Under the gaze of the two men, the young boy expressionlessly placed his hand on the spirit-testing compass.
The next moment, the previously distracted Song Changsheng was instantly drawn in by a blinding flash of light.
A brilliant green glow erupted from the testing pillar. Song Luding cried out in astonishment, "Five-inch Wind Spirit Root!"
Song Changsheng's eyes widened in shock it was a variant spirit root, a rare occurrence seen maybe once in a century!
"This is incredible! Heaven blesses the Song Clan!" Song Luding was so overcome with emotion that tears welled up in his eyes, nearly losing his composure on the spot.
Song Changsheng understood his excitement. The Song Clan's ancestor, Song Taiyi, had also possessed a Wind Spirit Root. His mastery of swift sword techniques had reached unparalleled levels. Known far and wide as "Master Qingfeng," he had once, with only mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivation, defeated a powerful demon beast of the late third tier, earning fame across the nineteen provinces of Great Qi.
Before his passing, Ancestor Song Taiyi had recorded all his insights and techniques, hoping to nurture future sword cultivators for the clan.
Unfortunately, the descendants had failed to live up to expectations. For centuries, many tried to master the swift sword, but none could truly grasp its essence.
Now, this boy had rekindled their hope.
A variant spirit root was undeniable proof of talent a potential seed for the Purple Mansion realm. If he could achieve success in the sword path, he might become the next "Master Qingfeng" the next Song Taiyi.
"What's your name, child?" Song Luding crouched down, eyes full of affection as if gazing upon a once-in-a-lifetime treasure.
"Song Xing," the boy replied, still cold and emotionless.
"Good, very good. Go and wait over there," Song Luding said with a smile so wide it wrinkled his whole face, lowering his voice as though afraid to startle the boy.
Song Xing walked over to Song Changsheng, looked up, and asked, "Is my aptitude... good?"
Song Changsheng nodded with a gentle smile. "The best of the best."
"Oh." Song Xing nodded calmly. Unlike other children who would be thrilled to learn they had a spirit root, this boy seemed completely unfazed as if none of it mattered.
That unnerved Song Changsheng a little. A child like this, so detached, might not be an entirely good thing for the family…
By protocol, discovering such a talent would typically require immediate reporting to the clan so that a Foundation Establishment cultivator could personally escort him.
But Song Luding was a seasoned and cautious man.
Despite his excitement, he kept his composure. Right now, only the three of them knew about Song Xing's talent, which meant he was still completely safe.
If they were to suddenly halt the Ascension Ceremony now, it might attract the attention of enemy spies like proclaiming to the world they'd found a hidden gem. Better to act as if nothing had happened and wait until the gathering was over before secretly reporting it.
For now, only one thing mattered: secrecy. Who knew how many eyes were watching them?
The better they kept this under wraps, the safer Song Xing would be. Only with safety could he have room to grow.
Geniuses need time to mature. A genius who can't grow is nothing more than wasted potential rotting flesh by the roadside, white bones in a coffin.
Song Changsheng and Song Luding understood each other perfectly. Pretending nothing had happened, they carried on with the event as usual, until all four cities had completed their spirit root tests.
Only then did they gather the selected children and head to the provincial governor's estate.
Upon arrival, Song Changsheng took Song Xing straight to his mother to explain everything that had happened…
"What? A five-inch Wind Spirit Root?!"
Xia Yunxue's expression mirrored Song Luding's earlier shock, yet filled with joy.
"Mother, this is no small matter," Song Changsheng said. "Should we report it to the clan and have an elder come to escort him personally?"
Xia Yunxue frowned slightly and shook her head. "That wouldn't be wise. The Ascension Ceremony is not only a grand event for our family but for the entire Lingzhou region. We have no idea how many people are watching our every move."
"If we recklessly send a message via flying sword, there's a real risk it could be intercepted. That would be a serious problem."
"Then what should we do? If he travels with us on foot for over four hundred li, what if something goes wrong?"
They had used a paper kite to get here it only took half an hour. But returning was different; with over ten extra people, the kite couldn't carry them all, so they'd have to walk.
"Here's what we'll do," Xia Yunxue said calmly. "When you all leave, I'll take Song Xing ahead of you and secretly bring him back to the clan."
"But you're the city's guardian. If you abandon your post, what if" Song Changsheng trailed off, but the implication was clear.
"No worries," Xia Yunxue replied with confidence. "Even without swordfight, with my speed, I can make the round trip in just over an hour. That short a time won't matter."
"Alright. I'll go notify Uncle and get us moving quickly. The sooner we leave, the better."
When Song Changsheng returned to the main hall, he found Song Luzi who had arrived just a bit later than them smiling as he spoke with Song Luding.
"Uncle looks like you had some good fortune on your end," Song Changsheng greeted cheerfully.
"We did!" Song Luzi said happily. "We found a child with dual Earth and Metal spirit roots upper-mid potential!"
Song Changsheng exchanged a look with Song Luding, both of them smiling. In the past, dual spirit roots would've been considered an excellent find.
But with Song Xing's variant spirit root, everything else paled in comparison. Still, the fewer people who knew about it, the better. So they said nothing.
"Cousin, what did Fifth Elder say?" Song Luding gave a meaningful glance.
"She advised we set off as soon as possible to avoid any unexpected trouble," Song Changsheng replied with a subtle wink. "She also gave me a jade talisman for summoning help, just in case."
"Then let's follow her advice and depart at once," Song Luding said, realizing instantly that Song Xing wasn't with him and understanding the plan.
Song Luzi, still in high spirits, didn't notice the hidden exchange and nodded in agreement.
Half an hour later, the original five, now joined by fourteen spirit-rooted children, began their journey home. At the same time, Xia Yunxue quietly left the city with Song Xing.
On the road, Song Changjiu sighed. "I thought there'd be way more candidates. Turns out it's just a handful."
"This is already very good," Song Changsheng replied with a faint smile. "We may have fewer, but their quality is exceptional."
To him, nothing else mattered a variant spirit root was already enough.
Song Changjiu assumed he was talking about the dual-spirit-root child and muttered, "I was hoping we'd find a Heaven-grade root. Would've made this trip worth it."
"Hah! Give it a few more years, and it'll be your turn to travel," Song Luding said with a chuckle, stroking his beard.
Song Changjiu scratched his head and laughed sheepishly, saying no more.
Back on the mountain, they had always longed to descend into the world but once they'd left, they realized just how rare and precious life on the mountain had been…
The group moved swiftly through the forest, using their spiritual power to protect the children, chatting and joking as they went.
Unbeknownst to them, the danger was quietly closing in.
From the moment they left the city, they had been under surveillance.
"Boss, I saw everything. Only five cultivators two mid-stage, two late-stage, and one at the peak. Plus fourteen brats," said a man cloaked in black robes, his body reeking of filth, as he reported respectfully to the masked figure ahead.
The man in the iron-faced Rakshasa mask nodded in satisfaction. His voice was hoarse and cold. "Once we seize this batch, the task the Deacon gave us will be complete."
"Boss… they're from the Song Clan. Are we going through with this?" one of the black-robed men asked, hesitating.
Though the Song Clan had fallen from power, in Lingzhou they were still not to be trifled with. Crushing them would be effortless for the wrong person.
The masked man growled in displeasure, "Hmph. Have you forgotten who we serve? The Song Clan is nothing. Surround them and wait for my command. If they resist kill them all!"
"Yes, sir!"