Chapter 14

Out of all who attempted Yonglu Mountain’s three-stage entrance examination, thirty-five Qi Refinement cultivators successfully passed.

This number wasn’t particularly high nor low. According to Yonglu Mountain’s rules, regardless of their assessed spiritual root quality, all thirty-five would be accepted as disciples. Naturally, those with exceptional roots could directly ascend to Inner Sect status.

As the first squad to reach the finish line, Wen Xu, Bian Chunzhou, and Chen Zui were positioned at the front for the spiritual root evaluation.

“Aaaaaah, I’m so nervous! What should I do? My hands are trembling.” Bian Chunzhou couldn’t resist the thrill; this was akin to legally gambling or opening mystery boxes—the only forms of excitement he’d experienced in college. “Aren’t you two feeling anxious?”

Wen Xu maintained his philosophical outlook, “I am nervous, but more importantly, I feel anticipation.” He disliked the uncertainty, relying on fate’s whims, and instead wished to swiftly discover his own spiritual roots.

What a relentless individual. Bian Chunzhou turned to the other person beside him, “And how about you?”

“What’s there to be nervous about? Even if I have five spiritual roots, I’ll still manage just fine!” Chen Zui spoke nonchalantly. “My mom said Yonglu Mountain doesn’t judge based on spiritual roots, so don’t worry.”

Bian Chunzhou internally rolled his eyes… Yeah right, like I can relax!

Amidst this cheerful (?) atmosphere, Bian Chunzhou became the first cultivator to undergo the spiritual root assessment at Yonglu Mountain. In his words, it was better to face the inevitable sooner rather than later.

“Don’t be nervous. Are you ready?” the elder asked kindly.

Bian Chunzhou nodded anxiously, replying far too loudly, “I’m ready!”

The assessing elder couldn’t help but smile, thinking to himself how spirited this new disciple was. “When you’re prepared, channel your spiritual energy into the spirit assessment stone. Not too much—just enough to light it up.”

“Understood, Elder!”

The elder paused… There was no need for such volume; his hearing wasn’t that impaired yet.

Unaware of his own exuberance, Bian Chunzhou nervously took two steps forward. Gathering his breath, he placed his hand on the spirit assessment stone, and moments later, it began to glow with his spiritual energy.

“That’s enough, stop now.”

Bian Chunzhou obediently withdrew his spiritual energy, eyes fixed unwaveringly on the spirit assessment stone. As its radiance intensified, he heard the elder exclaim in astonishment, “Hiss—young man, you possess extraordinary talent!”

What? Extraordinary talent? Could they elaborate further?

“Yonglu Mountain has existed for thousands of years, yet cultivators like you, with dual water and fire spiritual roots, can be counted on one hand.” Water and fire were inherently incompatible, yet here they coexisted within a single individual. Balancing both elemental energies might be manageable at lower cultivation stages, but reaching the Gold Core level without specialized techniques could prove unsustainable.

Regret surfaced unmistakably in the elder’s eyes.

How could this be?! Bian Chunzhou thought incredulously.

The good news was: twin spiritual roots.

The bad news was: damn it, water and fire are incompatible!

Is this like chocolate-flavored shit? Are they messing with me? Bian Chunzhou wondered. With these unique spiritual roots, would any master dare to take him as a disciple?

Noticing his expression, akin to being struck by lightning, the elder tried to reassure him, “However, your water and fire spiritual roots appear nearly identical in strength. Your current cultivation should not face significant hindrances.” As for the future, that remained uncertain, depending on individual fortune and affinity.

Bian Chunzhou remained silent. Well, that’s comforting… Don’t bother next time.

Feeling dejected like a wilted puppy, Bian Chunzhou moved aside to wait, head hanging low. But then he reconsidered—after all, he was a top-scoring university student who had braved the high-stakes gauntlet of college entrance exams. Water and fire may seem incompatible, but it wasn’t entirely impossible. Theoretically, if one could strike the right balance, maintaining a dynamic equilibrium between the two elements, sustained cultivation might still be achievable.

After some reflection, Bian Chunzhou decided that since it wasn’t completely unfeasible, there was no harm in trying. After all, he’d already leaped from modern times into the cultivation world; everyone here was starting their journey anew. There was no reason for him to back down now! He certainly wasn’t afraid!

Besides, at Foundation Establishment, one’s lifespan extends to two hundred years; at the Gold Core stage, it reaches five hundred. By then, he might well be tired of living anyway.

Life, after all, is about seizing every moment of freedom as it comes.

“Chunzhou, are you okay?” Wen Xu felt somewhat concerned, noticing his new friend seemed uncharacteristically elated. The combination of water and fire spiritual roots did indeed sound rather precarious.

“I’m fine, really! Chen Zui’s almost done with his test. Don’t worry about me, just get ready yourself.”

“You’re truly alright?”

“Absolutely, go on ahead.” After all, if he maintained a positive outlook, worries and unhappiness would never catch up to him!

Chen Zui also possessed twin spiritual roots—earth and metal—but these elements were harmoniously compatible, with earth nurturing metal. This type of root was ideally suited for artificing and cultivating weapons, perfectly aligning with Chen Zui’s cultivation needs. Given his fervor for cultivation, his progress might not lag far behind even those blessed with single elemental roots.

Just look at the elder’s face, blossoming with delight—the rarity of finding individuals with single spiritual roots meant that sometimes, not one could be found amidst ten thousand people. Earth-metal spiritual roots were considered among the best dual-element combinations, second only to single roots themselves.

“This is quite good, suitable for your Artificing Peak,” remarked the elder approvingly.

Little Uncle Zheng, however, seemed unenthusiastic. “Isn’t my presence enough for the Artificing Peak? Besides, does he look like someone who’d enjoy forging by the furnace?”

Zhao Qi fell silent.

“I actually think he’d be quite suitable for your Hall of Discipline,” he countered. After all, they were both stubborn to a fault.

Fortunately, their bickering didn’t disrupt the ongoing spiritual root assessments within the hall.

Ah, two consecutive candidates with twin spiritual roots, thought the elder responsible for conducting the tests. Keep ‘em coming, keep ‘em coming.

The third person up was Wen Xu.

“Boy, why are your eyes covered? Is there some ailment?”

Wen Xu respectfully bowed. “Yes, my eyes have certain afflictions, so I present myself thus.”

Oh, how intriguing. Still, being blind wasn’t insurmountable; once he earned merit points, he could seek out medicinal remedies from Pill Peak’s healers for eye treatment.

“Well then, you may begin.”

Wen Xu extended his hand, channeling spiritual energy into it and directing it towards the spirit assessment stone before him. Despite having practiced cultivation for only a short time, his control over spiritual energy was already commendably proficient. Before the elder could instruct him, he promptly withdrew any excess energy.

The elder couldn’t help but give the boy an extra glance. Then, as soon as the light emanated from the stone, the elder was utterly astounded, unable to remain seated. In fact, when the glow of the spirit assessment stone illuminated, even those standing by the shadow wall found themselves equally shaken.

“A single mutated wind elemental spiritual root!”

“No way! Quickly seal this information! We can’t let the Huhe Sect find out. If that woman Jun Zhaoying hears about him, do you think she’d hesitate to come snatch him away?!”

“She wouldn’t dare! This talent fell right into our Yonglu Mountain’s initial trial secret realm—it’s clearly heaven-sent!”

“Where are the people from Pill Peak? Hurry up and treat his eyes first!”

At that moment, these mighty cultivators with Primordial Infant stages and beyond behaved no differently from elderly shoppers at a bustling market. After all, this was a mutant Root—and a wind-type one at that! Its rarity surpassed only those of thunder and ice elemental roots.

In truth, while single-element spiritual roots were indeed scarce, most major sects still had several within their ranks. Zheng Jin, the unreliable young uncle, possessed a singular gold elemental root himself.

However, mutant Roots were exceedingly rare; if a sect managed to have even one or two, they would be cherished like precious treasures. One need only look at how much more confident the leader of Heavenbreaker Sword Sect became after Swordmaster Meixi’s ascension.

It could be said that every cultivator with a single-element mutant Root is unequivocally favored by the Heavenly Dao, truly deserving the title “darling of the heavens.” If nurtured properly, they invariably become towering figures in their field.

“Yes, yes, finally it’s our Yonglu Mountain’s turn!”

Zheng Jin sighed wistfully, “A wind elemental root, no wonder my fan took such a liking to him. But since wind roots originate from mutations of wood and earth elements, it makes sense he could harvest the Pill Fragrance King Grass.”

Indeed, mutant Roots are essentially formed through the mutation of two or three elemental spiritual roots. As a cultivator grows, their original roots undergo transformation—or rather, fusion—resulting in an entirely new type of root. All known mutant Roots in the cultivation world originated in this manner.

Moreover, due to the fusion of spiritual roots, mutant roots boasted exceptional cultivation speed and superior absorption of spiritual energy.

In the simplest and most blunt terms, those with mutant roots were geniuses among geniuses.

The elder’s prolonged stupor left Wen Xu feeling anxious. “Elder?” Was his spiritual root truly that inferior?

“Oh, oh yes, you’re Wen Xu, right? What a fine child you are, blessed with extraordinary talent.”

Wen Xu was puzzled; in nearly twenty years of life, this was the first time someone had called him a ‘fine child.’ It felt rather unsettling. Even Bian Chunzhou and Chen Zui nearby thought the elder’s smile seemed somewhat… lecherous.

Could Wen Xu’s spiritual roots truly be that exceptional? Bian Chunzhou wondered if perhaps they were single-element roots—mutant single-element roots, maybe? Not wind element, surely? But Wen Xu did wield his fan quite skillfully.

Moments later, the elder confirmed it by uttering the words “mutant Wind Root.”

Aaaaaah, how uncannily accurate! Wait, my new friend is actually a cultivation prodigy! I’ve befriended a bona fide genius! Yonglu Mountain owes me a massive banner of recognition now!

“Wen Xu, remember our bond, no matter your future success!”

Even Chen Zui secretly adjusted his perception of Wen Xu, adding him to the list as a “promising future rival +1.”

Only Wen Xu remained oblivious due to the overly simplistic explanation of spiritual roots in the jade slip he had read. Unaware of how rare mutant wind roots were, he inadvertently asked a naive question, “Does ‘mutant’ mean something undesirable?”

Everyone was stunned: Is there anyone here?! Quickly drag this show-off away! We want mutant roots too! If you don’t want them, give them to us!

However, after testing all thirty-five individuals, no second mutant root appeared apart from Wen Xu’s. Instead, two single-element geniuses emerged.

Xia Ying, the niece of Langyuan City’s governor, possessed a singular fire elemental root. The other, named Lin Congcong, despite her name suggesting water and wood elements, actually had an earth elemental root—completely unrelated to water.

As the last test concluded, Wen Xu felt the various gazes on him—some envious, some awestruck, others astonished—and only then did it truly sink in that fate might have unexpectedly favored him.

But soon, realization dawned upon him—if he indeed held the potential to become a cultivation prodigy, wouldn’t that bring hope for his revenge?