Descendant of an Old Friend? The Kirin's Orphan!

"Descendant of an old friend? A token? Taking a disciple?"

Xuanwei clutched the message sent by Eldest Senior Brother Daoist Duobao, feeling as though his (nonexistent) heart was about to burst from this string of question marks. In this Primordial World, aside from the Interception Sect senior brothers and sisters he had only recently met, and that old turtle who treated him like a long-term caretaker, where did he have any "old friends"? And descendants, at that? He could not even figure out whether this wisp of immortal qi of his had a "past"!

Could that project manager from my past life, the one who worked me to death with overtime, have transmigrated too? And even left descendants? Impossible! With his genes, the only thing he could produce would be PPT sprites! Xuanwei frantically mocked inwardly as he rode his escape light toward the Outer Sect Affairs Hall, filled with doubts and a prayer that this would not turn out to be another huge headache.

The moment he arrived outside the Affairs Hall, he saw quite a few Outer Sect disciples gathered around to watch the excitement, pointing into the hall and talking among themselves. Xuanwei was something of a celebrity in the Interception Sect by now, and upon seeing him arrive, the crowd automatically parted to make way.

Upon entering the hall, he found Daoist Duobao seated sternly in the seat of honor. Below him stood a duty deacon, and beside the deacon was a youth who looked around thirteen or fourteen in human years. He wore coarse linen clothes and had a somewhat frail build, yet his gaze was exceptionally stubborn and resolute.

The boy's face was still childish, but there was a gloom between his brows that did not belong to someone his age. What drew the eye most was his short crimson hair, flickering like flames, and the faint yet incomparably pure and heavy... earth-element origin aura subtly emanating from his body.

Xuanwei's gaze instantly fixed upon that earth-element origin aura, and his heart—his consciousness core—gave a violent leap! This aura... he knew it far too well! Though much weaker and utterly different in quality, the core meaning of "bearing," "nurturing," and "guarding" came from the same source as the Wutu Source Core within him!

The Kirin Tribe! This was the aura of the Kirin Tribe!

Could it be... In an instant, Xuanwei recalled the jade-white Kirin skeleton deep within the earth veins, as well as the remnant soul of the Kirin Tribe's Earth-Guarding Elder, Mo Xuan! Was this the Kirin descendant he had spoken of?!

Just as Xuanwei was stunned, the red-haired youth saw him as well. The boy's eyes abruptly lit up with a complex gleam mixed with excitement, anticipation, nervousness, and a trace of determination. With a thump, he dropped to his knees and raised an object high in both hands, his voice choked with emotion yet incomparably firm.

"This junior is Mo Yuan. Bearing my ancestor's token, I greet Senior Xuanwei! I beg Senior to accept me as a disciple, teach me the Great Dao, and protect my clan!"

What he held in his hands was a small, jade-warm fragment that emitted a faint Wutu glow—it was one of the smaller bone fragments left behind when Mo Xuan's Kirin skeleton had completely dissipated after Xuanwei made his Great Dao Oath! At the time, Xuanwei had felt that it contained a trace of Mo Xuan's protective will and the Kirin Tribe's aura, so he had casually kept it. Later, with so many things happening, he had almost completely forgotten about it!

Yet today, this youth calling himself Mo Yuan had come to his door holding that fragment as a "token"!

Daoist Duobao's gaze also fell upon the bone fragment and Xuanwei, carrying a questioning look.

Xuanwei drew a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. He walked before Mo Yuan without immediately taking the fragment, instead asking in a deep voice, "Your name is Mo Yuan? You say this is your ancestor's token? How can you prove it? And how did you find this place?"

Mo Yuan raised his head, his crimson eyes filled with sincerity and grief. "In reply to Senior! This junior bears the last bloodline of the Kirin Tribe's Earth-Guarding branch! This object is a fragment of the sacred remains left behind when my ancestor, Earth-Guarding Elder Mo Xuan, fell. It contains my ancestor's unyielding protective will and my clan's origin aura. There can be no mistake!"

He paused, and a trace of remembrance and pain flashed through his eyes. "Since the Dragon-Han Calamity, my clan has declined and scattered. Since childhood, this junior and a small number of clansmen have hidden deep within the volcanoes of the southern wilderness, barely surviving. A month ago, the sole remaining elder of our clan, before passing away, burned his bloodline with his final strength and used our clan's secret art, 'Passing the Flame,' to sense that the aura of our ancestor's sacred remains fragment had reappeared in the world. It vaguely pointed toward Kunlun Mountain and Golden Ao Island. He said that the bearer of this fragment had once sworn to protect our clan..."

"Before his death, the elder entrusted this fragment, which he had treasured for many years, to this junior and ordered me to seek you out! He said... he said this was our clan's final hope!" Mo Yuan's voice carried a sob, yet his back remained ramrod straight. "This junior traveled through countless hardships, evaded the pursuit of innumerable members of the Demon Race and unknown forces, and only then finally reached this place! I beg Senior, for the sake of your old bond with Ancestor Mo Xuan, to take this junior in and give my clan a chance at survival!"

As he spoke, he heavily knocked his head against the ground. His forehead struck the cold jade floor with a dull thud.

Xuanwei fell silent.

He looked at the ragged youth before him. His cultivation was only equivalent to the Qi Refining Spirit Transformation stage—the bottom rung of the Primordial World—yet he carried the last hope of his entire race upon his shoulders. Xuanwei felt a tumult of conflicting emotions.

His Great Dao Oath still rang in his ears. He had indeed promised to protect the Kirin Tribe's surviving bloodline when it was within his power. He simply had not expected this karma to arrive so quickly, and in such a manner.

Accepting a disciple? He himself was only a half-baked Heavenly Immortal, having barely reached his current level through the system and all sorts of fortuitous encounters. What qualifications did he have to teach a disciple? Especially one bearing Kirin blood and entangled in the karma of the Dragon-Han Calamity—a veritable hot potato?

But if he refused? Looking into the near-desperate hope in the boy's eyes, recalling the relieved entrustment of Mo Xuan's remnant soul before it faded, as well as the benefits brought by the Wutu Source Core that had merged into his origin... he truly could not harden his heart. A Great Dao Oath was no joke, and he could not bear the consequences of breaking it.

Daoist Duobao saw Xuanwei's hesitation and slowly spoke. "Xuanwei, this child's words concern ancient karma and are no trivial matter. Decide for yourself. If you accept him, you must bear his karma and guide him toward good. If you do not, you must still settle him properly and fulfill your oath."

Those words gave Xuanwei an out while also making the crucial point clear: whether he accepted Mo Yuan or not, he still had to take responsibility.

Xuanwei looked at Mo Yuan, who remained kneeling on the ground with his body faintly trembling, and sighed. So be it. Whether fortune or disaster, disaster could not be avoided. Since karma had come knocking, he would take it on! Another disciple... perhaps he would gain another helper to run errands and earn Contribution Points?

He stepped forward and bent down to help Mo Yuan up. Beneath his thin frame, Xuanwei could sense astonishing resilience and the power of that pure Wutu bloodline.

"Your name is Mo Yuan, correct?" Xuanwei tried to make his voice sound gentle—his immortal qi fluctuations steady. "I do have a connection with your ancestor Mo Xuan, and I once swore to protect the Kirin Tribe. Since you have come to find me, I will not ignore you."

At those words, brilliant light erupted in Mo Yuan's eyes. So excited that he was about to kneel again, he was quickly held back by Xuanwei.

"However," Xuanwei continued, his expression turning solemn, "taking a master is no trifling matter. My cultivation is still shallow, and I fear delaying your future. You may remain by my side as a registered disciple for now and cultivate under me. Once your foundation is stable and your temperament has matured, we can hold the formal disciple-taking ceremony. What do you say?"

This was the decision he had reached after careful consideration. A registered disciple had the title, while the burden of teaching was not quite so heavy, leaving room to advance or retreat. He could first observe the lad's temperament and potential.

Mo Yuan was clearly somewhat disappointed, but he quickly rallied. Being allowed to stay at Xuanwei's side was already tremendous news! He bowed again. "Disciple Mo Yuan greets Teacher! This disciple shall obey Teacher's instructions!"

"Mm." Xuanwei nodded, officially acknowledging this registered disciple. He then turned to Daoist Duobao. "Eldest Senior Brother, what do you think...?"

Daoist Duobao gave a slight nod. "Since this is your karma, handle it yourself. This child may be temporarily entered into the Outer Sect registry under your name. His necessary provisions shall be drawn according to the standard allocation for Outer Sect disciples."

"Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother!" Xuanwei thanked him, inwardly letting out a breath of relief. At least he had dealt with this matter for now.

Leading his freshly acquired registered disciple, Mo Yuan, Xuanwei left the Affairs Hall beneath the envious gazes of the Outer Sect disciples—envious that the boy had latched onto a personal disciple's support—and their curious stares over the red-haired youth's origins. They returned to Xuanwei's cave abode... or rather, the Medicine Garden beside it. He had not even settled into his own grotto-heaven yet, so it was inconvenient to bring anyone there for the time being. Besides, the Medicine Garden needed someone to help tend it—rebuild it, more like.

Upon returning to the wrecked Medicine Garden, Mo Yuan looked at the damaged Spirit Fields and the earth veins that had yet to fully settle. Surprise flashed through his crimson eyes, but he sensibly did not ask any questions.

Xuanwei briefly explained the situation to him, leaving out the Light Cocoon and Black Tortoise Egg, then pointed at the land that needed to be reclaimed. "For now, you will live here and help me tend the Medicine Garden. If there is anything you do not understand in cultivation, you may ask me. These are the introductory section of the Supreme Pure Immortal Method and the foundational formula of the Nine Tribulations Earth-Guarding Body. You bear Wutu blood, so cultivating the latter should yield twice the results with half the effort."

He handed Mo Yuan two jade slips inscribed with the foundational techniques. Since he had taken on a disciple—even if only a registered one—he could not teach him nothing. The Nine Tribulations Earth-Guarding Body was a secret art of the Kirin Tribe, so this was simply returning it to its rightful owner while drawing them closer.

Mo Yuan accepted the jade slips. Feeling the familiar bloodline resonance within the Nine Tribulations Earth-Guarding Body, his eyes immediately reddened. He deeply bowed to Xuanwei once more. "Thank you, Teacher, for granting me this method! This disciple will surely cultivate diligently without cease and never disappoint Teacher's great expectations!"

Seeing Mo Yuan so full of drive and gratitude, Xuanwei felt a small sense of accomplishment at being a "teacher." Perhaps... taking a disciple was not so bad? At the very least, he now had labor for rebuilding the Medicine Garden!

He arranged for Mo Yuan to familiarize himself with the surroundings and level the land, while he himself walked aside to plan his next steps. The opportunity of the Supreme Pure Dao Comprehension Pool had to be used as soon as possible, and breaking through to the Golden Immortal realm could not be delayed. Yet before entering seclusion, he had to settle these "ancestors" and "disciple" at home.

The Light Cocoon needed a stable supply of Chaos Qi. The three Black Tortoise Eggs also required Chaos Qi and vitality of the wood element. Mo Yuan's cultivation of the Nine Tribulations Earth-Guarding Body likewise required earth-element essence... There were resource shortages everywhere!

"Ah, supporting a whole household is crushing pressure..." Xuanwei rubbed his nonexistent temples—mentally rubbed them—and felt that immortal life was difficult.

However, before he could sort out his thoughts, an urgent communication sword talisman carrying San Xiao's distinctive clear and ethereal aura shot through the air and hovered before him!

Xuanwei frowned and took the sword talisman. Yun Xiao's cool yet faintly urgent intent instantly reached him.

"Junior Brother Xuanwei! Come to Three Immortal Island at once! The East Sea has changed! Abnormal spatial fluctuations have been discovered at the core of the Western Teachings' remaining formation. It is suspected... to connect to an unknown secret realm, a small world! The Dao Rhyme emanating from within it actually faintly resonates with the piece of Black Tortoise Dao Pattern Armor bestowed upon you by Master! This matter may involve the secrets of the Eye of the Netherworld mentioned by Senior Black Tortoise!"

Xuanwei's pupils contracted sharply!

The Eye of the Netherworld? The place guarded by Black Tortoise? A secret-realm small world created by the Western Teachings?!

This East Sea truly was a place of endless trouble! Before one wave had settled, another had risen!

He glanced at his disciple Mo Yuan, who was working away in the Medicine Garden with great effort and hope for the future. Then he sensed the sleeping Light Cocoon beneath the ground and the three quiet Black Tortoise Eggs in the Mustard Seed Space.

Well then, his plan to enter seclusion and break through to the Golden Immortal realm would likely have to be postponed again.