Departure

At the sound of that voice, Xu Yan's heart jolted. The nerves he had finally relaxed instantly pulled taut again!

The owner of that voice was the very person he least wanted to encounter.

Qi Yun had already risen from his seat.

The moment the five-colored pillars of light appeared above the Spirit-Testing Stone, he had looked over, just in time to witness their transformation.

Could he have noticed the mysterious treasure between my brows?

As Qi Yun slowly approached him, Xu Yan felt an indescribable pressure. He was terribly nervous; a single misstep could leave him dead and his cultivation extinguished.

"This junior, Xu Yan, pays his respects to Senior." With Qi Yun already before him, Xu Yan could only force himself to rally and bow respectfully.

"Hehe, young fellow Daoist, you seem quite nervous to see me." Qi Yun chuckled, his manner as soothing as a spring breeze.

Damn! Has he really noticed something? Qi Yun's seemingly teasing remark sent cold sweat streaming down Xu Yan's back.

Just as Xu Yan was considering how to respond, Qi Yun's hearty voice rang out again.

"Xu Yan, I would like to see you test your spiritual roots once more."

Hearing this, Xu Yan relaxed a little. So he had not come because of the mysterious Green Pearl between his brows.

Qi Yun's request also stirred the onlookers' curiosity, but everyone was unusually quiet now, waiting to see the final verdict on Xu Yan's spiritual roots.

Perhaps he doesn't have low-grade spiritual roots.

That was what everyone was thinking.

Under everyone's gaze, Xu Yan once again reached out and placed both hands on the Spirit-Testing Stone.

This time, the Green Pearl between his brows seemed prepared. The instant Xu Yan touched the Spirit-Testing Stone, it gently released a ripple.

Hum.

The Spirit-Testing Stone trembled slightly. Then five pillars of light—red, gold, yellow, blue, and green—each about a foot high, appeared before the crowd.

Under Qi Yun's scrutiny, Xu Yan kept both hands pressed against the Spirit-Testing Stone, not daring to make the slightest unusual movement.

Only after a full half-incense-stick's worth of time did Qi Yun heave a long sigh. A complicated look appeared in his eyes as he said, "That will do. Low-grade Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Root indeed falls short of my requirements for nominal disciples. You may step down, young fellow Daoist."

Once Qi Yun confirmed Xu Yan's spiritual root aptitude, a burst of derisive laughter finally rose from the crowd.

"Hehe, a low-grade Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Root. He'll probably be stuck at qi refining perfection for the rest of his life."

"Qi refining perfection? He's a rogue cultivator with such poor spiritual root aptitude. He should burn incense in gratitude if he even reaches the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining in this lifetime."

“But his Spiritual Root test did look different from those of other cultivators with Low-Grade Spiritual Roots. I thought he had a High-Grade Spiritual Root, but who knew it was Low-Grade instead? Fate really does toy with people.”

Xu Yan paid no heed to their mockery. A trace of joy stirred in his heart, and he finally relaxed completely.

Qi Yun, who is at Foundation Establishment Perfection, couldn't detect the Mysterious Green Pearl between my brows.

This conclusion delighted Xu Yan. He hurried away from the Spirit-Testing Stone and returned to the crowd.

“Brother Xu, don't be upset. They say a Low-Grade Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Root can only take you as far as Qi Refining Perfection, but that's already enough for rogue cultivators like us. My family has been rogue cultivators for five generations, and the strongest of my ancestors only reached the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining. I hope you won't take this to heart.”

As soon as Xu Yan returned, Du Fei offered him words of comfort.

Warmth filled Xu Yan's heart. He knew he actually had a High-Grade Spiritual Root, so he naturally felt no discouragement. He chuckled softly and said, “You're right, Brother Du. So what if I have a low-grade Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Root? I just need to work hard at cultivation.”

"Hehe, I'm glad you can take it in stride, Brother Xu. That's how cultivators like us ought to be!"

While the two spoke, the short old man tested the Spiritual Roots of the remaining dozen or so cultivators, finding another youth with a Mid-Grade Spiritual Root among them.

Once all the cultivators had been tested, Qi Yun quickly selected his five nominal disciples amid the crowd's envious gazes.

They were the hemp-clad youth, the Wu brother and sister, and two youths Xu Yan did not recognize.

Xu Yan observed them carefully. Apart from the hemp-clad youth, who was a mortal, the other four were all around the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, outstanding among their peers.

Moreover, together, the five possessed Spiritual Roots covering all five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

With the five nominal disciples accepted, the gathering came to a complete end. After bowing to Qi Yun once more, everyone prepared to leave Azure Peak Terrace.

Xu Yan and the Du father and son followed the crowd toward Separation Valley Market.

Along the way, all sorts of gazes naturally landed on Xu Yan—mocking, curious, probing, and more.

Seeing this, Du Fei said beside him, “Brother Xu, don't concern yourself with how others look at you.”

Du Jinlong, who walked beside them, added, “Xu Yan, don't give up on yourself. Even someone with a Low-Grade Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Root might still work a miracle in the Cultivation World.”

Xu Yan could not tell them his true situation, so he could only nod to show that he had come to terms with it.

Only then did the two stop trying to reassure him.

Before long, the three arrived at Separation Valley Market.

At that moment, Du Fei cupped his hands toward Xu Yan and said, “Brother Xu, now that today's gathering has ended, Father and I will be leaving Separation Valley Market. If you have time, you can come find me at Du Family Fort. That's where Father and I usually cultivate in seclusion. The address I gave you before wasn't correct, so please forgive me.”

Now that Du Fei had given him his real address, Xu Yan knew he already regarded him as a friend. Warmth stirred in his heart, and he said, "Rest assured, Brother Du. If I get the chance, I'll certainly come impose on you for a few days."

"Hahaha, you'll be most welcome."

After laughing heartily, Du Fei left with Du Jinlong, following the crowd.

Only when their figures disappeared did Xu Yan withdraw his gaze. After looking around, he decided to leave Separation Valley Market the following day instead.

He made this decision because Qi Yun's gathering to recruit nominal disciples had only just ended, and many cultivators who had come drawn by his reputation would be leaving that day.

There would undoubtedly be plenty of cultivators departing that day. Xu Yan felt that so many people and prying eyes made it unsafe, so he decided to stay in Separation Valley Market for another day.

With that in mind, Xu Yan began browsing Blue Brick Square again. This time, there was nothing he wanted to buy; he was merely passing the time. He needed to save the Spirit Stones he had left to power the first-tier low-grade Fire Array for cultivating the Redfire Burning Art.

Meanwhile, beneath a dim little hillside outside Inkstone City.

"Wang Liu, we've already waited here for three days. If that brat still doesn't come out today, you can wait on your own!" A man with a scar on his face kicked a pebble at his feet and stared impatiently toward Inkstone City.

"Why are you in such a hurry this time, Brother Qiu? It's only been a few days. We've waited half a month before when preparing to make a move." The short young man was displeased, but he could only keep his tone calm as he asked.

A chill crossed Scarface's expression. He snorted coldly and said, "Wang Liu, stop prying into my affairs! I'll wait one more day at most. If that brat still doesn't come out, don't blame me for refusing to do you this favor. You're at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining yourself. That should be more than enough to deal with some greenhorn who's only just entered the Cultivation World."

With that, Scarface closed his eyes and sat cross-legged on the ground.

After being subjected to the scar-faced man's fierce glare, the short young man felt a surge of anger rise within him. He quickly suppressed it, however, and quietly relaxed his clenched fists. Smiling, he said, "All right, we'll do as you say, Brother Qiu."

Once the short young man finished speaking, the place fell silent again.