Chapter 12: So This Is the Treatment for a Dual Spiritual Root?

Among those twenty-odd people, every single one possessed either a Triple Spiritual Root or a Quadruple Spiritual Root.

The Single and Dual Spiritual Roots that others could only dream of were nowhere to be seen.

Bai Chen rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

He hadn't expected that the Five Spiritual Root — regarded as trash across the entire continent — wouldn't appear even once.

Did that mean he was actually a one-in-ten-thousand genius?

The line kept moving forward, and it was almost Chen Jinbao's turn.

He trembled and looked back at Bai Chen. Even without saying a word, Bai Chen could read exactly what he wanted to say.

"Brother Bai, I'm scared!"

Bai Chen gave Chen Jinbao a slight nod and gently patted his arm in quiet reassurance.

"Don't worry, you'll definitely be fine."

After testing several thousand people without a single Dual Spiritual Root showing up, wouldn't Chen Jinbao's Metal-Earth Dual Spiritual Root blow the whole place wide open?

He was absolutely Inner Sect Disciple material.

Chen Jinbao forced the corners of his mouth into something that looked more like a grimace than a smile, his chubby face scrunching into a ball.

From his perspective, out of several thousand people, fewer than thirty had shown any Spiritual Root at all — so what chance did he have?

An eighty percent chance of having no Spiritual Root, no doubt about it.

Still, even now, Bai Chen was telling him he'd definitely make it. Wuwuwu... Brother Bai was just too kind.

"No Spiritual Root — move along, next!"

Finally, it was Chen Jinbao's turn to be tested.

He let out a long, heavy breath, licked his lips, and shuffled forward with trembling steps.

Bai Chen took the opportunity to look at the Spirit Sensing Stone.

He saw that it was entirely translucent white, as if carved from the finest mutton-fat jade.

Its surface was covered in intricate spirit patterns, and at the center of those patterns was embedded a pigeon-egg-sized cyan crystal that trembled faintly, radiating a gentle ripple of Spiritual Energy.

So it was this crystal that had been emitting all those lights just now?

Chen Jinbao stood before the Spirit Sensing Stone and reached toward it with a shaking arm.

Grandpa, Grandma, Great-grandpa, Great-grandma — please bless your grandson...

Chen Jinbao squeezed his eyes shut, steeled himself, and slammed his sweaty, chubby hand down hard onto the Spirit Sensing Stone.

At first, the jade tablet remained silent, and his heart sank like a stone.

It's over. He really had no Spiritual Root.

Just as he was about to give up hope, the translucent white surface of the jade suddenly blazed to life.

Two entirely distinct halos burst forth from the cyan crystal.

The golden light shone like molten glass — fierce and concentrated. The earth-brown light was like dense, settled jade — warm and steadfast.

The two-colored radiance intertwined and coiled together, several times more brilliant than all the Triple and Quadruple Spiritual Root lights that had come before. Even the surrounding air seemed to be tinged with the faint glow of gold and earth.

The Hexu Sect disciple standing watch nearby snapped wide awake and called out loudly: "Metal-Earth Dual Spiritual Root!"

Every gaze on the plaza snapped over at once.

The young men and women still in line stared at Chen Jinbao with expressions of utter disbelief.

Up to this point, roughly three thousand people had already been tested.

Not only had there been no Dual Spiritual Root — even Triple Spiritual Roots with a slightly stronger glow had been rare. This was the very first Dual Spiritual Root.

How enviable!

Chen Jinbao stared blankly at the Spirit Sensing Stone still radiating its gold-and-earth dual light, then spun around to look at Bai Chen.

He actually had a Dual Spiritual Root!

Bai Chen said he'd make it — and he actually did?!

Bai Chen smiled and gave him a gentle nod.

* * *

Inside the Spirit Induction Hall, Mo Henian was lounging lazily in his chair, slowly savoring a cup of spirit tea.

Wen Ruoheng sat with eyes closed in meditation, as though he had already entered a state of deep focus.

The two of them had come to preside over this Disciple Recruitment Ceremony as a matter of routine.

Talented seedlings had long since been brought into the sect. The odds of finding a truly exceptional prospect among these ordinary people who had traveled from all over were simply too low.

It had been several years since either of them had discovered a Triple Spiritual Root or better at one of these ceremonies.

When the Spirit Sensing Stone outside erupted with the light of a Dual Spiritual Root, Mo Henian's teacup jerked to a halt in his hand, nearly spilling its contents.

The warmth in his eyes sharpened in an instant. "A Dual Spiritual Root?"

A Dual Spiritual Root had appeared among ten thousand people?

Wen Ruoheng's eyes snapped open as well. Without a word, her figure had already shot toward the outside.

Mo Henian came back to his senses a beat later and burst out of the Spirit Induction Hall like a streak of light.

Two figures, one after the other, cleaved through the air and appeared directly before Chen Jinbao.

Mo Henian smoothed his billowing robes and let his gaze fall on the gold-and-earth intertwined spirit light on the Spirit Sensing Stone. The hand stroking his beard curved upward in satisfaction.

Wen Ruoheng stood with her hands clasped behind her back. Her cool, clear eyes settled on Chen Jinbao, and though her expression remained as impassive as ever, her gaze was noticeably softer than before.

The disciples nearby had already fallen silent. The plaza was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Chen Jinbao was so startled he flinched, immediately withdrew his hand from the Spirit Sensing Stone, and gave a stiff bow. "Elder Mo, Elder Wen..."

Mo Henian's voice carried a smile as he raised a hand in a genial gesture.

"Good lad — Metal-Earth Dual Spiritual Root. You're prime material for Artifact Forging!"

The moment those words left his mouth, Wen Ruoheng shot him a cold sideways glance.

"The Metal Spiritual Root is sharp and keen, ideal for tempering sword bones; the Earth Spiritual Root is heavy and grounded, perfect for stabilizing one's foundation. For the path of the sword, this is equally an exceptional choice."

Her voice was like her person — clear and cutting.

Yet anyone who knew her well could tell that this Peak Master, who had always held her standards impossibly high, was genuinely pleased with the chubby young boy before her.

Mo Henian was immediately displeased and turned to glare at her.

"What sword path? Gold metal forges the artifact, thick earth bears the furnace — this child was born for Artifact Forging. Come to my Xuanding Peak, and I, this old man, guarantee him—"

"Artifact Forging takes too long. Sword cultivation advances far more quickly."

Before Mo Henian could finish, Wen Ruoheng cut him off coolly, yielding not an inch.

The two of them actually began to argue right there in front of the entire plaza.

In the end, it was Mo Henian who reined in his temper first, waving a hand at Wen Ruoheng. "What am I even arguing with you about? It still comes down to what the boy himself wants to cultivate."

With that, he turned to face Chen Jinbao, who was still standing there in a daze.

A kindly smile spread across his face as he stroked his white beard and said, "Boy, that Metal-Earth Dual Spiritual Root of yours — you were born to be a fine vessel for Artifact Forging.

"Join my Xuanding Peak. Once you've laid the groundwork for drawing Qi into your body, as long as you pass the assessment, I will personally take you as my disciple and impart to you every secret art of Artifact Forging that Xuanding Peak possesses."

The moment he finished, Wen Ruoheng spoke as well. "Lingxiao Sword Peak offers the same. After you draw Qi and temper your body, pass my assessment, and I will personally teach you the way of the sword."

These words sent another wave of uproar through the plaza.

Both Peak Masters had personally promised to take him as their own disciple?!

The thirty-odd people who had already been identified as having Spiritual Roots and were waiting by the side hall to the east — those who had been quietly feeling rather pleased with themselves — now wore expressions of pure, undisguised envy.

So this was the treatment for a Dual Spiritual Root?

The gap was simply too vast.

Bai Chen had been listening all along and was beginning to piece things together.

Although both of them were competing over Chen Jinbao, neither had directly said they would take him as a Personal Disciple right away. They had only said they would let him enter their respective peaks as an Inner Sect Disciple to cultivate.

It seemed that without successfully drawing Qi into the body to enter the Qi Refining Stage, and without passing their so-called assessments, even the most talented individual couldn't simply leap to the top in one step.

He just didn't know whether this rule applied only to those who had come to take the test on their own, or whether it was the same for those who had entered Hexu Sect ahead of time.

While Bai Chen pondered the management structure of Hexu Sect on one side, Chen Jinbao on the other was so overwhelmed by the commotion that he looked ready to explode.