Wei Ran returned to his residence, his clothes drenched from the unrelenting rain. Water dripped from his sleeves, pooling at his feet. Seeing him in such a state, his mother, Emma Fairy, immediately rushed over, her face etched with maternal concern.
"Wei, why are you so wet?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly with worry.
Who would have thought that even world-shaking Immortals had such vulnerable spots? In the cruel world of Gu, such emotions were the perfect targets for demonic cultivators. For a heart that loves is a heart that provides a scabbard for the enemy's poisoned blade. Wherever there is affection, the shadow of defeat lurks nearby.
Wei Ran showed no emotion, his gaze remaining as cold as the rain outside. "I simply gave my umbrella to someone in need. That is all."
He walked past her, heading straight toward his father's study.
Inside, Feng Jiu Ge sat at the center of the room, reviewing ancient scrolls. While the study appeared simple and modest at first glance, every corner of it radiated a sense of absolute order and hidden power.
Wei Ran stopped at the entrance. "Are you busy?"
No matter how vital his work was, Jiu Ge always prioritized his son. He set the scrolls aside, his tone softening. "No, come in. What is on your mind?"
"Do I have the right to take two commoners under the clan's protection and awaken them as Gu Masters?" Wei Ran asked, his voice firm.
Jiu Ge hesitated, looking at his son with curiosity. "If they have no prior ties to the clan, the elders will surely oppose the waste of resources. I will not stand in your way... but you must be the one to silence the elders' objections."
Wei Ran paused for a moment before delivering a tactical strike. "Then... what if one of them comes as my future fiancée?"
Feng Jiu Ge froze in shock. He had never expected his son to speak of "love" so early. Yet, deep down, a sense of relief washed over him. 'In this world, falling in love is not a crime, but a sign of a soul awakening,' he thought.
"If that is the case, the resistance will be minimal..." Jiu Ge's eyes brightened with joy. "Have you truly fallen for someone, my son?"
Wei Ran met his father's gaze with a chilling indifference. "One could say that."
Inwardly, however, his thoughts were purely pragmatic: 'In truth, this is merely a foundation laid for the future.'
"I have given them the Spirit Affinity House token and my umbrella. They should arrive soon," Wei Ran said, turning to leave the room.
As soon as he stepped out, Emma Fairy entered. She had overheard the entire conversation from the hallway.
"What do you think?" she asked, looking at Jiu Ge. "Has our cold-hearted son truly changed?"
Jiu Ge smiled. "Who would have thought that this boy, who cares for nothing but the world's mysteries, could be changed by a single encounter? If that girl can teach him what it means to be human, I will support it with all I have."
Back in his room, Wei Ran sat in a meditative posture, beginning his cultivation. In just one day, he had already broken through 10% of the initial stage of Rank 1. His primeval essence surged, crashing against the walls of his aperture.
However, his mind was occupied by a different problem.
'A Hundred Beast King... Being Rank 1 isn't the issue, but the fact that I cannot recover essence through primeval stones—that is the true obstacle.'
He analyzed the mission requirements over and over, searching for a loophole. Finally, his eyes glinted with a sharp light.
'Yes... It was never stated that we must kill it alone. Only that one person must bring back one head. Cooperation was never forbidden.'
He mentally scrolled through a list of potential partners until only one name remained.
"Without a doubt... it has to be her."