Chapter 78: Spirit Root Matters, I Guess

The vast White Jade Plaza, the sea of watching disciples, and the massive aura all create a tremendous pressure!

A group of aspiring newcomers find their steps heavy and their bodies uneasy!

The short three‑hundred‑step staircase is walked with extra difficulty.

However, many notice that at the front, Heng Xian stands upright and steady, as if not a hint of emotional fluctuation.

Su Wan'er's pale face follows closely behind Heng Xian, and she whispers, "Sir, Young Master, I'm frightened."

Heng Xian chuckles lightly, "A minor scene! Remember, when you act, if you're not embarrassed, the embarrassed ones are the others!

If you're not scared, it's others who are curious. Now try imagining these watching disciples as owing you a thousand low‑grade Spirit Crystals, or as distant relatives of A Gou's family."

Su Wan'er instinctively sticks out her head, blinking, "Huh? I'm really not that nervous now!"

Behind them, Xu Wei and two others exchange glances, quickly try it as well; though they don't know who A Gou's distant relatives are, it actually seems to help a bit!

Xu Wei hurries a few steps forward and asks, "Brother, we're about to test our Spirit Roots. The Spirit Root basically determines our disciple status after entering the sect; aren't you worried?"

"Disciple status?" Heng Xian is startled.

Xu Wei says, "It's the true disciple, inner‑door disciple, and outer‑door disciple!"

It is said that the Tianyuan Sect's true disciples are personally taught by the various Peak Masters and Vice‑Peak Masters, destined to lead the entire sect!

Inner‑door disciples are the students of the peak stewards and ordinary elders, forming the backbone force!

Outer‑door disciples have no master, taught by senior brothers who transmit techniques; they are basically laborers and cannon fodder!

Among those watching disciples above, no true disciple has arrived!

Those in white robes are inner‑door disciples; those in black are either new inner‑door disciples or senior‑qualified outer‑door stewards!

Blue robes denote outer‑door steward disciples, while green robes are ordinary outer‑door disciples who handle all the menial work!

The disciples' statuses differ vastly, and the privileges they enjoy differ just as dramatically!"

"I don't understand! I've never studied anything below a true disciple!" Heng Xian says.

"Um…"

Never studied below a true disciple?!!!

Xu Wei and the two behind him, including Ye Ling'er, twitch their cheeks sharply.

At this moment they have arrived at the White Jade Plaza, where three purple‑robed elders are already waiting.

One elder flings his sleeves, his voice echoing in all directions: "In the spring of the 4,318th year since Tianyuan Sect's founding, there are eighty‑nine newcomers.

The Spirit Root Formation will open; may Tianyuan be blessed, celestial fates descend together, and geniuses emerge! Begin!"

As soon as the words finish, two massive beasts resembling pi xiu rise, letting out angry roars that pierce the sky as they surge upward.

Clack clack clack…

In the center of the plaza, eleven delicate, translucent crystal‑jade pillars slowly materialize, arranged in a circle, with a mysterious, unfathomable Bagua Tai Chi formation at the core!

The entire Spirit Root Formation is surrounded by spiritual aura, its divine resonance unfathomable.

The three elders look at Heng Xian's group, expressionless, and say, "Newcomers, step forward one by one, enter the formation!"

The next girl, trembling, walks into the Spirit Root Formation.

Upon stepping onto the central Bagua Tai Chi formation, the metal‑type Spirit Root Stone glows halfway, the fire‑type glows most of the way, and the earth‑type glows a little.

An elder announces, "Fan Xiaoyu, three‑element true Spirit Root, predominantly fire!"

The girl steps out, her face uneasy, and stands to the side.

All around, the black sea of watching disciples remain motionless.

Next is Su Wan'er.

With Heng Xian's reassuring gaze, she cautiously steps onto the Tai Chi Bagua within the Spirit Root Formation.

The moment she enters, the water‑type Spirit Root Stone glows most of the way, the metal‑type half, and the wood‑type a little.

Such a qualification can only be described as very ordinary.

An elder declares, "Su Wan'er, three‑element Spirit Root, predominantly water!"

Su Wan'er rushes out, glances at her own young master, her body trembling as she stands aside.

Then newcomer after newcomer enters the formation for testing.

When it's Xu Wei, Ye Ling'er, and the third's turn, the whole venue reaches a g‑tide point,

Xu Wei has a single fire Spirit Root!

Ye Ling'er has a mutated Ice Spirit Root!

Zhao Ying has a single metal Spirit Root!

The watching disciples, who had been as calm as water, can't help but start discussing.

The three testing elders also reveal a grin reminiscent of a wolf grandmother.

Heng Xian watches silently; next is his turn.

After a brief pause, he strides boldly toward the Spirit Root Formation.

…

Taiyi Hall.

The Sect Leader and the many Peak Masters watch the ripple‑filled plaza's Spirit Root test display.

Peak Master Lan Wuyan of Great Pine Peak says, "It's Heng Xian's turn; this youth has already been promised a true disciple position by the junior brother of the True Mirror!

He roamed outside the mountain gate on his own, yet did not crush the transmission talisman to inform the elders inside, and instead chose to attend the disciple‑recruiting gathering, which is rather interesting!

Peak Master Bai Sizhen of Little Pine Peak says, "I haven't paid attention lately; what's Heng Xian's background?"

Lan Wuyan replies, "This youth was encountered by the junior brother of the True Mirror while searching within the Great Zhou Empire for the reincarnation of the Sword Saint.

It is said that during his breakthrough, celestial phenomena occurred, the sword's roar pierced the nine heavens, marking him as a rare ancient Sword Dao holy body!

Earlier he was mistakenly thought to be the Sword Saint's reincarnation, drawing a scramble from three hundred sects, and in the end he chose our Tianyuan Sect!"

"Oh?"

"Now that's a prodigy!"

The group of peak masters all showed a bit of interest.

The sect leader said lightly, "Since he volunteered for the spiritual root test, let's see how his Sword Dao Holy Body's spiritual root fares."

The peak masters nodded.

Lan Wuyan interjected, "It is said that this youngster also knows how to do business; he once employed some tactics, playing nine minor families like a handclap,"

"and easily gathered all the spiritual crystals of a city, bringing them entirely into his own family!"

The sect leader and the peak masters were not concerned.

Not far away, Nan Gong Lilu, who had been snoring on a low couch, suddenly lifted his head, a glint of brilliance flashing in his drunken eyes: "So... such a talent, rare indeed!"

At that moment, amidst the ripples, Heng Xian had already stepped onto the Bagua Tai Chi formation within the spiritual root array.

Buzz—

The gold-type spiritual root stone shone at full brightness, its dazzling light blazing.

"Gold-type single spiritual root! Purity this high, not bad!" The peak masters expressed some approval.

Little did they know,

Buzz—

The wood-type spiritual root stone was also at full capacity, its brightness glaring.

"What a pity, dual-type spiritual root!"

Buzz—

The water-type spiritual root was also full.

"This..."

The peak masters slightly frowned; having three elemental spiritual roots was already rather mixed, and even with high purity, future cultivation progress would be extremely slow and useless.

Is there such a Sword Dao Holy Body??

Buzz—

At this moment, the fire-type spiritual root reached full brightness.

"Four-element spiritual root????"

Buzz—

Little did they know the final earth-type spiritual root stone also shone at full brightness.

Whoa!

The peak masters widened their eyes, "Five Elements full!!!"

Spiritual roots are a natural fetal inheritance; a person is destined to have mixed Five Elements, with varying strengths, or some abundant and some deficient.

The more spiritual roots one has, the harder cultivation becomes.

For example, if a person possesses four kinds of spiritual roots, three with extremely low purity and one with relatively high purity, this is quite mixed; thereafter, most of their energy must be spent compensating for the three deficient spiritual root talents, causing cultivation to be extremely slow.

Such a person can only be ordinary!

Those with five types of spiritual roots, with the five major roots fluctuating in strength, find cultivation even more difficult, and can only be ordinary among ordinary!

Only three types of spiritual roots or fewer are suitable for cultivation!

But... there is an exception!

Five Elements full!

When the Five Elements spiritual roots are all full, there is no need to consider any talent complementarity or slow cultivation issues,

instead, the Five Elements generate each other in an endless cycle, allowing cultivation to accelerate dramatically, even surpassing single or mutated spiritual roots!

However, such a person is a once-in-a-millennium encounter!

And... today we encountered one?

"Mediocre, I guess!" Sect leader Zhen Xuan Zhenren, stroking his beard with a calm expression, "Our sect has been impoverished for many years, and today on a whim,"

"we reluctantly accepted this true transmission disciple of the closed gate, now bring me tea and water!"

(End of chapter)