"Don't be discouraged, Yanran," Lin Ping said with a warm smile. "You possess the Water affinity—progress is slower at first, but your talent is exceptional. I'm sure you'll break through this stage before long."
The two were both disciples from the same academy, bound not only by shared learning but by family ties that stretched back generations. It was this deep connection that had led them to journey and train together.
"I believe it too," Yanran nodded with conviction, her voice steady with faith. She glanced around, curiosity in her eyes. "Senior, you specialize in Earth techniques, right? In this kind of terrain… could you use Stone Forest Spike?"
"In theory, yes," Lin Ping replied, "but Stone Forest Spike is a skill reserved for those who've reached the Elementalist tier. I haven't quite crossed that threshold yet."
"Oh," Yanran nodded thoughtfully, and the two continued their climb in silence, ascending steadily toward the peak of Azuremount.
"Finally, they're here," Bai Yufei thought, peeking at the pair from beneath a nearby tree. Maybe I should give them a little surprise…
Suddenly, he opened his mouth and let out a thunderous cry."Waaah! Waaah!"
The wails echoed across the mountain, piercing the silence like a blade. The two cultivators froze.
"Senior, come quickly! There's a baby over here!" Yanran cried in alarm and rushed toward the source of the sound.
She dropped to her knees beside the infant and scooped him gently into her arms."Waaah—!" she gasped, then paused.
"What is it? What's wrong?!" Lin Ping darted over, worried by her tone.
"He's… he's just too cute!" Yanran finally exclaimed, her voice bubbling with delight.
Lin Ping exhaled and shook his head with a helpless smile. He didn't even glance at the child, instead turning his attention to the surroundings, his eyes sharp with suspicion.
Meanwhile, Bai Yufei—wrapped snugly in Yanran's arms—opened his eyes, blinking up at her with wide, dark irises full of innocent curiosity.
With a pitiful cry, he extended his tiny right hand, revealing a small scratch he had carefully inflicted upon himself just moments earlier—a calculated move to evoke sympathy.
"Oh, sweetheart! You're hurt?" Yanran murmured, distressed. "Don't cry, little one…"
She raised her hand, and with a subtle twist of her fingers, a sphere of water gathered at her palm. She let the shimmering droplets fall gently onto the baby's wound. A soft glow spread through his skin, and in seconds the cut had vanished. It was a simple water-based healing technique—perfect for small injuries.
Noticing Lin Ping still pacing and scanning the forest, Yanran asked curiously, "Senior, what are you looking for?"
"I'm trying to find signs," Lin Ping replied. "This baby… someone abandoned him here. I thought perhaps there'd be some trace, something to explain who left him."
"Did you find anything?" Yanran asked anxiously.
"Nothing," he said with a frown. "There are no footprints, no trails. No one's passed through here in a long time… unless they were a Sky-tier cultivator who flew here directly."
Bai Yufei's heart skipped a beat.Sky-tier cultivator? What kind of realm is that? And these people… they aren't from Earth, are they?Dread crept into him. Did I really travel back in time… or have I landed in an entirely different world?
Yanran's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Whoever it was, leaving a child like this is unforgivable," she said angrily. "Look how adorable he is. How could any parent be so heartless?"
Lin Ping sighed. "We still have to decide what to do with him. We can't exactly take him back to the academy."
Bai Yufei stopped crying. He was listening closely now, eager to know what fate awaited him.Please don't toss me in the woods again…
Lin Ping rubbed the back of his head. "So… what should we do? Should we really bring him along?"
Yanran hesitated, then said gently, "There's a city not far from here, right? We'll take him with us and try to find a kind family willing to adopt him. That might be the best we can do."
"That's a good idea." Lin Ping nodded. "Let's head east and move quickly."
And with that, beneath the waning moonlight, the two young cultivators descended the mountain—unaware that the tiny child in their arms held the seed of a power that would one day shake the heavens.