Apprenticeship Ceremony

The original host had Dual Water-Fire Spiritual Roots. There was nothing to test...

Song Zhizhi was preoccupied and paid no attention to the Spirit-Testing Stone's result. Suddenly, Meng Ping's slightly excited voice broke her train of thought. "Song Zhizhi, Single Fire Spiritual Root! Innate Exotic Fire!"

Song Zhizhi:?

What spiritual root? What innate what?

Author's note:

The male and female leads will officially meet in the next chapter.

Apprenticeship Ceremony

Song Zhizhi's first reaction was that the Spirit-Testing Stone was broken. The original host clearly had Dual Water-Fire Spiritual Roots, so how had it now detected a Single Fire Spiritual Root? With an Innate Exotic Fire constitution thrown in as well?

She raised her head and saw the Spirit-Testing Stone radiating a brilliant fiery-red glow, nearly dyeing the sky crimson. Waves of heat rushed toward her. Within that scarlet light, Song Zhizhi saw the phantom of a Phoenix reborn from the flames, stretching its neck in song.

Listening to the phoenix's cry, Song Zhizhi inexplicably found it immensely familiar.

As though sensing something, Song Zhizhi closed her eyes. Spiritual energy surged around her, and her cultivation broke through the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining and entered the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining.

At the instant she advanced, she seemed to feel a message of joy from another life within her body.

Song Zhizhi froze. The joy of advancing was replaced by tangled emotions. She pressed her lips together, forgetting even to ask Meng Ping whether the Spirit-Testing Stone was broken, and walked aside.

It was Meng Ping's first time seeing someone advance while testing their spiritual root aptitude. He nodded at Song Zhizhi. "Junior Sister Song, it seems your comprehension is extraordinary."

Since Song Miaomiao also bore the surname Song, Meng Ping called Song Zhizhi Junior Sister Song whenever both were present to distinguish them—she was younger than Song Miaomiao.

"Junior Sister Song, you're next." Meng Ping turned to Song Miaomiao.

Song Miaomiao and Song Zhizhi had similar names and came from the same place. Meng Ping guessed that they were probably sisters, though he did not know whether they were blood sisters or cousins.

Meng Ping gazed heatedly at Song Miaomiao. The younger sister had a Single Spirit Root, while the elder sister's performance was remarkable—she was not yet twenty, yet her cultivation was already close to Foundation Establishment. Her aptitude could not possibly be poor.

If they got another Single Spirit Root, then the Sword Sect's new disciples this year would include three single-root geniuses. They could boast about that luck in front of the other two great sects for ten years.

Song Miaomiao remained calm as she raised her hand and placed her palm on the Spirit-Testing Stone. In an instant, a layer of ice crystals formed over its surface. Even from two meters away, Song Zhizhi felt a chill sweep over her, cold enough to make her shudder.

The ice crystals faded, leaving behind the phantom of a spiritual sword within the Spirit-Testing Stone.

Meng Ping's eyes widened. Even the hand holding his spirit brush to record the result was trembling. He said in disbelief, "Song Miaomiao, Mutated Ice Spiritual Root! Innate Sword Heart!"

Before a Mutated Ice Spiritual Root and an Innate Sword Heart, any Single Spirit Root or Innate Exotic Fire dimmed into insignificance.

Feng Yulong watched Meng Ping become so excited that his eyes held only Song Miaomiao, as though he had forgotten Feng Yulong existed. Feng Yulong clenched his teeth in jealousy. It's just an Innate Sword Heart! What's there to be so proud of!

From the corner of his eye, he caught Song Zhizhi's slightly dazed expression. His eyes shifted, and a cold smile curled across his lips.

The moment the Innate Sword Heart appeared, the elders waiting in the main hall to take disciples nearly could not restrain themselves from fighting over her.

"How many years has it been since our Cultivation World produced such fine material with an Innate Sword Heart? An Ice Spirit Root is perfect for my Taiqing Sword Technique."

"Clearly, my Ice-Soul Sword Technique is more suitable!"

"My Star-Slaying Sword Technique is no worse than yours!"

"Pah! Have you no shame? If you ask me, your sword arts are all far too overbearing. My Wind-Soothing Sword Art is better suited to female cultivators."

"That's gender discrimination! Who says girls cannot practice more domineering sword arts? Do you dare say this old lady's Thunder Sword Technique isn't stronger than your lousy sword art!?"

"If you ask me, if Mingxiao were here, none of you would need to fight. Mingxiao has an Ice Spirit Root too. If I were Song Miaomiao, I would absolutely choose a master with the same spiritual root attribute as mine."

The hall instantly fell silent, then everyone reached the same conclusion without exchanging a word.

"Mingxiao has never accepted a disciple. He probably will not come this year either."

"We must hide this news from him. We cannot let him snatch this fine seedling away."

"What are you trying to hide from me?" A cool, detached voice rang out. The voices in the hall abruptly stopped, and everyone turned toward its source.

A young man in white entered the hall with elegant poise. His ink-splashed black hair was secured with a white jade hairpin, revealing a face as cold and transcendent as an exiled immortal. The standard-issue elder's robes looked as though they had been tailored specifically for him, accentuating his increasingly tall and handsome figure.

Perhaps it was an illusion, but the elders present felt that he seemed even more dazzling than usual, as if he had carefully dressed himself up. Yet upon closer inspection, Sword Venerable Mingxiao's attire was no different from his usual appearance.

The elders who had just been at each other's throats immediately wore expressions as though their teeth ached. With Mingxiao's reputation, if he wanted to snatch that Innate Sword Heart seedling, who could possibly compete with him?

Sword Venerable Mingxiao glanced outside. Meng Ping was leading seven disciples into the hall to choose their masters. His long fingers tapped the chair's armrest, and his gaze settled on the girl in green. His thoughts were unreadable. After a long while, he said slowly, "Rest assured, elders. I have no interest in an Innate Sword Heart." Why did she look somewhat dejected? Had she encountered some difficulty?

The elders sighed in relief, but then they were all puzzled. If he had no interest in the Innate Sword Heart, then who was he interested in? It could not possibly be that Fire Spiritual Root girl, could it? He had an Ice Spirit Root—could he even guide someone with a Fire Spiritual Root in cultivation?

Perhaps he had taken a fancy to that Water Spiritual Root girl. Ice Spirit Root and Water Spiritual Root could be considered to share the same origin.

While the elders were storming their brains internally, Meng Ping led the group into the hall. He clasped his hands toward the sect leader. "Master, uncles and senior uncles, this disciple has brought the disciples entering the inner sect this time."

"Mm, well done." The sect leader highly affirmed Meng Ping's work ability, then looked at Song Miaomiao behind him, smiling until his eyes narrowed into slits.

The apprenticeship ceremony would begin shortly. Song Zhizhi suppressed the tangled thoughts in her heart and carefully examined every elder in the hall.

Rankings

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