Four Spiritual Roots

Name: Zhao Sheng
Lifespan: 93/99
Realm: Half-Step Spirit Connection Realm

Constitution: Hundred-Year Body (Mortal Grade), Light as a Swallow (Mortal Grade)
Talents: Dynamic Vision (Mortal Grade), Spirit Sniff (Yellow Grade)
Skills: Law Breaking Nine Swords (Unprecedented), Cloud Dragon Nine Transformations (Unprecedented), Immeasurable Divine Skill (Unprecedented), Wind Chasing Archery (Peak Mastery)

"The third life has ended. Calculating..."

In the dark void of Chaos, the rejuvenated Zhao Sheng stood in the air, his eyes fixed on the Hundred Lifetimes Book shimmering with jade-colored radiance in midair.

As the memories and emotions of nearly a hundred years from his third life were extracted, Zhao Sheng's mind suddenly became incomparably clear, as though some heavy burden had been lifted from him in an instant.

At this moment, Zhao Sheng could look upon his third life rationally, from the perspective of a third party.

Though he had already experienced this twice before, Zhao Sheng still found it remarkably novel as he watched the memory scenes from his third life, because it was like watching an incredibly realistic film—and he himself was the protagonist.

He had never expected the Spirit Sniff ability to turn into a Yellow Grade talent and be loaded onto his data panel. More importantly, he could choose to inherit it.

It seemed the Hundred Lifetimes Book still concealed more secrets, waiting for him to uncover them.

As the final scene before his death in his third life finished playing, an exceedingly familiar voice arose from the depths of Zhao Sheng's heart. "Calculation complete. Final evaluation for the third life: Grade B Low."

"Evaluation reward: You have obtained one Yellow Grade inheritance privilege, which may also be split into three Mortal Grade inheritance privileges.

"You may choose an inheritance from constitutions, skills, and talents. Please choose."

Zhao Sheng looked at his personal data panel and said without hesitation, "No need to split it. I choose to directly inherit the Yellow Grade talent, Spirit Sniff."

"Talent inherited. Congratulations, you have achieved four life achievements: Mortal Grade achievements: first, Innate Limit; second, bearing descendants with spiritual roots. Yellow Grade achievements: first, establishing a miniature Cultivation Family; second, Slay Immortals as a Mortal (26/24)."

"Achievement rewards: two Mortal Grade random rewards and two Yellow Grade random rewards. Yellow Grade random rewards may be split into three Mortal Grade random rewards.

"You may draw from constitutions, skills, and talents, or exchange them for talent grade upgrades. Please choose."

Zhao Sheng was overjoyed. So this was where the real prize had been waiting for him.

What grade was a spiritual root constitution?

At the very least, it should be Yellow Grade, right? After thinking it over, Zhao Sheng chose one Yellow Grade constitution draw, just to be safe.

"Drawing constitution..."

As he watched countless yellow Light Spheres rapidly descend across the fourth page of the Hundred Lifetimes Book, Zhao Sheng suddenly felt uneasy.

Very soon, one of the Light Spheres rapidly swelled before bursting apart in an instant, scattering into countless specks of light.

"Congratulations. You have drawn the Four Spiritual Roots constitution. Spiritual root attributes: metal, water, wood, earth."

Upon seeing the result, Zhao Sheng could not help blurting out a curse. "Fuck! I can finally cultivate immortality. I've waited several lifetimes for this day. Heaven does not disappoint those who persevere!"

Having his wish fulfilled at last left Zhao Sheng utterly exhilarated.

He remained excited for quite some time before gradually calming down.

He now had one Yellow Grade and two Mortal Grade draws remaining.

After thinking it over again and again, Zhao Sheng chose to first draw a Mortal Grade talent.

"Drawing talent... Congratulations. You have drawn the Mortal Grade talent Adamant Hand."

At that moment, an invisible stream of information flooded into Zhao Sheng's mind.

Adamant Hand: Your hands are as steady as adamant.

Zhao Sheng was speechless at the sight of it. As expected, cheap goods were never good.

This talent was not even as useful as Dynamic Vision.

"I choose one Yellow Grade draw."

"Drawing... Congratulations. You have drawn..."

"Chonghe, Chonghe, are you all right?!"

When Zhao Sheng awakened from the darkness once more, a crisp, pleasant voice suddenly rang in his ears.

His mind instantly cleared, and countless scenes of memory rapidly surfaced within him.

Zhao Chonghe, sixteen years old this year, possessed metal, water, wood, and earth Four Spiritual Roots. His parents had both died. He was at Qi Refining First Layer, and had just been knocked unconscious by an Azure Water Pearl during a contest with members of the Second Branch, losing his chance to enter the Water Vein Cultivation Room.

After merging with Zhao Chonghe's memories, Zhao Sheng was shocked to discover that more than two hundred and eighty years had passed since his death.

The Zhao Family had also taken root at Dragon Carp Lake for nearly three hundred years. Its population had already exceeded fifty thousand, and it possessed thirty-one cultivators.

Zhao Sheng felt greatly gratified. His descendants had indeed not disappointed his expectations.

Seventy years after his death, Zhao Xuanlan successfully advanced to Foundation Establishment. From then on, the Zhao Family finally gained a firm foothold and no longer needed to borrow Han Xuanwu's prestige.

Right—Han Xuanwu had already advanced to become a Foundation Establishment sword cultivator during Zhao Sheng's lifetime. Unfortunately, he failed to form a core and ultimately passed away in meditation within the Purple Sun Sect at the age of two hundred and ten.

He was currently leafing through the memories, when several more calls rang out by his ear, while his body was repeatedly jostled.

Zhao Sheng reluctantly opened his eyes. Before him stood a young girl with a slender figure, peach-blossom cheeks, and pearly teeth.

The girl was named Zhao Chongwei. She possessed metal, water, and wood Three Spiritual Roots and was at Qi Refining Level Two.

The two of them were both members of the Zhao Family's First Branch, of the Chong Generation.

In a Cultivation Family, cultivation generations and bloodline generations were not the same.

Cultivation generations were generally arranged once every sixty years, while bloodline generations were still divided according to familial relations.

The Zhao Family's cultivation generation names followed the sequence: "Zhi, Cheng, Xuan, Yu, Dian; Zhong, Zheng, Chang, Jin, Ke; Chong, Xuan, Tong, Han, Yun."

Zhao Sheng and Zhao Chongwei were considered of the same generation, but by bloodline, Zhao Sheng should have called her Grand-Aunt.

Yet Zhao Chongwei was only seventeen that year, so Zhao Chonghe usually called her Little Grand-Aunt.

However...

Zhao Sheng was utterly unaccustomed to calling anyone Grand-Aunt.

He opened his eyes and sat up from the ground, mumbling, "I'm fine!"

Seeing that Zhao Sheng was in low spirits, Zhao Chongwei consoled him, "Chonghe, don't lose heart! Next time, you'll definitely defeat Zhao Chongxia of the Second Branch."

Mm. Zhao Sheng nodded. As he recalled the information in his memories, his head suddenly began to ache.

The Zhao Family's situation was rather grim now!

In order to compete for the chance to consume a Foundation Establishment Pill, deep divisions had arisen within the Zhao Family, and the conflict between the two branches had become fierce.

The cultivators of the First Branch and Second Branch of the Zhao Family were like strangers on the road, their relationship nearly shattered.

Come to think of it, the seed of disaster had been planted from the very beginning.

The Zhao Family's First Branch descended from Zhao Sheng's eldest son, Zhao Chenggong, while the Second Branch descended from his eighth son, Zhao Chengle.

The two branches of the Zhao Family had never shared much affection to begin with. It was only because Dragon Carp Lake had been desperately short of people back then that, through the matchmaking of their ancestor Zhao Zhiqin, the two Zhao Families had ultimately merged into one.

During the first hundred years, the Second Branch had controlled most of the Zhao Family's authority because it had many cultivators and Han Xuanwu backing it from behind.

Although Zhao Xuanyi of the First Branch managed the mundane affairs and the clansmen, he was a mortal and could only serve as a "manager."

Especially after Zhao Xuanlan of the Second Branch successfully established her foundation, the entire Zhao Family was completely led by the Second Branch.

Had things continued like that, it would have been fine. At the very least, so many later disputes would not have arisen.

Yet the ways of the world were unpredictable! Zhao Yujie, Zhao Xuanyi's son, possessed both perseverance and luck. At the age of ninety-three, he made one desperate, cauldron-shattering gamble—and actually succeeded.

At that time, the Zhao Clan had two Foundation Establishment cultivators in one family. Its fame thundered across a thousand li, its might shook the surrounding tiny Cultivation Families, and the Zhao Family's influence swiftly expanded in turn. More and more clansmen took up cultivation, until the family finally reached its peak one hundred and eighty years ago.

At that time, the Zhao Family had over a hundred cultivators, two Foundation Establishment cultivators in one family, and more than ten at Qi Refining Late Stage. Its strength rivaled that of a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Family with a thousand-year legacy.

Even more gratifyingly, through Han Xuanwu's mediation, the Purple Sun Sect agreed to let the Zhao Family continue leasing Dragon Carp Lake for another two hundred years.