Chapter 98: Mutant Spiritual Root

Yuan Yao heard the words, her heart stirred slightly.

At this moment, several disciples had already raised their hands.

Just as Yuan Yao hesitated, Lu Xiangxiang's voice suddenly came: "Sixth Senior Sister, don't you want to be the defender?"

Yuan Yao looked at Lu Xiangxiang and countered: "And you?"

"Those who dare to be defenders are strong individuals; if I went up, wouldn't I invite ridicule?" Lu Xiangxiang said with a subtle expression.

"You think I'm strong?" Yuan Yao raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Seeing her expression, Lu Xiangxiang froze for a moment, then nodded: "Of course."

"Good eye!" Yuan Yao reached out and patted Lu Xiangxiang's shoulder.

Lu Xiangxiang glanced furtively at the shoulder she had just patted, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes before she suppressed it, and she accompanied her smile with: "I've sparred many times with Sixth Senior Sister, always losing to her, so I naturally think she's strong."

"I also think I'm stronger than you." Since the female lead praised her so much, Yuan Yao wasn't polite either: "Although we're at the same cultivation level, I'm a bit stronger than you, so you don't need to feel inferior."

"After all, inferiority breeds inner demons."

Lu Xiangxiang heard those words again, her face turned grim, but she quickly resumed her gentle demeanor, showing no sign of anything amiss.

This Yuan Yao is actually so narcissistic and arrogant?!

That's fine.

The more she behaves this way, the lower her guard becomes.

Yuan Yao seemed to think of something, took a deep sigh, and said, "Being a defender or attacker only hinges on success or failure in a single move, so there's really no difference; I'd rather be the attacker."

Moreover, she now had a target.

That outer sect disciple named Shiziwen.

I never expected his Awakening Value to also be negative, and even -10!

Hearing that, Lu Xiangxiang smiled and said, "As long as Sixth Senior Sister is happy."

Lu Xiangxiang suddenly sensed a gaze falling on her; she followed its source and saw the one-eyed youth.

She gave him a slight shake of the head.

Signaling him not to act rashly.

After all, Yuan Yao still had a life-saving talisman from Qianjue Mountain on her.

However, she felt that, given Shiziwen's personality, he would help her take revenge; even if he couldn't kill Yuan Yao, he would still help her cripple Yuan Yao's cultivation.

Then she would take advantage of the opening, find an opportunity, and poison Yuan Yao to death.

At this moment, eighteen young disciples had already volunteered to be defenders.

The competition for the spots officially kicked off—

On the eighteen arenas, pairs clashed, the battles intense.

Soon, a disciple lost, and immediately another leapt up to face the defender.

Yuan Yao stood below the arena, watching the fierce combat, her heart itching to join.

After a quarter hour, on Arena Seven, the defender was defeated, and the attacker automatically became the new defender.

After the defeated senior brother stepped down from the arena, Yuan Yao was about to go up when someone beat her to it.

The tall, young woman bowed her hands toward the defender, a smile on her lips.

"Tianwen Peak, Chen Yi."

Upon seeing Chen Yi, the defender's expression shifted slightly.

Chen Yi's cultivation is at the late peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm, having entered the sect five years ago; she is a notable figure in Tianwen Peak and even the Carefree Sect.

Because Chen Yi only formally embarked on the path of cultivation at eighteen.

In five years, she progressed from the second layer of Qi Refining to the late peak of Foundation Establishment—her talent goes without saying!

Yuan Yao lifted her gaze toward Chen Yi.

Chen Yi seemed to sense her gaze, looked over, and gave a rather heroic smile.

Chen Yi's appearance isn't striking, but her confidence and innate relaxed aura make people unable to help but linger their gaze on her.

The defender took a deep breath, returned the salute, then began fighting Chen Yi.

Five years ago, Chen Yi awakened a true spiritual root, a water-earth dual-type.

In the cultivation world, most cultivators possess spiritual roots; awakening a single-attribute root is called a heavenly spiritual root.

Awakening two to three attributes yields a true spiritual root.

Awakening four to five attributes results in a false spiritual root.

Spiritual root attributes are further divided into metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

Besides these five attributes, there also exist mutant spiritual roots, such as wind, lightning, ice, darkness, etc.

Generally, those who awaken heavenly spiritual roots cultivate the fastest.

Those who awaken false spiritual roots cultivate the slowest.

Moreover, some have no spiritual roots at all; they are called rootless cultivators and can only follow the body-refining path.

On the arena, Chen Yi formed seals with both hands; in an instant, her spiritual power transformed into a water dragon that surged toward the defender.

The defender steadied his mind, swung his blade, never expecting the water dragon to leap up—not only dodging his intercepting strike but also fiercely lunging at the top of his head.

The defender's expression changed abruptly; he wanted to retreat a few steps.

But he hadn't anticipated—

The ground suddenly split open; he was caught off guard and stepped into empty space.

The water dragon came crashing down with immense pressure!

Boom!

The defender couldn't withstand it and was violently flung to the ground!

He felt a suffocating tightness in his chest; just as he tried to push himself up, the ground suddenly sprouted four earthen walls, trapping him in a confined space.

He swiftly raised his blade and struck!

A clang rang out; the earthen walls remained unmoved.

"Junior Brother Li, do you want to concede?" Chen Yi's voice came over.

The arena defender was exactly the 'Junior Brother Li' she had called; his face was dejected, he sheathed his broadsword, clasped his fists, and said, "Senior Sister Chen, I concede."

He knew Senior Sister Chen had gone easy on him; otherwise, she wouldn't have merely trapped him.

Chen Yi lowered her hands; the earthen walls vanished, and she smiled at Junior Brother Li.

Afterward, Chen Yi became the new arena defender.

But afterward, few people came to challenge her.

After all, they were clearly aware of the strength gap between themselves and Chen Yi.

Yuan Yao, seeing this, also felt hesitant.

It wasn't that she didn't dare, but she felt Senior Sister Chen's strength was enough to secure one of the eighteen spots.

Everyone present, seeing this, felt that Chen Yi would surely win one of those spots.

But at this moment—

A figure leapt up and stood firmly on the arena platform.

The youth was slender, not particularly tall; his lips had a hint of grayish white, his complexion fair, his features delicate, a black eye patch over his left eye giving him a somewhat gloomy air; he clasped his fists and said, "Outer Sect disciple of Heaven Inquiry Peak, Shiziwen, greets Senior Sister Chen."

Shiziwen?!

Yuan Yao lifted her gaze to the slender youth on the arena platform.

Just then, the youth turned his head to look at her.

That glance seemed to carry a deep-seated hatred.

Yuan Yao froze for a moment.

Did he hate himself?

Why?

She thought it over; before this, she had never met Shiziwen, nor had they any grudge.

At that moment, she noticed Shiziwen's gaze, like a dragonfly skimming the water, fall on Lu Xiangxiang beside her, that look seeming to carry a hint of tenderness.

In an instant, Yuan Yao's doubts were resolved.

She did not ask Lu Xiangxiang about Shiziwen.

She feigned ignorance.

Immediately afterward, the match between Chen Yi and Shiziwen began.

During their exchange, murmurs arose around them: "I've heard that Shiziwen has a variant dark spirit root! He's only fifteen, yet he's already broken through to mid‑Foundation Establishment—truly impressive."

"I think that once he becomes an Inner Sect disciple, he'll soon be taken as a personal disciple by the Sect Leader."