Ancient stone steps, crumbling walls, scattered rubble, and overgrown weeds painted a desolate scene. The ruins whispered of decline and decay, steeped in a melancholic air of bygone ages.
Lin Fan struggled to prop up his battered little body, scanning his surroundings. The place felt eerie, heavy with the weight of time's passage. But more pressing than the atmosphere was the old man nearby, staring at him with an unsettling intensity that made his skin crawl.
"Um… Grandpa, did you save me?" Lin Fan finally ventured, his voice dripping with childlike innocence, his big, watery eyes sparkling with purity.
"Mm!" The old man straightened, nodding sagely with an air of profound wisdom, his demeanor suddenly that of a lofty immortal.
"Oh! My mama said you gotta be grateful when someone helps you… so thank you, Grandpa!" Lin Fan's chubby face beamed, utterly adorable.
Years with Ye Qing Xian had honed his acting skills to perfection. He lied effortlessly, his cheeks unblushing, always on guard.
"How'd you end up here, little one?" the old man asked, his tone as warm as a spring breeze, his deep eyes glinting with insight.
He was curious how a child with no cultivation had arrived here and was already scheming to lure him into his sect. A Primordial Being was a rare treasure, coveted by every orthodoxy. His lineage had waned for years; though he'd taken disciples a few years back, they'd all perished. Now, a gifted child had practically fallen into his lap—he couldn't let this chance slip.
"I dunno. I was playing with Xiao Pi Hou and the other kids from the village in the mountains, and I stepped on an altar. Whoosh! I got zapped here!" Lin Fan said, feigning confusion, as if utterly clueless.
Jackpot! the old man thought, barely containing his glee. Not from any faction, then. Makes sense—a four-year-old with no cultivation? No orthodoxy would let that slide.
There was no doubt in his mind. A Primordial Being from a notable sect, even a minor one, would've begun training by four. Letting such talent go to waste was unthinkable! Any faction would nurture such a seed, vital to their legacy, to bolster their foundation.
The best age to start cultivation was two, when the body was still malleable. Through baptisms with precious herbs and blood, a solid foundation could be forged. Mighty orthodoxies even used divine medicines or the blood of ancient pureblood beasts for their prodigies' first rites, maximizing their potential.
Noticing the old man's silence, his lips curling with a shady grin, Lin Fan's heart sank. This creepy geezer isn't thinking… that, is he? He'd heard of twisted old men with a penchant for kids. Me, Lin Fan, pure and unsullied through two lives, about to be ruined by this guy? The thought sent shivers down his spine.
His inner actor kicked into gear. "Grandpa, can you take me home? My mama and papa will treat you to meat!" he chirped, his earnest eyes brimming with timid hope, tears seemingly ready to spill.
Faced with such a guileless, helpless child, Qi Dao Lin felt a pang of guilt, his old face flushing. Tricking someone so young—a toddler barely weaned, still clinging to his parents' wings—felt wrong. An older kid, sure, he'd have no qualms coaxing, but this? It pricked his conscience.
"Little one, do you know where your home is? I need that to take you back," Qi Dao Lin said, trying to engage.
Despite his dubious reputation, he had some principles. Taking the boy as a disciple required informing his parents first. He doubted they'd object—ignorant villagers refusing a high cultivator's offer to train their child? Unlikely.
"My home's in Lin Village. Do you know it, Grandpa?" Lin Fan mumbled softly.
He was testing the old man, gauging his intentions and whether he had ulterior motives. If push came to shove, he'd drop Ye Qing Xian's name. She was infamous among Sect Master-level figures, but would this oddball recognize her? If not, I'm in deep trouble.
"Little one, there are countless Lin Villages in this world. That alone won't help me find your home. Got any other clues, like a place name?" Qi Dao Lin prompted.
"Um…" Lin Fan tilted his head, pretending to rack his brains. Suddenly, he piped up, "I think I heard Grandpa Village Chief say we're near… some Border Pass!"
"Border Pass?!" Qi Dao Lin's eyes widened, the term striking a nerve.
"Yup!" Lin Fan watched him closely, deliberately mentioning the Border Pass to gauge his cultivation. Ordinary folk wouldn't know of it—only high-level cultivators could venture there.
From the reaction, this old man's cultivation was likely formidable, at least True God, possibly higher.
"Little one, getting home might be tough. This is the Three Thousand Provinces, far from the Border Pass, with the perilous Uninhabited Zone between," Qi Dao Lin explained.
He hadn't expected the boy to hail from so far away, beyond the Three Thousand Provinces, likely transported by a remarkable array across countless star rivers.
"What?! Wahhh! What do I do? I miss my mama and papa—they must be waiting for me!" Lin Fan's eyes welled up, crystal tears streaming down.
He had to admire his own performance. Life's a stage, and I'm a damn fine actor.
He was also stunned to learn he was in the Three Thousand Provinces. Ye Qing Xian had flung him across billions of miles, from the Border Pass's Uninhabited Zone to the Ten Lands. Insane.
But right now, he just wanted to bolt, join a major sect, and start cultivating. Having his fate in others' hands sucked.
"Don't cry, little one. Getting home's hard, but not impossible," Qi Dao Lin soothed, his tone gentle, like a kindly elder.
"Really?!" Lin Fan's teary eyes sparkled like gems, wiping his face as if glimpsing hope.
Qi Dao Lin blushed under such fervent trust, unused to a child's adoration. For the first time, he hesitated to recruit him. His sect wasn't exactly reputable—reviled, surrounded by foes. Bringing this kid in… might it ruin him?
Still, he said, "Of course it's true. With high enough cultivation, you can go anywhere you please."
Lin Fan's face fell, his voice trembling. "But our village is poor and weak. I don't know how to cultivate…"
"Ahem, that's where I come in. Join my sect, and I'll make you a peerless powerhouse!" Qi Dao Lin shrugged, seizing the moment.
His aura flared, mist and radiant light swirling, illuminating the ruins like a blazing sun. He seemed ready to ascend, ethereal and divine.
"Wow!" Lin Fan gasped, momentarily dazed, though inwardly he smirked. This geezer's got the grand act down pat. Most kids would eat it up.
But he relaxed. The old man wasn't that kind of creep, intent on stealing his purity or bone—especially his purity, which losing would hurt worse than death.
This fit his plan perfectly. The old man seemed powerful, saving him the trouble of hunting for a sect. For now, cultivation was the goal.
"Will you join my sect and fight for it?" Qi Dao Lin's tone turned solemn, chaos qi cascading from above, his presence rivaling the heavens, gazing down on all.
"I will!" Lin Fan replied.
He had no choice. Stranded in an unfamiliar land, safety came first. He'd underestimated the old man—possibly Heavenly Deity, maybe even Sect Master level. Not a bad deal. This rundown place might just be a retreat; the real sect was likely grand.
That's what Lin Fan figured, anyway.
Qi Dao Lin nodded, then gravely led Lin Fan through an oath, stern and unyielding, invoking heaven and earth. He took a drop of Lin Fan's blood, dripping it onto a tablet, which ignited.
Lin Fan gawked, stunned. Joining a sect is this intense?
When it was done, he asked, "Grandpa, what's your name? And what's our sect called?"
"Qi Dao Lin. As for the sect, it's the Supreme Dao Field. Pretty majestic, right? Feel the pride yet? You'll see—our lineage produces no weaklings!" the old man grinned, brimming with confidence.
"Ah…"