Chapter 13: One in a Hundred
"I… I…"
For anyone else, having two Elders compete over them would have been the highest of honors.
But for Chen Jinbao, this was a burning hot potato he couldn't afford to hold!
On one side stood the Peak Master of Xuanding Peak, and on the other, the Peak Master of Lingxiao Sword Peak.
He was just a kid who hadn't even begun to draw in Qi — no matter which side he chose, he'd be offending the other.
If he couldn't keep things balanced, how was he supposed to get by in the sect going forward?
He was so anxious that beads of sweat formed on the tip of his nose, and he instinctively turned to look back at Bai Chen.
Brother Bai, save me!
The moment he turned, Mo Henian and Wen Ruoheng's gazes followed, two pairs of eyes carrying spiritual pressure that landed squarely on Bai Chen.
A wave of goosebumps instantly crawled up Bai Chen's spine.
Holy shit, don't drag me into this!
All he wanted was to keep a low profile and coast through to the end.
He had absolutely no desire to stand out.
He quickly raised a hand to cover his face and muttered in a muffled voice, "Cultivation is a lifelong pursuit — just pick whatever you like."
Surely the two great figures would understand what he meant by that, right?
Whatever Chen Jinbao chose would be entirely his own preference — it had nothing to do with him.
Mo Henian and Wen Ruoheng's gazes both swung back to Chen Jinbao.
Hearing Bai Chen's words, Chen Jinbao squeezed his sweaty palms together and steadied himself.
Right — cultivation is a lifelong pursuit.
If you forced yourself to study something you didn't enjoy, wouldn't it be even more offensive to make little progress in the end?
After thinking it over carefully for a moment, he took a deep breath and bowed respectfully toward Wen Ruoheng, his tone sincere as he apologized: "Elder Wen, this junior has failed to live up to your kind regard."
He then turned to Mo Henian and bowed even deeper.
"Disciple Chen Jinbao wishes to join Xuanding Peak and walk the path of Artifact Forging!"
Mo Henian's eyes lit up at once, and he let out a hearty laugh as he stroked his beard.
"Good lad, you've got taste!"
He shot a smug sideways glance at Wen Ruoheng beside him, his gloating impossible to conceal.
Wen Ruoheng simply gave a faint nod, his cool gaze sweeping over Chen Jinbao with a rare trace of regret.
Mo Henian, perhaps overjoyed that Chen Jinbao had chosen him, let his delighted gaze drift toward Bai Chen.
"You there, come up and test your Spiritual Root as well!"
Being able to stand alongside a talent like Chen Jinbao — someone with dual Metal-Earth Spirit Roots — this young man might not be bad either.
Even if he only had a three-element Spirit Root, he could be taken into Xuanding Peak as an Outer Sect Disciple first and slowly polished over time.
Wen Ruoheng's gaze followed as well, a barely perceptible look of scrutiny flickering through his eyes.
The goosebumps on Bai Chen's back instantly stood on end again.
He didn't want to be noticed, but there was no avoiding it this time.
Chen Jinbao had finished his test — it was naturally his turn next.
Steeling himself, Bai Chen walked up to the Spirit-Testing Stone and pressed his palm against it.
Quite a few people on the plaza looked over with curiosity.
Surely someone who was friends with a dual-root genius had to have something going for him, right?
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
Light suddenly blazed from the Spirit-Testing Stone.
Five streams of spiritual radiance — Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth — burst forth all at once.
Five-colored halos intertwined and swirled together.
Because there were so many colors, it somehow looked more dazzling than any result that had appeared before.
Yet the smile on Mo Henian's face gradually faded as he saw those lights, and he shook his head with a look of regret.
He had thought this might be a rough gem worth carving — but it turned out to be a mixed Spirit Root.
And not just any mixed Spirit Root, but the most hopeless kind: a five-element root.
With all five elements clashing against each other, Spiritual Energy was nearly impossible to refine.
Forget Foundation Establishment — reaching the Late Qi Refining Stage would already be burning incense in gratitude.
What a shame. The kid seemed steady enough, too.
Wen Ruoheng showed no reaction at all, simply turning his gaze away from Bai Chen.
Mo Henian sighed quietly to himself, then looked over at Wen Ruoheng.
"Elder Wen, I'll leave things here in your capable hands. I'll take this lad back to the peak to get him settled, and return shortly."
Wen Ruoheng gave a slight nod.
Mo Henian reached out with one broad hand, scooped up Chen Jinbao — who hadn't yet recovered from the shock — and transformed into a streak of light, vanishing from above the plaza in the blink of an eye.
Wen Ruoheng also turned and walked straight back into the Spirit-Testing Hall.
The difference in how Mo Henian and Wen Ruoheng treated Chen Jinbao versus Bai Chen hadn't been overtly dramatic, but as the person directly involved, Bai Chen felt it clearly enough.
Bai Chen shook his head inwardly.
Simply because he had a mixed Spirit Root, the treatment he received compared to Chen Jinbao was like the difference between heaven and earth.
The disciple standing guard by the Spirit-Testing Stone respectfully saw Wen Ruoheng off, then waved a hand at Bai Chen.
"Head to the eastern side hall and wait. The Outer Sect steward will handle the rest."
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Bai Chen gave a slight bow and turned to walk toward the eastern side hall.
A long table was set up in front of the hall, where a middle-aged cultivator in disciple robes was bent over it, recording information.
When Bai Chen approached, the man didn't even look up. "Name, place of origin, age, Spirit Root affinity."
"Bai Chen. From Aikou Town in Ansu Kingdom. Sixteen years old. Five-element Spirit Root."
The cultivator's writing hand paused, and he looked up in surprise.
A rootless one wandering over here?
Then he got a proper look at Bai Chen and realized his mistake — not rootless, five-element.
A flicker of curiosity crossed the middle-aged cultivator's eyes.
While the five-element Spirit Root was the worst among mixed roots, having all five elements present was still rare in its own right.
It seemed this was the first time in years he'd seen someone with a five-element Spirit Root.
A five-element root and a single-element root were both uncommon — this young man's luck was truly terrible, landing on the most useless kind of all.
The path of cultivation was going to be a rough one for him.
The middle-aged cultivator shook his head and copied the information into the register one entry at a time, then handed Bai Chen a wooden plaque engraved with the characters for "Outer Sect."
"This is your identity token. Take it and wait inside."
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Bai Chen accepted the plaque, and a sense of calm settled over him.
He had now set half a foot across the threshold of cultivation.
He tucked the plaque away and stepped into the side hall.
About thirty people were already standing inside — all lucky souls who had tested positive for a Spirit Root.
They gathered in small clusters of two or three, speaking in hushed voices, their expressions a mix of nervousness and excitement.
When Bai Chen walked in, the murmuring in the hall abruptly quieted.
Everyone's gaze snapped toward him, their expressions a patchwork of pity and disdain.
Bai Chen understood — they must have witnessed his and Chen Jinbao's Spirit Root tests just moments ago.
His expression remained unchanged. He paid no attention to those stares and walked straight to the farthest corner of the side hall, where he stood quietly and waited.
Being a nobody had its perks — nobody bothered with a nobody, which made it easy to keep a low profile.
The sounds of testing on the plaza gradually thinned, and before long, everyone had completed their assessment.
Counting the time, the entire testing process from start to finish had taken no more than two hours.
Bai Chen quietly counted the number of people who had come to the side hall.
Forty-six.
Out of more than ten thousand people, only forty-six — himself included — had been found to carry a Spirit Root.
Truly one in a hundred.
Suddenly, steady footsteps sounded from outside the hall.
A middle-aged cultivator in a dark steward's robe, with a square and upright face, walked into the side hall and came to a stop before the forty-six.
His gaze swept across everyone present, and he spoke in a clear, resonant voice: "Everyone, I am Wang Kun, Outer Sect Steward. I will be leading you to the Outer Sect quarters and arranging your cultivation matters. Follow me."