Chapter 9: Visit of the Immortal Master
A few days later, Younger Brother began cultivating internal energy techniques. He had always believed that a true hero should wield a sword, so he chose a sword technique as his martial skill.
Wang Hong took Younger Brother to the blacksmith Zhang to pick a fine sword. Only then did the two brothers officially embark on the path of martial cultivation.
Subsequently, relentless training began, day and night. Anything that required ti for contemplation and comprehension was completed within a spatial realm, where ti flowed more than twentyfold faster. After achieving clarity in understanding, they would practice outside the spatial realm. Even sleep was done within the spatial realm, maximizing every mont for cultivation.
The spear thrust had to be swift and direct, piercing straight through with force concentrated at the tip. It should resemble a hidden dragon erging from water on the outward thrust and a fierce tiger entering a cave on the return. Spear thrusts were categorized into upper, middle, and lower levels, with the middle level being the crucial technique. Hence, the saying, "Middle-level spear, the king of spears; the point in the middle is the most difficult to defend against."
His movents beca sowhat chanical as he repeatedly thrust the spear forward, yet the precision of his actions remained as sharp as ever. Each basic movent was practiced two thousand tis daily.
anwhile, Younger Brother diligently practiced a fundantal sword technique nearby.
In the luxurious room atop the highest building in Qinyang Academy, the highly respected Dean, a figure even the County Magistrate would defer to, currently stood with a deferential smile, bowing deeply.
Seated at the head of the room was an old Daoist, with white hair but a youthful face, three long strands of beard hanging from his chin. His pristine blue Daoist robe made him appear like a celestial being descended to the mortal realm.
Indeed, this old Daoist was a celestial being in the mortal realm. He was a Foundation Establishnt cultivator from the Taihao Sword Sect, assigned to the mortal realm for the sect's mission of scouting exceptional talents with Spiritual Roots.
The role of a scout was simpleto roam the mortal realm, searching for individuals with outstanding Spiritual Roots on behalf of the sect.
After several years of wandering in the mortal realm, the old Daoist had yet to encounter soone with exceptional aptitude. The sect stipulated that only those with at least two Spiritual Roots could be directly recruited into the sect.
Of course, if the scout managed to find a disciple with outstanding aptitude, the rewards would be substantial.
"Two Spiritual Roots" referred to individuals possessing only two types of Spiritual Roots. In the cultivation world, there were five primary Spiritual RootsWood, Fire, Earth, tal, and Wateras well as three variationsIce, Wind, and Thundermaking a total of eight Spiritual Roots.
Individuals with Spiritual Roots were a rare minority among mortals, and most had four or five Spiritual Roots. However, having fewer Spiritual Roots was considered better, as individuals with complete sets of five were often labeled as having "wasted" Spiritual Roots, resulting in slow cultivation and requiring vast resources.
Those with four Spiritual Roots were only slightly stronger than those with five and were generally not accepted by sects.
In the cultivation world, cultivators with two or three Spiritual Roots were considered the norm.
As for Single Elent Spiritual Roots, known as "Heavenly Spiritual Roots," they were extrely rare and almost unheard of. As long as there were no accidents leading to premature death, cultivators with such roots could easily reach the Golden Core stage.
While cultivators typically faced various bottlenecks during realm advancents, so could break through after a few months or years, while others might be stuck for decades or even their entire lives.
Cultivators with Heavenly Spiritual Roots, on the other hand, faced no bottlenecks from Qi cultivation to the Golden Core stage. They didn't even need Foundation Establishnt Pills to form their Golden Cores.
Therefore, recruiting a disciple with Heavenly Spiritual Roots was akin to securing a future Golden Core cultivator for the sect.
Today, as the old Daoist flew over Qinyang Academy on his sword, a treasure in his possession unexpectedly reacted.
He imdiately took out the Spiritual Testing Disk from his robes and, after performing a few incantations, the disk emitted a bright white light.
This item was bestowed upon the sect's scouts and would automatically heat up when near mortals with exceptional Spiritual Roots.
With a sweep of his divine sense, the old Daoist quickly located the Dean and descended directly to the room. He explained his purpose to the elated Dean. Although the recruit wasn't for himself, being touched by celestial luck was still a favorable outco.
"Dong~" The sound of a bell echoed throughout the entire academy, causing everyone to cease their activities and gaze toward the direction of the bell. The academy's bell didn't ring casually; the number of chis held different anings. Wang Hong and the others had not heard the bell in the six months since entering the academy.
"Dong~"
"Dong~"
After three bell chis, everyone hurried to the central Grand Training Ground. The Grand Training Ground spanned twenty acres, accommodating tens of thousands of people simultaneously.
When Wang Hong arrived at the Training Ground, he saw his fellow squad mber Zhang Tie Mao already there and naturally stood to his right.
At this mont, the benefits of regular drills beca apparent. In less than fifteen minutes, the academy students were already arranged in their usual formation, forming a large square, silent and solemn.
On the contrary, students from the literary departnt on the other side were in disarray, chatting in small groups, unable to form proper lines.
At this ti, the old Dean, accompanied by a seemingly ethereal old man, respectfully ascended a raised platform. From a distance, the old Dean seed to be explaining sothing.
The ethereal old man took out a tal disc from his robes and gestured at it. Astonishingly, the tal disc autonomously flew into the air, slowly hovering and dancing above the crowd.
The spectators were amazed. The tal disc had no wings, and it didn't resemble a living creature capable of flying without falling. They had never witnessed such a peculiar occurrence.
"Could this be the legendary techniques of the immortals? Is that old man truly a celestial being?" So imdiately prostrated, while others believed it to be magic or so other chanism.
Unfazed by the reactions below, the old man focused on manipulating the Spiritual Testing Disk, which occasionally emitted a faint glow.
Wang Hong noticed that when the tal disc flew over his head, it emitted a faint glow, which disappeared when it moved away.
After circling the entire Training Ground, the disc returned to the old man's hands.
With one hand gripping the disc, the old man made a gesture in the air. Before the crowd could comprehend, a student from the audience seed to be grabbed by an invisible hand and instantly appeared on the elevated platform.
The old man continued to grab students from the crowd as if plucking fish from a pond. Those who were brought up to the platform either shivered in fear, imagining themselves ensnared by so dark magic, or felt elated, thinking they had caught the attention of the Immortal Master and were destined for greatness.
Wang Hong felt a sudden tightening on his body, and before he could experience the sensation of flying in the air, he had already landed on the platform.
Not long after, Younger Brother was also brought up. The two brothers being selected simultaneously left Wang Hong with mixed feelingswhether this was a good or bad thing was uncertain, making him sowhat uneasy.
Without keeping them waiting for too long, the old man stopped after grabbing over a hundred people. He then instructed them to take turns approaching and touching the tal disc with their hands.
The first youth placed his hand on the disc, and it emitted blue, red, yellow, white, and black lights. The old man glanced briefly and shouted, "Next!"
The subsequent participants, dozens in a row, displayed four or five colors of light. The old man glanced at each with only a brief look, shouting "Next!" each ti. Only when a person with only three colors of light appeared did the old man take a longer look, saying nothing more before calling the next person.
When it was Wang Hong's turn, the colors were blue, red, yellow, and black. Following him, Younger Brother touched the disc, and it imdiately emitted a pure white light. While others had lights only a few inches long, Younger Brother's light extended nearly a foot.
The old man, initially leisurely stroking his beard, now appeared excited. His hand trembled, pulling out several strands of his beard, yet he seed oblivious to it.
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