The lights in the Deliberation Hall on Xuanwei Peak remained lit all night.
After returning to the sect, He Lansong immediately ordered the news about the Heart-Interrogation Platform to be sealed. However, with so many eyes watching in front of the mountain gate, suppressing it completely was no easy task.
Fang Huaifeng, an elder of Cangjian Peak, sat on the right with a cold expression, his tea left entirely untouched.
“A junior who hasn't even entered the sect made the Xuanxiao Sect look like a laughingstock today.”
The Third Elder, Xu Wei, looked up at him. “Had you been present, would you have been able to detain her?”
Fang Huaifeng frowned.
The words reached his lips, but he held them back.
The Heart-Interrogation Platform was no ordinary array platform. A projection capable of forcing back the array markings of the Heart-Interrogation Platform—even if it was merely a projection—was not something they could afford to take lightly.
Wen Fei, an elder of Danxia Peak, pushed his teacup a bit farther away. “Since she is already within the sect, there is still room for maneuver. If she truly possesses a powerful background, the Xuanxiao Sect has not burnt any bridges; if she merely chanced upon some good fortune, her true nature will eventually show in due time.”
Fang Huaifeng snorted coldly. “Are we just going to let this slide?”
“Her origins must be investigated.”
Silence fell over the hall.
He Lansong raised his eyes to look at the few elders. “The matter regarding the Heart-Interrogation Platform ends here. No one is permitted to spread it further.”
Fang Huaifeng was still dissatisfied, but he did not speak up again.
If yesterday's commotion continued to spread, Yun Heng would not be the only one losing face. Su Mingyuan had mistaken the broken jade first and then repeatedly levied other accusations. If the Xuanxiao Sect allowed rumors to spread unchecked, it would only plunge the situation into greater chaos.
Xu Wei suddenly asked, “What about Su Mingyuan?”
He Lansong remained silent for a moment. “Three days of quiet reflection, and a demerit recorded by the Discipline Hall.”
A Heaven-grade Heavenly Destiny Spiritual Root was not something the sect would easily suppress. However, Yun Heng could no longer be treated as an ordinary disciple participating in the Grand Selection either.
The next day, a disciple from Discipline Peak entered the hall in a hurry. “Grand Elder, Miss Yun requests an audience.”
He Lansong looked up upon hearing this. “For what purpose?”
The disciple bowed his head. “She said she wishes to test her spiritual root.”
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Yesterday's commotion on the Heart-Interrogation Platform had been so immense that everyone nearly forgot that Yun Heng had originally come to participate in the Grand Selection as well.
Now that her name was cleared of the jade theft, the Xuanxiao Sect naturally had no reason to stop her from testing her spiritual root.
“Show her in.”
When Yun Heng entered the hall, her expression was calm. The broken jade was still tied to her waist, the old string hanging at her side, looking no different from yesterday.
He Lansong looked at her for a moment. “You only rested yesterday, yet you wish to test your spiritual root today?”
“The Grand Selection has not ended yet.”
He Lansong asked no further. “To the Spirit-Testing Platform.”
In front of the mountain gate, the Spirit-Testing Platform was opened once more.
News traveled quickly. With such a storm having stirred on the Heart-Interrogation Platform just yesterday and Yun Heng coming to test her spiritual root today, those waiting for the Grand Selection naturally wanted to see what would happen.
By the time Su Mingyuan arrived, a considerable crowd had gathered below the platform.
Zhou Chen was still by her side. “Junior Sister Su, there is no need to worry. Yesterday was merely due to a strange treasure on her person. Spiritual roots are a natural talent bestowed by Heaven; they cannot be faked.”
Su Mingyuan did not respond. She looked at Yun Heng, her fingers slowly clenching into fists inside her sleeves.
In the original book, Yun Heng should not have been standing here.
She should have been expelled from the mountain gate after the Heart-Interrogation Platform and died in the dense forest. Yesterday, everything had deviated too much, yet Su Mingyuan still could not believe that someone who was supposed to be a mere footnote could surpass her in spiritual root talent.
The Heaven-grade Heavenly Destiny Spiritual Root was the foundation of her entry into the Xuanxiao Sect, as well as the starting point for all her future opportunities.
Seeing her remain silent, Zhou Chen added in a low voice, “The Xuanxiao Sect hasn't seen a Heaven-grade spiritual root in a hundred years. How could anyone compare to Junior Sister's natural talent?”
Su Mingyuan lowered her eyes. “Just watch.”
On the Spirit-Testing Platform, a bluish-white stone pillar stood in the center. There were eight spiritual bars in total. The first two represented a Low-grade Spiritual Root, reaching the third or fourth represented a Mid-grade Spiritual Root, and the fifth or sixth signified a High-grade Spiritual Root. In previous Grand Selections, even High-grade Spiritual Roots were exceedingly rare.
Yesterday, when Su Mingyuan took her test, the seventh spiritual bar lit up to the very end, causing a brilliant burst of spiritual light in front of the mountain gate. Several peak masters of the Xuanxiao Sect had sent representatives, and even the Sect Master, who was in secluded cultivation, was alarmed into sending a message.
Today, Yun Heng stood before that very same Spirit-Testing Stone.
He Lansong sat on the platform, with several elders present beside him. “Place your hand on it.”
Yun Heng stepped forward. When her palm touched the Spirit-Testing Stone, the surface felt slightly cool.
A breath of time passed, and the Spirit-Testing Stone showed no reaction.
Whispers gradually broke out below the platform.
On the second breath, a speck of light flared deep within the core of the stone.
At first, the light was extremely faint, but in the next instant, it surged upward along the pillar.
The first spiritual bar lit up.
The second bar.
The third bar.
The radiance did not pause in the slightest, surging past the fifth bar in the blink of an eye.
The whispers below vanished, and Fang Huaifeng sat up straight in his seat.
The sixth bar.
The seventh bar.
The eighth bar.
As the Heaven-grade spiritual radiance materialized, the array markings around the edges of the Spirit-Testing Platform flared to life.
Yet that light still did not stop.
It pushed straight through the eighth spiritual bar, lighting up the Immortal-grade markings inch by inch. The bluish-white spiritual radiance shot up from the stone, sweeping past the robes of the elders on the platform and illuminating the sky above the mountain gate.
Spiritual birds in the mountains flew in alarm, and clouds rolled amid the distant peaks as if lifted from below by that beam of light.
Yesterday, when Su Mingyuan tested her spiritual root, she had also triggered strange phenomena around the mountain gate. But today, even after the ninth spiritual bar on the Spirit-Testing Stone was fully lit to its end, the momentum of the light did not diminish in the slightest.
A faint cracking sound issued from the stone body.
Wen Fei abruptly stood up, raising his hand to shield the Spirit-Testing Stone.
Yun Heng simply kept her hand there. What the Spirit-Testing Stone could not withstand was not her spiritual power, but rather that it could not measure the full extent of her aptitude.
He Lansong stood on the platform, his gaze darkening.
Above Heaven-grade, the Spirit-Testing Stone had no further markings. But the absence of markings did not mean such spiritual roots did not exist.
The elders understood in their hearts that above a Heaven-grade spiritual root lay the Immortal-grade, and above Immortal-grade was the Immaculate grade. The reaction of the Spirit-Testing Platform was proof that Yun Heng's aptitude was at least Immortal-grade.
Yun Heng stood amidst the spiritual light, her sleeves fluttering in the wind. Tempestuous waves raged in her mind as she frantically called out to the System in her thoughts, “System, System, what is going on? Was the original owner's spiritual root really this strong?”
In her sea of consciousness, the System's voice sounded.
【Immaculate Spiritual Root detected.】
【The current Spirit-Testing Stone's grade is insufficient; it can only manifest vision phenomena.】
Yun Heng had only known of Heaven-grade spiritual roots, but she hadn't known that above Heaven-grade lay the Immaculate Spiritual Root.
The light on the Spirit-Testing Stone lingered for a long time before slowly fading. Even as the eighth spiritual bar dimmed, no one below the platform uttered a word.
Su Mingyuan's face finally changed. “Impossible.”
Zhou Chen heard her and turned to look at her. “Junior Sister Su?”
Su Mingyuan didn't look at him; in her eyes, there was only Yun Heng on the Spirit-Testing Platform.
Yesterday, those strange treasures, Command Attendants, and Broken Commands could perhaps be dismissed as external items. But—
A spiritual root was different. A spiritual root was a foundation ordained by Heaven.
If Yun Heng possessed such talent, it would be impossible for the Xuanxiao Sect to ever view her as merely an unidentified source of trouble again.
The elders on the platform did not speak immediately either.
The anger on Fang Huaifeng's face had receded, replaced by a gravity that was hard to conceal.
“Yun Heng.”
He Lansong's voice was gentler than yesterday. “Did you know that your spiritual root was unusual?”
Yun Heng raised her eyes, knowing everyone was looking at her.
The System had only just informed her about the Immaculate Spiritual Root. She had to stay composed and not reveal any flaws.
Her tone was steady. “The elders of my clan merely said that once I descended the mountain, I would understand in due time.”
As her words fell, the elders on the platform showed varying expressions.
Yun Heng added, “I will not remain at the Xuanxiao Sect for long. My elders instructed me to witness the ways of the world and experience cultivation. The Xuanxiao Sect is merely my first stop.”
The crowd below grew even quieter. Everyone seemed to imagine a hidden ancient clan, with Yun Heng as its Young Lord, venturing out into the world for experience by order of her elders.
He Lansong looked at her and spoke after a moment. “Since you have passed the spiritual root test, the sect will naturally make suitable arrangements for you.”
“Thank you.”
Standing below the platform, Su Mingyuan dug her fingernails deep into her palms. A moment later, she looked up, her eyes slightly reddened, her expression softening once more.
“Congratulations, Miss Yun.”
She bowed gently toward Yun Heng. “It was my mistake yesterday in misidentifying the jade. Seeing Miss Yun possess such exceptional talent today, Mingyuan is truly happy for you as well.”
Yun Heng cast a glance at her, curling her lip slightly, and didn't respond.
He Lansong ordered a disciple to escort Yun Heng back to the guest courtyard and instructed the Discipline Peak disciples to disperse the watching crowd. Once it quieted down below, Wen Fei walked over to the Spirit-Testing Stone. Looking at the fine cracks on its surface that had yet to settle, his brow remained furrowed for a long time.
Xu Wei stood beside He Lansong. “It is no ordinary Immortal-grade.”
He Lansong looked in the direction where Yun Heng had departed.
Originally, he had only wanted to placate Yun Heng and uncover the secret behind her. Now, however, he had no choice but to consider another matter: if such a person was truly merely passing through the Xuanxiao Sect, how should they form a favorable bond with her?
Yun Heng walked along the white stone steps toward the guest courtyard.
The mountain breeze rustled her sleeves, bringing the chill of early morning. She lowered her eyes to glance at the broken jade at her waist as system notifications continuously popped up in her sea of consciousness.
【Awe Points +50.】
【Awe Points +250.】
【Awe Points +400.】
【Current Awe Points: 900.】
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