[System mission issued: Take the Heavenly Fiend Lone Star Bai Qi as your second disciple!] [System rewards: Second-Tier Martial Soul Evolution Pill, First-Tier Marrow Cleansing Pill] [Ultimate mission: Forge him into the ultimate weapon!]
Just as Huo Tian turned his head toward a nearby corner, the system panel suddenly popped up again.
Huo Tian was speechless. He pursed his lips. The system had appeared only a few times in the past six months, and each time it popped up without a soul knowing or a ghost noticing.
"This disciple is a Heavenly Fiend Lone Star. His fortune and cultivation could be called the worst, right?! He doesn't meet the system's conditions for accepting disciples either!"
Huo Tian curled his right hand into a fist and tapped lightly on the panel, his face full of puzzlement. Still, the system's rewards were quite good, though they couldn't compare to those he had received for taking Huo Yutong as his disciple.
The Second-Tier Martial Soul Evolution Pill cost two million points in the system shop, while the First-Tier Marrow Cleansing Pill cost 1.5 million points.
[The Heavenly Fiend Lone Star and the Star of Fortune are opposites, so you can lead him to shatter the curse of fate!] [Make him the sharpest weapon in your hands!]
These two lines appeared on the system panel. A rice-ball kangaroo suddenly appeared at the top of the screen, gazing adorably at Huo Tian as it patted its big belly.
"Little Yutong, let's go pick up your junior brother!"
"Huh~?! Junior brother?"
With a questioning look, Huo Yutong lowered her head to look at Huo Tian. The two turned into a streak of afterimages and vanished from the spot as a light breeze swept past.
"Die, Heavenly Fiend Lone Star!"
The burly man raised the large kitchen knife in his hand and chopped straight down toward Bai Qi's head, while the other burly man watched from behind with an amused expression.
Bai Qi was a hair's breadth from death, and scenes began flashing before his eyes like a revolving lantern...
In that instant, two blades of fire suddenly appeared out of thin air and sliced through the two burly men's necks as though cutting tofu.
The two men still wore the expressions they had held in life. Their heads separated from their bodies and struck the ground heavily, blood spurting from their necks.
The two corpses collapsed with a thud, their heads staring at their own bodies, their eyes unable to close in death.
The kitchen knife and large chopping blade clattered to the ground. Bai Qi opened his bewildered eyes and looked at the bleeding corpses on the ground, then raised his head toward the entrance.
Huo Tian stood with his arms folded across his chest, looking gravely at Bai Qi in the corner. He hadn't expected this disciple of his to have such a tragic background.
Huo Yutong hid behind Huo Tian, peeking out with part of her face as she curiously studied the one-armed boy in the corner.
Upon learning that he was her junior brother, Huo Yutong felt pity well up in her heart. She hadn't expected her junior brother to have lived such a miserable life.
"Mas...ter! He's so pitiful..."
Huo Yutong began to empathize with Bai Qi's plight. She, too, had been bullied and verbally abused by others in the past, but she hadn't expected the boy before her to be even more pitiful.
Bai Qi and Huo Yutong could be said to have suffered similar experiences. Between the two of them, they couldn't scrape together one complete pair of parents.
"Th...thank you!"
Bai Qi silently looked at the two who had suddenly appeared. He abruptly lowered his head and spoke in a hoarse voice, then struggled to his feet with the support of the sickle in his hand.
Bai Qi covered the scars on his face with his long hair, afraid that his ghastly appearance would frighten them, then limped over to Huo Tian.
"Th...thank you for saving my life!"
The sickle in Bai Qi's hand fell to the ground. He dropped to his knees on the concrete and heavily kowtowed once.
"I will take you as my disciple. Are you willing?"
Huo Tian crouched down and held Bai Qi's shoulders, making him raise his head to meet his gaze. Bai Qi trembled all over upon hearing those words.
"A lowly wretch like me doesn't deserve to be your disciple! I'm a Heavenly Fiend Lone Star. Anyone who comes near me will die because of me!"
Bai Qi silently lowered his head again. He didn't want to harm anyone else. The light breeze stirred his long hair, making him look even more melancholy.
Huo Yutong stood silently behind Huo Tian, her hands resting lightly by her pockets. She knew exactly how this felt.
"Since fate won't favor you, I'll lead you to shatter its curse together! Are you willing?"
Huo Tian asked him with utter sincerity, hoping he could pull himself together. He held Bai Qi's right hand and tried to help him up.
"Yes! Your disciple Bai Qi greets you, Master! From now on, this life of mine is yours!"
Bai Qi exerted himself again and dropped heavily to his knees, kowtowing three times against the ground. Blood streamed from his forehead as he shakily stood up.
"This is your senior sister!"
Huo Tian took Huo Yutong by the wrist and pulled her in front of him, wanting the two to get acquainted.
"Hello, Senior Sister!"
Bai Qi lowered his head, deliberately covering his face with his hair, afraid his ugly appearance would frighten Huo Yutong.
"Hello, Junior Brother. My name is Huo Yutong. We're family from now on."
Huo Yutong wore an incomparably radiant smile. If Huo Tian had taken a female disciple, she would definitely have been jealous.
With his other hand, Huo Tian took Bai Qi's right wrist and began using Soul Power to examine the meridians within his body. His brow furrowed. He hadn't expected the blockages in Bai Qi's meridians to be even more severe, with many hidden injuries still lingering inside him.
Huo Tian's Soul Power followed the meridians deeper inside. He thoroughly examined Bai Qi's limbs, every bone in his body, and all his internal organs, even probing the insides of his bones.
Huo Tian hadn't expected that not only had Bai Qi suffered severe external injuries, but even his internal organs had been poisoned. More perilous still, there was a crack in his heart.
Huo Tian released Bai Qi's wrist and sighed helplessly, pinching the bridge of his nose.
An ordinary person would have long since died from such injuries. He hadn't expected Bai Qi to cling to life so tenaciously. He was truly an undying god of war.
Seeing Huo Tian's expression, Bai Qi lowered his head in dejection.
"Bai Qi, I've thoroughly examined your physical condition. As your master, I will help nurse your body back to health."
"Bai Qi, come with me!"
Huo Tian took Huo Yutong's little hand, which she had nowhere to put, and the two strode away. Bai Qi immediately reacted and followed them.
Huo Tian bought Bai Qi three black robes, then the three strode into an upscale inn.
White World, Douluo God Realm.
Huo Mu was lying on a rocking chair, basking in the sun, a fishing rod in his hand as he fished in the Divine Realm's sea, enjoying life with a contented expression.
"Old Mu, I have a favor to ask!"
A deep-blue figure descended from the sky. Tang San rubbed his hands together, smiling ingratiatingly at Huo Mu.
"What did you come all this way to see me for instead of keeping Xiao Wu company?"
Huo Mu took the sunglasses off his eyes and studied Tang San with a puzzled look.
"Well, could you have Huo Tian help me manage the Tang Sect? I can give him the position of sect master!"
"He can rename the Tang Sect if he wants, or take it for himself!"
Watching the Tang Sect gradually decline pained Tang San's heart. The Tang Sect was his masterpiece, and he didn't want its secret arts to fade into obscurity just like that. What did it matter if he handed the Tang Sect over?
After all, Tang San had obtained these Tang Sect Secret Arts after devouring the soul of the Tang San from another world.
Tang San bent at the waist and looked at Huo Mu with an ingratiating expression.