After eating, the group spent the afternoon browsing weapon, equipment, and pill shops. It was then they realized that, despite appearing to have a lot of spirit stones, they only had enough to buy two low-grade magic tools for each of them. To fully equip themselves, they would need to hunt far more demon beasts. They all couldn't help but sigh; it seemed that no matter which world they were in, money was always in short supply. So, for now, as they were still unfamiliar with cultivation, the five of them only bought a set of robes designed for cultivators.
That evening, when they returned to the inn, they informed the Li family about the recruitment event held by the Nanxi Sect at the main street the following day at the time of the si (late morning). The five then returned to their rooms.
As soon as Du Chen sat down, he pulled out two items from his storage pouch and placed them on the table in front of Cang Hai and Xiao Yue. One was the flying magic tool in the shape of a small bowl that Qin Lang had given him earlier, and the other was an oval-shaped white jade slip.
Du Chen then spoke seriously in the team channel, "This flying magic tool that Big Brother Qin gave me, I later used the system to identify it. It's a top-grade magic tool. We saw it in the shop today, and a top-grade tool is worth at least ten thousand spirit stones. But after buying him a hundred spirit stone worth of drinks, I got this treasure. D*mn, this favor is too big!"
Cang Hai pushed his glasses up, "You're right. While to a Core Formation cultivator this might be nothing, we can't take it for granted. We can't repay this favor right now, so let's just keep it in mind and look for a chance to return it later."
Du Chen nodded, "I know, I just wanted to let you guys know. There's also one more thing: this jade slip, I found it in that old ghost's storage pouch earlier, but I have no idea what it is. Take a look."
Cang Hai picked it up and examined it. On the front, there were two carved seal script characters—"Han Yu" (函俞)—and on the back, only a cloud pattern. He couldn't tell what it was either, so he passed it over to Xiao Yue.
Cang Hai asked, "Didn't you try using your method on this thing?"
Du Chen grinned, "I did try. It didn't work, so I brought it to you guys."
Xiao Yue turned it over in his hands, and suddenly, the tiny voice of Di Wei from his chest said, "This item is an identity jade token. The person is likely a disciple of the Han Yu Sect."
With some local guidance, the three of them learned that the jade token contained a drop of the person's blood, and could only be used by them. It was a key to pass through their sect's protective array, so it was useless to anyone else.
Cang Hai furrowed his brows, "But this person is dead in our hands. I wonder if the Han Yu Sect will come after us."
Du Chen and Xiao Yue both looked at each other, realizing that the jade token might indeed be a troublesome thing.
Di Wei sneered, "That person was old and still hadn't reached the Foundation Establishment stage, so he must've been an outer sect disciple. You don't need to worry about it."
Though the others were skeptical, they decided to set the issue aside for the moment, since Di Wei spoke with such confidence.
The next morning, around the time of Chen (early morning), the group of ten or so headed towards the main street. As they neared the entrance of the main street, they saw a massive crowd already gathered, and the scene was packed with people.
Now, everyone felt a bit hopeless. Even if they tried to squeeze through, they had Li Tonghan, who needed to be carried. Looking at the crowded situation, they realized that by the time they reached the front, they'd probably have already been scattered.
Just as everyone was feeling uneasy, they noticed a figure walking out from the high platform at the entrance of the street. Du Chen and the others focused and realized it was Jian Ziyuan, the same person they had seen the day before.
Jian Ziyuan still sat with a composed and detached expression, speaking calmly, "The Nanxi Sect is recruiting. Those wishing to join must submit ten spirit stones and queue for a test of their spiritual roots. Those with superior roots will be placed in the inner sect, while those with inferior ones will go to the outer sect." Though he didn't raise his voice, some sort of spell made his words clearly audible to everyone.
After finishing his announcement, he flicked his sleeve and sat down on a nearby chair. Two more young disciples, dressed like Jian Ziyuan, ascended the high platform—one holding a jade cylinder, the other carrying a storage pouch, evidently responsible for collecting the spirit stones.
The front of the queue was already on stage, so the people behind could only wait patiently. Unable to see anything from such a distance, Du Chen stopped trying to peer through the crowd and turned to chat with the others.
"Ten spirit stones isn't too expensive," Du Chen commented.
Zhang San, who had come with them, forced a bitter smile. "Sirs, you may not know, but for us ordinary people, ten spirit stones would be the equivalent of a lifetime's savings. It's even rarer than gold in this place. I have a son, ten years old now. Since his birth, I've been saving for him. Till today, I've managed to gather just four spirit stones, and with the three that you promised before, it's still not enough. Who knows when the next recruitment event will be?"
Du Chen looked at him and said, "It sounds like I shouldn't haggle with you. Bring your son here. If he has no spiritual roots, there's no point in wasting spirit stones."
Zhang San's face lit up with joy. Not long after, he helped a young child—around ten years old—over and bowed him in front of Du Chen.
Du Chen looked at Zhang San and said, "You've planned this well."
Zhang San forced a smile, "I thought, if my son could serve you, it would be his great fortune."
Du Chen looked at the child again, "He does have spiritual roots. I'll top up your spirit stones and let him take the test."
Zhang San and his son were so overjoyed they kept bowing in thanks.
Although the line was long, the progress was relatively quick, and soon there were only a few left. By noon, nearly everyone had finished testing, and it was finally Du Chen and his group's turn.
Seeing them, Jian Ziyuan, who had been sitting arrogantly, forced a smile and stood up, cupping his hands in greeting. "Did you five wait down there? There's no need to do so. Please come forward."
Cang Hai cupped his hands in return, saying, "No problem, we still have a few with us." He then turned to the Li family members, saying, "You go first."
A disciple stepped forward, holding the testing magic tool, which, from up close, looked like a lamp without a base. Li Tonghan's son took the tool and followed the instructions, gripping the jade rod at the bottom. In a short time, the lampshade part lit up with four colors.
"Gold, wood, water, and fire, four spiritual roots," the disciple announced. Afterward, Xiao Shitou and Da Niu also tested their spiritual roots—three for Xiao Shitou, four for Da Niu. Zhang San's son turned out to have five spiritual roots, and they were all placed in the outer sect.
Two attendants helped Li Tonghan up to the platform. Seeing his elderly and frail condition, Jian Ziyuan appeared puzzled but didn't say anything. When the test results came out, he was taken aback, exclaiming, "What? A single fire root!"
Cang Hai explained, "This child's body is incompatible with his spiritual roots, which has caused him to remain bedridden for years."
Jian Ziyuan clicked his tongue in surprise.
When it was Du Chen's group's turn, Jian Ziyuan smiled, "You all must have been tested before, so there's no need to do it again."
But, as pseudo-cultivators, the five had never been tested. Cang Hai responded, "Since we are entering the sect, we naturally can't skip the test. Besides, this treasure is exquisitely crafted and undoubtedly remarkable. Back in our day, we had to use a far inferior tool, so perhaps that was why our results weren't accurate."
Upon hearing this, Jian Ziyuan's expression showed a touch of pride as he smiled and said, "You have a keen eye. This is the Five Dragon Shield, a high-quality magic tool. It was given to me by the Sect Leader before I left. I won't go into all the functions now, but just the fact that it requires a high-quality spirit stone to operate shows how exceptional it is."
The five of them took turns with the test. Tong Xinfen was found to have water and fire dual roots, Sang Tian had wood and fire dual roots, Xiao Yue had a single metal root, and Cang Hai had a single water root. When Jian Ziyuan saw that every one of them had excellent spiritual roots, including two rare single roots, his expression remained unchanged, but his eyes flickered with a mysterious gleam.
Finally, it was Du Chen's turn. He held the Five Dragon Shield, and two rays of light, gold and earth, shone from it. Jian Ziyuan smirked, saying, "So you're a dual-root with gold and earth, is that correct?"
Before Du Chen could answer, something unexpected happened. The two beams of light on the Five Dragon Shield flickered erratically, flashing twice before suddenly dimming completely. Both Du Chen and Jian Ziyuan were startled. Du Chen shook the shield vigorously and said, "Huh? Why did it stop glowing? Is it a loose connection? It wasn't me, you saw, I didn't do anything!"
Jian Ziyuan stiffened but quickly snatched the shield from Du Chen's hand, inspecting it closely. After pressing on the top of the shield, a dull and lifeless spirit stone fell out. Jian Ziyuan exhaled in relief, "It seems the spirit stone was depleted. This shouldn't have happened so quickly…"
Once it was clear that Du Chen hadn't damaged the shield, the other four breathed a sigh of relief, silently patting their chests. If they had to pay for the repair of such a high-grade magic tool, their newly gained wealth would be gone in an instant.
After the scare, Jian Ziyuan's expression soured, but he managed a strained smile and addressed the five of them, as well as those who had been selected, "Everyone, please go prepare your things. Tomorrow, at Chen Shi (around 7-9 AM), gather at the city gate, and we will head to the sect's headquarters together."
By now, it was already past noon, and the five were feeling quite hungry, wondering where they could grab lunch. Just then, Tong Xinfen quietly pulled out a large, round white bun and took a big bite, revealing the green vegetable filling inside.
Du Chen swallowed and asked, "When did you buy that? It looks delicious!"
Tong Xinfen handed him another one, "It's made with magic."
"Wait, you can make new kinds now?" Du Chen took a bite. The bun's skin was soft and bouncy, the vegetables inside fresh and crunchy. After swallowing, the taste lingered on his tongue. "Wow, this is incredible. This is definitely the best vegetable bun I've ever had!"
Tong Xinfen handed one to each of the other three before saying seriously, "I've decided. If I can find the person who makes these buns, and they're still single and not too ugly, I'll marry them."
At this, even Du Chen was stunned. Cang Hai spoke up to advise, "While the buns are great, don't you think it's a bit rash to decide on a lifelong partner over something like food?"
Sang Tian disagreed, "Didn't you hear the extra condition? It shows she's thought this through. A man who can cook delicious food is practical and valuable."
Du Chen, holding a mouthful of bun, froze for a moment. As a true northerner, he couldn't quite imagine a man cooking for his wife at home.
The next day, they all went to bed early since they had to rise early. That night, the world outside was silent. In the corner of the yard, the faint sound of insects could be heard, and a crescent moon hung in the sky, partly obscured by dark clouds. The courtyard of the Yue Lai Inn was shrouded in darkness, save for the dim light from two red lanterns swaying gently in the night wind.
Inside the main room, Xiao Yue was lying on his side, deeply asleep. Suddenly, the figure of Di Wei lying next to him opened his eyes. Without a sound, he sat up and, in the dark, his slightly rounded eyes glimmered like the stars in the deep night sky, sparkling with faint, crystalline light as he gazed silently towards Du Chen's bed.
Xiao Yue suddenly turned over, and one of his hands reached out, resting on Di Wei's leg. The outwardly small child lowered his eyes, staring at the young man's serene sleeping face on the bed, before finally lying back down.
Du Chen was dreaming.
Once again, he found himself in the bamboo forest. Since coming to this world, every night when he dreamed, he always arrived at this place, only to be gently shooed away by an incomparable beauty whose words he couldn't hear no matter what he said. He had long gotten used to it.
Tonight, however, something felt different. Perhaps it was because the moonlight was particularly bright, but he thought the bamboo forest in front of him appeared clearer than before.
He arrived at the familiar open space in the forest and walked up to the beauty sitting with a guqin in her arms. Sitting cross-legged before her, he greeted, "Hey, immortal sister, I'm back. Uh, today I tested my spiritual roots. I have both gold and earth roots, I think that's good, right? I guess this means I've joined the South Xi sect, though I'm still not sure what cultivation is all about. But it's a good start, right? Hehe…"
A cold, clear voice suddenly echoed in his ear, "Foolish child, if you had connected with my heart sooner, why would you need to go to such a small sect in that tiny corner of the world?"