Naturally, this interaction between Elder Xu Wen and Wu Yang clarified the doubts inside most of the youngster's minds.

Since Wu Yang didn't know anything about Spiritual Roots, that means that he must have came from an underdeveloped, uncivilized cultivation world.

However, because of this, everyone's curiosity was also piqued. Why is it that someone with no background has been given this preferential treatment?

Although 53 points of affinity is high, it isn't high enough to make people worship him. There are even rumored Core Disciples who have an affinity of over 70, almost reaching the unattainable Heaven Grade.

"This junior thanks Elder for his guidance. This junior has one more question, which peak does senior recommend me to join?" Wu Yang respectfully asked. He knew that although Earth Grade was good, he shouldn't show pride in front of people less talented than him, lest he wanted to have weird rumors surrounding him.

Xu Wen was in a good mood after taking a senior stance in front of everyone and replied with a smile, "I would recommend you to join the Misty Forest Peak. I can recommend you to one of my seniors and he can take you in as a disciple, allowing you to directly become an Inner Disciple,"

Wu Yang was grateful to Xu Wen and accepted his offer, "Thank you, Elder! I won't forget this favor,"

Xu Wen waved his hand and smiled, "No need, no need! As an Elder, I value talented disciples. Since you are talented, that's the least I could offer you!"

"Well, since you don't have any more questions regarding cultivation, let's check your little friend's aptitude,"

Wu Li stepped forward to test his aptitude. He glanced at Wu Yang and said with a confident grin, ""Brother Yang, we'll be on the same peak soon. Since Brother Yang wants to join the Misty Forest Peak, let us brothers go there together and enjoy our lives."

Yang Chen scoffed and said, "Fool! Do you think the Misty Forest Peak will accept anyone? You need an Earth Grade Spiritual Root at least to qualify. Dream on!"

Yang Chen and the other elites came from powerful families. They had connections within the Extreme Jade Sword Sect who told them some information about each peak.

The Misty Forest Peak was the third most prestigious peak in the sect. Only those with exceptional talent and luck could join it. How dare Wu Li, a nobody from the mundane world, claim that he would join the Misty Forest Peak without even knowing his aptitude? Yang Chen felt a surge of anger and contempt!

Wu Yang's face turned pale. He knew what was coming.

Wu Li seemed oblivious to Yang Chen's hostility. He smiled and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother. I hope I can live up to your expectations."

Yang Chen sneered and ignored Wu Li. He was secretly eager to see Wu Li's aptitude. He wanted to see him humiliated and crushed!

Wu Li didn't waste any more time and put his hand on the Aptitude Measurement Crystal.

[Metal affinity: 8 - Wood affinity: 7 - Water affinity: 9 - Fire affinity: 9 - Earth affinity: 9 - Lightning affinity: 10]

Wu Li felt a surge of disbelief as he stared at the results. A trash Spiritual Root? A Yellow Grade Mutated Spiritual Root? How could this be possible? He had always dreamed of joining the sect and cultivating to the highest realm. But now, his hopes were shattered. He clenched his fists and felt a bitter resentment towards his master. "Did you take away my talent, Master? Did you curse me with this fate?" Wu Li thought angrily.

Liang Xia sensed Wu Li's hostility and frowned. "Kid, don't be so ungrateful. I couldn't steal your talent even if I wanted to in this weak state! What I took from you was just a few years of your hard work, that's all. I've already given you many chances to make up for your loss, and I've helped you awaken your Divine Lightning Physique. Don't worry about your Spiritual Root Grade, it will improve as your Divine Lightning Physique grows stronger. Right now, it is at the Rudimentary Understanding stage. If you break through to the Minor Success Realm, I bet your Spiritual Root's grade will rise!"

Wu Li felt a pang of guilt when he heard that. He had overreacted when he saw his lack of talent.

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"Ha! You call this talent? You think you can enter the Misty Forest Peak with this pathetic excuse of a Spiritual Root? You're nothing but trash!" Yang Chen sneered.

He then continued, "With parents like yours, it's no wonder you turned out to be such a useless piece of trash. You're an insult to the Extreme Jade Sword Sect, scram before you make the sect lose face!"

Yang Chen's lackey, Lin Dong, echoed his words, "Yeah! Yeah! Trash who can't even pass the sect entrance exam also dares to dream of joining the Misty Forest Peak? How laughable!"

Yang Chen's other lackeys also chimed in and ridiculed.

"Pfft, he has a Yellow Grade Spiritual Root and he thinks he can compete with us? He should just go back to his farm and plant cabbages!"

"He probably cheated his way to his current realm by sucking up to his elders. He'll never reach the Core Formation Realm in his life!"

Wu Li's eyes flashed with a murderous intent. He ignored Yang Chen before because he was confident in his talent, but now that he realized he was inferior, he felt a surge of anger.

Yang Chen's words about his parents enraged Wu Li.

Wu Li felt his blood surge and thought, "How dare he slander my parents! Even if they abandoned me, I won't tolerate this humiliation, or else how can I face anyone?"

Wu Li asked his master in his mind with a cold tone, "How long will it take me to reach the Earth Grade level?"

"Advancing to the Black Grade level will require at least a month of cultivation. For the Earth Grade level, it will depend on the availability of the ingredients for the Earth Divine Lightning Pill on the Jiaolong Continent, but you will need at least five years to collect them. However, the biggest challenge is not finding the ingredients, but making the pills. You can't just hire an alchemist to do it for you, because that might reveal your Divine Lightning Physique and attract unwanted attention from Mortal Extremity Realm experts,"

Wu Li scoffed at Yang Chen and said, "Hmph, since you think I'm a useless loser, why don't you agree to a fight to the death with me in five years? You're not afraid of a loser, are you?"

Yang Chen looked down on Wu Li and didn't consider him a threat at all. He sneered back, "Since you're courting death, I won't disappoint you! Fine, let's settle this once and for all in five years."

Wu Yang shook his head and said, "This is not right, Senior Brother Yang Chen. We came to the Extreme Jade Sword Sect to pursue the Dao, not to slaughter each other! Can't the two brothers find a more peaceful way to resolve their conflict? Besides, it's too rash to agree to a life and death duel when you two just met. "

Yang Chen turned to Wu Yang and said politely, "Junior Brother, I know you are related to that brat, but I don't know your name. Could you please introduce yourself?"

He had no way of knowing Wu Yang's name since he and the other two Wu clansmen had not given their names to the Elder.

Wu Yang smiled and said, "Of course, Senior Brother Yang Chen. My name is Wu Yang. I hope we can get along well in the sect."

He then pointed to the girl and the boy next to him and said, "This is Wu Bailian, and this is my sworn brother, Wu Li."

Yang Chen realized that Wu Li and Wu Yang had a deep bond, so he decided to compromise, "Well, since Junior Brother asked me, I have to give him some face. Fine, I'll cancel the life and death duel."

Wu Li was not satisfied with this outcome. "My parents' dignity is my dignity. If I don't defend it, how can I call myself Wu Li?"

Wu Li said firmly, "I already said that I want to fight him to the death in five years, and we both agreed on it. I appreciate Brother Yang's help, but I'm confident that I'll win!"

Yang Chen was speechless. "Fine, fine! You had a chance to live in heaven, but you chose to go to hell instead. If you don't cherish your life, I'll take it from you in five years."

Wu Yang sighed. He only said that to show Wu Li that he cared about him. If Wu Li had agreed, he would have doubted his identity.

Time flew by quickly and soon it was time for the new disciples to join their respective peaks.

Wu Yang followed Yang Chen to the Misty Forest Peak, while Wu Bailian went with the fairy Li Hua to the Frozen Cloud Peak.

As for, Wu Li, well... He joined the worst peak, the Violet Dream Peak. Everyone there had a lesser Black Grade Spiritual Root, and the people there were commonly regarded by the other disciples as trashes.

Now, Wu Li was the trash of the trash Violet Dream Peak.

Wu Yang was an Inner Disciple, and his master was an old, frail man.

Li Yun, Wu Yang's master, imparted to Wu Yang the Extreme Sun Sutra. It was a greater Earth Grade technique and was of a higher quality than the Ancient Venerable Secret Art.

Because of multiple factors such as Wu Yang's affinity with fire, having access to cultivation resources and being lectured by Li Yun on multiple occasions, in just one year, he had already broken through to the Core Formation Realm!

Wu Yang's Core was supported by eighteen domineering pillars. The pillars were thicker than when they were built using the Ancient Venerable Secret Art!

This made Wu Yang realize the difference between people. Because of where you were born, even if you had talent, you wouldn't necessarily succeed.

The Core Formation Realm was split into four stages: the early stage, the middle stage, the late stage and the perfection stage.

Wu Yang had just reached the early stage of Core Formation, and in order to reach the middle stage he had to imprint a Dao Mark on the Core. For the late stage, he had to imprint two Dao Marks, and as for the perfection stage he had to imprint three Dao Marks.

There were also legends of cultivators who have had more than three Dao Marks on their Core but the Extreme Jade Sword Sect had no such people.

As for Wu Li, in this one year, he kept taking on sect missions in a frenzy. His cultivation has advanced to the peak of Foundation Building and there haven't been news of him after taking a very dangerous mission from the Extreme Jade Sword Sect's Mission Hall.

After three months, he still didn't come back to the sect. No one seemed to take notice that he has been missing except for Wu Yang, the only person who was curious about his whereabouts.