The Master from the Sky

The road to immortality wasn't paved in gold. It was packed with dust, stones, and the scent of roasting chestnuts from village markets.

Lin Yuan, with a young tiger boy on one side and a golden-haired girl on the other, traveled on foot from one village to the next. Sometimes they shared a warm meal with friendly strangers. Other times, when the gatekeeper looked nervously at the black tiger cub growling by his side, they were turned away.

"No problem," Lin Yuan would say. "We'll sleep in the trees." And they did.

His journey was made smoother thanks to Lady Mingyan. He had learned to hunt, climb, and survive with minimal resources. Her survival lessons kept them safe in the wild.

Lady Fengyan gave him a spiritual feather sword able to turn into a sharp, flying blade in danger, or even ward off annoying insects and mosquitoes. She also gave him a gourd of spiritual water that never ran dry—refreshing and potent enough to revitalize injured beasts.

A golden bracelet necklace released a protective aura against magic attacks. Two golden bracelets—one slowed the opponent for a moment, the other could speed up his movements. A silver belt cool to the touch activated an automatic defense barrier when his life was in danger.

These treasures made Lin Yuan a walking fortress, even if he still didn't quite understand how powerful they truly were.

---

On the twelfth day of travel, while they passed through a pinewood forest, a streak of silver light crashed from the sky into the trees with a thunderous explosion.

Boom! The earth trembled. Birds scattered.

Lin Yuan and his siblings rushed forward to find a woman unconscious in a clearing—her robes torn, her face pale, and her spiritual energy in wild disarray.

His pendant glowed faintly. Lady Mingyan's voice rang in his ears.

"She's poisoned with... an aphrodisiac. Don't panic. You're still too young to understand. Just follow my instructions."

"Give her spiritual water. Feed her one high-grade healing pill and a Cleansing Moon Pill. Then tie her to a tree with the magic rope—tightly. Pour more spiritual water on her head."

Confused but obedient, Lin Yuan worked quickly. Qingxue helped him construct a basic chi-gathering formation, which he then expanded layer by layer with guidance from his mother in the pocket realm.

The air thickened with spiritual energy. "No," said Mingyan, "ask Xiao Hu to roar loudly. Right into her ear."

Xiao Hu's ears perked up with mischief. "RAAWWR!!"

The forest shook. The woman's eyes snapped open.

"What...?" she murmured, blinking in confusion. "Why am I tied to a tree?"

Lin Yuan stepped back nervously. "You crashed. You were injured. I gave you medicine and water..."

Her gaze shifted from the ropes to the glowing formation beneath her, to her revitalized body. She frowned in awe. "You constructed this formation? Who taught you?"

"My mom," Lin Yuan replied.

Lady Mingyan said, "Say your family is all gone."

 The woman smiled faintly.

"What do you want in return?"

"My family is... all gone. I'm on my own. I want... to become your disciple."

Silence.

"What's your name?"

"Lin Yuan."

She extended her hand. "Give me one drop of your blood."

He pricked his finger and let a drop fall into her palm. It glowed faintly before vanishing into her skin.

She nodded. "Then from this day on, you are a disciple of Taiyin Sect."

Lin Yuan's eyes widened. "W-wait... but I'm a man!?"

Silence.

Lin Yuan asked, "Why do you have a Flowing Sky Pavilion elder token?"

"I am undercover. Your name is now in the Hall of Eternal Moonlight and our soul is linked. You can't leave the sect... except by death."