1: Chapter 1: The Stunning Beauty in the Marriage Register

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"Low Grade Spiritual Root, impure, incomplete."

The Elder conducting the spiritual test didn't speak loudly, but it felt like a cold slap, striking Li Qingfeng hard across the face.

In front of the Li Family's spiritual testing platform, dozens of eyes fell upon him simultaneously.

Some frowned, some shook their heads, and a few fellow clan youths couldn't help but chuckle softly.

In the center of the stone platform, the spiritual testing pillar only lit up with a faint grey-green light, like a candle flame about to go out, flickering twice before going completely dark.

Li Qingfeng stood there, his hands clenched tightly inside his sleeves.

His knuckles turned white, and his palms were pinched painfully by his fingernails.

He had Transmigration into this Cultivation world for three years, and he had thought that even if his start was a bit poor, he could at least slowly endure.

But this test today was equivalent to tearing away his last shred of dignity.

A Low Grade Spiritual Root was not scary.

What was scary was it being impure and incomplete.

This meant he absorbed Spiritual Qi slowly, refined Spiritual Qi even slower, and his Meridians had poor tolerance.

Others could accumulate a wisp of spiritual power after meditating for one night, while he might not even be able to keep half a wisp after three nights.

Qi Refining Stage 3 was almost his current limit.

"What a pity."

"A side branch is just a side branch; the Bloodline is thin after all."

"Reaching Qi Refining Stage 3 after all this time, I suppose it's all thanks to the basic Qi-Nourishing Medicinal Pill provided by the Family, right?"

"With this Spiritual Root, why even try to Cultivate? It would be better to marry and have children early; perhaps your offspring might turn out decent."

The snickering entered his ears; Li Qingfeng did not have much expression on his face, but his heart was incredibly cold.

It was not that he didn't want to retort.

But he knew very well that in a Cultivation Family, Aptitude was destiny.

If you have Aptitude, even saying the wrong thing is called the sharpness of youth.

If you lack Aptitude, even breathing a little too heavily makes people complain that you are wasting Spiritual Qi.

On the high platform, the Third Elder, Li Xuanqiu, slowly opened his eyes.

His hair and beard were half-white, and he was wearing a navy blue robe. The pressure of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was not released, yet it still made everyone below the stage subconsciously quiet down.

Li Xuanqiu glanced at Li Qingfeng, his eyes as indifferent as if he were looking at a defective object.

"Li Qingfeng."

"Present."

Li Qingfeng lowered his head and answered.

Li Xuanqiu's tone had no fluctuation: "Your Spiritual Root is incomplete; there is no hope for you to reach Foundation Establishment in this lifetime. From today on, the Family will no longer provide your normal cultivation quota. You will only be allotted three Qi-Nourishing Medicinal Pills and ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones each month to maintain basic cultivation."

A flurry of whispers broke out in the crowd again.

Three Qi-Nourishing Medicinal Pills and ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

This amount was not even enough for the half-month usage of any clan youth who was slightly valued.

Li Qingfeng's heart sank.

But uglier words were yet to come.

Li Xuanqiu continued: "Additionally, you are now eighteen. According to Family rules, you will be added to the marriage registry. In the future, the Family will arrange your marriage, and you will unite with a female Cultivator from the clan or from a vassal Family to continue the Li Family's Bloodline as much as possible."

Marriage registry.

Once these three words came out, the gazes looking at him from all around changed instantly.

There was pity, mockery, and an undisguised contempt.

In the Li Family, Disciples with a real future would be sent to fight for resources, join a Sect, or explore a Secret Realm. Those added to the marriage registry, to put it bluntly, had no hope in cultivation and were left only with reproductive value.

Li Qingfeng understood.

The Family was not trying to nurture him.

They felt that although he was useless, he was at least surnamed Li and still had a bit of the Li Family's Bloodline in him. Taking him to marry and have children might just allow them to try their luck at producing offspring with a Spiritual Root.

He had become a seed that the Family could still use.

Not a person.

A seed.

Li Qingfeng's chest felt stifled, as if a mouthful of blood was stuck in his throat.

But he did not look up, nor did he go crazy.

He knew his own worth too well.

Qi Refining Stage 3, incomplete Spiritual Root, side branch Disciple, no backing.

If he stood up to the Elder at this moment, let alone turning things around, he probably wouldn't even be able to keep those three Qi-Nourishing Medicinal Pills and ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Only by staying alive is there an Opportunity.

Only by enduring does one have the qualification to wait for the next time.

"This Disciple understands."

Li Qingfeng spoke in a low voice, his tone so steady that even he found it strange.

A hint of surprise flashed in Li Xuanqiu's eyes; it seemed he hadn't expected him to accept his fate so quickly.

"Withdraw."

"Yes."

Li Qingfeng turned and walked down the spiritual testing platform.

When passing by those fellow clan youths, someone deliberately lowered their voice, yet just enough for him to hear.

"He's quite sensible."

"What if he wasn't? With his cultivation level, I could knock him down with one palm."

"It's not a total loss; maybe the Family will pair him with a pretty woman. If he can't Cultivate, he can work harder in bed; that counts as rendering service to the Family too."

The group laughed after speaking.

Li Qingfeng didn't stop his pace.

He only clenched his fists inside his sleeves even tighter.

He told himself over and over in his heart: Remember these faces, remember these words. Just because I can't act now doesn't mean I won't be able to in the future!

By the time he returned to the side courtyard, the sky had already darkened.

This place was very remote, the courtyard walls were low, the door panels were old, and they creaked whenever the wind blew. Inside the room, there was only a wooden bed, an old table, and a few wooden chests for clothes.

This was the accommodation the Li Family provided for low-level side branch Disciples.

Li Qingfeng closed the door, sat on the edge of the bed, and finally let out a long sigh.

He raised his hand, looking at the bloody marks on his palms from where his fingernails had pinched him, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

"The worst Spiritual Root, only fit to leave behind Bloodline?"

"Fine."

"You had better keep thinking that way."

He sat cross-legged and began to check his internal Meridians.

The Spiritual Qi circulated slowly along his Meridians; the speed was truly frustrating enough to make one irritable. His Meridians felt like they were stuffed with fine sand, and every cycle was extremely strenuous. If he were to continue Cultivating like this, let alone Foundation Establishment, even reaching Qi Refining Stage 4 would take many years.

But just as the Spiritual Qi sank into his Dantian, Li Qingfeng suddenly frowned.

Deep within his Dantian, there was a trace of very faint warmth.

That feeling was not like ordinary spiritual power, nor was it an illusion caused by blocked Meridians. It was very weak, yet it was always there, like a spark buried under ashes.

For the past three years, he had occasionally felt this warm current.

It was just that no matter how he tried to trigger it, there was no reaction.

Today, after being stimulated by the spiritual testing stone, that warm current seemed a bit clearer than before.

"Is my Spiritual Root really just incomplete?"

Li Qingfeng's eyes darkened slightly.

He did not believe that after his Transmigration, he would really just be a piece of trash left for others to arrange.

Even if he didn't have an earth-shattering Opportunity, he would still crawl out of this muddy start.

While he was thinking, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard door.

Soon, a thin and gaunt clan Elder pushed the door open and entered.

The person's name was Li Chengde, who was in charge of marriage, miscellaneous affairs, and side branch registration within the clan, with a cultivation of Qi Refining Stage 7. He wasn't a big shot usually, but in front of a side branch Disciple like Li Qingfeng, he had enough authority to put on airs.

After Li Chengde entered the room, he didn't even look at the simple furnishings, directly tossing a thin booklet onto the table.

"Qingfeng, don't take today's events to heart."

He said words of comfort, but there was not the slightest intention of comfort on his face.

"The path of Cultivation is all about destiny. If your destiny is not in Cultivation, then change paths. The Family has raised you for so many years; they couldn't have raised you for nothing, right?"

Li Qingfeng stood up and said calmly: "The Elder is right."

Li Chengde nodded with satisfaction.

"It's good that you can see it that way. Although your Spiritual Root is poor, your appearance is decent, and your age is appropriate. To be honest, the most valuable thing about you now is that you can still leave more children for the Family."

These words were very harsh.

Li Qingfeng only lowered his eyes.

Li Chengde continued: "As long as you follow the arrangements, the Family won't treat you unfairly. There are a few women in the marriage registry whose appearances are not bad, and some have good figures—waists are waists, legs are legs—they would catch eyes even outside. If you are lucky enough to pick one with decent Aptitude, your life might not be hard."

Li Qingfeng sneered in his heart.

He spoke as if he were bestowing a great gift upon him.

But in reality, he had no right to choose.

Li Chengde pushed the booklet over: "Take a look first. In a few days, the clan will officially decide on the candidates; have an idea in your mind."

Li Qingfeng reached out and picked up the thin booklet.

The first few names were all very ordinary, mostly women from the Li Family's side branches or daughters of small families attached to the Li Family. Most had no Spiritual Root, and occasionally there was one with a Low Grade Spiritual Root, but they were marked as being older or weak.

He flipped through the pages, his expression never changing.

Until he flipped to a certain page in the middle, his gaze suddenly stopped.

Su Qingyue.

Daughter of a minor Sect Elder.

Water-Wood Dual Spiritual Roots.

Seventeen years of age.

Skilled in spiritual plant cultivation, gentle temperament, excellent appearance.

Li Qingfeng's pupils shrank slightly.

Water-Wood Dual Spiritual Roots?

This kind of Aptitude is not considered top-tier in a large Sect, but in the vicinity of a small Cultivation Family like the Li Family, it is absolutely considered a good seedling. Furthermore, she is the daughter of a Sect Elder.

How could such a person appear in his marriage registry?

Li Chengde had been staring at his expression, and seeing him look at that name, a meaningful smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"Seen it?"

Li Qingfeng closed the booklet, his tone still steady: "This Miss Su does not seem like she should be here."

"Whether she should or not is not for you to decide."

Li Chengde narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice: "Her father has run into some trouble and needs to borrow the Li Family's influence. The Li Family also needs a woman with Aptitude to test whether your side branch Bloodlines can still produce good seedlings."

He patted Li Qingfeng's shoulder, not lightly.

"Qingfeng, if you can really marry her, that is your good fortune. I heard that the girl is born beautiful, with fair skin, a slender waist, and good temperament; she is not comparable to ordinary women. Given your conditions, normally, you wouldn't even have the qualification to see her."

Li Qingfeng lowered his head, but a cold light flashed in his eyes.

So that was it.

This was not a marriage.

It was a transaction.

Su Qingyue was pushed out by her father to protect himself; the Li Family wanted to gamble on offspring using her Aptitude, and he, Li Qingfeng, was the tool placed on this trading table.

But the more this was the case, the more he felt something was wrong.

A woman with Water-Wood Dual Spiritual Roots, even if her Family had lost power, wouldn't be casually paired with a "useless Spiritual Root" like him.

There must be other schemes in this.

Seeing him silent, Li Chengde thought he was stunned by the beauty and luck, smiled, and said: "Alright, take good care of your body. The Family doesn't have high requirements for you; after you are married, getting Miss Su pregnant early is your contribution."

Having finished, he left with his hands behind his back.

The door closed again.

The room became quiet.

Li Qingfeng sat at the table, reopened the marriage registry, and his gaze fell on the three words "Su Qingyue," not moving for a long time.

He didn't have much romantic sentiment in his heart; instead, he became increasingly clear-headed.

The better the other party's Aptitude, the deeper this marriage involvement.

But at the same time, this could also be his Opportunity to turn things around.

The Family treated him as a seed.

Then he would insist on using this seed to grow into a big tree that no one could cut down.

The night grew deeper.

The wind blew gently outside the side courtyard, and the door panel made a slight sound.

Just as Li Qingfeng was about to close the booklet, the warm current deep in his Dantian suddenly trembled slightly.

Immediately after, very light footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

The steps were unhurried, stopping in front of his door.

The next moment, a slender shadow was cast on the paper door.

Fingertips tapped lightly on the door.

"Li Qingfeng."

A woman's clear, gentle voice came from outside the door.

"My name is Su Qingyue; may I come in?"