A knocking sound echoed through the room, stirring Yuan from his sleep.
Still half asleep, he barely registered it. But when the second knock ca, he finally snapped awake.
His voice was hoarse and drowsy as he responded,
"Yes?"
From the other side of the door, Elder Viktor's voice called out.
"Did you wake up? Good! Co to the kitchen in ten minutes for breakfast."
With that, the elder's footsteps faded away, leaving Yuan in a brief daze.
Breakfast.
How long had it been since he last had breakfast?
It must have been back when he still lived in the village.
And now that he thought about it...
What was his village even called?
The thought made Yuan's mood sink.
Too much had happened.
Too many things he needed to process and accept.
But he quickly pushed those thoughts aside.
Right now, he had other priorities.With a deep breath, Yuan began to dress properly, adjusting his robe.
Now that his mind was clearer, he realized,he desperately needed a bath.
Well, that was sothing he could ask Elder Viktor about later.
For now, his focus was on integrating himself into the Icen Barony and living here for the ti being.
With that decision made, he opened the door and walked toward the staircase, making his way down to the kitchen.
There was no rush.
He moved at a steady, unhurried pace.
Upon entering the kitchen, Yuan imdiately took in the scene before him.
Elder Viktor sat at the table, eating.
On his plate was bread with cheese and turkey,or at least, that's what Yuan assud.
Not only that, but there was even a teapot on the table.
This sight sparked a mory,a fragnt from Basilisk's past.
Basilisk had loved tea.
Not just as a simple drink, but as sothing far more profound.
He had even crafted his own tea, blending it from rare herbs and spiritual plants.
But his tea was no ordinary beverage.
It was a spiritual tea, refined over centuries.
He had once read in ancient texts that tea could be compared to the Dao itself.
That many powerful beings had used their insight into the Dao to craft tea that could help others advance in cultivation.
So even beca famous for their ability to brew tea that could strengthen the soul and sharpen one's path in the Dao.
But as Yuan observed Elder Viktor's tea, he quickly realized,it was just plain, ordinary tea.
Nothing like the refined, spiritually enriched tea that Young Master Basilisk had once enjoyed.
Still, Yuan didn't care about that for now.
As he glanced at the food and tea, Yuan suddenly noticed another person at the table.
It was a girl, around his age,perhaps even a year younger.
She had black hair and black eyes, dressed in a simple green t-shirt and a pair of leather pants.
By human standards, she was quite attractive, though that was irrelevant to Yuan.
What truly caught his attention was sothing else entirely.
She was also at the Peak Stage of the Mortal Awakening Realm.
That surprised Yuan greatly.
It was highly unusual for soone so young to reach this stage.
Most humans only peaked at the Mortal Awakening Stage around the age of sixteen.
Only the most talented individuals from high-ranking clans or sects could reach this level as early as eleven or fourteen.
As Yuan stared at the black haired girl, she suddenly looked up and t his gaze.
Then, with a small nod, she spoke.
"So Grandpa was right,you do look quite handso!"
That caught Yuan off guard.
Handso?
Well… technically, that was true.
Although he would never call himself handso, the Azure Basilisk Fla had purified many of the impurities from his skin, enhancing his physical appearance.
But to say it so bluntly to his face?
Yuan was montarily taken aback, but quickly composed himself, flashing a polite smile.
"Thank you, young miss, for the complint."
The black haired girl simply nodded, as if his gratitude was expected.
"Indeed, you should be thankful!" she said, grinning slightly. "Grandpa said your na is Yuan, right? Well, you should know,my na is Emilia."
Yuan looked at Emilia, his expression calm, and responded with a small smile.
"Then, hello, Emilia. As you already know, I am Yuan. Since it seems we will be living together for the ti being, I hope we can get along well."
Before either of them could say more, Elder Viktor let out a slight sigh and spoke.
"Now that you two have introduced yourselves, can we eat first and then talk about important matters?"
Yuan nodded in agreent.
"Elder is right. We should eat first and talk afterward."
Yuan grabbed a chair and sat down, beginning to eat the food laid out on the table.
For the next ten minutes, they ate in comfortable silence.
Once they finished, Elder Viktor and Emilia had already started drinking their tea.
Now that breakfast was over, Yuan took a cup, poured himself so tea, and took his first sip.
It wasn't like the tea Basilisk used to drink, but it was bearable.
Still, he didn't show any dissatisfaction.
Instead, he nodded approvingly and said,
"Good tea."
Hearing this, Elder Viktor smiled, pleased with the complint.
"Indeed, it is good tea. It was made right here in the village!"
"Impressive. Truly impressive," Yuan said, nodding again as he took a second sip.
Once everyone had eaten and sipped their tea, Elder Viktor set his cup down and spoke.
"Now that we've all finished, let's move on to important matters."
His eyes turned to Yuan.
"First of all, my granddaughter Emilia will be coming with us. She has good talent and should be able to join a decent sect. Not like this old man."
With a slight chuckle, Elder Viktor took another sip of tea.
Yuan nodded calmly, signaling that he had no objections.
"So, when do the sects start recruiting disciples?" he asked.
Hearing this, Elder Viktor let out a small chuckle.
"You don't need to worry too much. In half a year, several sects will be recruiting disciples in the capital city of the Kingdom of Wolven.
"For the next six months, you should just focus on cultivation and training. We'll leave for the capital in five months, as the journey takes about three weeks. That will give us a week to settle before the recruitnt begins."
Half a year.
That was enough ti for him.
If he dedicated himself to cultivation, he could refine his body and reach the Perfect threshold of the Blood Purification Stage.
Then, at the final mont before recruitnt, he could break through and enter the Blood Purification Stage.
Yes…
Half a year was just enough.
With a slight nod, Yuan simply said,
"I have no issues with this arrangent."
And so, ti continued to pass.
Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and soon, the seasons changed.
Sumr arrived.
During this ti, Yuan cultivated like a madman, erging from his training only when absolutely necessary,whether it was for als, brief interactions, or the occasional visit from Young Master Lucas.
Lucas often ca to talk or show him basic mortal sword techniques.
In the eyes of Young Master Lucas, the two had beco good friends.
But in reality, Yuan didn't particularly enjoy their ti together.
To him, every mont spent conversing or practicing mortal sword tricks was ti wasted,ti that could have been spent cultivating.
Still, he had to keep up his act.
After all, he was just a child, wasn't he?
But even Lucas wasn't the most annoying person in his life.
No,that title belonged to Emilia.
For heaven's sake, how did such an arrogant brat even think about cultivating?
She had no discipline.
She barged into his room without knocking.
She constantly asked him to do things for her, acting as though he were her personal servant.
And the worst part?
She expected him to comply.
Because of this, Yuan beca increasingly cautious around both Elder Viktor and Emilia.
He continued to play his role as an obedient child, hiding his true nature without showing the slightest sign of dissatisfaction.
He held no attachnt to them and no real care for their treatnt of him.
Though Emilia was an arrogant child, Elder Viktor remained consistently kind.
And that,more than anything else,made Yuan suspicious.
They had given him a place to stay, food to eat, and never asked him to do any chores or work around the house.
Why?
Why would they be so kind to a complete stranger?
It could only an one thing.
The elder was scheming against him.
Yuan could sense it.
No one in this world offers kindness without expecting sothing in return.
Either Elder Viktor was a fool, or he had far deeper intentions behind his actions.
Yuan refused to trust blindly.
If there was one thing he had learned about the cultivation world, it was this
It is filled with endless sches and hidden traps.
One misstep, and you could die without even realizing your mistake.
Even the Basilisk had fallen because of one fatal error.
So being overly cautious was never wrong.
Determined to uncover the elder's true intentions, Yuan played his role well.
Like a curious child, he asked about Elder Viktor's past, listening as if he were speaking to a grandfather.
The elder spoke at length, sharing stories of his younger years.
But Yuan didn't actually care about the past.
He only wanted to gauge the elder's strength,to determine whether he had powerful backers or hidden allies.
And from what he learned...
That wasn't the case.
At least, that's what Elder Viktor claid.
But there was always the possibility that the elder was lying.
Yuan wasn't about to let his guard down.
Now, with just one week left before their departure from Icen Barony, Yuan made a decision.
He would craft an artifact.
Although it wouldn't be powerful, he could create a simple tool in just a week, thanks to the Azure Basilisk Fla.
Even a small defensive asure could an the difference between life and death in the world of cultivators.
And then, the day arrived,the day they would depart for the capital of the kingdom, Wolven.
"Yuan, wake up! The carriage is ready!"
A familiar female voice called out, breaking the morning silence.
Yuan's eyes snapped open, his gaze cold and emotionless.
But within seconds, that coldness faded, replaced by a warm and innocent expression,one that would make anyone see him as nothing more than a harmless child.
"Okay, I'm coming now."
With those words, Yuan rose from his bed, dressing himself in his azure robes.
Before stepping out, he slipped a small item into his long sleeve, concealing it from sight.
Now, he was truly prepared,ready to face the Grandfather and Granddaughter pair.
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