Chapter Thirty-Nine: Spiritual Root Assessment

“Next, please go over there to register, then proceed to the spirit root test!” the white-haired elder said to Lin Yanghao and his companions.

“Name! Age!”

“Ye Weiyang, nineteen.”

“Next!”

“Ji Zihuai, twenty.”

...

“Name, age!”

“Lin Yanghao, seventeen.”

After waiting for countless people to finish registering, it was finally Lin Yanghao’s turn. Once he had given his name, it was time for the spirit root test. Lin Yanghao couldn’t help feeling anxious; although he had reached the ninth level of the Qi Refining stage, he still wasn’t sure whether he possessed a spirit root.

“I’ll be conducting your spirit root tests. As you all know, possessing a spirit root is an absolute requirement to become a cultivator. Without it, it is impossible to embark on the path of cultivation. There are five basic types of spirit roots: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Some people may have mutated spirit roots—Lightning, Wind, Darkness, or Light. If you possess a Darkness spirit root, you are best suited for demonic cultivation; with a Light spirit root, you are destined for the path of Dao.”

The examiner paused to catch his breath and continued, “We have a special testing stone for spirit roots. Simply channel your spiritual energy into the energy stone, and it will reveal whether you have a spirit root and what type it is. But don’t rejoice too soon if you do have a spirit root; spirit roots also vary in quality. There are the heavenly spirit root, which contains only one attribute; the pseudo spirit root, with two attributes; the mixed spirit root, with three or four; and finally the waste spirit root, which holds all five attributes. The better the spirit root, the faster your cultivation; the worse, the slower your progress.

Those with heavenly spirit roots are rare geniuses with boundless potential. Pseudo spirit roots also mark talented cultivators. For those with mixed spirit roots, reaching the Foundation Establishment stage is usually their limit, and very few with pseudo roots ever break through to the Core Formation stage. As for the waste spirit root, it’s extremely difficult to even reach Foundation Establishment, and few ever achieve it; a lifetime of cultivation may yield little accomplishment. Now, let’s begin the spirit root tests. The first one!”

“Not qualified! No spirit root detected!”

“Not qualified!”

“Not qualified!”

After a series of tests, dozens of people in succession were found to lack a spirit root. The examiner shook his head in disappointment and continued, “Next!”

“Three spirit roots—Metal, Fire, Earth. Mixed spirit root, passed the test.”

The young man who passed beamed with joy, and was led into the sect under the envy of the others. In the following tests, several more mixed spirit roots appeared.

It was almost Lin Yanghao’s turn. He grew increasingly nervous, seeing the last few people finish their tests. So far, only a handful had passed, and those who failed looked dejected; a few, unable to bear the blow, were already in tears. Those deemed unqualified were soon sent down the mountain.

...

“Next!”

Lin Yanghao anxiously channeled his spiritual energy into the energy stone. The stone emitted a faint light.

“Five spirit roots. Waste spirit root. However, you’ve reached the pinnacle of the ninth level of Qi Refining, so you might still have hope for Foundation Establishment. You pass!”

Lin Yanghao felt a slight relief, but not a shred of happiness. After all, he was only found to have a waste spirit root—far from what he had hoped for. With such a root, even Foundation Establishment was a challenge, let alone ascending to immortality or resurrecting Feng Shihan. His heart sank, as if pierced by a thousand needles.

He and the few others who passed were led to a hall for outer disciples. At the center sat the same white-haired elder from earlier, who addressed them, “Don’t think passing this test makes you exceptional. It only means you’re qualified to cultivate. If you don't strive, you’ll still fall by the wayside. Throughout history, countless geniuses have perished. Though spirit roots limit cultivation, with diligence you can still achieve something. Many with poor roots have, through their own efforts, surpassed those with better roots. If you work hard, even ascending to immortality is not impossible.”

“That’s right, if I work hard, even soaring to the immortal realm is possible. If I put in several times, even ten times, the effort, I can catch up. As the saying goes, with enough persistence, an iron rod can be ground into a needle. So there’s hope! What does it matter if I have a waste spirit root? I’ll become immortal and divine all the same, and shock everyone!” Lin Yanghao thought to himself, reassured and invigorated by the elder’s words.

“I am Elder Song of the outer sect. You may address me as Elder Song. Congratulations—from today onward, you are members of the Seven Luminaries Sect’s outer disciples. I trust you’ve learned about our sect before coming, so I won’t repeat myself. As outer disciples, each of you may collect a set of robes, a one-square-meter storage pouch, and a longsword. Every month, you may receive a low-grade spirit stone and a Purification Pill from the sect. Unlike inner disciples, outer disciples must perform daily chores—the details will be explained by the outer sect steward. Once you break through to Foundation Establishment, you may become an inner disciple. If you fail to break through within ten years, you will be expelled. Our sect does not keep idlers.”

Elder Song continued, “These rules take effect tomorrow. For today, use your time to familiarize yourselves with the sect. Steward Liu will arrange your lodgings.”

With that, only Steward Liu and the handful who passed remained in the hall.

“Follow me!” Steward Liu said, turning to Lin Yanghao and the others.

“Yes!” Lin Yanghao and the others replied in unison.

Soon, Steward Liu led them to a row of thatched huts.

“Damn! Is this fit for humans? My dog’s kennel is better than this!” complained a foppish youth, grumbling at the sight of the huts.

“If you’re dissatisfied, you can go home right now. Are you here to cultivate or to seek comfort?” Steward Liu glared at the youth.

Even Lin Yanghao, accustomed to hardship, was taken aback. This was supposed to be a grand sect, yet the living conditions were so poor—even he had lived better before. But hearing Steward Liu’s words, Lin Yanghao realized he was here to cultivate, not seek enjoyment.