Chapter 59: Five Elements Spiritual Roots

At the first light of dawn, Qin Sang ceased his cultivation and headed out.

According to the shopkeeper, the market did not usually host so many cultivators; it was only during these few days of the mid-month that cultivators from the entire vicinity of Mount You would arrive in unison to seek what they needed.

These few days were the best time to gather information.

Qin Sang actually wanted to make a few friends, but unfortunately, every cultivator was extremely cautious. Every time Qin Sang attempted to strike up a conversation, he was invariably met with wary glares, as if he were up to something, followed by an attitude that kept others at arm's length.

Blunt youngsters like the Tan brothers were a rare exception.

Thinking of the words "disappeared," "accidental death," and "assassinated by enemies" scattered throughout the Song family genealogy, Qin Sang understood why.

Qin Sang thought to himself that if he wanted to gather information, he would have to do it like he did in Three Witch City—find a crowded place and make some connections.

Places like Immortal Tea Pavilion or Joyous Workshop were undoubtedly the best, but entering them required spending spirit stones.

Enduring the sting of the expense, Qin Sang walked into the bluestone streets. He suddenly noticed a crowd surging in the distance, creating a lively scene, and it suddenly occurred to him that today was indeed the mid-month.

It looked as though the Divine Artifact Pavilion was about to open. As expected, it was a grand spectacle; these high-and-mighty cultivators were all lining up to squeeze into the pavilion.

Qin Sang had no money to buy anything, but he was keen to broaden his horizons, so he also headed toward the Divine Artifact Pavilion.

The main hall of the Divine Artifact Pavilion was very spacious. Artifacts were displayed on shelves just like in mortal shops. Many cultivators crowded around the shelves, selecting items for themselves; there were no maids or attendants standing by the racks.

Qin Sang secretly used his Qi-Observation Technique to look around. He saw a black-clad elder standing at the entrance of the pavilion with his hands behind his back, standing as steady and imposing as a mountain. The elder watched the shop with a calm expression, and his spiritual energy was so dense it was startling—he was very likely a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator!

No wonder he wasn't afraid of theft or robbery.

Qin Sang was inwardly shocked and became even more respectful. Unexpectedly, just as he was about to step inside, the black-clad elder suddenly reached out a hand to stop him.

So many people had gone in before him without being stopped. Seeing the elder sizing him up, Qin Sang felt uneasy and said, "Junior Qin Sang greets Senior."

"Are you a rogue cultivator? How old are you this year?" the black-clad elder suddenly spoke.

Qin Sang was slightly taken aback. "Reporting to Senior, I am a rogue cultivator, twenty-two years old."

"Twenty-two... fifth layer of the Qi Refinement stage, hmm... eh? Your cultivation technique is the *Nether Scripture*? Follow me..."

The black-clad elder nodded and turned to walk toward the inner chamber.

Qin Sang was startled by how easily his background had been seen through, and at the same time, he was utterly confused.

However, the black-clad elder was a Foundation Establishment cultivator; crushing him would be as easy as crushing an ant. Qin Sang could only follow closely behind the elder, asking cautiously, "Senior, this is my first time at the Divine Artifact Pavilion. May I ask why you stopped me?"

The black-clad elder looked at Qin Sang with a strange expression. "You brought a token; do you think I'm going to harm you? Give me the token and go inside."

A token?

Qin Sang thought of the jade plate, hurriedly took it out, and handed it to the black-clad elder. He wondered secretly what the purpose of this token was, but it didn't seem to be a bad thing. If this truly was an internal auction, the worst that could happen was he wouldn't bid and would just treat it as sightseeing.

As they spoke, the black-clad elder pushed open the door to the inner chamber. When Qin Sang saw the scene inside, he was momentarily stunned.

A desk sat by the doorway. A pale-faced youth dressed in fine silk was lazily leaning against the desk, playing with a small blood-red snake in his hand. His cultivation was clearly at the eighth layer of the Qi Refinement stage.

Inside were several meditation mats, upon which five people were sitting cross-legged. They were of a similar age to Qin Sang, with cultivation levels around the fourth or fifth layer of Qi Refinement. Among them, two were actually the Tan brothers he had seen the day before yesterday.

The sound of the door opening alerted everyone in the room.

The youth in silk hurriedly shed his lazy demeanor and stood up respectfully. "Uncle Yue."

He glanced at Qin Sang and smiled. "Uncle Yue has brought another junior brother this time; this harvest is greater than usual."

Everyone in the room was secretly observing Qin Sang. The Tan brothers clearly recognized him as well; Tan Hao opened his mouth to speak, but was quietly pulled back by Tan Jie.

Seeing that they seemed unwilling to acknowledge their acquaintance, Qin Sang also refrained from greeting them.

Unexpectedly, though their movements were small, they could not escape the black-clad elder's keen senses.

"You know them?" The black-clad elder turned his head, narrowing his eyes at Qin Sang.

Qin Sang did not dare to hide it and briefly recounted how they had met.

The black-clad elder nodded and did not press further. He pointed at Qin Sang and said to the youth in silk, "Test his spiritual roots."

"Yes."

The youth in silk walked up to Qin Sang. After a series of tests, a look of intense surprise suddenly appeared on his face. He stared at Qin Sang with a furrowed brow, seemingly unable to believe the result, and then performed the test again very carefully.

Seeing the youth's expression, Qin Sang had a feeling. It seemed Zhen Ming had not lied to him; he truly had no spiritual roots.

Was the Divine Artifact Pavilion recruiting disciples?

Was the jade plate a token similar to the Sword Intent Mandate of Mount Shaohua?

He had heard the shopkeeper say that a powerful sect stood behind the Divine Artifact Pavilion. Joining a sect was certainly good, but the problem was that he had no spiritual roots.

If he had no spiritual roots but still had cultivation, wouldn't he be sent for dissection?

Qin Sang hadn't expected to be tested for spiritual roots immediately upon being brought in. With a Foundation Establishment cultivator watching nearby, there was no way to run. He felt an immense panic, his mind racing with thoughts of how to escape.

The black-clad elder frowned and barked, "Liang Yan, what are you doing?"

Qin Sang jolted. He heard the youth in silk say repeatedly, "Reporting to Uncle Yue, this junior brother actually has pseudo-spiritual roots... and he possesses all five elements. At first, I thought the detection was wrong. According to the sect regulations, this junior brother is not qualified to enter for cultivation."

"What?"

Not just the black-clad elder, but everyone's expressions became strange. They had already used the Qi-Observation Technique to see Qin Sang's realm; he was young yet already a genuine fifth layer of the Qi Refinement stage, so his talent should have been excellent. Who would have thought he possessed pseudo-spiritual roots of the five elements?

One youth stared at Qin Sang with a peculiar look. His cultivation was only at the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, lower than Qin Sang's, but he possessed three spiritual roots!

There was a reason pseudo-spiritual roots were called "pseudo." The cultivation speed was incredibly slow, and the hope of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage was slim. A cluttered set of roots containing all five elements was even slower; no sect would accept such a person.

Little did they know, of everyone present, the most shocked person was Qin Sang.

*I actually have spiritual roots! Zhen Ming lied to me!*

*I never offended him; why would he do this? If it weren't for Zhen Ming, I would already be cultivating at the Han family estate. Why did I bother traveling so far?*

In his intense fury, Qin Sang momentarily overlooked what having five-element spiritual roots actually meant.

The black-clad elder's brow furrowed. "It is not impossible for someone with pseudo-spiritual roots to reach the fifth layer of Qi Refinement at this age, but your technique is the *Nether Scripture*... Have you had a fortuitous encounter?"