Chapter 7: A Heavenly Spirit Root That Can't Pass the Official Assessment?

"You were out all night — don't you think about how your family feels?" Su Bai said, his face stern as he scolded her.

"I..." Xiao Lingxi lowered her head and muttered, "Did they ever think about how I feel?"

"You, you, you!" Su Bai sighed helplessly.

Xiao Lingxi wasn't his child, and he had no right to interfere too much.

If it were his own child acting this mischievously, he'd guarantee a proper lesson to give the kid a memorable childhood!

"Ding — the Host's cultivation has broken through!"

Suddenly, the System's voice rang out in Su Bai's mind.

[Host]

Name: Su Bai

Age: 18

Realm: Third Level of the Qi Refining Stage

Items: 20 copper coins

"Third level of the Qi Refining Stage?"

Su Bai's gaze drifted involuntarily toward Zhuge Feng, who was still cultivating nearby.

As the Sect Master of the Heavenly Dao Sect, his cultivation was equal to ten times the combined cultivation of all his disciples.

And right now, the Heavenly Dao Sect had only one disciple — Zhuge Feng!

His cultivation was essentially bound to Zhuge Feng's.

Which meant that if he had broken through, then...

"Ding — a disciple's cultivation has broken through. Reward: 10 sect points."

Bang!

A crisp sound erupted from within Zhuge Feng's body. Immediately after, the airflow around him surged several times over, and a powerful aura burst forth.

Whoosh —

He opened his eyes. They gleamed with sharp brilliance, full of vitality.

First level of the Qi Refining Stage!

"Phew..." Zhuge Feng exhaled a breath of turbid air and slowly clenched his fist. A series of crackling sounds rang out, and a faint cyan radiance shimmered over his knuckles.

"So this is the power those Immortals possess?"

He had always made time to train his body, and the heavy labor of his menial work had built him up to the point where he could lift several hundred pounds with his bare hands.

But now, with Spiritual Energy surging through his acupoints, his entire body was enhanced and brimming with boundless strength.

In this moment, Zhuge Feng felt as though he had an inexhaustible supply of power.

"With my strength now, I should be able to avenge my parents," Zhuge Feng said, tightening his fist, a tinge of blood-red flickering in his eyes.

"First level of the Qi Refining Stage in a single night?"

Xiao Lingxi was dumbstruck. From the moment she had met Su Bai until now — barely a single day — she had lost count of how many times she'd been shocked.

Even if the Heavenly Dao Sect's immortal arts were extraordinarily powerful, reaching the Qi Refining Stage in a single night seemed impossible!

After all, Lingxiao, the number one genius of the Lingxiao Sect, had once taken half a month to reach the first level of the Qi Refining Stage — and that had already been celebrated to the heavens!

"Master, your disciple has not let you down — I have successfully entered the Qi Refining Stage!" Zhuge Feng bowed to Su Bai with excitement.

"Good, very good!"

Su Bai said "good" twice in a row. The stronger Zhuge Feng became, the stronger he would become as well!

"Had you cultivated before?" Xiao Lingxi couldn't help but ask.

If Zhuge Feng had been cultivating for some time beforehand and was already close to the Qi Refining Stage, then it would at least be barely understandable.

"I didn't even pass the Lingxiao Sect's official disciple assessment — how could I possibly have had any immortal arts to cultivate with?"

Zhuge Feng smiled bitterly. What good was coming first in the assessment?

The results were controlled by the Stewards. If they didn't pass you, how would the sect's higher-ups ever know that the top scorer was Zhuge Feng and not Han Feng?

"This is your first time cultivating?" Xiao Lingxi's eyes went wide.

She suddenly felt as though she had discovered some extraordinary prodigy.

"Let me check something!"

With that thought, Xiao Lingxi quickly rummaged through her storage ring, and after a short while, she pulled out a crystal stone that resembled a Spirit Stone.

"This is a Spirit Root testing stone. The higher your Spiritual Root, the brighter this stone will glow."

As she spoke, Xiao Lingxi placed the Spirit Root testing stone in front of Zhuge Feng.

Zhuge Feng placed his hand on the stone and focused his mind, channeling Spiritual Energy into his palm.

Hum —

In a fleeting moment, the crystal stone began to tremble faintly.

Then, a dazzling golden radiance bloomed from within the crystal, shooting straight up into the sky.

Blindingly brilliant, impossible to look at directly.

"Golden light blazing — the legendary Heavenly Spirit Root!"

Xiao Lingxi covered her mouth with her hand, her face filled with disbelief.

The Heavenly Spirit Root that the Lingxiao Sect had sought for ten thousand years without finding even one!

"So I have a Heavenly Spirit Root?" Zhuge Feng was momentarily stunned.

Beside them, Su Bai had also opened the System panel and was reviewing his disciple's information.

Name: Zhuge Feng

Age: 18

Cultivation: First Level of the Qi Refining Stage

Spiritual Root: Heavenly Spirit Root

Sect Loyalty: 80 (Note: Unlocking a super reward requires loyalty to reach 100)

After reading through Zhuge Feng's profile, Su Bai couldn't help but be astonished.

Even as a Transmigrator, he understood just how extraordinary a Heavenly Spirit Root was — it was absolutely the kind of existence that was Favored by Fate.

The very first disciple he had casually taken in was this powerful?

Powerful was great!

The stronger the disciple, the stronger he would become!

"Wait — you have a Heavenly Spirit Root, and you still didn't pass the Lingxiao Sect's official disciple assessment? Did I hear that right?"

Xiao Lingxi, having processed what she'd heard, was once again utterly baffled, and pressed him in disbelief.

"In this region, my assessment score was first place. Unfortunately, I didn't have three hundred silver taels, so I didn't pass."

Zhuge Feng shook his head, a helpless expression crossing his face.

The words Steward Wang had said to him still echoed in his mind.

In this world, what's never in short supply is self-important geniuses like you!

"Pfft —"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingxi nearly spat out the water she'd drunk the day before.

A Heavenly Spirit Root that couldn't pass the official assessment?

The continent's joke of the year?

"Why couldn't you pass without three hundred silver taels?" Xiao Lingxi stared wide-eyed, utterly confused.

"Because..." Zhuge Feng hesitated for a moment, then said, "The results of the disciple assessment at the Yunshui City branch are controlled by several Stewards, who then report them to the sect's Elders."

"It doesn't matter how well you score — reporting your results brings them no benefit. But if you have money, they profit from it. The choice isn't hard to make." Zhuge Feng smiled bitterly.

"How can that be? Don't they test Spiritual Roots during the assessment?" Xiao Lingxi asked, aghast.

"Test Spiritual Roots? If they tested Spiritual Roots, how would those young masters and misses with poor Spiritual Roots still pass? How would that be convincing to anyone?" Zhuge Feng let out a sigh.

Xiao Lingxi fell silent. After a short while, she suddenly said, "I'm sorry."

Zhuge Feng smiled. "No need to apologize. I've been through too much of this — I made my peace with it long ago."

Xiao Lingxi shook her head and said, "Half a year ago, my father arranged a disciple slot at the Lingxiao Sect for me. I only need to show up half a year later to officially become a disciple."

"If I'm remembering correctly, you and I should have been in the same assessment batch. The slot I have... may very well have originally been yours."

As she finished speaking, Xiao Lingxi gently bit her red lip.

It was only a possibility, but it still made her feel guilty.

Zhuge Feng was momentarily taken aback.

Even Senior Brother Gan — a young master whose father was at the Foundation Establishment Stage — still had to spend half a year as a Menial Disciple, even if it was just for show. He still had to be present in person.

Yet the girl before him didn't need to do anything at all — she could simply show up half a year later and be accepted directly.

Her background was...

But then, thinking of something else, Zhuge Feng gave a carefree smile and said, "Don't worry about it. There are so many slots — the one you took probably wasn't mine."

"Besides, I am now a disciple of the Heavenly Dao Sect. Master was willing to take me in — that is already the greatest gift Heaven could have given me."

"Mm." Xiao Lingxi gave a slight nod. "Honestly, I never wanted to join the Lingxiao Sect to begin with. After all this, I want to even less."

She then turned her gaze to Su Bai, her beautiful eyes shimmering. "Immortal Master, just tell me — what conditions must I meet for you to allow me to join the Heavenly Dao Sect?"

Su Bai said nothing. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the foot of the mountain.

At that moment, a group of people was rushing toward them at great speed.

"Hm?" Xiao Lingxi followed Su Bai's gaze, and her expression shifted slightly.

Before long, the group arrived at the Heavenly Dao Sect and appeared before Su Bai and the others.

"Miss Lingxi, we've finally found you!"