Volume One, Chapter 19: Quantitative Change Leads to Qualitative Transformation! Foundation Establishment Achieved!
[Notification~]
[Congratulations, you have successfully invested in Li Yuanhua’s Enlightenment Tea. Investment progress has reached 30%!]
[You will receive 30% of Li Yuanhua’s subsequent cultivation benefits as returns!]
The difficulty of system investment is determined by a combination of the target's strength, potential, and value.
Xiao Nannan’s strength is still weak, but her potential is astonishing, with vast room for future development, which translates to a high return rate.
Therefore, investing in her is relatively more challenging.
Wang Mu consumed more than a pound of Enlightenment Tea to achieve this.
In fact, this is true for all children of destiny.
With the same level of rare resources, investing in others might instantly max out the progress, but investing in them yields much smaller effects.
For example, Lin Yan previously had a single Sea Spirit Flame, yet his progress only reached 30%.
That was a rare treasure on the Spirit Fire Ranking.
In some ways, it is even rarer than Enlightenment Tea.
Because there are only a few Enlightenment Tea trees, though controlled by major powers, they can produce steadily, albeit in limited quantity.
Obtaining a treasure like the Sea Spirit Flame, however, requires tremendous fortune.
If the timing and environment are not right, it’s common for centuries or even millennia to pass without a single bloom.
Li Yuanhua, although powerful, is advanced in years and has largely exhausted his potential. Without a great opportunity, the chance of breakthrough is slim.
This means the return rate is not high.
Thus, Wang Mu only used just over a pound of Martial Way Tea to push his investment progress to 30%!
After this comparison, Wang Mu felt even more confident that his strategy of casting a wide net was correct.
After all, even if he were given a group of children of destiny, with the resources of the Langya Chamber of Commerce, he wasn’t sure if he could fully invest in them all.
…
A sudden stir in the crowd jolted Wang Mu from his thoughts.
His gaze fell upon the testing grounds from where the commotion came.
It turned out a genius with an exceptional Fire Spirit Root had been discovered.
An exceptional spirit root signifies the potential to reach the Nascent Soul stage of a venerable cultivator.
This was already extraordinary!
It must be understood that even with the Li Liang Royal Family and an Ancient Spirit seated firmly in power, they could not guarantee every Liang King achieved Nascent Soul cultivation.
“How many people have been tested these past few days?” Wang Mu suddenly asked.
“Reporting to the Young Master, over the past seven days, more than 508,000 people have been tested!” Li Yuanhua responded without hesitation.
“Over half a million people, and this is only the first exceptional spirit root discovered?” Wang Mu stroked his chin, feeling the ratio seemed exaggerated.
But Li Yuanhua was optimistic: “It’s already very good. In previous years, even after searching the entire Tianjue Island for decades, an exceptional spirit root might not appear once! This is all thanks to your Young Master’s good fortune!”
Wang Mu smiled faintly but said nothing more.
He knew that Li Yuanhua’s “searching the entire Tianjue Island” could never match his own methodical, door-to-door testing.
There was still a considerable chance of missing some.
…
At most, they could only count those rare talents who, by coincidence, had entered the sect and displayed their gift.
However, Li Yuanhua was not wrong in one regard.
If it weren’t for Wang Mu’s relentless, no-expense-spared testing of spirit roots across the population, nine out of ten of these potential cultivators would remain undiscovered, living mundane mortal lives.
Cultivation depends not only on talent but also on fate.
Wang Mu was the fate of those impoverished young cultivators.
…
Strangely, when high-grade spirit roots were discovered previously, major sects fought fiercely to claim them.
Yet now, when a genius with an exceptional spirit root was found, these forces remained silent.
“What’s going on? Why aren’t they fighting over this one?”
A spectator asked in surprise.
“Why would they bother? Fighting over ordinary high-grade or mid-grade spirit roots is one thing… but a genius with an exceptional spirit root can command a place even among the disciples of the Holy Lands!”
“The Young Master of the Wang family has invested such manpower and resources to organize this Ascension Gathering. Surely he wouldn’t let it all be in vain? That would make us look foolish!”
“Indeed, my sect has already accepted a genius with a high-grade spirit root; that’s enough…”
“An exceptional spirit root is far too dazzling; this person should belong to the Wang family!”
“…”
Voices buzzed in heated discussion.
All eyes turned simultaneously toward the platform where Wang Mu stood.
Wang Mu heard the fragmented whispers and couldn’t help but smile: “Let them fight for it! I, Wang Mu, promise that this Ascension Gathering is solely to give all talented spirit root youths the opportunity to cultivate—never to seek private gain for the Wang family!”
Li Yuanhua blinked: “Really… really say that?”
Wang Mu replied calmly: “Yes!”
Li Yuanhua nodded, surprised.
The Young Master’s vision was truly that lofty?
He didn’t even want the geniuses with exceptional spirit roots?
Then why focus on a little beggar?
The Young Master was worthy of his title—his thoughts as deep as an abyss, impossible to fathom!
…
The news spread.
The venue instantly erupted.
“Is it true? Did the Young Master of the Wang family really say that?”
“With the Li family’s Ancient Spirit personally delivering the message, can it be false?”
“What a benevolent man! The Wang family’s Young Master is truly a paragon of virtue!”
“Damn, this is crazy! Has the Wang family’s Young Master really changed?”
“I, from the Lei Ji Sect, am willing to offer the position of Junior Sect Master to any exceptional spirit root youth who joins us!”
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“Junior Sect Master means nothing! I, an Ancient Spirit of the Taihua Sect, can take them as a true disciple and impart all my knowledge…”
“…”
Major sects began competing, offering their own terms, making those with high- and mid-grade spirit roots envious.
In the cultivation world, a drop in talent grade means an immeasurable gap.
This is undeniably true!
…
“Why, does your Li family have no interest in this exceptional spirit root youth?”
Wang Mu smiled at Li Yuanhua, who had stood by him the whole time.
“Interest… of course we have interest! But since the Young Master has said to let the sects compete freely, there must be a reason behind it…”
Li Yuanhua considered carefully: “This old servant worries that if something jeopardizes the Young Master’s great plan, it would be unfortunate!”
How could he not be interested in a genius with an exceptional spirit root?
After all, the younger generation of the Li family has yet to produce one.
The next heir to the throne remains unknown.
Fortunately, cultivators live long lives.
Li Changhe, the Liang King, can live for a few more centuries, with opportunities yet ahead.
Moreover, the true pillar of the Li family is Li Yuanhua himself.
Otherwise, the Li family would have lost patience long ago!
Wang Mu smiled silently.
He didn’t mind if the Li family competed—it made no difference to him.
But to outsiders, the Li family was now completely subordinate to the Wang family.
If the Li family claimed the youth, people might speculate it was Wang Mu’s doing, and accusations of hypocrisy would be unavoidable.
At this critical moment of rebuilding his reputation, details could not be overlooked.
Though unaware of Wang Mu’s exact intentions, Li Yuanhua’s carefulness pleased him.
…
Finally, the seventh day of the Ascension Gathering concluded.
Wang Mu returned deep into the palace.
Suddenly, his dantian grew warm.
A mighty surge of energy erupted explosively from within him, startling Li Yuanhua and Zixia nearby.
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