"A white spirit bone, also known as a false spirit bone, does allow you to cultivate, but progress is extremely slow. Often, even after decades, you still cannot break through the Gate Opening Realm. It is hardly any different from having no spirit bone at all."
Zhao Linglong sighed as she spoke.
"If the test shows that I have a white spirit bone, does that mean I cannot become a disciple of the Seventh Peak?"
Xu Taiping hesitated, but in the end, he still asked the question.
As he saw it, although the pill his grandfather had left him could make his name appear on the Spirit Bone Stele, it might not fool the Azure Profound Sect's test of a disciple's spirit bone.
After all, he knew perfectly well that he had no spirit bone.
"That is true, but Taiping, since you were chosen by the Spirit Bone Stele, even if you do not have a rare heavenly spirit bone, you should at least have a golden spirit bone. At worst, you would have a profound spirit bone. There is no way you could have a white spirit bone."
Zhao Linglong spoke with absolute certainty.
"Your senior sister Linglong is right. Disciples chosen by the Spirit Bone Stele usually have golden spirit bones, or even heavenly spirit bones. You need not worry too much, junior brother."
Qingxiao smiled and patted Xu Taiping's head.
"Exactly. Even if you do have a white spirit bone, there is no need to worry. Disciples with white spirit bones can still cultivate at the foot of the mountain for three years. If they pass the assessment after those three years, they can still become disciples of the seven peaks."
Zhao Linglong added this with a smile.
"Mm."
Xu Taiping nodded, forcing a faint smile onto his face.
Hearing that he would not be sent straight down the mountain even if he had a white spirit bone, he felt a little relieved.
A short while later.
The Azure Profound Sect, Dragon Gate Hall.
The hall stood atop Hanging Mountain. Flowers spread across the mountainside like brocade, and rare beasts could be seen everywhere. The path leading to the hall at the summit was extraordinarily rugged. Without Zhao Linglong and Qingxiao beside him, Taiping probably could not have reached the summit even if he spent several days trying.
"Who comes?"
The moment they reached the clearing before the hall, an aged yet commanding voice rippled out from within like waves of water.
"Dugu Qingxiao of the Seventh Peak."
"Zhao Linglong of the Seventh Peak."
"Xu Ziyan of the Sixth Peak."
"We pay our respects to Elder Black Dragon."
Upon hearing that voice, Qingxiao and the other two announced their identities and bowed with the utmost respect.
Although Xu Taiping did not know Elder Black Dragon, seeing how respectful Qingxiao and the others were, he followed their example and bowed toward the hall with his hands clasped.
Lin Buyu, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm throughout, merely standing silently where she was.
"For what purpose have you come to this hall today?"
The aged, commanding voice rang out again.
"Today, junior sister Ziyan of the Sixth Peak and I each brought back a disciple chosen by the Spirit Bone Stele. Before returning to our peaks, we would like to ask Elder Black Dragon to test their spirit bones."
Qingxiao answered with profound respect.
"Come in."
Soon, the voice drifted out of the Dragon Gate Hall once more.
Inside the hall.
This is... Elder Black Dragon?
As soon as he entered, Xu Taiping was startled by the sight of Elder Black Dragon seated within.
At the center of the hall, an extraordinarily burly man sat upright on an enormous palm-leaf fan. Standing before the seated elder, Xu Taiping felt as though he stood before a small hill.
Even more frightening was that, although the man wore a purple robe sewn from silk and had the body of an adult man, his head resembled a vicious flood dragon from the waters, hideously fierce.
"Elder Black Dragon's true form is a spirit flood dragon from the Xunyang River. He cultivated for five hundred years before attaining human form. Later, he followed our Azure Profound Sect's founding patriarch and became one of the spirit beast elders who guard the sect. Though he looks frightening, he is actually very kindhearted. There is no need to be afraid."
Seeming to anticipate that Xu Taiping would be frightened, Zhao Linglong hurried to explain.
"Mm, senior sister. I am not afraid."
Xu Taiping nodded.
He had been more surprised than frightened just now.
"Junior sister Ziyan, what a coincidence."
Just then, a man in white emerged from beside Elder Black Dragon, accompanied by a boy dressed in luxurious clothing.
"Senior brother Jin?"
At the sight of the man, Ziyan could not help furrowing her brows.
"What are you doing here?"
Qingxiao's question was rather less polite.
Although Xu Taiping did not know why, he could tell that neither of them liked this man.
"I was slaying demons in the Heavenly Wolf Kingdom a few days ago when I happened to discover that this young prince of theirs possessed a spirit bone. So I brought him up the mountain and stopped by Elder Black Dragon's hall to have his spirit bone tested."
The corners of the man's mouth curled upward as he spoke.
Throughout his explanation, he never once glanced at Qingxiao. Instead, his gaze roamed brazenly over Ziyan and Linglong.
"It has been a few years. To think junior sister Linglong has grown into a young woman."
He looked at Zhao Linglong with a smile tinged with wickedness.
"Jin Hezhi, if you no longer want those eyes of yours, I can pluck them out for you right now."
Qingxiao stepped forward, blocking the man's view.
"Then I would like to see you try..."
"Both of you, shut your mouths."
Just as Jin Hezhi was about to argue with Qingxiao, Elder Black Dragon, who had remained silent with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, revealing a pair of eerie golden slit pupils.
"This is neither the Seventh Peak nor the First Peak. This is my Dragon Gate Hall."
Elder Black Dragon's gaze swept over the two of them in turn.
"Yes."
Qingxiao and Jin Hezhi both stepped back.
"Bring forward the children whose spirit bones are to be tested."
As Elder Black Dragon gave the instruction, he reached into his sleeve and took out a Dragon Pearl.
The Dragon Pearl was as large as Taiping's head, crystal clear like a transparent sphere of amber. Azure halos continually spread from it like ripples across water.
At the same time.
Xu Taiping, Lin Buyu, and the young prince in lavish clothing all stepped before Elder Black Dragon.
"You three children, come forward one at a time and place your hand against this pearl."
Holding the Dragon Pearl in his palm, Elder Black Dragon looked over Xu Taiping and the other two in turn.
"I will go first!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the richly dressed young prince stepped forward and pressed his hand against the Dragon Pearl.
Elder Black Dragon frowned slightly but said nothing more.
"Close your eyes and focus your mind. Do not open your eyes until I tell you."
Elder Black Dragon gave the instruction coldly. Golden light then rose around him, and streams of golden energy gathered from all over his body into the Dragon Pearl in his hand, before flowing from the pearl to envelop the young prince's entire body.
"Humm..."
A moment later, accompanied by a faint humming sound, the Dragon Pearl in Elder Black Dragon's hand blazed with golden light, while flames rose around it.
"A fire-element golden spirit bone! It is actually a fire-element golden spirit bone! Hahaha!..."
At this sight, Jin Hezhi, who stood beside Qingxiao, suddenly burst into loud laughter.
Although Elder Black Dragon looked displeased by Jin Hezhi's noisy outburst, he did not stop him. After all, gaining another disciple with a fire-element golden spirit bone was, in his view, indeed a cause for celebration.
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