The commotion at the Spirit Testing Platform spread through Qingyun Sect overnight like wildfire.
"Did you hear? That Lin Feng kid—three years in the sect and still stuck at Body Refinement Stage One—turns out to have an Innate Thunder Spirit Root!"
"Not just that! The testing stone exploded with purple light. Its rank couldn't even be measured! Some say it might be a Heaven-grade Spirit Root!"
"No way! Even our founder only had an Earth-grade one!"
"It's true! Dozens of elders witnessed it. The Grand Elder was so excited he announced on the spot that Lin Feng would become his direct disciple!"
"Ha! Talk about a carp leaping over the dragon gate. He's going straight to the heavens now. The ones who mocked him must be dying of regret."
"Hmph, talent is one thing. Whether he can truly rise depends on his own strength."
Whispers of awe, envy, and flattery filled every corner of the sect.
Lin Feng's old, shabby hut was replaced by a quiet courtyard surrounded by dense spiritual energy—a residence reserved for the sect's most promising talents.
Inside the meditation chamber, Lin Feng sat cross-legged on a futon. But instead of basking in newfound glory, his brows were tightly furrowed. His mind was focused inward, on the faint violet lightning seal floating within his dantian.
The seal was the size of a fingernail, ancient in shape, covered in mysterious runes. Tiny arcs of lightning flowed across its surface, emanating a boundless and majestic aura.
This seal—the one that had awakened yesterday—had completely changed his fate.
What exactly are you? Lin Feng wondered.
The seal felt innate, as if it had always existed within him, dormant until the brink of despair had drawn it out. Along with the thunder root, it had also imprinted a stream of obscure information in his mind—a fragment of some profound cultivation art. But the fragment was too hazy to comprehend.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
Knock, knock.
"Junior Brother Lin, are you there?" A calm, melodic female voice came from outside.
Lin Feng stood, composed himself, and opened the door.
A woman in white stood there—elegant, cold, and breathtakingly beautiful. Su Lingshuang.
"Senior Sister Su," Lin Feng greeted, startled. This was the sect master's personal disciple, the goddess of countless male disciples—someone far above his reach.
Su Lingshuang nodded slightly, her eyes studying him. "No need for formalities. The phenomenon yesterday shocked the entire sect. Master sent me to check on your condition. Have you felt any discomfort?"
Her voice remained calm, yet there was a subtle warmth beneath the frost—barely noticeable, but real.
"I appreciate the sect's concern. I'm fine, Senior Sister," Lin Feng replied respectfully, though inwardly alert. Her gaze was too sharp, as if it could pierce straight through him.
Su Lingshuang stepped into the chamber, her eyes wandering casually. "A Thunder Spirit Root… quite the blessing for Qingyun Sect. Tell me, Junior Brother—when did you first sense its presence? Or perhaps… have you encountered anything unusual recently? Any strange objects?"
Lin Feng's heart tightened, but his expression remained calm. "I'm afraid not, Senior Sister. Before the testing, I noticed nothing out of the ordinary. The awakening came suddenly—I'm as confused as anyone."
He spoke half-truths. The lightning seal was his greatest secret, one he could never reveal.
Su Lingshuang studied him in silence. Her crystal-clear eyes seemed to search his very soul. Lin Feng held her gaze without flinching.
After a few moments, she looked away. "Perhaps it is heaven's will," she said softly. "Since your spirit root has awakened, you should focus on cultivation and not waste this gift. The sect will provide you with the best resources. If you encounter obstacles, you may come to Snowmoon Peak and seek me out."
She drew out a small jade talisman engraved with an ice lotus and handed it to him. "This is my token. With it, you may enter my cultivation abode directly."
Lin Feng blinked in surprise. This was… unusually generous. The legendary Ice Fairy, known for her cold indifference, was treating him with remarkable kindness.
He accepted the talisman, its surface cool to the touch. "Thank you, Senior Sister."
Su Lingshuang said nothing more. She turned gracefully and left, her white figure fading beyond the courtyard gate.
Lin Feng watched her go, the jade talisman heavy in his palm. Outwardly, her visit seemed like the sect's concern for a gifted disciple—but that sharp, probing look in her eyes unsettled him.
Was she simply curious about the Thunder Spirit Root? Or… did she sense something else?
The memory of the faint blue and red lights from the testing platform flashed in his mind.
He carefully tucked the talisman away, took a deep breath, and calmed himself. Whatever the reason, strength is all that matters.
Only with power can I control my fate—and uncover the truth behind all this.
Sitting cross-legged once more, he followed the faint guidance of the mysterious technique within his mind. Thin arcs of violet lightning surged through his meridians, tingling and numbing his limbs, yet filling him with strength.
Time blurred. When Lin Feng finally opened his eyes again, it was deep into the night.
He was stunned—his cultivation had jumped straight to Body Refinement Stage Three!
Such progress in a single day was nothing short of monstrous.
But before joy could settle in, his expression changed.
He felt it clearly—the lightning seal in his dantian had dimmed ever so slightly. The change was minuscule, but unmistakable.
The seal's power… it's being consumed!
His heart sank. If the seal runs dry, will my Thunder Spirit Root vanish with it?
Before he could dwell further, something shifted.
Perhaps his cultivation had stirred the ambient qi, or perhaps the breakthrough itself had triggered it—but suddenly, he sensed the air around him change.
Wisps of gentle, free-flowing energy drifted in through the window, playful like spirits. They seeped through his pores, merging into his body.
Cool, fluid, and unrestrained—like the wind itself.
They converged in his dantian, not clashing with the thunder power but instead swirling gently around the lightning seal, forming a faint azure current.
Then, with a powerful heartbeat, a spark of crimson heat rose from his chest, joining the flow.
Wind.
Fire.
Lin Feng's pupils contracted.
He hadn't imagined it—he truly possessed three elemental attributes!
Though the wind and fire were faint compared to the dominant thunder, their presence was undeniable. Without this breakthrough and heightened perception, he might never have noticed them.
Triple elemental affinity…? Impossible!
The sect's ancient records clearly stated that a human body could safely hold only one spirit root. Two was genius. Three or more would cause instant death.
Yet it was happening—inside him!
The lightning seal… is it the reason? Is it balancing these powers?
He looked down at his hands, feeling the mingling energies coursing through him—lightning crackling, wind stirring, fire simmering beneath his skin.
Excitement, confusion, fear, and anticipation all crashed together in his heart.
He knew then—his path would not be an ordinary one.
The serene Qingyun Sect was no longer as peaceful as it seemed.
Su Lingshuang's strange concern, the consuming lightning seal, and the sudden awakening of new elements—everything pointed toward a deeper mystery.
"No matter what lies ahead," Lin Feng whispered, clenching his fists, "I, Lin Feng, will never again be looked down upon. I will never bow to fate!"
His eyes gleamed with unshakable resolve.
From this night onward, the true journey of cultivation—and danger—had begun.