1: Chapter 1 Cloud Kingdom Spirit Testing

Just as dawn was breaking, the central plaza of the Yun Kingdom's capital was already packed with people.

A dense sea of heads stretched from the foot of the Guardian Stone Beast all the way to the end of the street, as the clamor, chatter, and cries of street vendors mingled together, chasing away the slight chill of the early summer morning.

Long, winding queues consisted entirely of young boys and girls around fourteen or fifteen years old, shuffling forward with a mix of nervousness and anticipation under the supervision of the Silver-Armored City Guards.

On both sides, family members craned their necks to watch, their palms sweating with anxiety.

Near the front of the queue, Lin Xuan, dressed in elegant robes, stood quietly. He stood tall with a calm gaze, looking far more mature than a typical fourteen-year-old.

No one knew that this body housed a Soul from another world.

Having transmigrated into this world as a baby fourteen years ago, he had long since grown accustomed to this world, which resembled ancient times but actually possessed the path of cultivation.

On the Lantern Festival night when he was seven years old, the sight of someone flying across the sky on a sword, their green robes fluttering, remained branded in his heart to this day.

"That is the path I should take," he thought to himself, his gaze drifting toward the green jade platform in the center of the plaza, his fingers curling slightly inside his sleeves.

After fourteen years of waiting, today would finally bring the answer.

"Lin Xuan! Lin Xuan!" A sturdy youth dressed in brocade robes ahead of him turned around, lowering his voice, his face brimming with excitement.

"Did you see that just now? Several streaks of sword light descended in the direction of the palace! The immortal masters of the Sanyang Sect must have gone to the palace first! Flying on swords... when will we be able to..."

This was Chen Hao, the son of Prince Yong, and one of Lin Xuan's few friends. He was straightforward and single-mindedly devoted to the Dao, usually having no patience for tedious etiquette.

Lin Xuan patted his arm and smiled, his voice steady: "We've waited all these years, and today is the day. Keep your composure, and there will be a good result."

His composure, which far exceeded his age, often brought a sense of peace to the impatient Chen Hao.

Chen Hao nodded heavily and took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress his nervousness. Just as he was about to speak again, a clear, resonant chime of swords suddenly echoed from the horizon!

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Over a dozen streaks of sword light of various colors tore through the air like colorful silk ribbons. A sharp, fierce aura instantly enveloped the entire plaza, making it hard for anyone to breathe.

The clamor came to an abrupt halt, and everyone held their breath, looking up at the figures descending like deities.

The sword lights faded, revealing over a dozen figures dressed in moon-white Daoist robes. There were both men and women, each possessing a deep aura and an indifferent expression, looking down upon the crowd as if they were mere ants.

At their head was a Middle-aged Cultivator with eyes as sharp as a falcon's. With a flick of his sleeves, his voice, though not loud, clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying an unquestionable authority: "The Sanyang Sect has arrived to begin the testing of Spiritual Roots. The rules remain the same: those of age shall ascend the platform in order, and no clamor is permitted."

With that, he and several of his sect members transformed into streams of light and flew toward the imperial palace, leaving two young Cultivators behind on the high platform.

Of the two immortal masters who remained, the male had a cold, stern face like ice that had remained unmelted for ten thousand years, while the female was elegant and beautiful, though her gaze was aloof.

Without a word, the male Cultivator turned his hand to reveal a fist-sized, crystal-clear crystal ball, and placed it precisely into the groove in the center of the platform.

The female Cultivator's voice was crisp but lacked warmth, like jade beads falling onto a plate, yet it struck heavily against everyone's hearts: "The testing begins. Those whose names are called, step forward, place your hand on the testing crystal orb, and quiet your mind."

The testing began. Most of those near the front were children of the nobility, dressed in splendid clothes, but immortal fate showed no favoritism toward birth.

"Zhang Rui, Fire: 25, Pseudo Spiritual Root, disqualified."

"Zhao Qian, Water: 23, failed to meet the standard for a Low Grade Spiritual Root, disqualified."

"Liu Mang, Earth: 25, Pseudo Spiritual Root, disqualified."

...

A succession of "disqualified" verdicts came from the cold male Cultivator's mouth, cold and ruthless, like buckets of ice water poured over everyone's hearts.

The youths whose names were called instantly turned pale, the light in their eyes extinguishing as they could barely stand, only to be hurriedly supported away by their anxious families below, leaving behind a few suppressed sobs.

The buzzing chatter below died down completely, replaced by a heavy sense of oppression, and the air grew thick with disappointment and fear.

In this world, everyone possessed a Spiritual Root, which was the foundation of immortal cultivation.

Spiritual Root attributes were diverse and mixed, not only belonging to the Five Elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth), but also featuring mutated attributes such as Wind, Lightning, Ice, and Darkness.

To measure the quality of a Spiritual Root, one mainly looked at the value of its attributes.

In the cultivation world, it was widely acknowledged that those with an attribute value over ninety possessed an Immortal Spiritual Root, a rarity once in ten thousand years;

those with seventy-five or above possessed a Heavenly Spiritual Root, seen only once in a thousand years;

those with sixty or above possessed an Earthly Spiritual Root, already making them standouts;

those with fifty or above possessed a High Grade Spiritual Root, worthy of being called fine talents;

those with forty or above possessed a Medium Grade Spiritual Root, qualifying them to enter immortal sects;

and those with thirty or above possessed a Low Grade Spiritual Root, barely touching the threshold.

As for Pseudo Spiritual Roots with attributes below twenty, cultivation was difficult, and major immortal sects would basically not consider them;

as for Trash Spiritual Roots with attributes under ten, even if an immense price was paid, they could only reach the third layer of Qi Refining, forever barred from the Great Dao.

Until Chen Yufei, the third son of Prince Yong, ascended the platform. Dressed in luxurious robes, he walked with a leisurely pace, an unmistakable arrogance lingering between his brows.

He pressed his hand against the crystal orb, which suddenly erupted with a solid, yellowish-brown light shooting up about a foot high. Vaguely, the phantom of a mountain range floated within it, and a heavy aura spread out, causing those near the front of the platform to feel a sudden tremor in their hearts.

A trace of imperceptible emotion flashed in the cold male Cultivator's eyes, and his voice rose slightly as he confirmed: "Chen Yufei, Earth-attribute Earthly Spiritual Root, attribute value sixty-three! Qualified!"

"An Earthly Spiritual Root!" The crowd below instantly erupted. The high officials and nobles in the front row gasped in admiration and whispered among themselves, their gazes toward Prince Yong filled with envy and flattery.

Prince Yong's face was flushed with joy, excitedly stroking his beard as he repeatedly cupped his hands to those around him, saying again and again, "Thank you, thank you! Let us share the joy!"

Chen Hao saw this clearly and curled his lip, nudging Lin Xuan with his elbow and lowering his voice with a hint of resentment: "Tsk, the heavens are blind. How did that guy get to show off? Just because of a bit of talent, he'll probably hold his head so high his tail points to the sky from now on."

Lin Xuan's gaze remained calm as he looked at the high platform, and he said softly: "Everyone has their own fate; it cannot be forced. The immortal path is long, and a high or low starting point doesn't necessarily determine the destination. We just need to look after ourselves."

There was little ripple in his heart; his mindset as a transmigrator allowed him to view these matters with greater equanimity.

Chen Hao snorted and said no more, but his gaze grew even more determined, clearly holding back a surge of competitive energy.

Soon, it was Chen Hao's turn. Taking a deep breath, he strode onto the platform, rubbed his hands together with slight nervousness, and then solemnly pressed his large hand onto the crystal orb.

*Buzz—* The crystal orb flared brightly, erupting with a blazing, dazzling red light that danced like roaring flames, as a wave of heat rushed over, even causing the air to warp slightly.

The elegant female Cultivator nodded slightly, her tone softening a bit with a hint of praise: "Chen Hao, Fire-attribute High Grade Spiritual Root, attribute value fifty-eight! Qualified!"

"Yes!" Chen Hao couldn't help but growl softly, pumping his fist with force. A brilliant smile bloomed on his face as he grinned excitedly at Lin Xuan below the platform. Only then did he puff out his chest and stride toward the qualified area. As he passed by Chen Yufei, he didn't forget to cast a slightly provocative glance.

"Next, Lin Xuan."

Lin Xuan composed himself. Under the gaze of countless eyes, he stepped onto the platform steadily, first bowing respectfully to the two immortal masters with a posture that was neither servile nor overbearing.

Then, he extended his right hand and pressed it firmly onto the icy testing crystal orb.

At first, the crystal orb only flickered with a weak and chaotic five-colored light, its attributes pitifully low: Metal: 20, Wood: 11, Water: 12, Fire: 21, Earth: 18. The highest, the Fire attribute, was only twenty-one, far below the qualification threshold of thirty.

A chorus of soft sighs arose below the platform; some shook their heads, while others showed sympathy.

The cold male Cultivator's lips parted slightly, and the emotionless word "disqualified" seemed on the verge of slipping out.

Suddenly, an abrupt change occurred!

At the center of the faint five-colored light, a speck of eerie purple suddenly lit up, and then flared up like a wildfire, transforming into countless wild lightning snakes that darted frantically inside the crystal orb!

A faint, dense crackling of thunder could be heard, and a strange aura, combining both a destructive tear and vibrant vitality, spread out, causing the two immortal masters, who had remained indifferent all this time, to look over in surprise.

"Oh? A Lightning Spiritual Root?" The cold male Cultivator showed a look of surprise, exchanging a glance with the female Cultivator, both seeing the unexpectedness in each other's eyes.

The female Cultivator focused her attention, carefully identifying the purple threads of light flowing within the crystal orb. After a moment, she announced clearly: "Lin Xuan, Low Grade Lightning Spiritual Root, attribute value thirty! Qualified!"

"A Lightning Spiritual Root?" The crowd below went into an uproar, and chatter broke out once again, even louder than before.

A Mutated Spiritual Root was indeed rare, one in ten thousand, but with this Low Grade attribute barely reaching the threshold, his future in cultivation would likely be even more difficult than that of an ordinary Low Grade Spiritual Root. It was truly a pity.

Chen Hao first widened his eyes in pleasant surprise, happy for his friend, but then his brow furrowed involuntarily, a flicker of worry passing through his eyes.

Lin Xuan's heart also sank slightly. This result was better than the worst-case scenario he had anticipated; at least he had crossed the threshold.

But compared to Chen Hao's fifty-eight and Chen Yufei's sixty-three, this mere attribute value of thirty was indeed a significant gap.

However, possessing a resilient mind, he quickly suppressed the stray thoughts rising in his heart. Crossing the threshold was good enough!

No matter how poor a Lightning Spiritual Root was, it was still a rare attribute, and might not lack its own unique advantages.

His face remained calm and rippleless, as if the surrounding discussions had nothing to do with him. Once again, he bowed respectfully to the two immortal masters: "Thank you, immortal masters." Then, he stepped down steadily and walked toward Chen Hao, who was waiting in the qualified area.

Chen Hao immediately came forward and patted his shoulder hard. With a complex look in his eyes, he opened his mouth, wanting to say something comforting, but did not know how to begin.

Seeing him like this, Lin Xuan smiled calmly instead and comforted him in return: "It's fine. Getting in is the first step to success. The road is long, so let's get in first."

In the end, only thirteen people from Tianyun City qualified, with Lin Xuan, Chen Hao, and Chen Yufei all among them.

The Middle-aged Cultivator who had left earlier had already returned.

One of the immortal masters swept his sleeve, and a gentle yet irresistible spiritual force instantly lifted the thirteen youths. Everyone felt their vision blur, and they transformed into streaks of light, flying into the majestic imperial palace, ultimately being settled in an extremely quiet and elegant side palace.

The female Cultivator leading them remained indifferent in expression and instructed: "Wait here quietly for three days. Once our fellow disciples from other regions return, we will return to the sect together."

The palace halls featured carved beams and painted rafters, with magnificent furnishings, epitomizing the pinnacle of mortal wealth and luxury.

Yet, the hearts of these youths who had just obtained immortal fate had already flown to the cloud-shrouded great immortal sects, unable to muster even a shred of interest in the ultimate splendor of the mortal world before them.