Volume One, Chapter 12: Testing Spiritual Roots and Sending Spirit Stones? Has the Young Master of the Wang Family Gone Mad?
Two days later.
The Ascension Ceremony officially began.
Wang Mu stood atop the highest steps of the Grand Liang Palace, gazing down below.
In the vast white jade plaza, thousands of figures stood densely packed, all bowing their heads, their bodies trembling as if facing imminent execution.
Some timid boys and girls even began to weep softly.
“Father... Mother... I don’t want to die...”
In the distance, outside the palace gates, a sea of onlookers gathered, many crying out.
“My poor daughter~”
“Son, my son~ That damned young master of the Wang family, a beast!”
Wang Mu’s face twitched slightly as he looked toward Li Yuanhua. “What’s going on?”
Li Yuanhua’s eyes darted around. “These mortals are blind and ungrateful, failing to recognize the young master’s benevolence. Your servant could not bear it, so I used a little bit of... persuasion.”
Wang Mu: “!!!”
No wonder these people look like they want to devour me alive!
So these boys and girls were all forcibly brought here?
His image among the common folk was already poor, and now this stunt only confirmed their suspicions.
Still, Wang Mu knew he couldn’t blame Li Yuanhua.
Given his prior reputation, without such tactics, they probably wouldn’t have gathered this many at all.
Sigh.
Well then!
One must take life one bite at a time!
“Begin.”
Wang Mu waved his hand and sat down heavily on the dragon carriage.
Li Yuanhua stepped forward and slowly unfurled a golden scroll in his hands.
“Under the heavens above and the fertile earth below! Due to the current age’s rampant demons causing disaster, bringing suffering to the people and threatening humanity!”
“Fortunately, our Wang family’s young master, grateful for Heaven’s benevolence,”
“deeply feels the people’s hardship and today bestows blessings upon the world. All humans may now undergo free aptitude testing to seek the path of immortality, to jointly uphold longevity and protect humanity!”
Listening to Li Yuanhua’s voice, Wang Mu’s eyes narrowed slightly. He suddenly felt a bit dazed.
The main points were indeed his words—about humanity facing great calamity and the demon-ridden chaos.
But Li Yuanhua’s official proclamation made it sound completely different.
“The Ascension Ceremony officially begins!”
With Li Yuanhua’s command, the crowd below began to move.
One by one, the boys and girls stepped forward, tightly clutching the low-grade spirit stones they had received in advance, entering the formation in the plaza’s center.
This was the Spirit Root Testing Array.
If it detected the presence of a spirit root, it would glow, but this required consuming spirit stones.
Otherwise, it remained dark.
The first boy stepped into the array.
No response.
The second girl followed, same result.
Third.
Fourth...
Nine in a row—no sign of any spirit root.
This was normal.
If spirit roots were so common, Wang Mu wouldn’t have to deal with this himself.
Finally.
A sturdy-looking boy stepped into the array.
Buzz—
As the spiritual power from his spirit stone rapidly dissipated into dust, the array beneath his feet lit up instantly.
Several white beams rose from the edges of the formation.
The crowd erupted in whispers.
The Li family cultivator hosting the ceremony announced loudly: “Liu Chang, low-grade golden spirit root!”
“Finally, someone with a spirit root!”
“Liu Chang... my son... my son...”
“Hahaha, our old Liu family has produced an immortal cultivator! An immortal cultivator!”
Outside, Liu Chang’s parents embraced excitedly, shouting and jumping.
Envy radiated from the surrounding onlookers.
Such a blessing must have been earned through generations of virtue to produce an immortal cultivator.
Unlike their own useless child who had no response whatsoever.
Comparing oneself to others was maddening!
Some murmured sourly, “Having a spirit root isn’t necessarily good. Don’t forget, the young master of the Wang family sits above!”
At these words, Liu Chang’s parents were instantly drenched in cold water.
Indeed...
They nearly forgot this Ascension Ceremony was hosted by the Wang family’s young master.
His true intentions remained unknown.
Perhaps their son’s spirit root was not a blessing but a death sentence.
Yet just then, the cultivator hosting the ceremony continued.
“By the order of the young master, all who test positive for a low-grade spirit root will be rewarded with ten low-grade spirit stones!”
Silence fell over the crowd.
Everyone’s eyes widened, some unable to believe their ears.
“What?”
“Testing positive for a spirit root... and they actually give spirit stones?”
“No way, is this for real?”
“...”
“Wow, as expected of the Wang family, so generous!”
Among the crowd, a man of notable aura stroked his chin, clicking his tongue in admiration.
He was no ordinary person, nor a parent of any of the youths.
He came from a cultivation sect on Tianjue Island—the Chengyun Sect.
He had been sent to observe... or rather, to gather intelligence on this event.
Others like him, from various sects large and small, were present.
“Looks like the Wang family is serious. Testing spirit roots—is this a recruitment drive?”
“How strange!” a female cultivator mused. “The Wei Prince’s mansion is packed with experts, even guest officials are at least Nascent Soul cultivators! The Beiming Sacred Grounds are even more exclusive, with countless prodigies waiting in line just to get in! The young master recruiting—could it be for the Langya Commerce Guild?”
Another frowned and shook her head. “Unlikely! When has the Langya Commerce Guild ever been short of people? Even if they were, why bother with such elaborate spirit root testing? A simple notice would have all cultivators scrambling to join!”
“Then what is this about? Surely they aren’t competing with our small sects for recruits?”
They speculated, unable to fathom Wang Mu’s grand scheme.
Free spirit root testing, plus spirit stones—there had to be an ulterior motive.
But what use would the Wang family have for these low-grade spirit roots?
Meanwhile, the ordinary people nearby had simpler thoughts.
When they saw Liu Chang receive ten sparkling low-grade spirit stones, their eyes lit up!
Ten low-grade spirit stones equaled ten thousand taels of silver!
What wealth!
If it truly came into their hands, even if death awaited them afterward, they would accept it gladly!
At least the living would enjoy prosperity!
Those earlier sour remarks about spirit roots not necessarily being a blessing fell silent, overwhelmed by envy.
Ten spirit stones!
How many lives could that buy?
Why was their own son so hopeless?
Useless!
Simply useless!
Emotions were contagious.
For a moment, enthusiasm surged through the crowd.
Everyone eagerly awaited what would come next, hoping to see if their own sons and daughters might have the potential to become immortal cultivators.