368: Dual spiritual roots

"How is this possible? She isn't that old. Even if she is a Cultivator, it shouldn't be possible for her to reach such a high Realm and combat power in such a short time," Prince Lu said in disbelief.

Sabado sighed inwardly but still said, "Your Highness may not be aware, but the wonder of Spiritual Power is incomparable to Xuan Power. Even a Cultivator in the early stages of cultivation possesses unpredictable spellcasting methods. A Martial Commander would have no chance of winning against them!"

"This..." Prince Lu's expression stiffened; he felt terrible! He thought to himself, 'Could it be that I, a dignified Martial Commander and the wielder of the Sky-Sustaining Sword, can't even beat a Cultivator in the early stages of cultivation?'

But seeing Sabado's confident manner, it seemed to be a fact. He had no choice but to believe his words. After all, Sabado had no reason to lie to him. Xuanji Tower held a transcendent status, possessing both wealth and strength, and had long been recognized by all major powers. He didn't need to rely on lies to make money.

Prince Lu took a deep breath, slightly calming his fluctuating emotions. His eyes suddenly caught sight of Zhu Dequan standing to the side, looking extremely excited. His spirits lifted, and he immediately asked, "Mister, I have come this time because I want you to help test my eighteenth son, Dequan. I want to see if the Exotic Energy in his body is Spiritual Power?"

"Oh?!" Sabado looked intently at Zhu Dequan upon hearing this. After a brief sensing, he already had an idea. He said, "Your Highness, please wait a moment!"

Sabado flipped his right hand, and a trapezoidal jade stone floated above his palm. It was pure white all over, emitting a faint white glow, looking very translucent.

"What is this?" Prince Lu asked curiously.

"A Spirit Testing Stone! To Cultivate immortality, one must possess a Spiritual Root. Only by having a Spiritual Root can one Cultivate Spiritual Power and Immortal Arts. The purpose of this stone is to check if the testee has a Spiritual Root, as well as its Aptitude and attributes, to estimate the testee's future in cultivation," Sabado introduced briefly.

"I see! Such a simple stone can perform the test?" Prince Lu was somewhat surprised. Xuan Practitioners required such complex Awakening equipment for their tests, yet a more Advanced Cultivator's test only required a stone. It was truly unfair.

Sabado smiled and said, "Generally speaking, this stone is indeed enough to make a basic judgment. Of course, the Cultivation World is full of wonders. Some people might have slightly flawed Spiritual Roots but, through various Opportunities, manage to catch up and surpass those with superior Spiritual Roots. Such things are heard of occasionally."

"Then I shall also take a test!" Prince Lu said with great interest.

"No problem!" Sabado gently placed the floating jade stone on the table and said, "Your Highness just needs to place your hand directly on top of the stone!"

Prince Lu nodded. He had already guessed based on Sabado's actions, as Sabado had avoided direct contact with the jade. If touched directly, the stone would likely produce a reaction. He extended his right hand and pressed it onto the stone!

The stone seemed to sense something; the faint layer of white light on its surface suddenly brightened and flickered rapidly!

Prince Lu's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "There's a reaction! Could it be that I also have a Spiritual Root?!"

Sabado remained silent, his eyes fixed on the jade stone. After the white light flickered for a while, it slowly calmed down and gradually returned to its original faint state... "How is it?!" Prince Lu asked urgently.

Sabado sighed softly and said tactfully, "Your Highness, that was not a reaction. Based on the test results, Your Highness does not possess a Spiritual Root and cannot Cultivate Spiritual Power."

"This..." Prince Lu was stunned, his lip twitching. A look of disappointment appeared on his face; this result was truly unacceptable to him.

"How about I test the Young Prince?" Sabado said, changing the subject.

"Fine, test him then," Prince Lu said numbly.

Zhu Dequan had long been impatient, but he saw that his father was in a bad mood, so he didn't dare speak. Only when Prince Lu told him to take the test did he approach the jade and press his right hand upon it!

Another burst of white light flickered. Suddenly, with two "swish" sounds, two beams of light shot out from the jade—one red and one green—illuminating the entire room as bright as day, incredibly vibrant!

Sabado's whole body shook. He looked at the light bursting from the jade in disbelief and said in shock, "You actually have Dual Spiritual Roots?!!!"

He had already sensed the Spiritual Power fluctuations within Zhu Dequan's body and was certain he possessed a Spiritual Root, but Sabado hadn't expected Zhu Dequan to be a Dual Spiritual Root Genius. A wave of envy and jealousy, but not hatred, immediately welled up in his heart.

Prince Lu was also surprised to see Sabado's expression and hurriedly asked, "What are Dual Spiritual Roots?"

"Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations, Young Prince!!!" Sabado's eyes were full of joy as he looked at Zhu Dequan. In his view, this Young Prince was now more noble than Prince Lu, so his attitude and tone became even more respectful.

Although Zhu Dequan didn't know what Dual Spiritual Roots meant either, seeing the change in Sabado's attitude, the weight in his heart was lifted. He had been very anxious just now, worried that he, like his father, would have no Spiritual Root, which would be disastrous. Fortunately, he had Dual Spiritual Roots. Although it sounded like a small number, at least he could Cultivate Spiritual Power and would have the chance to surpass Long Yuan and Chu Qingxue in the future.

Seeing their bewildered looks, Sabado explained, "Generally, a Cultivator's body will have Five Elements Spiritual Roots—namely Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Additionally, some Cultivators possess Mutant Spiritual Roots, which evolved from these Five Elements, such as Wind, Thunder, Ice, Darkness, Light, and so on..."

"There are so many types of Spiritual Roots?" Prince Lu was also dazed. He hadn't expected there to be so many, yet he hadn't even managed to get one. Heaven was truly unfair!

Sabado smiled slightly. "Actually, regarding the Spiritual Roots in a person's body, more is not necessarily better. On the contrary, the more Spiritual Roots one has, the slower their cultivation speed. This is because the improvement of multiple Spiritual Roots requires too many Spiritual Power resources. For example, a Five Spiritual Roots Cultivator consumes at least five times more resources than a Single Spiritual Root Cultivator. Moreover, because more Spiritual Roots mean more Impurities in the body, practicing is like a turtle's crawl—it's far more complex than just being five times slower; even twenty or thirty times is possible! A person's time and energy are limited. No matter how hard they work, it's difficult to bridge such a huge gap in talent. If a Cultivator cannot achieve a Breakthrough within a certain age, they may be trapped in a low Realm because their Lifespan is running out and their vitality is failing, essentially suffocating to death!"

"I see!" Prince Lu said, enlightened.

Sabado continued, "Generally speaking, Mixed Spiritual Root Cultivators like those with five or Four Spiritual Roots are the most common. In cultivation Sects, those with such Aptitude are either Outer Sect Disciples or Utility Disciples. Their futures are limited, and many find it difficult to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm!"

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