Chapter 31
Part 2
Wen Heng: What does this have to do with Doggie?
Lian Wushang teased, “You clearly said that once you had money, you’d let Doggie manage all the household finances.” Wen Heng reluctantly withdrew his paw—he’d nearly forgotten about Doggie altogether.
Meanwhile, Doggie had rushed like mad to reach Qingcheng Sect first thing that morning. No sooner had he grabbed a broom to sweep than Wen Hua, the disciple who’d recruited him, approached: “Li Ergou! Today the elders test new servants for spiritual roots. If you’re lucky enough to have triple roots—or better—you could cultivate!”
Li Erdou chuckled, leaning on his broom. “Don’t joke with me. How could I have spiritual roots? I’m just a little beggar. I’m overjoyed just to get a meal. Cultivating? I’ve never even thought about it.”
Wenhua teased, “Don’t lose hope. I’ll tell you, lots of disciples in the sect started out as menial laborers. They only found out they had spiritual roots during the sect’s testing. Look how well they’re doing now. You should get ready. Meet at the steward’s place later.”
Wenhua turned and left after speaking, needing to notify the other newly arrived menial laborers about the spiritual root test. Doggie realized that Qingcheng Sect accepted new menial laborers daily—the sect leader truly was a kind soul.
When Doggie arrived at the steward’s quarters, over twenty people were already gathered in the courtyard of the Liu-surnamed cultivator. He quickly found an empty spot and slipped in. Besides the new laborers, he noticed two disciples clad in gray robes.
Qingcheng Sect’s rules were strict: outer sect laborers wore yellow robes, inner sect disciples wore gray robes, core disciples wore smoky blue robes, and elders and patriarchs wore purple robes. This was what Wenhua and the others had told Doggie the moment he arrived, precisely to prevent him from accidentally offending a sect cultivator and meeting an untimely end.
Those two in gray robes must be inner-door disciples. Normally, inner-door disciples never left their cultivation quarters. Gouzi stole a glance at them. Their piercing gazes locked onto him, and he quickly lowered his head. He whistled inwardly: True cultivators—he’d only looked twice and they’d already noticed him.
Steward Liu stood before the crowd of over twenty: “I’ve gathered you all today to offer an opportunity. What kind of opportunity? One to embark upon the path to immortality.” Steward Liu’s single sentence was delivered in several deliberate phrases. Upon hearing the words “path to immortality,” many eyes in the crowd lit up.
“Cultivators begin as ordinary mortals. Many mortals remain unaware that they possess spiritual roots. Our Qingcheng Sect’s venerable ancestor, Immortal Ji Huan, was born with a kind heart. Unable to bear the thought of mortals dying without knowing their potential for cultivation, he sought out a supreme treasure to help you all discern it.” Steward Liu held a piece of red silk in his hands, revealing a palm-sized, pure white, translucent jade stone nestled within.
“This is Flawless Jade,” Manager Liu explained. “It can discern spiritual roots within the human body. Simply touch the jade lightly, and it will reveal whether you possess a spiritual root. Who will go first?”
At his words, everyone scrambled to raise their hands. Manager Liu waved them off. “No rush. Line up one by one.” The crowd swiftly formed a line, with Gouzi bringing up the rear. He was merely tagging along for the spectacle.
Seven or eight people touched the flawless jade without any reaction. Steward Liu remained unfazed, smiling warmly. “Seems your time has passed. Perhaps next lifetime.” Those who showed no spiritual roots didn’t fret; they knew their lot in life.
When the ninth person touched the flawless jade, it finally reacted. A swirling mass of light flowed across its surface—shades of blue, red, yellow, gold, and green, though the hues weren’t sharply defined.
Steward Liu looked genuinely surprised. “Well, well—a fifth-grade spiritual root. Congratulations! Come, step over here.” The tenth person was a frail young girl. She felt as if a giant pie had just landed on her head. Even as she stood beside him, she was dazed, her face frozen in utter disbelief.
The remaining candidates’ attitudes shifted instantly. They’d initially come just for the fun of it, expecting nothing more than a bit of laughter. Yet here, among them, someone truly possessed a Spirit Root! Several gazed at the girl with envy and jealousy—how wonderful it would be if they too had a Spirit Root.
The atmosphere in the courtyard transformed immediately. Where there had been joking moments before, now everyone grew solemn. Each hoped to seize this chance to alter their destiny.
Gouzi swallowed hard. He hated this kind of tension. Whether one possessed a spiritual root was predetermined by heaven—it wasn’t something that suddenly appeared just because everyone got serious. Of course, Gouzi only thought this to himself. Truth be told… he secretly wished he had some kind of spiritual root too. But it was just a wish.
Doggie stepped back. He’d just tested another mixed triple-elemental root, and that farmer-like man beside the little girl was beaming with pride. Even the gray-robed inner-door disciples glanced at him a few times before whispering something to each other.
Soon it was Gouzi’s turn. He stepped forward and grabbed the Flawless Jade with one hand. The jade looked cold and translucent, yet felt incredibly warm and smooth in his palm—smoother than any egg Gouzi had ever eaten as a child.
The next moment, the Flawless Jade turned a brilliant crimson, like a flame. Startled, Doggie flung his hand out, sending the fiery jade flying. The two inner disciples paled. One scrambled to catch the jade, while the other glanced at Doggie before darting away.
Steward Liu stood frozen for a moment before bowing to Doggie. “Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Li. You possess a high-grade fire spirit root.”
Gouzi was utterly dumbfounded: “…Huh?”
He followed the two inner-door disciples in a daze, trailed by two menial servants who had also just had their spiritual roots tested. Gouzi felt as though he wasn’t walking on solid stone slabs but on straw he’d slept on for ages. His legs were weak beyond belief.
His heart pounded like a drum, his palms drenched in sweat, his entire being floating in a haze. He couldn’t believe it—not only was he a single-element cultivator, but a fire element one at that. He’d overheard Old Wen and the others chatting about those cultivators who could soar through the skies and traverse the earth. They’d marveled at how remarkable even dual-element cultivators were, let alone single-element ones. And here he was, a fire element cultivator—a high-grade fire element cultivator, no less.
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")
