Chapter 9: Visit of the Immortal Master


    A few dayster, Younger Brother began cultivating internal energy techniques. He had always believed that a true hero should wield a sword, so he chose a sword technique as his martial skill.


    Wang Hong took Younger Brother to the cksmith Zhang to pick a fine sword. Only then did the two brothers officially embark on the path of martial cultivation.


    Subsequently, relentless training began, day and night. Anything that required time for contemtion andprehension waspleted within a spatial realm, where time flowed more than twentyfold faster. After achieving rity in understanding, they would practice outside the spatial realm. Even sleep was done within the spatial realm, maximizing every moment for cultivation.


    The spear thrust had to be swift and direct, piercing straight through with force concentrated at the tip. It should resemble a hidden dragon emerging from water on the outward thrust and a fierce tiger entering a cave on the return. Spear thrusts were categorized into upper, middle, and lower levels, with the middle level being the crucial technique. Hence, the saying, "Middle-level spear, the king of spears; the point in the middle is the most difficult to defend against."


    His movements became somewhat mechanical as he repeatedly thrust the spear forward, yet the precision of his actions remained as sharp as ever. Each basic movement was practiced two thousand times daily.


    Meanwhile, Younger Brother diligently practiced a fundamental sword technique nearby.


    In the luxurious room atop the highest building in Qinyang Academy, the highly respected Dean, a figure even the County Magistrate would defer to, currently stood with a deferential smile, bowing deeply.


    Seated at the head of the room was an old Daoist, with white hair but a youthful face, three long strands of beard hanging from his chin. His pristine blue Daoist robe made him appear like a celestial being descended to the mortal realm.


    Indeed, this old Daoist was a celestial being in the mortal realm. He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Taihao Sword Sect, assigned to the mortal realm for the sect''s mission of scouting exceptional talents with Spiritual Roots.


    The role of a scout was simpleto roam the mortal realm, searching for individuals with outstanding Spiritual Roots on behalf of the sect.


    After several years of wandering in the mortal realm, the old Daoist had yet to encounter someone with exceptional aptitude. The sect stipted that only those with at least two Spiritual Roots could be directly recruited into the sect.


    Of course, if the scout managed to find a disciple with outstanding aptitude, the rewards would be substantial.


    "Two Spiritual Roots" referred to individuals possessing only two types of Spiritual Roots. In the cultivation world, there were five primary Spiritual RootsWood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Wateras well as three variationsIce, Wind, and Thundermaking a total of eight Spiritual Roots.


    Individuals with Spiritual Roots were a rare minority among mortals, and most had four or five Spiritual Roots. However, having fewer Spiritual Roots was considered better, as individuals withplete sets of five were oftenbeled as having "wasted" Spiritual Roots, resulting in slow cultivation and requiring vast resources.


    Those with four Spiritual Roots were only slightly stronger than those with five and were generally not epted by sects.


    In the cultivation world, cultivators with two or three Spiritual Roots were considered the norm.


    As for Single Element Spiritual Roots, known as "Heavenly Spiritual Roots," they were extremely rare and almost unheard of. As long as there were no idents leading to premature death, cultivators with such roots could easily reach the Golden Core stage.


    While cultivators typically faced various bottlenecks during realm advancements, some could break through after a few months or years, while others might be stuck for decades or even their entire lives.


    Cultivators with Heavenly Spiritual Roots, on the other hand, faced no bottlenecks from Qi cultivation to the Golden Core stage. They didn''t even need Foundation Establishment Pills to form their Golden Cores.


    Therefore, recruiting a disciple with Heavenly Spiritual Roots was akin to securing a future Golden Core cultivator for the sect.


    Today, as the old Daoist flew over Qinyang Academy on his sword, a treasure in his possession unexpectedly reacted.


    He immediately took out the Spiritual Testing Disk from his robes and, after performing a few incantations, the disk emitted a bright white light.


    This item was bestowed upon the sect''s scouts and would automatically heat up when near mortals with exceptional Spiritual Roots.


    With a sweep of his divine sense, the old Daoist quickly located the Dean and descended directly to the room. He exined his purpose to the ted Dean. Although the recruit wasn''t for himself, being touched by celestial luck was still a favorable oue.


    "Dong~" The sound of a bell echoed throughout the entire academy, causing everyone to cease their activities and gaze toward the direction of the bell. The academy''s bell didn''t ring casually; the number of chimes held different meanings. Wang Hong and the others had not heard the bell in the six months since entering the academy.


    "Dong~"


    "Dong~"


    After three bell chimes, everyone hurried to the central Grand Training Ground. The Grand Training Ground spanned twenty acres, amodating tens of thousands of people simultaneously.


    When Wang Hong arrived at the Training Ground, he saw his fellow squad member Zhang Tie Mao already there and naturally stood to his right.


    At this moment, the benefits of regr drills became apparent. In less than fifteen minutes, the academy students were already arranged in their usual formation, forming arge square, silent and solemn.


    On the contrary, students from the literary department on the other side were in disarray, chatting in small groups, unable to form proper lines.


    At this time, the old Dean, apanied by a seemingly ethereal old man, respectfully ascended a raised tform. From a distance, the old Dean seemed to be exining something.


    The ethereal old man took out a metal disc from his robes and gestured at it. Astonishingly, the metal disc autonomously flew into the air, slowly hovering and dancing above the crowd.


    The spectators were amazed. The metal disc had no wings, and it didn''t resemble a living creature capable of flying without falling. They had never witnessed such a peculiar urrence.


    "Could this be the legendary techniques of the immortals? Is that old man truly a celestial being?" Some immediately prostrated, while others believed it to be magic or some other mechanism.


    Unfazed by the reactions below, the old man focused on manipting the Spiritual Testing Disk, which asionally emitted a faint glow.


    Wang Hong noticed that when the metal disc flew over his head, it emitted a faint glow, which disappeared when it moved away.


    After circling the entire Training Ground, the disc returned to the old man''s hands.


    With one hand gripping the disc, the old man made a gesture in the air. Before the crowd couldprehend, a student from the audience seemed to be grabbed by an invisible hand and instantly appeared on the elevated tform.


    The old man continued to grab students from the crowd as if plucking fish from a pond. Those who were brought up to the tform either shivered in fear, imagining themselves ensnared by some dark magic, or felt ted, thinking they had caught the attention of the Immortal Master and were destined for greatness.


    Wang Hong felt a sudden tightening on his body, and before he could experience the sensation of flying in the air, he had alreadynded on the tform.


    Not long after, Younger Brother was also brought up. The two brothers being selected simultaneously left Wang Hong with mixed feelingswhether this was a good or bad thing was uncertain, making him somewhat uneasy.


    Without keeping them waiting for too long, the old man stopped after grabbing over a hundred people. He then instructed them to take turns approaching and touching the metal disc with their hands.


    The first youth ced his hand on the disc, and it emitted blue, red, yellow, white, and ck lights. The old man nced briefly and shouted, "Next!"


    The subsequent participants, dozens in a row, disyed four or five colors of light. The old man nced at each with only a brief look, shouting "Next!" each time. Only when a person with only three colors of light appeared did the old man take a longer look, saying nothing more before calling the next person.


    When it was Wang Hong''s turn, the colors were blue, red, yellow, and ck. Following him, Younger Brother touched the disc, and it immediately emitted a pure white light. While others had lights only a few inches long, Younger Brother''s light extended nearly a foot.


    The old man, initially leisurely stroking his beard, now appeared excited. His hand trembled, pulling out several strands of his beard, yet he seemed oblivious to it.


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