Scholar, who didn't know what made him so excited, said:
"They were all 'Sect Masters' of different sects who were close to our realm or higher. I think we were supposed to be the same as them, but we were trapped here later... And by the way, we heard from Old Seven that there are still two other people close to our realm outside. One is the Snow Goddess of the Demoness Sect, and the other is the current Sword God of the Sword Sect, who is the disciple of Fourth Brother. Both of them advanced to our level not long before Old Seven came here."
Little Mortal didn't care about what he was saying and suddenly jumped on the table while shouting:
"I have decided!"
Everyone's heart skipped a beat!
They thought:
'You decide what? Can't you decide on your chair? Why would you jump on the table and scare us again, you psycho kid?'
They waited for him to say what he decided, but the little boy stayed there—it seemed he was waiting for someone to ask first.
"What have you decided, Fellow Daoist Mortal?"
Little Mortal said excitedly:
"My Daoist name!"
Now they didn't know what to say.
'Isn't that something for others to choose for you?'
Scholar said:
"What an honor for us to be the first group of people to hear it. Please do tell us."
The little boy happily said:
"Sect Master."
Everyone:
"Huh!?"
Then he ran to the side, took a paper and pen, and started writing something.
The rest looked at each other and reached an agreement without saying anything.
'Let's not give any opinion about his Daoist name. What if Heaven's Will—who is nothing but a manager to this kid—takes action against us?'
The little boy came back with the paper in hand, but he went to Fourth Brother. The closer he got to him, the paler this former Sword God became.
He then said to him:
"Can you sign this recommendation letter for me?"
Fourth Brother took the letter and read it:
"I, your master, recommend Fellow Daoist Mortal, with the Daoist name 'Sect Master,' to you, Sect Master of the Sword Sect, the current 'Sword God,' as your disciple. And I hope you can support him on the path of becoming our (this part is secret to you).
Name: _______________ Sign: _______________"
Without questioning him, Fourth Brother just wrote his name and signed it with his sword aura so his disciple could recognize it.
This brat clearly didn't want to hear 'No' as an answer.
Little Mortal took the letter with both hands respectfully.
Fourth Brother thought:
'So you know how to show respect too...'
Then he asked:
"Mr. Fourth, can you give me the address of the 'Sword Sect'?"
He already had his notebook in hand, ready to write the address.
Sword God pointed in a direction and said:
"Just go straight that way. Behind the first mountain is a river—just move opposite the river's flow. There, you'll see two mountain ranges and two roads leading toward them. The one going to the snowy mountains leads to the Demoness Sect. It's always snowy because of the Sect Master of the Demoness Sect, the Snow Goddess. The other road goes to the 'Sword Sect,' and it's easy to find because of the big statue of the current Sect Master at its path entrance."
Little Mortal, after writing down the address, cupped his hands, bowed slightly, and said:
"Thank you for the recommendation letter."
Then he stayed like that, waiting for Fourth Brother to accept his thanks.
So Fourth Brother said:
"Don't mind it, Fellow Daoist Mortal. It's my disciple's honor to support you."
But the little boy didn't move, as if he hadn't heard him...
Fourth Brother cleared his throat and repeated himself... but the little boy didn't react.
Fourth Brother became nervous:
'What's wrong with him?'
He looked around to see if anyone could help him in this awkward situation and saw Scholar bringing out a paper, writing something on it, and showing it to him.
Fourth Brother, who saw the two words, immediately understood the problem.
Cough
"Yes, don't mind it, S-Sect Master. It's my disciple's honor to have you as a disciple, Sect Master."
He tried to say 'Sect Master' twice so the little boy would be sure he knew his Daoist name.
And as expected, he smiled and happily went back to his seat.
But before he could sit down, they heard Sixth Sister's voice from behind the sofa:
"My disciple is in the Demoness Sect too—she's the sect's Supreme Elder. Want me to give you a recommendation letter too, Sect Master?"
The Little Sect Master slowly turned around.
When Sixth Sister peeked from behind the sofa to see his reaction, she gasped at the sight of his face!
Half of his face was angry, and the other half was smiling.
Sixth Sister suddenly realized why her attempt to flatter him was only 50% successful.
He was angry because he didn't have a good impression of the demonic path—he had already written down to stay away from them—and she tried to recommend he join such a sect!
But he was happy because she called him Sect Master!
So she hurriedly said:
"I was wrong, I was wrong! I just said it because they aren't that bad among demonic sects... Anyway, if you see a girl with hair and eyes like me from the Demoness Sect, she's my disciple. You can ask her to help you—just show her this."
Then, with a shaking hand, she gave him a small statue of a beautiful woman and jumped back behind the sofa.
Little Sect Master didn't even look at it and just threw it into his backpack, whose lid opened and swallowed the statue.
Then he went back to his seat and said:
"Alright, if there's nothing else, this Sect Master is going to say his goodbyes."
The crowd was speechless.
What happened to the Q&A session?
He just dropped some big news, and now he was leaving?
"Sect Master, why don't you take us out of here with you? Whatever plan you have, we can help you with it. In the end, we're your team members, right?"
Everyone's eyes lit up!
Yes, if they could fool him into taking them out, then...
Little Mortal scoffed and, with a teasing smile, said:
"You guys want to sneak out of here and try to ascend to the Immortal World, don't you?"
Looking at the embarrassed crowd—who knew their true intention had been exposed—he shook his head.
"First of all, you can't, because the portal to your destination is closed, and your manager doesn't have the power to open it anymore."
"How do you know that, Sect Master?"
"What do you mean, how? Didn't you say Old Seven saw the Snow Goddess and Mr. Fourth's disciple are at your level of power? Why aren't they here with you, then?"
"Heave—I mean, Planet Manager is that weak?"
"He is. But none of that is important and you don't need to be worried.
Do you know why?"
They all looked at him in confusion while thinking:
'The world's spiritual energy is going to finish, and we'll turn to ash soon—why shouldn't we be worried?'
But before anyone could answer, they heard Sixth Sister's voice from behind the sofa:
"With Sect Master around, there's nothing to be worried about."
Hearing her, the Little Sect Master suddenly puffed out his chest, looking arrogantly toward the sky!
Sixth Sister, seeing her attempt to curry favor was successful, continued:
"Even if the sky falls, Sect Master is there to hold it with one hand... No, just one finger."
Little Sect Master jumped back on the table—one hand behind his back—and pointed at the sky!
He then stayed in that pose and didn't move for two more minutes.
For a moment, the crowd felt he was really holding the sky with one finger!
What kind of illusion was that?
But before it affected them too much, he jumped down and said—looking pleased with her compliments:
"Big Guy, give Little Charm a candy as a reward for being the most loyal to this 'Sect Master.'"
The backpack's lid opened, and a blue candy shot out toward Charm Goddess. Before she could react, it went into her mouth.
She thought:
'What's the use of a candy...?'
But when she saw Little Sect Master go to the paper with the list of names, first adding his own Daoist name and then changing the power number in front of hers to 99 while removing the homework part, she knew something wasn't right!
Why did her number increased to 99, even though she didn't know what these numbers meant?
**[ 0. Mortal
Daoist Name: Sect Master
Power: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Charm Goddess (Sixth Sister)
Power = 99 - Age - (Classified Information)
-Accepted- ]**
While confused, she tried to swallow the candy in her mouth, but it didn't move or melt—it just stuck to her cheek...
At this moment, everyone was looking at her to see if there was any change, but nothing happened.
They thought:
'Is this kid mocking her?'
When they turned back to look at their unpredictable boss, they saw he had already changed back into his black martial arts clothes—bare feet again, backpack on his back—and was looking at them:
"Okay, everyone. I need to continue on my journey, so farewell!"
Then he cupped his hands, bowed slightly, and turned to leave.
Scholar was the first to jump in front of him:
"Sect Master, wait! What's the hurry? What about us? What should we do? You didn't answer any of our questions yet! And what about money? Do you have spirit stones to use on your journey?"
Little Mortal gasped:
"I forgot to ask about this place's currency! So it's spirit stones? Wait, let me sell you some candy for spirit stones. I can't take your stuff for free. And you can ask questions later when we meet again—now, I'm in a hurry."
Then he said to his backpack:
"Give them each one candy—blue for ladies, red for gentlemen."
Blue and red lights shot out, and everyone got one—even Sixth Sister got another one.
Little Mortal, having given them candy, waited expectantly.
The message was clear:
'Don't you want to pay?'
Scholar immediately took everyone's spirit stones, put them in a storage ring, and gave it to the Little Sect Master.
They all knew that even if these candies were useless, it was better to invest in this kid and hope for the best.
If the most mysterious creature in this world—the Wise Turtle—was on his team, then a bright future was guaranteed with him.
Seeing all the 'love and support,' Little Mortal said excitedly:
"Thank you, everyone! After I become the Guardian, it'll be your turn to shine! So eat your candy, put on your best clothes, and be ready for my call!"
Scholar asked before he left:
"Wait, Sect Master—Guardian of what?"
"This planet."
Okay, now they knew his goal.
So Scholar asked:
"For what purpose?"
"Not telling."
Then he glared at 'Grandma'—as if saying:
'You better not have any thoughts about it!'
The crowd was confused.
What was his problem with Third Sister? Isn't she the nicest person you could find?
Third Sister only lowered her head in response, showing him she would behave as asked.
Her condition was slightly better than the rest at the moment, but that didn't help—it made her even more afraid.
Scholar asked:
"Can you at least tell us how long it will take for you to become Guardian? And if we're free to leave after that? It's been over 300 years since we've been stuck here..."
Little Mortal stroked his chin and said:
"Not much. There are only five conditions for anyone who wants to become a Planet Guardian."
"May I ask what the conditions are?"
Little Mortal nodded:
"Sure.
1. Be the strongest on the planet you're in.
2. Stop a world invasion at least once.
3. Have lots of strong followers.
4. Assemble a special force team for... well, this part's a secret.
5. Have enough knowledge about the outside world and what you'll deal with after becoming Guardian.
6. Make a positive impact on the world so everyone remembers you for a long time."
Hearing his answer, Third Sister furrowed her brows, as if confused.
And Fifth Sister (Fire Goddess) was shocked, blurting out:
"Wait—do you mean the demons who invaded our world, the ones I killed, were an opportunity for me to become Guardian?"
"It was. But this planet's Manager knows nothing about it. He probably just heard something from the old lady next door or that other guy just recently. Anyway, you couldn't kill or repel all of them—or you'd feel something like me by now."
Fire Goddess frowned:
"How do you know I didn't kill all of them? And what about you, Sect Master? How many conditions have you fulfilled?"
Everyone suddenly wanted to run when they heard her ask that second question!
'What kind of question is this?! This little kid just got here yesterday! What do you expect him to fulfill? Do you want him to go crazy and summon that mountain-sized turtle on us?!'
But to their surprise, Little Mortal smiled proudly and said:
"Conditions 1, 2, 4, and 5 are already done. I only need strong followers and to make a positive impact—but no worries, I already have plans for both. And I know you didn't eliminate one invader because I saw the other party."
Then, as if remembering something, he added:
"Oh, by the way—tell me some trendy daily 'quotes' cultivators use so I can blend in! From now on, I'll act in secret and be sneaky!"
He waited with notebook and pen in hand.
Scholar chuckled:
"With your recommendation letter, you're basically Sword God's disciple. In our world, you'd be everyone's 'Senior Brother' except elders or other Sect Masters. Naturally, you'd call everyone else 'Junior Brother' or 'Junior Sister.' It's the best cover."
Third Sister smiled and said:
"After goodbye, you can say, 'If fate allows, let's meet again.'"
Little Mortal chuckled and winked at her:
"That worked well for you , huh?"
Then he winked again, as if saying:
'I know that you know what I mean!'
Third Sister bit her lower lip and looked away.
'This little rascal won't stop until I'm completely exposed, right?'
The others were now deeply curious why he kept pestering her...
They thought:
'We get it—she's not from our world. You can stop!'
Fourth Brother said:
"If you give someone a way to live, but they don't take it, say: 'There's a road to heaven, yet you chose to barge into hell?' Then beat them up."
Little Mortal nodded and wrote it down.
Before the others could contribute, he waved his hand:
"Okay, that's enough."
Then, without waiting for a response, he pocketed his notebook and said:
"Goodbye, everyone."
But he suddenly paused, looking at them with a teasing smile:
"If fate allows, let's meet again." Pfft.
The cultivators gritted their teeth!
Was he mocking the most famous quote in the cultivation world?!
Whistle!
Little Mortal whistled, and a black tricycle appeared out of nowhere and before leaving, he took out a rectangular crystal cube from his backpack, tapped it a few times, and stuffed it back into the backpack's pocket. Then he started pedaling toward the trees outside the restricted area.
As he rode farther away, music began playing from the crystal in the backpack's pocket.
At that moment, Sixth Sister's candy—still in her mouth—suddenly melted slightly. Her aura exploded, growing stronger and stronger until it hit a limit seemingly imposed by the world itself.
She became so powerful that the others felt even all of them combined couldn't beat her now!
The speechless elders, still holding their candies and brimming with unanswered questions, tried to spot the boy—hoping to buy more—but...
All they saw was the back of a large backpack passing through the village's restrictions.
The trees parted for it as it vanished into the distance, accompanied by the fading music—a man's voice singing, and the little boy's off-key attempts to follow along:
♪ Time draws a new lot in your name,
Blessed are you, for the world favors your claim.
In this air, how many breaths are fiery and sweet,
For the scent of our heart's aloeswood perfumes your frame.
Remember the burning furnace of our aching chest,
For it was our heart's fire that baked your raw aim.
The glow of a jewel from our heart's treasury,
Is the morning's light that dawns from your roof's acclaim.
Time places the reins of desire in your hand,
For reason holds the reins of your lofty name.
From truth, the mirror of dawn-rising deeds was made,
Thus, your evening gained the face of the sun's bright flame. ♪
The elders stood entranced, lost in the music, until the sound faded and the path between the trees sealed shut.
Then—CRACK!—a shattering sound echoed, as if the world around them had been an illusion breaking apart.
They jolted back to reality.
"What just happened?"
"Who was that kid? Why did we believe everything he said?"
"Planet, galaxy, solar... whatever. He threw out unheard-of terms, and we just accepted them!"
"It was like we'd known him forever—why did we trust him completely?"
"And that 'Guardian' claim... He'd already met most conditions, even stopping a world invasion?!"
"If not for Sixth Sister's candy proving his power, I'd swear he was a scammer!"
The crowd was dumbfounded.
They'd believed every word as absolute truth—until he left.
Third Sister smiled bitterly.
'That's the effect of a higher level...'
She alone understood why they'd acted that way.
It wasn't the world's warning or the Wise Turtle's intimidation.
It was simply power—far beyond theirs.