Here it comes, Xu Ziqing thought.
Every cultivator who had reached this place was someone who had at least some chance of entering Tenglong Peak, yet they had first been brought to Wolong Peak. Surely it could not have been merely so Tang Wenfei could glance at the jade ruyi in their hands. With a sweep of his divine sense, who among them could possibly deceive him?
The other cultivators were also somewhat uneasy. “Senior Tang, please instruct us.”
Tang Wenfei smiled. “There’s no need to be nervous. It’s only a small test. The Dragon Ascension Gate opens once every ten years, and the great sects of our Qingyun Great World take it very seriously. As the gatekeeper, I naturally cannot be careless in the slightest.”
His words only made everyone more uneasy.
Tang Wenfei did not explain further. He merely swept a hand before him, and a jade wall about three chi high appeared. It was pure white and spotless, without the slightest flaw.
A jade wall?
The cultivators were all puzzled.
The jade wall was suffused with treasure-light and clearly no ordinary object. Although it was white, it was completely unlike the white jade they ordinarily used in trade. The dense spiritual energy surrounding it alone placed the two worlds apart.
Why, then, had Tang Wenfei brought out this jade wall?
Tang Wenfei did not seem fond of keeping people in suspense. He said directly, “From this moment on, whenever I call someone’s name, that person will step forward and pour their spiritual power into the jade wall until its color changes. Only then may they stop.”
The request sounded rather strange.
Still, the Dragon Ascension Gate Gathering had a long history, and no one believed Tang Wenfei intended them harm.
They all agreed at once. “We will do as Senior Tang says.”
Xu Ziqing also studied the jade wall and likewise could not see what was unusual about it. Then another thought turned in his mind. He seemed to have vaguely caught hold of something, but it remained indistinct, which was rather frustrating.
Tang Wenfei had already called the first name. Xu Ziqing steadied himself and looked toward that person.
Whatever the purpose was, they would know soon enough.
The man was a disciple of the Purple Light Sect named Xiang Hongcai. Hearing the name of that sect, Xu Ziqing’s heart gave a slight jolt before he smiled bitterly.
He remembered what had happened at Shanyan Ridge. Although those three men were already dead and he had avenged himself, it had been the first time he had witnessed such treacherous human hearts. Inevitably, the memory remained difficult to forget.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Ziqing pushed those thoughts aside and looked at Xiang Hongcai.
Xiang Hongcai had not expected to be called first either. As he stepped forward, a trace of nervousness showed unconsciously in his eyes. Yet anyone chosen to come here possessed a firm temperament. He quickly adjusted and came to a stop before Tang Wenfei. “This junior is Xiang Hongcai of the Purple Light Sect. Greetings, Senior Tang.”
Tang Wenfei nodded. “Go ahead.”
Xiang Hongcai steadied his emotions, walked to the jade wall, placed both hands against it, swiftly circulated his spiritual power, and poured it in.
The jade wall responded almost immediately. A tiny point of brown light appeared at its core. Then, like blood dispersing through water, the brown spread outward in an instant, rapidly expanding until it covered most of the entire wall.
Only then did everyone notice that brown was not the only color present. There were two others: azure blue and pale green.
The brown occupied most of the jade wall. The azure blue and pale green pressed close against it, but each filled only one corner. Though clearly visible, neither could encroach upon the brown in the slightest.
Understanding dawned on Xu Ziqing.
So this was another method of testing spiritual roots. Compared with the formation the Xu family had used, this method was far more powerful.
Back then, he had clearly possessed a single thin spiritual root and should have been placed among those with superior aptitude. Yet because the steward did not recognize it and could not even tell whether he possessed a spiritual root at all, Xu Ziqing had been crudely judged to have the lowest aptitude and sent into the Hundred Herbs Garden.
Remembering it now, he could only feel that fate truly toyed with people.
At times Xu Ziqing could not help wondering what his circumstances would be now if his aptitude had been judged correctly back then. The thought made him sigh softly.
Had there been no mistake, he probably would never have obtained the opportunity beneath the lake. Perhaps he would now merely be the Xu family’s carefully protected “genius,” or perhaps he would have perished together with the Xu family. Or perhaps, to preserve a path of retreat, the Xu family would have hidden him by every possible means and used this very opportunity to send him to Tenglong Peak.
As he continued thinking, his emotions began to stir.
Xu Ziqing hurriedly suppressed them before they could disturb him. Then he smiled bitterly again. Brother Yun had been right. The immortal path truly held inner demons everywhere. Given even the smallest opening, they would call up all manner of unpleasant thoughts and shake one’s Dao heart.
Fortunately, he had already passed through that inner demon. When Xu Ziqing looked again at the brightly glowing jade wall, none of his earlier melancholy remained.
Tang Wenfei saw the result and nodded slightly. “Next. Luo Fuzhou of the Purple Light Sect.”
Another man from the same sect came forward. He appeared to be in his twenties. After first offering his greetings, he poured spiritual power into the jade wall. This time, most of the wall shone gold, with small amounts of azure blue and brown. He clearly also possessed three spiritual roots, one thick and two thin.
Then came the third person, the fourth…
Most of the disciples from the great sects had three spiritual roots, one thick and two thin. A smaller number had dual thick spiritual roots, while others possessed dual spiritual roots, one thick and one thin. None, however, were overlooked talents who still fell within the special age range. Every cultivator with one thick and one thin spiritual root here was already over twenty-five.
At last, it was the Rogue Cultivator Alliance’s turn.
The first called was Young Alliance Leader Su Xin.
Su Xin swept aside the hem of his robe and strode forward, a touch of high spirits in his expression. He had already adjusted his mood and no longer felt uneasy at all.
Fiery qi surged around his entire body because his spiritual roots had only recently been purified and he had not yet fully adapted. Xu Ziqing keenly noticed that Tang Wenfei’s expression changed slightly when he saw Su Xin.
Su Xin cupped his fists. “Senior Tang, I’ll go as well.”
Tang Wenfei seemed to have guessed something and treated him fairly well. “Go ahead.”
Su Xin flashed a brilliant smile and strode quickly to the jade wall. By now everyone understood the wall’s purpose, and naturally he was no exception.
A youth’s temperament was most prone to high spirits. Without the slightest hesitation, Su Xin suddenly poured all his spiritual power into the wall with a whoosh!
The entire jade wall instantly turned a brilliant red. It was as though a fire had ignited at its core and engulfed the whole thing in a sea of flame, magnificent beyond words.
At such an extraordinary sight, many of the cultivators present could not help exclaiming.
“A single fire spiritual root!”
“No, I know him. He’s the Young Alliance Leader of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance. His talent is exceptional, but he only had dual spiritual roots, one thick and one thin. How could he have a single spiritual root?”
“Could the Rogue Cultivator Alliance have concealed this and kept all of us in the dark?”
“No… that can’t be possible…”
Xu Ziqing heard a familiar voice. Turning his head slightly, he unexpectedly saw the siblings Xu Zifeng and Xu Zitang.
His heart shook, then quickly settled.
Of course. Xu Zitang was still only at Qi Refinement layer 6. The turmoil with the Tian family had probably prevented her from cultivating in peace. But she was still under twenty-five and therefore qualified to come here. Xu Zifeng had reached Foundation Establishment long ago, so naturally he had accompanied his younger sister to protect her. And since they had been able to come here and showed no great grief in their expressions, the Xu family had presumably begun recovering its vitality.
Xu Ziqing did not look for long. His attention returned to Su Xin.
Indeed, he had once read about the Scarlet Flame Fruit in the Illustrated Guide to Spiritual Herbs. It clearly stated that only someone who had not yet drawn qi into the body could consume it to purify their spiritual roots. Yet Su Xin had taken one and truly succeeded in purifying his roots. There had to be another reason behind it.
Xu Ziqing had not asked before because there had been no need. But for Xu Zitang, whose own Xu family had produced the Scarlet Flame Fruit, she surely wanted to know why.
Su Xin said calmly, “I originally possessed dual earth-fire spiritual roots. Later, through a fortunate opportunity, I obtained a Scarlet Flame Fruit and was able to purify them.”
Someone immediately raised the same question Xu Zitang had. “The Scarlet Flame Fruit can only be consumed before one has drawn qi into the body. How did you…?”
Su Xin raised a brow and smiled. “Naturally, that would be true if I had swallowed it as it was. But once refined into a pill, things are different. Our Alliance happens to have an elder with profound alchemical skill. He used a great many spiritual herbs and spiritual medicines to refine the Scarlet Flame Fruit. After taking that pill, I attained a single fire spiritual root.”
Only then did everyone understand. Yet when those favored sons and daughters of heaven looked at Su Xin again, it was difficult to tell whether their expressions held envy or jealousy.
Xu Ziqing, meanwhile, was secretly impressed.
It was true that spiritual herbs and medicines refined into pills were far more effective than being swallowed whole. Not only were impurities removed, their medicinal effects could also be purified and concentrated. Yet someone capable of refining a divine treasure like the Scarlet Flame Fruit had to possess extraordinary skill. Noticing the slight movement in Tang Wenfei’s gaze upon hearing “refined into a pill,” Xu Ziqing thought that perhaps this alchemist was not inferior even to those of the great world.
Alchemists were exceedingly rare in a small world, and even when they existed, their skill was often mediocre. With an alchemist of such ability, it was no wonder the Rogue Cultivator Alliance had stood firm for so many years and become a refuge for countless rogue cultivators.
The crowd could not help murmuring among themselves until Tang Wenfei spoke again and silence returned.
Tang Wenfei said, “Young Friend Su possesses exceptional aptitude. Please return to your seat.”
Hearing even the gatekeeper from the great world treat Su Xin so courteously, the youth once again became the focus of everyone’s attention. They imagined that if he won such favor from the gatekeeper and then remained on Tenglong Peak to cultivate and establish his foundation, his status afterward would be worlds apart from before. Moreover, with aptitude like his, even if he failed to reach Foundation Establishment, the people of the great world would surely not let him slip away so easily. For a time, many expressions changed.
This boy was simply too lucky!
Su Xin did not care how anyone looked at him. Since he had come here with the qualifications to stand out, why should he not display them fully and win more advantages for himself? His heart settled with that thought. Without the least restraint, he strode back, his red robes snapping around him like a blaze of fire, scorching and impossible to ignore.
Then matters returned to the main business.
Tang Wenfei called Zhuo Hanyan and the other six names in turn. The very last was Xu Ziqing, who was only nominally registered with the Rogue Cultivator Alliance’s Outer Alliance.
When Xu Ziqing rose, whatever everyone else might have thought, all seven cultivators from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance fixed their gazes on him.
To them, this green-robed youth was deeply mysterious. Even Su Xin, who had known Xu Ziqing for some time, still could not gauge his true limits and was extremely curious. Thus every eye followed him without blinking as he quietly stood and walked to the front.
Xu Ziqing said gently, “Xu Ziqing of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance greets Senior Tang.”
Tang Wenfei’s expression was fairly mild. “Go ahead.”
Xu Ziqing stood before the jade wall, smiled faintly, and placed both hands upon it.