After six days of travel, our bodies worn and our spiritual energy nearly depleted, we finally reached the city of Night Fire. Nestled in the foothills of the Emberwind Range, the city glowed with the light of countless red lanterns, its bustling streets filled with rogue cultivators, wandering merchants, and hidden dangers.
I exhaled deeply, clutching my chest. "Ahh… my spiritual energy is almost gone. I feel like an empty shell."
Feng Xuan nodded beside me, equally drained. "Yeah… I need a damn week in a spirit spring."
Mu Lingyao didn't say much, but the slight sag in her shoulders told me she was just as exhausted.
We found an inn nestled between two weapon shops. The building was old but sturdy, its wood soaked in incense and age. Just as we pushed the door open, the calm was shattered by cruel laughter.
Inside, four rugged cultivators surrounded a young boy no older than six. One of them kicked the child hard in the stomach, sending him crashing into a wooden pillar. Blood splattered.
My eyes narrowed. "Hey. What do you four think you're doing?"
One of the men turned to me, sneering. "None of your business. Walk away before you get hurt."
The others laughed, their spiritual pressure leaking out arrogantly.
I didn't even blink. "Feng Xuan, kill them."
Without a word, Feng Xuan stepped forward. His sword whispered from its sheath and flashed silver under the lantern light. Four bodies hit the floor before a drop of blood reached it.
I called for a waiter, tossing him five mid-tier spiritual stones. "Clean this up. Quietly."
The waiter nodded quickly and scurried off.
I approached the boy, who was trembling, his face pale and bruised. Just as I extended a hand, a sudden shimmer sparked before me.
---
Ding!
Heaven's Son Detected.
A translucent screen flickered into view.
---
STATUS WINDOW
Name: Yang Kai
Age: 6
Sex: Male
Level: None
Talent: Heavenly Talent
Special Body: Five Elements Art Body
Description: Born with sealed meridians. Parents slain by unknown cultivators. Abandoned in Night Fire City. Fated to find an artifact in five years that begins his journey.
---
Ding!
Sub-Mission Unlocked:
Mission: Make Yang Kai your disciple
Rewards:
• 3000 XP
• Five Elements Art Scripture Techniques [Exclusive to Disciple]
• Artifact Location [Unlocks at Age 11]
---
I stared at the boy in shock, my thoughts racing. Heavenly Talent… and a special body? This child… he's destined for greatness.
I gently knelt beside him. "Hey, are you okay?"
The boy's lips trembled, blood pooling at the corner of his mouth. "Ye… yeah. Thank you… for saving me…"
And then, he collapsed into unconsciousness.
I caught him before he hit the floor. "Don't worry. I've got you."
"Feng Xuan," I said, turning. "Book three rooms."
Feng Xuan gave a quiet nod. "Got it."
I carried the boy upstairs into my room. The inn's walls muffled the outside noise, and I laid him down gently on the bed. Pulling out a jar of healing cream from my spatial ring, I applied it to his wounds. The faint glow of the medicine began to mend bruises and stop the internal bleeding.
A soft knock echoed on the door.
"Come in," I called.
Mu Lingyao stepped inside, her gaze falling on the boy. "Is he alright?"
"Yeah," I replied. "The cream will help. He'll be okay by morning."
She looked at me closely. "What are you planning to do?"
"I'm going to make him my disciple."
Mu Lingyao blinked. "But… his meridians are sealed. He can't cultivate."
I smirked. "He's more talented than me. And I have a pill that can unblock meridians."
In truth, I'd already seen it in the System Shop—Heaven's Origin Pill. Pricey, but worth it.
Mu Lingyao's eyes widened. "Really? That talented?"
"Extremely," I said, watching the boy sleep. "He has the Five Elements Art Body. That kind of body hasn't been seen in a thousand years."
Hearing our voices, the child stirred. His eyelashes fluttered and he slowly opened his eyes.
"You're awake," I said with a warm smile.
He looked up at me, confused and hesitant. "Who… who are you?"
"I'm Zhen Huan," I said softly. "And I'd like to be your master. If you'll have me."
The boy's eyes widened.