Through Li Guanqi's mind's eye, it seemed as though only Lu Kangnian remained in the entire world.
Treading upon the rosy clouds, his descending figure resembled an immortal banished to the mortal realm, his demeanor transcendent.
Such a person, without doing anything at all, drew every eye the moment he simply stood there.
Tang Wei bowed to Lu Kangnian. "Greetings, Sect Master!!"
"Greetings, Sect Master!"
At that moment, all elders and disciples of the Great Xia Sword Sect immediately dropped what they were doing and bowed toward the figure in the sky.
Lu Kangnian swept a sharp gaze across the grounds and said in a deep voice, "Dignified elders of the peaks, tugging and bickering like this—where are your manners?!
"All elders are fined three months' stipend!"
Hearing this, the elders all made bitter faces. Three months of stipend!
With the Sect Master here, they could say nothing and could only nod in compliance.
Lan He shot Lu Kangnian a resentful glare and muttered, "I won't even be able to afford rouge and powder for the next few months!"
Lu Kangnian turned to Lan He and said casually with an indifferent expression, "Lan He talks back to the Sect Master. One additional month's stipend docked, plus ten more lectures for the outer disciples this month."
Then he turned away, ignoring Lan He's look that seemed ready to devour him alive.
Seeing this, Li Guanqi actually felt that the sect had a pleasant atmosphere.
Even an elder of Tianshui Peak could joke with the Sect Master; one month's stipend was a mere drop in the bucket for an elder anyway.
And the Sect Master's punishment for the elder was merely giving extra guidance to the outer disciples.
Li Guanqi murmured inwardly, *Perhaps... this sect could be a place to settle down.*
Lu Kangnian descended slowly onto the high platform and looked up at the sky full of rosy clouds.
With a genial smile on his face, he looked into Li Guanqi's eyes, showing not the slightest hint of anything unusual.
Instead, he said with utmost earnestness and sincerity, "My name is Lu Kangnian, the thirty-eighth Sect Master of the Great Xia Sword Sect.
"What is your name?"
Though Li Guanqi's clothes were not extravagant, they were clean and tidy.
Even so, he straightened his lapels.
He performed a junior's salute that was impeccably standard and dignified!
Moreover, Li Guanqi had remained calm and composed from beginning to end, a temperament that made Lu Kangnian think even more highly of him.
Zhao Yuanlin struggled to climb up from the ground, the excruciating pain wracking his entire body like blazing fire!
Yet the physical pain paled in comparison to the bitter hatred festering in his heart!
His eyes glared venomously at the figure on the platform, and then he turned to leave the Great Xia Sword Sect.
Li Guanqi took a deep look at Zhao Yuanlin's retreating back, his eyes narrowing slightly, and suddenly spoke up.
"Halt."
Then he turned toward Lu Kangnian, clasped his fists, and said in a deep voice, "Junior Li Guanqi greets you. Before anything else, might this disciple be permitted to settle a personal matter?"
A sharp glint flashed in Lu Kangnian's eyes, and he gave a slight nod.
Li Guanqi turned toward Zhao Yuanlin, icy killing intent surging almost uncontrollably.
"Slandering me and thinking you can just walk away? I'm afraid it won't be that easy."
Zhao Yuanlin clutched his broken arm, panic flashing in his eyes.
"What... what are you trying to do?!"
"I just won't join the Great Xia Sword Sect, that's all! I'll go down the mountain right now..."
Li Guanqi's figure blurred, instantly blocking Zhao Yuanlin's path.
"A death duel between us. No grievances in death!"
By now, Zhao Yuanlin had already lost all will to fight. He did not dare meet Li Guanqi's eyes, lowering his head, about to refuse—
—when a frigid voice reached his ears.
Lu Kangnian looked down at Zhao Yuanlin with indifferent eyes. A mere heavenly spiritual root was hardly something he considered precious.
With such character, the Great Xia Sword Sect would never accept him!
"Prepare for the death duel. If you survive, your crime of slander shall be pardoned."
Lu Kangnian's words were all but a death sentence for Zhao Yuanlin.
A flash of gratitude appeared in Li Guanqi's eyes. Without picking another location, the disciples scattered, clearing an area thirty zhang across.
Zhao Yuanlin's face was deathly pale. Knowing he had no way to resist, he could only fight with his life on the line...
Gritting his teeth, he looked at Lu Kangnian and said in a heavy voice, "If I win, let me go!"
Lu Kangnian flashed onto the throne on the high platform and sneered, "Naturally. Even if you wanted to stay, the Great Xia Sword Sect wouldn't have you."
Zhao Yuanlin took a deep breath, standing opposite Li Guanqi with eyes dripping with venomous malice.
If not for Li Guanqi, he would have been fully qualified to enter the inner sect of the Great Xia Sword Sect!!
Qin Xian actually presided over the death duel in person.
"In a death duel, no methods are forbidden. It ends when one person dies!
"Begin!"
The instant the word left his mouth, Li Guanqi's body shot forward!!
Even now, Li Guanqi did not take off the sword coffin from his back.
His speed was such that the many disciples only felt a blur before losing sight of his figure completely.
Seeing this, the elders all nodded in approval. Reaching such speed purely through physical strength was truly rare!
Acting on instinct, Zhao Yuanlin whipped around with a punch, but struck only empty air.
Crouching low, Li Guanqi's eyes flared with sudden killing intent as he smashed a fist upward straight into Zhao Yuanlin's jaw!!
*Crack! Crunch!*
This single punch shattered Zhao Yuanlin's jaw completely. Blood gushed freely, teeth flying out.
Zhao Yuanlin was sent soaring into the air!!
Li Guanqi seized Zhao Yuanlin's ankle and slammed him violently into the ground!!
*Bang!!*
Blood splattered across the stone ground, and an agonized wail tore from Zhao Yuanlin's throat.
"Aaargh!!"
His body bounced back up from the impact, cracks spreading across the bluestone paving!
The immense concussive shock instantly ruptured and displaced Zhao Yuanlin's internal organs.
Zhao Yuanlin swept a kick toward Li Guanqi, who released his ankle and stepped back, the toes brushing past the tip of Li Guanqi's nose.
Zhao Yuanlin spun in the air before landing on his feet, vomiting a mouthful of blood.
His bloodshot eyes were filled with petechiae, his vision so blurred he could barely make out what was in front of him.
A dark silhouette flashed before him. With a twisted, ferocious expression, Zhao Yuanlin roared and threw a punch with all his might!!
Li Guanqi's expression remained unchanged from start to finish. Power erupted beneath his feet as he shifted slightly to the side and met the blow with a punch of his own!!
*Thud! Crack!*
Zhao Yuanlin's left arm snapped instantly. Li Guanqi's right fingers pressed together into a blade as he roared, "Die!!!"
*Squelch!*
His five fingers pierced straight through Zhao Yuanlin's chest, impaling his heart!!
*Thump!*
Zhao Yuanlin collapsed to his knees, his eyes lifeless.
Li Guanqi withdrew his right hand, blood dripping from his fingertips onto the ground.
Yet he stood where he was with his eyes tightly shut, tears seeming to glisten at their corners...
In a hoarse voice, he murmured, "Sis... your brother has avenged you."
Watching this, the disciples across the square fell as silent as cicadas in winter.
In contrast, the peak masters and elders smiled and nodded.
Decisive in slaughter, ruthless and swift in execution!
A light gleamed in Lu Kangnian's eyes, the smile on his face deepening.
Seeing this, the elders of the various peaks immediately began whispering via divine sense transmissions.
"See that? Old Lu jumped in halfway just to poach him!"
"Tsk tsk, closing his doors after taking in Wu Bing, only to open them right back up!!"
"Bah! Shameless Lu Kangnian, closing and opening doors as he pleases!"
Lu Kangnian casually swept a glance over them, and everyone instantly clamped their mouths shut.
"Li Guanqi, is today your first time testing your spiritual root?"
Li Guanqi calmed his emotions. Watching Zhao Yuanlin's corpse being carried away, he gave a gentle nod.
"Yes. In the past, whenever I asked Grandpa, he would just smile without saying anything. I had no idea what spiritual root I had."
Lu Kangnian had just examined the youth's bone structure and found it to be exceptionally superb as well!
In the Body Tempering realm, not only were his internal organs remarkably resilient, but his meridians and bones were equally robust!
It seemed whoever had guided him was extraordinary!
"Would it be convenient to tell me your grandfather's name?"
"Su Xuan."
"Su Xuan... I haven't heard of any Nascent Soul cultivator by that name..."
"No matter. Since that is the case, I shall explain to all of you why it is called a void spiritual root."
Li Guanqi nodded slightly. Then, before everyone present, Lu Kangnian said softly, "A void spiritual root is also known as the root of ethereal void.
"The most precious aspect of this spiritual root is that the cultivator can freely choose any one of the eight elemental spiritual roots as their own!"
*Hiss—!*
The moment these words were spoken, sharp gasps arose from all the prospective disciples.
The looks they cast at the youth were filled with envy and reverence.
"Furthermore, the purity of the chosen root far exceeds that of a heavenly spiritual root!
"To make an analogy, if the cultivation speed of a three-element spiritual root is like pouring water into a vat with a single bucket,
"a dual-element true spiritual root would be four buckets. And a true spiritual root with mutually generating elements would cultivate at the speed of six buckets.
"A single-element heavenly spiritual root would be ten!"
Lu Kangnian turned back to Li Guanqi, his lips parting as he said softly, "A king-grade spiritual root is fifteen.
"A saint-grade... is twenty!"
*Boom!!*
As soon as he said this, the crowd, who had barely begun to grasp it, erupted into an uproar!!
And this was what countless powerhouses in the cultivation world always proclaimed:
"Talent determines the ceiling!"
Hard work could only compensate for a fraction. Before true talent,
all diligence and toil were futile!
Cruel as it was, this was the reality once one stepped onto the path of cultivation.
Perhaps someone might encounter miraculous fortunes, cleanse their marrow and purge their impurities, reshape their spiritual root, and tread upon the supreme Dao.
Yet no one had ever heard of a cultivator with a three-element spiritual root stepping beyond Nascent Soul!
Li Guanqi suddenly asked, "Is there anything above a saint-grade spiritual root?"
Seeing the eager yearning for knowledge on the young faces below the platform, the corner of Lu Kangnian's mouth curled into an amused smile.
"There is!"
"Whoa!! There are actually spiritual roots even more powerful than heavenly roots!!"
"Heavens... No wonder every sect looks at spiritual roots and talent! This... sigh!"
Lu Kangnian said softly, "A heavenly spiritual root already represents the caliber of a genius. A king-grade spiritual root is one in ten thousand, hailed as a favored child of heaven.
"Saint-grade depends on fortune and fate—unseen for thousands of years, regarded as a monstrous talent.
"Above saint-grade lies the divine-grade. Those who possess such roots are beings endowed with immense karmic fortune.
"The spiritual root they possess is the ultimate manifestation of a particular element! Its cultivation speed is... comparable to thirty buckets.
"It is said that among the Six Domains, the daughter of the Shenbao Domain Lord recently awakened a saint-grade ice spiritual root."
Having said this, Lu Kangnian smiled and added, "Well, it suffices to know a bit about other domains. I only tell you this to broaden your horizons.
"A king-grade spiritual root is already exceedingly rare in our Great Xia Domain, to say nothing of our Qingyun Continent.
"That a disciple joining our sect today has awakened a saint-grade spiritual root is a glorious event for the sect, showing that the Great Xia Sword Sect's fortune flourishes!
"Today, all applicants who possess a three-element spiritual root may enter the sect and join the outer sect for the time being!"
Hearing this, cheers erupted across the crowd. The disciples with pseudo spiritual roots who had originally been passed over rejoiced with boundless excitement.
"Now then, Li Guanqi, which element will you choose for your spiritual root?"
As soon as the question was asked, the hearts of all peak masters and elders leaped into their throats.
Because Lu Kangnian's spiritual root was an earth-attribute heavenly spiritual root. As long as Li Guanqi did not choose earth, they still had a chance!
Li Guanqi likewise wanted to be a sword cultivator, and for a sword cultivator, the deadliest offensive power came from a metal-element spiritual root!
At this moment, Li Guanqi suddenly sank into a profoundly wondrous state.
He felt as though he were standing in a vast world of pure white, surrounded by eight spheres of light of different colors, continuously drawing close to him with intimate affinity.
Just as he reached out, on the verge of touching the golden orb of light, an inexplicable premonition struck his heart!
He turned his head to look off to the side.
Chapter 13