606: The elders' surprise

These words were like a spark dropped into boiling oil, instantly igniting the emotions of all the Elders in the hall.

The crowd, which had maintained some semblance of solemnity, now looked at those potions with eyes gradually tinged with an undeniable hint of greed.

They were all figures who had lived for hundreds or even thousands of years, already standing at the peak of the cultivation world. Their own cultivation was largely set in stone, but who among them didn't have a few direct Juniors with mediocre talent?

Who wouldn't want their descendants to go further on the path of cultivation?

A treasure that could directly improve one's Spiritual Root Aptitude was a celestial Opportunity that could be sought but rarely found.

Just as the atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly heated, a calm voice suddenly rang out, shattering everyone's fantasies.

"But can the miraculous effects of this potion truly be counted on? Relying solely on the experience of Jiang Lu, an Inner Sect Disciple, is a bit too flimsy to reach a definitive conclusion."

As soon as these words were spoken, the clamor in the hall instantly subsided.

The Elders looked at one another and then nodded in agreement one after another.

Indeed, there are countless strange occurrences in the cultivation world. Perhaps Jiang Lu had encountered some other Opportunity that caused her Spiritual Root to advance rapidly, and it might not necessarily be related to these potions.

It was indeed difficult to convince the masses based on the word of a single person.

From his high seat, the Sect Master remained silent, his gaze calmly scanning the reactions of the crowd in the hall.

Only when the discussions had gradually died down did he slowly speak, his voice not loud, but carrying an unquestionable authority.

"In that case... Elder Lin Jing."

Standing among the crowd, Lin Jing's heart skipped a beat upon hearing her name. Not daring to delay for a moment, she hurried forward with a bow and replied with her head lowered.

"Present."

"You are Jiang Lu's teaching Elder; you have been responsible for looking after her since she entered the Sect."

The Sect Master's gaze fell upon her, his tone flat and emotionless.

"Regardless of whether this potion is real or fake, according to Sect rules, you are entitled to a bottle. Now, drink a bottle right here and let the Elders see if this potion truly has any miraculous effect."

Hearing this, Lin Jing's eyes instantly lit up with an incredible brightness, like a cold pool that had been stagnant for years suddenly having a firebrand thrown into it; even her face flushed with a hint of excitement.

Suppressing the wild joy in her heart, she bowed toward the high seat, her voice trembling slightly with an undetectable tremor.

"Thank you for your grace, Sect Master!"

Having said that, she stepped forward quickly and picked up a bottle at random from the pile of potions.

The slight chill of the bottle against her fingertips made her heart beat even faster, but without any hesitation, she pulled out the soft stopper, tilted her head back, and drained the clear liquid in the bottle in one gulp.

As the liquid entered her throat, it first carried a hint of crisp sweetness, then transformed into a gentle warm current that slid down her throat into her abdomen, spreading to every limb and bone in an instant.

Lin Jing quickly closed her eyes, clearing all distracting thoughts, and sank her Divine Sense into her body, meticulously examining every tiny change.

Seeing this, how could the other Elders in the hall remain seated? They crowded around instantly, craning their necks, their eyes burning as they focused on Lin Jing, unable to suppress the wave of questions.

"Elder Lin, how do you feel? Is there anything unusual?"

"Is there a surge of spiritual power as the liquid enters your body? Is there any change in your Spiritual Root?"

"Speak up! Can this thing really improve one's Aptitude?"

One must know that Lin Jing was, after all, an Inner Sect Elder of the Lingxiao Immortal Sect. Her cultivation had already reached the Early Stage of the Body Integration Stage, and her strength was among the top ranks within the Sect.

Her Spiritual Root was even more extraordinary—a Water Heavenly Spiritual Root with a score as high as 55. It had been stable for many years, and ordinary Heaven And Earth Treasures could not budge it in the slightest.

If even her Spiritual Root could be affected by this potion, then the value of this potion would truly be immeasurable.

Time passed minute by minute. The hall was pin-drop silent as everyone's gaze was locked tightly on Lin Jing, not even daring to breathe loudly.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Jing snapped her eyes open. In those eyes that were usually as calm as water, there was now nothing but unmaskable surprise and shock.

She took a deep breath and cupped her fists in a bow toward the Sect Master on the high seat, her voice exceptionally loud due to her excitement, echoing in every corner of the hall.

"Reporting to the Sect Master! This potion is truly effective! I can clearly feel that the Impurities deep within my Spiritual Root, accumulated over many years, have been washed away significantly by this liquid. Even my Meridians, which have been blocked for years, are much clearer! More incredibly, my Lifespan has actually increased by several years out of thin air! And most importantly, my Water Heavenly Spiritual Root clearly felt a very distinct improvement! Although the magnitude is not large, it is real!"

Before her voice could fade, Lin Jing raised her hand and took out a Spirit Testing Stone she carried with her.

As she placed her right hand on the stone's surface, the Spirit Stone instantly burst forth with a blue light even more dazzling than when Jiang Lu had tested earlier.

Amidst the swirling blue light, a line of clear characters appeared on the stone's surface—Water Heavenly Spiritual Root, 58 points!

"Heavens!"

Someone gasped, and a cry of surprise instantly rang through the hall.

The Elders surrounding her widened their eyes, staring dead at the number on the Spirit Testing Stone, their faces filled with disbelief.

58 points! Compared to the previous 55 points, it had actually been forcibly raised by a full three points!

One must know that Lin Jing's Spiritual Root had been stable for hundreds of years. Forget three points; even an improvement of half a point would require consuming countless Heaven And Earth Treasures and undergoing thousands of hardships in bitter cultivation to achieve.

"It's really effective! This potion can actually improve Spiritual Root Aptitude! And it ignores cultivation and Physique."

"And the effect is exactly as that Disciple described. The first use is actually this significant!"

"What's even rarer is that it can increase Lifespan! To call such a treasure a Heaven-Defying supreme treasure would not be an exaggeration!"

Exclamations erupted one after another in the hall. The Elders' gazes toward the potions on the ground had already shifted from initial greed to a near-fanatical desire.

At this moment, a core Elder with white hair and beard was the first to step forward, bowing and cupping his hands toward the Sect Master on the high seat, his tone earnest and firm.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, in my opinion, regardless of what the mysterious power in the Forbidden Ground intends, since they have taken the initiative to show goodwill and are interested in befriending our Sect, it is a monumental piece of good news!"

"That is exactly right!"

Another Elder immediately chimed in, his voice full of agreement.

"The divine effect of this potion is unheard of in the entire cultivation world. Even those Heaven And Earth Treasures cherished by the Sect might not have such an immediate effect. Those treasures are found by chance and cannot be sought, but this potion—judging by the quantity before us and recalling what Jiang Lu said—that mysterious power must have quite a lot of stock!"

With these two leading the way, the Elders in the hall began to chime in one after another, and for a time, voices of agreement rose and fell.

Everyone was convinced that befriending that mysterious power was, for the Lingxiao Immortal Sect, an absolute bargain with no downsides.

Seeing this, the Sect Master on the high seat remained silent for a long time, his slender fingertips unconsciously stroking his sleeve, his eyes as deep as a dark pool.

The clamor in the hall gradually subsided, and everyone held their breath, waiting for his decision.

After an unknown amount of time, the Sect Master finally spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of gravity.

"This matter is of great importance and has wide-reaching implications. It is not something I alone can decide. I plan to first report this matter to the Old Ancestors of the Sect."

As soon as the words "Old Ancestor" were spoken, the hall instantly became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

The excitement and eagerness on the faces of all the Elders vanished, replaced by a look of solemnity.

They naturally knew that the Old Ancestors of the Lingxiao Immortal Sect were all great Undergoing Tribulation Stage Cultivators who had been in seclusion for many years. They were existences truly standing at the apex of the cultivation world's pyramid and were the pillars of the entire Sect.

Normally, unless the Sect was facing a catastrophe of total destruction, it was extremely difficult to disturb them.

And now, this mysterious power in the Forbidden Ground had actually made the Sect Master consider reporting to the Old Ancestors.

This was enough to show that the weight of this matter had already exceeded everyone's imagination.

After a brief silence, all the Elders bowed in unison, their voices loud and orderly, echoing throughout the Lingxiao Hall.

"We obey the Sect Master's command!"

...