Chapter 3: An Honest Man at First Glance

“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.Finndd the newest novels on n/o/velbin(.)com

“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)

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)