Spirit roots—the foundation of cultivation—were classified into three categories:
"Basic Elements": Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth.
"Variant Elements": Ice, Wind, Thunder.
"Special Elements": Yin, Yang.
Each category had five grades: Low, Middle, High, Peak, and Supreme.
The higher the grade of a spirit root, the stronger the connection to its element. A person with a higher-grade spirit root could cultivate faster, absorb qi more efficiently, and learn martial techniques of that element with greater ease.
But for all the wonder they brought, spirit roots also defined a person's potential in the cultivation world.
Those with only one-element spirit root were considered rare geniuses. And that mostly only happens when both parents have the same element of spirit roots.
A person with 2 or 3 spirit roots was also considered a talent, considering the grade of their spirit roots was high.
A person with a variant spirit root was highly sought after even if their grade was low. The higher grade was just an added bonus to them because variant spirit roots were very rare and were generally stronger than the rest. As for the Special elements, people often hide such genius and nurture him/her in secret as their trump card.
But for someone with four elements, they were dismissed as 'garbage'. Nobody cared for them. And in Yuan's case with 5-element spirit roots, he was considered an ultra-garbage. Although, it was rare in itself being born as ultra-garbage.
To cultivate all five elements within a single person's body was as rare as a comet passing through the sky—a feat so impossible that some said it couldn't be done.
Yuan shook his head, focusing again.
Fortunately, no matter how rare his condition was, he could cultivate this technique up to Foundation Formation Realm or Void Core Realm (this wasn't a proper stage).
However, there were more questions he needed an answer to. His mind continued to process the techniques, but something else suddenly appeared. A set of 7 formations—intricate and complex. He couldn't make sense of them yet. They were vital, though, he understood that much.
The next stages of cultivation hinged on his ability to understand and master these formations.
He found one more reason to learn formation besides his family's profession. Yuan's resolve began to harden. He would take it step by step. He would follow the path laid before him, no matter how daunting it seemed. It was the only way forward.
Slowly, Yuan opened his eyes again, blinking against the dim light of the room. The first thing he saw was Mother Bing, sitting quietly beside his bed in a trance. "Mom"
"Yuan," she whispered, her voice trembling, "what happened? How did you get so badly injured?"
Yuan winced as he tried to sit up, a sharp pain lancing through his chest. He groaned, but Mother Bing was quick to help him, gently propping him up with a pillow. Her hands were soft, but they trembled with concern.
Before he could answer, the door creaked open. PM Meng entered, carrying Xu'er in his arms. The moment the little girl saw him awake, her face lit up. She leaped from his arms and dashed to his side, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Brother!" she cried, her voice barely a whisper. "You're awake!" She began crying her eyes out.
Yuan smiled faintly, though his body still felt weak. With great effort, he reached out and placed a trembling hand on Xu'er head, trying to comfort her. "I'm okay, Xu'er. I'm here."
PM Meng watched them with a quiet expression. He gave Yuan a moment to recover, then asked, "What happened? How did you end up so injured?"
Yuan took a deep breath and began to recount his journey. He told them about the Green Python he had encountered and how he ran into the forest, his meeting with Senior San, and how Senior San helped him open his meridian and his return to Monkey Valley.
But some parts of the story remained untold—he didn't speak of the '9-layered sealing formation', his biological parents, and the cultivation technique that he had in his head. He couldn't explain any of it, not yet.
His parents listened carefully, their expressions a mixture of worry and relief. Both were very happy that he could cultivate now.
"Yuan, how did you get hurt?" PM Meng asked, his voice gentle but insistent.
Yuan furrowed his brow, trying to recall. But the memories felt fragmented as if they had been ripped away from him. He could remember the bead, the sensation of his blood draining, but how had he gotten injured beyond that? The answers were lost, buried somewhere deep in his mind.
"I don't know," Yuan said, shaking his head. "It's all a blur. One moment, I was holding the bead and the next... I was here."
Mother Bing sighed, gently patting his head. "Rest now. You've been through too much." As she left the room, her expression darkened, her mind far from at ease.
****
Two days ago.
When Yuan had collapsed, Red rushed into the room, followed by Silver and Jojo. They were frantic, but none of them knew what to do. Red, knowing the severity of the situation, had run straight to the pavilion. 2 months had passed since Yuan left home, and both his parents were anxious. When Red appeared alone, it frightened them to their core.
Mother Bing didn't care anymore and had directly summoned her pet—the Four-Winged Sky Eagle, a beast known for its ferocity and incredible speed. It was said to be faster than most cultivators could ever dream. She carried Red with her and flew straight to the Monkey Valley.
In no time, they arrived at the valley. PM Meng soon appeared and stepped into the cave before her.
In the cave, Yuan's condition was critical. His body was cold and unresponsive. PM Meng was already there, his brow furrowed as he checked Yuan's pulse. His condition was dire—he wasn't responding at all. Mother Bing remained standing in front of the cave entrance, like a pole. She couldn't bring herself to step in and look at Yuan.
Around her, the temperature began to drop. Cold, so cold that it seemed to freeze the very air.
Despite her inner turmoil, she forced herself to remain calm, hoping for the better. When PM Meng emerged from the cave with a heavy look on his face, she lost it. Fortunately, PM Meng, ever the steady one, stopped her before the icy storm inside her could fully erupt. He needed her help. She was a Grade-4 Alchemist, after all, and she was the only one here who could save Yuan.
Mother Bing hurried in and examined Yuan. Her face turned pale but she immediately controlled her surging emotions and fed Yuan a Grade-4 healing pill. Normally, such a high-level pill might have killed him in his state—but at that moment, it was exactly what he needed.
The pill's energy coursed through his body, stabilizing him just long enough for them to transport him safely back to the pavilion. Both his pets, Red and Silver—had stayed by his side throughout it all, watching over him, unwilling to leave.