“A heavenly spiritual root?!”
The deacon froze for an instant before crying out in shock.
Hearing his words, Chen Zhuo was stunned, and the crowd of rogue cultivators was equally dumbfounded.
Even the three Foundation Establishment cultivators were dazed.
A heavenly spiritual root?!
Over thousands of years in the Southern Wilderness, the number of heavenly spiritual roots to have ever appeared could be counted on one hand. Aside from one who had died young, every single one had become a renowned titan, and one had even reached the Nascent Soul realm!
How could such a peerless genius appear right here?!
Boom!
Right at that moment, a disheveled-haired man suddenly leapt into the air from within the crowd, looking as though he were engulfed in flames, his face twisted ferociously as he charged straight at Chen Zhuo!
“Hmph! How dare you act brazenly before me?!”
The old man was the first to react. With a cold snort, a petite gourd instantly flew out from his sleeve.
The moment the gourd appeared, it spewed a beam of silver sword light, whirling in a circle around the charging man!
Desolate sword qi flared. Beneath the flash of sword light, the disheveled man was severed at the waist in an instant, blood gushing across the ground!
“Go!”
After being severed at the waist and crashing down onto the hall floor, the disheveled man was in excruciating agony, but he still did not stop his hands. A talisman instantly flew from his grip, streaking at top speed toward the outside of the market!
“Junior Sister Shen!” the old man shouted sternly. “Intercept that voice transmission talisman!”
Hearing this, the white-robed female cultivator instantly transformed into a beam of sword light, streaking after the talisman and disappearing in the blink of an eye.
All of this unfolded in the span of a lightning flash; the rogue cultivators present had not even reacted yet.
The old man snorted, retrieved his petite gourd, and spat with disgust, “Southern barbarians, dare you dream of harming our sect’s genius?!
“Junior Brother Xiao, activate the market’s defensive array! Not a single person here is allowed to leave! Anyone who attempts to force their way through the barrier is to be executed on the spot!
“Immediately send word to Martial Uncles Wei, Wang, and Lu, asking them to hasten here without delay!
“Anyone trespassing upon the market’s array will be deemed to have declared war on our Qiwu Sword Faction!”
With that, the old man leapt directly off the high platform and came to Chen Zhuo’s side. His expression was flushed with excitement as he eyed Chen Zhuo up and down, declaring loudly, “This old man is Zhao Shu. Unworthy as I am, I serve as an elder in the Hall of Law Enforcement of the Qiwu Sword Sect! Fellow Daoist, your joining our Sword Sect truly brings immense honor to our humble gates!”
Chen Zhuo was still completely baffled.
What the hell?
I have a heavenly spiritual root?
No, I have a single-attribute synthetic spiritual root!
Why would they think I have a heavenly spiritual root?
After just a brief moment of thought, Chen Zhuo immediately realized the reason.
What he had thought earlier was spot on.
These country bumpkins of the ancient cultivation world truly had never seen such sheer technological sorcery before.
They had zero exposure to it!
They had no idea that a single spiritual root could be an artificially implanted synthetic root acquired later in life. The concept didn't even exist in their minds.
Furthermore, Chen Zhuo’s synthetic spiritual root was formed essentially by combining the spiritual root of a deceased cultivator with natural spiritual materials, which was why the image of a verdant tree had manifested on the Immortal Fate Stone.
The substrate of his synthetic spiritual root was probably a branch from some spiritual tree.
It matched up; it all made sense.
Only...
It seemed that by an uncanny stroke of bad luck, he had stirred up massive trouble.
Chen Zhuo’s mood grew somewhat complicated. As things stood, he had been mistaken for a heavenly spiritual root. Once they discovered he wasn't one, he could easily end up chopped into mincemeat.
What should he do?
Chen Zhuo gritted his teeth.
Saying anything now would be pointless!
He had already exposed his supposed “heavenly spiritual root” under the watchful eyes of the entire crowd. The attention of the entire Southern Wilderness would probably focus on him. And if he hadn't misheard just now, those three Martial Uncles—Wei, Wang, and Lu—were bona fide Golden Core True Persons!
Even if he managed to slip away by some fluke, Golden Core True Persons would scour the land searching for him.
In that case, why run at all?!
I’m a fucking heavenly spiritual root genius!
I’m a fucking chosen prodigy of the immortal dao!
Just roll with it!
Worst-case scenario, if he was about to be exposed, he would flee straight back to the Immortal Mansion, lay low for thirty to fifty years, and then return.
Chen Zhuo refused to believe a Golden Core True Person would keep watch over a single spot for thirty to fifty years—and if one actually did, he’d accept his fate!
Without hesitation, Chen Zhuo cupped his hands and declared, “Elder Zhao, junior Chen Zhuo is willing to test my blade against the world, enter the Sword Sect, and purge all demons with the sword!”
“Good! Good! Good!” Zhao Shu laughed heartily and continued, “Junior Brother Chen, you need not be so formal. Once we return to the sect, the six elders will surely take you as a disciple and rank you as a true disciple. During our time in the market, you and I can address each other as martial brothers.”
“Senior Brother Zhao!”
Chen Zhuo did not stand on ceremony either. He immediately cupped his hands to Zhao Shu, then turned and cupped his hands toward the other Foundation Establishment cultivator. “Senior Brother Xiao.”
Although Chen Zhuo didn't know the Foundation Establishment deacon’s full name, judging from what had transpired earlier, the man was surnamed Xiao.
And the female cultivator was surnamed Shen.
Chen Zhuo treated the Foundation Establishment cultivators as equals without the slightest hesitation.
After all, he was now a genius with a heavenly spiritual root—this was how a chosen prodigy of the immortal dao was supposed to act!
If you weren't arrogant, were you even a real prodigy?!
“Junior Brother Xiao, stay here and oversee routine affairs. I will guide Junior Brother Chen back onto the immortal boat and activate its grand defensive array while awaiting the arrival of our martial uncles.” Zhao Shu nodded in satisfaction, then spoke sternly to the Foundation Establishment deacon: “Do not let a single person leave. Once our martial uncles arrive in person, we will handle matters accordingly!”
“Yes, Senior Brother Zhao!” Deacon Xiao dared not tarry, hastily cupping his hands in assent before continuing to call the remaining candidates forward for examination.
Meanwhile, the siblings Li Changqing and Li Yao, who had just been treated like rare treasures a moment ago, were instantly cast aside, standing dazed in place and not knowing what to say.
Fortunately, the female cultivator surnamed Shen soon returned on her sword. Seeing that Li Yao and Li Changqing were still standing where they were, she immediately instructed the two to board the immortal boat with her and wait for its return journey.
Naturally, Li Yao and Li Changqing offered their profound thanks.
***
“Junior Brother Chen, let me examine your meridians to see if your unguided cultivation over the years has left behind any hidden ailments.”
Aboard the immortal boat, the moment their feet touched the deck, Zhao Shu placed his fingers on Chen Zhuo’s wrist and began checking whether his spirit body had suffered any damage.
Chen Zhuo maintained an unruffled demeanor, yet his heart tightened with a trace of nervousness.
What if his supposed heavenly spiritual root was seen through?
Chen Zhuo had no certainty in his heart and could only remain poised at any second to activate the Boundary-Breaking Bead and flee back.
“Huh?!”
After feeling Chen Zhuo’s meridians and dharma body for just a moment, Zhao Shu stiffened in astonishment, utterly incredulous. “So pure and flawless, and running so smoothly... These meridians have been cultivated for less than a year?”
Zhao Shu was genuinely shocked.
He sensed that Chen Zhuo’s meridians bore none of the impurities typically left behind by cultivation; his entire spiritual meridians and qi sea were exceptionally clean and pure, as though repeatedly refined to an extraordinary degree.
In the cultivation world, the world’s spiritual energy absorbed through cultivation methods was actually quite turbid and impure, requiring repeated refinement to make it pure. However, Qi Refining cultivators had low refinement efficiency, and impurities were frequently left in their spiritual energy, which would later require consuming spiritual items to disperse.
Yet within Chen Zhuo’s qi sea, the spiritual energy was not only completely free of impurities and flawlessly pure, but it even carried a subtle, refreshing scent of vegetation that was truly astonishing!
Furthermore, Zhao Shu could perceive that Chen Zhuo’s dharma body had been cultivated for less than a single year!
Was this the power of a heavenly spiritual root?!
In just one year, he had reached the fifth layer of Qi Refining.
And the spiritual energy within his dantian qi sea was this pure!
Zhao Shu drew in a sharp breath, his gaze toward Chen Zhuo burning with even greater fervor.
What was a peerless prodigy?
This was a peerless prodigy!
Chapter 47