You Scoundrel

"If I'm not mistaken, this girl is Shui Nianyao, the princess of the Shuiyue Dynasty."

"Not bad talent—a Top-grade Water Spiritual Root. She can join my Mirror Moon Mountain. This Mountain Lord will personally take her as a disciple."

"The things taught at your Mirror Moon Mountain are all lowly assassination arts. Wouldn't Shui Nianyao's Top-grade Water Spiritual Root be wasted there? Wouldn't Canglan Mountain be a much better fit for a Top-grade Water Spiritual Root?"

"Fire Maple Mountain would be good too."

"Fuck you, Liǔ Yán. With that living volcano of yours, would someone with a water-attributed spiritual root even survive going there, let alone enjoy it? What are you joining the commotion for?"

"That's right. Of everyone here, you, Liǔ Yán, are the least qualified to take Nianyao as a disciple!"

At this moment, the many Mountain Lords present had begun scrambling over the white-clad girl. Even Liǔ Yán, the great fire cultivator, had joined in.

Compared with these animated Mountain Lords, Li Zhōujūn seemed utterly out of place.

"A Top-grade Water Spiritual Root... Back when I awakened my spiritual root, there wasn't any spiritual—"

Watching the scene before him, Li Zhōujūn's thoughts drifted back many years, to when his master had tested and awakened his spiritual root, only to discover that he had none. The desolation and disappointment in his master's eyes had been truly heartbreaking.

[Ding: A Top-grade Water Spiritual Root is nothing special. It is not worthy of becoming the host's disciple.]

"The way you put it makes it sound like anyone would be willing to take me as their master," Li Zhōujūn said speechlessly.

[Ding: What do you know, Host? You'll see soon enough. Whoever becomes your disciple will have stepped in a heaven-sized pile of dog shit, okay?]

Li Zhōujūn's mouth twitched. "System, since you can talk, talk a little more. I'm listening."

At this moment, Shui Nianyao's gaze fell on Li Zhōujūn, who stood apart from the many Mountain Lords.

Li Zhōujūn gave her a warm smile.

Yet inwardly, he was rather surprised. Could this little girl see me as an ordinary person and think I'm some peerless expert who has returned to simplicity, so she wants to take me as her master?

Damn, how embarrassing.

But in the next moment, Shui Nianyao's gaze passed straight over him and turned toward the Canglan Mountain Lord, her eyes revealing a trace of certainty.

When she had set out for the Dao Tian Sect to participate in the trial, her father had specifically warned her that if she saw a Mountain Lord on the Ascension Platform who looked like an ordinary person, she absolutely must not take him as her master, because there would be no future in it.

As for the other Mountain Lords, she could judge for herself.

The Canglan Mountain Lord was a beautiful young woman. Seeing Shui Nianyao looking at her, she could not help but reveal a kindly smile. "Nianyao, are you willing to take me as your master? My Canglan Sword Art is something water-attributed spiritual root cultivators can only dream of obtaining."

"This disciple, Shui Nianyao, pays respects to Master!"

Shui Nianyao was ruthless and sparing with words, directly taking the master she had set her sights on.

"Good, good, good. Nianyao, come stand over here by your master," the Canglan Mountain Lord said with a beaming smile.

The other Mountain Lords beat their chests and stamped their feet at the sight.

But it could not be denied that a Top-grade Water Spiritual Root was indeed suited to joining Canglan Mountain.

"Congratulations to the Canglan Mountain Lord on obtaining such an excellent disciple. Canglan Mountain will have successors," said a dignified middle-aged man dressed in a Heaven and Earth Sun and Moon robe, smiling at the Canglan Mountain Lord from before the seats of the various Mountain Lords.

This man was the Dao Tian Sect's Sect Master, Mu Taiyu!

The Canglan Mountain Lord respectfully said to Mu Taiyu, "Sect Master, you flatter me."

Mu Taiyu merely smiled without speaking.

Just then, several more young men and women entered the Ascension Platform.

However, they all possessed only Mid-grade Spiritual Roots and failed to catch the eyes of the various Mountain Lords. They could only stand there respectfully and awkwardly, waiting.

Once the trial ended, if none of them had caught the eye of the various Mountain Lords and become Inner Disciples, then they would become Outer Disciples of the Dao Tian Sect. If they wanted to become Inner Disciples afterward, they could only cultivate slowly before challenging the trials of the various mountains.

Speaking of which, the Dao Tian Sect's disciple ranks, from highest to lowest, were: Sect Saint Child, direct disciple under the Sect Master, direct disciple under a Mountain Lord, direct disciple under an elder, Inner Disciple, and Outer Disciple.

A moment later.

Several dozen more people arrived one after another, but none possessed top-grade spiritual roots.

Naturally, the various Mountain Lords did not begin another scramble. They simply waited for all these disciples to gather before slowly making their selections.

Suddenly, a youth clad in black, his entire body wreathed in blazing flames, strode onto the Ascension Platform.

"This boy has a Top-grade Fire Spiritual Root. If nothing unexpected happens, he must be that genius youth from the Ye Family of Dragon Flame City, Yè Yǔ!"

"There's no need to say more. A Top-grade Fire Spiritual Root has most likely come for the reputation of the Fire Maple Mountain Lord, Liǔ Yán."

The various Mountain Lords sighed at this moment.

Sure enough, the young prodigy named Yè Yǔ directly entered Liǔ Yán's tutelage and stood at Liǔ Yán's side.

Watching this unfold beside him, Li Zhōujūn could only feel deeply envious.

"Cloud Dwelling Mountain Lord, why haven't you paid your respects yet?" Liǔ Yán pointed at Li Zhōujūn and barked at Yè Yǔ.

"Disciple Yè Yǔ pays his respects to the Cloud Dwelling Mountain Lord." Yè Yǔ clasped his fists toward Li Zhōujūn.

Yet a trace of contempt flashed through his eyes.

The Cloud Dwelling Mountain Lord?

Wasn't he the useless mountain lord of the Dao Tian Sect?

Really, squatting in the privy and refusing to shit—hogging the spot for nothing.

Naturally, Li Zhōujūn noticed the contempt that had flashed through Yè Yǔ's eyes.

"No need for such formalities." Li Zhōujūn chuckled, paying no mind to Yè Yǔ's gaze.

An hour had already passed, and the trial had reached its end.

Yet at the very last instant before it concluded—

A plainly dressed youth with ordinary features slowly walked onto the Ascension Platform.

The moment the youth in plain clothes stepped onto the Ascension Platform—

The mountain lords all sucked in sharp breaths.

"Heavens! A Saint-grade Wood Spiritual Root!"

"Disciple! Look this way, to your master!"

"Bullshit! Who's your disciple? He's my disciple!"

"Disciple! Most of my mountain's direct disciples and Inner Disciples are women. Hurry and come into my bowl... no, I mean, come to my mountain!"

With the appearance of the plainly dressed youth, the mountain lords erupted into an uproar.

"Are you willing to take me as your master?"

A voice like spring thunder suddenly exploded across the entire venue.

The mountain lords immediately fell silent and turned their eyes toward the speaker.

It was none other than the Dao Tian Sect's Sect Master, Mu Taiyu!

Once Mu Taiyu spoke, none of the mountain lords dared continue competing for the disciple.

After all, even the wildly arrogant Liǔ Yán, who looked down on everyone and could burn mountains and boil seas, had to be utterly respectful before the Sect Master, groveling like a grandson.

"Disciple Ku Fengchun pays respects to Master."

The plainly dressed youth clasped his fists toward Mu Taiyu.

"Come here." Mu Taiyu smiled faintly.

Ku Fengchun walked to Mu Taiyu's side, utterly unruffled by favor or disgrace.

"A Saint-grade Spiritual Root, damn..."

Seeing this, Li Zhōujūn felt envious.

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[ Ding: What are you envious for? There's more than one Saint-grade Spiritual Root here. This wood-attributed Saint-grade Spiritual Root isn't to this system's liking. ]

"You're actually turning your nose up at someone else's Saint-grade Spiritual Root." Li Zhōujūn rolled his eyes. "If there were another Saint-grade Spiritual Root here, how could the Sect Master and these mountain lords possibly stay seated?"

Right now, all he wanted was to casually fool some lucky person with a Mid-grade Spiritual Root into joining his Cloud Dwelling Mountain. That would be more than good enough.

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[ Ding: Hidden Saint-grade Ice Spirit Root discovered! ]

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[ Ding: Target confirmed for the host's disciple-acceptance mission! ]

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[ Ding: The mission has been changed from accepting a disciple to taking the owner of the Saint-grade Ice Spirit Root as a disciple. Upon completion, the host may receive generous rewards! ]

"Change the mission my ass! You rogue, you can pull this kind of stunt too?!"

Li Zhōujūn's eyes widened.

But following the system prompt, Li Zhōujūn's gaze abruptly landed on a young girl in green among the thousand-odd new Dao Tian Sect disciples who had passed the final trial and now stood on the Ascension Platform.

The girl's features were delicate, but she was not the sort who stunned people at first glance.

Yet after looking at her for a while, one could not help but marvel from the bottom of one's heart: how could there be such a beautiful girl in this world?

At that moment, a transparent panel appeared above the green-clad girl's head in Li Zhōujūn's eyes.

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[Target]: Sū Nán

[Age]: Sixteen

[Cultivation]: None

[Talent]: Mid-grade Wood Spiritual Root, Saint-grade Ice Spirit Root (Hidden)

"So she really does have a Saint-grade Ice Spirit Root. But can a genius with such talent truly be taken as my disciple just as I wish?" Li Zhōujūn felt somewhat uncertain.

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[ Ding: You can do it, Host. After all, you have such a badass system as me! ]