Chapter 8

“Wen Xu, don’t listen to them—it’s just spiteful criticism.”

Bian Chunzhou guided Wen Xu away to a quiet corner. The three days had passed swiftly, and today marked the day of the final mountain trials. Thanks to Wen Xu securing first place in the initial test, many businesses in Langyuan City now welcomed him with open arms. The premier inn, Cloud Immortal Pavilion, even offered them a room equipped with a top-tier Gathering Spirit Array free of charge. However, this newfound attention also attracted a surge of envious whispers.

Yonglu Mountain, being one of the foremost sects, always drew significant attention during its recruitment process. The Jinding Pavilion even dedicated a special section to track future new talents of cultivation from the preliminary lists of the five major sects. These included prodigies emerging from influential families or unexpected rising stars among obscure youths—Wen Xu fell squarely into the latter category.

Just three days ago, no one had heard of Wen Xu. Now, within Langyuan City, even the city lord would likely recognize his name.

The local clans and merchants were adept at winning favor, offering various discounts and incentives. If Wen Xu had hailed from a prominent family, he might have hesitated to accept such benefits due to social expectations. But as someone without such ties—and considering that Liu Xiucai, who raised him, was not particularly wealthy—he understood early on that tangible rewards mattered more than fleeting reputation.

“I don’t mind at all. Besides, didn’t you say it yourself? These benefits are what I rightfully deserve.” In essence, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Bian Chunzhou waved his hand dismissively. “Your temperament is just too accommodating. What’s deserved is one thing, but never mind that now. Unfortunately, some people seem to have left their brains in their mother’s womb, spouting thoughtless remarks.”

Wen Xu noticed he often encountered fresh and inventive insults from this new friend—wonderful, yet another novel one today.

“Actually, my temperament isn’t as mild as you think,” Wen Xu clarified. It was simply that being new here, he preferred not to create unnecessary enemies.

“Really?”

“Of course, it’s true.”

Bian Chunzhou’s face clearly conveyed skepticism, but fortunately, Wen Xu couldn’t see it. Their friendly conversation continued smoothly regardless. Over these three days, they certainly hadn’t been idle. Both Wen Xu and Bian Chunzhou experienced for the first time staying in rooms equipped with top-tier Gathering Spirit Arrays.

Bian Chunzhou fared somewhat better, already possessing a cultivation base at the third layer of Qi Refinement. However, Wen Xu was genuinely starting from scratch; even his initial attempt at circulating qi through a full cycle relied solely on the effects of a Qi-Replenishing Pill.

Now seated within the Gathering Spirit Array, even without actively cultivating any technique, Wen Xu instinctively channeled the abundant spiritual energy from the air around him. This energy slowly gathered near his body, with some entering and flowing through him, eventually converging into his sea of qi before gradually rising back up—a complete cycle forming a grand circulation.

It was a subtle sensation, one that rarely left Wen Xu at a loss for words to describe. Yet he felt deeply content and exhilarated, purely driven by his innate bodily instincts. His health had never been particularly robust; the hardships of his early life, combined with long hours of diligent study, often led to illness whenever seasons changed. But just now, it seemed as though those hidden ailments were being healed and soothed by the spiritual energy.

He experienced an all-encompassing sense of comfort, permeating both mind and body, inside and out.

And this was merely the beginning of his cultivation journey.

Wen Xu’s anticipation for his future as a cultivator grew stronger than ever. Naturally, reaching the Gold Core stage sooner rather than later to return and seek vengeance would be ideal.

Thus, circling back to the crux of the matter, everything hinged upon discovering his spiritual roots.

Generally speaking, cultivators can have their spiritual roots tested around seven or eight years old. This is especially true for those from noble families, as spiritual roots often exhibit hereditary traits. For instance, if both parents are cultivators, there’s a fifty percent chance their offspring will also be cultivators, with similar types of spiritual roots. A Fire elemental root wouldn’t produce a Water elemental one, nor would an Earth elemental root spontaneously generate a Wood elemental.

While the five elements interact through cycles of creation and suppression, they still adhere to fundamental natural laws. Of course, single-element spiritual roots are exceedingly rare; most cultivators possess multiple elements. Given this variability, any outcome is possible within a family. As such, prominent clans typically maintain spirit stones for early detection of children’s spiritual roots. If exceptional talents were identified, these individuals would receive focused cultivation and might even be sent to major sects for advanced training, ultimately strengthening the clan’s influence.

However, it’s not uncommon for cultivators’ spiritual roots to undergo secondary development upon reaching adulthood. Consequently, many sects primarily accept recruits between eighteen and fifty years of age. The Five Great Sects, being more stringent, generally only admit individuals under thirty.

After all, the Qi Refinement stage does not halt aging; reaching fifty at that level would mean one was already half a foot in the grave. As for someone who achieved Foundation Establishment early but waited until this age to seek apprenticeship, it’s exceedingly rare. If capable of reaching Foundation Establishment by fifty, they wouldn’t likely remain unaffiliated so long. The Five Great Sects generally do not accept disciples with existing skills.

Of course, geniuses are exceptions. If Swordmaster Meixi from Heavenbreaker Sword Sect were to announce a change in allegiance, even just a whisper of such news, not only Huhe Sect and Yonglu Mountain but even Buddhist cultivators from Kuduo Temple would rush overnight to queue outside Heavenbreaker Sword Sect to vie for his favor.

Returning to the topic, since spiritual roots can be unstable before adulthood, the cultivation world discourages premature testing. Firstly, to prevent prematurely pressuring gifted cultivators, and secondly, to avoid malicious individuals intentionally damaging others’ spiritual roots. Despite explicit prohibitions, clandestine early tests abound, particularly among cultivation aristocracies, where each member likely has their own spirit root detection stone within family sanctuaries.

Wen Xu felt there wasn’t much difference between the cultivation world’s aristocratic families and the nobility of the Mortal Realm, aside from the nature of power they wielded.

“What’s on your mind? Don’t be too nervous—you’ve already advanced to the second level of Qi Refinement in just three days! I’m certain you’re a genius!” As the mountain trial was about to commence, Bian Chunzhou whispered while moving forward with the crowd.

The initial test had eliminated most candidates, but still, one hundred Qi Refinement cultivators remained. Rumor had it that Yonglu Mountain combined their mountain trial and heart examination, assessing both martial aptitude and moral character. Including the spirit plant search and harvesting from the preliminary round, it was clear that Yonglu Mountain sought specific qualities in its recruits.

Over these three days, Wen Xu and Bian Chunzhou had grown more familiar with each other, aided by Bian Chunzhou’s naturally sociable nature. Wen Xu also spoke with less reserve now, saying, “As friends, you’d naturally think highly of me. If you were the examiner, then indeed, I wouldn’t feel anxious.”

Their hushed conversation didn’t disturb anyone nearby, yet some individuals lacked tact and chose to provoke them. “Two country bumpkins, pretending he’s an examiner? One’s blind, the other’s a yokel. Don’t think passing the preliminaries will get you through the mountain trial so easily.”

“You—”

Wen Xu began, his voice trailing off as he paused.

“What’s wrong with speaking the truth?” The individual wore a cloud-deer robe, its embroidered patterns appearing to flow and leap—a clear sign of exceptional quality, indicating their noble origins. “Wen Xu, I’ve heard your name. Feeling quite smug about securing first place, aren’t you?”

Wen Xu tilted his head as if looking directly at the person. Though his eyes were covered, he sensed an unmistakably hostile aura emanating from them. “What do you mean by that, Daoist friend? We’re strangers; surely I haven’t offended you in any way?”

Bian Chunzhou, initially intending to defend his friend, found himself… Wow, for some inexplicable reason, it felt like witnessing his own child growing up.

“Are you feigning ignorance or truly not comprehending? Wen Xu, did you even register for Yonglu Mountain’s preliminary trials? Without signing up, you sneaked into the Broken Clouds Secret Realm and just happened to luck upon Scented Pill King Grass, which secured you the top spot. Care to deny this?”

Initially, no one knew Wen Xu’s background. However, within three days, news of his unauthorized entry from the Mortal Realm into the Broken Clouds Secret Realm had spread rapidly. After all, the cultivation world possesses myriad methods to investigate someone’s origins.

Wen Xu inclined his head slightly, his voice carrying a distinct chill. “Is Daoist friend questioning me?”

“If that’s how you choose to see it, I cannot stop you.”

Wen Xu chuckled softly, his smile genuinely captivating—even with his eyes and brows concealed, not an ounce of its charm was diminished. “As Daoist friend well knows, my influence is minimal; just three days ago, I was but a mortal. How could I sway Yonglu Mountain’s decisions? If you truly harbor doubts about my achievements, why not directly inquire the Yonglu Mountain elder behind you instead?”

Unbeknownst to them, the Yonglu Mountain elder overseeing the mountain trial had silently arrived. This time, it wasn’t Elder Zhan, but rather Elder Zhao Qi from the Hall of Discipline.

Elder Zhao was renowned within Yonglu Mountain for fiercely upholding its reputation. Should one offend him, there was no point pleading for mercy; the best course of action would be to obediently admit fault. Unfortunately, the cultivator who dared challenge Wen Xu did not recognize Elder Zhao.

Upon hearing Wen Xu’s words, the challenger felt a sudden unease. However, when he turned to see a short, rotund middle-aged cultivator with a warm and amiable expression—appearing quite unimposing—he retorted, “Ask away, then. Surely I can question someone like you, who disregards Yonglu Mountain’s rules?”

Elder Zhao glanced at the oblivious young man before directing his gaze toward the protesting candidate. “Young man, what do you believe are Yonglu Mountain’s rules?”

“I…”

“Has Yonglu Mountain ever declared that one must officially register to participate in the examination? Cultivation inherently follows one’s intentions. This young man seized his chance to enter the Broken Clouds Secret Realm during the initial trial and even obtained Scented Pill King Grass—it was truly his good fortune. Naturally, Yonglu Mountain would not turn away such individuals. However, if you disapprove of our rules, feel free to seek other sects with your preferred regulations.”

What type of people did Zhao Qi despise most? Undoubtedly, those spoiled brats molded by aristocratic norms—like the stubbornly bent tree before him. Did he really think Yonglu Mountain was his personal domain? Zhao Qi wouldn’t show favoritism based on lineage, nor would Yonglu Mountain itself.

The challenger flushed immediately. He had barely passed the preliminary trial, and it was only due to his friend incessantly complaining about Wen Xu’s sudden appearance—that without it, they both could have advanced together—that this candidate foolishly dared to question Yonglu Mountain’s rules. “Apologies, I spoke rashly,” he stammered. “Please forgive me, Elder.”

Elder Zhao didn’t spare him so much as a glance, maintaining icy indifference. “Oh, still here? Shall this elder escort you out?”

Bian Chunzhou: Wah wah wah, this elder’s attitude is so fierce—I love it!