Chapter 10: Spiritual roots

Moments later, it was finally Tang Jian's turn to attempt the trial. Brimming with confidence, he raised his hands and gently placed them on the Origin Orb. A captivating dark blue light began to radiate from the orb, but to everyone's surprise, it didn't stop there. A vibrant green light intertwined with the blue, signifying that Tang Jian possessed both water and wood elemental spiritual roots.

The color of the light revealed the attributes of his roots, while its intensity indicated their level. The brilliance of the radiance made it evident that Tang Jian possessed intermediate-level dual attribute spiritual roots.

Although having dual attribute spiritual roots seemed advantageous in combat against opponents of the same level, it posed a challenge in terms of cultivation speed. Cultivators heavily relied on their spiritual roots to ascend to the Nascent Soul Stage, and possessing dual attributes meant having to focus and work on two attributes instead of one. Furthermore, being at the intermediate level made it even more difficult to reach the Nascent Soul Stage.

Tang Jian's disappointing results led Instructor Jiang Wen and the participants who had high hopes for him after witnessing his performance in the previous test to once again look down on him. However, Tang Jian paid no heed to their opinions, as he had never desired to depend solely on spiritual roots for his progress.

With Tang Jian's trial concluded, it was time for him to choose his preferred hall. With his water elemental roots, he was eligible to join the Practice Hall and the Soul Cleansing Hall. On the other hand, his wood elemental roots qualified him for the Alchemy Hall.

The hall masters, none of whom looked at Tang Jian with anticipation, gave him cold gazes as if they considered him a nuisance. Anticipating this reaction, Tang Jian didn't let it bother him. After contemplating for a while, he decided to join both the Alchemy Hall and the Soul Cleansing Hall.

"Are you absolutely sure about your decision, student Tang Jian? Choosing two halls is a significant and crucial choice," Instructor Jiang said, his face reflecting concern.

This gesture from Instructor Jiang revealed his good-hearted nature, but Tang Jian remained steadfast in his decision, choosing to join whichever halls he desired.

Now, people were even more shocked because only an idiot would opt to join two halls, which would make their progression difficult. In the eyes of others, Tang Jian transformed from a pitiful person to a pitiful idiot.

However, Tang Jian had a valid reason for making what seemed like an idiotic decision. People with dual attribute spiritual roots often chose to cultivate only one element while suppressing the other, thereby increasing their chances of reaching the Nascent Soul Stage. But by joining the Alchemy Hall and the Soul Cleansing Hall, Tang Jian would have to cultivate both of his elemental spiritual roots, reducing his chances of reaching the Nascent Soul Stage. But, this process of suppressing one element will render a cultivator unable to surpass Nascent Soul Stage.

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Tang Jian, however, did not want to be trapped at the Nascent Soul Stage until his last breath. He was well aware of this limitation and took the reckless decision of risking it all.

In the trial of Spiritual Roots, 18 out of 27 participants passed, making them eligible to own a silver batch, while the unsuccessful participants had to settle for the bronze batch. Those who failed would only be able to join the General Studies Hall.

With the conclusion of Tang Jian's trial, it was time to proceed with the Soul Seeking trial. The Origin Orb was replaced by the Soul Seeking Mirror.

"I'm extremely nervous right now. I've never tested my soul's stability. How about you, Tang Tang?" the beggar Liang Meng asked Tang Jian, his voice filled with panic.

"I'm fine. I don't fear failure because it teaches us more than success does. And don't call me Tang Tang," Tang Jian replied in a cold manner.

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't give your best in everything you do, I think," Li Bai, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.

Tang Jian shot Li Bai a sharp glance and retorted, "How am I supposed to give my best here? Should I try to bribe this mirror by cleaning it so it will give me a good score?"

Upon hearing Tang Jian's dad joke, Li Bai and Liang Meng let out fake laughs to save face.

Tang Jian meant that to pass this test, one had to place their hand on the Soul Seeking Mirror. Once the hand was placed, a reflective image would form, and the clearer the image, the more stable one's soul was considered to be.

After a brief explanation by the Vice-head, the signal was given to start the trial. However, this time, nobody volunteered to attempt the trial first for some unknown reason. Seeing that nobody had the courage to step forward, Tang Jian raised his hand and volunteered.

Once again, Tang Jian captured everyone's attention, but this time, nobody anticipated great results from him.

Tang Jian approached the mirror cautiously. It was a peculiar mirror because, despite standing so close to it, no image formed. Nevertheless, Tang Jian raised his hands and placed them on the Soul Seeking Mirror. Instantly, a clean and clear image of himself materialized in the mirror.

Tang Jian was shocked, the hall masters were shocked, the participants were shocked, but the one most astounded was the hall master of the Soul Seeking Hall.

Tang Jian's astounding success in the Soul Seeking trial left everyone in awe. The hall master of the Soul Seeking Hall, known for her strict and discerning nature, couldn't believe her eyes. The image reflecting in the mirror was crystal clear, a testament to Tang Jian's unwavering soul stability.

As the realization sank in, the hall master's expression transformed from astonishment to a mix of admiration and curiosity. She approached Tang Jian with measured steps, studying him intently.

"Remarkable," the hall master murmured, her voice filled with both surprise and intrigue. "You possess an extraordinary soul stability, young Tang Jian. Your potential surpasses what your previous performance implied."

The other hall masters, who had previously regarded Tang Jian as a mere inconvenience, now cast curious glances in his direction. The combination of his dual attribute spiritual roots and exceptional soul stability sparked their interest. Tang Jian's choices, once seen as foolish, suddenly appeared to hold a hidden wisdom.

Instructor Jiang, too, observed the scene with a mixture of astonishment and pride. His worries about Tang Jian's decision to join two halls seemed to fade, replaced by a glimmer of hope for his promising student.

With Tang Jian's exceptional display, the other participants hesitated no longer. One by one, they followed suit, placing their hands on the Soul Seeking Mirror. Their images appeared in various degrees of clarity, revealing their own soul stability.