Chapter 77: Testing Spirit Roots at Wuji Hall

Lingxiang was finally made an Elder, though her title remained Fucang. In the words of the Sect Leader, Shangqing Zhenren, it was simply against the rules to bring a disciple into Qingwei Peak under the name of a Peak Master.

Fucang, Fucang—floating on the vast sea, drifting and wandering. It sounded ominous; was he implying she wasn't miserable enough already?

But if she wanted to take Long Qi into Qingwei Peak, she had no choice but to compromise with this group of old monsters. At the thought of this, Lingxiang was so angry she had to drink several cups of cold tea to suppress her temper.

Or perhaps...

Should she just not take this disciple?

When this thought first emerged, she felt it was a brilliant plan, but after she stepped out of the house and saw the buildings she had blown up, along with the vast herb fields outside the courtyard, she dismissed it—spring was coming soon, and she couldn't manage this large expanse of land all by herself.

When Maidong arrived, she saw Lingxiang sitting on the steps, propping up her chin and sighing. The sight was quite amusing, so she hurried over to sit beside her and teased:

"Oh my~ why are you so melancholy after being promoted to Elder? Could it be they've saddled you with the job of Palm Furnace again? Oh dear, since you are in the position, you must naturally put your heart into the work; why look so downcast?" After she finished, she feigned covering her mouth to laugh.

Lingxiang shot Maidong a sidelong glance—this dead girl really knew how to poke at a sore spot.

However, this time Shangqing Zhenren hadn't actually assigned Lingxiang any tasks, only telling her to focus on refining Pills for the sect.

Refining Pills? They had hidden her furnace away; how was she supposed to refine any damn Pills? Hadn't they seen that her refining had even wrecked the house?

But...

"Ahem! How should I put it? After all, I am taking on disciples, so I must have what is necessary; otherwise, where would my two disciples put their faces when they go out?"

Hm? Two? Wasn't Long Qi the only disciple?

Maidong's eyes were full of questions. Seeing this, Lingxiang said triumphantly:

"This Xinyi has excellent aptitude and is steady and capable. I have already reported it to the Senior Brother, and before long, he will be a member of my Qingwei Peak. Oh my, having two people suddenly dangling before my eyes all day, I feel like I won't be used to it in the future! Isn't that exactly why I'm feeling melancholy?"

Lingxiang deliberately emphasized the words "all day," and after speaking, she let out a deep sigh.

What!? Xinyi was coming to Qingwei Peak!?

Maidong's eyes widened in shock. She had only gone to the Pingchuan Escort Agency down the mountain on her master's orders; it had only been a few days, and Lingxiang had actually done such a thing? And without consulting her beforehand?

Seeing the look of astonishment on her face, Lingxiang felt incredibly refreshed—Hmph! You little girl, you dare to fight with your Ninth Martial Aunt? Overestimating your own strength.

"Oh, right! In the future, come to Qingwei Peak less often. You are a disciple of Qiuyun Peak; what kind of decorum is it to be wandering around my Qingwei Peak all the time?!"

These words were like adding fuel to the fire. Maidong jumped up in anger, pointed at Lingxiang, and shouted loudly:

"Fine, Lingxiang, you actually did this behind my back! You won't let me come, right? Hmph! I'll come every single day! I'll eat your food! I'll drink your tea! I'll make sure to eat your broken Qingwei Peak bald!"

After she finished, the two stood in a stalemate for a moment, then simultaneously burst into laughter, laughing until the sky was high and the clouds were light, laughing until the winter chill was no more.

On the Hunyuan Platform, the Sect Leader Shangqing Zhenren and the eight Elders were gathered. Wuji Hall appeared exceptionally solemn, and standing below the platform were fifteen newly admitted Inner Sect Disciples.

Today was the day to test their Spirit Roots.

The Elders had been secretly observing the Outer Disciples since they first began their cultivation, and these fifteen were either truly gifted in aptitude or possessed character that was highly regarded. Even if they hadn't performed perfectly in the three martial trials, they all had their merits.

Of course, that excluded Long Qi; he was a "world-troubling demon" forced in, so they still had to save face. Thinking this, Shangqing Zhenren quietly glanced at Lingxiang.

Hanyang received the order and had the young attendant bring the Dust-Peering Mirror to the front of the platform. Though called the Dust-Peering Mirror, there was no mirror surface; it was merely a sandalwood stand inlaid with two pieces of Golden Cloud. These two pieces of Golden Cloud met head-to-tail, leaving a circular void in the center.

Looking closely, the Golden Clouds seemed to float like real clouds, which greatly surprised the disciples, though they kept their expressions neutral and did not overstep any bounds.

Shangqing Zhenren was very satisfied; the judgment of his junior brothers was naturally not poor.

Once the Dust-Peering Mirror was properly placed, Hanyang called the names of the disciples below the platform to stand before the mirror in turn.

Wenjing, single-phase Earth True Spiritual Root.

Feiji, Fire-Wood-Earth True Spiritual Root.

Boluohui, Fire-Earth True Spiritual Root.

While not a great disappointment, it was still somewhat disheartening. However, the scarcity of Spirit Roots was the norm now, and Shangqing Zhenren was well aware of this, so his expression remained calm.

Baiji, single-phase Earth True Spiritual Root.

When it was Shuzhu's turn, although the Elders' expressions remained the same, everyone knew they were already feeling listless.

But when Hanyang loudly announced "Gold-Wood dual-phase True Spiritual Root," even Qianyuan Zhenren opened his eyes.

He hadn't expected the Yuanqing Sect to receive a disciple with a True Spiritual Root. This immediately perked up all the Elders.

But before they could recover their composure, they heard Hanyang shout again:

"Lightning-phase Heterogeneous Spirit Root!"

The person he spoke of was none other than Chengkai.

The Hunyuan Platform became lively at once. Several Elders had never expected to encounter a Heterogeneous Spirit Root in their lifetime. Zhaoming Zhenren was particularly excited; his face flushed red, and he nearly laughed out loud—that Fire Spirit Bead was truly worth it!

Chengkai naturally didn't know why, thinking his Spirit Root was unappealing. He felt disappointed and returned to the ranks with his head hanging low.

Seeing him like this, Lingxiang couldn't help but laugh. This big oaf really didn't understand anything; this was something she couldn't even beg for. At the thought of this, a look of sadness appeared on her face, though she returned to normal in an instant.

But even though it was just for a moment, it was caught by Chengkai, who had looked up. Seeing Lingxiang, who had always taken such good care of him, looking like that, he felt even more disheartened.

The sect being able to obtain such a Spirit Root was enough to satisfy the Elders, but they didn't expect the next few people to have even more unusual Spirit Roots.

"Liu Xia! Wind-phase Heterogeneous Spirit Root!"

"Xinyi! Dark-phase Heterogeneous Spirit Root!"

The Hunyuan Platform erupted. Even Shangqing Zhenren could not maintain his composure. He had held no hope, yet they had received three disciples with Heterogeneous Spirit Roots in a row. Now he could even give an account to the ancestors; heaven was generous, and there was hope for Yuanqing!

Even when the next disciple tested as a False Spiritual Root, the Elders felt no disappointment; after all, the sect already had three Heterogeneous Spirit Roots.

Rendong knew what his Spirit Root aptitude meant. Five Elements Spirit Root sounded decent, but it was tainted with the word "False." He feared his path of cultivation would not see much progress.

Lingxiang saw all of this in her eyes. The listless appearance of the person below the platform reminded her of herself.

"Long Qi..." Hanyang paused, interrupting Lingxiang's thoughts and causing the mental communication between the Elders to stop instantly.

Hanyang also hadn't expected that the disciple Lingxiang brought would actually be...

"Fire-phase Heavenly Spirit Root!"