368: Elderly people and children

[Staring at the empty walls of your Immortal Cave, you let out a long breath of turbid air.]

["Dammit..." you cursed in a low voice, "This time, I have to find a way to solve the Spiritual Root problem..."]

["Or, a few more Epiphanies would work too!"]

[You suddenly remembered the Liu Clan's "Dragon Transformation Pool."]

[This "Dragon Transformation Pool" can not only awaken Top-grade Spiritual Roots but also improve Aptitude; it's said to have even more wondrous uses.]

[Unfortunately, only direct Liu Clan Disciples or their Genius seed Disciples are qualified to enter the "Dragon Transformation Pool."]

[For example, many of those Liu Clan Soul Transformation Hidden Guards have had the honor of entering the "Dragon Transformation Pool."]

[However, the threshold for hidden guards is extremely high, and cultivation level is only one requirement. Those people are all without exception Liu Clan members, and they've been trained since birth.]

[It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the Liu Clan's death soldiers.]

[With your status, it's almost impossible to enter the "Dragon Transformation Pool."]

[It seems changing Spiritual Roots is the only path left.]

[After some thought, you slowly stood up, found Liu Ruyan, and returned to the Liu Clan Territory together.]

[As the light of a Teleportation Array in Tianshu City flashed, you and Liu Ruyan appeared.]

[You were a bit worried that being with Liu Ruyan would lead to discovery—because the way she looked at you was clearly different, and even she would occasionally reveal a hint of admiration inadvertently.]

[So you let Liu Ruyan leave first, while you remained alone in Tianshu City.]

[After several clashes with the Liu Clan, you felt that it didn't matter where you were, as long as you didn't expose the immortal slaying sword.]

[As for the identity and excuses you left behind, they were far too easy.]

[First, no one knows that the loss of the qingming mirror has anything to do with you.]

[Second, no one knows you have three immortal slaying swords in your possession.]

[Third, you have the black gold twin fish jade pendant and have even Cultivated in the time-space pagoda; even revealing a Golden Core cultivation would be justifiable.]

[Fourth, you are one of Liu Ruyan's people.]

[However, you should still try to keep a low profile as much as possible.]

[Because this time, the goal in your heart must be accomplished.]

[So you rented a small courtyard in Tianshu City and began to secretly scout for targets.]

[Two months later,]

[You have locked onto several candidates.]

[These targets all possess High-grade Heavenly Spirit Roots and are the most suitable subjects for Spiritual Root extraction.]

[The reason you chose High-grade Heavenly Spirit Roots is that it's not easy to attract attention when one or two such Cultivators disappear.]

[After all, those overly dazzling Peak-grade Spiritual Roots carry far too much risk and could easily be targeted by certain unknown existences.]

[With the help of the xuantian treasure mirror, if you could possess a High-grade Heavenly Spirit Root, your Cultivation speed would already be sufficiently Heaven-Defying.]

[The only thing worrying you now is—you don't yet have the secret technique to extract and swap Spiritual Roots.]

[And the method of that blood spirit pill can only solve Physique issues, not Spiritual Root issues.]

[So you restrained your Qi to the Foundation Establishment level and traveled between the city's major chambers of commerce and underground auctions, trying to inquire about secret techniques for swapping Spiritual Roots.]

[After much effort, however, you came up empty-handed.]

[Such Heaven-Defying secret arts that change one's fate are all closely guarded secrets and cannot be bought at all.]

[You walked down the street with a face full of worry.]

[As you were walking, your steps suddenly faltered.]

[In front of you, a small figure about three feet tall was walking straight toward you with hands in his pockets, head held high, and a swaggering, arrogant gait.]

[Seeing that he was about to collide with you, he showed no intention of yielding, as if the entire street should make way for him.]

[Curious, you quietly extended a thread of Divine Sense toward him.]

[The next second, your heart jolted violently!]

[Soul Transformation Peak cultivation!]

[Within this child's body, the majestic Spiritual Pressure of the Soul Transformation Stage was surging!]

[Furthermore, that Qi was condensed and heavy, with a faint momentum of wind and thunder; it was by no means comparable to ordinary Soul Transformation Peak Cultivators.]

[With your current eyesight, you actually couldn't see through the depth of his bone age.]

[Yet his features and demeanor were clearly those of a childish, arrogant, and haughty boy.]

[If he really was just a child... this Soul Transformation cultivation would be far too appalling to hear of.]

[The child had already reached you and stopped.]

[He looked up, his brow furrowed with impatience:]

["Hey—are your eyes just for show? You're blocking the Young Master's path, you get it?"]

[Instead of getting angry, you felt a surge of deep interest.]

["Little friend," you leaned down slightly and asked with a smile, "I wonder which family you're from?"]

["Which family I'm from is none of your damn business!" The child tilted his chin even higher, his tone very aggressive.]

[Although the kid's tone was aggressive, there was a kind of worldly ignorance and bluntness in his features that made it hard to get angry.]

[Just as you were about to speak, a figure strolled over unhurriedly.]

["This young friend, please do not take offense." The newcomer was an old man with white hair and a white beard, his face thin, cupping his hands toward you with a smile, "My family's child speaks without thinking and has a blunt personality. If he has offended you, I hope you can be magnanimous."]

[His tone was gentle, and his smile was amiable.]

[But your heart tightened suddenly.]

[Because just now, you hadn't noticed this old man's existence at all.]

[He seemed to have appeared out of thin air in the middle of the street, standing next to the child.]

[When did he arrive?]

[How did he get here?]

[What shocked you even more was that the old man's aura was harmonious and complete; at first glance, he seemed like a Mortal, but with a little concentration, he felt unfathomably deep.]

[This person is extraordinary and has already become unfathomable—this thought flashed through your mind.]

["Venerable elder, you're too kind. A child's words carry no malice; he is candid and cute." Your smile remained unchanged.]

[After saying that, you stepped aside.]

[The child glanced at you sideways and gave a light hmph: "Hm, sensible."]

[The old man gave you a gentle smile, said no more, and led the child further down the street.]

[You stood there, watching the backs of the old and young pair blend into the crowd. After a moment's thought, you turned into another alley and quickly left.]

[Once your figure had completely disappeared around the corner, the slowly walking old man tilted his head slightly and glanced back in the direction you had left.]

[A playful arc curled at the corner of his lips as he raised a hand to stroke his snowy white beard, whispering to himself: "Interesting..."]

[The child was looking around. Hearing this, he turned his head with a puzzled look: "Old man, what's up? What are you muttering about?"]

[The old man withdrew his gaze, his tone calm and steady: "That person just now used a mysterious method to conceal his cultivation; even I couldn't see through it."]

["However... observing his charm, he should be quite young, yet he has already reached the Soul Transformation Stage."]

["Really?!" The child's eyes suddenly lit up, and an unshielded look of joy broke out on his face, "Then why don't you hurry up and take him as a Disciple? When the time comes, we can dump all that business at the Academy onto him, and then the two of us will be free!"]

[Hearing this, the old man gave him an annoyed glare: "That is your burden; don't always think about pushing it onto others."]

["Tsk, burden, burden. Every day you just talk about this, isn't it annoying?" The child's face fell, full of disdain. Then his eyes darted around, and he grabbed the old man's sleeve, putting on a cheeky, smiling face:]

["Old man, you said you'd bring me out to experience the Mortal World. What's there to experience in this broken place? It's boring to death!"]

["How about... taking me to the Demon Domain for a look? Or the Devil Realm would work too! I heard it's very exciting over there!"]

[As he spoke, he even made a deliberately exaggerated funny face.]