Liu Yujun, at the third layer of Foundation Establishment, and Mu Qingling, with a single spiritual root, naturally understood what "no number" meant.
The two of them quickly walked behind the spiritual roots testing stone.
Sure enough, there really was no number.
Outside the courtyard, murmurs broke out among the gathered cultivators.
"What happened? What's going on? Don't tell me the testing stone is broken?"
"Must be. How could there be two single-rooted cultivators in a row? And that filthy little girl? No way."
"Hmph, clearly the stone's broken. Our Yu family's genius was too talented and messed up the device. That's the only way some wild girl ended up looking like a match. How could someone like her compare to our young master?"
Even Yu Dazhi stood frozen in disbelief. 'Another single spiritual root? How could that be?'
Wasn't this supposed to be his moment? Wasn't he the one everyone was supposed to admire, the one who would become a legend from now on?
Xu Luoshui, after finishing the test, didn't understand what exactly had happened. But she did notice those two powerful cultivators had rushed to the back of the testing stone.
Still, it didn't matter; with an Earth-grade metal spiritual root, she was destined to stand above the rest. This was her moment to rise.
"What do you think?" Liu Yujun asked Mu Qingling.
He didn't treat her like a junior. Although she hadn't yet reached his cultivation level, it was only because she was preparing herself to reach a higher stage in the future. For someone like her, it was just the beginning.
As for him, mid-Foundation Establishment was already near the end of the road.
Indeed, being in this realm already put him far above the average cultivator, maybe one in a hundred or even a thousand. But compared to true geniuses, it was honestly disheartening.
So when it came to dealing with talent, especially those with strong backing, it was wise to show respect.
"Earth-grade. As for whether it's even higher, we'll need to return to the sect to find out."
"Alright. Let's continue here, then I'll go back with you."
"Okay."
As the two came out from behind the testing stone, Mu Qingling reached out, her fair hand wrapping around Xu Luoshui's smaller, dirt-smudged one, still resting on the stone. She didn't mind the filth at all.
She pulled the girl close and gently smoothed the messy clump of hair on her head.
"Would you like to come back to the sect with me?"
Xu Luoshui's big, bright eyes sparkled. "I can really join the immortal sect?"
"Of course you can," Liu Yujun said warmly, stepping forward with a storage bag in hand. "Here, this is a gift from me."
Mu Qingling glanced at him. Just as her master had said, this man really knew how to handle things.
He treated all gifted disciples with kindness and support. That was also why, even as a Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivator, he was able to oversee the important Lingyun Market. He built many good relationships and received a lot of help in return.
When it came time to appoint someone to manage such a key market, many higher-level cultivators who had once received his help backed him strongly.
Xu Luoshui stared longingly at the gold and purple storage bag, which looked like a treasure. Then she looked up at Mu Qingling.
She definitely had a goal in mind. It was obvious Mu Qingling was an inner disciple, and a woman too. From the way others treated her, her position even seemed slightly higher than Liu Yujun.
Xu Luoshui didn't know the details of the sect, but it only made sense to latch onto a powerful backer first.
Through her body language and eyes, she gave off a sense of trust and dependence. After all, who doesn't like an obedient child?
Mu Qingling's face lit up with a smile. Her gaze softened as well. 'What a sweet kid.'
"Take it. When an elder offers something, it's best to accept it with gratitude. Remember this kindness from Uncle Liu."
Xu Luoshui took the storage bag with both hands and politely expressed her thanks.
Liu Yujun looked pleased. Five hundred spirit stones and a storage bag, he had spent only about a thousand in total. In exchange, he'd earned the gratitude of a single-rooted prodigy with an Earth-grade root, possibly higher. An absolute bargain.
The Immortal Ascension Ceremony continued. The cultivators who had been watching quietly settled down. It was clear now, the dirty little girl had even more talent than the Yu family's so-called prodigy.
Those who had insisted the testing stone was broken slowly slipped away into the crowd, too embarrassed to stay and be mocked.
Back in the line, the fat boy who had been behind Xu Luoshui clenched his teeth and stepped forward to the testing stone.
'I have to be a genius too,' he told himself, steeling his nerves.
He placed his palm on the stone, and it lit up with five different lights—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
A full five-element spiritual root.
Cheng Qian found it hard not to laugh. From his clone's point of view earlier, he actually thought this kid might be something special. Turns out he's even worse than him. One moment in heaven, the next in hell.
"Pfft!"
The boy who had previously tried to cozy up to the fat kid couldn't hold back his laughter. He were now standing in the line of those who had qualified for the sect.
The fat kid, still frozen in place, was jolted awake by that harsh laugh.
"Mixed spiritual roots. Unqualified. Next." A cold voice came from beside him.
"Still standing there? Get lost already." The previous boy, a member of a small family, said fiercely.
"You... you..."
"Put your hand down. 'You' what? You and I aren't on the same level anymore. I actually thought you were some young master?"
Xu Luoshui had a front-row view of the whole scene. She herself had been the one most looked down on, but now she had become the proud genius of a great sect. And that arrogant, nose-in-the-air young master had been stepped into the dirt by the same small-family disciple who once tried to flatter him.
By afternoon, the ceremony drew to a close.
In the entire Lingyun Market, there were two single-rooted cultivators, one dual-rooted, and seven with triple roots.
Liu Yujun was more than satisfied. Normally, even having one dual-rooted person would've been decent. But today, there were two single-rooted ones. One of them had family and backing from within the sect.
But the other was like a blank slate. If she succeeded in cultivation and even slightly remembered today, the benefits would far outweigh any reward from the sect.
"Big sister, big sister, can I bring my brother to the sect with me?" Xu Luoshui tugged on Mu Qingling's hand and asked.
"You can, but he can only be placed in the outer sect as a servant. Once you reach Foundation Establishment, then you can bring him into the inner sect."
"Thank you, big sister!"
"You should say 'senior sister,' understand?" Mu Qingling lightly tapped her on the cheek.
"Got it, big sister!"
"Ai, you... fine, call me whatever you want." She had just chatted with Xu Luoshui for a while and learned about her tragic background.
In front of these powerful cultivators, the clone played the role of an innocent, obedient girl—easy to pity and like. So, when chatting, she simply told the truth.
She talked about how her cousin had poured all his savings into getting her a spot in the ceremony. It also conveniently gave her a reason to pull her true body out of Lingyun Market. On top of that, she left behind the impression of a grateful younger sister with a deep bond to her brother.
Grateful people, while not universally loved, were at least rarely disliked. Especially in the cultivation world, where everything ran on master-disciple ties and family networks.
As for her just arriving at Lingyun Market? Neither Mu Qingling nor Liu Yujun cared much about that. Rules were made for those at the bottom who couldn't stir up waves. A single spiritual root genius with an Earth-grade root or higher, unless she betrayed the sect she'd be given almost unlimited leeway.
And now, bribing a guard to sneak into the Ascension Ceremony didn't make her a rulebreaker. To them, it showed brother-sister loyalty and gratitude.
Liu Yujun was even considering calling over the disciple who had accepted the bribe and giving him a reward.
The selected disciples began boarding his flying boat.
Yu family's prodigy, Yu Dazhi and Xu Luoshui—the wild girl from a spiritual rice farming family—stepped onto Mu Qingling's vessel.
Cheng Qian joined as well, having been pulled over by a cheerful "Big brother!" in front of a crowd full of envious low-level cultivators.
Feng Sen, however, was trembling a bit. He had actually squeezed every last spirit stone out of the family of a single spiritual root cultivator.
But Cheng Qian didn't care. He wouldn't make a fuss over a few spirit stones. The goal was reached; that's all that mattered. Just a simple trade.
The flying boats lifted into the air. In just a few seconds, they disappeared into the distance, leaving behind two white trails in the sky.
Once the marketplace faded from view, Cheng Qian sat quietly in a corner. He didn't want too much attention. After all, he had prepared a little surprise for those senior brothers and sisters back at the sect.
Better to stay low-key for now. No need for someone to mistake him for a sheep and try to butcher him.
His clone also exchanged a few words with him, making it look natural.
Then she returned to sit beside Mu Qingling, who was piloting the vessel. She looked at the girl who had promised never to let her brother go hungry again and smiled faintly.
And so, riding the wind, they began their journey toward immortality.