Spirit Root Testing

The sect recruitment grounds had been set up in the central square of the inner city. By the time Qin Huaian and the other arrived, many cultivators had already gathered there.

The square was enormous, capable of holding tens of thousands. At its main entrance were the spirit root testing stations—more than ten of them lined up side by side, each with a long queue.

The testers were all cultivators dressed in the outer disciple robes of the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect.

A large sign stood at the spirit root testing stations: Cultivators participating in the test must be under thirty years old.

Blatant age discrimination!

Qin Huaian grumbled inwardly as he took his place at the very end of the line.

For the spirit root test, a cultivator had to drip a drop of blood into the testing Dharma Artifact. After waiting a moment, the artifact would reveal the cultivator's spirit root grade.

After the test, they would receive a small wooden token inscribed with their name, age, and spirit root grade.

Those with Middle-grade Spirit Roots or above could enter the recruitment square directly. Those with Lower-grade Spirit Roots needed to be at least at the Qi Refining Third Layer to enter.

Cultivators who entered the recruitment square could take their wooden tokens to the recruitment posts of the various sects and seek out a sect they favored—or one that favored them.

"Bone age: twenty-five. Lower-grade Spirit Root. Fire, wood, metal, and earth attributes."

A tall, thin cultivator took the wooden token handed over by the tester as though his soul had left his body, his face deathly pale. He was only at the Qi Refining Second Layer. Without some unexpected stroke of fortune, it would be difficult for him to enter a sect through this centralized recruitment.

One cultivator after another underwent testing. Before they knew it, noon was approaching. The line behind them had not shrunk in the slightest; instead, it was growing longer and longer.

The Qi Kingdom had only two recruitment sites: Cloudfield Market and the capital. Cloudfield Market had drawn a great many young cultivators from the Qi Kingdom and neighboring nations.

The testing proceeded slowly, but Qin Huaian was not anxious. He simply waited quietly in line. He was already at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. Even if he had a Lower-grade Spirit Root, he still had a chance of entering some smaller sects.

Watching cultivators leave one after another in disappointment over their poor spirit root aptitude, Little Fatty Wang Baole became somewhat anxious and fretful.

Most of those being tested had Lower-grade Spirit Roots, and some even had Mixed Spirit Roots.

Those with Mixed Spirit Roots generally found it difficult to embark upon the path of cultivation. Qi Introduction alone could consume many years of their lives. Without a fortuitous encounter, someone with Mixed Spirit Roots would never break through to the Qi Refining Middle Stage in their entire lifetime.

The atmosphere in the queue was rather stifling, and most people wore grave expressions.

At that moment, the testing Dharma Artifact at a nearby station suddenly emitted a dazzling radiance.

"Supreme Water Spirit Root! It's actually a Supreme Spirit Root!" the tester cried excitedly.

A man of around twenty stood before the testing Dharma Artifact. His face was like carved jade, and his figure tall and straight. He was the cultivator who had just been tested.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Two figures suddenly descended upon the testing station.

"Elder Chen! Elder Zhou!" The disciple in charge of testing hurriedly bowed.

The two ignored him, both staring intently at the testing Dharma Artifact.

"An elder of the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect actually came in person."

"Yellow Mountain Sword Sect elders should all be at least in the Golden Core Realm, right?"

"Of course. Supreme Spirit Roots are exceptionally rare. They say one can cultivate all the way to the Golden Core Realm without encountering any bottlenecks."

People nearby began whispering among themselves.

"It truly is a Supreme Water Spirit Root. Hahaha..." One of them, a kindly-looking old man, burst into hearty laughter.

Then he turned to the cultivator with the Supreme Spirit Root and asked with a smile, "What is your name, young friend?"

The cultivator with the Supreme Spirit Root snapped out of his wild excitement and quickly replied, "Reporting to Senior, this junior is Xiao Yi, from Gorge Prefecture of the Qi Kingdom."

"Good! Good! Are you willing to join my Yellow Mountain Sword Sect?"

"This junior is willing!" Excitement flooded the young man's face.

The other cultivators participating in the recruitment all looked at him with envy.

He had actually joined the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect directly. The Yellow Mountain Sword Sect was an absolute hegemon within hundreds of thousands of miles around!

The kindly old man asked again with a gentle expression, "I am an elder of the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect. Are you willing to take me as your master?"

Xiao Yi was about to answer when the other, stern-faced middle-aged cultivator said, "Senior Brother Zhou, have you forgotten the Sect Master's instructions?"

"Hahaha~ Junior Brother Chen, don't be so serious. I merely asked this young friend casually to see where his inclinations lay. A cultivator with a Supreme Spirit Root naturally needs to wait until we return before arrangements can be made."

Elder Zhou then said kindly to Xiao Yi, "Young friend, come with me."

He then led Xiao Yi to the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect's encampment in the center of the square.

The spirit root testing continued, and the murmurs in the queue gradually quieted.

Yet many people were clearly casting envious glances toward the center of the square.

"A true man should live like that!" Wang Baole suddenly muttered.

What the hell! Was that something you, Little Fatty, could say?

Qin Huaian stared closely at Wang Baole's envious face. His cheeks were round, his forehead showed no obvious protrusion, and his nose bridge was even sunken. Could it be that his left leg had seventy-two black moles?

It had to be a coincidence!

When Wang Baole noticed Qin Huaian staring at him, he immediately felt awkward. He looked himself up and down as well. "Brother Qin, what are you looking at? Is there something wrong with me?"

"Nothing, Fatty. I suddenly realized that you have extraordinary bones and must be a peerless prodigy found once in ten thousand." Qin Huaian smiled.

The cultivators waiting nearby also looked Wang Baole over, and disdain immediately appeared on their faces.

"Brother Qin, don't talk nonsense. It's almost our turn." Feeling the gazes around him, Wang Baole shifted awkwardly.

"Next!"

"Fatty, it's your turn." Qin Huaian patted Wang Baole on the shoulder.

"Ah, coming." Wang Baole hurried to the testing Dharma Artifact, lightly sliced his wrist, and let a drop of blood fall into it.

At the center of the Dharma Artifact was a crystal-clear little crystal pillar, about a foot tall, with rings of markings carved upon it.

At that moment, two beams of light, one azure and one earthy yellow, gradually rose from the crystal pillar. They climbed higher and higher before stopping just beyond the three-quarter mark.

"Bone age: eighteen. Upper-grade Spirit Root. Earth and wood dual spirit roots."

"What is this junior brother's name?" the spirit root tester asked amiably.

"This one is Wang Baole."

After inscribing the information on the wooden token, the tester handed it to Wang Baole. "Junior Brother, please keep this safe."

Wang Baole actually had an Upper-grade Spirit Root. No wonder he cultivated so quickly. Among the several hundred people tested in their queue that morning, only two had possessed Upper-grade Spirit Roots. Little Fatty was the third.

Qin Huaian silently calculated that those with Middle-grade Spirit Roots or better made up only around ten percent. Most cultivators who came for testing had Lower-grade Spirit Roots or Mixed Spirit Roots.

Wang Baole took the wooden token excitedly and stood to one side. He wanted to wait for Qin Huaian so they could enter the square together.

The cultivator who had looked upon Wang Baole with disdain earlier now stared at him enviously. His bones truly were extraordinary!

"Next!"

Qin Huaian stepped forward and likewise dripped a drop of blood into the artifact.

At that moment, three colors lit up within the crystal pillar: azure, scarlet, and pale blue. The three beams of light rose slowly, far more slowly than Little Fatty's.

They stopped just past the halfway mark.

"Bone age: twenty-three. Middle-grade Spirit Root. Wood, fire, and water attributes."