What? The Young Master Isn't Human?

The next half month passed.

Across Heavenly Severing Island, the Ascension Convention was in full swing.

Wang Mu had set up twenty monitoring points across the entire Heavenly Severing Island, covering nearly all the remote regions.

This greatly improved efficiency.

The population density in the other regions was not as concentrated as around the royal city.

But added together, it was still no small number.

"At present, more than four million people across Heavenly Severing Island have undergone the aptitude tests arranged by the Young Master!"

"A total of more than 147,000 people have been found to possess Spiritual Roots!"

"Of them, more than 13,000 have Mid-Grade Spiritual Roots, 108 have High-Grade Spiritual Roots, and three have Supreme-Grade Spiritual Roots!"

Within the royal palace.

Li Yuanhua was respectfully reporting the testing results to Wang Mu.

Wang Mu nodded and said, "You've worked hard these days."

Li Yuanhua's face filled with alarm. "Young Master, what are you saying? Being able to serve you is a blessing this old servant could only beg for!"

After a pause.

Li Yuanhua added, "Speaking of which, it is rather amusing. After word spread that the Young Master was holding an Ascension Convention on Heavenly Severing Island, the island lords of many nearby islands began contacting this old servant, probing indirectly to ask when the Young Master would descend upon their lands and bestow your grace!

This old servant cursed them right back!"

Wang Mu looked at Li Yuanhua with a faint, teasing smile. "And how did you curse them?"

Li Yuanhua vividly acted it out. "This old servant naturally pointed at their noses and cursed them, calling them a pack of greedy parasites indulging in wishful thinking! The Young Master's grace surpasses heaven's gifts—how could it possibly be bestowed so easily? Why don't they piss in a puddle and take a good look at what sort of things they are?"

Wang Mu laughed twice. "Enough, no need to test me! Since this Young Master intends to do a righteous deed, naturally I will not favor one over another. Tell them... in two days, I will grant their wish!"

Li Yuanhua immediately knelt and bowed. "Young Master, your heart is compassionate, your sympathy embraces the world. You are truly a sage of this age! This old man was narrow-minded indeed, unable to fathom the breadth of the Young Master's heart!"

Wang Mu extended a finger and tapped Li Yuanhua twice, smiling without a word.

Truly, the older one grew, the more cunning one became.

Li Yuanhua had guessed Wang Mu's next plan. He had deliberately kept silent, building himself the image of a harsh man so that Wang Mu would speak the words himself. It both highlighted Wang Mu's greatness and gave him another chance to flatter Wang Mu.

If this old fellow went to another world.

Whether in the workplace or officialdom, he would be able to thrive like a fish in water.

Just like now: although Wang Mu saw through the other man's little trick, he was not displeased. He even felt a small flicker of delight.

Suddenly.

A guard came to report.

"Reporting to the Young Master, the Sect Master of the Nine Yang Sect, the Pavilion Master of Myriad Snow Pavilion, and the Sect Master of the Lunar Yin Sect have arrived with their people and request an audience with the Young Master!"

Wang Mu raised an eyebrow slightly.

Li Yuanhua promptly sent him a voice transmission. "Young Master, the Nine Yang Sect, Myriad Snow Pavilion, and Lunar Yin Sect are the three strongest sects on Heavenly Severing Island. Each has a Nascent Soul overseeing it!"

"Oh?"

Wang Mu considered it briefly. "Let them in!"

A moment later.

A group of people respectfully arrived before the hall.

"We pay respects to the Young Master!" Everyone knelt in unison and bowed respectfully.

"Rise!"

Wang Mu spoke calmly, reclining sideways upon the dragon couch as he looked down at them with an indifferent gaze. "I heard you wished to see me?"

"Yes!"

Yang Juzi, Sect Master of the Nine Yang Sect, cupped his hands and said, "We have been fortunate enough to receive the Young Master's great grace and recruit many fine talents. We have turned this over and over in our minds, lying awake through the night, unable to peacefully enjoy the Young Master's favor without doing anything in return. Thus, today we have brought a few humble gifts to express our gratitude!"

As he spoke, he performed a slight Dharma Technique.

A flash of radiant light appeared before him, revealing a large array of dazzling treasures.

At a glance, there were dozens of High-Grade Spirit Stones alone.

Besides those, there were various other treasures.

The sect masters of Myriad Snow Pavilion and the Lunar Yin Sect, along with several other smaller sects, had done the same.

Among these people.

Even the sect masters of the three strongest sects were merely Golden Core True Lords.

For forces of this level, producing such a vast sum was already no easy feat.

It was impossible to say they did not feel the pinch.

However, ever since Wang Mu had held the Ascension Convention on Heavenly Severing Island, a great number of cultivators with Spiritual Roots had been discovered.

And among them, the most talented portion had almost all been divided up among the three great sects.

It could be said they had eaten until their mouths dripped with oil.

The heavenly geniuses they had recruited this year outnumbered those from the previous ten years combined.

They were all old foxes who had lived for hundreds of years.

Having received such benefits.

How could they possibly not make some gesture in return?

Moreover, the other party was the Young Master Wang, wealthy enough to possess the Four Seas. Ordinary treasures would not even catch his eye.

They could only do their utmost.

Hoping he would be satisfied.

Otherwise, even if he said nothing aloud, he might inevitably think behind the scenes that they lacked propriety.

Furthermore, those talented individuals found to possess Spiritual Roots were also deeply grateful to Wang Mu.

It could be said that without Wang Mu, there would be no them.

They wholeheartedly supported their sects' actions, and their sense of belonging instantly grew considerably.

It was truly killing two birds with one stone.

Wang Mu smiled faintly and said, "I have received your goodwill! But take these things back!"

Yang Juzi immediately panicked. "We know these gifts are somewhat meager. We can offer more..."

Wang Mu waved a hand. "You have misunderstood! I said long ago that the purpose of holding the Ascension Convention was to ensure that those with Spiritual Roots would not be buried and overlooked!"

"Now you are giving me money. If word of this gets out, how will the People of the World view me?"

"They will say that I, Wang Mu, use righteous deeds as a name while gathering wealth in truth?"

Everyone immediately became terrified.

"No, no, no, that is not what we mean!"

"We merely wished to repay the Young Master's kindness!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Wang Mu waved his hand, interrupting them with a smile. "As long as you treat the disciples you recruit well, cultivate pillars of the Human Race, and allow them to one day hold up a patch of sky for the common people of a region, that will be the best repayment you can offer me!"

Upon hearing these words.

Everyone in the great hall froze on the spot, their bodies trembling slightly as they looked at each other.

Then, with complicated emotions filling their eyes, they respectfully saluted him. "We shall remember the Young Master's teachings!"

Wang Mu flicked his sleeve. "Old Li, see the guests out!"

"Yes, Young Master!"

Li Yuanhua escorted the group outside the royal palace.

"Everyone, please return!" Li Yuanhua turned, about to leave.

"Ancestor, please wait!" Yang Juzi suddenly called after him.

"What else is it?" Li Yuanhua frowned slightly.

Yang Juzi said, "Ancestor, the Young Master is benevolent and refuses to accept our gifts of thanks. But if things continue like this, would we not become people who know kindness yet fail to repay it?"

"Indeed!"

Chu Youchang, Pavilion Master of Myriad Snow Pavilion, looked deeply troubled. "If this goes on for long, I fear it will become a heart demon, impossible to drive from our hearts! We ask Ancestor to point us toward a clear path!"

"We thank Ancestor in advance!" Shui Ziliu, Sect Master of the Lunar Yin Sect, respectfully saluted him.

The cultivators from the other small sects also saluted in succession.

"Very well. Since you ask so sincerely, this ancestor shall point out a path for you!"

Li Yuanhua sighed, then sent them a voice transmission. "First, you must understand that the Young Master... is not a human!"

Hearing this.

Yang Juzi was greatly startled. "What? The Young Master isn't human?"

Li Yuanhua: "!!!"