"Phone fully charged, student ID, backpack, keys... Okay, nothing missing, all set. I'll definitely make it to school today."
Xin Yu left his house, using the navigation function to head towards Qian Yu Academy. To avoid getting lost again like last time or wasting too much time, he finally decided to ask a few passersby for directions.
Upon seeing his appearance, those passersby seemed to have the same misunderstanding as Kiana, showing pity on their faces. They then enthusiastically pointed him in the right direction and told him he could take the tram to get there faster.
With the help of kind passersby, Xin Yu finally arrived at the school before classes started. After bothering the security guard at the entrance, he found out the location of the Dean's office and went inside.
"Amnesia?"
The Dean of Discipline, dressed in a proper dark suit with a rather stern appearance, looked at Xin Yu. He carefully observed the youth, noting his appearance indeed resembled someone recovering from a major illness. The Dean nodded and then searched through some files.
After finding the electronic file on the computer, the Dean turned the laptop around, aiming the screen towards Xin Yu who stood before him.
Xin Yu looked at the information on the screen, paying particular attention to his own photo in the file.
In the photo, his hair was black, his eyes had white sclera and black pupils...
His whole demeanor in the photo looked energetic, filled with the youthful vigor appropriate for his age, a stark contrast to his current self.
"No parents, has one relative abroad..."
The Dean, having reviewed the youth's file previously, sighed and said, "In your situation, you really should contact that relative abroad. However, they didn't leave any specific contact information. Although the tuition and miscellaneous fees are always paid, they are always sent directly to the school via mail. For your situation, you might need to contact the police for help."
"Your current condition is quite special; you're not really suited for attending school right now. Xin Yu, I'll issue you a long-term leave slip. You should go to the hospital and rest for a while. Come back when your physical condition improves, or when you remember something."
Afterward, Xin Yu walked out of the school holding a long-term leave slip, his expression even more bewildered.
Relying on that student ID, he had wanted to try being a student, perhaps find potential mission targets or the so-called protagonists of this world within the school.
But now he couldn't even go to school. And that so-called distant relative might just be a tool set up by that entity to ensure he didn't have to worry about food and expenses.
It wasn't even certain if this person existed.
...
After a long moment of silence, Xin Yu silently took out his phone and opened the navigation app.
Since he could inexplicably travel to the Moon five years later yesterday, maybe he could do it now too?
He had nowhere else to go anyway and didn't know what he should do. Why not give it a try?
...
On Mount Taixu, the Immortal Red Kite, renowned throughout Shenzhou since ancient times, was tending to her vegetable garden as usual. After all, she was merely a powerful Fusion Warrior, incapable of abstaining from food and drink like a true immortal.
Just as the Immortal Red Kite finished tending her garden and was about to leave, she suddenly heard a sound from behind. Turning around, she saw a youth dressed in clothes unfitting for this era, sitting right on top of her vegetables.
Xin Yu held his phone, looking around in confusion. Then his gaze fell upon the woman standing not far away, whose attire and demeanor radiated an air of immortal grace.
"Who... are you?"
The Immortal's long-maintained calm expression flickered for the first time. She frowned slightly, looking at the youth's clothes, completely incongruous with the era, and the... phone in his hand.
...
After some explanation, inside a quiet tea room, Xin Yu took a sip of hot tea. He smacked his lips. Yep, still no taste.
The Immortal Red Kite elegantly took a sip from her cup, then slowly placed it back on the table.
"Transmigration... You likely traversed between different World Bubbles. That girl you mentioned from five years later might just be a similar yet distinct individual from another world. After all, you said yourself that while their appearances were similar, their eyes and other subtle details were clearly different."
"As for your statement about not having long to live, perhaps that is the price to pay for this special ability."
Although the ability to traverse World Bubbles, or even different worlds, single-handedly was extremely rare and special, the Immortal Red Kite, having lived for tens of thousands of years, accepted it calmly.
Xin Yu looked at this woman who seemed to know everything, then at her immortal-like attire, and asked curiously, "Excuse me, are you an Immortal?"
"Mm. My name is Hua. The world knows me as the Immortal Red Kite."
Xin Yu's expression immediately brightened. Within his fragmented memories, there seemed to exist beings called "Cultivators" (Xiūxiān zhě). These beings constantly strove towards becoming Immortals through cultivation. Powerful cultivators could even level mountains, fill seas, pluck stars, and seize the moon, their lifespans exceeding the entire length of human civilization.
If I could become this Immortal's disciple, could I perhaps solve my short lifespan problem?
Xin Yu had no intention of hiding his thoughts. He directly stated his idea and asked if he could become her disciple.
Hua pondered for a moment. Although she hadn't considered taking a disciple before, honestly, the youth's special talent and constitution did pique her curiosity. She also wanted to know if such an existence, if nurtured, possessed the potential to defeat the Honkai.
"Yes. Since fate has allowed us to meet among the infinite worlds, I shall accept you as my disciple."
"Greetings, Master!"
Xin Yu immediately rose from his seat, picked up the teacup Hua had just drunk from, knelt on the ground, and performed the disciple-acceptance ceremony.
Hua didn't comment on the rather informal ceremony, nor did she mind. She calmly accepted the teacup, took a few sips in acknowledgement, and then said, "Since I have accepted you as my disciple, I will hold nothing back. I shall now impart to you the Taixu Sword Qi."
"You are young, the prime time for cultivation. Remember this: cultivation is the cultivation of the heart. Do not stray onto the demonic path. If one day you fall into deviation, I will not hesitate to strike you down."
"Now, I will recite, and you will listen."
"Spirit is the pinnacle of change, the expression of the myriad wonders, unexplainable by form..."
Initially, Xin Yu looked utterly bewildered, completely failing to understand. But as the incantation continued, his expression gradually became dazed, his entire being seeming to enter a state of ethereal emptiness.
...He fell asleep.