After finishing his kowtows, Xiao Wei stood up without hesitation and turned his attention to the Jade Slip on the stone table.
He carefully picked it up and opened it. As he read the contents, the text revealed the identity of the Immortal Cave's owner.
"Old man Lin Tian, possessing fire, wood, and earth Spiritual Roots, reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment."
"The path of cultivating immortality is as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Sitting here today is my destiny."
"If someone fated finds this place, I leave the treasures in the stone box to you."
"Cultivating immortality defies the heavens themselves, so tread carefully and cherish this opportunity."
Xiao Wei glanced at the skeleton sitting cross-legged on the bed, a trace of pity flashing in his eyes.
To reach the late stage of Foundation Establishment with three-attribute Spiritual Roots of fire, wood, and earth was no small feat. This old man must have been an incredibly determined individual.
In the world of cultivation, Spiritual Roots were classified into several ranks: Heaven Spiritual Roots, Earth Spiritual Roots, High-Grade Spiritual Roots, Middle-Grade Spiritual Roots, Low-Grade Spiritual Roots, and Mutated Spiritual Roots.
Among them, low-grade Spiritual Roots typically consisted of all five elemental attributes—fire, water, wood, earth, and metal. While such diversity might seem advantageous, it was a double-edged sword. Cultivators with low-grade Spiritual Roots faced significantly slower progress because the abundance of attributes spread their cultivation efforts too thin.
For instance, it typically took a low-grade Spiritual Roots cultivator about 120 years to reach the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining.
However, the lifespan of a Qi Refining stage cultivator was only slightly longer than that of an ordinary human, averaging just over 100 years.
This meant that most low-grade Spiritual Roots cultivators would run out of time before reaching the peak of Qi Refining, let alone breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
The only exceptions were those with extraordinary resources, such as vast amounts of Spirit Stones and rare medicinal pills, which could forcibly boost their cultivation base. Another possibility was cultivating for long periods on spiritual veins of the second grade or higher, which could slightly accelerate their progress.
Still, these cases were rare, and even then, reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining by age 100 was a monumental challenge.
However, there was one legendary exception recorded from ten thousand years ago—a cultivator with low-grade Spiritual Roots who defied the odds and ascended.
It was said that his five Spiritual Roots were perfectly balanced, which allowed him to overcome the inherent weaknesses of low-grade Spiritual Roots.
This harmony was so rare that the chances of such an occurrence were less than one in a billion.
Mid-tier Spiritual Roots mean that the Dantian contains four elemental attributes, a significant improvement over low-tier Spiritual Roots.
Cultivators with mid-tier Spiritual Roots experience faster progress. On average, it takes about 90 years of dedicated practice to reach the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining. If one trains on second-grade or higher spiritual veins, this time can be further reduced.
However, even with such progress, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage remains challenging. Without external support like rare treasures or medicinal pills, the success rate for this breakthrough is less than 30%.
High-Grade Spiritual Roots, which have three elemental attributes, are far superior. With 50 to 60 years of cultivation, a cultivator can often reach the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining. With a little luck or external assistance, they stand a good chance of breaking through to Foundation Establishment and stepping firmly into the realm of immortal cultivation.
Earth Spiritual Roots are even better, possessing only two elemental attributes. Cultivators with Earth Spiritual Roots demonstrate exceptional talent. They can often achieve Foundation Establishment in just 20 to 30 years. Such individuals are considered geniuses, and only a handful exist in regions as vast as the Eastern Wasteland.
Xiao Wei, for instance, possesses Earth Spiritual Roots, with one of his attributes being wind.
Heavenly Spiritual Roots, the rarest of all, consist of a single elemental attribute. Individuals with these Spiritual Roots are unparalleled prodigies, their talent defying common understanding. They are so rare that they are described as peerless monsters of cultivation, even within the vast Immortal World.
Beyond these, there are also unique Mutated Spiritual Roots, such as Ice Attribute, Thunder Attribute, or Wind Attribute Spiritual Roots. These special types are far superior to the ordinary Five Elements Spiritual Roots, granting cultivators astonishing aptitude and extraordinary speed in their progress.
Even more legendary are the Space Attribute, Time Attribute, Moon Attribute, and Sun Attribute Spiritual Roots. These have not been seen for hundreds of millions of years and are only mentioned in ancient texts as mythic phenomena.
Then, there are the rumored Immortal Spiritual Roots, said to carry the mark of immortality itself. Cultivators born with these roots are believed to be reincarnated immortals. If they awaken memories of their past lives, achieving immortality would be as effortless as breathing.
Xiao Wei set the Jade Slip down with a soft sigh, his emotions mixed.
'The path of immortality truly is merciless,' he thought, glancing at the skeletal remains sitting silently on the stone bed. Though he felt pity for the owner of the Immortal Cave, he knew this fate was all too common. If a cultivator failed to break through, there was nothing waiting but the slow end of their journey—no matter how high they climbed.
His gaze shifted to the stone box on the table. Time had blanketed it in a thick layer of dust, hinting at the years it had been undisturbed.
"Let's see what treasures you've left behind," he murmured, his fingers tingling with anticipation.
With a wave of his left hand, a gentle gust of wind swept across the box, whisking the dust away in an instant. The smooth, weathered surface was now clean and revealed its simple, ancient craftsmanship.
"Click."
Xiao Wei's right hand trembled slightly as he carefully lifted the lid, his excitement barely contained. His heart pounded in his chest as the contents of the box came into view.
"Whoa..."
Though Xiao Wei had encountered many valuable treasures during his adventures, the sight before him still left him stunned.
Inside the box lay a bulging storage bag, its form suggesting it was packed with treasures. Beneath the bag was a piece of animal skin, faintly visible.
His pulse quickened as he stared at the storage bag. He knew it held the life savings of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a fortune unimaginable to many.
Carefully, almost reverently, Xiao Wei reached into the box and picked up the storage bag. His fingers brushed its surface, and a small wave of Spirit Power flowed from his arm into his palm. He channeled it into the bag, activating its spatial formation.