Chapter 3: An Honest Man at First Glance

Translator: yikaii Editor: yikaii

“Why does the colloquial name sound more academic than the academic name?” Lu Yang muttered under his breath from behind.

“Because the first cultivator with the Pure Yang Spirit Root called his own spirit root the ‘Single Spirit Root’,” Yun Zhi, with her unfathomable cultivation, overheard Lu Yang’s quiet complaint as if he were speaking right into her ear.

Yun Zhi paused, then added, “In the cultivation world, it’s customary to respect the old predecessors who are single.”

It seemed that adding this would strengthen her argument.

Meng Jingzhou, with his Single Spirit Root, naturally passed the first test. Following him was Lu Yang’s turn.

“Hmm?! Another Single Spirit Root?!” Dai Bufan’s pupils constricted slightly. He had just been complaining about not encountering a Single Spirit Root despite being busy all day, and now he had come across two in a row.

“Me, a Single Spirit Root?” Lu Yang pointed to himself, his heart pounding rapidly, feeling like he was hearing things, his lips curling up involuntarily.

“Correct, you have a mutated Single Spirit Root, the Sword Spirit Root,” Dai Bufan nodded his head to confirm. He had never made a mistake in detecting spirit roots.

The Sword Spirit Root, inherently a sword type, was sharp and unparalleled, most powerful in attack!

Senior Sister Yun Zhi looked at Lu Yang with a slight surprise. She had agreed to ride in the carriage on a whim, never expecting both passengers to be top-tier cultivation geniuses.

The crowd’s eyes grew even more eager, calculating suitable young women for Lu Yang, almost wishing to whisk him away to join their own powerful backers.

Unlike Meng Jingzhou, who had the Meng family’s backing, Lu Yang was clearly of mortal origin, with no support behind him.

Excellent talent and no backing – he was the ideal candidate for marriage.

And most importantly, he could marry and have children!

Lu Yang felt the strange looks from the crowd and hurriedly moved to the second test.

Dai Bufan’s testing area was followed by a bamboo forest, where the second test would take place.

“What about you, what’s your Spirit Root?” Meng Jingzhou, having quickly recovered from the shadow of the Single Spirit Root, eagerly asked Lu Yang.

Being a Single Spirit Root, a unique talent, was no matter; the road to immortality was littered with dry bones. Women were but skeletons in rosy makeup, and he didn’t need any celestial beauties by his side!

As for Lu Yang, although he passed the first test, Meng Jingzhou believed there would only be one talent like him in their generation. Lu Yang was probably just at the level of a Double Spirit Root.

He, as a Single Spirit Root genius, should take care of ordinary talents.

“Sword Spirit Root.”

“Your grandma’s” (TL Note: It’s an insult, basically saying screw your grandmother)

“Hmm?” Lu Yang was confused.

After half a day, those queued up behind gradually entered the second test, with Dai Bufan eliminating those whose spirit roots didn’t meet the standard.

The crowd behind discussed a few more people with unique physiques, but before Lu Yang could inquire further, Senior Sister Yun Zhi appeared before everyone and lightly said, “The second test begins now,” then vanished, leaving everyone baffled.

A thick fog began to rise, engulfing the bamboo forest like a giant net, rendering everyone powerless and their consciousness sinking.

This was the Illusionary Bamboo Forest, part of the protective formation of the sect, far beyond the resistance of these participants.

Yun Zhi effortlessly drew a circle, dispelling the fog and clearing a space. The Dao Seeking Sect disciples stood behind her.

Dai Bufan chuckled, “Trapped in the Illusionary Bamboo Forest, they’ll forget their identities, the test, everything, and show their truest reactions. Just how many will pass the second test?”

“I hope more will pass. There are several good seeds in this batch. It would be a pity to lose them in the second test.”

Yun Zhi hadn’t kicked Meng Jingzhou and Lu Yang out of the test because the questions Meng Jingzhou got weren’t from this year but from twenty years ago.

“I wonder which elder sold them.”

“Dai Junior Brother, who do you think will pass the second test?”

“Of course, that ancient barbarian. The ancient barbarian lineage is known for its simple-mindedness and unquestionable nature.”

“I think the Single Spirit Root and Sword Spirit Root are not bad either. At first glance, they seem like honest people.”

Yun Zhi, recalling how Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had discussed cheating in the carriage, felt they were anything but honest.

…

“Where am I?” The ancient barbarian, named Barbarian Bone, looked around in confusion, forgetting what had just happened.

He held a worn-out axe, standing by a river that shimmered beautifully in the sunlight.

Barbarian Bone’s hand slipped, and the axe fell into the river. Just as he was about to retrieve it, the river began bubbling, and a celestial figure appeared before him, holding three different axes.

“Young man, I am the River Spirit. Was the axe you dropped this old and worn one, this spirit weapon Mountain Splitting Axe, or this celestial weapon Sky Opening Axe?”

The Mountain Splitting Axe and the Sky Opening Axe, famous in the Central Continent, could propel even a talentless mortal to great heights.

“It was the old and worn axe,” Barbarian Bone blurted out without hesitation.

The River Spirit smiled, “Such an honest young man. These three axes are now yours.”

Barbarian Bone passed the second test.

“See, I told you Barbarian Bone would pass the second test. Let’s see how the Single Spirit Root and Sword Spirit Root choose.”

The second test was about honesty, with the standard being to receive all three axes.

The River Spirit wasn’t an illusion but a natural spirit born from the river surrounding the bamboo forest.

He had countless forms, entering the illusion to test everyone.

The River Spirit liked honest people. The only way to pass the second test was to answer his question honestly and receive the three axes.

…

“Huh? Why did the axe fall into the river?” Lu Yang was puzzled, feeling as if some inexplicable force had made him drop the axe.

The River Spirit appeared again, gently asking Lu Yang, “Young man, I am the River Spirit. Was the axe you dropped this old and worn one, this spirit weapon Mountain Splitting Axe, or this celestial weapon Sky Opening Axe?”

Lu Yang squatted down, scanned the three different axes, looked up at the River Spirit as if he were looking at an idiot, his eyes filled with pity, “Two of these axes are yours, and you don’t know which ones? And you’re asking me?”

The River Spirit’s smile stiffened, unsure of what to say, but went along with Lu Yang’s words, “I really don’t know which two are mine.”

Lu Yang eyed the River Spirit warily, “If I choose one, you better not suddenly remember which two are yours.”

“Absolutely not,” the River Spirit vowed.

“Let me see all three axes.”

The River Spirit handed all three axes to Lu Yang.

Lu Yang promptly threw all the axes back into the river, “Can you ask me that question again?”

The River Spirit reflexively asked, “Was the axe you dropped the old and worn one, the Mountain Splitting Axe, or the Sky Opening Axe?”

Lu Yang’s face broke into a smile, “They were all mine.”

The River Spirit: “…”

The River Spirit gritted his teeth, “Such an honest young man. All three axes are yours.”

(End of the chapter)