Heavenly Spiritual Root?!

Did I count as having a False Spiritual Root?

Chen Zhuo was a little bewildered.

Hadn't they said they would accept anyone under thirty who had reached Qi Refining Fourth Layer or above?

Why were people with False Spiritual Roots turned away even if they met the requirements?

That caught Chen Zhuo off guard. During the ten days he had spent back at the Immortal Estate, he had even done some intensive training: he had installed a VPN on his Spirit Message Jade Slip, logged into the Daluo Domain every day, and watched the young women of Joyful Union Entertainment perform their seductive dances. Sometimes he watched the ones without clothes, too, all to temper his will.

But Chen Zhuo hadn't expected this particular catch.

Still, it made sense.

Under normal circumstances, a cultivator with a False Spiritual Root would have a hard time reaching Qi Refining Fourth Layer before thirty without vast resources poured into them.

Chen Zhuo had no idea how his own Spiritual Root would be classified in this world.

After all, the Ancient Immortal Realm had existed for over ten thousand years. It had probably never seen anything like an Artificial Spiritual Root, a product of technology and some seriously dubious handiwork.

"I've come all this way. If I'm rejected, then what I gain is my good fortune, and what I lose is my fate."

Chen Zhuo felt a twinge of regret.

If he really was rejected, he would have to leave Cloudford Market as soon as possible, return to the Immortal Estate before those people could come after him, then wait a year or so before coming back in disguise to ply his trade in a few other market cities.

He had no choice. He had already flaunted his wealth in Cloudford Market City.

Better to play it safe.

He would go to another market city. If it came to it, he could flee Xu Kingdom altogether and head for one under a different sect's rule.

"Huff, huff..."

Li Changqing stood in front of Chen Zhuo, his chest heaving as he breathed hard. He was clearly nervous.

He was eager to learn what kind of Spiritual Roots he and his younger sister had.

At the very front of the line stood an enormous stone that glimmered with light.

"Fate may lead you to the Immortal Estate; without it, take the road home."

"Fate governs the Dao Path; come or go, but do not linger."

After a sword cultivator at Qi Refinement Peak finished chanting, the testing officially began.

The enormous stone was called the Immortal-Fate Stone. Gray-white and uneven all over, it looked no different from an ordinary rock. In truth, however, it was a refined magical artifact made specifically to distinguish the quality of Spiritual Roots.

Three Foundation Establishment Cultivators stood guard beside the Immortal-Fate Stone, positioned in a triangle.

One was the elder who had spoken earlier. His face was ruddy, his hair and beard pure white. At Foundation Establishment Late Stage, he kept his Spiritual Qi contained, though Sword Intent faintly swirled around him.

Another was a coldly beautiful female cultivator dressed in white as snow. Her features were as exquisite as a painting, but she exuded a chill. A slender sword hung at her waist.

The last was a steward of Cloudford Market, an unremarkable, clean-shaven man who looked about forty.

The Foundation Establishment steward looked at the long line of Rogue Cultivators ahead and sighed. He turned to the elder beside him. "Senior Brother Zhao, we've had precious few Immortal Seedlings come out of Cloudford Market in recent years."

The elder stroked his beard without a word, merely watching the people ahead.

The steward continued, "In five hundred years, Cloudford Market has produced only two prodigies with Dual Spiritual Roots. The sect goes to such lengths to select candidates from these Rogue Cultivators. What a cumbersome process! If you ask me, we'd be better off recruiting directly from the great Aristocratic Clans. At least disciples with teachers and family resources have a solid foundation."

At that, the woman in white cast the steward a sidelong glance and gave a cold snort. "If we didn't give Rogue Cultivators something to hope for, what would we do when they rose up and caused trouble?"

The steward's face stiffened at her words. He laughed awkwardly. "Senior Sister Shen is right. That was shortsighted of me."

Only then did the elder speak, slowly. "Rogue Cultivators are like wild grass. Take away their hope, and they'll flock to Western Mountain or the Southern Barbarians! Better to give them something to hope for and let them keep themselves in check than allow them to breed trouble in the shadows. It makes the market cities easier to manage, too."

As the three spoke, Li Changqing's turn arrived.

He drew a deep breath and stepped up to the Immortal-Fate Stone. Looking at the enormous gray-white rock, he felt his nerves tighten.

Then he reached out and slowly pressed his palm against its cold surface.

The instant his hand touched the stone, it lit up. Gold appeared first, followed by flashes of red and blue. The three colors emerged separately across the surface, with clear boundaries between them, never blending.

After glancing at the Immortal-Fate Stone, a young Qi Refinement sword cultivator standing before the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators announced in a clear voice:

"Li Changqing: Metal, Fire, and Water Triple Spiritual Root."

"Metal generates Water, but Fire overcomes Metal, while Water overcomes Fire. The two forces check each other, disrupting the innate Spiritual Qi. Rejected!"

Li Changqing's face went pale. He could not hide the disappointment in his eyes. He stepped back as though his soul had left him and slowly withdrew his hand. The light on the stone faded with it.

He turned, only to hear his younger sister call timidly from behind him. "Brother."

Li Changqing forced a smile and stroked her head. "Don't be afraid, Yao'er. Go and try. Your aptitude might be better than mine."

Li Yao bit her lip, nodded, and took small steps toward the Immortal-Fate Stone.

She reached out her little hand and gently placed it against the stone.

Light burst forth. Blue surged across the surface first, then green shone from deep within the stone and mingled with it.

The two colors slowly revolved across the stone, seeming almost to merge into a faint blue-green halo!

The sight instantly caught the attention of all three Foundation Establishment Cultivators!

The elder's half-closed eyes snapped open, a keen light flashing in them.

Even the woman in white showed a rare change of expression.

The steward stared in astonishment. "Dual Spiritual Root? A Water and Wood Dual Spiritual Root?!"

"Good! Good! Excellent! Water is the source, and Wood brings forth growth! Her Spiritual Qi will flow without end. Even among Dual Spiritual Roots, this is top-grade!"

The elder roared with laughter. In a flash, he appeared before Li Yao, his ruddy face full of delight. "Little girl, what is your name?"

Startled by his sudden appearance, Li Yao answered timidly, "Li... Li Yao..."

"Li Yao. A fine name!"

The elder bent down with a smile, softening his voice. "There's no need to be afraid. Come stand beside me. From this moment on, you're a disciple of the Qiwu Sword Sect."

Li Yao looked bewildered. She turned to her brother and called, "Brother..."

Her voice was full of uncertainty.

Seeing Li Yao like this, the elder glanced at the crestfallen Li Changqing. After a moment's thought, he said, "Young friend Changqing, you have an admirable temperament. You may join our sect as a Servant Disciple. Are you willing?"

Li Changqing froze, then lit up with joy!

He hurriedly bowed deeply. "Thank you, senior! I would be honored!"

The turn of events immediately sent a ripple of commotion through the market city.

The Rogue Cultivators who had been waiting quietly in line began to stir.

"A Dual Spiritual Root! That girl has a Dual Spiritual Root!"

"The last time Cloudford Market produced someone with a Dual Spiritual Root was more than two hundred years ago. Senior Liu eventually reached Foundation Establishment Late Stage, but sadly died in the demon uprising in the Southern Wilderness. Otherwise, the Sword Gate might well have gained another Golden Core True Person!"

"That Li Changqing only has a Triple Spiritual Root with clashing elements, yet he still gets in. Must be nice to have a sister like that..."

"..."

Voices rose and fell all around. Some envied him, some resented him, and others privately regretted not having a sibling with a Dual Spiritual Root of their own.

The elder frowned slightly, and his voice abruptly sank. "Silence!"

He did not speak loudly, but his words struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer. The pressure of his Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivation spread out, and the square fell silent at once.

"Continue the testing!"

With that, the elder led Li Yao back to his original position. Li Changqing hurried after his sister, excitement written all over his face.

By then, none of the three Foundation Establishment Cultivators had any attention left for the tests to come.

A Dual Spiritual Root!

If they took her back to the sect and cultivated her well, she would be another promising True Disciple.

At the very least, she should reach Foundation Establishment and become one of the sect's pillars.

And now that they had recruited an Immortal Seedling with a Dual Spiritual Root, they had earned merit. Perhaps one of the True Persons would even reward them with a magical artifact!

The line moved forward.

Soon, it was Chen Zhuo's turn.

He took a deep breath and stepped up to the Immortal-Fate Stone.

His heart was all at sixes and sevens.

His Spiritual Root was a product of technology and dubious ingredients, after all. Heaven knew what the Immortal-Fate Stone would detect.

Chen Zhuo breathed out, then extended his right hand and slowly pressed it against the stone.

The moment his palm touched it, a chill spread through his hand.

The next instant, a beam of green light shot into the sky!

A faint phantom of a verdant tree appeared on the Immortal-Fate Stone!

The Foundation Establishment elder was still basking in the joy of finding an Immortal Seedling with a Dual Spiritual Root. He glanced at the Immortal-Fate Stone without thinking.

Hm.

Only one color: a lush, verdant green.

A Wood Spiritual Root.

Then...

Wait. Only one color?!

A Heavenly Spiritual Root?!