Spiritual Root Test

The next day.

Before dawn, Huilong Town was like boiling water, exploding into chaos.

Countless vendors flooded the streets, shouting their wares at the top of their lungs.

Figures moved in clusters of three or five, some on foot, others riding oxcarts or horse-drawn carriages, converging on Huilong Town from every direction.

The Yun Ge Sect's Luofu Peak immortals took disciples once every three years, only accepting children aged ten to twelve. This had become an established custom, and every recruitment day also coincided with Huilong Town's grand market gathering.

From the surrounding villages and towns, any family with children of the right age brought them to try their luck.

First, they could stock up on daily necessities. Second, if their child was fortunate enough to be chosen as an immortal's disciple, it would bring even greater glory to their ancestors than passing the imperial examinations—their ancestral graves would practically smoke with good fortune.

Su Shi'er blended into the crowd and entered the town.

The road from Little Stone Village to Huilong Town was rugged and difficult to traverse. Su Shi'er had only come here once as a child with his grandfather. Fortunately, his memory was good, and after stumbling along the way, he finally arrived at dawn.

But his clothes were torn to shreds, and he was covered in dirt, looking every bit like a little beggar.

As he walked, Su Shi'er pricked up his ears and looked around.

He had come alone and didn't know where the immortals were recruiting disciples. But he knew that among the parents bringing children his age, some would surely be taking their kids to seek a master.

Soon, Su Shi'er followed the crowd to a clearing in the center of town, surrounded by adults. Nearly a hundred children his age had gathered there.

From snippets of conversation among passersby, Su Shi'er learned that this was where the immortals would hold their recruitment.

All the children hoping to become disciples were waiting here for the immortals to test their talent.

Su Shi'er crouched low, squeezed through the crowd, and found a secluded corner where he plopped down on the ground.

After walking mountain roads all night, he was exhausted and hungry, his feet swollen. All he wanted now was a good rest.

Just then, clouds drifted across the sky, and a flying sword streaked through the air like lightning.

The sword was wide and broad, and on its blade stood two ethereal figures.

"It's the immortals! The immortals are here!"

On the ground, everyone looked up, young and old alike, their expressions solemn as they held their breath.

The entire Huilong Town, which had been buzzing with noise moments before, fell silent in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, the flying sword passed over the clearing. The two ethereal figures leaped down, landing gracefully in the center of the open space.

Midair, the flying sword shimmered with light, rapidly shrinking into a three-foot blade that settled onto the back of one of them.

"Immortals?"

Su Shi'er's spirits lifted, and he quickly turned to look at the newcomers.

One was an old man in a blue robe, with a youthful complexion and white hair, appearing to be in his sixties or seventies. A thick, snowy beard hung over his chest, and his eyes were bright and piercing, his entire bearing exuding an extraordinary, otherworldly air.

The other was a delicate young woman of about seventeen or eighteen.

She had moth-like eyebrows and gleaming white teeth, lips red and teeth pure. Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her light blue dress fluttered in the wind, making her seem like a fairy.

"Is that a Fairy? She's absolutely stunning!"

"I never thought this old man would live to see such a beautiful Fairy."

"I've heard the Song Kingdom's princess is as beautiful as a celestial maiden, but compared to this Fairy, she probably falls short!"

As soon as the woman landed, a stir ran through the crowd. Faced with such a breathtaking beauty, every mortal present lost their composure.

In the clearing, nearly a hundred children, including Su Shi'er, were also dumbstruck.

After landing, the woman looked around with curiosity and sighed, "Time flies—ten years, and I've finally come down the mountain!"

"I can't believe Huilong Town has grown so much in just a decade!"

The old man smiled at her. "Alright, save the reminiscing for later. Let's get down to business first. If we can't outshine Tianhua Peak this time, that old bastard Fu Boren will never stop mocking me!"

The woman nodded with a smile. "Don't worry, Grandfather. I won't hold you up! There are plenty of people here for testing this year, so we're bound to find a few good prospects."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and waved, and a square table appeared before them.

On the table sat a strangely shaped stone. It was the Spirit Testing Stone used by the sect to assess disciples' spiritual roots.

The old man nodded, then turned his gaze to the children in the clearing. His eyes suddenly turned cold, and his voice carried no emotion as he said, "Only a very few among you will be chosen to join our Yun Ge Sect."

The moment he spoke, his icy, merciless words silenced the entire crowd in fear.

Su Shi'er shrank his neck, his heart pounding with anxiety.

"Spiritual roots are the foundation of a cultivator. Next, I will test each of you one by one. Now, everyone line up single file, step forward, and place your hand on this stone," the old man said flatly, pointing casually at the Spirit Testing Stone on the table.

As his words fell, the children straggled into a line.

Su Shi'er stood at the very end of the line, clenching his fists nervously, craning his neck to watch.

At the front of the line, a relatively bold child stepped forward cautiously and placed his hand on the Spirit Testing Stone.

The Spirit Testing Stone trembled slightly, then lit up with a dim red glow.

The old man's face was expressionless as he said flatly, "Low-grade Fire Spiritual Root! Passed, go stand on the right!"

Hearing this, the child's eyes brightened with joy. He quickly walked to the right and stood quietly, while a couple in the crowd grew excited.

Next, another child stepped forward. This time, the Spirit Testing Stone showed no reaction.

"Failed! Leave!"

"Failed!"

"Low-grade Earth Spiritual Root, stand on the right!"

In the blink of an eye, more than half the test-takers had passed, and only two children with low-grade spiritual roots stood beside the old man.

Looking at the remaining few children, the old man's brow furrowed noticeably, his expression tinged with impatience.

Low-grade spiritual roots were nothing more than the most common, dime-a-dozen roots in the Cultivation World. The future prospects of someone with such roots were very limited.

Having come all this way, if he only recruited these two, he would surely become a laughingstock upon his return.

Just then, a dark-skinned boy in coarse linen clothes stepped up to the Spirit Testing Stone.

The moment he placed his hand on it, the stone shook violently, and then a dazzling golden light and a brilliant red light blazed forth simultaneously.

The radiance burst outward, faintly carrying a sharp, imposing aura.

This sight stunned everyone present.

The old man's face lit up with joy, and he exclaimed in shock, "What?! This is a Supreme Metal Spiritual Root and a Supreme Fire Spiritual Root?! Dual spiritual roots—haha, I didn't make this trip for nothing this year!"

The old man was so excited his voice trembled, making no effort to hide his delight.

It wasn't surprising he was this thrilled. In cultivation, spiritual roots were the foundation of everything, determining a cultivator's training speed. If one's roots were poor, cultivation would yield half the results with twice the effort.

For ordinary people, having a mid-grade or high-grade spiritual root was already considered good. If a top-grade spiritual root appeared, that was a once-in-ten-thousand genius.

And a Supreme Dual Spiritual Root was a genius among geniuses. Such roots could only be described as rare—truly uncommon. In the entire history of the Yun Ge Sect, such roots had appeared only once in several hundred years. That was the founding ancestor, Venerable Yun Ge!

Beside him, the pretty woman said nothing, but her gaze toward the boy had clearly turned joyful as well.