Single Spiritual Root

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou now had only one thought in their minds: it was over, they had actually been discussing how to cheat right in front of the examiner.

Senior Sister Yun Zhi acted as if she were unaware of their cheating plan; she glanced at them once and didn't look a second time, turning her attention to organizing the trial.

It was evident that she held great prestige among the disciples of the Ask Dao Sect, as her words were treated as law.

These Ask Dao Sect disciples were all formidable figures in the outside world, sought after and hailed as heaven's pride; yet, these prodigies all obeyed her orders without the slightest defiance or slack, which showed just how high Senior Sister Yun Zhi's status was.

"Bone structure is the first hurdle on the path to immortality. If your bone structure is insufficient, no matter how many resources are poured into you, you will never be able to cultivate. The first round of the examination is to test your bone structure. Everyone, come forward in turn. If anyone lacks confidence in their bone structure, you may leave now."

No one left.

Those who came to participate in the Ask Dao Sect's examination already understood their own bone structure; there were very few like Lu Yang, who only came to try his luck because he lived nearby.

The Ask Dao Sect did this to prevent those who did not meet their requirements from trying to sneak into the sect.

Generally, testing bone structure involves a bone-testing stone, which is usually quite large and very conspicuous. Judging by the empty space in front of the Ask Dao Sect, it was clear they had no intention of using one.

An Ask Dao Sect disciple sat at the very front, named Dai Bufan. The cultivation technique he practiced was quite unique; once spiritual energy circulated through the subject's body, he could determine their bone structure, their cultivation method, and where their vital points were... allowing him to move with ease in battle.

Like an old doctor taking a pulse, Dai Bufan would place two fingers on the wrist and accurately determine the person's bone structure.

"Gold, water, and fire triple spirit root? Passable, you may pass."

"Water and fire dual spirit root, not bad."

"Water and wood dual spirit root. Your foundation was damaged once; it must have been a major injury when you were twelve. By rights, it should have left a hidden ailment, but your life was not meant to end there. You met an expert, and that expert was kind-hearted, healing you. Their medical skills were exquisite, even mending your foundation."

The man was slightly shocked, not expecting Dai Bufan to see so accurately: "When I was twelve, my mother died of illness, and my stepmother took full control. Fearing my existence would affect her son's status, she plotted to harm me. I fell into a coma, and when I woke up, I was fine. My father told me that an expert had passed by and saved me, but they left without revealing their name."

After the man left, an Ask Dao Sect disciple stepped forward to congratulate Dai Bufan on his cultivation progress: "Just by taking a pulse, you deduced the entire sequence of events as if you had seen it with your own eyes! Senior Brother Dai's cultivation has improved; this is worth celebrating!"

Dai Bufan said indifferently: "Oh, it's nothing. That expert was me. I was in a hurry to get somewhere at the time, so I forgot to leave my name after saving him."

"..."

While speaking, Dai Bufan waved his hand at the next tester: "Eighteen years old, over the age limit. You may go back."

A cute-looking little monk, led by a big monk, came before Dai Bufan and bowed earnestly.

Dai Bufan glanced at him and tossed the little monk to the big monk: "What are you doing here, little novice from the Hanging Temple? You have the mark left by the abbot of the Hanging Temple inside you. Go, go, go, return to your Hanging Temple."

"I recall the Hanging Temple is one of the Five Great Immortal Sects?" Lu Yang whispered to Meng Jingzhou.

Meng Jingzhou nodded and said solemnly: "The Hanging Temple has the fewest disciples among the Five Great Immortal Sects. At their lowest, they only have the abbot and one disciple, and even at their most, they don't exceed ten people. This little monk hasn't started cultivating yet, but he is already a disciple of the Hanging Temple; he must have profound Buddhist nature."

He watched the little novice being taken away by the Hanging Temple senior brother, looking as if he were facing a formidable enemy: "I thought the future cultivation world would be one where I looked down upon all heroes, but I didn't expect there to be others qualified to be my opponents."

Lu Yang didn't know where Meng Jingzhou got his confidence: "Aren't you even a little worried that Miss Yun Zhi will kick us out?"

"What's there to fear? Haven't you read in storybooks that it's always written like this? A large sect is blind, makes false accusations, and kicks a genius youth out of the sect. The genius youth takes it as a humiliation, works hard, encounters constant fortuitous opportunities, soars into the sky, and becomes someone the large sect looks up to—oh, wait, I mean looks down upon."

Lu Yang was silent for a moment before reminding him: "...But Miss Yun Zhi doesn't seem like she needs to falsely accuse us."

"That makes sense."

And so, Meng Jingzhou panicked too.

"The aura in your body is endless and circulates on its own. Looking at your attire, you don't seem to be from a cultivation family. Could it be that you accidentally consumed a Green Wood Immortal Fruit in your youth? Pass."

"Oh? This physique of yours is interesting." Dai Bufan placed his fingers on a burly man with bronze-colored skin, his eyes lighting up. "Ancient Barbarian Tribe bloodline. It's been a long time since I've seen one."

The burly man was tall and sturdy, his head shiny and bald, his skin reflecting the sunlight. Judging by his appearance, some might believe he was twenty-five or twenty-six, but Dai Bufan did not question his age, which meant he was under sixteen.

Lu Yang could only say that he had developed very well.

The crowd stirred slightly. The Ancient Barbarian Tribe could pull mountains and drain rivers, their power shaking the sun and moon. They flourished to the extreme before vanishing into the long river of time.

It had been a long time since an Ancient Barbarian Tribe bloodline had appeared on the Central Continent. Everyone thought this ancient bloodline had disappeared, yet one had appeared in the Ask Dao Sect's trial.

Dai Bufan yawned; he had already checked half the people, so why hadn't he seen a single spirit root? Had they all been snatched away by other sects?

Meng Jingzhou stood up confidently. Dai Bufan didn't have high hopes, but when he placed his index and middle fingers on Meng Jingzhou's wrist, his eyes suddenly widened, and he stood up with a start: "It's actually a single..."

Hearing Dai Bufan say this, whispers broke out below. It was actually a single spirit root!

What did a single spirit root mean? The bottlenecks at every realm were much looser than for others. They were destined to become great cultivators of the immortal path. If they entered the imperial court, they could hold high positions; if they remained in the wild, they could dominate a region and establish their own kingdom!

Everyone focused their gaze on Meng Jingzhou with eager eyes. There was no harm in befriending such a person early on, only benefits!

The elders hurriedly urged their juniors that once they entered the Ask Dao Sect, they must build a good relationship with Meng Jingzhou.

The Meng family, a single spirit root, an Ask Dao Sect disciple—these three identities combined meant he was a future pillar of the Ask Dao Sect and a great immortal cultivator whose name would go down in history!

"Single-body spirit root." Dai Bufan said the full name of Meng Jingzhou's spirit root, and the scene went quiet.

Meng Jingzhou was furious. What kind of nonsense was a single-body spirit root? Was he destined to be single for life!

"I may be inexperienced, but don't try to trick me!" Meng Jingzhou's veins bulged, and he slapped the table with a bang, extremely angry.

"Junior Brother Dai, do not tease others." A voice as ethereal as an immortal drifted over. Yun Zhi appeared from a cloud of mist and glared at Dai Bufan, who shrank his neck in guilt.

Meng Jingzhou calmed down slightly. That's right, Dai Bufan must be lying.

Yun Zhi said to Meng Jingzhou: "However, Junior Brother Dai did not deceive you. You are indeed a single-body spirit root; that is the academic name. It's just that in the cultivation world, everyone is more accustomed to calling it by its common name: the Pure Yang Spiritual Root."

Meng Jingzhou: "..."

He finally understood why the elders and his parents hadn't told him his spirit root type.

All that talk about "you'll know when you reach the Five Great Immortal Sects"—it was clearly because they were too embarrassed to tell him!

No wonder that ever since he finished testing his bone structure, his parents had asked him if he wanted a younger brother or a younger sister.

A mutated single spirit root, the Pure Yang Spiritual Root—the most rigid and masculine, the bane of ghosts and demons.

Maintain the Pure Yang Body, and cultivation progresses a thousand miles a day; break the Pure Yang Body, and cultivation plummets a thousand miles in a single day.