Chapter 16: The Battle for Talent, Semifinals

"For real?! A Grade Six Spirit Root."

By all logic, a Grade Seven Spirit Root was the ceiling; in the long river of immortal cultivation history, only a tiny fraction of people could ever touch it. Therefore, a Grade Six Spirit Root was a talent that could be seen with the naked eye.

Not far away, within the Falling Immortal Sect, there was already a senior brother with a Grade Six Spirit Root. No one expected that someone from the same generation would also possess a Grade Six Spirit Root.

As the name Li Jun was revealed, everyone nodded in unison. It seemed that in their hearts, the seed of Li Jun's extraordinary nature had already been planted. A Grade Six Spirit Root was surprising, but not unexpected.

"Junior Brother Li, long time no see."

While everyone was still in a daze, a voice drifted from afar. The Eldest Senior Brother of Cloud鼎 Peak, Lyu Danchen, came gliding through the air. With his handsome appearance and mature, steady temperament, he truly lived up to his reputation as the number one talent of the younger generation in the Falling Immortal Sect.

As soon as he appeared, countless young girls began screaming with voices like broken gongs.

"Senior Brother Lyu, long time no see."

Li Jun immediately bowed in respect to Lyu Danchen. Clearly, the two knew each other and shared a very close relationship.

"No need for such formalities, Junior Brother Li. As your senior brother, I welcome you to the big family of the Falling Immortal Sect."

Lyu Danchen was mature and composed, and his mind was meticulous. He did not mention his own peak, the Immortal Cauldron Peak, but instead spoke of the Falling Immortal Sect as a whole. On the surface, he was welcoming Li Jun; the subtext, however, was that he, Lyu Danchen, could represent the entire sect. His level of confidence was self-evident.

"I hope for Senior Brother Lyu's guidance in the future," Li Jun said, keeping his posture very humble.

His talent was unparalleled. A Grade Six Spirit Root was peerless in the world. But in terms of status, he was still worlds apart from Lyu Danchen. He knew perfectly well that the other man's low posture, his casual conversation, and his personal arrival to welcome him were entirely due to his talent.

"Junior Brother, let's go. How about your senior brother takes you to enjoy the scenery of the Falling Immortal Sect?"

With that, he led Li Jun away through the air. The scene was truly enviable. To have the number one talent of the younger generation personally guide you through the sect—what an immense honor that was. Most people present likely wouldn't have such an honor in their entire lifetimes.

"Pfft! Look at him acting so grand. Who doesn't know what he's actually worth?" Sun Bao was extremely displeased. Although Lyu Danchen was strong and hailed as the top of the younger generation, the Thousand Blade Peak had never been intimidated by anyone.

"What, you dissatisfied?" Ding Yuan couldn't help but mock Sun Bao.

"If you're so capable, why doesn't your Thousand Blade Peak find a Grade Six genius too!"

"Wu Dao, the one without a Spirit Root."

The testing elder continued to exert his "golden voice."

"Our Thousand Blade Peak genius is here!" Sun Bao said quite proudly.

A person without a Spirit Root? This was a world where immortal cultivation was the mainstream. Logically, everyone should possess a Spirit Root. It was just that ninety-nine percent of people possessed "residual roots"—essentially defective products. Only 0.9% possessed normal Spirit Roots. The remaining 0.1% were those without any Spirit Root at all—an existence even rarer than a Grade Six Spirit Root.

However, over millions of years, no one knew why some people lacked Spirit Roots; they only knew that this group of people was strange.

Everyone turned their gaze toward the testing formation. In front of the formation stood a youth with thick eyebrows and large eyes, draped in animal skins, looking quite simple-minded and honest. Seeing everyone staring at him, he immediately waved with a beaming smile. His silly appearance caused the crowd to burst into laughter.

But the interesting thing was that while everyone was clearly laughing at him, the youth named Wu Dao felt no sense of inferiority; instead, he joined in with a silly "hehehe" laugh. For a moment, the atmosphere was incredibly joyful.

"You're here."

The joyful atmosphere came to an abrupt halt—sharper than a power cut. A sharp, murderous aura drifted through the air.

Dressed in black martial attire and carrying a rusted ancient blade on his back, Ba Dao appeared in the crowd at some unknown moment.

"Uh, Brother Dao."

Facing Ba Dao, Wu Dao immediately tucked away his smile. His level of seriousness was as cautious as a child meeting their father after failing a primary school exam with a zero.

Ba Dao said nothing and turned to leave. Wu Dao stopped smiling and followed him. Throughout the entire process, not a single person among the thousands present dared to make a sound. This was the dominance of the Falling Immortal Sect's most ruthless man. I stand here, and I am king. Many speculated that Ba Dao's strength was no weaker than Lyu Danchen's; he was simply a blade-obsessed fanatic who was too lazy to compete for the top spot.

"How's that? My Brother Dao is cool, right?" Sun Bao said, arms crossed, looking smug.

"It'll do," Ding Yuan replied. He admired Ba Dao. To live one's entire life for a single blade could only be described as ruthless. But as rivals, admiration was worthless.

As the two bickered, a commotion arose in the crowd.

"It's the Eldest Senior Sister of Ethereal Peak!"

Someone shouted, and the crowd instantly erupted like boiling water.

Ye Qingqing, the Eldest Senior Sister of Ethereal Peak. Gentle, virtuous, beautiful, and graceful, her popularity was unrivaled in the Falling Immortal Sect. Even in the entire Eastern Region, Ye Qingqing was a prominent figure.

Ye Qingqing walked through the crowd with a smile. She held no airs of superiority; she was as gentle as an elder sister, earning the genuine respect of everyone, such that no one felt even a hint of irreverence toward her.

"Greetings, Senior Sister!" a youth said, using his thick skin to strike up a conversation.

Ye Qingqing nodded with a smile. "Greetings, Junior Brother."

Instantly, the youth felt as if his ancestral graves were emitting black smoke from his luck; he became so excited he nearly fainted.

"Senior Sister Qingqing, you are so beautiful!" a young girl said, her eyes full of stars, looking at Ye Qingqing with absolute adoration.

"Junior Sister is also very beautiful."

"Ah..." The girl let out a scream and fainted on the spot.

As Ye Qingqing walked along, she mingled with everyone. Everyone held her in high regard, except for one fellow.

"A brainless fan has encountered a legendary goddess!" Zheng Tuo pulled out a small notebook and quickly upgraded Ye Qingqing's "danger level" to the highest tier.

Indeed, wherever there are people, there are fans. And wherever there are fans, there are brainless fans. Brainless fans were a terrifying breed of creature. It was always best to stay away.

"Chi Xiao, Grade Six Spirit Root, Fire attribute."

The testing elder's golden voice remained loud, acting like a vacuum that sucked everyone's attention toward the subject.

Chi Xiao's injuries had been healed by Yun Yangzi's treatment. Currently, her tall figure was clad in crimson feather battle armor, her fiery red hair cascading over her shoulders, and her elf-like, perfect face carried a sense of heroic spirit. No one dared to approach within three meters, simply because Chi Xiao radiated a powerful fire-attribute spiritual energy. Anyone who got too close would be burned.

"So beautiful!" a youth blurted out instinctively.

Instantly, Chi Xiao looked over. Those fiery red eyes seemed to come from hell, turning the youth's face pale and nearly making him wet himself. Her domineering aura was comparable to Ba Dao's, though while Ba Dao felt sharp and cutting, Chi Xiao's presence was a total suppression that left everyone breathless.

"Her temper is just as it was back then!" Ye Qingqing shook her head, intending to lead Chi Xiao away.

"Wait!"

Chi Xiao's flame-filled eyes scanned the entire plaza, searching for her target. After a long time, she failed to find the person she was looking for. She absolutely refused to believe that person had been eliminated; they must be hiding.

"I know you can hear me. I only want to tell you: you can dodge the first moon, but you can't dodge the fifteenth. You'd better come to me voluntarily. Otherwise, if I catch you, I will ensure you have no place to be buried."

Chi Xiao dropped that sentence and left with Ye Qingqing, leaving the crowd in a state of bewilderment.

"I wonder which immortal offended such a grand dame."

"I agree. If caught, they'll be skinned alive."

"That girl is too hot. I like her."

People discussed Chi Xiao's temperament. Zheng Tuo, meanwhile, secretly wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. *Was it really necessary to chase me down just because I... looked at you?*

With the pressure from Chi Xiao gone, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did they remember that Chi Xiao's Spirit Root grade was also Grade Six, just like Li Jun's. In the entire Falling Immortal Sect, excluding Chi Xiao and Li Jun, there was only one other person with a Grade Six Spirit Root.

Thinking of that person, the formal disciples all shook their heads helplessly. That person was named Du Ming. His talent was extraordinary and his strength was not weak, but he had a peculiar hobby: he loved reading people's fortunes, and he was terrifyingly accurate. Often, he could see through many people's little secrets with a single glance. And then... he would blackmail them.

Yes, you heard correctly. A grand Grade Six monster relied on blackmail to fund his cultivation. It made the disciples suffer so much they wanted to claw at the walls. Even famous figures like Ba Dao and Lyu Danchen had suffered great losses at his hands; he was truly a unique character in the Falling Immortal Sect.

As people gossiped, the testing of spirit talismans continued.

*Du Ming!* Zheng Tuo frowned. Just from the name, he didn't sound like a reliable person. He pulled out his notebook and made a note.

"Shen Xian'er, Grade Seven Spirit Root, Wood attribute."

The unexpected golden voice echoed throughout the entire Falling Immortal Sect.

A third of a second later, the Falling Immortal Sect exploded.

(End of Chapter)