Meanwhile, inside the council hall of the Lianfeng Sword Sect, Sect Master Shi Mingxiu and several peak masters and elders were looking at the Qiankun Mirror in front of them, and the scene inside excited them greatly.
"He actually had an epiphany! What incredible insight! This child is destined for greatness!"
"This isn't even the beginning. He's already achieved enlightenment before even touching a sword?"
"I don't know what his innate talent is like, but his comprehension is already off the charts."
"With this comprehension, even if one's natural talent isn't great, one can find more ways to hone it."
...
Tang Nong had thought that it wouldn't be long before Shi Xuan woke up, but who knew that once she sat down on the steps, it would last from dawn until dusk.
Shi Xuan stood there motionless for an entire day, with only the fluctuations of spiritual energy around her highlighting her undeniable presence.
As time went by, Tang Nong noticed that Shi Xuan's beautiful face was getting darker and darker, and by evening, her features were no longer recognizable.
Tang Nong's hands were itching to give her a cleaning treatment, but she was afraid of disturbing her, so she could only sit there, feeling restless and anxious.
Finally, as the last ray of sunlight disappeared into the mountain valley, Shi Xuan opened his eyes.
In her sudden realization, she lost track of time and was momentarily bewildered, wondering how the sky had suddenly darkened.
Tang Nong finally got her wish. The moment she woke up, she cast a cleansing spell on her, and the fair-skinned beauty returned.
The sect's three-month recruitment period has ended, with only three days left. From being bustling with activity at the beginning to being deserted now, almost all those who were supposed to participate in the test have arrived.
The elders had been hoping that one or two exceptionally talented individuals would emerge from this year's disciples, but three months were about to pass, and the few they had taken in could only be considered to have above-average aptitude at best.
However, the elders, who had given up hope, were surprised by a turning point today – someone at the mountain gate had an epiphany!
In fact, from the moment they saw Shi Xuan's enlightenment in the Qiankun Mirror, the elders and the sect leader wanted to rush out to see her with their own eyes, but they were afraid that such a group of old guys would scare her away if they went out together, so they had to hold back.
I originally thought that after the enlightenment, I would go up the mountain for the next round of tests and see people soon. Who would have thought that this enlightenment would last for a whole day!
What does this mean? The higher a person's comprehension, the longer it takes. Back then, the sect leader spent two hours in a state of enlightenment and was already hailed as a genius, let alone this person who spent a whole day.
So when Tang Nong brought Shi Xuan to the Sword Washing Square where the root bones were tested, she saw more than a dozen immortals with otherworldly airs standing in a half-circle. All of them were staring at her, some with loving eyes, some with solemn and dignified eyes, and some with calm and leisurely eyes.
The square is circular in shape, and the ground is paved with huge stone bricks. The surface of the bricks has been worn very smooth, and some of them have cracks, showing the marks of time.
A large, perfectly shaped circle is etched on the stone bricks at the center, with a six-pointed star pattern inside. Every few steps along the outermost edge of the square stands a stone pillar, creating a magnificent and imposing atmosphere.
Several immortals stood in the center, occupying half of the circle.
Even the well-traveled Shi Xuan was momentarily stunned by the scene. The cultivators of the Lianfeng Sword Sect were truly impressive, and even the disciples responsible for testing their innate talents all looked like experts.
Unlike Shi Xuan, Tang Nong recognized them.
So when she got closer, Tang Nong took the lead in bowing and said, "Greetings, Master, Sect Master, and all Peak Masters and Elders."
Shi Xuan then realized that these dignified immortals were indeed genuine immortals. The sect leader and elders were all gathered together; this was a high-level meeting.
It seems that recruiting disciples is indeed difficult. It's just an entrance test, yet the sect leader and elders have to come in person to oversee it.
If they knew what she was thinking, the immortals would probably cry out that they were wronged, saying that if it weren't for her enlightenment, they wouldn't be in this situation.
Shi Xuan readily agreed and bowed along with Tang Nong, then solemnly said, "Disciple Shi Xuan has come to the Lianfeng Sword Sect to seek knowledge and enlightenment."
The sect leader nodded repeatedly, revealing a kind smile, and said, "Good child, let's test your spiritual root first."
The so-called root bone test refers to two things: the root and the bone.
The first step was to test one's spiritual root. The spirit-testing jade placed in front of Shi Xuan was a transparent spherical magic artifact, with a base carved from a single piece of spirit stone, which looked very exquisite and luxurious.
Shi Xuan placed his hand on the top of the sphere, but the magical artifact did not react for a moment. After a few breaths, five short, colorful vertical stripes slowly rose from the bottom along the sphere's wall. The five stripes were all the same size, very thin, and trembled precariously, their light flickering.
The grading of spiritual roots requires considering both their attributes and values. Attributes are determined by the number of colors that illuminate on the spiritual jade. Single-attribute spiritual roots allow for the fastest cultivation; the more attributes a spiritual root possesses, the more mixed the spiritual energy absorbed, which negatively impacts cultivation speed. The spiritual root value is represented by the length of the colored bars rising from the sphere's wall; naturally, the longer the better. Some exceptionally gifted individuals can even reach the maximum value by extending the bars to the top.
But Shi Xuan's spiritual root was not only multicolored, but its length was barely enough to sprout. This spiritual root was only slightly better than that of a mortal who could not cultivate immortality at all, which was better than nothing.
Shi Xuan was not surprised by this result. Her spiritual root had just been replaced by someone using a secret technique, and that spiritual root was now incompatible with her body's meridians, causing too many negative effects. This performance on the spirit testing jade was within her expectations.
But none of you here know that.
The group of big shots who thought they had found a peerless genius had gathered together because of her, but what awaited them was a bolt from the blue!
The sect leader and elders could not hide their surprise; they had never expected this outcome. They looked at each other, each one heartbroken.
How could this be! This exceptionally talented individual, with such a chaotic and weak spiritual root, is instead paired with something as rare and beautiful as a piece of jade hanging on a rusty chain—a truly regrettable situation.
Even the elder who just said that poor innate talent could be improved through training couldn't utter a single honest word. With such a weak foundation, the path to improvement seemed endless. Moreover, such a frail spiritual root probably wouldn't have much of a ceiling. No matter how many rare and precious treasures were poured in, it probably wouldn't make much of a splash.
The square was silent. The more expectant everyone was when they had their enlightenment at the mountain gate, the more disappointed they were now after their spiritual roots were tested.
They should have realized that, despite spending a whole day comprehending the sword intent left by their ancestor, their cultivation level was still stuck at the first level of Qi Refining. In the past, if anyone had comprehended the sword intent there, they could have at least advanced to the third minor level.
Life is full of disappointments, and among the many disciples in the sect, countless possess exceptional spiritual roots. Even if this girl only develops an average spiritual root, she will surely achieve great things.
But... things in life can't be perfect at all; it's just that things didn't go as planned.
Tang Nong was also stunned. With her teacher in charge, she dared not make a sound, and only asked quietly, "No way, what happened to the exceptionally talented sword cultivator we were promised?"
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