As for the Ghost Sect situation, Zhengxing wasn't particularly concerned. From what he'd heard, the Ghost Sect was having their own problems lately, severe enough that they were probably too busy with damage control to worry about one failed assassination attempt on a minor sect's cultivator.
The specifics, he didn't know. As sect master of an insignificant mountain commune like the Aureate Summit Sect, he wasn't exactly privy to major political developments.
He'd only learned about it when the sect master from the neighboring Iron Peak Sect had shown up drunk, bragging about news he'd somehow acquired. Apparently over a hundred sects of various sizes and ranks had formed a coalition to jointly attack the Ghost Sect. It seemed like the major powers in the Eastern Territories had finally decided to deal with that particular problem once and for all. Besides, the Aureate Summit Sect wasn't entirely without contingency plans. Their late master, paranoid as he'd been, had left behind quite a few backup measures. Including detailed instructions on which faction to flee to if things went wrong.
Though if the Ghost Sect got wiped out in this coalition attack, that would solve a lot of problems.
Pulling himself back to the present, Zhengxing remembered why Qingxue had come in the first place.
She'd wanted to borrow the Spirit Testing Monument, though "monument" was generous; it was basically just a stone. Presumably, it was for that kid she'd brought back from the Silkspore Basin. Based on how she acted whenever she mentioned him, it was clear she was genuinely invested in his potential.
The normally cold, reserved woman couldn't stop smiling when talking about him. Even her eyes softened noticeably.
"How about I personally test his spirit roots today?" Zhengxing suggested. "I'd like to meet this young man who managed to melt through your icy exterior."
Qingxue shook her head repeatedly and shot him a look that could've frozen water.
She'd forgotten. Their late master had warned her repeatedly never to tell Zhengxing anything important. Apparently he had a tendency to get drunk and spill secrets to anyone who'd listen. And he did enjoy visiting other sects...
Feeling the lethal gaze, Zhengxing awkwardly scratched his head. So the kid's talent was exceptional, then. Qingxue wouldn't be this protective otherwise.
He coughed lightly and pulled a wooden box from his storage pouch, about twenty centimeters long, inlaid with intricate golden patterns. He handed it over with one hand.
"Ahem. I won't intrude, then. Take this stone."
Qingxue accepted it with both hands and gave a slight bow. "Thank you, Sect Master."
She finished her tea in a few quick gulps and stood to leave, clearly eager to get back.
Zhengxing watched her go, slightly bemused. Since when had she become so impatient?
Only after she disappeared did he smile.
"Wonder what kind of trouble that boy's going to cause," he mused to himself, then paused. "...probably a lot, knowing Qingxue's luck."
---
When Qingxue flew back over the courtyard, Alexei had just started work on his construction project. He was currently in the process of excavating into the mountainside, iron pickaxe in hand, removing stone blocks one at a time. His plans for a proper base extended well beyond the courtyard. The interior of the mountain was where the real work would happen.
According to Qingxue, MC-ified blocks had excellent concealment properties and could even isolate spiritual energy. Plus, they couldn't be destroyed except through explosions or mining, making them incredibly secure.
Things like mob farms and automated agriculture would definitely be built inside the mountain eventually, leaving them outside would make them far too conspicuous. Not to mention dimensions like the Nether and End.
Those couldn't be exposed. Not for a long time.
He was reaching up to mine an overhead stone block when he sensed someone approaching from behind. He turned his head and spotted Qingxue landing in the courtyard.
"Oh, you're back. How'd the meeting go?"
"Well enough," Qingxue said, though her attention was clearly on what he was doing. "What are you working on?"
He gestured at the hole he'd carved into the mountainside. "Building a proper base. This is just the entrance. The real construction will be inside."
Qingxue's expression flickered before settling back into calm. "You're still planning to stay here, then?"
"Yeah? Where else would I go?" He gave her an odd look. "You brought me here. This is as good a place as any to set up. Better than most, actually. Fewer people means fewer problems."
"I see." She relaxed slightly. "That's good."
"Why? Did you think I was going to run off or something?"
"No. I just..." She trailed off, then shook her head. "Never mind. Come with me. I brought the Spirit Testing Monument."
That got his attention. He stuck his pickaxe in his inventory and followed her to the stone table in the courtyard. She opened the wooden box, revealing an oval stone about fifteen centimeters long, sitting on a white cushioned pad. It looked like marble.
"The Spirit Testing Monument will emit different colors and light intensity based on the tester's spiritual root attributes and grade," Qingxue explained. "It's a fairly straightforward process. You just place your hand on it and the stone does the rest."
Alexei eyed the stone skeptically. This was it? This was the grand cultivation aptitude test? It looked like a fancy paperweight.
"If you're ready, we can begin."
He reached for the stone, then paused. "What happens if I don't have spiritual roots?"
"Then the stone won't react," Qingxue said simply. "But that's extremely unlikely. Most people have at least some minor spiritual sensitivity."
"And if it doesn't work?"
"Then we'll deal with that if it happens. Now stop stalling."
Fair enough. He placed his hand on the stone.
Nothing happened.
He waited. Still nothing.
The stone sat there, inert and unresponsive.
"...huh," Alexei said.
Qingxue frowned, leaning closer to examine the stone. "That's odd."
"Maybe I broke it?"
"You can't break a Spirit Testing Monument by touching it." She picked it up and turned it over, checking for cracks or damage. "Though it's possible the spiritual energy inside has depleted. It's been over a decade since we last used it."
She pulled a small stone from somewhere in her robes and held it against the Spirit Testing Monument. Light flickered between them as energy transferred, the Spirit Testing Monument gradually brightening until it was saturated.
"Try again," she said, setting it back on the cushion.
Alexei placed his hand on it again, this time feeling a faint current of something flow from the stone and through his body. It wasn't unpleasant, just strange, like a mild electric tingle spreading through his limbs.
"There's definitely something happening this time," he said. "I can feel—"
He looked at the stone. Still nothing.
"What the hell?"
Qingxue's frown deepened. She picked up the stone and examined it more closely, trying to figure out what was wrong. The stone looked fine. It felt fine. The energy levels were correct.
"This doesn't make sense," she muttered. "Even people with minimal spiritual sensitivity should produce some reaction. The stone is designed to respond to any trace of spiritual roots, no matter how weak."
"Maybe I'm just that special," Alexei said dryly. "Uniquely terrible."
"Don't be ridiculous. You have white hair and blue eyes, that alone suggests strong spiritual heritage. Your aura is unusually pure. There's no way you lack spiritual roots entirely."
"Then why isn't it working?"
"I don't know." She sounded baffled now. "Unless the stone itself is defective, which shouldn't be possible. These things are built to last centuries..."
She set the stone down and placed her own hand on it.
Immediately, brilliant blue-white light erupted from the stone's surface, so bright that Alexei had to squint.
"Well," he said, once the light faded and he could see properly again. "At least we know the stone works."
Qingxue stared at the now-dormant Spirit Testing Monument.
"This has never happened before," she said quietly. "I've never heard of anyone the stone couldn't read..."
She continued examining the Spirit Testing Monument, turning it over in her hands, checking for any signs of damage or malfunction.
"It should work now."
To be certain, she pulled out another spirit stone and channeled more energy into the Monument. Then she set it back on the cushion in front of Alexei.
"Try again."
Alexei placed his hand on it with significantly less enthusiasm than before.
Still nothing.
They both stared at the inert stone.
"Is it possible that I have some kind of rare spiritual root that this thing can't detect? Like, I don't know, some weird edge case the designers didn't account for?"
Qingxue's expression suggested she was running out of rational explanations. Everything about him screamed "talented cultivator." And yet the Monument refused to acknowledge his existence.
After a long silence, she stood up abruptly.
"Wait here. I'm going to get an expert. If there's something unusual about your physique that's interfering with the test, she'll be able to identify it." She was already heading for the courtyard entrance. "I'll be back soon."
Before Alexei could ask any follow-up questions, she'd summoned her sword and taken off.
---
Qingxue's sword flight took less than five minutes. She landed in front of a cave residence carved into the mountainside. This looked more like a proper cultivation dwelling, unlike her own modest courtyard.
The cave's outer walls were covered in green vines, and a garden spread out before the entrance. Though the herbs growing there weren't particularly rare, mostly common plants used in basic remedies.
She knocked twice on the stone door. It rumbled open automatically.
"Qingxue?" A woman's voice called from inside. "What's wrong?"
Yan appeared in the doorway, looking puzzled. "You look fine. Your aura's stable. This isn't about hidden tribulation injuries, is it?"
"It's not about me." Qingxue grabbed her arm and started pulling. "I need you to examine someone. Come on."
"Wait, wait..." Yan planted her feet. "I have a furnace going. This is my last pill furnace. If it explodes, I'll have to start refining medicine in an iron wok."
Qingxue paused, noticing the small greyish-green furnace sitting in front of Yan's meditation cushion. White vapor rose steadily from the opening at the top.
"This batch of Qi-Replenishing Pills is almost done," Yan continued. "Give me fifteen minutes. And while we wait, tell me what's going on so I know what I'm walking into."
Qingxue organized her thoughts and explained Alexei's situation as concisely as possible. When she finished, Yan's expression had shifted from concerned to deeply skeptical.
"White hair, blue eyes, pure aura, normal physical condition... but can lift equipment weighing tens of thousands of kilos?" She studied Qingxue's face. "You're not joking?"
"I'm not."
"That doesn't make sense. If his body is truly normal, he shouldn't be able to lift that kind of weight."
"I know. That's why I need you to examine him."
Yan fell quiet. Finally she nodded.
"Alright. Let me finish this batch, then we'll go see this mysterious young man of yours."
Those fifteen minutes felt eternal to Qingxue. The moment Yan withdrew her spiritual flame and sealed the furnace, Qingxue grabbed her arm again and dragged her onto a sword for the flight back.
---
Alexei looked up from where he'd been sketching base plans in the dirt to see Qingxue returning with another woman in tow.
The newcomer was shorter than Qingxue but noticeably more curvaceous, with narrow, perpetually smiling eyes and an air of mature confidence. She wore practical robes, with faint stains on the sleeves and a subtle herbal scent around her.
"This is Han Yan, my senior sister," Qingxue introduced. "She's our sect's physician and alchemist. And this is Alexei."
"A pleasure," Yan said, studying him. "Qingxue tells me you're having some trouble with spirit root testing."
"The rock hates me," Alexei confirmed. "That's the current working theory."
Yan's lips twitched slightly. "The rock doesn't hate you. Though I admit, this is unusual. May I examine you? It'll be completely non-invasive, just checking your pulse and aura."
"Sure. Go ahead."
She approached and gestured for him to extend his arm. When he did, she pressed two fingers against his wrist. Her eyes went distant, clearly focusing on something he couldn't perceive. After a moment, her eyebrows rose slightly.
"Interesting," she murmured. She released his wrist and stepped back, studying him from different angles like he was a puzzling patient. "Your physical condition reads as completely normal, which is to say, none. But your aura... It's remarkably pure. Unusually so. And there's something else." She frowned, clearly struggling to articulate what she was sensing. "It's like there's a layer I can't quite penetrate. Not a barrier, exactly. It's more like... static. Some kind of interference?"
Qingxue leaned forward. "What does that mean?"
"I'm not sure yet." Yan pulled out the Spirit Testing Monument and set it on the table. "Let's try this systematically. Alexei, place your hand on the stone again."
He did. Same result as before, absolutely nothing.
Yan picked up the Monument and examined it closely, channeling a small amount of her own spiritual energy into it. The stone glowed responsively in her hands.
"The Monument itself is fine," she confirmed. "Which means the problem is either with how it's interacting with you specifically, or you have something about your physique or cultivation method that's fundamentally incompatible with standard testing procedures." She set the stone down and fixed him. "Have you consumed any unusual spiritual medicines recently? Encountered any strange phenomena?"
Alexei thought about his Minecraft powers.
"Define 'unusual,'" he said.
Yan's expression suggested she recognized evasion when she heard it, but she didn't push. Instead, she turned to Qingxue.
"There's nothing physically wrong with him. His body is healthy, his meridians are clear, well, as clear as someone without active cultivation can have. The issue isn't medical. Which means the problem is with the detection process itself."
She picked up the Spirit Testing Monument one more time. "Let me try something different. Place your hand on it again."
Alexei sighed but complied. By now, this was becoming routine. Yan pressed two fingers against his forehead, just above his eyebrows, while his other hand rested on the Monument. Her eyes went distant again.
After a long moment, her expression shifted.
"What?" Alexei asked. "What is it?"
"The spiritual energy from the Monument is entering your body," she said slowly. "But it's moving incredibly slowly."
"How slowly?"
"Slower than I've ever seen. Even in completely ordinary people with minimal talent, spiritual energy circulates faster than this." She removed her fingers and stepped back. "There are only two explanations for energy flow this sluggish. Either your natural talent is worse than a normal person's, which contradicts everything else about you, or there's some kind of restriction sealed inside your body that's blocking the flow."
Alexei felt a chill run down his spine. "A restriction? Like... someone put a seal on me?"
"Possibly. It would explain why the Monument can't read you properly." Yan turned to Qingxue. "I need to call in our formation specialist. If there's a seal, he'll be able to see it."
Before either of them could respond, she'd already left, moving with surprising speed for someone who seemed so relaxed moments ago. Qingxue moved to stand beside him. "If there is a restriction, we can remove it. It would be difficult, but not impossible."
"And if there isn't?"
"Then..." She trailed off, clearly not wanting to voice the alternative.
---
Yan returned in less than five minutes, dragging along a scholarly-looking man in white robes. He looked young, with refined features and the slightly distracted air of someone who spent too much time with books and not enough with people. He was already straightening his rumpled clothing by the time they landed, clearly accustomed to Yan's direct approach to recruitment.
"I need you to check this young man for formation seals or restrictions," Yan said.
The scholar, Shu Zhi, apparently, gave Qingxue a polite nod before turning his attention to Alexei. His gaze was... not unkind, but definitely treating Alexei more like an interesting puzzle than a person.
"White hair, blue eyes," Zhi murmured. "Unusually pure aura. Interesting. Very interesting."
"Can you check him or not?" Yan pressed.
"Hm... Of course." Zhi closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
His pupils had changed from brown to brilliant gold, and within them, Alexei could see faint runic patterns flickering and rotating like some kind of mystical scanning technology.
"Oh... That's pretty cool," Alexei admitted. Despite everything, he had to appreciate the sheer style of cultivation abilities.
Zhi began walking slowly around him, those golden eyes tracking something invisible. He circled once. Twice. On the third circuit, his frown deepened.
Yan grabbed his collar as he passed. "Well?"
"There's nothing," Zhi said, sounding puzzled.
"Nothing?" Yan released him. "Are you certain?"
"My eyes can see through any formation below Dharma Aspect level. If there was a seal, I'd see it." He looked at Alexei with confusion. "Whatever's causing the problem, it's not a restriction."
Everyone fell silent.
"What about the sect master?" he suggested. "He has more experience with unusual cases. And he's the one who normally tests new disciples' roots. He might recognize something we're missing."
Alexei groaned internally. Blyat... How many people are we going to parade through here?
---
Ten minutes later, a thin middle-aged man in elaborate robes descended into the courtyard on a green flying sword. Zhengxing looked around at the assembled group and sighed.
"Let me guess. The Spirit Testing Monument still isn't working?"
"Worse," Yan said. "The spiritual energy flow in his body is absurdly slow, but there's no restriction causing it."
"Hm..." Zhengxing began circling Alexei much as Zhi had, occasionally sending pulses of spiritual energy into him to test responses. "Body is healthy. Monument is functional. Meridians are clear..."
He continued muttering to himself, listing off everything that wasn't wrong, which was apparently a very long list. Finally, he stopped pacing and snapped his fingers.
"I've got it!"
Everyone looked at him expectantly.
"Eliminate all the impossible explanations," he declared, "and whatever remains, no matter how absurd, must be the truth!"
Alexei had a brief, surreal moment of wanting to blurt out "There is always only one truth!" because that Detective Conan line was burned into his brain from too many episodes, but he managed to restrain himself.
"Is it possible," Zhengxing continued, "that he simply has no cultivation talent whatsoever? The Spirit Testing Monument has never been wrong. Not once in recorded history. And testing whether I'm correct is simple enough, we take him somewhere dark and try again. If the Monument still shows nothing, we'll have our answer."
Alexei felt like he should be more upset about this revelation. Everyone else certainly looked devastated on his behalf.
But honestly? He felt... relieved.
No spiritual roots meant no pressure to cultivate. He could just live his life, build his bases, explore the Minecraft mechanics, and not worry about the whole "pursue immortality through constant life-or-death struggles" thing.
"It's fine."
Everyone turned to stare at him.
"What?" He shrugged. "So I can't cultivate. That's not the end of the world. Plenty of people live perfectly good lives without cultivation."
Qingxue looked stricken. "But... on the journey here, you seemed so interested in cultivation. You asked so many questions..."
"I was curious about how it worked. It doesn't mean I was desperate to do it myself." He could see she didn't believe him, so he tried again. "I've got other abilities. Weird ones, sure, but they work. And I've got you to handle the dangerous stuff. I'll be fine."
"You don't have to pretend it doesn't bother you," Yan said gently.
"I'm not pretending. I don't care that much." He caught their expressions. "Seriously, I'm okay. I'd rather know the truth than keep wondering."
They clearly thought he was putting on a brave face. He could see it in how they were looking at him, like he might shatter at any moment.
Zhengxing cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well. Even if you lack spiritual roots, there are ways to improve the situation."
Everyone's attention snapped back to him.
"There are treasures that can enhance spiritual root quality. Bodhi Seeds, Spirit-Awakening Fruits, Thousand-Wisdom Lotus Seeds, Jade-Root Bamboo... countless such items exist."
The mood in the courtyard shifted from hopeful to resigned almost immediately.
"Those are all legendary treasures," Yan said flatly.
"Fifty years ago, half a section of thousand-year Jade-Root Bamboo appeared in a mystic realm," Zhi interrupted. "It sparked a three-region conflict between dozens of sects. Nobody even knows who ended up with it."
"And Bodhi Trees flower once every three thousand years," Yan added. "They produce exactly eighty-one fruits per flowering. Most cultivators don't live that long."
Zhengxing's expression grew increasingly uncomfortable as they demolished his suggestion.
"Well. Worth mentioning anyway." He coughed. "Oh! I just remembered the sect master from Three Springs Sect invited me for drinks today. I should probably get going. No need to see me out!"
He lunged for his flying sword, forming hand seals even as he landed on it. The sword shot into the air so fast it left a small dust cloud behind.
Everyone stared at his rapidly retreating form.
"That was the worst excuse I've ever heard," Zhi said.
"Didn't he get in a massive fight with the Three Springs sect master last month?" Yan asked. "Something about getting drunk and dueling? I heard that he had black eyes for three months from lingering spiritual energy."
"And then got 'broken up with' afterward," Qingxue added. "He was depressed for weeks."
----------
----------
Spoiler below!
The following is from the latest chapter:
[THRESHOLD REACHED]
[Cultivation Stage Advancement Available]
[Body Tempering - First Stage: Skin Tempering]
[New Resource Unlocked: Qi (0/10)]
[Energy Allocation Required]
[OPTION 1 - CULTIVATION PATH:
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a cultivator? Of standing atop a mountain with your hands behind your back while gazing down at the world below?
This choice offers you that path.
Your body has already reached the threshold where spiritual energy can be sensed and refined. If you choose this option, Qi will become a resource you can wield. It will flow through your meridians as a growing wellspring of power that strengthens with dedication and time.
You will gain access to cultivation techniques passed down through countless generations. These methods will allow you to temper your body, refine your spirit, and eventually surpass the limits of ordinary mortals.
The road ahead is long and demanding. Each breakthrough may require years of meditation. Reaching the heights where cultivators can shatter mountains and cross oceans in a single step may take decades. Yet the potential is limitless. One day, you may fly across the heavens on a sword, just like the cultivators you once watched with envy. One day, you may stand among the immortals.]
[OPTION 2 - MAGIC MODIFICATION:
Perhaps you have grown tired of watching others soar through the skies while you remain bound to the ground. Perhaps you desire power now rather than decades from now.
This option allows you to convert your cultivation potential into something entirely different. Instead of following the traditional path of cultivation, your spiritual energy will be transformed into a magic modification.
However, the cost is absolute.
Once you choose magic, the path of traditional cultivation will close forever. Your meridians will be permanently altered and will no longer be compatible with the techniques used by cultivators.
From that moment onward, you will walk a different road from everyone around you. Your strength will grow in ways they cannot understand, but you will never again share their methods of advancement.]
[WARNING: This choice is permanent and cannot be reversed]
[Please select your path]
So I'll give you the choice: cultivation or some kind of magic mod?