Chapter 2: The Reluctant Master
Dawn bathed Cloudrest Peak in golden light, its hillsides shimmering with Spiritbloom Herbs that glowed like moonlight caught in dew. Eternal peach groves pulsed with faint spiritual qi, their blossoms swaying in a breeze that whispered of starlight and ancient earth. Lucian Imperius, carefree hermit and former Heavenly Emperor of the Ninefold Realms, lounged on a mossy boulder, munching a Celestial Peach and scowling at Drake Ashbourne like he'd invented chaos. Drake stood nearby, his tattered mercenary leathers crusted with dirt from yesterday's crash, clutching his chipped sword with a mix of pride and confusion. The memory of his Stellar Sword Intent, a starlight burst that had lit up the peak, lingered like an unspoken challenge. Lucian, meanwhile, was wrestling with the Disciple Ascension System, a divine pest that had turned his nap-filled retirement into a cosmic errand, all while keeping its existence a secret.
"Kid, your sword's glowing again," Lucian said, spitting a peach pit into the grass. "Dim it before every cultivator in Stonehaven comes sniffing. I'm not running a spiritual festival."
Drake glanced at his blade, flickering with faint silver light, and frowned. "I'm not trying to glow. You're the one who had me swinging like an idiot yesterday." His voice carried the sharp edge of a former Azure Flame Pavilion prodigy, stung by exile, a framed theft of the Heavenly Ember Pearl, and a Ninefold Binding Curse sealing his cultivation. "What was that stance? Some old hermit's weeding trick?"
Lucian snorted, leaning back on his boulder. "Weeding trick? That move woke your Ninefold Star Vein, fallen genius. You're welcome. Now, fix my garden." He gestured at the trampled Spiritbloom Herbs, their shimmer dulled by Drake's clumsy arrival.
Drake's jaw clenched, pride flaring. "What? A Ninefold Star Vein, you say. And I'm a swordsman, not a gardener. You want herbs replanted, hire a mortal." The bitterness of his fall, from prodigy to outcast, burned deep, but he buried it, gripping his sword tighter.
Before Lucian could retort, a chime rang in his mind, clear as a jade bell and smug as a sect elder. [Disciple Ascension System: Mission Assigned. Disciple Drake Ashbourne must retrieve the Starlight Lotus Core from the Ruins of Celestial Dawn to stabilize his Ninefold Star Vein. Reward: Divine Seal Token, enhancing soul power beyond the Immortal World's peak for Divine World cultivation in the Mortal World. Failure: Divine consequences.] Lucian's eyebrow raised, a flicker of intrigue crossing his face. Soul power surpassing the Immortal World, cultivated right here in the Mortal World? After eons of stagnation, having abandoned the Divine World seal's mysteries, the idea sparked a long-dormant curiosity. He quickly masked it with a scowl, muttering, "One disciple, not a whole quest chain, alright? What's this 'divine consequences' nonsense? Gonna burn down my peach grove just because some celestial big shot threw a tantrum? Great, just great."
The system chimed again, its tone practically winking. [Guide your disciple, or face divine consequences.] Lucian rolled his eyes. "Subtle? Please. Like a dragon crashing a quiet tea party and expecting a warm welcome." He glanced at Drake, ensuring his voice stayed casual. "Kid, your glowy vein's causing trouble. I know a fix, but it's a hassle. And if I'm gonna help you, you need to accept me as your master. No half-hearted nonsense, you in or out?"
Drake's eyes narrowed, pride clashing with suspicion. "Master? You, a hermit who mutters to himself? Why should I bow to someone who looks like he's one peach away from a coma?" His tone held the wariness of a man burned by betrayal, his Pavilion days a bitter scar.
Lucian grinned, his tongue sharp as a Xianxia blade. "Bow? Kid, I'm the one stuck with you. That Ninefold Star Vein of yours is basically a flare for every sect within a hundred miles, and I'd rather not have my hillside turned into a warzone. I've got tricks to make you stronger than you've ever been, but I don't teach freeloaders. Accept me as your master, or go glow somewhere else and deal with the Iron Crane Sect alone."
Drake's grip tightened on his sword, his pride warring with the memory of yesterday's breakthrough, a power this hermit had somehow unlocked. The starlight hum in his blade felt like a promise, one he couldn't ignore, curse or no curse. He exhaled sharply, then dropped to his knees and kowtowed, his forehead touching the earth. "Fine. I, Drake Ashbourne, accept you as my master. Don't make me regret this."
Lucian waved a hand, his smirk barely hiding a grimace. "Ugh, don't get all formal. Get up, you're embarrassing me. I'm your master now, so listen up. There's a artifact in a nearby ruin that'll calm your vein and boost your strength. You owe me for saving your hide and my herbs, so get to it."
Drake stood, snorting but not arguing. "Where's this ruin?"
Lucian pointed eastward, where mist cloaked a jagged ridge. "Ruins of Celestial Dawn, a few hours' walk. Old cultivator hideout, probably full of creaky traps and no peaches. Don't die, or I'll have to sweep up your ashes."
The system chimed privately, almost cheerful. [Mission progress: Disciple motivated. Ensure completion, Master Lucian.] Lucian scowled at the sky. "Master? I'm a hermit, you jingling pest. Call me that again, and I'll retire to the Divine World just to spite you."
Drake stared, half-convinced Lucian was unhinged. "You sure those peaches aren't soaked in qi wine?"
"Keep talking, disciple, and I'll make you replant the whole hillside," Lucian snapped, his grin betraying amusement. He tossed Drake a pill, its faint qi glow barely visible. "This will stabilize your qi just enough to survive the ruin. Don't waste it. Now move."
The Ruins of Celestial Dawn loomed as Drake approached, a stone archway carved with Starjade Runes that pulsed with ancient qi. Vines snaked over crumbled pillars, and the air thrummed with pressure that stirred his Ninefold Star Vein despite the curse. Drake gripped his sword, heart pounding with pride and unease. This wasn't a mercenary job. This felt like a legend his old elders used to spin.
Inside, the halls glowed with Starjade Torches, their light casting shadows that danced like spirits. Drake's boots echoed on cracked stone. He muttered, "If this is a trap, that master of mine's getting an earful." He pressed deeper, spotting a glowing pedestal at the hall's end. The Starlight Lotus Core, a fist-sized orb, pulsed with silver light, its qi syncing with his vein. As he reached for it, the floor's runes flared, and a spectral qi blade slashed toward him. Drake dove, mercenary reflexes barely saving him, but the curse slowed him. His sword sparked as he parried, Stellar Sword Intent flaring unbidden. Starlight erupted, shattering the blade. The core's light surged, resonating with his vein.
Panting, Drake grabbed the core, its warmth pulsing in his hand. A faint glow formed beside it, coalescing into a shimmering Starlight Essence Token, etched with celestial runes that hummed with soul-stirring power. The system chimed in Lucian's mind: [Mission complete: Starlight Lotus Core acquired. Ninefold Star Vein stabilized. Divine Seal Token granted, soul power enhanced. Progress: 2%.] The ruin's qi calmed. Drake staggered back, clutching the core and token, muttering, "That master, he wasn't lying." A grudging respect flickered, though he'd never admit it.
Back at Cloudrest Peak, Lucian sensed the qi shift, the core and token's resonance reaching the hillside. He sighed, tossing his peach away. "Oh, that kid didn't die. Shocking." The system chimed: [Well done, Master Lucian.] He glared at the sky. "One more 'Master,' and I'm yeeting you to the Divine World." As Drake's starlight glow approached, visible from Stonehaven's watchtowers, Lucian groaned. ""Oh, fantastic. This disciple's making my peak a spotlight. So much for naps."