Mutant Wind Spirit Root
The stone steps underfoot are covered with moss and bear many ancient marks of swords and knives.
Wen Zheng wiped the sweat from her face. Her wounds throbbed, but she couldn't stop.
She's made it to the final hurdle; if she gives up now, she'll want to slap herself twice when she wakes up at night.
[Host, are you tired? Maybe you should give up.]
Ignoring the seductive voice from the system in her mind, Wen Zheng lifted her aching legs and walked step by step toward the mountain gate not far away.
[I already told you to wait. When the Immortal Venerable comes to rescue you, he can conveniently bring you to the Immortal Pursuit Sect.]
[Then you can feign pitifulness and cry a bit, stay by the Immortal Venerable's side as a maid, and develop a relationship with him. The task can be completed quickly.]
As the system uttered its merciless words, Wen Zheng's steps gradually slowed down. "You seem like a pimp."
[...]
[Can't I be doing this for your own good?]
"Then give me a Dragon Overlord System, I like being a Dragon Overlord."
The system remained silent. Wen Zheng ignored it, stopped, and sat down on the stone steps to rest.
Within Zhuxian Sect.
The sect leader and several elders were staring at the scene in the water mirror. When they saw someone sit down to rest, they couldn't help but sigh.
"You managed to get this far, why are you suddenly stopping to rest?"
The speaker was an elder who had taken a liking to Wen Zheng since the sect test began. When he saw her stop halfway through, he couldn't help but speak up.
"I suppose he's tired from climbing the ascension steps too far. What do you think, Immortal Venerable Mu?" The one who spoke was the sect leader, who turned his head to look at the white-robed man who was resting with his eyes closed.
The man looked young, but he had a head of white hair with dark blue crystals hanging from the ends, and a red mark at the corner of his eye.
"Let's see."
The man's voice was calm, and the surrounding chatter stopped as everyone focused on the water mirror.
The man was none other than the sect leader, Immortal Venerable Mu, Mu Qing. Although his eyes were closed, he could hear the conversation between the woman and the mysterious voice through the water mirror.
Through their conversation, he learned that the woman's name was Wen Zheng, and that she had come to win him over.
The two seemed to communicate without speaking, but rather in their minds.
Having cultivated for many years, Mu Qing had witnessed all sorts of supernatural beings and strange tales, so he wasn't surprised by the conversation between the system and Wen Zheng. However, he was curious about who had sent such a person to seduce him.
He pondered his enemies of recent years, analyzing who was more likely to be the culprit.
On the other side.
Wen Zheng rested on the stone steps for a long time, so long that several elders of the Zhuxian Sect couldn't help but crane their necks to look at her before she finally got up.
The elders in front of the water mirror breathed a sigh of relief, but then they heard Wen Zheng say to the person who had caught up, "Friend, one hundred high-grade spirit stones, and the first place in the Immortal Pursuit Sect's disciple recruitment assessment is yours."
The elders were all shocked upon hearing this, and even Mu Qing opened her amber eyes to see what kind of oddball dared to rig the disciple-acceptance assessment.
Equally surprised was the man who caught up with them; he was the youngest son of an elder of the Beast Taming Sect, and he had been forced by his family to participate in the Immortal Chasing Sect.
However, this was the first time he had encountered someone like Wen Zheng. He took two steps back with a look of surprise and suspicion, and asked warily, "What do you want to do?"
"I'm not doing anything, I just need some money and I don't need the title of number one," Wen Zheng said.
She was genuinely short of money and insecure. Anyone would panic if they woke up to find their drawing table turned into a mass grave, let alone being bound to a terrible strategy system that made her try to seduce some kind of immortal.
"Really?" the man asked.
"I guarantee it, I swear by the Heavenly Dao." Wen Zheng raised three fingers and made a vow to the Heavenly Dao.
Seeing her thinking like that, the man was just about to rush past her.
Wen Zheng tripped the person with her foot and said with a grin, "I've been resting for a long time. You've been climbing these steps for so long. Are you sure you can beat me?"
The man struggled a couple of times, but finding he couldn't break free, he gave up.
"I've bought the spot."
Wen Zheng immediately released him, stated the price, and the man took out one hundred high-grade spirit stones from his storage bag. "Here, take it."
Wen Zheng glanced at his storage bag, and the man cautiously put it away, glaring at her.
Wen Zheng asked curiously, "Is this the legendary storage bag?"
The man glanced at Wen Zheng from head to toe. She was dressed cleanly, but the patches on her clothes were particularly noticeable. Her hair was tied up haphazardly behind her head like weeds. He immediately sneered.
"Judging by your appearance, you're probably a penniless wretch. I'll hold onto the spirit stones for you for now, and I'll give them back to you once you join the sect," the man said, putting away the spirit stones and handing over an IOU.
“A written agreement is fine. My name is Mo Xin. Come to me for the spirit stones later.”
Wen Zheng carefully put away the note. "Thank you. My name is Wen Zheng."
Moxin gave a haughty snort and ran towards the mountain gate not far away while remaining on guard.
Wen Zheng watched him walk away, then waited on the stone steps for the next person.
Seeing this, the system asked: [What are you doing?]
Conquering the Immortal Venerable is the priority; there's no time to waste here.
"Make a quick buck." Wen Zheng ignored the system's internal madness and continued trading with the next person.
Outside the water mirror.
All the elders fell silent.
To have done business to this extent is truly admirable.
Mu Qing watched as Wen Zheng, reflected in the water mirror, stopped people who were about to finish walking up the Ascension Steps. Relying on her eloquence and abilities, she obtained a considerable amount of spirit stones from them. She roughly estimated that she had already obtained more than 500 high-grade spirit stones.
Mu Qing said, "Sect Leader, selling the rankings of the disciple recruitment assessment is against the rules."
He still wanted to keep Wen Zheng around to see what she and her system were all about, but now it seemed they were nothing special.
"This..." the sect leader stammered, "It seems there's no such rule in the sect's regulations."
He had a good opinion of Wen Zheng. Very few people could pass through the Ascension Steps and reach the top. Although she sold the top spot to someone else, everyone with eyes could see that she was the one in the top spot.
He thinks highly of Wen Zheng.
Mu Qing rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of a headache. The sect leader was good in every way, except that he was particularly stubborn about valuing talent.
Knowing the sect leader's protective nature, Mu Qing remained silent.
The elders whispered among themselves, some disapproving of Wen Zheng's behavior, others praising her highly.
"This kind of impatient and opportunistic nature is not suitable for cultivating immortality."
"Who said that? I think she's quite adaptable and has her own ideas."
"I also think she's pretty amazing."
Amidst the buzz of discussion, Wen Zheng, unaware that her act of selling her spot had been broadcast live, happily ran towards the mountain gate with a large stack of IOUs in hand.
[Host, you've finally figured it out!] The system's voice sounded very pleased.
Once you pass through the mountain gate, you can become a disciple of the Immortal Pursuit Sect. Then you'll have close contact with the Immortal Venerable. How could you possibly fail to win him over?
"Yeah, there's only one spot left. If we don't leave now, you'll electrocute me again." Wen Zheng ran very fast, with a large group of people chasing after her.
The system remained silent.
The chaotic footsteps behind her rushed by. Wen Zheng quickened her pace, crossed the mountain gate, and became the last disciple to enter the sect this year.
The group of people who had been waiting at the mountain gate for a long time saw her complicated expression. While waiting for her, they chatted and learned about Wen Zheng selling the quotas. They all fell silent.
Now, when I see her, I can't help but feel angry and treat her coldly.
Wen Zheng sensed the unfriendly gazes around her and said to the elder who was guiding them, "Everyone is here."
The guiding elder, an old man with a white beard, looked at Wen Zheng with a similarly complicated expression, then turned to the others and said, "Follow me."
The group rode cranes over the mountain peaks, and the shadow of the palace appeared and disappeared in the clouds.
After flying for a short while, the crane stopped, and the group arrived at the sect's main hall. The sect leader and elders sat upright, expressionless, exuding an aura of power.
Everyone quickly lowered their heads, not daring to look. Wen Zheng naturally felt the pressure as well, but she still looked up at the white-haired immortal sitting next to the sect leader before quickly lowering her head again.
Everyone else in the hall, including Mu Qing, noticed her gaze, but assumed she was just another person curious about Immortal Venerable Mu Qing, so they didn't pay much attention.
Mu Qing didn't take it to heart and took a sip of the immortal tea.
[Host, how is it? Isn't the Immortal Venerable exactly as I described? Are you even a little bit tempted now?]
Once you're interested, leave the rest to me.
"No, on the contrary, I feel that my life is even more miserable. Whenever I see him, I think of my grandfather."
[What's the meaning? ]
"Centenarian".
After Wen Zheng finished speaking, she heard the sound of porcelain shattering. She looked up and saw that the teacup in Mu Qing Xianzun's hand was broken.
The sect leader asked anxiously, "Immortal Master Mu, what's wrong?"
“Spiritual energy out of control, no problem.” Mu Qing chanted a cleansing spell, and the tea leaves around her instantly disappeared.
Wen Zheng ignored him and continued to complain to the system, "Look, look, his hands are unsteady. That's what happens when you get old."
[But he's a cultivator; he shouldn't be considered old at this age.]
"Can't I really take the overpowered protagonist role and follow the wish-fulfillment novel route?"
[cannot! ]
The debate between the two leaders was intense, and Mu Qing listened to it all with a blank expression, even a hint of coldness.
After cultivating for so many years, this was the first time Mu Qing had been told she looked old, and she was almost furious.
Seeing that one person was still discussing the matter endlessly, Mu Qing interrupted, "Sect Leader, we can begin testing spiritual roots now."
“Alright,” the sect leader nodded, and had someone bring out the spirit-testing stones. He then said to the few who had passed the test, “Come forward one by one to test your spiritual roots according to your ranking in the mountain gate.”
The group nodded quickly and took turns testing their spiritual roots. Mo Xin was the first to go up. He placed his hand on the spirit-testing stone, which emitted a golden light mixed with red.
"Golden Fire Spiritual Root, with excellent aptitude."
As soon as Moxin's test results came out, Elder Jianfeng immediately stepped in to recruit him, asking, "Are you willing to follow me in cultivating the way of the sword?"
The Immortal Pursuit Sect is most famous for its swordsmanship, so Mo Xin was naturally willing and quickly agreed: "This disciple is willing."
Seeing that Moxin had found a good place, the others couldn't wait to finish testing their spiritual roots.
As a result, some were happy while others were sad, but most of them ended up with a good place to go.
Finally, only Wen Zheng remained to be tested, and everyone was watching her result.
Everyone knows that Wen Zheng was the first to pass the apprenticeship assessment, and Mo Xin, who was second, had a Golden Fire Spiritual Root. Naturally, Wen Zheng, who was first, wouldn't be too bad.
Feeling everyone's gaze, Wen Zheng stepped forward and placed her fair hand on the spirit-testing stone.
A flash of light appeared, and the sect leader stood up in surprise.
"This is?!!"
"Mutated Wind Spirit Root".
Single spiritual roots are uncommon in the cultivation world, and mutated spiritual roots are even rarer. When one appears, it becomes a highly sought-after object by major sects.
Now that a mutated spiritual root has appeared, the sect leader is overjoyed, but he doesn't show it on his face. He casually praises, "Not bad. Would you be interested in cultivating with me?"
As soon as he asked the question, the elders around him looked at him with disdain. How could he be so blatant in snatching people? Did he even ask for their opinion?
Elder Danfeng quickly asked, "Are you interested in alchemy?"
"Danfeng is no place for humans. They spend all day refining pills amidst smoke and fire. Why don't you come with me to Jianfeng?" The sword cultivator elder invited Wen Zheng with the most sincere smile of his life.
The elder cultivator standing to the side took out several magical artifacts and said, "As long as you become my disciple, these things are no problem."
Elders Danfeng and Jianfeng's expressions suddenly fell, and they almost drew their natal magic weapons to fight.
The group started arguing and decided to go outside and fight.
Mu Qing was about to remind the sect leader when a long sword suddenly appeared above the spirit testing stone, which was still glowing.
However, the longsword shattered within seconds of appearing, and the light on the spirit-testing stone dimmed considerably.
The arguing elders attracted everyone's attention, so only the sect leader, Mu Qing, and Wen Zheng saw the scene.
The sect leader stopped the elders and dismissed the others, looking at Wen Zheng with a heavy expression.
Mu Qing also changed her previous aloof attitude, revealing a hint of pity and curiosity in her eyes.
After Wen Zheng discovered that she had a wind spirit root, she was quite happy to hear everyone's praise, thinking that she was going to follow the path of a protagonist who becomes an overpowered hero.
But the joy didn't last long before the atmosphere changed.
The sect leader frowned and said to an elder, "Yun Ge, go and examine her physical constitution."
The elder named Yun Ge was a woman with kind eyes and a striking white hair at her temple.
"Yes, Sect Leader." After Yun Ge finished speaking, she reached out and touched Wen Zheng's wrist. Sensing her tension, she comforted her, "Don't be afraid, it will be over in a moment, it won't hurt."
Wen Zheng's body gradually relaxed as she was comforted, but Elder Yun Ge's expression suddenly changed drastically.
"You!!" Elder Yun Ge asked with a look of pity, "Do you still remember who stole your sword bone?"
"Huh?" Wen Zheng exclaimed in shock, "What of mine was dug up?!?"
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