My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

In the shadows of Chang'an, an unseen storm of bloodshed is brewing due to the conspiracies and schemes of powerful families.

But inside the Qin Prince's Mansion in the East Market, there was a peaceful and leisurely scene, free from worldly strife.

The afternoon sun shone warmly on the backyard.

Li Chen lay on his own wicker chair, holding a steaming cup of tea, his legs crossed, leisurely watching Qin Huaidao sweeping fallen leaves not far away.

Since Qin Qiong and his two sons swore a blood oath and officially became "household retainers" of the Qin King's mansion, this originally desolate mansion has finally become more lively with the presence of living people.

Qin Huaidao was a restless young master. Despite being the eldest son of the Duke's mansion, he took over the work of the lowly servants and kept the courtyard spotless every day.

Looking at Qin Huaidao's burly and muscular physique, Li Chen stroked his chin, and a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

"Now I'm at least a Golden Core stage cultivator, a unique terrestrial immortal in this Tang Dynasty."

Li Chen secretly made plans in his mind.

"But as a big shot, if I have to personally roll up my sleeves and cast spells to kill people every time some Tom, Dick, or Harry comes to cause trouble, or some trivial matter that needs to be dealt with, that would be too low-class! It would have no style at all!"

"Aren't all those cultivation masters on TV high and mighty, able to summon their disciples and henchmen like wolves to wipe out their enemies with just a few words?"

Li Chen slapped his thigh and sat up abruptly.

Yup!

We need to train a few capable people who can guard the house and run errands!

The father and son, both war gods of the Tang Dynasty, are right in front of us. Their loyalty is already maxed out. Aren't they the perfect candidates for "top-notch henchmen"?

"Huaidao, go and call your father and Wan'er over."

Li Chen waved to Qin Huaidao, who was sweeping the floor.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Qin Huaidao put down the broom and ran quickly towards the guest room.

Not long after.

With a ruddy complexion and a brisk, powerful gait, Qin Qiong, accompanied by his eldest son and eldest daughter, respectfully approached the stone table.

"Your Highness, you were looking for us?" Qin Qiong clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

Li Chen nodded and pointed to the stone bench in front of him.

"Please sit down. Since you have sworn allegiance to me, we are now all on the same side. I am never stingy when it comes to my own people."

As Li Chen spoke, he lightly patted the storage bag at his waist with his other hand.

"Buzz".

A palm-sized disc, made entirely of a mysterious material that was neither gold nor jade, and covered with intricate patterns, appeared out of thin air in the center of the stone table.

The edge of the disc is inlaid with five strange gems representing the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

It was the very same Spirit Testing Disc that nearly caused Li Chen's Dao Heart to collapse last time!

Looking at the ancient and mysterious disc, Qin Qiong and his two sons exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with doubt and curiosity.

"Immortal Master, what is this?" Qin Qiong couldn't help but ask.

"This is called the Spirit Testing Plate. It's a magical artifact used to detect whether a mortal has the talent for cultivating immortality."

Li Chen placed his hands on the table, his expression turning serious.

"For a mortal to embark on the path to immortality, they must first possess a 'spiritual root.' With a spiritual root, one can sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; without a spiritual root, even if you are given unparalleled martial arts techniques, you can only become a mortal martial artist."

A talent for cultivating immortality?!

Upon hearing these four words, the breathing of Qin Qiong and his two sons became extremely rapid!

Qin Qiong and Qin Huaidao, in particular, as military generals who admired martial prowess, had witnessed Li Chen's ability to change the world and bring the dead back to life. They had an almost fanatical yearning for that kind of immortal power that transcended the mortal world!

Now, the immortal master is actually going to test their talent for cultivation; is he trying to lead them into the immortal sect?

"Thank you so much, Immortal Master, for bestowing upon me such a tremendous opportunity!" Qin Qiong's voice trembled with excitement.

"Don't rush to thank me. Spiritual roots are extremely rare, one in ten thousand. Whether you can detect them depends on your own fate."

Li Chen pointed to the center of the spirit-testing plate, "Duke Yi, you go first. Put your hand on it, close your eyes, and don't think about anything."

Qin Qiong took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the wild beating of his heart.

He stretched out his large, calloused hand and placed it firmly in the central groove of the spirit-testing disc.

At this moment.

On the surface, Li Chen appeared calm and collected, but inside he was pounding with anxiety.

"Heavens above! The Three Pure Ones, please protect me! Please don't give me another top-grade mutated spiritual root!"

Li Chen prayed frantically in his heart.

Last time, Princess Chang Le's top-grade mutated ice spiritual root completely demoralized him, leaving him squatting in a corner drawing circles. If the Qin family father and son were to produce a few more peerless geniuses, his mentality as a Golden Core stage expert would truly collapse completely!

Take a breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

Just as Li Chen was so nervous that his palms were almost sweating.

On the edge of the spirit-testing disc, the two gems representing "metal" and "earth" slowly lit up.

The light was not dazzling, but rather a rich and gentle earthy yellow and dark gold color, interwoven together, with a brightness that was above average.

"call--"

Seeing the light, Li Chen breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Thank God, finally a normal person has arrived!" Li Chen exclaimed in his heart.

He suppressed his inner relief and put on a mysterious expression.

"Not bad. You have dual elemental roots of metal and earth. Although it's not one in a million heavenly root, your aptitude is still considered average. Combined with your already strong foundation of blood and qi, it's enough for you to embark on the path of immortality."

Upon hearing that he possessed spiritual roots, Qin Qiong was so excited that he abruptly pulled his hand back, his old face turning bright red, and he repeatedly agreed.

"Huai Dao, it's your turn." Li Chen gestured with his lips.

Qin Huaidao quickly stepped forward, his heart pounding like a deer's, and placed his hand on hers.

After a while.

The spirit compass lit up again, this time still showing the metal and earth elements, but the light representing the "metal" attribute was slightly brighter.

"Hmm, just like your father, a medium-level dual-elemental spiritual root. Very good."

Li Chen nodded in satisfaction.

This is the normal style of the cultivation world! Where would you find so many peerless geniuses running around everywhere? Princess Chang Le was purely an accident! It scared me to death.

After testing the father and son, Li Chen took out several jade slips from his storage bag and placed them on the table.

"Your spiritual roots are biased towards metal and earth, with a stable and hard nature. Moreover, you are both from military backgrounds and are used to close combat. I doubt you would be able to learn those fancy spells."

Li Chen stroked his chin and pondered for a moment.