Spiritual Root Testing

Xiao Yu walked through the trees with a grass stem clenched between his teeth.

Righteous cultivators rarely disturbed the lives of mortals. Though they were hypocrites hungry for fame and praise, they still cared rather deeply about their reputations.

The demonic path was different!

Those from the Hehuan Sect, for instance, loved causing trouble in mortal cities, especially abducting beautiful women and men.

As he walked, he suddenly spotted what seemed to be a group of people ahead.

His face immediately tightened, and he dropped into the grass.

When he looked up, the winding path ahead was flooded with refugees like a rising tide!

A crowd supported the elderly and carried children, their clothes ragged as they made their way toward Jiangliu City.

The people at the front were covered in dust and ash, burdens piled across their backs.

They wandered in terror like dogs that had lost their homes.

Those farther back leaned on and supported one another, their gazes dull and vacant.

Every word they spoke was steeped in bleak misery.

There were babies wailing, and there were old people sighing.

Xiao Yu's gaze darkened as he quietly calculated.

Should he blend in with them?

Just then, a man riding a Glazed Jade Gourd in the sky stared down at Xiao Yu with a grim expression.

Then the man glanced in the direction of Jiangliu Mountain.

Xiao Yu still did not know that someone had already set his sights on him.

He stripped an outfit from a corpse behind him and put it on, then smeared two layers of dirt over his face.

Just like that, he followed the refugees.

He propped himself up with a stick and limped along.

The man in the sky immediately laughed.

He sent a voice transmission directly to Xiao Yu. "What a crafty little brat. How did you survive Profound Spirit Sect's encirclement yesterday?"

Xiao Yu, standing amid the crowd, froze on the spot, his face filled with extreme tension.

But when he saw that the man wore the robes of the Hehuan Sect, his spirits instantly rose.

He hurriedly pulled the Eagle Claw Saber from his storage pouch and bellowed in feigned fury, "Dogs of the righteous path! If you've got the guts, come over here!!!"

"Even if I die, I'll drag someone down with me! Don't look down on people!"

The man in the sky laughed again and casually beckoned, pulling Xiao Yu onto his gourd.

When Xiao Yu saw that the man was Elder Wu, who had arranged the lottery yesterday, he immediately shouted with an excited face.

"Elder Wu! It's Elder Wu!!!"

Then he hurriedly dropped to one knee, cupped his fists, and called out, "Disciple Xiao Yu greets Elder Wu!"

Elder Wu stroked his beard with a sinister smile. "Mm. Where were you planning to run off to? Why weren't you returning to the sect?"

Without changing expression, Xiao Yu cupped his fists and replied, "Yesterday, this disciple went up the mountain with several senior brothers to gather herbs. Unfortunately, we encountered Lin Ce, an inner disciple of the Profound Spirit Sect. This disciple was chased down the mountain alone. My cultivation is still shallow, so I did not dare fight him head-on and could only flee for my life. Who would have thought I would end up at the foot of the mountain?"

"I had intended to return to the sect, but I feared there might still be dogs of the righteous path on the mountain, so this disciple thought of blending in among the refugees..."

Elder Wu sneered coldly. "You wanted to blend in with the refugees and enter Jiangliu City? Don't underestimate the righteous path's treachery. They have disciples stationed at the city gates, disguised as mortal soldiers. You might die the moment you get there!"

"Fortunately, your luck is not bad. You met this old man!"

Xiao Yu quickly cupped his fists and bowed in thanks. "Many thanks to Elder Wu for saving my life!!! This disciple will remember it in his heart!"

Yet his heart had already risen into his throat.

If he returned to the Hehuan Sect, escaping would become difficult!

Senior Sister Mei had failed to catch him yesterday and would surely bear a grudge.

If she saw him again, then most likely...

At that thought, Xiao Yu suddenly shuddered from head to toe!

Just then, Elder Wu stroked his beard and looked once more toward Jiangliu Mountain. "Now that the Jade Maiden Sect has been destroyed, those dogs from the Profound Spirit Sect have come forward. They killed every one of our disciples hidden in Jiangliu City and seized Jiangliu Mountain as well. Tomorrow, we'll come back and settle the score with them!"

"Come back with me first. This old man happens to lack a helper, and you seem fairly clever. Become my disciple!"

Xiao Yu's brows immediately lifted. Was he being promoted straight from an outer disciple to a personal disciple?

He did not even need to become an inner disciple?

Wait...

One never climbed the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. Why was this old bastard treating him so well?

Could he be planning to scheme against him...

Thinking this, Xiao Yu hurriedly fell to one knee, cupped his fists, and shouted, "Disciple Xiao Yu thanks Master for this great kindness!!!"

Elder Wu nodded in satisfaction.

Then he carried Xiao Yu toward the Hehuan Sect.

They flew at incredible speed, far faster than that bamboo pole yesterday.

It was like riding a roller coaster through the clouds, Xiao Yu's hair trembling wildly in the wind.

Elder Wu smelled the fragrance on Xiao Yu and grinned. "What? A mere Body Tempering, Eighth Layer cultivator like you managed to find a furnace? Why do you smell like a woman?"

Xiao Yu grinned lecherously. "It hardly counts as a furnace. This disciple had nothing to offer, and yesterday, a senior brother took care of me. After he got tired of playing with her, he let this disciple have a taste of something new."

Elder Wu smiled meaningfully, then said in a low voice, "Mm, no matter. Once you follow Master to our pill-refining chamber, furnaces will naturally not be lacking for you!"

Xiao Yu grinned as if delighted. "Many thanks for Master's great kindness!"

He was nearly speechless. Every last one of these cultivators in this immortal cultivation world was like a wolf or tiger. He was only in the Body Tempering Stage and did not even have a single hair worth taking—why were they all thinking of plotting against him?

Did Elder Wu have some kind of serious illness?

Could he already know about Bai Yue?

Xiao Yu was only in the Body Tempering Stage.

Why would Elder Wu take him as a disciple?

Since ancient times, sects only made exceptions to accept personal disciples for a few reasons!

The first was great merit, the second was pulling strings and calling in favors, and the third was aptitude.

Wait?

Elder Wu had just mentioned going to the pill-refining chamber?

If this old thief was heading to the pill-refining chamber, there was a strong chance he wanted to refine Xiao Yu into a medicine man or a Human Pill!

Xiao Yu immediately wanted to curse his mother.

Just then, with a casual gesture from Elder Wu, Xiao Yu descended before the gates of the Hehuan Sect's pill-refining chamber.

Xiao Yu shuddered on the spot. Afraid though he was, he still smiled as he cupped his fists.

"Master... our pill-refining chamber is truly impressive..."

Elder Wu patted his shoulder with an amused expression.

Then he looked toward the pill furnace behind them and said, "Come here. Master will test your Spiritual Root! If I am not mistaken, your Spiritual Root should be quite good... The yang energy in your body is practically overflowing. You probably have a Metal-Fire Spiritual Root!"

While Xiao Yu was still dumbfounded, Elder Wu had already taken out a Spiritual Root Testing Stone.

Then, with a wicked grin and a benevolent expression, he gestured to Xiao Yu. "Disciple~ good disciple! Put your hand on it!"

With filial devotion written across his face and honey dripping from his mouth, Xiao Yu said, "Master truly treats me too well, even testing my Spiritual Root for me... In the future, this disciple will brave fire and water for Master!!!"

Then he placed his hand on it.

As a burst of spiritual light flashed out, Elder Wu's expression darkened. "It's actually... Metal, Wood, Fire, and Earth Four-Element Spiritual Roots?! Why isn't it Three-Element Spiritual Roots? Why is it another False Spiritual Root..."

"What a pity! Why isn't there even a Water Spiritual Root? One more Water Spiritual Root would have been good!"

"Where is the water?"

"Why does it have to be the most worthless kind of four-element False Spiritual Root? Truly... sigh..."

Elder Wu's face immediately darkened.

When he looked at Xiao Yu again, his eyes were filled with killing intent.