Mystical Dragon Sect was located in the middle of Yandang Mountain.

Yandang Mountain was a famous mountain in the Northern Yan, every 15th day of the first lunar month, at sunset, one could see the purple qi coming from the east from the top of the mountain, a sign of good fortune!

Legend had it that Master Mystical Dragon once traveled here, and feeling a deep connection with this mountain, he established Mystical Dragon Sect.

At this moment, in front of the stone steps at the foot of the mountain, two disciples were about to change shifts when they saw three children stumbling from a distance.

These three children were helping each other, all of them pale and skinny, with dirt-covered faces. Before they even reached the stone steps at the base of the mountain, two of them fainted, leaving only the child with the larger head dragging them along.

"Erdan! Goudan! Hang in there, we're almost there! We're really almost there this time!"

However, Shu Han himself was also exhausted, almost on the verge of fainting.

After leaving the bamboo forest, the three children fell into confusion. Goudan was crying and making a fuss about going back, while Erdan also wanted to go home, but was waiting for Shu Han to make a decision.

Having experienced a bloody fight and the death of Immortal Master Zhang, Shu Han also wanted to go home.

However, he knew that they had already strayed far from Canglang Mountain and it was impossible for the three of them to return by themselves. With some persuasion, he managed to drag Goudan along, ask for directions everywhere, and step by step they moved towards Mystical Dragon Sect.

The children's physical strength was limited, and it took them five days and nights to complete a journey that would normally take two days. The three of them barely made it, relying on the little bit of charity along the way and enduring hunger. Many times Erdan and Goudan fainted from hunger on the road, and Shu Han had to wake them up by finding some tree bark and leaves to feed them.

Seeing this, the two mountain-watching disciples immediately ran over and asked, "Where do you children come from? What are you doing here?"

Shu Han took a deep breath and said weakly, "Immortal... We are children from Shu Village of Canglang Mountain... We are here to join Mystical Dragon Sect..."

"Canglang Mountain Shu Village?"

The two disciples looked at each other, "Isn't that the area Senior Brother Zhang is responsible for? Where is Senior Brother Zhang?"

Sadness filled Shu Han's eyes, "Immortal Master Zhang was ambushed by a group of bandits and died in the bamboo forest."

"What?!"

One of them shook his head directly, "Young kid, don't talk nonsense! Senior Brother Zhang is at the sixth stage of Qi Refining, how could he die at the hands of a group of wild bandits!"

Shu Han wracked his brain, trying hard to describe the scene of that day, slowly dispelling their doubts.

"This is serious! We must report this to the elders immediately!"

"Li Heng, take these three kids to the Enlightenment Pavilion and hand them over to the Third Elder. I'll immediately go to the back mountain to report to the Great Elder! These gangs really don't want to live anymore, daring to mess with our Mystical Dragon Sect!"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Soon, the one named Li Heng came over, hoisting the unconscious Erdan and Goudan in each arm. The other disciple quickly climbed the mountain, taking dozens of steps at a time, moving as swiftly as a swallow skimming the ground, and disappeared in an instant.

Shu Han mustered his energy, following Li Heng up the stone steps of the mountain.

Seeing him panting, Li Heng laughed, "Kid, do you want me to carry you too?"

Shu Han gritted his teeth, "No need, I still have strength, I can walk by myself."

"Not bad, being able to walk from the bamboo forest to here with these two kids at such a young age is quite impressive. Kid, what's your name?"

"Shu Han!"

Li Heng squatted down and pointed to a pavilion in the distance, saying, "Little Shu Han, see that? That's the Enlightenment Pavilion of the Mystical Dragon Sect! If you want to walk by yourself, I won't wait for you. Go to the Enlightenment Pavilion to report, the Third Elder will identify your spiritual roots."

"Thank you, Immortal!"

"Haha, don't call me Immortal in the future, just call me Senior Brother Li Heng!"

With that, a gust of wind formed under Li Heng's feet. He carried Goudan and Erdan, swift as lightning, and disappeared in a blink of an eye.

Seeing this, Shu Han couldn't help but feel envious. However, the image of Immortal Master Zhang's death was still haunting him, constantly reminding him that even immortals were not entirely free and easy.

As the sun set, Shu Han, rolling and crawling, finally arrived at the Enlightenment Pavilion.

At this moment, Goudan and Erdan, the two children, were sitting in front of the Enlightenment Pavilion. They had washed away their fatigue and were full of energy when they saw Shu Han finally come. The two kids immediately went to greet him, one on each side supporting the weak-legged Shu Han.

Although Goudan held some hostility towards Shu Han, it was just harmless childish jealousy, jealous that Shu Han was so respected among the village children.

During this journey, Shu Han's encouragement and care for the two made him realize the gap between himself and Shu Han.

Erdan excitedly said to Shu Han, "Brother Big Head, guess what my spiritual roots are! Earth and Wood dual spiritual roots! The Third Elder said I'm a rare talent in Mystical Dragon Sect!"

Goudan also said, "I'm slightly inferior to Erdan, with Water, Wood, and Fire triple spiritual roots! The Third Elder said my talent isn't bad either!"

Shu Han gave them a weak smile, happy for his fellow villagers, but also worried about his own talent. He was very clear about his awakened spiritual roots through the many herbs, and at this moment, he was continuously praying in his heart, hoping that his talent wouldn't be too poor.

Inside the Enlightenment Pavilion, the Third Elder, with a more white beard than hair, was sitting on a cushion.

Shu Han's first impression was that he was very old. He had never seen such an aged old man. The people of Shu Village eat grains all year round and work hard in the fields every day. Most of them passed away from illness in their fifties, and the oldest, the village elder, was only fifty-nine this year.

However, the old man in front of him, Shu Han felt he was over a hundred years old.

The Third Elder slowly opened his eyes and said, "This year, there are quite a few children from Shu Village, and their talents are higher than the last. It's a pity about nephew Zhang, he died so young, otherwise, he would have made great contributions. Come, kid, give me your hand, let me see your spiritual roots."

Shu Han's little hand was grabbed by the Third Elder, the seemingly dry branch-like hand holding an irresistible force.

The Third Elder stroked his beard and closed his eyes in contemplation.

"There's a fire spiritual root...Water spiritual root...And an earth spiritual root... three spiritual roots, not bad. Hmm? There's a wood spiritual root as well! It's an ordinary four spiritual roots."

Suddenly, the Third Elder opened his eyes, his surprised gaze fixated on Shu Han, and he said, "There's even a metal spiritual root! Five spiritual roots! What's going on, all five spiritual roots are awakened. This is the first time I've seen this in my life."

Shu Han weakly asked, "Elder, my talent..."

"Your talent is top-tier, but the top-tier worst. In my 150 years of cultivation, I have never seen anyone worse than you. It's a miracle that you could even awaken."

Shu Han's eyes dimmed, "Elder, can I cultivate?"

"You can cultivate, but even if you exhaust your entire life's effort, it would be hard to break through the third layer of Qi Refining. Well, well, we've got two good kids, and can't hope to get another one. Kid, you just stay in the Mystical Dragon Sect and do some chores, how much fortune you get depends on you."

Then the Third Elder beckoned Li Heng to come over and said, "These two kids, you take them to Sky Cloud Pavilion tomorrow, and let them become disciples under the Great Elder, let him teach them well. As for this kid, send him to the Second Elder, see if there's any work for him to do."

"Disciple obeys!" Li Heng responded.