There were quite a few inner disciples with three water spiritual roots, but becoming a personal disciple of the elders was no easy feat. The fact that the duty elder had gone this far was already giving Huang Shulang considerable face.
"Leave now!"
Huang Shulang had no choice but to lower his head dejectedly. It was clear none of the elders had any interest in him.
"Ah, right! This disciple has another important matter to report," Huang Shulang suddenly remembered something even more crucial.
"Another matter? Speak quickly." Apart from Elder Yan and Elder Sun, the others were growing impatient. Huang Shulang had already taken up too much of their discussion time.
"When I went to Stone Village to recruit disciples this time, I also found a child with earth spiritual roots and brought him back as well..."
Slap! An invisible hand struck Huang Shulang's face, instantly swelling his left cheek.
"We are the Water Spirit Sect! What use do we have for a disciple with earth spiritual roots? Have you forgotten the humiliation the Earth Spirit Sect subjected us to during the last Five Spirit Sects' competition?"
Huang Shulang clutched his swollen face and whispered, "I... I brought him back because this person has five earth spiritual roots."
"What?! Five spiritual roots, and all of them earth?!" Upon hearing this, the elders could no longer remain seated.
Four identical spiritual roots were already extremely rare, but five identical spiritual roots were a once-in-a-millennium prodigy. In the history of the Five Spirit Sects, there had once been a Golden Core elder with five fire spiritual roots. However, after the Five Spirit Sects split, no sect had ever encountered a disciple with five identical spiritual roots again.
After a long silence, the elders recovered from their shock.
Pity, regret, anger, and a hint of jealousy filled their hearts. If this child had five water spiritual roots, they would have gone mad with excitement, offering the sect's best resources to nurture Shi Chuan. With five spiritual roots, there was a high probability of forming a Golden Core. The emergence of a Golden Core cultivator would make unifying the other four sects as easy as turning a hand.
But five earth spiritual roots left them deeply conflicted.
"This disciple was unsure how to handle the situation, so I brought him back for the elders to decide," Huang Shulang said softly.
"Good, you've done well in this matter. Does anyone else know about this disciple with five spiritual roots?" The duty elder's expression softened slightly.
"Only those of us who went to recruit disciples know, but I've already ordered them to keep it strictly confidential," Huang Shulang quickly replied, understanding the elder's implication.
"Good, you may leave now. Go and collect two hundred low-grade spirit stones for your cultivation. As for other rewards, we'll discuss them later. This matter is of great importance, and we must deliberate immediately."
"This disciple obeys." Huang Shulang respectfully withdrew. Though he hadn't been taken as a personal disciple by any elder, two hundred low-grade spirit stones were still a considerable sum. Moreover, the duty elder had hinted at additional rewards.
...
In the duty elder's room, the five elders sat in silence.
After a long while, the duty elder finally spoke: "It is said that those with five identical spiritual roots can independently perceive the energy of heaven and earth. If this child has already begun cultivating, we may not be able to stop him."
"The Earth Spirit Sect and our Water Spirit Sect are sworn enemies. We absolutely cannot hand this child over to them. In a few hundred years, if he forms a Golden Core, he might even help the Earth Spirit Sect unify the Five Spirit Sects. Even if we showed him kindness, we'd still end up bowing to him."
"Elder Yan speaks wisely. However, this child's talent is extraordinary. Killing him would violate the natural order, but if we don't, he can cultivate on his own."
"If we don't kill him, there's no other solution," Elder Sun said viciously. "If he were in some remote village, even if he cultivated on his own, he might not reach the Foundation Establishment stage before his lifespan ran out. But now that he's entered a sect, preventing him from cultivating is even harder."
The other four shook their heads. Killing Shi Chuan was clearly the worst option. Shi Chuan was from the same village as the Heavenly Cloud Sage and might even be related to him. If the Heavenly Cloud Sage had already passed away from old age, that would be one thing. But if he had reached the Nascent Soul stage, killing Shi Chuan could bring about the annihilation of the Water Spirit Sect.
Elder Sun seemed to sense their thoughts and said, "We don't necessarily have to do it ourselves. There are plenty of duels in the sect..."
"Elder Yun, what do you think we should do with this child?" The duty elder interrupted Elder Sun and turned to the elder who had remained silent.
Everyone's gaze shifted to Elder Yun, the most senior and authoritative among them.
"I will take this child as my personal disciple and teach him the most advanced water-based cultivation techniques of our sect," Elder Yun said slowly, word by word.
"What?" The others gasped in shock. Elder Yun was notoriously strict in selecting disciples, considering not just spiritual roots but also diligence in cultivation, family background, and more.
However, they quickly understood his reasoning. Elder Yun would teach him water-based techniques, but Shi Chuan had earth spiritual roots. Even with his utmost effort, he would make little progress and might even suffer qi deviation.
Elder Yun added, "If this child truly has five spiritual roots, we'll proceed as I've said. If he only has four earth spiritual roots, we'll simply send him away."
The other four elders nodded in agreement. "Elder Yun's plan is the most thorough."
Meanwhile, Shi Chuan, fast asleep, had no idea he had caused such a dilemma for the elders.
After the young disciple brought them back, he gave them some food and left them in a room to sleep overnight, promising to arrange their placements the next day.
When Shi Chuan woke up, the sky was just beginning to lighten. Seeing the other children still asleep, he found a corner, sat cross-legged, and began meditating.
"Exhale... inhale..." An indescribable sense of comfort filled his entire body. Moreover, Shi Chuan noticed that with the stone in his possession, the efficiency of his meditation had increased by forty to fifty percent.
"This treasure really is something," Shi Chuan thought, slipping his hand into his clothes to caress the smooth, warm jade.
"Kid, I didn't lie to you, did I?" A voice suddenly echoed in Shi Chuan's mind.
"Who's there?!" Startled, Shi Chuan clutched the stone tightly. This was his secret treasure, and the sudden voice terrified him.
"Who else could it be? You're quite ungrateful!" A translucent figure materialized before Shi Chuan.
"Old... old beggar!" Shi Chuan stared in shock at the figure, speechless. He clearly remembered the speed of the Divine Movement Talisman—how could the old beggar have caught up?
But the figure before him was clearly not a real person. "Mountain God!" Shi Chuan blurted out.
"Enough, enough. You've joined a cultivation sect, yet you still believe in Mountain Gods? Let me tell you, there are no gods in this world. What you call 'immortals' are merely cultivators with some magical abilities."
"Cultivators?" Shi Chuan was puzzled. This was the first time he'd heard the term.
"Fine, I'll educate you a bit," the old beggar said with an air of superiority. "This world is filled with spiritual energy. Some people are born with spiritual roots and can harness this energy to cultivate. The most basic method is the breathing technique you were just practicing."
Shi Chuan nodded. "So that's why those 'immortals' only picked a few of us—they were selecting those with spiritual roots."
"Exactly!" The old beggar smiled approvingly. "Cultivation is divided into stages: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Spirit Transformation. Each stage represents a massive gap in power. A Golden Core cultivator can easily defeat hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators and live for over five hundred years. As for Spirit Transformation cultivators, they can move mountains and fill seas, even tear through the void to enter the legendary Spirit Realm. Calling them 'immortals' isn't far off, since their lifespans stretch for thousands of years."
As he spoke, a hint of longing flashed in the old beggar's eyes.
Shi Chuan nodded, though only half-understanding. This was all too overwhelming. The "immortals" he had once revered could actually be reached through cultivation.
The old beggar continued, "Even within the same stage, there are significant differences. For example, the Qi Refining stage has ten layers. The disciple who brought you here today is only at the third layer of Qi Refining. With a few months of effort, you could surpass him."
"Really?" Shi Chuan nearly jumped up in excitement. Huang Shulang's ice spike technique had left a deep impression on him—it was genuine magic.
"Shi Tou, what's all the noise?" Gou Sheng, awakened by the commotion, mumbled sleepily before rolling over and going back to sleep.
Shi Chuan broke out in a cold sweat. The old beggar and the stone were his secrets, and he didn't want anyone else to know. He'd heard enough cautionary tales about the dangers of revealing precious treasures.
When he looked back, the old beggar had vanished.
"Alright, kid, you'd best be careful from now on. I won't appear again. If you want to talk to me, just think it in your mind, and I'll hear you."
"Old beggar... Senior, what should I call you? How did you end up in this stone? Are you a cultivator too?" Shi Chuan fired off several questions.
"Knowing too much won't do you any good," the old beggar said mysteriously. "Just remember: if you want to live long, you must conceal your strength and guard your secrets closely."
"This junior understands." Shi Chuan resumed his meditation, thinking to himself, As long as I cultivate diligently, one day, I too can become an all-powerful 'immortal'—no, a cultivator!
.........
Inside the yellow jade stone, a figure the size of a tobacco pipe sat cross-legged in meditation. It was the old beggar who had just spoken to Shi Chuan.
The old beggar opened his eyes and muttered to himself, "Hundreds of years have passed. I wonder how much the Five Spirit Sects have changed. What even is this 'Water Spirit Sect'? But since I've held on for over a century, waiting a few more days won't hurt. Once I can meet with the sect master, everything will be resolved. And this kid's talent seems decent... Heh heh..."