Descendant of an old friend? Orphan of the Qilin!

"An old friend's descendant? A token of proof? To take me as a disciple?"

Xuanwei, holding the message from his senior disciple Duobao, felt his (non-existent) heart about to burst from the string of question marks. In this Primordial World, besides the fellow disciples he'd recently met in the Intercepting Sect and that old turtle who treated him like a live-in nanny, who else could be an "old friend"? And a descendant at that? He wasn't even sure if his own wisp of Immortal Qi had a "before"!

Could it be that project manager from my past life who forced me to work overtime until I dropped has also transmigrated? And left behind offspring? Impossible! With his genes, the only thing he could produce would be a PPT-obsessed monster! Xuanwei grumbled internally as he conjured an Escape Light, his mind filled with doubts and a sliver of prayer, Please don't let this be another huge trouble, as he flew towards the Outer Sect Affairs Hall.

As soon as he reached the entrance of the hall, he saw a crowd of Outer Sect disciples gathered there, pointing and chattering excitedly. Xuanwei was quite a celebrity in the Intercepting Sect now, and upon his arrival, the crowd automatically parted to make way for him.

Stepping into the hall, he saw Daoist Duobao sitting solemnly in the main seat. Below him stood a duty-bound deacon, and beside the deacon was a young boy who looked about thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in coarse linen. He was rather thin, but his eyes held an unusual stubbornness and resilience.

The boy's face still held a childish innocence, yet his brows carried a somberness beyond his years. Most striking were his fiery, short crimson hair and the faint, almost imperceptible, yet incredibly pure and dense... Earth Element Origin Qi emanating from him.

Xuanwei's gaze instantly locked onto that Earth Element Origin Qi, and his heart (or rather, his core of consciousness) skipped a beat! This aura... he was far too familiar with it! Although much weaker and of vastly different quality, the core essence of "carrying," "nurturing," and "guarding" within it was 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 Xuanwei's mind flashed the image of the jade-white Kirin skeleton deep within the Earth Vein, and the residual soul of the Earth-Guarding Elder named "Mo Xuan"! Was this the descendant of the Kirin Tribe he spoke of?!

Just as Xuanwei was in shock, the red-haired boy also saw him. The boy's eyes suddenly lit up with a complex mixture of excitement, anticipation, nervousness, and a hint of desperation. He dropped to his knees with a thud, raising an object high with both hands, his voice choked with emotion yet filled with unwavering resolve:

"Junior Mo Yuan, bearing my ancestor's token, greets Senior Xuanwei! I beg you to accept me as your disciple, impart the Great Dao to me, and protect my tribe!"

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

He never expected that today, this young man calling himself Mo Yuan would show up with this fragment as a "token of proof"!

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

Xuanwei took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and walked up to Mo Yuan. Without immediately taking the fragment, he asked 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 your way here?"

Mo Yuan looked up, his crimson eyes filled with sincerity and sorrow. "Replying to Senior! The last bloodline of the Earth-Guarding lineage of the Kirin Tribe flows within me! This object is a fragment of my ancestor Elder Mo Xuan's sacred remains, left behind when he fell. It contains his unyielding protective will and our tribe's origin aura; there can be no mistake!"

He paused, a flicker of remembrance and pain crossing his eyes. "Our tribe has been scattered and diminished since the Dragon-Han Calamity. I, along with a few remaining tribesmen, have lived in hiding deep within the volcanoes of the Southern Wilderness, barely surviving. A month ago, the last elder in our tribe, before his seated death, burned his bloodline with his final strength and performed our tribe's secret technique, 'Torch Flame Succession.' He sensed the reappearance of the ancestor's sacred bone fragment in the world, vaguely pointing towards Kunlun Mountain and Golden Ao Island, mentioning that the one who held this fragment had sworn to protect our tribe..."

"Before the elder passed away, he gave this fragment, which he had treasured for many years, to me and ordered me to seek you out! He said... he said this is our tribe's last hope!" Mo Yuan's voice was tinged with tears, but his back was straight. "I traveled a great distance, enduring countless hardships, evading the pursuit of numerous demons and unknown forces, just to finally reach this place! I implore you, Senior, for the sake of the past connection with my ancestor Mo Xuan, to take me in and give our tribe a glimmer of hope!"

As he spoke, he kowtowed heavily, his forehead striking the cold jade floor with a dull thud.

Xuanwei fell silent.

He looked at the ragged boy before him, whose cultivation was merely at the Qi Refining and Spirit Transmutation stage (the lower rungs of the Primordial World), yet who carried the last hope of an entire race. His heart was filled with a complex mix of emotions.

The Great Dao Oath still echoed in his ears. He had indeed promised to protect the remnants of the Kirin Tribe to the best of his ability. He just hadn't expected this karma to arrive so quickly, and in such a manner.

Take him as a disciple? He himself was still a half-baked Heavenly Immortal, barely managing to get by thanks to the System and various opportunities. How could he possibly qualify to teach a disciple? Especially one with Kirin blood, entangled with the karma of the Dragon-Han Calamity – a "hot potato"?

But if I don't accept? Looking at the boy's almost desperate hope, recalling Mo Xuan's residual soul's relieved entrustment before dissipating, and the benefits he gained from the Wutu Source Core integrated into his origin... he truly couldn't harden his heart. The Great Dao Oath was not to be trifled with; he couldn't bear the consequences of breaking it.

Daoist Duobao observed Xuanwei's hesitation and spoke slowly, "Xuanwei, what this child says involves ancient karma and is of great importance. You must decide for yourself. If you accept him, you must bear the karma and teach him to be virtuous; if you do not, you must still make proper arrangements to fulfill your oath."

These words offered Xuanwei a way out and highlighted the key point: whether he accepted or not, he had to take responsibility.

Xuanwei looked at Mo Yuan, who was still kneeling, his body trembling slightly, and sighed. So be it. If fate knocks, you answer. Having another disciple... maybe he could even get someone to run errands and earn Contribution Points?

He stepped forward and helped Mo Yuan up. Through their contact, he could feel the astonishing resilience contained within the boy's slender frame and the pure power of his Wutu bloodline.

"Your name is Mo Yuan, isn't it?" Xuanwei tried to make his voice sound gentle (his Immortal Qi fluctuating smoothly). "I do have a connection with your ancestor Mo Xuan, and I did swear to protect the Kirin Tribe. Since you have sought me out, I will not ignore you."

Upon hearing this, Mo Yuan's eyes instantly blazed with brilliant light. He was so excited that he was about to kneel again, but Xuanwei stopped him.

"However," Xuanwei changed the subject, his expression turning serious, "taking a disciple is not a trivial matter. My cultivation is still shallow, and I fear I might hinder your future. You may stay by my side for now as a nominal disciple and cultivate with me. Once your foundation is stable and your character matures, we can then perform the formal ceremony of discipleship, how does that sound?"

This was his carefully considered decision. A nominal disciple meant he had the title, but the responsibility of teaching wasn't as heavy, allowing him flexibility. He could observe the boy's character and potential first.

Mo Yuan was clearly a little disappointed, but he quickly rallied. Being able to stay by Xuanwei's side was already a tremendous piece of good news! He bowed again, "Disciple Mo Yuan greets Master! I will strictly follow Master's instructions!"

"Mm," Xuanwei nodded, acknowledging him as a nominal disciple. He then turned to Daoist Duobao, "Senior Disciple Brother, what do you think..."

Daoist Duobao nodded slightly. "Since it is your karma, you shall handle it yourself. This child can be temporarily registered in the Outer Sect roster, under your tutelage. His expenses will be drawn according to the Outer Sect disciple's allowance."

"Thank you, Senior Disciple Brother!" Xuanwei expressed his gratitude, feeling relieved. He had finally managed to handle this matter for the time being.

He led his newly minted nominal disciple, Mo Yuan, amidst the envious (of being able to latch onto a direct disciple) and curious (who is this red-haired kid?) gazes of the Outer Sect disciples, out of the hall and back to his cave abode... or rather, the medicine garden next to it. His own blessed land hadn't been properly settled yet, so it wasn't convenient to bring someone back, and the medicine garden also needed help being managed (rebuilt).

Returning to the chaotic medicine garden, Mo Yuan looked at the damaged Spirit Fields and the still-unsettled Earth Veins. A flicker of surprise crossed his crimson eyes, but he wisely asked no further questions.

Xuanwei briefly introduced him to the situation (omitting the Light Cocoon and the Black Tortoise Egg) and then pointed to the land that needed to be re-cultivated. "From now on, you will live here and help me manage the medicine garden. If you have any questions about cultivation, you can ask me. Here are the introductory chapters of the Supreme Pure Immortal Method and the basic incantations for the Nine Tribulations Earth-Guarding Body. Since you possess the Wutu bloodline, cultivating the latter should yield twice the results with half the effort."

He handed two jade slips inscribed with the basic cultivation techniques to Mo Yuan. Since he had accepted a disciple (even if nominal), he couldn't teach him nothing. The Nine Tribulations Earth-Guarding Body was a Kirin Tribe secret technique, which was perfect for returning it to its rightful owner and strengthening their relationship.

Mo Yuan took the jade slips, feeling the familiar bloodline resonance within the Nine Tribulations Earth-Guarding Body. His eyes instantly turned red, and he bowed deeply to Xuanwei again. "Thank you, Master, for bestowing this technique! This disciple will diligently cultivate and not fail Master's expectations!"

Seeing Mo Yuan's energetic and grateful demeanor, Xuanwei felt a slight sense of accomplishment as a "teacher." Perhaps... taking a disciple wasn't so bad after all? At least he had labor for rebuilding the medicine garden!

He arranged for Mo Yuan to familiarize himself with the environment and level the land, while he went to the side to start planning his next steps. The opportunity at the Supreme Pure Dao Comprehension Pool had to be used as soon as possible; breaking through to the Golden Immortal realm was urgent. But before going into seclusion, he had to settle the "ancestors" and the "disciple" at home.

The Light Cocoon needed a stable supply of Chaos Qi, the three Black Tortoise Eggs also needed Chaos Qi and Wood Element Vitality, and Mo Yuan's cultivation of the Nine Tribulations Earth-Guarding Body required Earth Element essence... Every area was facing a resource shortage!

"Sigh, being the head of a household, the pressure is immense..." Xuanwei rubbed his (non-existent) temples, feeling the hardship of immortal life.

However, before he could even formulate a plan, an urgent transmission sword talisman, carrying the unique pure aura of San Xiao, pierced through the air and stopped before him!

Xuanwei frowned and took the sword talisman. Yunxiao's cool yet slightly urgent consciousness instantly transmitted:

"Junior Disciple Xuanwei! Come to Three Immortal Island quickly! Something has happened in the East Sea! Near the residual formation core of the Western Teachings, abnormal spatial fluctuations have been detected, possibly... connecting to an unknown secret realm small world! The Dao Rhyme emanating from it is actually faintly resonating with the 'Black Tortoise Dao Pattern Armor' that Master bestowed upon you! This matter may involve the secret of the 'Eye of the Netherworld' that Senior Black Tortoise spoke of!"

Xuanwei's pupils contracted sharply!

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

This East Sea truly was a place of trouble! One wave had barely subsided before another arose!

He glanced at his disciple Mo Yuan, who was diligently working in the medicine garden, full of hope for the future, and then felt the sleeping Light Cocoon beneath the ground and the three quiet Black Tortoise Eggs in his Mustard Seed Space.

Well, this plan to go into seclusion and break through to Golden Immortal seems to be postponed again.