Before Jiuli could resist, a seemingly small finger lightly touched his forehead. Instantly, his vision darkened, and everything around him disappeared into a void.
As Jiuli's consciousness wandered in the darkness, a glimmer of golden light appeared. It expanded rapidly, radiating brilliance until it transformed into a blinding golden sun that banished all shadows.
The abrupt shift from darkness to light left Jiuli disoriented. After adjusting, he saw a towering figure standing within the sun, its form wrapped in thunderous serpentine currents.
Though this being could be called a giant, it was nothing like the form Jiuli had achieved through cultivation. They were of entirely different dimensions, incomparable in every way.
"What is this?" Jiuli muttered, his worldview shaken to its core. He had never imagined the existence of such a being.
Before he could process his astonishment, the vision vanished. The simple treehouse reappeared, and the black-haired child smiled up at him.
"How was my first gift?" Muria asked.
"The... being I saw..." Jiuli stammered.
"Real," Muria confirmed. "I don't dabble in illusions."
"How can something be so powerful?"
"That's not surprising. If you cultivate diligently, you might one day reach a similar level."
"Me? Really?" Doubt clouded Jiuli's face. The sight had left him deeply shaken.
"Every sentient being has that potential," Muria replied with a knowing smile.
"That's as good as saying nothing," Jiuli muttered under his breath.
"Is that how you speak to your teacher?" Muria raised a hand, and with a casual flick, a gust of wind formed a whip. It snapped across Jiuli's forehead, leaving a faint red mark.
"Ow!" Jiuli clutched his forehead, embarrassed and annoyed. It had been years since anyone had reprimanded him like this.
"I showed you that to broaden your horizons and inspire you to aim higher. Now for your second gift."
Without giving Jiuli a chance to react, Muria extended his hand and gently pressed it against Jiuli's chest. A radiant golden light flared at his fingertips before fading.
"Done."
"Teacher..." Jiuli awkwardly addressed Muria, still unused to the term. He rubbed the spot on his chest where Muria had touched, feeling an unusual tingling sensation. "What did you do to me?"
"I gave you your second gift. Take a look."
Jiuli unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his ribcage. Golden scales began to grow rapidly across his chest, shimmering with an otherworldly brilliance.
"What's this?" Jiuli asked, staring at Muria in astonishment.
"Something that might save your life in a pinch," Muria said lazily, glancing toward the ceiling as if he could see through it to the sky beyond.
"Life-saving, huh?" Jiuli ran his hand over the scales, noting their extraordinary durability. Any initial reservations vanished.
Due to his cultivation method, he was already accustomed to non-human traits appearing on his body, so he didn't reject the change. If anything, knowing it could protect him was reassuring.
"Of course, if your enemy is vastly stronger, it won't help. Don't think it makes you invincible."
"I see," Jiuli said, though he couldn't hide his disappointment. The idea of an unbreakable defense was enticing.
"Still, if you ever face an enemy you can't defeat or escape, I'll come for you—or at least avenge you and retrieve your body," Muria said with a mischievous grin. Though he had taken on a student for his own purposes, he wouldn't neglect him.
After all, anyone who dared harm Jiuli would essentially be challenging Muria himself. According to Titan customs, if Jiuli was defeated by someone of comparable strength, Muria wouldn't interfere. But if he was bullied by stronger opponents, Muria would step in without hesitation.
"Thank you, Teacher," Jiuli said, though he didn't take Muria's words too seriously, thinking the dragon was merely teasing him.
"Let's go. It's time for you to return home. I'd like to see where you live."
"This is pathetic," Muria said as he stood on the deck of a crowded ferry, watching Jiuli shield him from the jostling crowd. "You're a small Earth God with a few hundred followers, yet you're stuck traveling like this? Were things so bad for you back home?"
"The spatial gate is currently controlled by my nation's military. Civilians can't pass freely. The only way through is on government-approved ships," Jiuli explained apologetically.
"Basically, you're not influential enough in your homeland." Muria's gaze swept over the ferry with disdain. He hadn't expected to one day be crammed into such a lowly vessel.
He had proposed entering Jiuli's homeland in his transcendent form, but Jiuli had vehemently opposed the idea, pleading with him until he relented.
And so, the illustrious dragon found himself aboard a crowded ferry, surrounded by ordinary people, heading to a technologically advanced civilization.
"Hey, buddy, is this your little brother?" A cheerful young man squeezed through the crowd, noticing Muria protected by Jiuli. "Taking him on a trip to the new world? Aren't you worried your parents will scold you?"
Jiuli froze in embarrassment, struggling to respond. He and Muria couldn't have looked more different. Aside from their black hair, there was no resemblance at all.
"You think we look like brothers?" Muria asked, tilting his head. His strikingly handsome features caught the young man's attention immediately.
"Sorry, young man. My mistake," the youth said hastily, taking another look at Jiuli and shaking his head. "You two are definitely not brothers."
Jiuli didn't bother responding, though inwardly he was annoyed. Compared to Muria's flawless appearance, his own looks were utterly average.
"No, he's right," Muria said with a grin. "We're brothers—just from different fathers and mothers."
The youth blinked, then burst into laughter as he realized the joke.
After about fifteen minutes, the ferry docked, and the crowd poured out, scattering to various destinations.
"Teacher, there's something you should know about my family," Jiuli said as they boarded a car. Starting the engine, he glanced at Muria in the back seat. "My mother didn't raise me. After giving birth, she left and remarried..."
"Got it. Single-parent household. So you're living with some bachelor now?" Muria asked nonchalantly.
"No. My father passed away before I came of age, so my mother took me in. But she had already started a new family with another man..."
"I see," Muria said, rubbing his temples. "At least you're not an orphan."
"My mother's new husband, Mr. Juan, also had children from a previous relationship."
"So, you have a bunch of step-siblings?"
"Exactly."
"I was joking," Muria muttered.
"I know."
As they chatted, Jiuli drove through city streets and stopped in front of a modest suburban house.
"We're here," Jiuli announced.
"This is your home?" Muria asked, stepping out of the car and surveying the wooden house with its small yard. "Pretty ordinary."
"I told you, I'm just an average guy," Jiuli replied, opening the door for Muria with a polite bow.
Before Muria could respond, a golden-haired girl darted out of the house.
"Brother!" she cried, ignoring Muria entirely as she threw herself at Jiuli, hugging his leg tightly.
"Is this one of your step-siblings?" Muria asked, narrowing his golden eyes. A flicker of surprise crossed his face. "This... isn't a coincidence, is it?"
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