Chapter 38: A Heavenly Spiritual Root?

The "Impulse Mantra."

Having just mastered it, Qin Xi was naturally delighted to find a practical use for it. He cleverly leveraged the existing animosity between the two, making them believe their fierce confrontation stemmed from uncontrollable hatred, thereby masking the evidence of his own surreptitious use of the mantra.

"So this is what it means to be 'impulsive,'" Qin Xi commented sharply.

Foundation Establishment cultivators possess remarkable stamina. The battle raged from mid-morning until nightfall, turning the sky dark and blotting out the sun and moon. Even when their spiritual energy was completely depleted, the two opponents were ready to tear each other apart with their bare teeth.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Qin Xi, who would simply cast another Impulse Mantra to stimulate their potential whenever one side showed signs of weakening and attempted to withdraw from the fight.

It is well known that when a person is extremely angry, they become even angrier. The two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Xiaohong Sect and the Leshui Gang remained furious for the entire day; the redness on their faces from rage began to turn a deep, bruised purple—though it was also possible they were simply suffering from oxygen deprivation.

Under the expert supervision and provocation of Qin Xi, the "Ace Overseer," both sides drained their last reserves of spiritual power and descended into a crude, physical brawl.

"Damn it, you’re quite persistent, you monster!" The Leshui Gang disciple mustered all his strength and punched the Xiaohong Sect disciple square in the cheek. The impact turned the man’s face into a palette of red, purple, and blue.

"I can still fight! Why won't you just die obediently?" The Xiaohong Sect disciple lashed out with a whip kick, striking the Leshui Gang disciple’s left shoulder and dislocating it.

With no spiritual energy left, they even lacked the strength for proper hand-to-hand combat; even at the Foundation Establishment level, they were fighting like thugs in a street brawl.

The Leshui Gang disciple suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion. Was this really worth it? Did one of them truly need to die here? But the moment this thought crossed his mind and his movements slowed, a fresh surge of fury ignited in his heart.

*Damn it, I won't let anyone look down on me!*

"Die, you monster!"

The same was true for the Xiaohong Sect disciple; the rage remained impossible to suppress.

"Take this, you wretch!"

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Qin Xi remarked with a straight face, "Perfect provocation. I give myself a hundred points."

Since A-Ling didn't want to hold a horse stance for the whole day, the four of them had simply buried themselves in the dirt, leaving only their heads exposed, looking like four large radishes sprouting from the ground. Jiang Baiqiu was even more extreme, burying herself so that only her eyes and above were visible, creeping about like a submarine.

"They seem to be completely out of energy and physically broken now. Should we make our move?"

"Wait a little longer. Let's see if they have any hidden cards."

Finally, the two evenly matched disciples, no matter how much rage remained, could no longer muster the strength to throw another punch. They both collapsed on the spot, gasping for breath.

"I'll beat you to pieces once I've rested..."

"I'll tear you limb from limb..."

But they could only talk big. Before they could strike again, both fell unconscious to the ground.

"Right! The time has come. Let’s make our move!"

Qin Xi dove out of the dirt, pulling the other three out like carrots being yanked from the mud. After carefully observing their states, he confirmed that they were indeed unconscious from exhaustion.

It was the perfect moment.

The group quickly turned the two unconscious men upside down and found their two seals.

"Didn't my Impulse Mantra perform a heroic feat this time?" Qin Xi preened, fishing for praise.

Although Qin Xi’s attitude was annoying, the "Six Arts" he had just learned had indeed played a pivotal role. Or rather, it seemed Qin Xi played a pivotal role in every trial.

"Is this how the Great Thousand Sect wanted us to pass?" Bu Weiwei asked with a hint of worry.

"I don't care what they wanted. I followed the requirements and got the job done," Qin Xi said, spreading his hands. "Besides, blindly trying to reconcile things never solves the conflict. It's better to fight—fight like hell, turn the world upside down—only then can there be hope for a solution. You have to break it to build it."

A-Ling listened to Qin Xi’s words, reflecting on what had just transpired, and suddenly seemed to understand something.

*Indeed, what one learns from books is always shallow!* If she only read books without venturing out into the world, she would never possess the wisdom Qin Xi had for solving problems. However, the phrase "what one learns from books is always shallow" was also from a book... that seemed like a contradiction.

"Hahaha..." Bu Weiwei suddenly laughed. "I suddenly feel that, apart from your strange way of thinking, your style of doing things is actually quite free-spirited."

"Me too, me too! I've long felt that Qin Xi's brain works differently than everyone else's!" Jiang Baiqiu chimed in.

Qin Xi felt that Jiang Baiqiu’s comment was off; surely the first part wasn't the main point. But it didn't matter now. The most important thing was that they had completed all the trials; they were only one step away from becoming disciples of the Great Thousand Sect!

He casually pressed the two seals onto the scroll. As all four of them applied their marks, the scroll began to float in mid-air.

As the scroll hovered, the space around them began to ripple.

"Good, good, good..."

Suddenly, three words echoed through the space, the tone filled with a sense of grinding teeth. Following the voice, the Third Elder of the Great Thousand Sect, whom Qin Xi had met once before, appeared, followed by his disciple, Liang Xiaolong.

"Well done. The four of you are truly dragons and phoenixes among men to have passed these three trials in such a way." The Third Elder wore a face of profound misery.

"Do you feel like this old man is a bit strange? Why does he look so unhappy?" Jiang Baiqiu asked Qin Xi via telepathy.

"Maybe he just wasn't born with a smile," Qin Xi replied.

"You have passed the trials of the Great Thousand Sect and are now eligible to become our disciples," Liang Xiaolong said, his tone relatively flat, as if he had been pushed to the brink of numbness.

Qin Xi found it strange. What could have made them like this?

"Ahem, let's get down to business. Listen closely," the Third Elder said, clearing his throat. "From the previous trials, it is clear that all four of you have unique strengths and exceptional talent. I believe we can skip the outer sect and have you become direct disciples of the various elders."

"R-really?" Bu Weiwei’s voice trembled. When she left home to seek her fortune, she never imagined she would one day become a direct disciple of a major sect!

"Naturally. For instance, you, Bu Weiwei... you possess a Heavenly Spiritual Root and are also proficient in divination and numbers. The Sixth Elder is a master of the Wonders of the Gate and various secret techniques. He has already reserved you as his disciple."

"Thank you, Senior Uncle!"

"Already calling me Senior Uncle? How sensible. Hahaha..." The Third Elder reached out to pat Bu Weiwei’s head. "Old Sixth has always been curious about what kind of Heavenly Spiritual Root you have. I shall examine your marrow personally to give him a definitive answer."

Bu Weiwei tensed up, waiting quietly for the result of the Third Elder’s examination. But the Third Elder’s expression shifted, and his hand, resting on Bu Weiwei’s head, began to tremble.

"Heavenly Spiritual Root... Heavenly Spiritual Root? No, how can this be?"

The Third Elder’s words made Bu Weiwei even more nervous. Was there something wrong with her spiritual root?

"How is your Heavenly Spiritual Root... inverted?" The Third Elder’s eyes were filled with shock. "It is perfectly, completely upside down."

"Doesn't that mean..."

"You have... a 'Heaven-Defying Spiritual Root'?"