The golden storm above the mountain had not yet faded.
Clouds swirled in a spiralling vortex over the All-Hail Sovereign Sect, lit from within by streaks of dragon-gold lightning. The entire mountain seemed to hum with spiritual energy after Lin Xiaoyu's latest breakthrough.
And apparently—
That breakthrough had invited more trouble.
I stood at the edge of the second-floor window of the Storage Pavilion, looking down at the mist-covered slope below.
The system's red warning panel still hovered before my eyes.
ALERT
Unknown powerhouse detected
Distance: 18 li… 15 li… 12 li
Well.
That was fast.
Xiaoyu stepped beside me, arms crossed, golden eyes gleaming with battle intent.
"Friend or enemy?"
I looked at the rapidly decreasing distance indicator.
"Given our recent luck?"
I sighed.
"Probably an enemy."
She grinned.
"Good."
Of course she did.
Honestly, I was starting to suspect that dragon blood didn't just boost strength—it also amplified battle addiction.
Mo Yuan floated behind us, his expression solemn.
"Sect Master, the aura is unusual."
I glanced back.
"Unusual how?"
The old spirit's golden eyes narrowed.
"Not human."
Before I could ask further—
BOOOOM!
A shockwave thundered from the lower mountain.
Snow exploded upward in a massive plume.
The trees bent violently.
The entire pavilion trembled.
Xiaoyu's eyes lit up.
"There!"
She pointed toward the lower path.
A dark figure was stumbling up the mountain.
Large.
Massive.
At first, I thought it was some kind of spirit beast.
Then the moonlight hit it.
And I saw fur.
Grey-black fur.
Broad shoulders.
Massive claws.
A humanoid beast shape cloaked in torn robes.
Its body was covered in blood.
The system immediately scanned it.
TARGET IDENTIFIED
Unknown Beastkin Male
Realm: Qi Refinement 4th Layer (sealed)Status: heavily injuredThreat Level: unstable
My eyes widened.
Qi Refinement 4th Layer?
That was stronger than Elder Han.
But sealed?
Interesting.
The figure staggered again.
Then collapsed face-first into the snow.
Silence.
Xiaoyu blinked.
"…Did our enemy just die on the way here?"
I stared.
Honestly, that would be incredibly convenient.
Still, convenient things usually came with hidden disaster.
I quickly descended the pavilion stairs.
Xiaoyu followed right behind me.
By the time we reached the lower slope, the snow around the figure had already turned crimson.
The beastkin was huge.
Even collapsed, he looked almost twice my size.
Wolf ears.
A thick tail partially buried in the snow.
Muscular arms covered in claw scars.
His torn robe exposed several deep wounds across his chest.
And worst of all—
A black curse mark was spreading from the centre of his heart.
The system flashed.
STATUS ANALYSIS
Race: BeastkinTrue Identity: UnknownCondition: cursed + spiritual sealLife Signs: critical
Xiaoyu crouched beside him and poked one of his ears.
It twitched.
Her eyes widened.
"…Cute."
I nearly choked.
"That is the first thing you say?"
She shrugged.
"Fluffy."
Fair point.
The beastkin suddenly groaned.
His eyes snapped open.
Bright crimson.
Predatory.
For one terrifying second, his gaze locked onto Xiaoyu.
Killing intent exploded.
He moved—
Fast.
Too fast.
His claw shot toward Xiaoyu's throat.
"MOVE!"
I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her backward.
The claw sliced through empty air.
BOOM!
The snow where she had been standing exploded.
Damn.
Even injured, he was terrifying.
Xiaoyu's golden aura flared instantly.
Her fist glowed.
"Can I hit him?"
"NO!"
The beastkin growled.
A deep, feral sound.
Then suddenly—
He clutched his chest and collapsed again.
The black curse mark pulsed violently.
His breathing turned ragged.
The system chimed.
CURSE INSTABILITY
Hostile behavior caused by curse corruption
Ah.
So he wasn't fully conscious.
That made this much more complicated.
Mo Yuan floated down behind us.
The moment he saw the beastkin, his expression changed.
Shock.
Then recognition.
"Impossible…"
I turned sharply.
"You know him?"
The old spirit stared at the unconscious figure.
"This aura…"
His voice dropped.
"A guardian beast elder"
My pupils contracted.
Guardian?
Of the Sovereign Sect?
The system flashed.
HIDDEN STORY LINK DETECTED
Former sect guardian unit
Now that was big.
Very big.
Xiaoyu looked between us.
"So he's ours?"
I slowly smiled.
"Potentially."
Her grin widened.
"Then can we keep him?"
I stared.
"…Why do you make everything sound like adopting stray animals?"
She pointed at the fluffy wolf ears.
"Because look at him."
I honestly couldn't argue.
Still—
The curse was the bigger issue.
The black mark spreading across his chest radiated ominous energy.
Even I could feel its danger.
The system displayed a new prompt.
OPTIONAL MISSION
Save the Beastkin Elder
Reward: sect elder recruitment + rare technique fragmentPenalty: possible death by mauling
I looked at the last line.
"…Comforting."
The system remained silent.
I knelt beside the beastkin carefully.
His breathing was getting weaker.
If this continued, he would die.
And if Mo Yuan was right—
He could be one of the original sect's surviving guardians.
A massive asset.
I turned to the spirit.
"How do we remove the curse?"
Mo Yuan's expression darkened.
"The curse seal is old. Ancient. It suppresses cultivation and devours life force."
Naturally.
Because simple injuries were apparently illegal in this world.
The system chimed.
SOLUTION DETECTED
Use Spirit Spring water + dragon blood qi
I immediately looked at Xiaoyu.
She blinked.
"…Why are you looking at me?"
"Because you're about to save a giant wolf man."
She blinked again.
Then grinned.
"Sounds fun."
Of course it did.
We quickly carried—well, mostly dragged—the beastkin back to the sect courtyard.
The revived Spirit Spring glowed softly beneath the moonlight.
Mist rose from its surface.
I carefully splashed the spirit water over the curse mark.
The black aura hissed.
Smoke rose.
Good.
It was working.
Xiaoyu knelt beside him.
Golden light gathered around her palm.
Her dragon blood aura flowed into the curse seal.
The reaction was immediate.
BOOOOOM!
Black energy exploded upward.
The beastkin roared.
His eyes snapped open again.
This time—
Not feral.
Clear.
Sharp.
Ancient.
He stared at Xiaoyu.
Then at me.
Then at the sect gate.
His crimson eyes widened.
For the first time, emotion appeared on his face.
Disbelief.
"…The Sovereign Sect?"
His voice was deep and rough.
I slowly smiled.
"Yes."
I spread my arms dramatically.
"Welcome home."
Silence.
Then the massive beastkin slowly dropped to one knee.
Snow shifted beneath his weight.
He bowed his head.
"This cursed one… greets the sect master."
The system exploded in golden light.
SPECIAL RECRUITMENT COMPLETE
Beastkin Elder Recruited
Name: GorakFormer Title: Sovereign Guardian ElderLoyalty: 35Realm: sealed
Xiaoyu immediately looked delighted.
"Can he cook?"
I stared at her.
"…That's your first question?"
Gorak slowly lifted his head.
His crimson eyes looked… embarrassed.
"I can."
Xiaoyu gasped.
"Best elder ever."
I laughed.
Perfect.
Our sect had just gained its first elder.
And judging by that curse seal—
His story was going to be far more complicated than it looked.