First goal on his path

"Huff! Huff!"

Like a bull running, Ning Yue arrives at Moon Sword Sect only a few minutes behind Hou Yi and Xiaoli.

"You must be Ning Yue. Follow me."

The night shift guard speaks to Ning Yue and leads him to the Medical Pavilion.

Inside, his father is lying on the bed while Xiaoli is brewing a new pill to help with his father's condition.

"Is my father OK?!"

Ning Yue asked with worry.

"No, far from it. He already exhausts his last bit of life force, his body eating itself to the core. Judging by your size, he must be a giant man too, and look at him now, nothing but a skeleton."

Xiaoli explains with seriousness. In all her life, she had never seen someone in this bad shape.

Normally, when cultivators starve, their bodies can use martial power as a life force to support themselves for a limited amount of time, but this man willingly burned his body as fuel to sustain his life.

'Why did he not just eat?'

Xiaoli wonders and pity, is father and son that poor? Can't they buy any food?

Now she felt bad about asking for payment.

"Is there any way you can help him?"

Ning Yue desperately asks.

His father was the last of his family. If his father dies, he will be alone in this world.

"There is a way, or so to say…."

"What is it?!"

"You need a high-quality pill. And I really meant it. Must be at least earth pill level 3rd."

"Earth Realm level 3rd pill?"

There are 3 types of pill in the Azure kingdom; Mortal, Earth, and Sky.

The pill Xiaoli gave Fangjie, and the one she is currently brewing, is a Mortal pill; its effect is only to sustain the decay rate but can't fully heal Ning Fangjie.

Like bears using their fat to sustain themselves in winter, Ning Fangjie used his flesh, blood, and martial power to sustain himself for the past 7 years.

'so this is why father seems to eat less and less; he gave his portion of food to me!'

Ning Yue looks at his gigantic arms in horror.

This level of muscle can't come without a price; in his case, it is his father's life.

Or it will be if he can't find any earth pill level 3rd or whatever it is.

"Ning Yue, I can't help you find this thing! Even in Moon Sword Sect, we only have 2 earth pills in the past 10 years, and both have already been consumed! And not a single one of them is level 3rd."

Hou Yi speaks with disbelief.

He can't believe his ear. To save this man's life, you need THAT HIGH level of pill?!

"Or you can give him a mortal pill every day, but he will never recover or awake again."

Xiaoli gives Ning Yue a choice; either he miraculously acquires Earth pill level 3rd or feeds his father a mortal pill until he dies.

"Even then, you still need a mortal pill to keep him alive. I may be a doctor, but I can't just give you free pills forever."

"I understand. Uncle Yi, you don't need to help me much. But please tell me, is there any way I can find earth pill level 3rd or get mortal pills every day?"

Ning Yue asks Hou Yi in desperation once again. Uncle Yi is now his only hope to help his father.

"There are. But it seemed impossible for someone like you."

"Please tell me!"

His father's soon-to-be last will in his hand already told him.

Whatever happens, FIGHT!

He doesn't care if anyone says it is impossible. If there is a way, he will do EVERYTHING to get it!

"To get earth pill level 3rd, you must win a tournament of Azure Moon that will be held 1 month from now. The winner will get an earth pill level 3rd and a chance to join Main Azure Sect."

"Then I will win the tournament! Where do I sign up?"

"Don't be too hasty! Just because you win a fight against someone in the awakening inner power stage doesn't win you can win this tournament! Expected winners of this tournament are all in a core-forming stage, just like your father. Try asking yourself, can you win against your father?!"

Hou Yi tries to slap Ning Yue's face with harsh reality.

This tournament is held every 10 years and is the city's highest competition!

Only the best from all clans and sects join this tournament; if Ning Yue joined now, he would just be a clown or a laughing stock for others!

"No…"

Ning Yue clenches his fist; he can't imagine himself at this moment defeating his father.

But imagine himself in the future defeating his father, then YES!

YES, HE CAN!

"At least NOT YET!!!"

Ning Yue's eyes are now filled with determination!

Suppose he can win against someone in the second stage of the body purification realm with him being a commoner.

Then why can't he win against all core-forming stage cultivators that now he is also a cultivator!

"FINE! If you still insist on joining, then I will help you. It's not like I got a lot of work anyway."

Hou Yi sign. How long was it that he saw someone so bold?

"Really?!"

Xiaoli asks Hou Yi for confirmation. Her eyes suddenly lit up with excitement.

Ning Yue is now enemies with the sixth elder's grandson; if Hou Yi accepts Ning Yue as his pupil, it is a declaration of war between the sixth elder and the third elder.

"Yes, I hope you don't mind, Xiaoli."

"No, no, no. Not at all! Having younger pupils this determined is far better than any brat who only wants a pill from me."

Xiaoli happily accepts Hou Yi's new pupil; she finally has a junior! And he sure is a very interesting one!

"Ning Yue, if you accept my offer, you will become a Moon sword sect disciple and will get one mortal pill every day, and I know you not gonna use it yourself, so I will permit Xiaoli to use it on your father, so you don't have to worry about giving your father a pill."

"I ACCEPT!! Thank you, Uncle Yi!"

"Not uncle Yi; it is MASTER YI now, remember it."

"Understood! Thank you very much, Master Yi! I will never forget your kindness!!"

Ning Yue bowed down to the ground and started crying. This is like a miracle after an apocalypse!

"I will not disappoint you as a pupil; I will win the tournament for you and my father's sake!"

Ning Yue swore with pride that whatever hardship awaited him, he would climb to the top of this town and reach the winner's prize with his fist!!

"Then go get some rest; Qiao must still be waiting for you, so go rest at her inn and come back tomorrow."

"Yes, master!"

Ning Yue bows again and leaves very quickly.

"You finally accepted a new pupil~! I'm so happy, grandpa!"

After Ning Yue leaves, Xiaoli jumps at Hou Yi and hugs him like a child.

"Xiaoli! How many times have I told you to stop doing this!"

Hou Yi speaks with anger and embarrassment. His eyes quickly go around to check if anybody is looking.

"Come on~! Reward your granddaughter, please~. you owe me, remember?"

Still, Xiaoli doesn't let go.

"You did a good job today."

Hou Yi accepts his fate, quickly compliments Xiaoli, and tries to escape his pupil's hugs.

"Bu~ I want the good old one!"

Xiaoli doesn't feel satisfied with the reward, so she starts crying like a child.

"…Fine, you deserved it."

"Yeah!"

She quickly stops crying and smiles.

Hou Yi goes outside and looks around to ensure no one is coming.

And then…

"My beloved granddaughter, you did very well today. I'm so proud of you."

Hou Yi pat Xiaoli with a smile and brightness shining on his face before lifting her and moving her around like a baby.

"Thank you, grandpa~! I'm a good girl, aren't I?"

Xiaoli wiggles around like an obedient cat. It has been a long time since he gave her a head pat.

"Come on, Xiaoli, how old are you now! Stop asking this weird question!"

After Xiaoli is satisfied with a reward, Hou Yi quickly scolds her.

"I'm 27! But it has been 12 years since you gave me a head pat. Also, all my friends already have a junior to toy with, but I have none, and you never tell me why!"

Xiaoli vented out all her frustration.

Hou Yi had a lot of pupils in the past, but for some reason, he suddenly stopped accepting any new pupils, and Xiaoli was the last pupil Hou Yi had taught.