Awakening on His Own

The next day, Mo Xie did not change his routine just because he was leaving for training.

He woke at his usual time and practiced with his sword in the courtyard, just as he always did.

"Zero."

[I'm here.]

"Open my personal panel."

[Host]: Mo Xie

[Talents]: Innate Three Elements (awakens three elements at each advancement), Super Intuition, Peerless Beauty, God-Tier Musical Talent

[Elements]: Lightning Element (Basic Tier, Level Two), Fire Element (Basic Tier, Level Two), Ice Element (Basic Tier, Level Two)

[Skills]: Two-Tomoe Sharingan, Basic Swordsmanship

[Spatial Backpack]: Qilin Pendant (Mortal Grade), Mana-Congealing Necklace, Tang Dao, Spatial Ring (5 × 5 × 5 cubic meters)

His Lightning, Fire, and Ice Elements had all reached the second level of the Basic Tier not long ago.

Mo Xie would never have agreed so readily to go training before he had the strength to protect himself.

Without that strength, he would only end up as food for Demon Beasts.

Besides, he wanted to see how much his swordsmanship had improved.

Most importantly, he wanted to find out whether the magic he had been working to weave into his swordsmanship would actually prove effective.

After making breakfast and taking Ye Xinxia to school, he returned to pack.

He put some clothes and daily necessities into his backpack. Once everything was ready, Mo Xie left the house.

A green off-road vehicle was parked at the entrance to the residential complex.

The moment Mo Xie appeared, its engine roared to life, drawing glances from several passersby.

The window rolled down, and a handsome, dark-skinned man leaned out.

"Xiao Xie, get in!"

Luo Yunbo waved him over as he called out.

Mo Xie jogged over, opened a rear door, and tossed his backpack onto the back seat before settling into the front passenger seat.

"Long time no see, Brother Luo."

"Long time no see. Let's get going."

"Okay."

Along the way, Luo Yunbo chattered about what had been happening lately.

"Xiao Xie, you have no idea. When you didn't come last summer, Boss Zhan Kong was so mad he drilled the new recruits into the ground. Even us veterans had to train alongside them. We suffered and couldn't even complain!"

Mo Xie laughed when he heard that.

"Sorry, Brother Luo. I really did have something to take care of last summer."

"Exactly. So this time, Boss Zhan Kong got serious. He had Snow Peak Station Outpost request a month's leave for you from Tianlan Magic High School. He was determined to get you over here one way or another."

"He even sent me here overnight to wait for you. If I didn't bring you back, Boss Zhan Kong would hold me responsible. I was too nervous to sleep last night."

Luo Yunbo's eyes were bloodshot, and the dark circles beneath them were pronounced. He clearly had not slept well.

"Thanks for the effort, Brother Luo."

Mo Xie patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"Tell me about it!"

Luo Yunbo sighed, his face full of misery.

The city's buildings gradually vanished, replaced by dense mountains and forests.

As Mo Xie quietly admired the scenery, his thoughts drifted back to the day he had met Zhan Kong.

Even now, he could hardly believe such a coincidence had happened.

Last year, in the courtyard.

Jasmine flowers bloomed around the courtyard, their fragrance drifting through the air and soothing the mind.

Mo Xie watered them. In the sunlight, a faint rainbow appeared in the spray.

Ye Xinxia sat on the swing with a book in her hands. She watched the boy's gentle expression beneath the sunlight and could not quite look away.

Only when Mo Xie stopped watering did she come back to herself.

"Brother Mo Xie, you really love jasmine flowers."

Hearing that, Mo Xie smiled and looked toward the damp blossoms.

"Mom loved jasmine flowers. She loved drinking jasmine tea, too. Whenever I see jasmine blooming at home and smell its fragrance, it feels as if Mom is right here beside us, welcoming us home."

Ye Xinxia nodded, but her expression dimmed.

Brother Mo Xie has his mother's blessings and the things she left him. But what about me? Where's my mother...?

Noticing her mood sink, Mo Xie had a fair idea why.

He walked over, embraced Ye Xinxia, and rubbed her head.

"Don't be sad. Maybe Aunt Ye is watching over you from somewhere. Living a happy life would be the best way to repay her."

"Mm."

Ye Xinxia nodded obediently, then pouted and said with a hint of displeasure, "Brother Mo Xie, you always seem to take my mother's side."

"Do I?"

"I still remember when Mom and I first came here. You didn't like us at all."

Bringing up the past, Ye Xinxia stared at Mo Xie with a trace of anger in her eyes.

"You have a great memory, Xin Xia. Haha..."

Mo Xie laughed awkwardly, unsure how to respond. After all, she was telling the truth.

And what he had said was not wrong, either. Ye Chang really might be watching Ye Xinxia from somewhere unknown.

Because after my mother left, you became the only light in my heart, you idiot... Curled up in Mo Xie's arms, Ye Xinxia gazed at him with tender eyes.

In truth, Mo Xie was not sure what he felt toward Ye Chang.

He could not call them friends. There was too much of an age gap, and neither of them felt that way.

But he would never call their relationship that of a mother and son, either.

Still, there was no denying that the steamed egg custard Ye Chang had made that night had given him a touch of maternal love he had not felt since his mother died.

Mo Xie had never forgotten the taste of that bowl of steamed egg custard.

For that, he was grateful to Ye Chang.

Mo Xie let go of Ye Xinxia and went back to pick up the watering can.

Just then, Zero's voice sounded.

[Mo Xie, are you ready?]

"Ready? Ready for what?"

Mo Xie's intuition told him something was very wrong with Zero.

Ever since awakening, Zero had never spoken to him unprompted. It had only done what Mo Xie told it to do.

And Zero had always called him "Master." Today, to his surprise, it had addressed him by his full name.

Those two things were strange enough. Mo Xie was about to ask more, but Zero cut him off.

[If you can endure it, perhaps you really will have a chance.]

Clatter!

Ye Xinxia looked up at the sound, puzzled.

Mo Xie stood frozen in place. The watering can had fallen from his hand.

"Brother Mo Xie?"

The next second, Mo Xie clutched his chest and collapsed to his knees, a pained scream forcing its way out of his mouth.

"Brother Mo Xie!"

Ye Xinxia cried out in panic and fell from the swing. She hurriedly crawled toward him.

"What happened?"

Mo Fan ran out of the house and helped Ye Xinxia up. He spotted Mo Xie kneeling on the ground at once.

"Aah—"

Mo Xie roared. Veins bulged across his body, his eyes filled with blood, and he pressed both hands hard against his heart.

The Qilin Pendant on his chest shone brilliantly, bathing his entire body in golden light.

A mysterious, intricate magic array spread across the grass, and the golden phantom of a Qilin appeared behind him.

"Roar—"

The Qilin phantom threw back its head and roared before dissolving into golden light. The magic array vanished with it.

They thought it was over. Then, a moment later, violet, red, and blue light appeared.

The three lights formed a triangle and swept across the lawn.

The violet light in front became lightning, the red light at the lower left became flames, and the blue light at the lower right became ice.

Mo Xie gritted his teeth. He had to withstand not only the searing pain in his heart but also the onslaught of lightning, flame, and ice magic.

I can't hold on much longer... Mo Xie felt his heart beating as his eyes slowly closed.

"Brother Mo Xie!"

"Brother!"

Seeing his eyes close, Mo Fan and Ye Xinxia shouted anxiously, though neither knew what was happening.

Hearing his younger brother and sister, Mo Xie struggled to open his eyes.

I'm their big brother. I can't make them worry!

Clinging to that thought, Mo Xie endured for over a minute. At last, the magic disappeared.

The exhaustion of forcing himself through it crashed over him like a wave. Mo Xie could no longer stay upright and immediately lost consciousness.

Before he passed out, Zero's final words echoed through his mind.

[Welcome back, Xie...]