Morning arrived.
After practicing a routine of health-strengthening fist techniques, Zhou Fuyou washed up quickly and headed toward the Zhou family's discussion hall.
It was the clan's core location, second only to the Coral Hall where the Old Ancestor secluded himself in closed-door cultivation, which meant it was a long walk.
Zhou Fuyou was in no hurry. Drawing on his memories, he walked at an unhurried pace.
Along the way, he encountered quite a few clansmen, and people frequently cast curious glances at him.
Evidently, what had transpired at the training grounds and the night before had already spread.
Zhou Fuyou maintained a placid expression, pretending not to see any of their gazes. When encountering familiar elders, he greeted them with respectful propriety, never falling short of courtesy.
Roughly an hour later, the solemn, imposing discussion hall came into view.
Zhou Fuyou walked over, but before he could step inside, someone stopped him.
Looking up at the somewhat elderly-looking man, he said hesitantly, "Eldest Uncle, Second Grandfather summoned me."
The man barring his path was Zhou Junxiao's eldest son, of the same generation as Zhou Fuyou's father. Because he was quite advanced in age, Zhou Fuyou addressed him as Eldest Uncle.
Yet if someone saw Eldest Uncle and Second Grandfather side by side, it would be easy to confuse their relationship.
Such was the nature of immortal cultivators: those of low realms often had hair as white as frost, whereas powerful experts with high cultivation knew arts of preserving their youth, appearing young and fresh.
Zhou Fuyou had heard that this was tied to the age at which a cultivator achieved Foundation Establishment. The earlier one broke through, the easier it was to preserve one's appearance from that time.
Though one would still gradually age as years passed and vitality declined, it was still far better than for ordinary people.
Eldest Uncle raised a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture and said softly, "Matters are being discussed inside. Wait a moment."
Zhou Fuyou nodded and waited quietly outside.
Yet the voices chatting inside the hall drifted out with utter clarity.
"Clan Head, Yuhao was beaten by Zhou Fuyou. Is there really to be no punishment at all?"
"A clash of youthful pride between children—what punishment do you want? Did you never get beaten as a child, or did you never beat your peers?"
"But he was far too ruthless! Half my Yuhao's face was mangled, three of his teeth were knocked out, and most of the rest are loose! Is this mere child's play? They are kinsmen after all, relatives meant to support each other in the future! Such conduct absolutely cannot be condoned!"
"They were born in the same year, and they started training on the very same day. From what I hear, Yuhao even had a group of friends helping him. Being beaten like that can only mean his skill was inferior. If you hold a grudge, you are free to have your Yuhao train diligently and win it back in the future. Our Zhou family does not encourage internal strife, but we never forbid competition."
"Clan Head..."
"Enough! Even your father hasn't spoken a word—what are you clamoring for? Xiaocheng, what do you think?"
"I leave it entirely to Second Brother's arrangement."
"Good. The matter ends here. However, we really ought to post Qi Refinement cultivators to keep an eye on the training grounds. Those teaching the arts are mortal Xiantian martial artists; they dare not intervene in conflicts between family children. To prevent any excessive incidents in the future, I will dispatch Qi Refinement cultivators to watch over the area."
Hearing this discussion, Zhou Fuyou instantly understood it was about what he had done the day before.
Aside from Second Grandfather, the others discussing it were likely Thirteenth Grandfather—likewise a Golden Core Master—and his son.
Silence fell over the hall.
Zhou Fuyou looked up at Eldest Uncle, only to see the man smiling warmly and shaking his head.
Was there more to discuss?
The next instant, another voice rose from the hall.
"Clan Head, my boy Yuqi gave me a detailed account when he returned yesterday. Zhou Yuhao provoked it, but it is also true that Fuyou is extreme in temperament and struck far too heavily. In the past, Fuyou was gentle and cultured; he would never have done such a thing. In my view, this shift in his character is likely because Baihan and his wife tragically fell half a year ago. Traumatized and left without guidance, he turned out like this."
Outside the hall, Zhou Fuyou instinctively pressed his lips together.
He recognized the owner of the voice.
Seventh Uncle—Zhou Haiye!
Second Grandfather's voice rang out.
"Xiao Qi, what are you trying to say?"
"Posting Qi Refinement cultivators to watch over them only treats the symptoms, not the root. I have an idea, Clan Head. See what you think."
"Speak."
"Our household has always been on good terms with Baihan's, and the children visited each other often. Why not let me adopt Fuyou and his sister? I can regularly teach him right from wrong, preventing him from causing greater disaster in the future."
A brief silence filled the discussion hall.
After a long pause, Second Grandfather said in a heavy voice, "That will not be necessary."
Zhou Haiye seemed taken aback, never expecting the proposal he considered a sure thing would be rejected.
He could not help asking, "Fuyou and his sister are so young. How can they manage with no one to look after them?"
"Who said no one is looking after them? Baihan and his wife died performing a mission for the family, so of course our Zhou family will care for their orphans! I have already decided to adopt Fuyou... and his sister. None of you need to concern yourselves with this."
The Clan Head's main lineage was personally adopting Zhou Fuyou and his sister?
The moment this news broke, Zhou Haiye was dumbfounded.
Zhou Yuhao's father, previously indignant, also instantly understood why the Clan Head was so bent on shielding the boy.
"Finally, I have one more point to make. Keep your own children in line, especially their mouths! If they can cultivate when they grow up, they will ultimately walk the world of immortal cultivation. Strength is not everything; misfortune often comes from what one says. Do I really need to teach you that?"
"All right, dismiss!"
A few murmurs drifted from the hall, followed by the sound of chairs shifting.
A crowd of people walked out of the discussion hall, only to halt at the entrance.
A thin boy with delicate features stood there, looking at them with a placid expression.
Facing their collective gaze, he showed neither servility nor arrogance, his emotions completely unreadable.
Zhou Xiaocheng, one of the Zhou clan's only five Golden Core Masters, raised an eyebrow, glanced back into the hall, and then smiled at Zhou Fuyou.
"You must be Fuyou, yes?"
Zhou Fuyou bowed slightly. "Greetings, Grandpa Cheng."
"Good!" Zhou Xiaocheng stroked his beard. "An extraordinary air and striking talent—you will surely be an outstanding figure of our Zhou family in the future. My little grandson Yuhao spoke out of turn earlier, and you've already taught him a lesson. Going forward, you are still friends, still brothers. If he doesn't kick his bad habits, discipline him again on Grandpa's behalf, all right?"
Zhou Fuyou looked slightly surprised and hesitated. "Fuyou will keep Grandpa Cheng's words in mind. We are still friends, still brothers."
Zhou Xiaocheng laughed heartily and walked away with his hands clasped behind his back.
Behind him, Zhou Yuhao's father had not quite processed the turn of events; he looked at Zhou Fuyou, bewildered, before scurrying after his father.
Seventh Uncle Zhou Haiye, on the other hand, approached Zhou Fuyou with a fawning air.
"Fuyou, it's been a long time since you came over to play at our house."
Zhou Fuyou's expression turned cold. "My lessons keep me busy, and I have to look after my sister, so I haven't gone out much lately. Seventh Uncle, Second Grandfather still has business with me. Let's talk next time."
With that, he stepped into the hall alone.
Seventh Uncle stood frozen at the doorway in astonishment.
Eldest Uncle patted his shoulder. "Haiye, don't worry about little Fuyou. He must have felt your good intentions."
With that, Eldest Uncle entered the hall as well.
Had he truly felt them?
Zhou Haiye forced a smile, but a glint of danger flashed in his narrowed eyes.
Inside the hall.
Seeing Second Grandfather's robust, muscular back once again, Zhou Fuyou bowed respectfully.
"You heard everything just now, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Any thoughts?"
"Fuyou leaves everything to Second Grandfather's decision. However, that home holds the traces of my father and mother. For now, my sister and I would prefer not to move."
"Very well. I will send people periodically to check on you. If you ever need help, you can find your Eldest Uncle, or come straight to me. Take this token. If you encounter danger, just crush it."
Zhou Fuyou took the token respectfully. He could faintly sense an immense power contained within it.
After thanking Second Grandfather, Zhou Fuyou prepared to take his leave.
Yet just before he reached the door, Second Grandfather suddenly called out to him.
"You are at home. You don't need to act grown-up and keep a straight face all day. You can smile more, just like other children your age."
The boy stiffened. He did not turn around, but an unnameable surge of emotion welled up in his chest.
Ever since his parents' passing, he had looked after his sister alone for so long, without a single blood elder showing care or asking after them. Living in the vast Zhou family had felt entirely devoid of warmth.
Until this very moment.
His voice choked with emotion, he said, "Fuyou will remember Second Grandfather's words."
"Go on!"
Zhou Junxiao waved a hand. Watching the boy depart with a slightly lighter step, he could not help shaking his head with a faint smile.
Though precocious, having absorbed vast knowledge from books and learned to mask his feelings and disguise himself, he was ultimately still a child.
He looked toward his son.
"In the future, look after the two of them more. Distribute their resources on schedule. Also, allocate an extra portion..."
Zhou Junxiao seemed to recall something and quickly amended himself.
"Allocate two extra portions of medicinal herbs for nourishing their bodies, and deliver them privately!"
***
Inside the Yinlü Waterside Pavilion.
Zhou Fuyou silently reflected on what he had witnessed that day.
There was the relief brought by Zhou Yuhao's family showing goodwill, but also a faint disgust toward Seventh Uncle's petition to adopt them.
He did not believe the tonic herbs Seventh Uncle's household had sent back then were an innocent mistake, nor did he believe today's adoption offer came from the heart.
The logic was simple: if Seventh Uncle truly had that intention, why hadn't he raised it half a year ago?
As for why Zhou Fuyou was unwilling to live in Second Grandfather's household, the reason was equally simple.
Second Grandfather had many people in his household. Living together day after day, friction was bound to arise. He could not be certain that if he or his sister offended someone from the Clan Head's main lineage, they would still enjoy Second Grandfather's protection.
Living alone in the Yinlü Waterside Pavilion was far better.
Furthermore, he needed to cultivate!
In his mind, cultivating at too young an age would easily invite interference from elders, which would hinder him from gaining formidable strength as quickly as possible.
As for how powerful he currently was?
Zhou Fuyou formed a sword-finger and pointed toward the pond before the pavilion.
*Swish!*
A flash of eerie blue light flickered and vanished. A century-old bluestone in the pond silently crumbled into fine powder.
A first-grade spell, the Water Arrow Art!
Such power was definitely beyond what an early-stage Qi Refinement cultivator could unleash.
What was more, it was an instant cast!
Zhou Fuyou could not achieve such mastery with any other five-element spells. Only with water-attribute spells had he felt, from the very beginning, complete freedom and total mastery, as though they were extensions of his own limbs.
It was as if whatever he willed, he could accomplish!
Unfortunately, the spell manuals left behind in his father's study were too few, with only a handful of water-attribute spells among them.
Yet Zhou Fuyou was in no hurry now.
With Second Grandfather's protection, he had no need to take reckless risks.
He was still young and had not reached the proper age.
Once his spiritual roots were formally tested, the family would issue cultivation methods matching his attributes, and he would be permitted to enter the family scripture pavilion to select the spells he desired.
Only then would it be time to truly reveal his talent.
The ripples on the pond gradually settled. The boy looked at his reflection in the water.
Recalling what Second Grandfather had said as he left the discussion hall, he instinctively parted his lips, trying to force a smile.
Yet the smiling face mirrored in the water looked almost like weeping.
The boy opened his mouth, but in the end, he pressed his lips tightly together.
***
Six years later.
The Zhou family of Bailu Marsh.
On this day, crowds bustled, and banners fluttered in the breeze.
After another six years of recuperation and growth, the Zhou family's stature had grown increasingly magnificent.
Over the course of six years, clansmen had successively achieved Foundation Establishment one after another, and another Golden Core cultivator had even emerged.
Such rapid progress was nothing short of a minor miracle, not only around Bailu Marsh, but throughout the entire Tiannan Continent.
It was worth remembering that not long ago, the Zhou family had produced two newly ascended Golden Core cultivators only thanks to the Old Ancestor's personal guidance.
This time, however, Zhou Haiye had broken through to the Golden Core stage relying entirely on his own independent cultivation.
Moreover, he was a third-generation clansman, not one of the second-generation members who possessed deep foundations to begin with.
Many said Bailu Marsh was a blessed land, a cradle of prosperity for the Zhou family comparable to their ancestral territory in the Coral Sea of the Northern Sea.
Yet today's bustling excitement was not for Zhou Haiye's achievement; rather, it was because the time had arrived for another year's spiritual root testing.
Testing spiritual roots had not originally required a specially appointed day.
When children reached the right age, clan elders could test them at any time.
This time, however, the circumstances were somewhat special.
Thirteen years prior, the Old Ancestor had issued an order encouraging clansmen to bear children. From Foundation Establishment True Cultivators down to mortals without spiritual roots, all were urged to produce offspring freely.
Consequently, twelve years ago, a large cohort of children had been born into the Zhou family.
The thirty-odd children usually on the clan's training grounds were only a fraction; in Coral Town, where mortals were settled, there were dozens more.
Today, they had all been gathered in one place for ease of testing.
Not only that, but it was said that even the Qingtong Lin family and the Hanjiang Valley Yin family, both on friendly terms with the Zhou family, were dispatching powerful experts to observe the ceremony and gauge the aptitude of the Zhou family's next generation.
For this reason, the Zhou family had organized the Spiritual Root Testing Ceremony with great fanfare.
They had chosen an auspicious day, selected an expansive ground, and arranged the appropriate formation treasures, even making special seating arrangements for the honored guests.
Inside the Yinlü Waterside Pavilion.
Two figures stepped outside. Behind them, an old woman with snow-white hair waved shakily.
"Young Master, Young Miss, be late coming home!"
Zhou Qingyu, now slender, graceful, and elegant, said with a beaming smile, "Granny, everyone else hopes their children will come home early. Why are you telling us to be late?"
The youth beside her said calmly, "Because only those found to have spiritual roots will be kept by the clan, while those without will be sent home early. Granny hopes we return late because she naturally hopes we both possess spiritual roots."
"Hmph, I actually knew that, Brother!" Zhou Qingyu said, wrinkling her small nose.
The youth she called brother was none other than Zhou Fuyou.
Now twelve years old, Zhou Fuyou was still lean, but he stood around 1.7 meters tall, looking virtually like an adult. His sister Zhou Qingyu stood beside him, a full head shorter.
His fair face was exceptionally handsome, conveying an almost delicate beauty.
His subtle, reserved aura only accentuated this striking appearance.
He looked calmly at the young girl before him. Though he did not laugh, the corners of his mouth curved upward slightly.
Over the past six years, nourished by a wealth of medicinal herbs, his sister was finally no longer so fragile.
Paired with daily training, she had overcome the plight of her weak constitution and deficient vitality.
Compared to ordinary people, there was no trace left of the "sickly weakling" of her childhood.
"Maomao, let's go. We must arrive at the testing grounds before the dignitaries arrive so we don't fall short of etiquette."
"All right, I know! And Brother, you're not allowed to call me Maomao anymore!"
"All right, Maomao."
"Ah, mean brother! That nickname sounds awful! People even called us the caterpillar siblings! You're forbidden from saying it ever again!"
"Who said that?" The boy's voice turned slightly cold.
"Don't be mad, it was just a joke! Besides, Zhou Yuhao already taught her a lesson for me, so don't you go doing anything."
Bathed in the morning light, the two figures walked unhurriedly toward the grounds where the Spiritual Root Testing Ceremony was to be held.
Along the path, bell-like laughter scattered through the air from time to time.
Chapter 1032