Spiritual Root Testing

Xiao Yu walked through the woods with a blade of grass clamped between his teeth.

Righteous cultivators rarely disturbed the lives of mortals. Though they were hypocrites chasing fame and reputation, they still cared rather deeply about their public image.

The demonic path was different!

Members of the Hehuan Sect, for instance, loved causing trouble in mortal cities, especially kidnapping beautiful women and men.

As he walked, he suddenly spotted what looked like a group of people ahead.

His face tightened, and he immediately crouched down in the grass.

Looking up, he saw refugees flooding the winding path ahead like a tide!

A group of people, supporting the old and carrying the young, trudged toward Jiangliu City in tattered clothes.

The people at the front had faces covered in dust and burdens strapped to their backs.

They looked as panicked as homeless dogs.

Those at the back either supported or helped one another along, their eyes dull and vacant.

Their words were filled with misery.

There were crying infants, as well as the sighs of the elderly.

Xiao Yu lowered his gaze and quietly considered his options.

Should he blend in with them?

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

Then the man glanced in the direction of Jiangliu Mountain.

Xiao Yu had no idea that someone had already set their sights on him.

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

Then he followed the refugees.

He leaned on a stick and limped along.

The man in the sky immediately laughed.

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

Xiao Yu, standing among the crowd, froze in place, his face taut with nerves.

But when he saw that the man wore Hehuan Sect robes, he instantly perked up.

He hurriedly pulled the Eagle Claw Saber from his storage pouch and roared in feigned fury, "You dogs of the righteous path! Come at me if you dare!!!"

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

The man in the sky laughed, then waved a hand and pulled Xiao Yu onto his gourd.

When Xiao Yu saw that the man was Elder Wu, who had arranged the lottery yesterday, he immediately shouted in excitement.

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

Then he swiftly dropped to one knee, clasped his fists, and called out, "This disciple, Xiao Yu, greets Elder Wu!"

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

Without changing expression, Xiao Yu clasped his fists and said, "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, and I did not dare face him head-on, so I kept fleeing for my life. Who knew I would end up at the foot of the mountain?"

"I wanted to return to the sect, but I was afraid there were still dogs of the righteous path on the mountain, so I thought I would blend in with the refugees..."

Elder Wu sneered coldly. "You thought you could blend in with the refugees and enter Jiangliu City? Don't underestimate the deceitfulness of the righteous path. They have disciples disguised as mortal soldiers guarding the city gates. You might die the moment you arrive!"

"Fortunately, you have good luck. You ran into this old man!"

Xiao Yu hurriedly clasped his fists and bowed. "Many thanks to Elder Wu for saving my life!!! This disciple will remember it forever!"

Yet his heart was already hanging by a thread.

If he returned to the Hehuan Sect, escaping later would become much harder!

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

If she saw him again, then he would probably...

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

Just then, Elder Wu stroked his beard and looked toward Jiangliu Mountain again. "Now that the Jade Maiden Sect has been destroyed, those Profound Spirit Sect dogs have stepped forward. They killed all the disciples we had hidden in Jiangliu City and seized Jiangliu Mountain. We'll settle the score with them tomorrow!"

"Come back with me first. This old man happens to need a helper, and you seem rather clever. You can become my disciple!"

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

He would not even need to become an inner disciple?

Wait...

No one offered favors without a reason. Why was this old bastard treating him so well?

Could he be planning something against him...

At that thought, Xiao Yu hurriedly dropped to one knee and shouted with clasped fists, "This 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 extremely fast, much faster than that bamboo pole yesterday.

It was like riding a roller coaster, and Xiao Yu's hair fluttered wildly in the wind.

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

Xiao Yu gave a lecherous grin. "She was hardly a furnace. This disciple had nothing to offer. Yesterday, my senior brothers took care of me. Once they got tired of playing with her, they let this disciple have a taste too."

Elder Wu smiled meaningfully, then said in a low voice, "Hmm, that's fine. Once you follow your master to our pill-refining room, you will naturally have no shortage of furnaces!"

Xiao Yu grinned in feigned delight. "Many thanks for Master's great kindness!"

He was nearly speechless. Every one of these cultivators was like a wolf or tiger. He was only in the Body Tempering Stage and did not even have a hair to his name, so why were they all thinking of plotting against him?

Did Elder Wu have something wrong with his head?

Could he already know about Bai Yue?

Xiao Yu was only in the Body Tempering Stage.

Why would Elder Wu take him in?

Throughout history, sects had only made exceptions to accept personal disciples for a few reasons!

The first was great merit, the second was connections and favors, and the third was talent.

Wait?

Elder Wu had just said they were going to the pill-refining room?

If this old thief was heading to the pill-refining room, he might very well be planning to refine Xiao Yu into a medicinal human or a human pill!

Xiao Yu instantly wanted to curse.

Just then, Elder Wu made a gesture, and Xiao Yu landed right in front of the Hehuan Sect's pill-refining room.

Xiao Yu immediately shivered. Afraid though he was, he still forced a smile and clasped his fists.

"Master... this pill-refining room 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. Let your master test your Spiritual Root! If I'm not mistaken, your Spiritual Root should be quite good... your yang energy is practically overflowing. You probably have a Metal-Fire Spiritual Root!"

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

Then he grinned at Xiao Yu with a wicked yet kindly expression and gestured. "Disciple~ Good disciple! Put your hand on it!"

Xiao Yu wore a dutiful expression, his words sweet as honey. "Master is truly too kind to me. You're even testing my Spiritual Root for me... This disciple will surely brave fire and water for Master in the future!!!"

Then he placed his hand on it.

As a burst of spiritual light flashed forth, Elder Wu's expression darkened. "It's actually... metal, wood, fire, and earth—Four-Element Spiritual Roots?! Why isn't it a Three-Element Spiritual Root? 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 useless four-element False Spiritual Root? Truly... sigh..."

Elder Wu's face immediately darkened.

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