Luofu!

Everyone had arrived.

The principal stood, clapped his hands, and pulled a stump half as tall as a person and as thick as a millstone out of thin air.

"Today, we've invited Elder Tree to preside over our Spiritual Root assessment. Please welcome him!"

He set the stump on the floor and stepped back.

Before everyone's eyes,

the stump swayed back and forth, then suddenly began to sing in an ancient voice:

"When heaven and earth first opened, spiritual energy sprang from roots;"

"Hey! Hey! Little ones, don't pull your hands away. This old tree won't stop till I've found your Spiritual Roots;"

"A single Spiritual Root shoots high; cultivation takes off and flies;"

"Two roots aren't bad either. With thunder and fire, golden light, or water and wind, you'll travel a thousand miles a day while others eat your dust;"

"With many roots, don't lose heart. Diligence makes up for dullness. You're wonderful too, though you'll have to work a little harder."

His voice suddenly soared, turning wild and gleeful:

"Oh~ your Spiritual Root isn't your fate, only the shadow that follows your shape~"

"Go seek your fire, go plant your grass;"

"Go ride your wind, go command your tides;"

"Go chase your light, go walk your road to the heavens."

"—And when you reach the peak of life, remember to take a photo!"

The teachers and students applauded together.

"..." Xu Yuan.

Honestly.

What's your relationship with that Sorting Hat at Hogwarts?

The principal cleared his throat and said:

"Next, come forward one by one to have your Spiritual Roots tested."

"First, Zhang Qiang."

A short boy walked into the large office and pressed his hand against the wood.

Patches of green moss immediately sprouted across its surface.

Amid the moss,

a patch of decaying black began to spread.

Yang Xiaobing whispered in Xu Yuan's ear:

"Metal Spiritual Root and Poison Spiritual Root. What a pity—they don't complement each other."

"Jiang Xueyao's Thunder-Fire Spiritual Root does?" Xu Yuan asked.

"Thunder governs destruction and gives rise to fire, while fire also destroys all things, just like thunder. It's practically the most destructive combination there is," Yang Xiaobing said.

Sure enough, the stump cried out:

"Poison and metal, two roots! Take your hand away before you give me a skin disease!"

The short boy seemed to have known his Spiritual Roots already. His expression did not change, and after the test, he stepped aside.

The principal called the next name:

"Zhang Qiangxiao."

Another boy entered the office and pressed his hand against the wood.

With a series of sharp cracks, a layer of frost froze over its surface.

Shivering, Elder Tree shouted:

"Mutated Ice Spiritual Root! Take your hand away—I'm freezing to death!"

The boy immediately stepped aside and stood beside Zhang Qiang.

"There are mutated Spiritual Roots too?" Xu Yuan asked in surprise.

"Yes. An Ice Spiritual Root is quite good—this guy ranked fifth in our year," Yang Xiaobing whispered.

Xu Yuan glanced at the boy.

The boy wore a cold expression. Zhang Qiang spoke to him, but he merely twitched a corner of his mouth, too lazy to respond.

"He's pretty arrogant," Xu Yuan whispered.

"He is." Yang Xiaobing nodded. "They say Spiritual Roots and personality influence each other. There are even books devoted to the relationship between Spiritual Roots and human behavior."

Xu Yuan fell into thought.

Ice meant coldness.

Jiang Xueyao was so fierce in a fight she'd even chop your sword apart.

Thunder and fire, no question.

Yang Xiaobing was kind and considerate of others, yet could step forward when it mattered. She really was a woman like water.

What about me?

Xu Yuan suddenly grew curious.

A thread of nervousness even crept in.

Next,

the principal called names one after another.

Yang Xiaobing went up too and placed her hand on the wood.

Water gurgled over its surface like a fountain.

"A single Spiritual Root—water! This little girl's as fresh as a spring!"

The stump shouted.

The students were called up one by one.

At last—

"Xu Yuan!"

The principal called his name.

Xu Yuan walked into the office and placed his hand on the wood.

In a flash,

a web of crisscrossing cracks appeared on the back of the stump.

Quite a few people looked surprised.

Xu Yuan was puzzled too.

Nothing happened where his hand touched it, yet marks like sword cuts had appeared on the back of the wood.

That was strange.

"Metal and darkness, two roots! Keep an eye on this boy. Make sure he walks the righteous path, the righteous path!"

The old tree sang.

Xu Yuan was baffled.

What was that supposed to mean? Why did I need to walk the righteous path?

He looked around. His homeroom teacher, Liu Mingdao, looked both delighted and worried. The other teachers appeared wary or suspicious, while the principal's smile never faded.

The Spiritual Root testing continued.

The principal had already called the next name.

Xu Yuan stepped away and quietly went over to Yang Xiaobing.

As if she knew what he was thinking, Yang Xiaobing said softly:

"Don't worry. Metal and darkness complement each other. Those two roots are no worse than thunder and fire. They're just a little dangerous."

"What do you mean, dangerous?" Xu Yuan asked.

"Historically, many master criminals had metal and darkness as their two Spiritual Roots," Yang Xiaobing said.

"Spiritual Roots determine whether someone commits crimes? That's ridiculous," Xu Yuan said.

"Metal governs hardness, sharpness, and extension. Darkness governs shadow and concealment. Together, they're like a hidden blade. That offers a lot of advantages in battle."

Yang Xiaobing patiently explained:

"As the saying goes, once you carry a sharp weapon, the urge to kill arises. A cultivator who can hide their tracks at any time and easily take a life is more likely to make a mistake than most."

Now Xu Yuan understood.

But Yang Xiaobing went on: "People with metal and darkness as their two Spiritual Roots are all treacherous and cunning. They'll stop at nothing."

"Thinking about how you performed in the group battle, I'm suddenly starting to think that's true!"

She could not quite hide the teasing note in her voice.

What kind of nonsense was that?

"Can a cultivator's tactics really count as underhanded?" Xu Yuan retorted before he could stop himself.

The students in front of and behind him all looked over.

They looked at him as though he were some strange creature.

An odd, unspoken understanding filled the air.

Several classmates around him quietly shifted a little farther away.

Xu Yuan, however, felt he had nothing to hide.

After all—

As a professional esports player, and one who stood at the very top, of course I had to master every kind of tactic!

You couldn't call that treacherous!

Tactics—

were how you won matches.

They were just a means to an end!

"I was joking." Yang Xiaobing grinned and tugged his sleeve. "Don't leave later. I'll introduce you to a few teachers."

The Spiritual Root testing continued.

Another seven or eight minutes passed before everyone had finished.

The principal stepped forward to speak.

Then came time for open discussion.

Admissions teachers from various universities spoke with the students who had discovered their Spiritual Roots.

Xu Yuan quickly noticed that some of the teachers were especially warm toward him.

"Student Xu, you did well in the monthly exam. Keep working hard and try to reach the Qi Refining Third Layer. Then you can take Azure Nether's independent admissions test."

The old man smiled as he spoke.

"Student Xu, keep it up. Reach the Qi Refining Third Layer, and Flowing Cloud University will welcome you," said a male teacher with a sword on his back.

These teachers probably watched the entire monthly exam. That must be why they're treating me this way.

Xu Yuan kept the thought to himself.

"Hello, Student Xu. I can give you a form right now. Why not come stay at our college for a while?" A male teacher handed him a form.

Xu Yuan took it, and his heart gave a jolt.

This teacher was different.

What he had offered was not a form for an independent admissions test, but a provisional offer of admission.

Provisional admission meant being accepted early.

You haven't reached the Qi Refining Third Layer yet, and you can't manifest your Spiritual Root's attributes, but we want you now!

All you have to do is come!

Xu Yuan looked more closely. The offer listed various arrangements, benefits, scholarships, and the freedom for mentors and students to choose each other.

The man had clearly come with a sincere offer.

"Thank you very much. Please give me some time to think about it," Xu Yuan said sincerely.

"Of course. Take your time. Choosing a school is one of the most important decisions in a cultivator's life," the teacher said readily.

Good. How straightforward!

I like him more and more.

Well then, let's see which school it is—

Xu Yuan looked at the name at the bottom of the offer.

"North River Swordsmanship Vocational and Technical College, Evening School Correspondence Program."

I regret to inform you that I have a prior engagement. Farewell.

Wait a minute!

How did your school even get in here to recruit students?

...Oh, right.

If I remember correctly, the school gives the corresponding high school a kickback for every student it recruits.

It really is a treacherous world!

Xu Yuan hurried away and walked a circuit to calm his still-racing heart.

Then he saw Yang Xiaobing coming through the crowd.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"Not great. Why do all the good universities require the Qi Refining Third Layer?" Xu Yuan asked.

"The Qi Refining Third Layer is a hurdle. Not many people reach it in high school and awaken their Spiritual Root's attributes, so it's become the dividing line," Yang Xiaobing said.

"Right. You didn't take your independent admissions test until you reached the Qi Refining Third Layer either," Xu Yuan said.

"Exactly. Come on—"

Yang Xiaobing took his arm and led him all the way into the heart of the crowd.

A female teacher stood there in professional attire, her long hair falling over her shoulders. Her light makeup gave her a dignified yet approachable air.

"Hello, Teacher Lin!" Yang Xiaobing greeted her cheerfully.

"Oh, isn't that Bingbing? And who's this student?" the female teacher asked with a smile.

"Xu Yuan—he's my classmate. He's really strong and close to breaking through to the Qi Refining Third Layer. Xu Yuan, this is Teacher Lin Weiliang from Luofu," Yang Xiaobing said.

Luofu!

—One of the two finest universities in the country!

"Hello, Teacher Lin," Xu Yuan said.

"Hello, Xu Yuan. I watched your Group Stage matches." Lin Weiliang held out her hand.