Spiritual Root Test and Enrollment

"Hubby, can Ling'er pass the test?"

Watching Zhou Ling line up and head toward the Cloud Platform, Li Ru looked utterly tense.

Zhou Shan gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry. If he doesn't pass, he can follow me and cultivate his body. It's no big deal!"

Over the past few days, Li Ru had asked this question more than ten times.

"Fellow Daoist Li, there's no need to worry. I can sense faint spiritual energy fluctuations from Little Ling'er. He definitely has a Spiritual Root!"

Beside her, Wang Yu smiled and reassured her.

Li Ru nodded slightly, knowing that she had let concern cloud her judgment.

At that moment, on the plaza some distance away, Zhou Shan and seven other children stepped onto the testing Cloud Platform together.

"Children, hold your Identity Jade Tokens and sit on the Cloud Platform for a moment."

Not far away, a middle-aged cultivator presiding over the test spoke blandly.

Hearing this, Zhou Ling casually found a spot on the Cloud Platform and sat down.

Wang Xin sat down beside him as well.

The other children also took their places.

Zhou Ling was rather surprised. The ones taking the test were all only two or three years old.

Yet most of them were remarkably composed. Unlike on Blue Star, where children newly sent to kindergarten would cry, fuss, and make a racket when school began.

There were children crying and fussing here too, but only a very few.

Overall, the intelligence level of the two- and three-year-old children here might already be no less than that of five- or six-year-olds on Blue Star.

But then again, perhaps because spiritual energy existed in this realm, people's spiritual awareness awakened earlier.

That seemed perfectly normal as well.

Soon, a faint glow flickered over the Cloud Platform, enveloping the children.

A moment later, it faded away.

"Liu Lei, Three-Attribute Mixed Spiritual Root."

"Zhang Hu, Two-Attribute Mixed Spiritual Root."

"Ye San, no Spiritual Root."

"Zhou Ling, Five-Attribute Low-Grade Spiritual Root."

"Wang Xin, Wood-Attribute Mid-Grade Spiritual Root."

The children had only just stepped down from the Cloud Platform and returned to their parents when the middle-aged steward rattled off the names and Spiritual Roots of all the children who had just been tested.

"Ling'er has a low-grade Spiritual Root! That's wonderful!"

Li Ru clutched Zhou Shan's hand, her face full of excitement.

"I told you not to worry!" Zhou Shan tightened his grip on Li Ru's hand, looking just as relieved.

Though he had always sounded relaxed.

As a Body Cultivator, he knew the hardships of body cultivation. Unless there was no other choice, he did not want his son to walk the same path he had.

Now that his son possessed a low-grade Spiritual Root, he could finally rest easy.

In theory, as long as one had sufficient resources, even someone with a low-grade Spiritual Root had a chance of becoming a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"Fellow Daoist Li, congratulations. Little Ling'er has a low-grade Spiritual Root."

At the side, Wang Yu said with a smile.

"It is Fellow Daoist Wang who should be congratulated. Little Xin'er has a mid-grade Spiritual Root and will have a great chance of entering the inner sect in the future!"

Li Ru replied with a beaming smile.

Her son having a low-grade Spiritual Root was already more than enough to satisfy her.

"Let's register the children first!"

Zhou Shan said with a smile as well.

The three immediately took the children toward the Dao Academy registration area.

After completing the procedures and paying the Spirit Stones, Zhou Ling followed his parents to a Study Hall.

Each Study Hall had thirty-six seats.

By coincidence, Zhou Ling was once again assigned to sit with Wang Xin.

Their teacher was a beautiful seventeen- or eighteen-year-old maiden dressed in yellow.

Her name was Liu Yan. She was an Inner Disciple of the Lingxia Sect, with Late Qi Condensation cultivation.

"Children, you will now begin your studies at the Dao Academy. From now on, there will be two classes each day: Theory Class in the morning and Practical Class in the afternoon."

Inside the Study Hall, Liu Yan's pleasant voice introduced the children to the curriculum that lay ahead.

All thirty-six children sat upright and still, listening attentively.

Zhou Ling could not help but admire the intelligence of the children in this realm once again.

On Blue Star, some children barely over two still had diapers tied inside their bellybands.

Yet the children here were already learning cultivation theory.

In order to awaken his [Immortal Root Aptitude] talent, he had read a vast number of preschool cultivation books with his mother's help over the past while.

He knew how difficult those books were to understand—probably no easier than the courses middle school students studied in his previous life.

Yet children here, only two or three years old, could already take it in.

That level of competitiveness was truly terrifying.

Even with an adult's way of thinking and a cheat at his disposal, he felt as though he did not have much of an advantage.

[You are breathing spiritual energy. Spiritual Energy Affinity +1, Spiritual Energy +1]

[Total times breathing spiritual energy: 32/1000]

As Zhou Ling listened, he occasionally took deep breaths. The spiritual energy in the Study Hall was several degrees richer than at the registration desk.

His deskmate, Wang Xin, seemed quite curious. Her large, bright black eyes kept sneaking glances at Zhou Ling.

Only then did Zhou Ling realize that more than two hours had passed since they first met, yet he had not heard the little girl say a single word.

Although these children were all rather precocious, that still did not seem right!

Zhou Ling was somewhat puzzled, but he had no intention of paying much attention to a child.

"From now on, there will be a small test every three months to check on your studies. The results of every assessment will be recorded and will be closely tied to your future schooling!"

"Those with outstanding results may also receive rewards from the Dao Academy!"

Liu Yan continued.

[Growth Talent, Born to Excel: Helps increase cultivation speed. Requirement: Achieve a top-three placing a total of ten times in any official competition or assessment.]

Another new talent had actually appeared?

Zhou Ling was pleasantly surprised.

The original [Immortal Root Aptitude] was mainly for comprehension.

Meanwhile, [Spiritual Energy Affinity] concerned spiritual power and mana.

Now, with [Born to Excel] increasing his cultivation speed as well, his cultivation talents were completely stacked.

At the thought, a smile appeared on Zhou Ling's face. Feeling the abundant spiritual energy within the Study Hall, he thought his parents' five Low-grade Spirit Stones had been well spent.

After arranging the seats, handing out several books, and introducing the daily cultivation curriculum, Zhang Yan had the parents take their children home. Classes would officially begin tomorrow.

"Little Ling, you and Xin'er will be deskmates from now on. You must help each other, understand?"

After leaving the Study Hall, Wang Yu said to Zhou Ling with a smile.

"I understand, Aunt Wang!"

Zhou Ling replied.

"But Xin'er doesn't like to talk. If anyone bullies her, you have to help her!"

Wang Yu added.

Only then did Li Ru and her husband seem to realize that Wang Xin had not said a word the entire time.

When she saw everyone's eyes suddenly turn toward her, Wang Xin shyly hid behind Wang Yu.

Wang Yu reached out and stroked Wang Xin's braided hair, saying helplessly, "This girl is good in every way, except she just won't talk!"

Li Ru and her husband exchanged glances at that, and the same thought arose in both their hearts. Could she be mute?

A child over two years old would definitely be able to speak!

Still, some children were more unusual, so it was possible.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, both families took their children and left the Dao Academy.

Since the children were still young, they all chose to pick them up and drop them off at school.