Chapter 71: Aptitude and Foundation Establishment

“There are seven types of spiritual root attributes: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, and Thunder. Each attribute excels in different areas; for example, Fire spiritual roots have advantages in equipment forging and pill concocting, while Wind and Thunder spiritual roots are particularly suited for combat.” After briefly explaining the characteristics of spiritual roots, Elder Brother Fang paid no further attention to the others.

“You can find more details by reading these pamphlets. As for you two, follow me.”

Elder Brother Fang gathered up the booklets from the table and led away one male and one female disciple, both prodigies.

The remaining disciples with five to seven mixed elemental spiritual roots also dispersed, leaving only about twenty individuals on the field.

“Here, Senior Brother.”

Xie Shuang, among those twenty, had retrieved a booklet earlier and brought an extra copy for Chen Luo.

Out of the seven who traveled together, excluding Du De due to his age, the other five surprisingly possessed mid-tier aptitude spiritual roots. Xie Shuang, like Chen Luo, had three spiritual roots, while Du Jian and the other two had four spiritual roots.

Poor Senior Brother Du De was truly unfortunate—not only was he older, but he also had five elemental spiritual roots, making for a dismal starting point.

“Let’s return to our cabins first.”

Chen Luo took the booklet and glanced through it, finding information on cultivation techniques suitable for various spiritual roots, along with recommendations for choosing their respective main peaks.

“We should head back too,” said Du Jian hurriedly as they rushed away.

Their Eldest Apprentice-Brother Du De, with his inferior aptitude, did not even qualify for a booklet. They needed to promptly inform him of the news to spare him any distress.

Upon returning to the cabin, Chen Luo noticed that the room assigned to him on the flying boat had changed.

The once cramped space had significantly expanded, the concentration of spiritual energy within noticeably increased, and a luminous pearl emitting soft light now adorned the wall.

“Is this reassignment based on aptitude attributes?”

Chen Luo looked at the water drop mark on his chest, gaining a deeper understanding of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect—a cold system where aptitude determined one’s fate.

“Senior Brother, may I come in?”

Knocking sounds came from outside.

“Come in.”

Chen Luo walked over and opened the door.

Standing there were eight individuals: Xie Shuang, Du De, and their group of five, along with three newcomers - two men and one woman.

Chen Luo had noticed these three earlier; both men possessed ordinary four-elemental spiritual roots, while the woman’s situation was dire. She had even worse aptitude than Eldest Apprentice-Brother Du De, with six elemental spiritual roots, including all five elements plus a blue wind spiritual root, making her unequivocally top-tier untalented.

“These three are from our vicinity as well. We can exchange information,” Du De said, having regained his composure, with a smile on his face as he introduced them.

The original six hailed from Blackwood Village, while these three were from Tea Plantation Village, not far away. Naturally, being in such a distant place together inclined them to form a close-knit group. Other young disciples also tended to cluster based on their hometowns, akin to new students bonding upon entering school - it’s a human instinct.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, right? I’m Xia Kun, with four elemental spiritual roots. Once we enter the immortal sect, let’s look out for each other.”

The leader, with a cheerful smile, introduced himself first, indicating that they had already acquainted themselves before boarding.

“Zhang Dingchao, four spiritual roots.”

“My name is Ning Ling, six spiritual roots.”

The remaining two also introduced themselves, and notably, the female cultivator seemed visibly disheartened when mentioning her aptitude.

Chen Luo wasn’t optimistic about this spontaneous group formation. These novices, unfamiliar with even the basics of immortal sects, forming temporary bonds held little significance. They might be separated upon entering the sect, never to meet again in their lifetime.

“Chen Luo, three spiritual roots,” he replied briefly, intending not to engage further.

He sensed that Du De and his companions likely approached him for a specific reason.

“A genius with three spiritual roots! You might have a chance to reach Foundation Establishment someday, becoming a true immortal cultivator.”

In the She Nation, cultivators at the Qi Refinement stage were far from uncommon.

The man and woman who boarded earlier hailed from influential cultivator clans in White Jade City. These clans were led by ancestors who were former members of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, typically possessing mid-Qi Refinement strength, with some even reaching late-stage Qi Refinement.

In such an environment, anyone with aptitude would have encountered Qi Refinement cultivators, diminishing their aura of mystery.

However, Foundation Establishment cultivators were different.

Within the cultivation hierarchy of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, only those at Foundation Establishment were considered true immortal cultivators, marking the divide between the mundane and the divine.

Foundation Establishment cultivators enjoyed a lifespan of five hundred years, could wield swords for flight, traverse hundreds of miles in a day, and strike enemies from great distances. Their mystical abilities and magical techniques held boundless wonders. Every Foundation Establishment cultivator became an elder of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, wielding supreme authority as part of its ruling class.

When encountering them outside, people respectfully addressed Foundation Establishment cultivators as “Immortal Masters,” while Qi Refinement cultivators were often referred to as “seniors” or “lords.” This distinction clearly highlighted the difference in status!

Across the three nations, every individual blessed with spiritual roots dreamt of achieving Foundation Establishment, stepping onto the supreme path of immortality!

“With just three spiritual roots, one can reach Foundation Establishment?”

At the mention of Foundation Establishment, Du De and his companions instantly perked up.

As geniuses emerging from the Great Mausoleum, they all harbored dreams of pursuing the immortal path.

“I was just speculating,” Xia Kun felt awkward under Du De’s questioning gaze. How could he truly know what Foundation Establishment entailed?

“It’s possible, but the chances are extremely slim,” said Ning Ling, the female cultivator with the lowest aptitude among them.

Her upbringing, however, was the best among the trio. In her youth, she had interacted with many retired elderly qi refiners from the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, inadvertently learning about Foundation Establishment through their conversations.

“The Qi Refinement stage has thirteen levels in total. The first three are manageable; diligent practice can get you there. However, starting from the fourth level, cultivation becomes significantly more challenging.”

In the Qi Refinement stage, reaching the fourth level is known as ‘Observation,’ marking the true beginning of one’s path towards enlightenment. It is also referred to as the middle stage of Qi Refinement.

Before reaching the third level of Qi Refinement, one could only utilize minor spells, with actual strength not significantly differing from mortal warriors. Inadvertently, even a Zongshi might successfully ambush and kill such individuals. However, after attaining the fourth level, ordinary martial artists no longer posed any threat to these higher-tier cultivators.

In the mid-Qi Refinement stages, a cultivator’s body further integrates with spiritual energy, creating a continuous internal circulation akin to an unceasing flow. Their perception of the world dramatically enhances, enabling them to foresee any impending harm well in advance.

“The fourth level of Qi Refinement marks the first major hurdle in cultivation. For someone with average middle-grade spiritual roots, it typically takes at least three years of dedicated practice to reach this realm. By ‘average middle-grade,’ I mean possessing three elemental attributes. If you have four attributes, it would require five years instead. Following this pattern, five attributes demand seven years, and six attributes necessitate a minimum of ten years.”

As she concluded, Ning Ling’s face turned pale.

Clearly, she hadn’t anticipated her own aptitude to be a six-attribute spiritual root, effectively signaling that her path ahead was severely hindered.

Beside them, Du De’s expression also turned grim. In the Yue Kingdom, standards were low; merely entering the path of cultivation made one considered a ‘genius’. However, after venturing out, he realized that his perceived talent might have been overestimated. With five attribute spiritual roots, his aptitude was only slightly better than Ning Ling’s. Based on this calculation, it would take him at least seven years to reach the intermediate stage of Qi Refinement. And that was under ideal circumstances; any unforeseen difficulties could further extend the timeline.

If reaching the fourth level of Qi Refinement required such time, how much more so for the seventh level? The challenge of late-stage Qi Refinement is undoubtedly greater than the intermediate stages.

“Does the duration truly matter?” Chen Luo frowned, not particularly fond of this woman.

One who gives up before even beginning is destined never to achieve greatness.

“Of course it matters! The younger you are, the higher your chances of achieving Foundation Establishment. There’s a significant difference between before and after turning fifty!” Chen Luo’s words seemed to provoke her, causing Ning Ling’s tone to become more forceful.

She didn’t want to give up either.

But her aptitude was dishearteningly poor - what choice did she have?