Chapter Six: Reaching an Agreement

“Saintess, what do you think? Are you tempted? Do you also want to become a cultivator?” The High Priestess asked with a smug look upon seeing her reaction.

Feng Liqian closed her mouth, shook her head with a bright smile, and replied modestly, “To be honest, I’m well aware of my own dullness and would never dare hope for such things.” In truth, she was frightened. One stage after another—she was inherently lazy, how could she possibly endure such hardships? It seemed more practical to find an opportunity to return to her own world as soon as possible.

Unexpectedly, the High Priestess nodded repeatedly, even praising her, “Not bad, not bad. The girl is very self-aware.” She seemed genuinely complimentary, her face full of kindness as she addressed Feng Liqian as “girl” rather than the so-called “saintess.” Yet, Feng Liqian could not help but feel a twinge at those words. Damn, she was just being modest! Hmph, modesty is a traditional virtue, but obviously, some people don’t understand that!

Seemingly sensing her dissatisfaction, the High Priestess pointed to her lower abdomen and explained with a smile, “Don’t be upset, child. I’ve already checked for you. There is no spiritual root in your dantian, so you are destined to be unrelated to cultivation.”

So that’s how it is. Feng Liqian followed the gesture and saw the priestess pointing just below her navel. She was rather unconvinced: as far as she knew, that was just the abdomen, the main organ inside being the intestines.

She then glanced at the priestess’s own abdomen, and rather unkindly began to imagine: If you claim a spiritual root grows here, isn’t it really just a tumor? If benign, it could be cut out in a hospital; if malignant… well, that’s colorectal cancer. Why would you still want to cultivate? If you refuse treatment, in a few months you’ll “ascend” straight to meet the Lord. Amen.

“You don’t believe me?” The High Priestess raised an eyebrow.

Feng Liqian scratched her head awkwardly. “Forgive me, but I’ve never heard of a spiritual root. Would you kindly explain what it is?”

The High Priestess chuckled and patiently explained, “All things in the world are composed of the five elements: metal, wood, water, earth, fire. A spiritual root is the foundation by which cultivators absorb and purify the energy of these five elements. For us cultivators, it’s crucial to maintain a balance of the five elements within. If the five elements fall out of balance, at best your progress is slowed; at worst, it can cause internal disorder and harm your very foundation.”

Feng Liqian gave an enlightened “Oh,” and extrapolated, “So, the best aptitude is having all five spiritual roots, followed by four, then three, and so on. The fewer elements your spiritual root contains, the harder it is to cultivate. And someone like me, with no spiritual root at all, simply cannot cultivate. High Priestess, is that correct? Did I misunderstand?”

“You’re half right,” the High Priestess replied. “Those with five spiritual roots do indeed have the greatest ability and insight, and may go farther on the path of cultivation than others. But they also require the most spiritual energy. In the lower world, spiritual energy is thin, so those with five roots progress much more slowly than those with only one. Each realm of cultivation grants a different lifespan; the lower your realm, the shorter your life. For example, in the Qi Refining stage, you live just over a hundred years; in the Foundation Establishment stage, only about three hundred years. Cultivators are always racing against time. If you’re too slow, it’s a fatal flaw. Thus, to improve their speed, they must rely on the power of elixirs. But those with five spiritual roots consume ten thousand times more pills than those with a single root—a staggering expense beyond the reach of low-level cultivators.

“However, once you reach the Core Formation stage, your lifespan jumps to a thousand years. Time becomes more abundant, and you have the means to obtain higher-grade pills. At this point, speed no longer matters as much. The solid foundation, ability, and insight of the five-rooted cultivator truly shine. At the same stage, someone with a single root has only a fifth of the power of someone with five. Competition in the cultivation world is ruthless—only the strong can advance.

“So, what I want to say is that fortune and misfortune are intertwined, and nothing is absolute. However, for you to grasp half the truth on your first encounter with cultivation is already rare.” The High Priestess gazed at her with a sigh. “You’re insightful and quick to draw connections, but lacking a spiritual root is truly a pity.”

Feng Liqian was too embarrassed to admit that this wasn’t her first exposure to such topics. After taking the college entrance exam, she’d become obsessed with cultivation novels, often pestering the old director with their jargon and ideas. The old director, annoyed, specially got a copy of the Tao Te Ching to study overnight, then gave her a crash course in orthodox Daoist teachings. So, she was familiar with concepts like yin-yang and the five elements. She could follow what the High Priestess was saying.

A thought occurred to her, and she asked, “Forgive my boldness, but may I inquire what stage you yourself have reached?” Privately, she wondered: If I just get a drop of her blood onto the Phoenix Jade Token, can I see her cultivation? After pondering for a while, she’d pieced some things together: the “Heaven-Penetrating Tome” was the Phoenix Jade Token; recognizing an item’s species and grade through a drop of blood was its only known function so far; it had nothing to do with that “to seek the great Dao, one must first sever emotion” technique.

How could the High Priestess know what she was thinking? At the question, she flushed and answered with some embarrassment, “I have three spiritual roots—quite poor aptitude. I’m currently at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. My cultivation is humble, just the beginning, not worth mentioning.”

Feng Liqian grew worried. “So, any cultivator at Foundation Establishment or above can tell at a glance whether I have a spiritual root or not? In that case, how am I supposed to fool everyone and impersonate the saintess at Azure Cloud Sect?” She’d just mentioned “Fairy Moxue,” “Master Huilan,” and even the sect leader. Azure Cloud Sect was full of experts. How was a cultivation good-for-nothing like her supposed to get by? Was she trying to get herself killed? Feng Liqian believed in “better you than me”—she had no intention or desire to play the saint.

Sensing her attempt to decline, the High Priestess grew anxious and quickly tried to persuade her. “No matter. I’ve already spoken with my sister. Once you reach Azure Cloud Sect, she will protect you. Please trust that this concerns the survival of our entire clan—I would not dare take it lightly. Besides, you stand to gain by going to Azure Cloud Sect. If I were you, I would do anything to get in.”

So, the form of address changed again—now it was “friend.”

Feng Liqian couldn’t help but grow interested in Azure Cloud Sect. “Why?”

“Because once you reach the stage of Spiritual Transformation and above, your cultivation soars, allowing you to transcend the physical body and transform spirit into nothingness. The true sovereigns of Azure Cloud Sect are unfathomably powerful. Perhaps these mighty ones can help you find a way home. If you cooperate with our clan, I guarantee you’ll enter Azure Cloud Sect smoothly. Otherwise, such mighty ones are extremely rare and not easily met. Furthermore, the saintess is an ordinary mortal with no spiritual root—she wouldn’t even make it past the sect’s gates. Tell me, are you planning to stay here, live out your days all alone, and never reunite with your family?”

What a cunning fox. The High Priestess had struck her sorest spot. Feng Liqian’s heart wavered—not a little. Though even the old director had passed away and she had no family left in the modern world, she still longed to return. She was an utterly ordinary person, with no ambitions for immortality, just a wish to go back to her familiar life.

“Deal!” she agreed.

The High Priestess smiled in satisfaction and raised her earthenware bowl. “Good, you’re straightforward. On behalf of the entire clan, I toast you with water in place of wine.”

“You’re too kind.” Feng Liqian also raised her bowl, and they drank it down in one go.

Now that the air was cleared, the High Priestess’s expression grew more animated and her words more casual. She refilled her bowl, held it, and asked, “After all this talk, I still don’t know how to address you.”

“My surname is Feng as well—Feng Liqian.”

With a crash, the High Priestess’s bowl fell from her hand, water spilling everywhere. The dark bowl rolled far across the floor.

“What—Feng Lixi?” She drew a sharp breath, staring at Feng Liqian in disbelief, lost in thought. How could it be such a coincidence? Had she made a mistake?

But no matter how she looked, there was truly no spiritual root in Feng Liqian’s lower dantian. The person before her was, in fact, a complete waste.

The oppressive aura returned. Feng Liqian collapsed onto the mat, curling into a ball, shivering as she stammered, “High—High Priestess…”

The High Priestess came back to herself and saw blood trickling from the corners of Feng Liqian’s mouth. She apologized repeatedly, and produced a purple gourd from her sleeve. Removing the stopper, she poured out a black pill the size of a thumbnail, broke off a small piece, dissolved it in a bowl of water, and handed it to her. “This is a Rejuvenation Pill. With no cultivation, you can’t withstand the full dose. Take only a small piece at a time.”

“Thank you.” Feng Liqian accepted it with both hands and gulped it down. Strangely, as the medicated water reached her stomach, she felt a gentle warmth throughout her organs, a comfort beyond words. Was this the legendary miracle elixir?

“This… this is incredible.” She stared at her body in wonder. Even more miraculous—her wounds were visibly closing before her eyes. She touched her face; the swelling was already going down.

Soon, every wound was healed without a trace, as if she’d never been injured. Even in the modern world, no medicine could achieve such effects!

Seeing is believing. This was not just supernatural—could there really be cultivation and immortals in this world?

“The Rejuvenation Pill is for use by cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage. The Rejuvenation Elixir or Essence is even stronger—especially the Essence, which can revive the dead and regrow bones. But spiritual herbs are scarce in the lower world, and alchemy is difficult, so even the Rejuvenation Pill is a rare treasure for low-level cultivators.” Unable to bear her longing gaze, the High Priestess produced a yellow gourd, placed the rest of the pill inside, and handed it to her with some reluctance. “Take this as a gift, to calm your nerves.”

What a generous gift! Feng Liqian was overjoyed and accepted it with both hands. “Thank you, truly.”

The High Priestess continued, “However, you might need to change your name.”

Ahem, a certain author begs for votes, comments, favorites, and clicks… crawling away.

The Heaven-Penetrating Tome, Chapter 6: Agreement Reached—End of Update!