Li Taixing glanced up, locking eyes with the elder before him.
"Boy, what qualifications do you have?" the elder asked sharply.
"No attributes, first rank Spiritual Roots," Li Taixing replied plainly.
"What the hell?" Luo Zhengyang's eyes widened in disbelief. "You said... no attributes and first rank Spiritual Roots?"
"Exactly."
Luo Zhengyang rubbed his forehead, shaking his head as if lamenting a wasted opportunity. "It's over. Such a waste of potential."
Li Taixing's brows furrowed. "Why do you say that?"
Sighing heavily, Luo Zhengyang replied, "It's simple. You'll be lucky to reach the Body Refining state, maybe even Qi Gathering if fate is kind, but beyond that... it's over for you."
"Don't worry though," he continued. "You'll at least manage to become an Outer Sect disciple or a handyman."
This wasn't the first time Li Taixing had heard such comments, and he was long accustomed to it. With an indifferent shrug, he responded, "Oh," and walked away, uninterested in further discussion.
Luo Zhengyang, still shaking his head regretfully, muttered, "Such a pity for a good seedling."
---
As the night break approached, Li Taixing stood as the only Initiation disciple to complete the Horse Stance training. The other disciples couldn't help but express their shock.
"How did he manage to pull that off?"
"Pfft, don't get excited. He's just a waste," one of the boys sneered.
"Oh? How do you figure?"
"I heard from a buddy who was right there. Li Taixing told Luo Elder he has no attributes and first rank Spiritual Roots."
"What?"
After that revelation, their shock turned into pity and ridicule. Still, Li Taixing brushed off their words. What truly concerned him was the next phase of his training.
Lu Tong and Sun Bohu soon approached him, with Lu Tong bursting with admiration. "Boss, you're incredible! The first to finish the task—our boss is the best!"
But Sun Bohu seemed uneasy, glancing around nervously. "Yeah, but, Boss... everyone's talking... saying that you—"
"Sun Bohu!" Lu Tong shot him a fierce glare, trying to silence him.
Li Taixing chuckled. "On the road to immortality, gossip is inevitable. Just treat it as a test for your own patience. Besides, it's not like they're wrong."
Despite the self-deprecation, he knew his limitations well. Luo Zhengyang had spoken the truth; his future might hold only the Body Refining or Qi Gathering states. But that was before he obtained the dimensional space bag. Now, he believed there was a way to surpass those limits.
---
As Li Taixing pondered this, a familiar figure caught his attention. It was the same Fatty who had sold him the Bone Forging Pill. Fatty was among the crowd, trying to peddle something new.
"This is a Spirit Stone, do you know what Spirit Stones are?" Fatty bellowed.
"Spirit Stones are hard currency among immortal cultivators. Wave money in front of them, and they'll turn their noses up. But bring out a Spirit Stone, and they'll be on their knees singing your praises."
"Where'd you get a Spirit Stone?" someone asked skeptically.
It was common knowledge that even Outer Sect disciples rarely obtained Spirit Stones, which were typically earned through contribution points by Inner Sect members.
Fatty scowled but didn't elaborate. "Don't worry about it. Just say the word if you want to buy it."
"How do we even know it's real?" another person chimed in.
"Trust me, it's real," Fatty declared, patting his chest confidently. "If I'm lying, I'll let a Flying Sword strike me down on the spot."
The crowd murmured with uncertainty but seemed intrigued.
"What's the price?" someone finally asked.
Fatty beamed. "Let's auction it off. The highest bidder wins."
---
Li Taixing watched, intrigued by the Spirit Stone in Fatty's hand. He knew Spirit Stones would be essential for his future cultivation.
"The starting price is 50 taels, with bids no less than 1 tael increases."
The crowd groaned at the steep price, some grumbling under their breath.
"Is it just an ordinary Spirit Stone?" a young man dressed in fine clothes asked.
Fatty nodded. "Yeah, just a regular one."
The young man, unimpressed, scoffed. "I'll take 100 pieces, then."
Fatty shook his head. "I'm only selling one piece."
"Only one? What a waste of my time," the young man sneered before storming off with his entourage.
Others in the crowd echoed similar sentiments. "Fatty, why do you need all this money anyway? You're here to cultivate immortals, not to amass wealth."
"Tch, you're all so short-sighted." Fatty grumbled inwardly but maintained a cheerful facade. "What can I say? A man can never have too much money. I want to sleep with it in my arms."
This earned a few eyerolls from the crowd. "Nerve of this guy…"
But Li Taixing wasn't put off. He stepped forward and called out, "Fatty."
Fatty's eyes lit up when he recognized him. This was the same guy who had dropped 10 million copper coins on a Bone Forging Pill. He knew he had a potential big spender on his hands.
"You interested, brother?" Fatty asked eagerly.
Li Taixing nodded. "100,000 copper coins."
The crowd fell silent, realizing Li Taixing had just offered the market price for the Spirit Stone. No one else was willing to top that.
"Well, looks like this one's yours," Fatty said with a wry smile. "Right place, right time, brother."