25: Han Li with four spiritual roots

After Han Yunzhi chose to join Spirit Beast Mountain, she gracefully leaped off the arena and elegantly walked behind the kind-faced, white-haired old woman from Spirit Beast Mountain. The old woman smiled, took Han Yunzhi's hand, and showed a satisfied expression in her eyes.

The testers after Han Yunzhi returned to being ordinary, with Three Spiritual Roots, Four Spiritual Roots, and Five Spiritual Roots. Their light pillars were weak, failing to attract any interest from the Core Formation Cultivators on the high platform. However, they all seemed to still be paying attention to someone below who hadn't been tested yet.

Only Nangong Wan's gaze subtly lingered on Lin Feng. The astonishing phenomenon of the five thick light pillars and his mysterious true cultivation level made her unable to help but frequently pay attention.

Time passed by minute by minute, and the light of the Spirit Measuring Stone brightened and dimmed repeatedly. Nangong Wan’s cold gaze swept over the crowd below, and her voice rang out again, carrying a trace of undeniable authority.

“Fellow Daoists, at this Ascension Gathering, the Seven Sects have almost filled their disciple quotas. Now, only the last three spots remain.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the Cultivators below, who had lower cultivation levels and were waiting for their chance, felt their hearts tighten. Only three spots left! This meant that every tester could potentially snatch one of these three spots!

Han Li, who was already hiding in the crowd, waiting for an opportunity, felt his heart skip a beat.

The last three spots!

His gaze was fixed on the Spirit Measuring Stone suspended on the arena, and he frowned, considering whether it was appropriate to make his move now.

The cautious workaholic endured and observed for a while longer. Although the competition on the arena seemed fierce, as some stronger Cultivators finished testing their Spiritual Roots (regardless of Aptitude) or withdrew due to injury, the Cultivators who had not yet been tested were generally not strong. Most were at Qi Refining Stage seven or eight, and there were even some Early Stage Qi Refining Cultivators trying to fish in troubled waters.

Now was the best opportunity!

He tightly gripped the short sword given to him by Li Feiyu, his knuckles turning slightly white from the effort. Go, or not go? The scene of Lin Feng easily deflecting Lu Yunfeng’s attack flashed through his mind again. That overwhelming strength filled him with longing.

But then he remembered the humiliation at Mo Estate that day, the dozens of Spirit Stones he obtained by hovering between life and death, and the Loose Cultivators who ambushed him in the Black Forest. If he couldn't join a Sect and obtain better resources and Cultivation Techniques, he might only struggle in Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment his entire life, or even be killed by a strong Cultivator at any time, with no one to even collect his corpse.

No! He couldn't be like this!

Become stronger! Only by becoming stronger could he change his fate!

He must seize this opportunity, even if it was only one in ten thousand!

A hint of determination flashed in Han Li's eyes. He no longer hesitated, his body arched, and he shot out from the tree like an arrow leaving a bowstring.

He didn't charge directly towards the arena but used the cover of the crowd to move quickly. His movements were agile, executing the Flowing Smoke Steps to its extreme, weaving through the crowded masses, avoiding the not-so-weak Cultivators, and darting straight to the edge of the arena.

“Get lost!”

“Courting death!”

Some Cultivators noticed him and roared angrily, attempting to block him. But the speed Han Li unleashed at this moment far surpassed theirs. He swung the short sword in his hand, executing the Blink Sword Art!

A sharp sword light streaked out, forcing back the Cultivators attempting to block him. At the same time, several low-grade Talismans he had already prepared in his hand instantly activated, sending fireballs, ice cones, and wind blades shooting towards the surrounding Cultivators to clear a path for himself.

On the central arena, two Qi Refining Stage nine Cultivators were fiercely fighting over the Spirit Measuring Stone. One wielded a bronze mirror Magical Artifact, emitting a light screen about ten feet wide; the other brandished a flying dagger, its blade glinting. The two were locked in an intense battle, neither paying attention to their surroundings.

Han Li seized the opportunity, and at the moment their Magical Artifacts collided, his figure suddenly darted forward, leaping onto the arena.

He tapped his toes on the arena floor, activating a Lightweight Talisman, and his body accelerated again, heading straight for the Spirit Measuring Stone.

“Stop!”

“Quick, stop him!”

The two Cultivators who were fighting only reacted then, filled with shock and anger, and quickly stopped their fight, wanting to work together to stop Han Li. The bronze mirror Magical Artifact flashed with light, and a beam shot towards Han Li; the flying dagger also changed direction, striking with a whistling sound.

However, Han Li was already prepared. He didn't stop but twisted his body, narrowly dodging the light beam, while simultaneously activating an Earth Wall Talisman in his hand. An earth wall instantly rose beside him, blocking the flying dagger.

“Bang!”

The flying dagger struck the earth wall with a dull thud. The earth wall shook violently but ultimately did not collapse immediately.

In this brief delay, Han Li had already rushed to the bottom of the Spirit Measuring Stone. He reached out and grabbed the crystalline stone.

Success!

The moment he grasped the Spirit Measuring Stone, a surge of wild joy welled up in Han Li’s heart. He had done it! Alone, amidst the competition of nearly a thousand Cultivators, he had actually succeeded in seizing the Spirit Measuring Stone!

He didn't have time to think much and immediately injected his spiritual power into the Spirit Measuring Stone according to the method used by previous Cultivators. As long as the Spirit Measuring Stone was activated, no one else could attack him until the test was complete. This was a rule set by the Ascension Gathering; without it, the death rate of this Ascension Gathering would likely greatly increase.

The Spirit Measuring Stone felt warm in his hand, and then a light brightened from within the stone.

Han Li stared nervously at the Spirit Measuring Stone, hoping for one, or even two, thick light pillars to appear.

However, the light quickly solidified, forming a single light pillar that shot up into the sky.

One… two… three… four…

Four light pillars of different colors, thin, like four chopsticks, barely rose about ten feet high before losing momentum and flickering.

Red, yellow, green, blue… Fire, Earth, Wood, Water…

Four Spiritual Roots!

Han Li’s body stiffened. Four Spiritual Roots… It was actually Four Spiritual Roots.

Reversing the Possession of Ink Residence and Yu Zitong, and easily killing Gold Light Master at the Seven Mysteries Sect, made Han Li believe he was a chosen one among ten thousand.

However, the result before his eyes was somewhat difficult for him to accept.

The wild joy that had just risen in his heart was now extinguished as if by a basin of ice water, instantly turning cold.

Four Spiritual Roots also belong to pseudo-Spiritual Roots. Among all Spiritual Roots, it is only slightly better than Five Spiritual Roots, belonging to the lowest grade of Aptitude. With such Aptitude, even if one could enter a Sect, it would be difficult to gain the Sect's attention, and Cultivation resources would be pitifully scarce. This was vastly different from the Heavenly Spiritual Root and Dual Spiritual Roots he yearned for!

He was somewhat dazed, his hand holding the Spirit Measuring Stone trembling slightly.

“Hahahahaha! I thought he was capable, but it turns out he’s just a Four Spiritual Root waste!”

Just as Han Li was in a daze, a harsh taunt came from below the arena.

Han Li suddenly looked up and saw a figure in blue charging wildly towards the arena. That person had an arrogant face; it was Lu Yunfeng, who had been severely injured by Lin Feng's single move earlier!

At this moment, Lu Yunfeng had finally recovered mostly with the help of his fellow Cultivators. Although his face was still a bit pale, his eyes held an arrogant look. The spiritual light of the Azure Dragon Flag in his hand was dim, clearly not fully recovered, but this did not hinder his current arrogance.

“A Four Spiritual Root trash, what are you standing there for after testing? Embarrassing! Get down now!” Lu Yunfeng roared, suddenly flicking the small blue flag in his hand towards Han Li.

Although the Azure Dragon Flag was damaged, as a top-tier Magical Artifact, its power was still not to be underestimated.

“Roar!”

As the flag waved, a much dimmer blue Dragon phantom reappeared. Although not as solid as before, it still carried a fierce aura, roaring as it shot directly towards Han Li.

Han Li had just awoken from his daze, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes. He hadn't expected Lu Yunfeng to dare attack him immediately after he finished testing his Spiritual Root! This had already violated the rules of the Ascension Gathering!

He turned his head to look at the Core Formation Cultivators on the platform, but they were all focused on Lu Changfeng, and no one was paying attention to his current predicament. And the only one not focused on Lu Changfeng, Nangong Wan, was still secretly observing Lin Feng's every move.

Seeing this, Han Li panicked. Without time to think, his body instinctively retreated rapidly, while simultaneously holding his short sword horizontally, attempting to block. But Lu Yunfeng's attack came too fast, too suddenly!

The blue Dragon phantom instantly rushed close, bringing with it a fishy wind (foul wind), as if it wanted to tear Han Li into pieces!