Apprenticing Under Uncle Nine

Six years after his transmigration, Mo Yuan was adopted by Uncle Nine, who treated him like his own son.

Today, he was formally apprenticing at Mount Mao, but his common physique drew silent ridicule from his fellow disciples.

Unexpectedly, during the initiation ceremony, the Primordial Sign-in System within Mo Yuan's body suddenly activated.

The beginner's gift package yielded the Chaos Dao Body and Primordial Comprehension, triggering the phenomenon of Purple Qi Coming East for Thirty Thousand Li.

Uncle Nine stared at the myriad of celestial anomalies, then glanced at his grinning young disciple. The teacup in his hand clattered to the ground—

This child was going to overturn not just Mount Mao... no, the entire Three Realms?!

The old wooden door of the mortuary creaked open, and the cool morning air, mixed with the scent of incense, flowed in.

Mo Yuan, dressed in a slightly faded blue cotton tunic, stood at the threshold and took a deep breath. Today was the day he would officially become a disciple.

It had been a full six years since he arrived in this world. From the initial bewilderment as an infant to being found and raised by Uncle Nine in the wilderness, he was finally about to embark on the path he had always dreamed of.

"You brat, standing at the door like a guardian spirit? Hurry inside, the time is almost here!"

Uncle Nine's familiar, robust voice, tinged with a hint of sternness, echoed from the courtyard, interrupting Mo Yuan's thoughts.

A bright smile immediately spread across Mo Yuan's face. "Coming, Master!" he replied, and darted inside.

An incense table had already been set up in the center of the courtyard, with a shrine to the Mount Mao patriarch, wisps of incense smoke curling upwards.

His senior brothers, Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng, wearing slightly oversized Taoist robes, stood to the side, exchanging mischievous glances as Mo Yuan entered.

Qiu Sheng lowered his voice and teased, "Yo, our junior disciple is finally here. Look at him, so nervous he can barely walk?"

Wen Cai chimed in with a simple nod, "Exactly, exactly. Don't let your legs go weak and be unable to kneel later."

Mo Yuan wasn't bothered. He just grinned and retorted, "Don't worry, senior brothers, my legs are fine. As for you two, did you slack off on drawing talismans again last night? Be careful you don't slip up when Master tests you."

Uncle Nine glared at them, and the two immediately shrunk their necks and stood at attention in silence.

Uncle Nine walked up to Mo Yuan, carefully straightening his already neat collar. His gaze was complex, filled with affection, expectation, and a hint of imperceptible worry.

He patted Mo Yuan's still slender shoulder and said softly, "Don't be nervous. Just do as I taught you. In the path of cultivation, sincerity is paramount."

"Understood, Dad... Master."

Mo Yuan blurted it out, then quickly corrected himself, his heart filled with warmth.

For the past six years, Uncle Nine had been more than a master to him; he was a father.

The apprenticeship ceremony was not complicated, yet it was solemn and respectful.

Mo Yuan washed his hands, burned incense, and knelt on the prayer cushion. He paid his respects to the Mount Mao patriarch with three kowtows and nine bows, reciting the oath of discipleship aloud.

However, when he placed his hand on the Spirit Testing Jade Chime, the chime emitted only an extremely faint, almost imperceptible, dim white light, symbolizing his utterly ordinary cultivation aptitude.

A few barely audible snickers came from the onlookers, accompanied by hushed whispers.

"As expected... mediocre talent." "Senior Brother Lin is kind to have taken him in, but cultivating... alas, it will be difficult for him to achieve anything."

Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng also showed a hint of disappointment.

Uncle Nine's expression remained unchanged, though a trace of helplessness flickered deep within his eyes. Nevertheless, he calmly concluded the ceremony.

He handed Mo Yuan a wooden token representing a Mount Mao disciple. "From this day forward, you are an official disciple of Mount Mao. You shall abide by the sect rules and cultivate diligently."

"Disciple Mo Yuan, I respectfully obey Master's command!" Mo Yuan received the token with both hands, his expression solemn.

The moment the token touched his hand, a cold, emotionless mechanical voice suddenly boomed in the depths of his mind:

[Ding! Host detected officially embarking on the path of cultivation, meeting binding conditions... Primordial Sign-in System activating... 10%... 50%... 100%! Activation successful!]

[Welcome, Host Mo Yuan, to the Primordial Sign-in System! Beginner's gift package has been issued. Would you like to open it now?]

Mo Yuan's heart leaped, nearly dropping the token.

Transmigrator's perk! Cheat system!

It had finally arrived. After six years, did they know what I've been through? Watching Uncle Nine catch ghosts and slay demons every day while I could only practice basic martial arts, it was maddening.

He suppressed his inner ecstasy and excitement, silently thinking, "Open! Open immediately!"

[Opening beginner's gift package... Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Chaos Dao Body (Origin Bloodline), Primordial Comprehension (Infinite Growth), Basic Qi Refining Manual (Great Dao True Explanation Edition)!]

Boom!!!

A sound like the creation of heaven and earth echoed in the depths of Mo Yuan's soul. An indescribable, vast-as-a-star-sea power erupted from the deepest part of his body, scouring every inch of his bones, flesh, and blood, cleansing every trace of his spirit and thoughts.

His originally ordinary physique was being completely shattered and reconstructed, transforming into a supreme form.

Simultaneously, his mind operated at an unprecedented speed, ascending. The myriad things in the world, the laws of the Great Dao, all seemed to shed their veils before his eyes, becoming clear and tangible.

The most basic Qi Refining Manual he had just received now appeared as pearls of wisdom in his eyes, as if containing the profound truths of the universe. Countless ideas for optimization, improvement, and even transcendence gushed forth like a spring.

Outside, anomalies arose!

The originally clear sky was suddenly shrouded in endless purple Qi, vast and mighty, surging from the east for tens of thousands of li, bathing the entire Ren Family Town and its surrounding areas in a noble and mysterious purple hue.

Faint celestial music seemed to play in the sky, and phantom images of golden lotuses blooming from the ground appeared and disappeared within the purple Qi. Dao rhymes spread like ripples, causing all cultivators present.

Regardless of their cultivation level, to feel a tremor and awe emanating from the depths of their souls.

"Purple Qi Comes East for Thirty Thousand Li! This... is this a sign of a sage being born?!" an old Daoist priest who came to witness the ceremony trembled with shock, his beard quivering.

"Heaven and Earth anomaly! What caused it?"

Uncle Nine suddenly looked up, gazing at the purple qi filling the sky, his face etched with shock and disbelief.

He had cultivated for decades, how had he ever seen such a terrifying sight? The center of this anomaly... seemed to be within this Mortuary?

His gaze suddenly swept towards the incense table, where he saw Mo Yuan enveloped in a faint stream of chaotic energy.

Although the anomaly had just appeared and quickly receded, the noble and ancient aura originating from the source of life made Uncle Nine's heart tremble violently.

The teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a "crack," shattering into pieces, yet he remained oblivious.

Mo Yuan slowly opened his eyes. Those originally clear and lively eyes now seemed to contain an endless sea of stars and wisdom.

He felt the transformative change within his body, the vast, ocean-like power, and the comprehension that allowed him to perceive all things, making him want to roar up at the sky.

He looked at the stunned Uncle Nine, a signature, somewhat mischievous, brilliant smile returning to his face, as if to say, "Master, look, I seem... a little different now."

Uncle Nine looked at his disciple's familiar yet unfamiliar smile, and then felt the profound Daoist charm that had not yet completely dissipated in the air. An absurd yet astonishing thought uncontrollably surfaced:

This adopted kid of mine, could he be a... monster? No, this situation is likely to turn the entire Mount Mao, no, the entire Three Realms upside down!

Mo Yuan paid no mind to the storm raging in his master's heart. He was currently happily studying the light screen in his mind.

[Daily Sign-in function is now enabled. Do you wish to sign in at the "Mortuary" today?]

"Sign in!" Mo Yuan said without hesitation.

[Sign-in successful! Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Merit Points × 100! Shangqing Thunder Method - Fragment × 1!]

Thunder method! And the Shangqing Thunder Method at that. Even if it's just a fragment, it's definitely a top-tier technique among Mount Mao's sorcery.

Mo Yuan's eyes shone terrifyingly. Combined with the Primordial Comprehension he had just obtained, he felt he could immediately grasp this fragment, and even... complete it?

He looked up, at Uncle Nine who was still in shock, and said with a grin, his voice full of eagerness, "Master, I've finished reading that Basic Qi Refining Manual. There are a few places I think could be improved to make it easier to practice. Could you take a look?"

Uncle Nine: "..."