Chapter 1968 - Beyond All Precedent

The shrinking queue finally brought Long Yuanxiong to the front. Silence fell over the platform. The other nine Immortal Venerables descended to stand with Elder Kong, determined to see his result for themselves.

"Please begin," Elder Kong invited, courteously gesturing toward the monument.

Long Yuanxiong bowed in respect before approaching the Immortal Spirit Monument. He gathered immortal energy from his dantian, golden light shimmering within it alongside a faint trace of dragon aura.

Having cultivated the True Dragon Physique and refined dragon bones and dragon blood, Liu Wuxie possessed an acute sensitivity to the Dragon Clan's aura. Its presence caught him by surprise. He had never expected Longxuan Xiong to carry the Dragon Clan's bloodline.

Long Yuanxiong placed his palm against the Immortal Spirit Monument. Runes awakened at once, five blazing into view in rapid succession, with no indication that the count would stop.

"Such brilliant immortal roots!" people exclaimed.

The brightness of immortal roots determined their quality, classifying them as ordinary, elite, or prodigy. Long Yuanxiong's radiance left no doubt that his immortal roots belonged to the highest category.

Across the Immortal Spirit Monument, the runes formed patterns resembling human meridians. Immortal energy kept spreading over its surface until the number at last settled at nine.

"Nine immortal roots! An extraordinary talent indeed!" Even the ten elders could not contain their excitement. The Azure Jade Palace had gained a treasure. If Long Yuanxiong survived the dangers ahead, he stood a strong chance of reaching the Quasi-Immortal Emperor Realm.

Yet talent guaranteed nothing. Many prodigies throughout the Celestial Realm had possessed ten immortal roots, only to be murdered by those who sought to extract them. Such tragedies were all too common.

One cultivator could seize another's immortal roots and use them. Stolen roots would never merge completely with the recipient's own roots, but they could still improve aptitude. One cultivator had first tested with just a single immortal root. After slaughtering more than a thousand people and extracting hundreds of immortal roots, he had eventually become an Immortal Regnant.

"Excellent. With nine immortal roots, you can be certain that the Azure Jade Palace will devote resources to your development," Xu Rui remarked, nodding approvingly.

Liu Wuxie's earlier achievements had demonstrated exceptional talent, but no one had yet tested his immortal roots. If he possessed only one or two, the Azure Jade Palace would still turn him away.

Strong soul energy signified powerful comprehension. Immortal roots, however, ultimately determined how high a cultivator could ascend.

"Nine immortal roots! I never thought Long Yuanxiong would have so many," spectators exclaimed, matching the elders' astonishment. Unless something went wrong, his rise through the Azure Jade Palace's ranks would be swift.

He had already attained the pinnacle of the Golden Immortal Realm. A single breakthrough would bring him into the Great Golden Immortal Realm, earning him the status of an elite disciple and greatly increasing his standing within the palace.

Envy stirred through the gathering. Losing to Liu Wuxie in the second trial had not shaken Long Yuanxiong's reputation as the strongest prodigy among the applicants.

"Take your place over there," Elder Kong instructed, directing him to the other side. They still had participants to test.

Only a dozen or so people remained in the queue. Just ahead of Liu Wuxie, tension showed plainly on Huang Zechang's face.

"Steady your mind. You may be surprised by the result," Liu Wuxie whispered in his ear. He remembered Huang Zechang's kindness, how willingly he had exhausted his soul energy trying to protect him.

Huang Zechang nodded. Without Liu Wuxie, he knew he probably would not have cleared the first trial. When his turn came, he took a deep breath and approached the Immortal Spirit Monument. The third trial was nearly finished, bringing the assessment to a close.

Remembering Liu Wuxie's advice, Huang Zechang took another deep breath and settled his thoughts. He laid his palm against the monument and sent immortal energy into it. One rune after another lit up across the surface.

"With four immortal roots, you pass," Elder Kong announced.

"I believe you'll make it through too!" Huang Zechang told Liu Wuxie. His result had already drawn an excited cheer from him, but he lingered before leaving, turning back to offer those words of encouragement.

"Go and join them," Liu Wuxie replied with a nod. Only then did Huang Zechang move to the right and join the other successful applicants.

Liu Wuxie stood last in line. No one else remained to be tested.

Anticipation swept through the crowd as every gaze fixed upon him. "What do you think his count will be?"

"No more than two," the eliminated disciples scoffed. For a mere Profound Immortal, even two immortal roots would have been impressive.

"He'll have one at most."

A few people spoke in Liu Wuxie's defense, but derision drowned them out. "That's too harsh. I think he'll have three!" His cultivation was too low. Watching him make it through three trials only sharpened the humiliation of those who had failed.

"You may begin," Elder Kong said, giving Liu Wuxie a reassuring nod. Nerves could trigger a physical response that kept an applicant from performing at their best.

Liu Wuxie himself could not say exactly how many immortal roots he had. He had never taken the time to count them carefully, though he was certain the number had reached at least a hundred. By the time he entered the Spirit Immortal Realm, he had already possessed 40.

His immortal roots were fundamentally unlike those of other cultivators. They multiplied as his cultivation advanced, setting him apart from everyone around him. An ordinary cultivator would consider gaining even one additional immortal root over an entire lifetime a tremendous blessing.

Hoping to avoid a commotion, Liu Wuxie mobilized only about one-tenth of his immortal energy. Until he had sufficient strength, he needed to keep his capabilities concealed. His immortal energy was exceptionally pure, and absorbing primal chaos energy had given it an increasingly ancient quality.

"Why isn't anything happening?" Questions broke out as Liu Wuxie infused the Immortal Spirit Monument with immortal energy. Its surface showed no change.

"Does he not have even a single immortal root?" one cultivator asked, provoking an uproar.

"Ha! No immortal roots at all. Now that's a talent!" a young man mocked, drawing out the word "talent." Even the eliminated applicants had possessed one or two immortal roots. None had displayed the complete absence that Liu Wuxie seemingly had.

Elder Kong frowned at the silent monument in disbelief. Behind him, the other nine Immortal Venerables exchanged startled looks. They had never encountered anything like this. How could someone who had performed so extraordinarily in the first two trials possess no immortal roots whatsoever?

"Why haven't you announced his result, Elder Kong?" Yan Yongwen pressed. The declaration would finalize Liu Wuxie's elimination. He knew about the conflict with the Ji Clan disciples and enjoyed close ties with Ji Pei. Since the first trial, he had been looking for ways to cause trouble for Liu Wuxie.

Elder Kong was about to answer when the Immortal Spirit Monument blazed to life. Its runes erupted with dazzling brilliance, eclipsing the candle-like glow produced by every previous applicant.

The nearest cultivators hurried back, afraid the monument might explode. "What is happening?!"

Light blazed from the Immortal Spirit Monument with the intensity of a burning sun. Ordinary immortal roots were no more than fireflies beside it. Even Long Yuanxiong's radiance had resembled moonlight, while Liu Wuxie's rivaled the sun itself.

Elder Kong's mouth fell open. From his position closest to the monument, he perceived every change more keenly than anyone else. He could even feel it trembling.

The brilliance lasted a single breath, then slowly faded. It left behind a dense lattice of intersecting lines. Runes covered the Immortal Spirit Monument's front and extended across its back.

"One... two... three... ten... eleven... fifteen!" Elder Kong counted, his scalp prickling. Struggling to contain his excitement, he continued tallying the runes.

"Fifty!" By the time he finished, he was drenched in cold sweat as if someone had dragged him out of the water. Behind him, the other nine elders stared in fear. It seemed inconceivable that a mere Profound Immortal could provoke such a reaction from them.

Beyond the platform, many spectators sank to the ground. They stared at the fifty runes in disbelief. What kind of prodigy could house fifty immortal roots in their body?

A higher number of immortal roots was not always a blessing. Too many could hinder cultivation, since an ordinary physique could not accommodate them all. In someone with a weaker physique, those roots might even drain their host dry.

Yet Liu Wuxie looked no different from an ordinary person, and his cultivation was remarkably refined. More immortal roots made every breakthrough more difficult, but their benefits were equally clear, and they determined a cultivator's potential. If Liu Wuxie survived, he stood a strong chance of attaining the Immortal Emperor Realm. Shock and dread spread through the spectators. They had just ridiculed a future Immortal Emperor.

Before such a figure, even Immortal Kings and Immortal Venerables were nothing more than ants.

Long Yuanxiong's nine immortal roots still did not meet the requirements for reaching the Immortal Emperor Realm. Fifty, however, made that ascent certain, so long as their possessor did not die along the way.

"Holy shit, can he really be human?!" one cultivator babbled, terror robbing him of coherence. The revelation of fifty immortal roots had shattered his composure.

Liu Wuxie was astonished as well. He had used only one-tenth of his immortal energy, yet the monument had revealed fifty immortal roots. If he released all of it, would the count not rise beyond a hundred?

A rueful smile touched his lips. Even while trying to remain inconspicuous, he had caused an uproar.

Huang Zechang stood open-mouthed. A moment ago, he had been afraid Liu Wuxie might fail. The spectacle before him now made that fear seem entirely needless.

Ji Pei and Yan Yongwen looked at one another, murderous intent gleaming deep in their eyes.

"Fifty immortal roots! If I seize and absorb them, won't I gain the potential to become an Immortal Emperor?" Secret divine sense transmissions crossed the area as malicious eyes fixed upon Liu Wuxie.

"We need a way to extract his immortal roots!"

Since the Divine Tribulation Pupil's advancement, Liu Wuxie could hear these covert exchanges clearly. His brows furrowed.

Even Long Yuanxiong failed to conceal his astonishment. A person with fifty immortal roots was utterly unprecedented.

The woman who had assumed human form from an immortal crane was equally shocked. She immediately returned to her crane form and soared into the sky, intent on reporting the discovery to her mistress.