Innate Dao Body, Bearing of an Almighty!

The Spiritual Root Testing Ceremony continued. The number of youths detected with spiritual roots had noticeably increased compared to earlier, rising from ten or twenty percent to twenty or thirty percent. The youngsters who had yet to be tested failed to notice this shift, still caught in anxious trepidation. For the powerhouses of the Zhou family, however, such test results were already genuinely outstanding. Normally, let alone twenty or thirty percent, even finding two or three out of a hundred was extraordinarily difficult. It was truly because thirty percent of this cohort consisted of offspring born of unions where both parents were cultivators, allowing bearers of spiritual roots to emerge at such a high frequency. Under normal circumstances, cultivators were rather reluctant to have children early on, as doing so would deplete their own origin qi and impede their cultivation. Only those who saw no hope on the Great Dao, indulged in pleasure, or lacked emotional fulfillment would bear children in their later years. The reason for such stellar results this time around was entirely the benefit reaped from the Old Ancestor's orders years ago. One could easily imagine that this cohort, along with the clansmen born over the subsequent decade or so, would inevitably become the Zhou family's vital backbone once they embarked on cultivation. Of course, while the elders were pleased, the youngsters caught in the middle did not see that lucky twenty to thirty percent; what they saw was an elimination rate of seventy to eighty percent. Without a spiritual root, one would be a mortal from that day forward! Restlessness, panic, and worry quietly spread. "Zhou Yuhao, Water-Wood dual spiritual roots!" Once the result was announced, the last trace of apprehension in Zhou Yuhao's heart vanished, and he broke into a broad grin. What delighted him even more, however, was a melodious voice from above. "This boy may enter the Dao Palace to cultivate." Zhou Yuhao looked up in wild ecstasy. The glamorous woman was nodding slightly at him, appearing quite pleased. Beside Mo Wanting, Zhou Junxiao, the Clan Head of the Zhou family, wore a look of puzzlement. If dual spiritual roots were enough to enter the Dao Palace to cultivate and become a disciple of the Tianyuan Dao Sect, why hadn't dual spiritual roots like Zhou Yusheng earlier been accepted? His gaze shifted back and forth between Zhou Yusheng and Zhou Yuhao, and gradually, he came to understand. Even among dual spiritual roots, there were distinctions. Water-Wood dual spiritual roots followed the Five Elements mutual generation of Water feeding Wood; focusing on Wood-attribute cultivation methods would yield twice the result with half the effort! Zhou Yusheng, however, had Metal-Fire dual spiritual roots. Fire restrained Metal, an antagonistic relationship within the Five Elements. He could not practice Metal-element methods; yet if he practiced Fire-element methods, the Metal root's perception of Metal spiritual qi would interfere with his sensing and absorption of Fire spiritual qi. After all, Metal and Fire were the most violent of the Five Elements. In a sense, Metal-Fire dual spiritual roots were only marginally better than three spiritual roots, failing to compare with normal dual spiritual roots, let alone an exceptionally harmonious pairing like Zhou Yuhao's. Having worked this out, Zhou Junxiao had a clear grasp of Tiannan Dao Palace's apprentice selection standards. *If that's the case, Yuwei will definitely make the cut, but Hong'er might fall short.* Sure enough! In the subsequent testing, the results for the three youths from his lineage came out one after another. One had four spiritual roots, barely capable of cultivation. Zhou Yuhong had Earth-Wood dual spiritual roots. Although there was an element of mutual restraint, it was not as extreme as the earlier Metal-Fire pairing and could only be counted as normal dual spiritual root aptitude. In an ordinary sect or clan, this was already considered outstanding talent, offering hope of reaching Foundation Establishment or even the Golden Core stage in the future. Yet Dean Mo Wanting of Yuheng Court still did not speak up to accept him. When it was Zhou Yuwei's turn, who had been placed further back, Mo Wanting spoke once again. "Metal-Earth dual spiritual roots. Not bad. She may enter the Dao Palace to cultivate!" Earth generated Metal, so cultivating Metal-attribute methods would be both swift and steady, validating Zhou Junxiao's deduction. From this, he could not help but sigh at why the Tianyuan Dao Sect had once been the foremost sacred land of the Five Continents! Their standards for selecting disciples were astonishingly high. They looked down on ordinary dual spiritual roots; only mutually beneficial dual roots were considered qualified. One could well imagine that when the Tianyuan Dao Sect had reigned over the entirety of the Central Plains, peerless geniuses were as numerous as carp crossing a river, left entirely to their picking. Only thus could they have produced countless prodigies and assembled a grand host of mighty experts. "Fellow Daoist Zhou, your Zhou family truly lives up to its reputation as a Nascent Soul clan. Even after enduring the chaos of war, you retain such depth. A single Spiritual Root Testing Ceremony has already yielded three fine seedlings for this Dean. In my eyes, you fall no shorter than those Nascent Soul noble families of our Dao Sect that have been passed down for a thousand years." Perhaps because she had secured three fine prospects, Mo Wanting was in high spirits and took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Zhou Junxiao. Zhou Junxiao chuckled. "If that is truly so, why doesn't the Dao Sect grant our Zhou family the same treatment as those Nascent Soul noble families?" Mo Wanting gave a faint smile. "Aren't we already treating you equally now? After all, in the past, junior clansmen of Star Gate guest elders had to undergo five hundred years of trial in the Central Plains before being formally accepted into the Dao Sect." Zhou Junxiao licked his lips and said with a hint of greed, "You know that's not what I mean." Mo Wanting raised an eyebrow. "You want fixed quota spots?" "Indeed!" Zhou Junxiao did not beat around the bush. He knew full well that for true Dao Sect noble families, beyond those with superior talent who could directly join the Tianyuan Dao Sect, there was another set of quotas allowing clan members to audit classes in the Dao Palace. Among that group, perhaps most would never match the achievements of the former, but a few would inevitably distinguish themselves. Furthermore, even those who ultimately could not remain to cultivate in the Dao Sect would have received instruction from the greatest sacred land in the Five Continents; upon returning to the clan, they could lead it toward far better development. This was precisely why the Twelve Great Houses and Thirty-Six Noble Families of the Tianyuan Dao Sect never dwindled in number, but only grew more numerous. If his Zhou clan possessed fixed quotas, then those with ordinary dual spiritual root aptitudes—like Zhou Yuhong, Zhou Yusheng, and Zhou Yuqi—would also have the chance to cultivate in the Tianyuan Dao Sect. Mo Wanting smiled. "As for that, this Dean cannot make such a decision. After all, the Zhou family's contributions are insufficient, your time in the Central Plains has been short, and you have yet to foster more good seedlings for the Dao Sect. Thus, granting fixed quotas is difficult to justify." "Contributions? Our Zhou family's Old Ancestor contributed substantially during the great war of the Northern Sea. As for the question of time, isn't the Dao Palace setting that aside now, just as you mentioned earlier? And as for more fine seedlings?" Zhou Junxiao's gaze fell upon the remaining few who had yet to be tested. "I wonder how many good seedlings it would take to satisfy the Dao Sect?" Following his gaze, Mo Wanting looked toward those few young boys and girls as well. She covered her mouth with a light chuckle. "I'm afraid just these few won't be enough." "Is that so?" Zhou Junxiao felt a tinge of disappointment in his heart. ... Time had slipped from morning into afternoon. Though the harshest glare of the sun had passed, the restlessness in the hearts of those waiting reached an extreme peak. "No spiritual root. Step down!" "No spiritual root. Step down!" Command after command fell from Zhou Haiye's mouth, devoid of the gentle warmth fitting a clan elder from earlier, replaced entirely by cold indifference and impatience. This was tied to his son Zhou Yuqi failing to catch Mo Wanting's eye, denying him entrance into Tiannan Dao Palace to cultivate. He wished for nothing more than to end this Spiritual Root Testing Ceremony as quickly as possible! Fortunately, only two people remained—two familiar faces. "Zhou Qingyu!" "Here!" Zhou Qingyu took a deep breath, glanced at her elder brother Zhou Fuyou, and stepped onto the raised platform under his encouraging gaze. The light of the formation shifted and flowed. The girl's heart fluttered with nervous hope... which turned to despair in the blink of an eye! In merely an instant, the formation's light dissipated. Such speed, such a familiar sight—it was identical to those peers who lacked spiritual roots. Zhou Qingyu turned her head stiffly toward Zhou Haiye. The man uttered those four words flatly: "No spiritual root." The young girl stepped down from the platform in a daze, looking utterly lost. The gazes boring into her back felt even more scorching than the blazing sun in the sky. She knew who those gazes belonged to: her clansmen, Zhou Yuhao who called her "Sister Maomao," and the friends who had played with her over the past six years. Yet starting today, everything would change. They could remain in the clan to cultivate and become lofty immortal cultivators. While she would have to go to Coral Town, that mortal settlement, to spend a mediocre, mundane life. In her muddled state, a somewhat cool hand came to rest upon her head, rubbing her hair affectionately. "Don't be afraid. I'm here." The hand withdrew, and the figure brushed past her. Zhou Qingyu halted her steps, the rims of her eyes reddening. "Brother." Though that silhouette was slender, at this moment it appeared as towering as their father had been back then. The instant he stepped onto the platform, the formation suddenly sprang into motion. In a single breath! A beam of azure light bypassed the other four colors, surging straight into the youth's body. The compass in Zhou Haiye's hand spun madly, trembling without cease. Such an instantaneous reaction caught everyone completely off guard. After all, merely sensing spiritual qi typically required twelve-year-old youths to close their eyes, calm their minds, and spend a great deal of time before feeling the spiritual qi corresponding to their spiritual root attributes with the formation's aid. How could it be like Zhou Fuyou, where a reaction occurred in a mere instant? Did this not mean his affinity with spiritual qi was extraordinarily high? Furthermore, there was only a single color! Could it be...? "A Heavenly Spiritual Root!" "A Water Heavenly Spiritual Root!" "Zhou Fuyou actually possesses a uniquely blessed Water Heavenly Spiritual Root! Doesn't that mean he is guaranteed to become a Nascent Soul True Person in the future?" "Our Zhou family has found its successor!" All at once, the entire square erupted into an uproar, gasps and exclamations echoing incessantly. Across the vast testing plaza, everyone's eyes converged upon Zhou Fuyou alone. The envy and jealousy of his peers, the joyful cheers of the clan elders, and the stunned ecstasy of the Golden Core Masters. Zhou Fuyou raised his head, meeting Zhou Haiye's gaze. Across Seventh Uncle's face, stunned disbelief, shock, regret, and a fleeting glimmer of killing intent surfaced one after another uncontrollably! The instant their eyes met, Zhou Fuyou acted as if oblivious, turning his gaze toward the guest gallery. Clan Head Zhou Junxiao wore a look of sudden realization. The patriarchs of the Lin and Yin families were much like everyone else—beyond astonishment, they harbored envy. As for that woman? Sitting in her chair, Mo Wanting arched an eyebrow, a pleased smile spreading across her face. Compared to dual spiritual root talent, a Heavenly Spiritual Root was ultimately superior by a notch. Although it was said that cultivators with Heavenly Spiritual Roots struggled greatly to reach Soul Formation, for the present Tianyuan Dao Sect, the single fact that he could smoothly advance to the Nascent Soul stage was more than enough reason to place immense value on Zhou Fuyou. After all, the current Tianyuan Dao Sect was in dire need of Nascent Soul True Persons; otherwise, they would not have made an exception to admit former Star Gate guest elders into the sect, nor would they have let Hui Yuanhong occupy a seat among the four halls of Tiannan Dao Palace. As long as she brought Zhou Fuyou back, this trip would be equivalent to bringing back a future Nascent Soul True Person. "Good! This boy is named Zhou Fuyou, correct?" Zhou Junxiao exhaled a breath of turbid air, steadying his composure. "Yes, he is also a fourth-generation clansman of our Zhou family, and has held the reputation of a child prodigy since youth..." He wanted to continue recounting Zhou Fuyou's past deeds, but in the next instant, he saw Mo Wanting lose her composure and stand up from her chair. Zhou Junxiao froze. Following her gaze, he looked toward Zhou Fuyou once more. Boom! Above the square, clouds surged and winds howled. Amidst flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder, a torrential downpour abruptly descended. Within the formation, a strand of black radiance strangely materialized. The moment this black radiance appeared, the four rays of light representing the Five Elements spiritual qi were instantly suppressed in unison; only the blue light of the Water attribute surged upward against the tide, merging into the black radiance. "This..." Zhou Junxiao's mouth fell open, unable to process the scene for a moment. Mo Wanting's face paled with shock as she cried out, "An Innate Spirit Body! And one that is most harmonious with the Water spiritual root! Is it the Great Yin True Body? Or the Xuanming Dao Body? Could it be the Water Origin Dao Fetus?!" Names that existed only in ancient texts tumbled continuously from the woman's mouth. Each one represented something extraordinary, boundless might, and the future of the Great Dao! Mo Wanting could no longer contain herself. "Right now, immediately, this instant—I am taking him back to Tiannan Dao Palace!" Zhou Junxiao waved his hands hurriedly, cutting her off. "Fellow Daoist Mo! Dean Mo! You are losing your composure!" Mo Wanting let out a breath. "Apologies, this is simply too astonishing. Were it merely a normal Heavenly Spiritual Root, this humble woman would not be so rattled. After all, the ceiling for a cultivator with a Heavenly Spiritual Root is generally the Nascent Soul stage; it is exceedingly difficult to reach the Soul Formation realm. But when paired with a corresponding powerful physique, the shackles restricting a Heavenly Spiritual Root are shattered. In other words..." Her gaze fixed intently upon Zhou Fuyou. "This boy has the bearing of an almighty!" Zhou Junxiao drew in a sharp breath of cold air, not even noticing the change in how she addressed herself. "Is that truly so?" Mo Wanting nodded repeatedly. "Even if it is merely the weakest Water Spirit Body, it would allow him to touch the threshold of Soul Formation. If it has any relation to the Great Yin True Body, the Xuanming Dao Body, or even the legendary Water Origin Dao Fetus, his path to Soul Formation will be practically smooth sailing!" After offering a brief explanation, Mo Wanting could not restrain herself again. "No, I must take him back to Tiannan Dao Palace!" The conversation between the two had not been conducted via divine sense transmission, but openly before everyone present. The entire square fell into dead silence. Until the youth's calm voice rang out: "Senior, Fuyou does not wish to leave the clan just yet." Mo Wanting was taken aback, asking in disbelief, "What did you say?" "This junior does not wish to leave the clan for the time being." "Why?" The youth did not answer. Instead, his gaze fell upon the young girl, whose expression was a mix of joyful surprise and deep admiration. Mo Wanting frowned. "Because of your younger sister? She has no spiritual root and cannot cultivate; she is destined to walk a different path from yours." Zhou Fuyou shook his head. "You can go to the Dao Palace to cultivate first. Once your cultivation achieves success in the future, the sect will naturally reward you with longevity-extending pills. That way, your sister can live much longer as well." Zhou Fuyou still shook his head. "Fine. Your sister may accompany you to the Dao Palace; I am willing to set a precedent for you!" Zhou Fuyou was slightly moved. Yet recalling the looks and expressions shown by the friends who had once gotten along well with his sister after she was tested and found to have no spiritual root, he shook his head once more. Transporting her to an environment where everyone could cultivate and everyone was a genius would only make his sister's life harder. Seeing how obstinate he was, Mo Wanting felt a surge of anger. "Do not assume that possessing peerless talent allows you to do whatever you please! You must realize that geniuses in this world are countless, but those who truly fulfill their potential are ultimately few. On the path of growth, one needs guidance from renowned masters, assistance in resources, and, above all, the protection of mighty experts. And all of this, only Tiannan Dao Palace can offer you!" Zhou Fuyou hesitated for a moment, yet remained steadfast. "I do not wish to leave right now. When the proper time comes, I will naturally go to the Dao Palace. I hope Senior will understand." Mo Wanting wanted to say more, but a weathered, mellow voice drifted leisurely over, cutting off her words. "Young friend, just respect Fuyou's wishes! With this old man around, there is no need to worry about his safety." Accompanying this voice was an overwhelmingly domineering pressure. Everyone understood whose voice this was. The Zhou family's Old Ancestor!