Chapter 309: Chapter 131: Zhenyue Peak
Steward Chen emerged from his reverie and waved a hand. "It’s windy out here. Let’s go inside to talk."
Yang Jing and Sun Ningxiang hurried to follow him into the wooden cabin.
The cabin’s interior was spartan. An old wooden table stood in the center, flanked by a few long benches. Piles of scrolls were stacked in a corner, and the air was filled with the faint scent of ink and paper.
Steward Chen sat in the chair behind the wooden table and gestured to the bench opposite him. "Sit."
As the two took their seats, the sect disciple who had guided them lingered at the door. He was surprised to see how mild Steward Chen’s attitude was toward the pair, almost as if he were familiar with them.
While Steward Chen wasn’t known for being harsh, he was rarely this polite to newcomers.
Not daring to linger, he quickly said in a respectful tone, "This disciple will take his leave."
With that, he gently pulled the door shut and departed.
Only the three of them remained in the cabin, and the atmosphere grew much quieter.
Light filtered through the latticed window, casting dappled patterns on the floor.
Steward Chen picked up the envelope on the table. His gaze fell upon the writing on the front, addressed to Peak Master Qin of Zhenyue Peak for his personal attention. A trace of nostalgia flickered in his eyes as his fingertips gently brushed across the words.
After a moment of silence, he carefully tucked the envelope into a cloth pouch at his waist.
"I will deliver this letter to Peak Master Qin personally," Steward Chen said, looking up. His tone was more solemn than before. "For now, someone will show you to your quarters to rest. Wait for news. I’ll send someone to inform you once there’s a decision."
"Thank you, Steward Chen." Yang Jing and Sun Ningxiang quickly rose to their feet to express their gratitude. The weight in their chests lightened somewhat.
Steward Chen waved his hand but didn’t immediately call for a guide. Instead, he stood up and walked before the two of them, his eyes scanning them over. "According to the rules, even with a recommendation letter, your Root Bones must be inspected before you can be admitted. I’ll take a look for you now."
Yang Jing’s heart sank, and his fingers tightened into a fist.
’He knew his own Root Bone all too well. When he first joined Sun’s Martial Arts Hall, his master had examined it for him. It was merely a common Lower-Grade Root Bone—mediocre even among those of its kind.’
’He had thought that with his master’s recommendation letter, the Xuanzhen Sect might relax its requirements and not place so much importance on one’s Root Bone.’
’After all, he had already reached the level of Strength Transformation, which was outstanding for someone his age. He never thought he’d still be unable to avoid this step.’
’Major sects truly did place immense importance on Root Bone when recruiting disciples. Even those with a recommendation were no exception.’
Yang Jing took a deep breath, suppressed his unease, and quietly awaited Steward Chen’s examination.
Sun Ningxiang, by his side, was much calmer and more composed.
A faint smile touched Steward Chen’s lips. "No need to be so tense. This is just a routine matter."
With that, he extended his right hand, and a faint white glow materialized at his fingertips.
As Yang Jing watched the faint white glow on Steward Chen’s fingertips, his heart stirred.
The light was gentle yet possessed an indescribable penetrating quality. It wasn’t the Inner Strength he was familiar with. Inner Strength was either fierce or condensed, but it never had such a mild yet profound aura.
’He suddenly recalled his master occasionally mentioning Inner Qi—a power one could only access at a realm beyond Strength Transformation. Could it be... this is Inner Qi?’
While he was lost in thought, Steward Chen had already moved to stand before him, smiling faintly. "Relax."
Yang Jing did as he was told and relaxed his tense body.
Steward Chen’s fingers landed gently on his shoulder. The white glow at his fingertips flickered as a gentle energy seeped into Yang Jing’s body from the point of contact and began to circulate slowly.
Then, his fingers moved to Yang Jing’s shoulder blade, which he squeezed lightly. He then traced a path down the spine, passed over the waist, and finally stopped at the knee.
As the examination progressed, Steward Chen’s brows began to furrow. At first, it was just a slight crease, but it deepened steadily.
’This...’ A ripple of shock went through Steward Chen.
’This boy clearly has a Strength Transformation Cultivation. To reach such a level at his age, his Root Bone should be at least within the Middle Three Grades, even if it’s not top-tier.’
’But his examination revealed that the toughness of the boy’s muscles and bones, as well as the flow of his qi and blood, were only at the level of the Lower Three Grades. In fact... it was barely a Seventh-Grade, closer to the range of an Eighth-Grade Root Bone.’
’In the past, when the Xuanzhen Sect held its open recruitment, a candidate with such a Root Bone would never have even made it to him. They would have been screened out and eliminated during the very first round of bone assessment.’
Steward Chen suppressed his surprise and withdrew his hand. The white glow at his fingertips slowly faded.
He didn’t speak right away, merely looking at Yang Jing with a complex expression.
Noticing the change in atmosphere, Sun Ningxiang asked softly, "Steward Chen, is... something wrong?"
Steward Chen slowly shook his head, his voice tinged with an almost imperceptible rasp. "It’s nothing. Just a routine examination."
’He knew his duty well. He was only responsible for inspecting the Root Bones and registering the information. As for the final decision to accept them, that was up to the Peak Master of each peak. Despite his inner shock and confusion, he let none of it show on his face.’
The outside world generally categorized Root Bones as Upper-Grade, Middle-Grade, and Lower-Grade, but a great sect with a long history like the Xuanzhen Sect used a more precise and detailed system.
The Xuanzhen Sect divided Root Bones into Nine Grades, with First Grade being the highest. Grades One through Three were considered Upper-Grade Root Bones; Grades Four through Six were Middle-Grade Root Bones; and Grades Seven through Nine were Lower-Grade Root Bones. Those in the lowest bracket had mediocre aptitude and a slow Cultivation speed. When they hit a bottleneck, they could be stuck for many years, perhaps even an entire lifetime, unable to achieve a breakthrough.
Unconvinced, Steward Chen examined Yang Jing’s bones a second time.
This time, he was even more thorough. The Inner Qi from his fingertips seeped slowly into Yang Jing’s body, meticulously probing along his meridians and bones.
