Chapter 37: Chapter 35: About to Soar to the Heavens
"Stop overthinking it. You should worry about how you’re going to report back. All the men you brought are dead." Du Youqian withdrew his finger.
Lin Sha smiled arrogantly. "They were just a few mortals. What is there to report?"
Du Youqian was silent for a long moment. After a while, he remarked with a sigh, "Your Sect is really something else. It only took three short years to make you think you’re no longer a mortal."
In the Profound Sects, while there were similar tendencies, they were never this extreme.
’Does the Demon Sect deliberately have its new disciples rapidly shed their mortal identities and perspectives, reshaping their entire worldview, as a form of cultivation?’
Du Youqian could only speculate.
"I was never a mortal to begin with." Lin Sha turned to look toward Yang Wenwan and Mr. Si, her gaze filled with condescension. "If you don’t believe me, go and ask them. Do you think they see me as a mortal?"
It was pointless to argue with her.
Du Youqian had no intention of indulging her attitude. He rose to his feet. "I should be going."
Lin Sha also rose gracefully. A hint of reluctance flickered in her eyes, but she didn’t ask him to stay. She only said, "Qing Lang, take care."
After bidding her farewell, Du Youqian and the other two walked a few steps.
When he looked back, he saw Lin Sha still standing there barefoot, motionless, like a jade statue of a Divine Maiden in the snow.
He couldn’t help but let out a small sigh.
’No matter her personality or what she might have done...’
’At least toward me... she was deeply devoted, and had done everything she possibly could for me.’
’If I get the chance, I should repay her somehow.’
Only when Lin Sha’s figure had vanished into the mountain forest did Du Youqian hear her voice transmission again.
"Qing Lang, if you wish to see me, come to Black Stone Town at the foot of Panyun Mountain in Bian State of the Jin Kingdom. There’s a Butcher Zeng in town. If you find him, you can get a message to me. No matter if it’s through a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, no matter if I have to travel ten thousand miles, I will come to you."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Before nightfall, Yang Wenwan finally brought Du Youqian to the Zhongxuan Sect.
According to Yang Wenwan, the Zhongxuan Sect was located in a Blessed Land. It was densely populated with mortals who had formed several City-States.
And the Zhongxuan Sect was the absolute ruler of this Blessed Land.
"Let me tell you a secret. Although I don’t have a Spirit Root, I was accepted by the Zhongxuan Sect as a Registered Disciple for my many contributions to the Han Kingdom. Even though I can’t practice Cultivation, my sons have all been sent to live here. I can only hope that a descendant with a Spirit Root will appear in the next few generations."
Du Youqian smiled. "Big Brother, you’re caught in a political maelstrom. Sending my nephews away is a good thing. Even if no Cultivators appear among your descendants, just being able to live in this Blessed Land, far from war and famine, is a great fortune in itself."
"That’s true."
As they spoke, they arrived before the main gate of the Zhongxuan Sect.
The bearing of the Zhongxuan Sect was, naturally, a far cry from that of the Chongzhen Sect Du Youqian had seen before.
It was like comparing the small manor of a countryside nouveau riche to the Inner Imperial Palace.
One was on the ground, the other in the heavens.
Du Youqian felt a bit of contempt.
’Still, considering my unique ability to reincarnate indefinitely...’
’...it wouldn’t be a bad thing to spend a few lifetimes joining different Sects, learning their unique branches of knowledge and cultivation systems, and experiencing their different cultures. It would help me build a solid foundation for a major breakthrough later on, allowing me to reach the Nascent Soul realm before my tenth reincarnation.’
So, Du Youqian was simultaneously disdainful and full of anticipation.
The Guiding disciple was lukewarm toward Yang Wenwan, a man at the apex of the Human World. He wore an arrogant expression, his nose practically in the air.
As for Mr. Si, he was completely ignored, treated as if he didn’t even exist.
When he saw Du Youqian, however, he was much more polite, likely because he sensed Du Youqian possessed a Spirit Root.
As it was already late, Du Youqian’s Spirit Root was not tested that day.
They were given a guest room to rest in for the night. The next day, the test was conducted smoothly and without any hitches.
"Lower Grade Fire Spirit Root, almost Middle Grade. Not bad. You pass."
Hearing the disciple in charge of the test announce this in a flat, indifferent tone, Du Youqian breathed a sigh of relief.
’I actually had a vague suspicion of this myself. The two Spirit Root points I gained at the end of my last life seemed to have been added to the same Five Elements attribute.’
’And with my past cultivation experience, even though I haven’t officially started my Cultivation in this life, I could faintly sense that it was likely the fire element.’
’Before, having one point in each of the Five Elements was considered a Lowerest Grade Spirit Root.’
’Now, with three points in the fire element, it’s a Lower Grade Spirit Root, bordering on Middle Grade.’
’By that logic, two or three points in a single element must mean a Lower Grade Spirit Root, and four points would be a Middle Grade Spirit Root.’
’If I’m a bit luckier this life and can get four or even five Spirit Root points at the end, and if by some stroke of luck they all go into my Fire Spirit Root, wouldn’t that mean in my next life, or the life after that, I could start with an Upper Grade Spirit Root? Or even the legendary Earth Spirit Root or Celestial Spirit Root, which are said to hold the potential for Becoming an Immortal?’
’If I really had a Celestial Spirit Root, then breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm wouldn’t just be a dream.’
’But what’s bothering me is, I clearly worked very hard last life, so why did I only get a C+ Level rating and two Spirit Root points?’
’In the life before that, as someone who held immense power in the Wu Kingdom, I received an A Class evaluation and got five Spirit Root points, even though I was just a mortal.’
’What exactly are the rules for the evaluation?’
Du Youqian could only speculate. ’Perhaps to get a higher evaluation and more Spirit Root points, it’s not enough to just focus on Cultivation. Maybe I need to stir things up?’
Despite this speculation, after officially joining the Zhongxuan Sect and becoming an Outer Disciple, Du Youqian maintained a low profile for several months. He didn’t go looking for trouble.
He knew full well that causing trouble when you have the strength to back it up is called making a statement. Causing trouble when you don’t is just asking for death.
Of course, when an opportunity presented itself, he would naturally seize it.
~~~~~~~~
On this particular day, the sun beat down as if it would melt the very earth. The summer cicadas droned on, their incessant noise invading the dreams of those taking an afternoon nap.
「Zhongxuan Sect, Outer Sect.」
In the cool shade of a massive tree—one that would take three people to encircle with their arms—a handsome young man lounged lazily in a wicker chair, languidly waving a Palm Fan.
"That’s him, Martial Uncle. According to that Registered Disciple of yours, this Junior Brother displayed unparalleled skill in Alchemy back in the Mortal World. Based on his description, you speculated that it was a sophisticated Alchemy technique, coupled with a unique understanding of medicinal properties. Do you remember?" a man said from a distance, pointing at the figure under the tree.
The middle-aged man in a loose, gray robe stroked his beard and smiled. "Of course, I remember. I’ve been interested in him for some time. To think he would join our Sect while I was in seclusion for a year. What is his Spirit Root like?"
"A Fire Element Lower Grade Spirit Root, almost Middle Grade."
"Acceptable. Just right for Alchemy. How long has he been with the Sect, and what’s his Cultivation level?"
"He joined seven months ago. He’s a diligent cultivator with decent Comprehension. What’s more, before joining, he was one of those so-called Innate Masters in the Mortal World. His innate energy could be converted into Magical Power, so his Cultivation progress has been extremely fast. He’s already at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer and will likely break through to the Qi Cultivation Third Layer any day now."
"No, he’s not at the second layer. Nor the third."
"What?"
"It’s nothing."
"Martial Uncle, are you going to go over and speak with him?"
The middle-aged man thought for a moment, then shook his head decisively. "Never mind. Tell him to come find me at the Alchemy Room tomorrow. I will test him myself, in person."
"This is his good fortune." The disciple leading the way had a look of envy on his face.
This unremarkable-looking middle-aged man was the Vice Hall Master of the Zhongxuan Sect’s Pill Furnace Hall.
Although his Cultivation wasn’t particularly high—only at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage—he held a position of great power and authority, and could even influence the Sect Leader’s decisions to a certain degree.
If that new kid could win this man’s favor, he would likely skyrocket to prominence.
’I’d better try to get on his good side early on.’
