The desolate yet majestic will was like invisible shackles, locking Xuanwei's immortal qi body firmly in place. An unprecedented pressure surged in from every direction. It was not merely the crushing force of power, but an ancient majesty born of a higher order of life and tempered through immeasurable tribulations, leaving him unable to summon even the slightest thought of resistance.
It's over! I've been discovered!
Xuanwei's heart turned ice-cold. His greatest reliance, [Deep Immortal Seclusion], had proven so utterly useless before such an existence. Though this was merely a wisp of a remnant soul, its true nature was far beyond anything he could currently fathom.
"Se... Senior..." He desperately gathered his trembling thoughts, trying to convey goodwill and humility. "This junior had no intention of offending you. I was only... only drawn here by the qi of this place and entered by mistake. I have absolutely no designs on anything here. I'll leave at once..."
The soul-fire in the eye sockets of the jade-white kirin skeleton flickered faintly. The aged will spoke again with a trace of scrutiny, cutting him off directly. "Entered by mistake? With your meager cultivation, you could pass through the baleful qi of the earth and precisely find my burial ground? Innate Immortal Qi... Though your foundation is shallow, your spirituality is remarkable. More importantly, you contain a trace of... the intent of a 'variable' that transcends the heavenly secrets of this realm."
A variable?
Xuanwei's heart tightened. Was it because of the system, or because my soul came from another world?
"This junior does not know what a variable is. I have only been feeling my way forward by instinct in order to survive." He did not dare reveal the system and could only answer vaguely, exposing all his fear and humility without reservation. "Senior, please judge fairly. If this junior harbored ill intent, would I have come here to die while still so weak?"
The remnant soul fell silent for a moment, seemingly sensing every aspect of him carefully. The crushing pressure receded slightly, though the lock on him remained.
"My name is Mo Xuan, Earth-Guarding Elder of the Kirin Tribe." The ancient will carried endless vicissitudes. "I fell here... an unknown number of eras ago. This remnant thought remained only to guard the last pure portion of my clan's Wutu Source, lest it be tainted by baleful qi or fall into the hands of petty villains."
Its will pointed toward the yellowish-brown crystal guarded by its skeleton.
"You possess an innate pure nature and untainted spiritual light. Though you are as weak as a firefly, you are the first... perhaps the only being in all these years who has approached this place without having their mind corroded by baleful qi." Mo Xuan's will carried an indescribably complex emotion: scrutiny, hesitation, and the resolve of one who had glimpsed a final sliver of hope.
Xuanwei's thoughts raced. From the sound of it, Mo Xuan's remnant soul did not intend to kill him immediately. Instead... it wanted something from him?
"What does Senior require of this junior?" he asked directly. This was his only chance of survival.
"Protection."
Mo Xuan's will became solemn and dignified. "My time is short. This wisp of remnant soul is about to dissipate completely. This Wutu Source Core bears the last hope and part of the inheritance of my Kirin Tribe. It cannot fall into the hands of baleful qi, nor can it be obtained by those with crooked hearts."
"I have observed that your origins are unusual and your disposition is acceptable—meaning that you remained cautious all the way here and were not wholly blinded by greed. I wish to form a Pact of Protection with you! You must make a Great Dao Oath: when it lies within your ability, protect any surviving descendants of the Kirin Tribe, and use the power of this Source Core for the righteous path, ensuring that my clan's inheritance never ends."
"In return, I can gift you this Wutu Source Core and help you establish a supreme Dao foundation! I can also pass on to you the introductory section of the Kirin Tribe's secret art, the Nine Tribulations Earth-Guarding Body. It can refine Wutu essence qi and temper your body!"
Protect the descendants of the Kirin Tribe? A Great Dao Oath?
Xuanwei's heart shook. This involved tremendous karma! The Kirin Tribe had been one of the central players in the Dragon-Han Calamity. Becoming entangled with them would surely bring endless trouble in the future. But... an Innate Wutu Source Core and a secret art of the Kirin Tribe—the temptation was equally unimaginably immense! This was enough to make his starting point far surpass that of the vast majority of living beings in the Primordial World!
Risk and opportunity were once again laid before him in an even fiercer form.
"System, what are the consequences of making a Great Dao Oath?" he urgently asked in his mind.
[Reply: Great Dao Oaths are overseen by the origin of the Great Dao. Once made, they must be fulfilled. Those who break their oaths will be rejected by the Great Dao, their Dao path severed, and calamities will descend upon them.] [Analysis: This contract is essentially a long-term investment and karmic binding. The benefit is the immediate acquisition of immense resources, laying a foundation for reaching the pinnacle. The drawback is that the host must bear the responsibility of protecting the Kirin Tribe in the future and may be drawn into unknown tribulations because of it.] [Suggestion: The host may decide based on plans for the future Dao path. If choosing to accept, the host must be extremely cautious regarding the oath's terms, clearly defining the scope of "within your ability" to avoid unlimited responsibility.]
The system's analysis calmed him down. He could not refuse; refusal would likely cause Mo Xuan's remnant soul to deem him "crooked-hearted" and erase him immediately. Yet he could not accept blindly either. He had to secure some room to maneuver for himself.
He took a deep breath of "qi," gathered his thoughts, and replied solemnly, "Senior Mo Xuan, this junior is willing to make an oath! However, this junior's cultivation is currently weak, and I can barely protect myself. Speaking of protecting the descendants of a powerful clan is truly like an ant trying to shake a tree. This junior can swear that, provided I have the ability and it does not endanger my life or fundamental Dao path, I will certainly do my utmost to seek out and protect descendants of the Kirin Tribe, and use the Wutu Source Core's power for the righteous path. Should I break this oath, may the Great Dao forsake me! But if this junior perishes midway, or remains incapable throughout, then the effect of this oath must naturally be limited. I hope Senior will understand!"
He clearly stated conditions such as "within my ability" and "does not endanger myself." This was not haggling; it was simply the helplessness of reality.
Mo Xuan's remnant soul listened in silence. The soul-fire in its eye sockets flickered uncertainly, as though weighing the matter. After a long while, an almost inaudible sigh came from that aged will.
"Good. Careful-minded, aware of when to advance and retreat, and not prone to reckless words... Perhaps this is precisely the fate ordained in the unseen." It seemed to accept Xuanwei's conditions. "Then let it be as you say. Make your oath, using your origin to call upon the Great Dao as witness!"
Xuanwei hesitated no longer. Gathering all his thoughts, he followed a mysterious instinct and made his innate immortal qi origin his core as he solemnly swore, "Great Dao above, I, Xuanwei of Innate Immortal Qi, hereby swear! Today, I receive the legacy of Senior Mo Xuan of the Kirin Tribe and obtain the Wutu Source Core. I shall remember this: when it lies within my ability and does not harm my own foundation, I will protect the surviving bloodline of the Kirin Tribe and wield the power of this Source Core upon the righteous path! Should I break this oath, may the Great Dao reject me, leaving me forever without a chance to transcend!"
Buzz!
The instant his oath fell, an incomparably supreme and unfathomable great will seemed to cast down a trace of its attention from the unseen. An extremely subtle Dao Rhyme, yet one containing boundless majesty, left an indelible mark upon both his immortal qi origin and the Wutu Source Core.
The Great Dao bore witness! The oath was established!
At the instant the oath was established, the heavy pressure from Mo Xuan's remnant soul completely vanished, replaced by the calm relief of a burden finally lifted.
"Good... good...!" Mo Xuan's will weakened, yet it carried satisfaction. "Little one, Xuanwei... I hope you uphold your words of today... This Wutu Source Core is yours... The inheritance of the Nine Tribulations Earth-Guarding Body is within it as well... Study it... well..."
Its voice gradually faded. The soul-fire in the jade-white skeleton's eye sockets flickered several times like a candle guttering in the wind before finally going out completely. The skeleton, which had guarded this place for who knew how many years, seemed to lose its final support and silently crumbled into a pile of pristine white powder. Only a fist-sized yellowish-brown crystal, warm and smooth as jade and containing endless profundities—the Wutu Source Core—remained floating quietly in place, radiating gentle yet vast vitality.
At the same time, a massive stream of information flooded into Xuanwei's consciousness. It was precisely the introductory cultivation method of the Nine Tribulations Earth-Guarding Body, along with scattered knowledge concerning the Kirin Tribe and Wutu Source.
Success!
Overwhelming joy crashed into Xuanwei's consciousness. Not only had he survived, but he had also obtained a tremendous opportunity!
He cautiously approached and gently wrapped the Wutu Source Core in immortal qi. The instant he touched it, the Source Core transformed into a warm stream of light and directly fused into the deepest core of his immortal qi body!
Boom!
An indescribably pure power of Wutu Source swept through his entire being like a warm tide! His immortal qi body condensed and grew stronger at an unprecedented speed. Its color shifted from milky white to a lustrous white, while faint yellow flecks of Wutu Essence settled within it, emanating a contradictory aura of heaviness and ethereal lightness.
His energy level began soaring wildly!
0.5%... 1%... 3%... 5%...!
In just a few breaths, he broke through the 1% threshold he had long dreamed of, and the momentum showed no sign of slowing!
[Detected that the host's energy level has surpassed 1%. Novice Survival Mission completed!] [Reward issued: Qi-Guiding Chapter of the Chaos Heaven-Opening Art!] [Detected that the host has fused with part of an Innate Wutu Source Core. Origins have been slightly improved; potential has increased.] [Detected that the host has obtained the secret art Nine Tribulations Earth-Guarding Body (incomplete). The path of body refinement has been opened.]
The system prompts came one after another. Accompanied by the explosive surge of power within him, Xuanwei felt as though he was about to ascend and become immortal! Yet amid this utmost comfort and advancement, the system's cold warning rang out sharply once more!
[Warning! Fusion of the Wutu Source Core has triggered violent fluctuations in the earth vein spiritual energy!] [Warning! The baleful qi in the outer region is showing abnormal signs of activity!] [Warning! A powerful life-form has been attracted by the disturbance here and is rapidly approaching! Energy signature analysis in progress... Analysis complete! Target matched: Earth Vein Rock Lizard (pack-dwelling, lord-class)! Estimated arrival in thirty breaths! Risk level: High!]
Xuanwei's ecstatic mood froze instantly.
Fortune and misfortune went hand in hand! The commotion from fusing the Source Core had drawn the local tyrants here!
He jolted awake from the exhilaration of his increased strength and expanded his senses outward. Sure enough, several violent, greedy auras were rushing toward him from the direction of the underground cavern passage at incredible speed! They had clearly been drawn by the suddenly erupted pure earth-element source power!
He had just obtained a tremendous opportunity, yet in the blink of an eye he faced another life-threatening crisis!
Xuanwei panicked as his gaze rapidly swept across the entire underground cavern. The baleful qi in the central area was still terrifying, so he could not go there. Return by the original route? He would inevitably collide head-on with the pack of Earth Vein Rock Lizards!
His gaze suddenly fixed upon an inconspicuous, deep hole beside the powder left by Mo Xuan's skeleton. With the skeleton gone, the hole had been exposed. It was only large enough for a wisp of airflow to pass through. The system indicated that it seemed to lead to an older, narrower branch of an underground spiritual vein, where the baleful qi was relatively thin!
There was no time to think!
He instantly drove his newly increased power to its limit, maintained [Deep Immortal Seclusion], transformed into an almost imperceptible streak of light, and plunged without hesitation into that tiny hole!
Just one second after his form vanished, several enormous lizards clad in thick stone scales, their eyes gleaming with bloodthirsty yellow light, crashed into the underground cavern with anxious, furious roars...
Before you continue