Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 286 The Chief Disciple
Wood-type spiritual root, top-grade!

This already meets the basic requirements for a true disciple.

If one's character and comprehension are both excellent in the subsequent introductory trials, the true teachings will be readily available.

They are qualified to learn the highest-level cultivation techniques within the sect.

If Li Ji'an's fire-type spiritual root can reach the Earth grade, it means that his cultivation before forming his core will be smooth sailing and without any bottlenecks.

Back then, Zhao Qi was a true disciple because of his earth spirit root, and he could successfully establish his foundation without needing foundation-building pills.

Suppressing his inner joy, Li Ji'an continued to sense the spiritual energy.

Soon, a watery glow appeared on the spirit stone, followed by sixteen strands of blue water spirit energy.

"Fourteen strands of water-based spiritual roots!"

In his previous life, he had nine strands of water-based spiritual roots; in this life, he has gained five more, but this is still less than the increase in metal-based spiritual energy.

"From this perspective, the spiritual roots that were neglected before the age of eight are not all the same."

With the twenty-eight strands of wood-elemental spiritual energy already present, the fourteen strands of water-elemental energy are not so eye-catching.

However, Li Ji'an was looking forward to the upcoming fire-elemental spirit.

Whether in his previous life or the life before that when he first entered the world of cultivation, he always had the highest fire-type spiritual root.

Theoretically speaking, after making up for the deficiencies before the age of eight, one's fire-elemental spiritual root will increase significantly in this life.

"Om~"

The spirit-testing stone trembled.

A small flame slowly rose, and then wisps of fiery red spiritual energy began to appear.

"One strand, two strands..."

"Hmm?" Li Ji'an was somewhat surprised when Huo Lingyun stopped.

After checking several times, there were only twenty-two strands!
Compared to the nineteen strands in her previous life, she has only increased by three strands.

"This... could it be that the fire elemental energy wasn't significantly depleted before the age of eight?"

Li Ji'an was stunned for a moment, and his mind began to race.

However, the others were quite satisfied with the result. Two of the five elemental roots had reached the superior grade, which was already very outstanding.

At the same time, the final earth-elemental spiritual essence has also been revealed.

Eleven strands of earth-elemental spiritual root!
"Hmm? It's actually the same as in my previous life." Li Ji'an was even more taken aback when he saw the number of strands of earth-type spiritual root.

In his previous life, he had eleven strands of earth-elemental spiritual roots.

"So it is said that before the age of eight, in the desolate desert, the development of earth and fire spiritual roots was minimal."

"Is it because the earth and fire elemental energies within the desolate Yellow Sands haven't been completely severed?"

In an instant, he became even more curious about the desolate desert.

Before he even reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he had already planned to return to the Immortal Gift Dynasty, and now that idea was even more firmly established.

"Good, Ping An, you have top-grade wood and fire dual-elemental spiritual roots. With your temperament, you should be a shoo-in for the position of true disciple. Participate in the sect's entrance trial in six months." Xiao Changfeng was very satisfied.

"Elder Changfeng, what exactly is the attribute of the newly added high-grade Earth-level cultivation technique in the sect?" True Person Yudan continued to ask telepathically.

"It happens to be the wood element, the 'Evergreen Wood Technique'!"

"Excellent!" Jade Pill Immortal was overjoyed instantly.

Li Ji'an also came to his senses at this moment. Although it was somewhat different from what he had expected, it was still acceptable.

In his previous life, he planned to cultivate a superior fire-type spiritual root in this life, become a true disciple of the sect, and then practice the sect's low-grade earth-level fire-type cultivation technique. With the many Core Formation treasures and Core Formation experience he had accumulated in his previous life, he hoped to break through to the upper-middle True Core stage or even the Immortal Golden Core stage.

The fact that he now possesses a superior-grade wood-type spiritual root has exceeded his expectations.

However, the sect has accumulated a lot of Earth-level cultivation techniques over thousands of years. Although there is only one water-based technique of Earth-level superior quality like the sect's treasure technique, the other true inheritance techniques are all Earth-level inferior quality, which is enough to help one break through to the Core Formation stage. In any case, it is much better than the Xuan-level techniques of the Yan family that I practiced in my previous life.

Moreover, during the time of the ruins of Daze Mountain in my previous life, there were rumors in the Immortal City that the Upper Sect had obtained an ancient and superior cultivation technique, which seemed to be of the wood element.

Wood-based cultivation techniques are primarily focused on vitality and health preservation. While they may lack the sharpness and offensive power of other attribute techniques of the same level, they are more profound and enduring, making them the top choice for both medical and talismanic cultivation.

Anyway, he never thought about engaging in direct combat with anyone.

Coincidentally, in his previous life he had also obtained two unusual wood-based spells.

The "Illusory Leaf Clone" technique allows one to teleport and change positions amidst a sky full of flying leaves. In his previous life, Li Ji'an's wood-type magic was only at the late stage of Qi Refining, so he only cultivated it to a rudimentary level. In this life, he can study it more thoroughly.

According to the description of this spell, if one cultivates it to the third level or above, one may have the initial opportunity to explore the laws of space. Even if one is not good at killing enemies, one is excellent at hiding and preserving one's life.

The other technique, "Vine Silk Hands," not only has the ability to bind, but also to paralyze and poison, and can even extract life force, making it a powerful means of control.

Xu Xiaochun stared at the final result on the spirit-testing stone, feeling both surprised and slightly disappointed.

He possessed a mid-grade spiritual root, but fortunately, he also had a remarkable talent for alchemy, which allowed him to become an inner disciple.

However, without a special opportunity, one will only reach the Foundation Establishment stage in this lifetime, and even a false core is a luxury.

Seeing his junior brother's extraordinary talent, he couldn't help but feel a little envious.

"Never mind, never mind, there were no expectations to begin with, so there was no reason for disappointment." He chuckled self-deprecatingly and resumed his carefree grin.

I learned about the cultivators in the mortal realm when I was a child, and at that time I just thought that I would be content if I could become a Qi Refining cultivator.

As a result, he unexpectedly joined the Biyun Sect and even became an inner disciple because of his talent in alchemy.

He then received a Foundation Establishment Pill from his master and was fortunate enough to establish his foundation, becoming someone he could only admire from afar in his childhood.

However, as his understanding deepened, his desires also increased, and in recent years he has even begun to yearn for fake pills.

However, he was also well aware that with his spiritual talent, if he continued to follow this path step by step, the limit would be the late Foundation Establishment stage, becoming a second-tier senior alchemist.

Six months later, the annual sect entrance trial began.

Compared to Li Ji'an being brought to the trial by Yan Qingwan in his previous life, there are many more young people participating in the trial in this life.

Because the requirements for disciples of the Upper Sect have been greatly reduced in recent years, it is no longer the case that only those with mid-grade spiritual roots are qualified to participate, as was the case in the previous life.

Moreover, the sect trial path in the first stage has long been canceled.

The first test was supposedly a selection process to determine those with good fortune, but in reality, it was just a way for the sect to eliminate half of the test takers because they didn't need many people.

The current entrance examination consists of three stages. The first stage is aptitude. The threshold of mid-grade spiritual roots has been removed, and even those with low-grade spiritual roots can participate in the subsequent trials. Ultimately, the final decision on whether to stay or leave, or whether to remain or leave the sect, is based on the total score.

The second hurdle is character, which accounts for a score no less than that of innate talent.

The third test is comprehension, which can also be seen as a talent assessment of various skills, covering all aspects of cultivation, with an emphasis on alchemy, artifact crafting, and talisman arrays.

Early that morning, nearly a thousand young men and women, led by outer sect disciples, filed into the sect's gates.

Meanwhile, Li Ji'an, accompanied by Xu Xiaochun and Guo Wanzhi, arrived at the central square of the Dharma Transmission Hall ahead of time.

"Brother Ping An, I heard you have a top-grade spiritual root, that's amazing." Xiao Zhaoyan is almost fourteen years old and has grown into a graceful young lady. Her spiritual root is not yet fully developed, and she came today to cheer for Li Ji'an.

“Zhaoyan, you are naturally intelligent, and your spiritual root must be quite good as well. I’ll be waiting for you up ahead,” Li Ji’an replied with a smile.

"Yes, Brother Ping An, I will fight alongside you from now on." Xiao Zhaoyan nodded happily, her eyes smiling like crescent moons.

Besides Li Ji'an, three other direct disciples of the sect also participated in the entrance examination today. They were all Li Ji'an's classmates from the past seven years.

"Brother Ping An, if you become a true disciple in the future, don't forget us!"

"My spiritual root is only of the middle grade, I don't know if I can enter the inner sect."

Because Li Ji'an had the backing of Elder Changfeng and Dan Ding Peak, the three of them were usually very polite to him. Now that they knew about his superior spiritual root talent, they admired him even more.

Li Ji'an smiled slightly: "Don't be discouraged. You are all direct descendants of the sect. Your fathers have contributed their efforts and shed blood for the sect. The sect will not let you down. You all have a bright future."

Before long, young men and women from outside came to the square.

Ninety-nine percent of the youths were attracted by the grandeur of the sect and kept glancing at it along the way.

Upon seeing Li Ji'an and the others who were already waiting, they subconsciously lowered their heads, not daring to meet the gazes of these direct descendants of the sect, for fear of offending someone and missing the opportunity to join a superior sect. However, there were a few young men who were proud and arrogant, and were not afraid of direct descendants of the sect like Li Ji'an. They even deliberately looked directly at the group, showing their proud and unyielding spirit.

Some young people believed that this kind of humble yet assertive attitude would earn them praise from the masters of the sect.

Subsequently, Li Ji'an and the other three also joined the spirit testing team, taking turns to test their spiritual roots.

The three-day, three-night queue test served as a basic test of character for these young people.

The spirit divination finally ended in the early hours of the third day.

The results were not optimistic. The overall quality of spiritual roots declined year-on-year, with a clear trend of increasing proportion of low-grade spiritual roots.

Those with medium-grade spiritual roots make up less than half, while those with high-grade spiritual roots number less than thirty.

The only thing that pleased the elders of the Dharma Transmission Hall was that a celestial seedling with an earth spirit root had emerged this year.

Even now, many people still have the image of that surging fire-elemental aura in their minds.

“Yao Rui!” Li Ji’an looked at the tall girl with red hair in front of him, and the image of surging lava also appeared in his mind.

After the spirit test, the team was ranked according to the quality of their spiritual roots. Originally, Li Ji'an was in first place, until the lava appeared.

Yao Rui was tall and slender with a thin face. Besides her striking red hair, her ill-fitting and tattered robes also drew attention.

At the same time, Li Ji'an could sense the blood and qi flowing in his body, which was probably at the mid-stage of the first level of body refinement.

"What are you looking at?" Suddenly, Li Ji'an, who was staring straight at the back of her head, was interrupted by Yao Rui, who abruptly turned her head.

"I'm sorry," Li Ji'an said with an apologetic smile.

"Hmph!" Yao Rui didn't appreciate it, snorted coldly, and turned her head away again.

That night, all participants rested together in a communal dormitory.

The trial of character began early the next morning.

All participants in the trial ascended the Questioning Platform.

During his previous life at the Questioning Platform, Li Ji'an had already gained some understanding. Now, he is even more aware that this is an illusion array that can draw out the desires and memories deep within his heart.

If a certain obsession is particularly strong, it can quickly break through many illusionary obstacles.

You can also increase your chances of resisting hallucinations by hypnotizing yourself in advance.

However, Li Ji'an's divine sense, now at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, doesn't require much mental effort.

It's not that the sect's array masters are incompetent; it's just that no one expected to find a prodigy with Foundation Establishment stage divine sense among those who entered the trial.

Soon, after passing through all the illusionary obstacles, Li Ji'an suddenly opened his eyes, which remained clear and bright.

He became the undisputed number one on the Questioning Platform.

However, to his surprise, Yao Rui, who possessed a fire-elemental earth spirit root, suddenly roared and punched the sky shortly after he opened his eyes: "Those who block my way shall die!"

He then opened his eyes, which were bloodshot, and became the second person to regain consciousness.

Before she could even react, she looked around and suddenly realized that Li Ji'an had also woken up.

"When did you wake up?" Yao Rui asked, somewhat incredulously.

“Just now.” Li Ji’an nodded slightly.

"Before me? Then did you just see me..." At this point, Yao Rui's slightly narrow eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of threat in her tone.

Li Ji'an chuckled, shook his head, and turned away, no longer looking at her.

After the "Questioning Platform," more than half of the people were eliminated, leaving fewer than four hundred to proceed to the third test of comprehension.

Li Ji'an handled this hurdle with ease.

He had pondered almost every question in his previous life. Although the questions were different, the information he wanted to understand was the same.

He even set the question for the comprehension test on alchemy.

There are three levels of information to comprehend. Comprehending the first level proves that one has good comprehension, and comprehending the second level proves that one has great potential in alchemy.

Xu Xiaochun and Guo Wanzhi both understood the second layer of information.

As expected, he solved the questions he created himself and once again won first place.

Summary of the final three stages.

There were over two hundred people who met the academic requirements for outer disciples.

There are thirty inner disciples.

He had five true disciples.

Li Ji'an possessed a superior-grade upper-grade wood spiritual root, ranking second in terms of spiritual root talent. However, he was first in both temperament and comprehension, thus becoming the sect's chief true disciple.

"Chief Disciple!" On the day the spot was confirmed, not only did all the direct disciples from the class come to witness the ceremony, but many inner disciples of the sect also eagerly awaited it.

When they saw Li Ji'an ranked as the chief disciple, most people were filled with envy, a few felt bitter and jealous, and a very few frowned secretly.

"It's just a matter of talent and temperament. As for the hurdle of comprehension, I doubt anyone would believe there wasn't something fishy going on."

"Tsk tsk, with Elder Changfeng backing him up, and having lived on Dan Ding Peak all this time, not to mention, I heard that the one who set the questions for the alchemy section of the comprehension test was his master, Alchemist Li, so he probably already knew the answers."

"Oh well, what does it have to do with us? I think the most frustrated ones are those earth spirit root immortal seedlings. The resource supply for true disciples and chief true disciples is still different."

"Indeed, she has the talent of a spiritual root and her temperament is also excellent, yet she is not the chief disciple. It can only be blamed on the fact that she does not have the sect master as her backer."

……

Hearing the surrounding chatter, Yao Rui, who already had a fiery temper, became even more furious.

"Hmph! So he got in through connections." He glared at Li Ji'an beside him, his eyes full of hostility.

Li Ji'an ignored it; he didn't really care whether he was the chief or not.

The main reasons I came to this sect in this life are only two things: first, a Earth-level cultivation technique; second, a third-tier spiritual vein.

The main difference between the chief disciple and the true disciple lies in the supply of sect resources.

Having traded talismans with the Sishui Chamber of Commerce for over twenty years in his previous life, he had accumulated a considerable fortune and was not lacking in spirit stones, so whether he was the chief or not was irrelevant.

"Wait a minute!"

However, at that moment, a powerful aura descended, accompanied by a majestic voice.

The next moment, Elder Tian appeared in the sky above the central square, his solemn expression sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on Li Ji'an.

"Greetings, Elder Tian!" The inner disciples on the square hurriedly bowed.

A group of teenagers who had passed the trials followed suit, realizing that an important figure had arrived.

"Hmm." Boss Tian nodded slightly, his old face showing.

He then declared righteously, "Our sect opens its gates wide to welcome talented individuals, precisely because we do not wish for the loss of outstanding talents within the state, nor do we wish for our gems to be tarnished. Therefore, all entrance trials are fair, just, and open."

However, I just received a report that someone is suspected of cheating, which has led to unfairness in the trial.

During my reign, the sect will absolutely not allow such heinous acts to occur.

Li Ping'an, are you willing to undergo a fair test of your comprehension?

Li Ji'an frowned upon hearing this.

His public naming of him in front of everyone, without any regard for his reputation, infuriated Li Ji'an.

That's really going too far.

Even if he is proven to be innocent, this label is very difficult to erase.

"That old thief is trying to disrupt my Dao heart!"

Quickly regaining his composure, Li Ji'an calmly said, "Peace and a clear conscience are all that's needed!"

(End of this chapter)