Upon hearing this, Lin Zhou frowned instantly. Why would he adopt a strange little boy for no reason?

This was beyond his expectations; he had come only for the innate energy and did not want to bring any extra burden.

"Why me?" he asked with a hint of doubt, his gaze falling on the pillar. The child stood there blankly, still clutching the bamboo branch in his hand, showing no reaction to the conversation before him.

"Because only you, fellow Daoist, have the ability to protect him."

The Master's voice was deep, "If something really happens in Falling Star Village in the future, he may not be safe in the village. Following you is the only way to survive."

Lin Zhou didn't agree immediately, and subconsciously used the system to scan the pillar.

He wanted to see what was so special about this child that made the Master entrust him with such a responsibility. But the information that popped up on the system panel stunned him:

[Name: Zhu Zi]

Cultivation Level: Unknown

[Qualifications: Unknown]

Special status: None

Even the system can't scan for information? This is the first time! Lin Zhou became increasingly puzzled. This child seemed ordinary, could he be hiding some secret?

Just then, the system's voice suddenly sounded in his mind: [Ding! Special life form detected. It is recommended that the host adopt it first. More information will be unlocked later.]

The system's prompt made Lin Zhou's heart stir. The system never spoke without reason. Since it had asked him to adopt, this pillar was probably not simple.

Looking into the teacher's earnest eyes and then at the pillar's bewildered expression, he finally relaxed and said, "Alright, I promise you."

Upon hearing this, the teacher finally smiled with relief. He gently patted Zhu Zi's shoulder and said softly, "Zhu Zi, from now on, you must be obedient to this uncle, understand?"

Zhu Zi nodded as if he understood, tightened his grip on the bamboo branch, slowly walked behind Lin Zhou, and whispered, "Uncle."

Lin Zhou did not turn around, but said to the Master, "The innate Qi can be given to me now."

The Master nodded, closed his eyes, and a faint golden halo slowly emanated from his body.

Within the halo, a wisp of pure innate energy gradually condensed. This energy was a hundred times more concentrated than the one Lin Zhou had obtained before, carrying a warm primordial power, and slowly drifted towards Lin Zhou.

"This is half of innate energy; keep it safe."

The Master's face gradually paled, clearly indicating that splitting the innate energy had greatly depleted him. "It is now connected to your aura and will not dissipate. You can directly absorb and refine it."

Lin Zhou raised his hand and absorbed the wisp of innate energy into his body, clearly feeling it.

His spiritual energy instantly became more active, and the opportunity for a breakthrough was drawing ever closer. He looked at the Master, his tone softening slightly: "Thank you."

The Master waved his hand, a weary smile on his face: "No need to thank me, this is a deal. I'll leave the pillar to you; I... need to recuperate for a while."

Lin Zhou didn't linger and turned to walk out of the bamboo house. Zhu Zi followed closely behind him, still clutching the bamboo branch in his hand, his steps slow but without the slightest hesitation.

Stepping out of the bamboo forest, sunlight bathed him. Lin Zhou looked at the pillar behind him, his mind filled with doubt, but he didn't dwell on it any longer.

Anyway, I've already promised the teacher that I'll take care of this child first and see what happens next.

Inside the bamboo house, the Master watched the two figures depart, a complex light flashing in his eyes, and murmured softly, "I hope... I haven't made the wrong choice."

He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face growing paler. He slowly closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing.

Having obtained the innate energy and fulfilled his promise to adopt Zhu Zi, Lin Zhou had no more ties in the Lingxiao Starfield.

Without saying goodbye to anyone, he walked straight to the open space outside Falling Star Village, raised his hand, and gently tore open the void.

The once stable space was torn apart like cloth, revealing a pitch-black spatial passage.

The passageway shimmered with starlight, serving as a void path leading to other realms.

Let's go.

Lin Zhou said something to the pillar behind him and stepped into the spatial passage first.

Holding the bamboo branch, Zhu Zi jogged to catch up, his small figure following Lin Zhou into the dark passage without hesitation.

The moment the spatial passage closed, Luo Yun Chu and Shen Jin Hao rushed to the scene outside Falling Star Village.

They heard that Lin Zhou was leaving and came to see him off, but all they saw were faint ripples left after the space closed.

"I'm still too late..."

Luo Yun Chu looked at the empty grassland, her eyes filled with disappointment. She wanted to thank Lin Zhou and ask him which realm he was going to, but now even saying goodbye had become a luxury.

Shen Jinhao also sighed, his tone tinged with melancholy: "A person like Fellow Daoist Lin is not someone that the Lingxiao Star Region can keep."

"We are already lucky to have been able to travel with him for a while."

He recalled how Lin Zhou casually dealt with the Netherworld Blood Wolves and destroyed two major forces, and his awe deepened.

The two stood there, gazing in the direction Lin Zhou had left, and remained there for a long time.

Lin Zhou's appearance was like a thunderbolt, completely overturning the landscape of the Lingxiao Starfield and leaving an indelible mark on their hearts.

Meanwhile, in the void, a light golden protective shield formed around Lin Zhou, firmly protecting him and the pillar within it.

The void was filled with violent spatial turbulence, and countless tiny spatial fragments flew everywhere like sharp blades.

Without the protective shield, even a powerful being would be instantly cut into pieces.

Lin Zhou moved at an extremely fast speed. The surrounding stars rushed past like shooting stars, turning into streaks of light. In his eyes, the entire void was like a long river that traversed the stars.

The pillar perched on the edge of the protective shield, its little head peeking out, curiously observing the scene outside.

Her round eyes were full of amazement, and she would occasionally reach out her little hand, trying to touch the stars that were flying by.

"Don't touch it." Lin Zhou noticed his movement and instinctively tried to stop him.

The power of the void turbulence far exceeds imagination. Even with a protective shield, an ordinary person's hand would be instantly shredded if they stretched out.

But his words came too late; the pillar's little hand had already passed through the protective shield and reached for a twinkling star.

Lin Zhou's heart tightened, and he subconsciously prepared to use his spiritual power to protect his hand from the pillar, but he froze the next second.

The pillar's hand was exposed to the turbulent void. The spatial fragments, powerful enough to slice through a cultivator's body, vanished instantly upon touching his palm, as if encountering ice and snow in lukewarm water.

The turbulent spatial currents around his palm became docile, not even stirring his sleeves.

Zhu Zi reached out and tried to grab the void, but couldn't catch any stars. Somewhat disappointed, he withdrew his hand and waved it at Lin Zhou: "Uncle, I can't catch any stars."

His palms were fair and clean, without any scars or even a speck of dust.

Lin Zhou stared in shock at his perfectly intact hand.

He could clearly feel that when the pillar reached out, an invisible barrier spontaneously formed around him. This barrier was imperceptible even to him, yet it could easily resist the erosion of the void turbulence.