Martial Peak
chapter-4614

The toddler in the arms of the old man clad in a grey robe was only a few months old. He was chubby and adorable. Everyone at the scene instantly took a liking to him.

At this moment, the toddler could barely contain his excitement as he looked up and pulled the old man’s low-hanging beard with his petite hands.

The old man didn’t mind it as he let the child do what it pleased.

Just then, a strand of beard was snapped. The child started giggling as though he found it interesting. He then exerted more force with his hands and pulled off more strands of the long beard.

Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue were drenched in cold sweat at the mere sight of this. Others might not know who this old man was, but they were fully aware of his identity. He was an Inner Elder of one of the 72 Paradises, a powerful Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.

The average person could hardly meet him, but here he was getting his beard plucked by a baby. If the disciples from his Paradise saw it, they would surely break into a commotion.

The two of them wouldn’t dare to be negligent as they saluted and called out, “Martial Uncle Yu.”

The old man surnamed Yu nodded, then turned to look at Yang Kai before speaking to the woman who was brought to this place by him, “Don’t fret. you’re now in High Heaven Palace, and the person in front of you is its Palace Master.”

He didn’t activate any kind of power, but his words were soothing enough to make the woman calm down instantly. She then turned to look at Yang Kai, and upon making sure that he looked exactly like the person in the picture that she had always paid respects to in her home, she instantly fell on her knees and lowered her head, “Greetings, Sir!”

The old man in grey robes frowned to the side, but he didn’t stop her.

Yang Kai raised his hand and lifted up the woman, then gazed at the old man in puzzlement, “Senior, she…”

He hadn’t even figured out which of the Cave Heavens or Paradises this old man came from or the reason the latter brought a child and a woman to this place.

The old man said frankly, “This Old Master must accept a Disciple.”

A surprised Yang Kai took a glance at the woman he was holding up, but he couldn’t find anything special about her, making him wonder why this Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had his eyes on her.

As though realising what was on Yang Kai’s mind, the old man patted the child in his arms and said, “I’m talking about this child.”

While he was speaking, one more strand of his beard was plucked. His white beard was initially well trimmed and organized, but it now looked dishevelled, which stripped him of his demeanour as a senior expert.

Yang Kai appeared even more surprised. If the old man wanted to take the woman on as a Disciple, he could accept it even though he didn’t understand it. The old man probably had a way to sense some peculiarity or unique characteristic in this woman; after all, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was powerful, so it was expected that he possessed abilities that Yang Kai didn’t. However, he couldn’t understand why the old man wanted to take a mere baby to be his Disciple.

The child was barely a few months old, so how was this old man able to see through his aptitude? Nevertheless, the old man carried the child like the latter was a treasure, and he didn’t even mind that his beard was being pulled.

Yang Kai then looked inquisitively at Xu Ling Gong.

Xu Ling Gong, however, was just watching the good show while chuckling. Upon noticing Yang Kai’s stare, he explained, “Kid, this is Yu Chang Dao from Free and Unfettered Paradise. You can call him Martial Uncle Yu.”

“So it is Martial Uncle Yu, forgive me for my lack of politeness,” Upon learning that the old man was from Free and Unfettered Paradise, Yang Kai instantly became friendlier.

Ning Dao Ran was from Free and Unfettered Paradise, and he was on close terms with Yang Kai; moreover, Yu Chang Dao came to this place alongside Xu Ling Gong, so it was obvious that he was a friend of the latter. Regardless, Yang Kai wouldn’t dare to be impolite to him.

“Martial Uncle Yu, may I know the nature of your relationship with Senior Brother Ning Dao Ran?” Yang Kai asked humbly.

Yu Chang Dao replied dispassionately, “He’s my Second Senior Brother’s Disciple.”

Upon hearing that, Yang Kai realised that Ning Dao Ran was Yu Chang Dao’s Martial Nephew.

Yang Kai then gazed at the woman and the child before asking, “And what is this situation about, Martial Uncle Yu?”

There was a helpless expression on Yu Chang Dao’s face as he replied, “The Innate Dao Body of this child matches my Grand Dao perfectly, so I’d like to take him on as a Closed Legacy Disciple.”

Upon hearing that, Xu Ling Gong was startled as he gazed at Yu Chang Dao in shock and asked, “Old Yu, are you serious?”

Accepting a Closed Legacy Disciple was no laughing matter. Once Yu Chang Dao did so, he would never take on another Disciple again, which meant that the child in his arms would be the last Disciple of his life.

Xia Ning Chang was born with the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, so she had the right to become a Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor and learn the Alchemic Dao from him. However, Wondrous Pill Great Emperor had already accepted Ji Ying, who was the Fifth Disciple, to be his Closed Legacy Disciple. Therefore, regardless of how outstanding Xia Ning Chang’s aptitude was, she was unable to become a direct Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor.

With that said, Wondrous Pill Great Emperor had always been generous in teaching her the Alchemic Dao. Although there wasn’t a formal relationship between them, they were no different from Master and Disciple.

Yang Kai naturally knew what taking a Closed Legacy Disciple would mean. He couldn’t help but take another look at the child, but he still couldn’t figure out anything, let alone see through the child’s Innate Dao Body.

However, as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yu Chang Dao wouldn’t make a casual joke about such an important matter. The Innate Dao Body of this several-month-old child was undoubtedly real.

A determined Yu Chang Dao continued, “With such a Legacy Disciple, I’ll be able to die with no regret.”

Xu Ling Gong appeared solemn as he nodded, “Congratulations, then.” He turned to look at Yang Kai, “Old Yu would like to take on a Disciple from the Star Boundary. Are you fine with it?”

Yang Kai chuckled, “This child must be extremely lucky to gain the favour of Martial Uncle Yu. Naturally, there is no problem.”

Xu Ling Gong appeared gratified as he gave Yang Kai an approving look.

However, Yu Chang Dao sighed as he shot a helpless glance at the woman to his side, “Although this Old Master would like to take this child on as a Disciple, his Mother doesn’t agree to it. She said that when the child grows up, he has to enter High Heaven Palace to cultivate. Regardless of how I tried to persuade her, she refuses to listen to me. Why don’t you have a talk with her, Martial Nephew Yang?”

Yang Kai burst into laughter. It was then he realised the reason Yu Chang Dao brought the Mother and baby together to this place was to make him interfere in this matter.

He then turned to look at the woman. When he was speaking to Yu Chang Dao just now, he realised that the woman kept stealing glances at him, and then she would hang her head low with self-abasement. When she saw Yang Kai gazing at her now, she became flustered and was ready to fall on her knees again.

A helpless Yang Kai shot Hua Qing Si a glance to motion for her to talk to the woman.

It was easier for a woman to approach another woman after all.

Upon realising his intention, Hua Qing Si stepped forward and helped the woman up. As she hospitably took the woman’s rough hands, she invited her to have a seat. The woman was clearly anxious. She was just an ordinary farmer, so it was expected that she was flustered when she suddenly arrived at a magnificent palace. Moreover, the person she paid respects to every day and night without fail was now standing right before her eyes.

She initially wasn’t even able to speak clearly, so Hua Qing Si poured her a cup of tea and placated her before they could start communicating.

Yu Chang Dao was seated beside Xu Ling Gong with the child in his arms. Xu Ling Gong extended his head in an attempt to tease the child, but Yu Chang Dao moved his figure a little to block the child out of the other man’s sight.

Xu Ling Gong pressed his lips together, “How petty!”

He then stuck out his head and took a proper look before breaking into laughter, “So, he’s a boy. Don’t worry, Old Yu. I’ll look for a suitable partner for him from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. When he grows up, he’ll marry into my Sect.”

Yu Chang Dao glared at him and snarled, “If you dare to do that, I’ll kill you!”

His loud voice must have scared the laughing child as he started crying. Following that, a stream of liquid perfectly landed on Xu Ling Gong’s face.

Seeing that, Yu Chang Dao started laughing as he patted the child in his arms, “My Good Disciple! You already know you should help vent out your Honoured Master’s anger. You’re indeed clever!”

While being patted, the child stopped crying and started chuckling.

Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue just stood behind their Honoured Master, looking up at the ceiling as if admiring the beautiful artwork.

Xu Ling Gong wiped his face and flung his hand, but he didn’t seem to be vexed at all. With a smile, he said, “It’s said that being sprinkled with a toddler’s water can bring good luck. It seems that good things will soon happen to me.”

He then casually dried his hand on Yu Chang Dao’s grey robe.

Yang Kai couldn’t bear to keep looking at these two, thinking that the demeanour of these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters didn’t meet his expectations of how senior experts should behave.

On the other hand, Hua Qing Si was still having a chat with the woman, who would gaze at her child from time to time with concern. However, by now she had somewhat calmed down.

Despite the woman’s small voice, the powerful cultivators in the Grand Hall could clearly hear her.

The woman began telling her story, “My family’s elders said that the Star Boundary fell into great turmoil about 100 years ago, and the people were almost wiped out. In the end, it was Senior Void and his High Heaven Palace that defended the last piece of pure land. With the leadership of Senior Void and the other Great Seniors, they fought an intense battle and eventually drove back the enemies. That was how we all survived. After that, every family would worship the idols or pictures of Senior Void and the other Seniors. This simple woman has never been educated, nor did I have the aptitude to cultivate. Since I was married, I’ve been taking care of my Husband and child and doing some manual work to feed the family. Half a year ago, the child’s Father passed away. Before his death, he took my hand and stroked my belly. The child wasn’t born at that time, but he told me that when the child grew up, I should let him join High Heaven Palace. He didn’t expect the child to be as famous as Senior Void, he just hoped that should there be any calamity again, the child could assist Senior Void and the other Seniors.”

As she tucked her hair behind her ears, she took a look at the alluring Hua Qing Si, then bashfully hung her head low, “It’s been a few months since the child was born. I don’t even know if he can cultivate in the future or has the right to enter High Heaven Palace; however, this was his Father’s dying wish, and I wouldn’t dare to disregard it; otherwise, the child’s Father might not be able to rest in peace.”

Hua Qing Si was moved as she clenched the other woman’s hands, “Don’t worry. Since your child has gained the favour of that Senior, his aptitude must be extraordinary. He’ll certainly achieve great things in life.”

The woman’s eyes brightened when she heard that, “Are you telling me the truth?”

Hua Qing Si smiled and nodded, “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

The woman let out a breath, “If he can cultivate, he won’t be as useless as his parents. However, I wouldn’t dare to hope that he’ll be as great as Senior Void. This simple woman just prays that he will grow up to be healthy and happy.”

The wish of an ordinary person was always simple and guileless.