the Changqing Tree as well."

"I would like to ask you for a favor."

"Sea Granny? Please, speak freely," Wang Mu said casually.

"Please go under the Changqing Tree with Little Xi."

"???"

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