Chapter 1695: Taking Root in the Sect (Part Two)

At that moment, Li Yan spoke with a hint of hesitation and uncertainty.

“However, when I killed the Late-stage Spirit Transformation cultivator, he seemed to realize his life was on the line. In that final second, he released a force that contained two distinct paths—one hard and one soft. The gathering of that technique left me with a sense of dread, yet I felt he was unpracticed in its use. Thus, it failed to block my lethal blow. The Emissary and I discussed this; if that technique were fully mastered, it would not be inferior to our own high-level arts. From that perspective, they might not have been from a small realm…”

Li Yan seemed lost in thought as he spoke.

“Oh? Can you describe that force in detail?” Da Cen’s brow smoothed as he looked at Li Yan with intensity. This was a solid lead.

“It was only a momentary sensation. The force had just begun to erupt when he died and it vanished,” Li Yan said, shaking his head.

Da Cen pondered this and asked several more questions, but Li Yan’s answers remained vague.

“You say hard and soft… despite it not erupting, could it have been Water and Fire? Could the man have had dual Water-Fire Spirit Roots?” Da Cen asked.

While imitating different attributes wasn’t unusual, a cultivator naturally born with both Water and Fire roots was exceedingly rare. If they followed this lead, they would still have to check the small realms, but it was a concrete direction. Such a person could be found.

“Hard and soft, fire and water? That… it is possible. But since the power didn’t fully manifest, I cannot be certain!” Li Yan looked helpless. Da Cen’s brow furrowed once more.

‘The cultivator who sealed the sect was undetectable even to the Chimera Emissary; there is a fifty percent chance he was from the upper realm. The one who scared him off was likely from the upper realm as well. Li Yan’s analysis holds merit… The other six were judged to be from small realms, yet one technique suggests otherwise. Was that person not from a small realm, or did he simply have rare roots? Upper-realm cultivators… small-realm cultivators… rare roots… massive divine abilities… wait, there’s another possibility. A buyer and a seller? An upper-realm cultivator providing high-level manuals in an exchange…’

Da Cen realized he had to report this immediately!

Among the group, only Wei Zhongran knew these details were the result of the discussion between Li Yan and Gu Jiuqi. Li Yan had shared this with him specifically so his master wouldn’t feel left out. Zhao Min and the others were simply shocked by the complexity.

After their questioning, the group was taken to the executive office of Little Bamboo Peak. Da Cen gave a few instructions to the manager and departed in a hurry.

The manager was startled to learn they were all ascenders; he had never heard of so many arriving at once. However, knowing they were from Da Cen’s line, he remained polite and didn’t cause trouble. He had them produce their lower-realm tokens, verified them, and confirmed they were all from Little Bamboo Peak before starting the registration.

He took their tokens and placed them into a refining furnace behind him, re-refining all of them on the spot. Once returned, he urged them to study the sect laws within, as some rules differed from the lower realm.

Next, he distributed pills and robes. The quality of these items was far higher than in the lower realm. The pills were of the fourth or fifth rank. Li Zhaoyan, of course, only received Golden Core level items. The dark-green robes were actual magical treasures with formidable defensive properties. No one complained.

For Li Zhaoyan, simply being with her parents and grandfather was happiness enough. The items she received here were the kind only Nascent Soul Ancestors possessed in the lower realm; she was more than satisfied. Furthermore, she was already wealthy thanks to Li Yan’s gifts.

The upper-realm Little Bamboo Peak had countless disciples. Residences were assigned according to cultivation levels. The spiritual energy and environment improved significantly as one moved toward the peak. If one had low requirements, they could simply choose a spot designated by the manager. But to get a prime location, one had to pass an assessment.

During the assignment, Li Yan asked if his relatives could stay in his Spirit Transformation level residence. The manager stated that as long as Li Yan agreed and opened his restrictions, his kin and direct disciples could stay there. However, if there were too many “unauthorized” people, it would cause friction with other cultivators in the area, which the sect didn’t allow.

In the end, everyone—including Li Zhaoyan—chose to take the assessment to secure a better residence within their own level’s area. Li Yan also took the test, wanting the best environment for his rank.

Entering the Spirit Transformation assessment, Li Yan found himself transported into a sea of bamboo. Suddenly, the bamboo turned into a tide of green demonic beasts—a swarm of 4th-rank beasts that surged toward him…

When the group gathered again, the manager’s look had changed significantly. He knew ascenders were strong, but he rarely saw them. Today’s mass-assessment had opened his eyes; these people were far stronger than their realms suggested.

The “weakest” Golden Core girl had lasted half an hour, showing strength comparable to some newly advanced Nascent Souls. Her puppet techniques were formidable, leaving the manager puzzled. Little Bamboo Peak wasn’t known for such advanced puppet mastery; she should have been a Four Directions Peak disciple.

The manager had no idea he was looking at the strongest members of the lower-realm sect from the last two generations. Even in the lower realm, Wei Zhongran and the others had been peerless in their respective stages. Li Yan, true to his nature, only used a portion of his strength, placing himself in the upper-tier of the Spirit Transformation rank.

Seeing everyone choose their bamboo courtyards, Li Yan was pleased. He had wanted them to stay in the Spirit Transformation zone, which had the best environment, but Wei Zhongran and Li Zhaoyan had refused. Zhaoyan wanted to meet disciples of her own rank. She didn’t want to be surrounded by “old monsters” all day. Furthermore, once Bai Rou recovered, Zhaoyan would see what her teacher decided.

She knew a bit about Ancestor Shuang Qingqing and had heard Bai Rou mention that once Yu Niang reached the Nascent Soul realm, Bai Rou would ascend to find the Ancestor. Her travels in the Immortal Spirit Realm had shown her how small she was. Even her powerful father couldn’t handle every enemy and needed the help of that middle-aged senior.

She would take this time to temper herself and eventually accompany her teacher across the Immortal Spirit Realm!