Chương 24: Ganshou Village (Final)

Lucian's question was met with frowns and heavy silence. Everyone in the room tried to grasp the true meaning behind his words, as none believed a cultivator would ask such a broad question without purpose. Most assumed it was either a test or a display of a cultivator's fickle nature. Xu Hua, however, believed that leaving it unanswered would only invite trouble, so he took the initiative.

"We know that the heavens have blessed cultivators like you with immense power since birth," he said.

"You can alter nature itself, commanding winds, mountains, beasts, and all things beneath the heavens." As soon as Xu Hua finished, Lucian said to him, "Explain to me how one becomes a cultivator." One of the elderly women smacked her lips and muttered, "Lunatic."

"The awakening of Spiritual Roots," Xu Hua said, cutting through the tension as he glanced at the elders.

"Only living beings with awakened Spiritual Roots can cultivate, absorbing Qi and pursuing their path." Lucian glanced to his side and noticed Bai Xiaomeng's surprised and somewhat conflicted expression. After briefly observing the elders' reactions, he turned to her and said, "You seem surprised. If you possess different information, tell me." Bai Xiaomeng trembled slightly and quickly answered, "Grand Cultivator, that is not it." She swallowed as she searched for the right words.

"It is just difficult to believe. Everyone knows about Qi and that the heavens bless cultivators, but all this talk about roots and pursuing a path sounds somewhat… Childish." People used to say the same about magic, Lucian thought. He ignored her, turned back to Xu Hua and said, "Now tell me how to awaken a Spiritual Root."

"You want to get us all killed?" the only elderly man shouted, his face twisting with fear and anger, deepening the lines of age across his features.

"Who dares speak of such matters outside the Sects!" Lucian sighed. Then, a chilling pressure descended upon the room, heavy and suffocating, settling onto every shoulder. He looked directly at the elder who had just spoken and said calmly, "I understand that none of you fear death. It was my mistake not to make your situation clear." He controlled his Blood Essence, and his eyes gleamed with a faint crimson hue.

"If I do not obtain useful information from you, I will hunt down the young ones who fled, torture them, and extract the knowledge from them. This Lord promises it." A rune shaped as four fingers gripping a neck flickered within Lucian's eyes, its image reflected in the others' pupils. He attempted to condition them to speak, manipulating their minds through the Rune of Lust. Xu Hua immediately clasped his fists and bowed deeply. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

"I beg for your forgiveness, Grand Cultivator," he said.

"Having lived so long, we have learned to fear the Nine Sects that rule these lands and to abide by their laws. We failed to recognize that the Grand Cultivator stands above them."

"Continue. You are skilled with words, even those left unspoken," Lucian said in a cold tone. Xu Hua met Lucian's gaze without expression and resumed, "The elders know of Spiritual Roots because, over the years, some of us have encountered Rogue Cultivators who were not shy about displaying their… might." Lucian sensed there was more behind Xu Hua's words, but chose not to press him, simply listening.

"The Grand Cultivator must understand that for lowly mortals like us, discussing cultivation is a crime, and what we know has never been spoken openly, not even among our families—""I will only seek others if you fail to give me what I want," Lucian interrupted.

"I do not care about the laws you have broken. Be direct and answer me truthfully." Xu Hua studied Lucian's dark eyes for a moment, searching for any trace of deception. After finding only apathy, he said, "To awaken a Spiritual Root, one must use a Breathing Technique. Each Sect has its own, with some Cultivators having inherited or stolen such techniques. Of course, not everyone is born with a Spiritual Root, so it's also a matter of luck." Next, Xu Hua glanced at Bai Xiaomeng, who had begun writing.

He cleared his throat loudly, a sign for her not to write it. Bai Xiaomeng pretended not to notice, continuing to write as if nothing had happened. With Lucian watching him expectantly, Xu Hua had no choice but to continue speaking.

"Spiritual Roots can contain between one and five of the Five Elements. The greater the talent, the fewer the elements within the—""Stop. Explain those Five Elements first," Lucian said. Already accustomed to being interrupted, Xu Hua smoothly adjusted his explanation.

"They show how attuned a Spiritual Root is to the surrounding Qi." He picked up a sheet of paper from Bai Xiaomeng, dipped his finger in ink, and drew a circle with five points marked along its edge. Once finished, he recited, "Metal begets Water, Water nourishes Wood, Wood feeds Fire, Fire returns to Earth, and Earth forms Metal." Interesting, Lucian thought. This differs greatly from the Magic Schools. Did the Human Sage create this framework? There must be a deeper meaning behind it.

His attention returned to Xu Hua, who said, "A person can have a Spiritual Root with one to five elements, in any combination. Each Sect specializes in certain techniques, so they only accept disciples with specific roots."

"In that case," Lucian asked, "would it not be better to possess all five elements? Such a person could join any Sect." Xu Hua scoffed instinctively.

"No Righteous Sect would accept such a disgrace," he said, shaking his head.

"There is a saying that for each additional element, a cultivator's talent is halved. If it takes two days for a one-root cultivator to gather a certain amount of Qi, it may take a month for a five-root cultivator to achieve the same." Picking up the paper he had used, Xu Hua tore it into sixteen equal pieces.

"You may understand it like this," he said, pointing at the pieces.

"This represents how much Qi a one-root cultivator can gather and use in a given period, let us say one day." Lucian nodded faintly. He noticed that the elders were staring at Xu Hua with a hint of bewilderment. Xu Hua ignored their gazes and swept away half of the pieces, leaving eight.

"This is how much a two-root cultivator would gather in the same time." He swept away half again, leaving four.

"This is for a three-root cultivator." Once more, he halved the amount, leaving two.

"This is for a four-root cultivator." Finally, he flicked away one last piece, leaving a single scrap.

"And this represents the meager talent of a five-root cultivator." Noticing the heavy silence, Xu Hua raised his head. Bai Xiaomeng, unable to contain herself, spoke out, "How do you know all this?" Xu Hua opened his mouth to respond, but Lucian's cold voice cut in first.

"This should be obvious already," he said with a dark chuckle.

"This one must be a cultivator."