The room was quiet, the lantern casting a gentle amber glow over the wooden floor. Yang Kai sat up weakly on the bed, his small frame trembling slightly, eyes filled with disbelief and uncertainty.
"M-Master?" he repeated, voice hoarse and unsure.
I knelt beside the bed and looked him in the eye. "Yes. I want to take you as my disciple. I know your meridians are sealed… but I also know the truth about you, Yang Kai. You were born with a gift—a power the heavens rarely grant."
He blinked, tears welling in his eyes. "Everyone always said I was useless. That I was cursed."
"You're not cursed," I said firmly. "You're chosen. And I can help you awaken that power."
Mu Lingyao stood silently behind me, watching the moment unfold, her usual sarcasm replaced by rare gentleness.
Feng Xuan leaned against the doorframe. "He looks too fragile to hold a sword. Are you sure about this?"
I smiled. "I was weaker than him once."
Yang Kai looked down, fists trembling. "I… I want to become strong. I want to protect others like you protected me."
"Then let us begin."
I buy a small, obsidian pill bottle from System shop and popped the lid. A rich, golden fragrance filled the room, thick with medicinal power. Inside was a single, glowing pill—Heaven's Origin Pill, a rare treasure that could break the seals on meridians and awaken even the most dormant dantian.
Ding
5000 XP points deducted.
Current XP: 15210
"This will hurt," I warned. "But once it's done, your path will begin."
Yang Kai nodded bravely.
I placed the pill in his mouth. As it dissolved, his body began to glow with faint five-colored light and started to absorb five elements spritual energy—Fire, water, Earth, thunder, and Wimd. The essence of the five elements surged within him.
Then the pain hit.
He screamed and arched his back as invisible chains snapped within him. His body convulsed. I placed my hand on his chest, channeling gentle spiritual energy to help stabilize him.
Mu Lingyao gasped. "His body—it's reacting like a cultivator of Core Formation!"
Feng Xuan stepped forward, stunned. "This is no normal child…"
Yang Kai's body slowly settled, the light dimming. He opened his eyes—now faintly shimmering with five-colored flecks—and breathed evenly.
I smiled. "Your meridians are unsealed. From now on, you're no longer a discarded child… You are my disciple."
Yang Kai knelt on the bed, his eyes full of emotion, and kowtowed three times.
"Disciple Yang Kai pays respect to Master Zhen Huan!"
A soft chime echoed in my mind.
---
Ding!
Sub-Mission Completed: Make Yang Kai Your Disciple
Rewards Obtained:
• +3000 XP
• Five Elements Art Scripture Techniques [Transferring to Disciple]
• Artifact Location [Locked – Available when disciple at Age 11]
Current XP:18210
---
A glowing scroll materialized above him, then slowly absorbed into his mind.
Yang Kai's body trembled again as knowledge flooded into him—an ancient scripture tailored to his unique body.
Mu Lingyao whispered, "It's really happening…"
Feng Xuan shook his head, half amused. "You're building a little monster, Zhen Huan."
I chuckled. "No. I'm guiding a dragon."
Yang Kai looked up at me with determination burning in his young face. "Master… I will never let you down."
I placed a hand on his head. "Good. Then tomorrow, we begin your training. You have a long road ahead… and the heavens will hear your name."