Spirit Root Test
Xiao Yu guided our group through the sprawling complex toward the Tian Ling Institute's newcomer spirit root testing center. The architecture commanded immediate attention ~ towering mountains that seemed to pierce the clouds themselves, connected by graceful bridges that appeared to defy conventional physics of past life through their elegant engineering.
The spirit root testing hall bustled with candidates from various lower heavens. I chose not to fully mask my soul fluctuations, leading some observers to assume I was an advanced student like Xiao Yu. Most of our time passed in casual conversation until someone called out to Xiao Yu in an exaggerated, mocking manner.
Hua Ling, clearly another troublemaker, actively sought to create difficulties for Xiao Yu by ridiculing her statements and attempting to bribe the examination officials. His behavior marked him as exactly the type of entitled young master I had hoped to avoid attracting attention from.
Every candidate underwent the mandatory spirit root evaluation. Over the years, I had regrown my qi veins, spirit roots, and numerous other aspects of my cultivation foundation countless times, adjusting my physical form to suit various needs ~ cultivation requirements, gender modifications, and dantian restructuring.
My current spiritual roots, however, existed in a realm that transcended this heaven's established laws due to past two months refinement. They were so fundamentally foreign to this reality that I needed to devise a solution for this potential anomaly.
While I contemplated these complexities, Nie Li engaged in a spirited debate with Hua Ling regarding the relative importance of natural talent versus spiritual root quality. Their discussion provided adequate distraction for my preparations.
I discreetly copied the heavenly spirit crystal and tested it privately under an illusion from my divine dao techniques. To external observers, I appeared to be simply waiting in line, but I was actually busy examining my spiritual compatibility. When I placed my hand on the copied crystal, nothing changed even when I added soul force. Initially assuming the problem lay with my technique, I watched as the crystal suddenly shattered.
I recreated the crystal four times, each time reducing my soul strength to prevent immediate destruction. However, the crystal became too dark to read properly. I further modified my channeling techniques and gradually reduced their intensity until I could finally observe the spirit root refraction within the heavenly crystal ~ it appeared as deep black. I was preparing to adjust the intensity further when I suddenly noticed several people staring in the direction of my illusion.
Quickly dismissing the concealment technique, I returned to the group and asked Xiao Yu what had transpired. She informed me that Hua Ling had directed a question toward me.
"Sorry, I was lost in thought," I said. "What were you asking?"
"Why don't I know you? with your cultivation?" Hua Ling's tone carried suspicion mixed with arrogance. He seemed genuinely puzzled by my unfamiliar presence.
I simply mentioned that I was a candidate myself, having achieved the fifth fate realm before arriving here. This revelation triggered visible jealousy in his expression, and the small commotion it created drew additional attention. Yeah it can instantly create rumors of top talent.
When our team's turn came to undergo spirit root evaluation just next, my name was called first.
Having observed the previous candidates' performances with no interest, I heard my name announced and approached the testing crystal with carefree steps. The lack of privacy just before made it impossible to make further adjustments to my technique, so I proceeded with my previous method, keeping my soul quality slightly lowered as I channeled energy into the device.
The moment I placed my hand on the evaluation crystal, it responded with immediate, startling intensity. Deep purple branches began forming within the crystal's core, clearly indicating Heaven-grade roots of exceptional quality. I carefully attempted to restrain my power when seven branches appeared, but the crystal's response lagged behind my conscious control and even my hand.
Before I could fully withdraw my influence, the crystal suddenly blazed with dark purple light. Just when I thought the test had concluded successfully, the crystal began shifting toward violet-black, followed by the emergence of nine threads in pure black coloration.
"Well, well," Hua Ling's mocking laughter cut through the stunned silence. "I don't know how you achieved heavenly fate, but that's clearly black. Not even a man spirit root, let alone a heaven spirit root. It might just be coincidence or some chance encounter that got you this far."
While Hua Ling continued his attempts to shame me from the sidelines, I observed the two primary examiners looking genuinely puzzled. Then a third examiner suddenly started, his voice filled with astonishment as he declared, "Obsidian grade root!"
I should have exercised greater restraint, I reflected privately. Now I remained uncertain whether they would assign me to the Eastern or Western Institute. Regardless of the outcome, I was certain to attract unwanted attention from young masters and their influential families.
After years of relative solitude, it appeared I had forgotten some of the fundamental survival strategies necessary for navigating the cultivation world's complex social hierarchies since my other power level has gone too high.
The enforcers present suddenly became visibly startled. I sensed a Qi message being transmitted to them and looked up to observe several figures materializing in the void around me. To my enhanced perception, they were as visible as thieves in broad daylight, though they seemed astonished by my ability to detect their presence.
I intercepted their transmitted message: "Send him to West Institute. Announce the result as Heavenly root, ninth grade."
"Silence!" one of the instructors commanded the crowd in a serious tone, who by now already took upon the words of Hua Ling and began to undervalue myself. Reinforcing his words with spiritual pressure made everyone quiet. Another examiner then made the official announcement: "Ninth-grade Heaven Spirit root. Assignment to the western division."
"Ninth-grade Heaven Spiritual Root," the instructor announced again as if to emphasize, his voice betraying his struggle to process what he had just witnessed. The audience remained speechless, too shocked by the unprecedented display to manage even whispered comments.
A sudden, absolute silence fell over the previously mocking crowd. The quiet that followed was deafening in its completeness, until Hua Ling's voice shattered it.
"Hey, Enforcer Gu, what are you saying? That wasn't purple at all! How can you call it a heaven spirit root?"
"It is indeed a heaven spirit root ~ an extreme variant," the enforcer replied firmly. "You might have noticed it glowed purple momentarily. Please, candidate, you may return to your position."
Meanwhile, I returned parting the queuing crowd at front, with a stoic face back to Xiao Yu. "You can see us?" one of the void figures asked through heavenly energy communication. "And hear us as well?"
"Yes, I can perceive both. Are you instructors of the institute?" I responded through the same medium. Most candidates lacked the ability to detect such subtle energy exchanges.
***
Meanwhile, Lu Piao shocked the assembled audience again by revealing a grade 5 Heaven Spiritual Root ~ a remarkable achievement that drew impressed murmurs from the crowd. When Nie Li stepped forward for his evaluation, he displayed an even more impressive grade 8 root, once again leaving the spectators in awe of our group's exceptional nature. The tiny world truly held mysterious depths.
In a single day, three individuals from the same background had displayed grade 5, 8, and 9 heaven roots respectively ~ a statistical impossibility that defied all conventional understanding of spiritual root distribution in a population.
The Divine Feather Sect
The assignment to the western district came as something of a relief. Xiao Yu, noticing my relaxed demeanor despite the unusual circumstances, casually mentioned that the Eastern Institute only permitted entry after a probationary period of testing and evaluation at the western institutes. This policy made perfect sense from an administrative standpoint. I was told, from the figures who now disappeared that, it was to protect myself. Reach Heavenly star realm by the end of the next selection time, I will be given entrance trial to central division.
Later Xiao Yu revealed that even within the prestigious Tian Ling Institutes, only five Heaven-grade academies existed beyond the central district's elite facilities. It became increasingly clear that I needed to conceal my divine sense capabilities more effectively ~ if any of these powerful cultivators detected the true extent of my awareness, it could create complications that would far exceed any benefits of my peaceful enrollment here. The divine sense will feel as soul intent to them.
I just need to be transparent. right? I have already decided before coming here, that time here would be more of a vacation with little soul cultivation and occasionally helping out Nie Li for him to do his job considering the many chaos I have already unfolded.
My assigned residence was genuinely beautiful. The building sat surrounded by peaceful landscape ~ a small gazebo beside a quiet bridge that curved over a clear stream, fed by a waterfall that never stopped its gentle roar. It would have been completely peaceful if not for Lu Piao and Nie Li's constant noise, Xiao Yu's growing group of female admirers, and that jealous young master who seemed to always be watching from somewhere nearby.
I had a world inside my storage ring from the Ancient Orchid City ruins, packed with heavenly energy and countless deity lakes. So when Xiao Yu handed me two spirit stones, I felt like a pauper king.
"You can keep those. By the way, do you have a storage ring?" I asked.
"Yeah, I do." She showed me her ring. "What about you guys?"
"I don't," Lu Piao said.
"I have one. Why?" Nie Li asked.
I held out my hand and a ring suddenly appeared on my finger with a unique design. I touched my ring to his, transferring contents. While he checked what I'd given him, I turned to Xiao Yu. "You too. Consider this a gift."
Before she could refuse, my ring was already touching hers and the transfer started.
"What the... twenty thousand heavenly spirit stones? Where did you get this?"
"That's for both you and him," I pointed to Lu Piao. "I can't accept this. It's too much," Xiao Yu said, also shocked by her share of ten thousand spirit stones.
"Let me speak first. Don't refuse yet. Nie Li, didn't you ask me before how I could reach Heavenly Fate in a small world and how I could help both Ye Ziyun and Ning reach the same level?"
"Yeah. I remember you refused to answer too."
"Now that I'm here, it's not a big deal to tell you if you all agree to keep it secret. Will you?"
"Yes, what is it?" "Yeah," all three replied as I waited for their promise, looking at each of them.
"In the Orchid City ruins, I got this ring." I pointed at my hand, showing the ring with its unique yin-yang patterns.
"This thing has a small space inside with world laws similar to here, and some deity lakes filled with heavenly energy. It can produce tens of thousands of spirit stones per month, and millions have accumulated inside. I can't knowingly keep all this to myself while you three are rationing a few tens. Xiao Yu, you helped us reach here. I'm giving this to you in good faith. Consider it gratitude for you and your master. Please accept it and keep it secret."
"Here I was worrying about spirit stones. With this, our cultivation will advance quickly," Lu Piao said excitedly.
While looking at Nie Li thinking things over, I specifically said, "I'm not generous enough to share this with a sect I just joined for no reason. If it's just us friends, it's not a big problem. So I trust you'll keep your promises."
Both of them bowed, expressing their thanks and saying not to worry. "Find me when you exhaust it. I'll give you the rest."
After saying goodbye to my friends, now mesmerized by their sudden wealth, I entered my dormitory.
Within the privacy of my new quarters, I released Yu Yan from the small world after spreading my domain throughout the area and modifying the existing protective arrays with additional security measures. Maybe because of my achievement and the fact that the other two also had heavenly roots, I could sense at least nine distinct intents flowing through the room for the past half hour. Just to ensure I was still here. Anyway, after cultivating for a while, she found that it was better to cultivate within the small world since heavenly energy was richer there.
She went back inside. Yu Yan had achieved remarkable progress ~ her aura pulsed gently in the confined space, far from the small flame spirit she had once been. Xiao Huo had already gone inside as soon as I entered the draconic ruins.
That same night, I sensed Xiao Yu's breakthrough to the third level of Heavenly Fate coming from Nie Li's chambers nearby. The achievement came as no surprise ~ Nie Li's earlier motivational words to Hua Ling had undoubtedly inspired her to push beyond her previous limitations.
I don't particularly need sleep, as I'd had plenty during the past few months. I tried to make use of the Boundless Spirit Ascension Sutra, drawing constant heavenly energy from the ring world to my existing fate souls. As if rekindled by familiar and suitable energy, they began to devour the energy directly more efficiently than the essence qi of the body into the soul ocean and then into the fate souls.
There weren't any outside changes to their condensed shape, but I could feel grand heavenly principles arising from them. Apart from the raw depth of the fate souls, the heavenly energy reactivated the principles of heavenly dao in this world emanating from the fate souls now in a powerful aura. It began to synergize with the body while passing through major channels, and a vast number of techniques for this heavenly soul plane cultivation emerged in my mind from memories.
Previously, even though a relative sense of soul realm was emanating from me, the aura was more of the suppressed aura of soul cultivation of True God soul, and these heavenly principles were very rarely felt. The fate souls have limits on the heavenly principles they can make use of, regardless of fire condensation or even with esoteric cultivation.
Right now my cultivation can be clearly felt even with a bit of aura release. After a few hours, the sixth fate star had formed. Even though it was low in the energy of heaven and soul essence compared to other fully formed fate souls, it was gradually forming. After about a hundred thousand spirit stone equivalent was absorbed in a few hours, the fate soul had fully reached its maturity. Just a few days to get acclimated and I could attempt more. I might need to recreate deity lakes multiple times if I continued cultivation like this. When the Myriad Miles and Rivers painting came, I could recreate it and use it as an exclusive cultivation chamber.
This ring world could be preserved as it was from then.
The very next day, when I was trying to find the location of my study session with the token, I found that Nie Li and Lu Piao were going to a different one than mine. From a quick use of divine sense, I found mine and reached there, only to see not a classroom, but a grand hall deep within the sect on a mountain. And to be met with some of the strongest ones in the sect together.
I entered the grand temple-like place. Inside it, above twenty rows of steps in a grand chair, one person sat, and in the palace hall to the sides, four others were also sitting. I bowed to show my etiquette and presented my token. "Elders, why am I the only one here?"
"Please have a seat." As he said that, there was already a seat behind me. It felt just like the job interview panel I'd had back at university placement.
"I am the sect master of Divine Feather Sect, Hierarch Martial Sky."
"I am Hierarch Sky Cloud." "Dragon Blaze." "Ling Long." "Crimson Blood." They each introduced themselves. Then the sect master directly addressed his speech. These people were usually in seclusion ~ they'd broken their cultivation just to come address me directly?.
"I'll get to the main topic first. Yesterday your spirit root aptitude test was conducted and came out as Obsidian Rank, like what people may have informed you. Apart from you, only two other people had that in the past ten thousand years. Both went to the Ancestral God Land, a higher realm, and we don't have much information about them other than that their cultivation speed is incomprehensibly fast.
As you have affiliated with our sect, we will help you reach greater heights. But you need to be transparent with us. Why is your soul power so high? It's even stronger than ours combined, but your divine principles clearly limit to the sixth fate soul precisely. We can't make you test your strength since the soul power is so high. We have conducted a survey of your background in a day, and you have indeed come from a tiny realm. We believe you are not someone from the Demon God clan because you haven't concealed your strength from our view. Still, why is your soul so abnormal?"
Each of them asked a variety of questions, one by one.
"Hierarchs, from a young age, my soul power and physical strength grew disproportional to my actual realm. I think my physique is the reason for that ~ I don't understand it fully. In fact, I couldn't actually merge with a demon spirit after reaching three fate souls onwards because my body strength was so refined, the soul force couldn't transform it fully.
I am still searching for a reason and solution for that. After reaching higher stages, I observed that in fact it is not the quantity of my soul that is increasing, but some aspect of its quality. The soul is not bigger, but it is now more refined like an actual body.
Right now, as I am condensing my fate souls, the heavenly principles within them and the soul force actually merge multiple times stronger than actual fate souls. Even if I have strong soul quality and unusual fighting power, my actual realm is only six fate heavenly soul realm. I don't have the heavenly principles to fight higher realms without that brute strength in this place. And I don't have any affiliation with the Demon God clan you mentioned."
"What he says appears to be fully correct. Disciple Tao, could you stand in front of that mirror then?" I had of course sensed they were trying to sense the validity of my words using some artifact, but everything I said was true on its own ~ it just missed some crucial parts of other-world cultivation.
I moved and stood in front. What it was doing was creating a mirage of my soul. I removed my mental shield, otherwise it wouldn't be able to see my soul at all. What was shown in my place was my own soul shape as of right now. Extremely condensed form in violet aura. The soul had already gained the ability to transform when it was violet yang soul, so my Nuwa form wouldn't come out.
"We believe you now," Crimson Blood replied. They all came down and came near. "In fact, your soul is very dense, far away from a normal soul. Such a soul naturally needs higher body strength, and somehow your physique is able to keep up with that. We are able to see the fate souls also. This is an artifact to see the true self of a person, and souls don't lie. Sorry for checking you. We don't have such doubts as a person with your spirit root talent wouldn't be sent here by anyone. But we need to make sure of our sect's safety, so the small trial was necessary."
"No worries." I nodded along.
" ... "
"As of right now, only we five know of your Obsidian grade talent. The memories of ones you've seen yesterday were also removed. You will remain in records as nine grade heaven root, and be sent to central institute after you have reached heavenly star realm," said Dragon Blaze.
"Up until then you can return to west institute and remain just like everyone else. Making you participate in normal trials for institutes will be unnecessary and would only cause your strength to be known, and since we classify you as a core asset considering your talent, we aren't ready for that. But we aren't ready to break the usual ranking matches to make it seem like we're giving you an unfair advantage either.
You just need to defeat at least one among the top twelve in the ranking directly to gain entry to central district. Your current soul power alone could do that, but we ask you to use your cultivation of heavenly principles to do just that," said Crimson Blood.
"I have one thing to address here, Sect Master. My fate soul essence is very high ~ the holding crystal inside the soul hall may not be adequate enough to preserve it. I have tried." I used the principle of soul refraction to condense six fate soul fires in my hand.
I took it back before they could sense anything further. "So I will only venture outside when I am comfortable defending myself at least against dragon dao itself. If it affects any ranking requirement, I can't comply with that."
"Fair point. We won't hold you accountable for that. Fate soul holding crystals are very rare, and power of fate souls are limited well within holding limit, but procuring one with such condensed essence may be difficult. You can wait at least until heavenly star realm, or the combat trial for estimating your strength to go outside in peace. But as a core sect member, you will have to take up some missions by then," Hierarch Martial Sky announced and continued.
"Finally, what we have to discuss is the politics itself. You are new to this sect and working here. I hate to admit this among my fellow hierarchs, but unity of the sect as a whole is lacking ~ there are major families and factions deeply invested in maintaining their own agendas. So in the following days you will be approached by these people. Choose whatever decision you make wisely," said Sect Master Martial Sky.
"You can return to your classes. We will let the instructor know."
"Thank you." Saying that, I left the place.
But the discussions at the place weren't over yet.
"Have you seen it?"
"Yes, the boy's fate is unreadable. His bloodline is also special, although I could detect a faint trace of it."
"Fate soul is unnatural, but he was sly enough before we could take a good look. Junior seems to have his own secrets."
"As sect master, I implore you not to prompt your juniors to reach him directly. He should seek us on his own, if he wishes to. There is more to what we heard today."