13: Chapter 13 He also had to kneel down and call him father.

"Is a Yellow-grade Spiritual Root really okay?"

"Yes."

Regardless of the grade of your Spiritual Root, as long as you have one, can absorb Spiritual Qi, and join the Sect, I can pile resources onto you until you reach the Nascent Soul Stage, even if you're a pig!

"Re... really?"

Qin Zhaoxue's voice carried a hint of unbelievable trembling, her clear eyes fixed intently on Ling Hao, fearing he might go back on his word.

This was already the third large city she had visited since leaving the Earth Flame Sect. Lately, she had drifted between various Sects, humbly begging for a chance, only for her requests to vanish like a stone in the ocean, all met with cold rejection without exception.

If not for relying on her incomplete Alchemy skills to barely make a living, she truly didn't know how she would have carried on.

At this moment, hearing Ling Hao's affirmative answer, a massive surge of joy instantly washed away the fatigue and anxiety of the past few days.

The corners of Qin Zhaoxue's lips curled upward uncontrollably, revealing her first sincere smile since being rejected, like the sky clearing after a rain.

Looking at her joyful expression, Ling Hao's eyes also held a hint of a smile.

"Naturally. The gates of the Moonshadow Sect are open for you."

The already thinning crowd gathered again to watch because of Qin Zhaoxue's appearance and joining. A buzz of discussion rose up.

"Hey, they really took her? This Moonshadow Sect is truly a trash-collecting Sect!"

"Exactly. They even want a woman with a Yellow-grade Spiritual Root. They also took several people earlier who were rejected by the Green Leaf Sect."

"Hey, say, if Qin Zhaoxue restores her Earth-grade Spiritual Root in the Moonshadow Sect, would the Earth Flame Sect come looking for her?"

"Restore an Earth-grade Spiritual Root? That's impossible! In all my years, I've never heard of such a thing!"

"I'm just saying 'if'..."

"If... hmph! The Earth Flame Sect is a Fourth-grade Sect! If they knew Qin Zhaoxue had restored her Earth-grade Spiritual Root, the Earth Flame Sect would be at their doorstep immediately!"

"The dominance of a Fourth-grade Sect is beyond your imagination!"

"Then the Moonshadow Sect..."

"That's not for us to worry about. The Moonshadow Sect will be the only one suffering!"

Listening to these discussions, Ling Hao felt no ripples in his heart; he even felt like laughing. Whether Qin Zhaoxue's Spiritual Root was good or if there was an issue, he could tell with a single glance.

Those fellows from the Earth Flame Sect probably knew long ago that her Spiritual Root had been downgraded due to erosion qi, and they likely drove her away in a fit of rage because they were helpless to fix it. As for whether they would come looking for trouble?

Ling Hao curled his lip, completely indifferent. Let them come if they have the guts! Within the range of his Sect, let alone the Elders or managers of the Earth Flame Sect, even if their Nascent Soul Old Ancestor came personally, he would still have to kneel and call me daddy!

Hearing the blunt discussions around her, the heart Qin Zhaoxue had just set at ease rose again. She looked at Ling Hao nervously, her eyes filled with unease.

She was truly terrified that this Sect Master, who had finally been willing to accept her, would retract his previous promise out of fear of the Earth Flame Sect's pressure.

This wasn't just her overthinking; it was the shadow left by her experiences in the previous two cities, where her hopes were repeatedly built up only to be cast into the abyss.

Ling Hao couldn't be bothered to listen to these flies buzzing anymore. With a wave of his hand, he spoke decisively:

"Alright, if you have no other questions, we're ready to leave."

"Phew..." Qin Zhaoxue let out a long breath, her hanging heart finally settling as an indescribable surge of gratitude welled up in her soul.

Looking at Ling Hao, she said sincerely once more, "Thank you! Thank you so very much!"

Hearing this sincere thanks, that sense of strangeness surfaced in Ling Hao's mind again.

The way this girl spoke always felt a bit off, like she didn't quite fit in with the people of this world... but now wasn't the time to think deeply about it.

Ling Hao turned to find the owner of the pavilion, and after a brief word, he led his newly recruited Disciple, Qin Zhaoxue, along with the few unlucky (or perhaps lucky?) ones rejected by the Green Leaf Sect, away from the Jiuling City square.

...

Not long after Ling Hao left with his Disciples, a man dressed in blue robes walked slowly toward the front of the Green Leaf Sect pavilion.

The deacon, who had been acting high and mighty just moments ago, saw the man's figure and his expression changed instantly. He immediately abandoned the youth currently undergoing the Spiritual Root test.

Taking several steps at once, he bowed and approached with extreme respect—even a hint of terror—carefully leading the man into the pavilion.

The group of boys and girls waiting for testing looked at each other in confusion, not knowing what to do.

Wait, who's going to finish my missing Spiritual Root test?

"Who is this person? Why is the Green Leaf Sect deacon being so respectful?"

"In Jiuling City, who else could make a deacon act like that besides a truly high-ranking figure from the Sect? An Outer Sect Disciple wouldn't have that kind of weight."

Inside the pavilion.

The deacon stood with his hands down, not even daring to lift his head:

"My Lord, what are your orders?"

This man was an Inner Sect Disciple. If he were unhappy, he could probably crush a weakling at the Second Level of Qi Refining like him with a single finger.

The blue-robed man's tone was flat:

"Qin Zhaoxue, have you heard of her?"

The deacon quickly replied:

"Yes! Half a year ago, she tested as having an Earth-grade Spiritual Root in the neighboring Diyan City, which caused quite a stir. This lowly one naturally knows of her."

The blue-robed man nodded:

"Very good. I heard she has arrived near Jiuling City. I want you to find her within seven days. Is there a problem?"

The deacon was confused and subconsciously asked:

"I wonder why my Lord is seeking her..."

Before he could finish, the blue-robed man's indifferent gaze swept over him.

The deacon instantly broke into a cold sweat, realizing he had overstepped:

"Yes! This lowly one was out of line! I will give the orders immediately!"

The blue-robed man's voice remained calm but carried a chill:

"Handle this matter personally. If you don't find her in seven days, your position as deacon will come to an end."

"Yes, yes, yes! This lowly one will go personally! I will do my utmost!"

The deacon promised repeatedly, wiping away his cold sweat as he hurried out.

After the deacon left, the blue-robed man lightly rubbed his brow and muttered to himself:

"The Young Sect Master is still in Huoyan City. He sent a transmission at any cost, ordering me to find Qin Zhaoxue before he returns to the Sect... otherwise, I will be held responsible."

A flash of complexity crossed his face, a mix of jealousy and a subtle sense of pleasure.

"Even if she was once an Earth-grade Genius, she is now nothing more than an outcast with a Yellow-grade Spiritual Root. Why is she worth the Young Sect Master making such a fuss?"

The blue-robed man paused, took a scroll from his Storage Pouch, and slowly unfurled it.

The painting depicted a woman with a graceful figure. What was striking was that the woman in the painting was not wearing common attire of this realm.

Her upper garment tightly outlined her curves, and her lower garments were even more peculiar—thin as a cicada's wing and clinging to her legs, faintly revealing the texture of her skin, exuding a strange, almost seductive, silky quality.

The blue-robed man's face flushed as his gaze fell upon the special 'threads' on the woman's legs in the painting, his fingertips subconsciously rubbing the spot:

"But this woman's painting skills are truly divine, just like a real person... especially this thing she's wearing on her legs. I don't know what material it is, but it looks incredibly smooth. I really want to reach out and touch it..."