Chapter 10

“Su Jin, you truly have no understanding of the differences in personal talent. Do you know why the clan school rewards children who break through to Qi Refining Level One on their first day with thirty spirit stones? Even working in Xiancheng, one might not earn thirty spirit stones in a full month.” Su Wuji spoke with the air of a wise mentor.

Su Jin froze.

“It’s because children like us are extremely rare. We cultivate the fastest, which proves we have the best talent. That’s why the clan school rewards us so generously.”

“I heard that among all six classes this year, only nineteen students received this reward,” Su Wuji continued.

“So few?” Su Jin gasped.

“Exactly that few,” Su Wuji nodded. “According to my grandfather, human talent varies enormously.”

“Especially in cultivation: those with talent advance a thousand li in a single day; those without it suffer each day like a year.”

“Some achieve Foundation Establishment before twenty; others spend their whole lives stuck at Qi Refining Level Four.”

“The Su clan is vast and wealthy, but it doesn’t have enough resources to nurture every clan cultivator. To earn the clan’s favor and support, you must prove yourself.”

“The better you perform, the greater the clan’s rewards.”

Su Jin and Su Cheng listened intently.

“Another thing: our clan elders have seen countless children over the years. They’ve long classified talent into tiers, using rewards to immediately distinguish between them.”

“The stronger the talent, the greater the reward—accelerating your cultivation speed.”

“Those with slightly weaker talent still receive partial rewards to spur them onward.”

“Those with abysmal talent are simply discarded.”

“Based on decades of observation by the clan’s elder cultivators,”

“Children who break through to Qi Refining Level One on the first day are Tier One talent. Those who break through before the tenth day are Tier Two.”

“Those who break through before the thirtieth day are Tier Three.”

“The rest? Forget it. They’ll all be eliminated eventually,” Su Wuji declared confidently.

“No way? Everyone here is in the clan school, all Su clan descendants?” Su Cheng stared, incredulous. If you’re already in the clan school, how can they just discard you?

“Didn’t you zone out during your first day when Master Liu explained this?” Su Wuji asked.

Su Cheng: “...”

“Don’t say things like that again. The Su clan is a great clan—countless spirit fields, spirit herb gardens, workshops, and shops. Without powerful clan members to uphold it, the foundation would’ve been seized long ago.”

“It wouldn’t have survived this long.”

“So the Su clan school was never meant for every Su descendant. It exists solely to cultivate the tiny fraction of true elite Su heirs.”

“Think about it: in Xiancheng, old street and new street combined, we have over forty wards.”

“Each year, thousands of children are born—including those of relatives and old acquaintances.”

“Yet how many does the clan school admit? Less than one hundred eighty per year.”

“And even these one hundred eighty won’t all stay. Starting next year, bottom-tier elimination begins.”

“They say five are eliminated in the first year, four in the second, and so on—until, in our graduation year, only one is cut.”

“How terrifying—just when you’re about to graduate, you’re still thrown out.”

“How miserable would that poor soul be?”

“So do you understand now? If you lack talent—or your talent isn’t within the clan’s cultivation scope—being eliminated is perfectly normal. The clan doesn’t have the time or resources to waste on you.”

Su Cheng and Su Jin both clenched their lips tightly.

“Can talent really differ that much?” Su Jin frowned. “My mother said cultivation talent is closely tied to spiritual roots. The best is single-spirit-root; the worst is five-spirit-root. I’m five-spirit-root—I should be the lowest tier.”

“But according to you, my cultivation talent is quite good—Tier One.”

“What’s going on?”

“I’m confused.”

Su Wuji nodded after listening. “Your mother is right—and wrong.”

“My grandfather said cultivation talent is incredibly complex—he couldn’t explain it all to me. But he said while spiritual roots influence talent, they aren’t decisive.”

“The decisive factor is your cultivation speed after you begin.”

“That can’t be faked.”

“Your cultivation base is yours alone. The faster you break through, the higher your true talent.”

Su Jin still felt dazed.

“So our fourth teammate definitely won’t show up today, right?” Su Cheng asked.

“Not definitely—but highly unlikely. He won’t appear before the fifth day at the earliest,” Su Wuji said.

“You know so much,” Su Cheng said, gazing at Su Wuji with envy.

“At home, my grandfather often told me these things. I heard them and remembered,” Su Wuji said, casually boasting.

In truth, this child was born a prodigy—once his grandfather told him something, he never forgot.

“Oh, by the way, Su Jin—you’re five-spirit-root?” Su Wuji suddenly asked.

“Yeah, I’m five-spirit-root.”

“Me too,” Su Wuji said.

“I… I’m five-spirit-root too,” Su Cheng added.

Su Jin stared at them blankly. “Your spiritual roots don’t matter—you don’t have to pretend you’re five-spirit-root just to sympathize with me.”

“No, no, no,” Su Wuji shook his head. “Remember: outwardly, we all claim to be five-spirit-root. That’s what our parents told us.”

“What do you mean?” Su Jin frowned.

“In the past thousand years, the sect has promoted over a hundred Nascent Soul Grand Masters—all five-spirit-root. Do you believe that?” Su Wuji asked.

Su Jin’s eyes widened in shock.

No way—she’d believe that less than a hammer!

“So we’re all five-spirit-root. Remember: outwardly, we’re always five-spirit-root.”

“I’m genuinely five-spirit-root.”

“Exactly. Whenever someone asks you, say that,” Su Wuji said, recalling his grandfather’s advice: whenever asked about his spiritual roots, he must always answer: five-spirit-root.

Don’t you see how every Nascent Soul Grand Master in the sect does the same?!

Su Jin: “...”

“Didn’t your parents tell you, right after testing your spiritual roots at age three, that you were five-spirit-root?” Su Wuji asked, seeing Su Jin’s dazed expression.

Su Jin nodded.

“My grandfather told me the same. He made me swear: no matter who asks me about my spiritual roots, I must always say I’m five-spirit-root.”

Su Jin: I’m starting to doubt myself because of you.

Am I really five-spirit-root?