Mortal: Li Feiyu, who came from the realm of a supreme being

When Li Feiyu arrived in Tianxing City, he had slightly altered his appearance and bone structure, making him look like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy.

Bone shrinking and disguise are not particularly profound martial arts techniques; many martial arts can achieve this during the initial stage of enlightenment. Of course, this only slightly alters appearance and physique. To change the size of an animal like the Seventy-Two Transformations, one must combine external techniques with corresponding cultivation methods, such as the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts.

He looked up at the towering city that seemed to reach into the clouds, then strode toward the Hall of Reception at the foot of the mountain.

Xuan Le is very reliable.

More than a decade ago, he had already established connections with the Star Palace as requested. Now, the Li family, having lost two Core Formation elders in one fell swoop, is powerless to deal with the chaos. The family head, Li Xuan, has chosen to protect himself and disband the family—a reason that is perfectly reasonable and no one suspects it.

Now, only one final step remains.

Li Feiyu entered the Reception Hall, his gaze sweeping across the room until he quickly spotted the middle-aged deacon in the Foundation Establishment stage. He stepped forward, took out a somewhat crumpled letter from his robes, and presented it with both hands.

"My lord, I am Li Feiyu, and I have come to seek refuge on the orders of my ancestor."

The steward took the letter, opened it, and raised an eyebrow slightly. The letter was written by Li Xuan himself, and the wording was polite. He asked Li Xuan to bring his grandson, who had been living away from home, into the Star Palace for cultivation. If his aptitude could be assessed, the Star Palace would accept him as a disciple; if his aptitude was mediocre, he could be given a job to make a living.

"Li Xuan..." The steward thought for a moment and remembered the man. He had met him a few times a few years ago; he was a cautious and mature Core Formation cultivator. Recently, he had heard that something had happened on Thorn Island, and a cultivation family had disbanded. He didn't expect that a descendant would come knocking on his door.

He looked up and sized up Li Feiyu; an ordinary young man, nothing special about him. But since an old friend had entrusted him with this task, he would simply go through the motions.

"Come with me, let's test your spiritual roots first."

……

There were no complicated magic arrays inside the Spirit Testing Hall. On the blue stone table in the center, there was a transparent, ordinary spirit testing ball, about the size of an apple, with a faint spiritual light that was almost invisible.

"Place your hand on the ball and concentrate." The steward beside him lowered his eyes, his tone as indifferent as if it were a routine matter.

Li Feiyu stepped forward and gently placed her palm on the surface of the spirit-testing ball.

The spirit-testing orb glowed slightly in the next instant.

There was no burst of golden light, no dazzling brilliance, only a faint yet pure golden radiance slowly seeping from the center of the sphere. The light was crystal clear, pure and spotless, without a trace of impurity or any interweaving of other lights; it was simply a pure gold, almost silent.

The deacon's previously casual gaze suddenly sharpened. He was first taken aback, then stared intently at the spirit-testing orb, his breath catching in his throat.

He has tested countless people, whether they have pseudo-spiritual roots, true spiritual roots, or even mutated spiritual roots.

But this glimmer of inspiration before my eyes...

It is pure and without blemish, unmixed and without impurity.

This is a celestial spiritual root that exists only in legends and appears only once every ten thousand years.

The hall remained quiet, yet that serene, pure radiance was more breathtaking than any dazzling light.

"Heavenly...Heavenly Spiritual Root?!"

He stared wide-eyed at the golden light, as if trying to confirm whether he was seeing things. But the clear feedback from the crystal couldn't be faked—metal element, celestial spiritual root!

"Wait here! Don't move! Whatever you do, don't move!"

The deacon left a single sentence, turned and ran, even forgetting to use his escape technique.

Li Feiyu withdrew her hand and stood quietly in place, her face showing a bewildered expression.

……

Before half an incense stick's time had passed, news reached the depths of the sacred mountain in Tianxing City.

Jin Kui was reviewing reports on the appearances of monsters in the outer seas in recent years in his quiet room when he heard footsteps outside the door, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"Come in."

A deacon at the Core Formation stage bowed and entered: "Elder, the Reception Hall has just detected a Heavenly Spiritual Root, of the Metal element. The Spiritual Root Testing Hall dares not act on its own and requests instructions on how to arrange for its placement."

Jin Kui looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Heavenly Spiritual Root? Or Metal Element?

That's quite rare.

"What's your background?"

The steward, already prepared, handed over a jade slip: "It has been investigated. This person's name is Li Feiyu, seventeen years old, and he is the grandson of Li Xuan, a rogue cultivator from the Li family. Li Xuan has two mortal sons. This is the son of the second son and a widow from the countryside. He lost his parents at a young age and grew up eating food from many families. When the Li family was disbanded, Li Xuan discovered this grandson was still wandering outside when he checked on his clansmen. So he wrote a letter and entrusted it to a steward he knew to bring him into the Star Palace."

He paused, then added, "That steward's name is Zhou Quan, he's in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and he's known Li Xuan for over twenty years without any unusual behavior. Li Feiyu's background can be corroborated by members of the Li family; his identity is clean."

Jin Kui listened and nodded slightly.

He has a celestial spiritual root, has not yet cultivated, and is seventeen years old.

There's not much to verify about such an identity.

To suggest that a boy who has never cultivated is a spy sent by an enemy is a joke. How precious are Heavenly Spiritual Roots? Which power would be willing to use such talent as a pawn and send it to someone else to cultivate? That's not sending a spy, that's sending a talent.

"Bring him to see me."

……

A moment later, Li Feiyu was brought before Jin Kui.

He looked up and saw a middle-aged man with a deep and imposing presence sitting at the head of the table, his gaze fixed on him, exuding an air of authority without anger.

"Li Feiyu?" Jin Kui asked, his voice flat.

"This junior is indeed him." Li Feiyu bowed respectfully, his attitude respectful but not obsequious, his eyes clear yet filled with curiosity. Occasionally, he would glance quickly at Jin Kui, then quickly lower his gaze again, looking exactly like a country boy meeting an important person for the first time.

Jin Kui asked a few casual questions: Who else is in your family? Have you been to school? Have you ever been involved in spiritual practice?

Li Feiyu answered each question one by one, occasionally hesitant in his speech, but still responding appropriately.

When talking about losing his parents at a young age and growing up on the charity of others, his tone was calm and he didn't try to elicit sympathy, which made Jin Kui take another look.

He is a calm and composed child.

"Alright." Jin Kui waved his hand and ordered, "Go and invite Elder Ma."

Before long, a burly man in purple robes entered the hall. This man had rough skin and a face full of pockmarks, but his aura was that of a genuine early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Elder."

"This child has a Heavenly Spiritual Root, but he's just started. Take him and teach him." Jin Kui pointed at Li Feiyu. "Arrange accommodations for him, teach him the cultivation techniques, and you can handle the rest."

A strange light flashed in Elder Ma's eyes. He glanced at Li Feiyu and nodded, "Let's go, kid."

Li Feiyu quickly bowed to Jin Kui and took his leave, then followed Elder Ma away.

Jin Kui watched the figure disappear outside the hall, then turned his gaze back and continued to peruse the jade slip in his hand.

While celestial spiritual roots are indeed rare, they only require a little attention. The Star Palace has stood here for ten thousand years and has its own set of operating rules. Geniuses will be treated like geniuses, but whether they can achieve greatness depends on themselves.

The Star Palace has many other matters to attend to right now, and it will be two or three hundred years before the Heavenly Spiritual Root can play its role.

……

Elder Ma led Li Feiyu towards the Scripture Pavilion, saying as they walked, "My surname is Ma, so you can call me Elder Ma from now on. The rules of the Star Palace are simple: don't cause trouble, don't collude with external enemies, and obey orders. The rest is up to you. If you have any questions about cultivation, you can ask me, but I won't teach you step by step—walk your own path."

Li Feiyu nodded in agreement.

The two entered the scripture pavilion, and Elder Ma casually waved his hand: "The cultivation techniques are all here, choose one yourself."

Li Feiyu's gaze swept over the rows of jade slips as he walked slowly forward.

He soon discovered a problem. The Star Palace had a large collection of cultivation techniques, but like Huang Fenggu, they didn't have a proper systematic lineage.

Thinking about it carefully, it's not surprising, since the Star Palace is not a lineage sect, but rather a regional official management organization.

He walked along and suddenly stopped in an inconspicuous corner.

A cultivation technique that approaches the concept of "heaven"...

A jade slip lay quietly on the shelf, covered with a thin layer of dust, clearly having been neglected for a long time. Li Feiyu picked it up and probed it with his divine sense.

The Three Constant Radiance Secrets.

Both metal and earth spiritual roots can be cultivated. One can condense the three lights—sun, moon, and stars—using metal and earth to one's own advantage. Metal can generate light, that's common sense; but earth can generate light, however, it's a different path. Earth (戊土) is soil on earth, and rosy clouds in the sky; where there is earth (戊土), there are clouds and rosy clouds filling the sky, radiant with light.

A strange light flashed in Li Feiyu's eyes.

This is an ancient cultivation method.

Only in ancient times would cultivators delve into these subtle principles of the transformation of the Five Elements. Nowadays, the transmission of cultivation methods has been greatly simplified; who still bothers to ponder what the Earth element (戊土) represents in the heavens?

More importantly, this exercise is related to "celestial phenomena".

He continued reading, his brow gradually relaxing. The Three Constants are the sun, moon, and stars. The three luminaries are condensed from metal and earth, and the several supernatural powers and secret techniques recorded within are indeed quite unique.

"You've taken a liking to this one?" Elder Ma leaned closer, scanned it with his divine sense, and a strange look appeared on his face. "This cultivation method is quite old, but it's rather obscure to cultivate. Several people have tried it before, but none of them have been able to cultivate it smoothly. You should try cultivating it first. If it doesn't work, then try another one."

Li Feiyu nodded, sat down cross-legged on the spot, and tried to activate the spiritual power in his body according to the instructions of the cultivation method.

His talent as a metal-type celestial spiritual root was on full display at this moment. In just a short while, a layer of pale golden light faintly appeared around him, and as the light flowed, it even showed signs of echoing the sunlight outside the hall.

Elder Ma's eyelids twitched: "That's it?"

Li Feiyu opened his eyes, a look of joy appearing on his face at the opportune moment: "This disciple is fortunate; it seems I can cultivate."

Elder Ma stared at him for a long time, then clicked his tongue in amazement: "Strange, I don't know what the key to this technique is. The others who practiced it before found it very difficult, but you practiced it smoothly."

Li Feiyu naturally knew the reason—this technique required the illumination of three lights (sun, moon, and starlight) for smooth cultivation. Deep within the Scripture Pavilion, where sunlight was scarce, it would be a miracle if those people could achieve anything by practicing in seclusion. Simply adjusting the cultivation time slightly, choosing the time when sunlight, moonlight, or starlight was at its strongest, would naturally yield twice the results with half the effort.

But he wouldn't say those words.

"Since it can be repaired, then it's ours." Elder Ma didn't dwell on it. "Let's go, I'll take you to your lodgings."

……

Holy Mountain, the sixty-ninth level.

When Elder Ma brought Li Feiyu here, he realized that he did not live alone.

It was a palace suspended in the sea of ​​clouds, with magnificent buildings and ethereal atmosphere.

There was a stone table in front of the hall, and a boy... no, it should be said that a girl was dressed as a boy.

The person looked to be no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, with features so exquisite they seemed unreal, and a lazy, aloof air about them. Hearing the noise, the person looked up, their gaze falling on Li Feiyu with a hint of curiosity.

"Ling Yuling," Elder Ma introduced casually, "is also a newly initiated disciple, at the sixth level of Qi Refining. You are about the same age, so you will cultivate together and look after each other from now on."

He then said to Ling Yuling, "This is Li Feiyu, a metal-type celestial spiritual root, who is a new disciple today. You can show him around and familiarize him with the environment."

Ling Yuling stood up and gave Li Feiyu a slight bow, her demeanor exuding an indescribable air of nobility: "Junior Brother Li."

Li Feiyu quickly returned the greeting: "Senior Brother Ling."

Elder Ma waved his hand: "Alright, you two can talk amongst yourselves."

With a flash of light, Elder Ma disappeared into the horizon.

Only two people remained in front of the hall.

Ling Yuling tilted her head and looked him up and down, her gaze moving from his eyebrows to the bridge of his nose, and then from the bridge of his nose to his chin, as if she were looking at some strange object.

Li Feiyu felt a little uncomfortable under the gaze and coughed lightly, "Senior Brother Ling... is there something on my face?"

"No." Ling Yuling withdrew her gaze, a slight smile playing on her lips. "It's just that it's the first time I've seen a Heavenly Spiritual Root, and I'm curious."

Having said that, he turned and walked into the hall, saying as he went, "Come with me, I'll show you around. There are seven halls in total on these sixty-nine floors, and we're staying in the easternmost one. We can cultivate without disturbing each other normally, but if you need anything, you can come find me in the west hall..."

His voice was clear and melodious, and his tone was casual.

Li Feiyu followed behind, watching the slender figure with a calm expression.

Everything is going well so far.