Chapter 3

The path of mortals and immortals is vastly different, an ancient saying that has been passed down for thousands of years in the Nine Provinces. Mortals without the destiny to become immortals can only look up to the path of immortality. However, the practice of mortals cultivating to become immortals is a phenomenon that has only emerged in the past thousand years. The one who broke through the barrier between mortals and immortals was a miracle created a thousand years ago by a cultivator.

This is the famous Six Harmonies Spirit Root.

The so-called Six Harmonies Spirit Root was invented by the founding ancestor of the Shengjing Immortal Sect, the Six Harmonies True Man, in his later years. Using unique cultivation techniques and celestial treasures, he refined a powder. After continuous consumption for forty-five days, even a mortal could possess a spirit root for cultivation, breaking the ironclad rule that only one in ten thousand could cultivate to become an immortal.

Unfortunately, the Six Harmonies Spirit Root is inferior to the Five Elements Spirit Root, which is considered a pseudo-spirit root. Even with the Five Elements Spirit Root, one could hope to reach the Foundation Establishment stage after fifty years of practicing basic techniques. However, with the Six Harmonies Spirit Root, even after a hundred years of diligent cultivation, one would often only reach the eighth or ninth level of the Qi Condensation stage, often being mockingly referred to as the "trial version spirit root," "castrated version spirit root," or "Akalin spirit root."

This artificial spirit root broke the ten-thousand-year-old common sense and caused a huge sensation, but the spirit root itself was ultimately not of high quality. Even if the cultivation world could gain thousands of new practitioners, what use were a group of useless people who couldn't even reach the Foundation Establishment stage? They would be inefficient even as servants. So, after a period of intense interest, people put the matter aside.

However, Six Harmonies himself did not. The Six Harmonies Spirit Root was just the beginning; the great opportunity hidden behind it was something that others could not see, but the inventor, the Six Harmonies Ancestor, knew it clearly.

At the time, the Six Harmonies Ancestor had the cultivation of the peak of the Body Integration stage, just one step away from the Great Ascension stage, where one's lifespan is virtually infinite, and one foot is already in the door of immortality. However, until his death, the Six Harmonies Daoist did not take this step. He devoted the last hundred years of his life entirely to the creation of artificial spirit roots.

Thus, the Seven Tricks Spirit Root, the Eight Treasures Spirit Root, the Nine Refinements Spirit Root, and the Ten Directions Spirit Root were created, with their effects becoming increasingly powerful, eventually matching the natural dual-attribute composite spirit roots—second only to the Celestial Spirit Root, the Earth Spirit Root, and a few rare spirit roots, they were considered top-notch. With these, artificial spirit roots finally gained a foothold in the cultivation world and gradually spread, ultimately transforming the entire cultivation world. The Six Harmonies Ancestor thus became renowned for all eternity, alongside the Immortal Qin Emperor who unified the Nine Provinces and the Virtuous Ancestor who led the Immortal-Demon War, becoming the only "True Immortal" in the cultivation world who did not ascend.

A thousand years later, artificial spirit roots have become the most common thing in the cultivation world. Out of ten cultivators, eight or nine have artificial spirit roots. Achieving the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages is not uncommon, and even the Soul Transformation stage has been reached by many over the past thousand years.

However, this does not mean that cultivation has become widespread. The Shengjing Immortal Sect has led the transformation of artificial spirit roots for a thousand years, but the cost of high-quality spirit roots remains astronomical. Artificial spirit roots have only solved the problem of whether mortals can cultivate; the convenience is another matter. Of course, over a thousand years of development, the cost of artificial spirit roots has decreased significantly, but it has not dropped to the point where a few hundred thousand taels of silver can buy a bright future. Only the Six Harmonies Spirit Root is that cheap.

Indeed, the Ascension Powder that Old Wang treasures is none other than the Six Harmonies Powder. Once consumed, one obtains the Six Harmonies Spirit Root, and from then on, one can say goodbye to cultivation—except for shoddy sects like the Seven Stars Sect, no reputable orthodox immortal sect would accept a Six Harmonies Spirit Root, not even as a laborer!

Moreover, the Spirit Sword Sect is a rare ancient sect in the current cultivation world, adhering to ancient cultivation methods. To put it simply, artificial spirit roots are not accepted.

Indeed, the Spirit Sword Sect does not accept artificial spirit roots, even those that are said to match composite spirit roots and rival the Earth Spirit Root, such as the Twelve-Story Spirit Root. The sect members must be pure and naturally endowed, with the opportunity granted by heaven and earth, known as "organic cultivators."

The reason is simple: artificial spirit roots are ultimately flawed and are slightly inferior to natural spirit roots at the same cultivation stage. In the current Nine Provinces, there are many experts with artificial spirit roots, but top-tier experts are few and far between. Therefore, many high-end sects are somewhat wary of this.

However, the Spirit Sword Sect's stubbornness in the current cultivation world is no longer a matter of praise but a matter of ridicule, because there is a clear truth: if the quality is not enough, quantity can make up for it! Even if artificial spirit roots are slightly inferior in strength at the same cultivation stage, ten times the quantity can make up for all quality deficiencies. The cultivation world is a place of survival of the fittest, and the power of artificial spirit roots is evident. If others use them and you don't, you are courting disaster. Sects can use systems to distinguish between organic and inorganic cultivators internally, but to reject artificial spirit roots outright? That is fundamentalism.

Therefore, the decline of the Spirit Sword Sect in recent years is not surprising. Although it is listed as one of the five major sects, its actual influence is probably even less than the next tier sects like the Myriad Phenomena Sect and the Flowing Cloud Sect. If it weren't for the increasing rarity of sects that open their doors, the Spirit Sword Sect's Ascension Assembly would not have such high popularity.

However, among the young talents gathered in Lingxi Town, more than half have artificial spirit roots. When the Spirit Sword Sect announced the assembly, it clearly stated: "Under twelve years old, no cultivation, other conditions unlimited." So many people speculated that perhaps the Spirit Sword Sect, after a thousand years of stubbornness, had finally come to its senses?

But Wang Lu did not think there was such a good thing. If the Spirit Sword Sect had really come to its senses, why would they hold an Ascension Assembly to select disciples? They could just find a few with decent temperament and intelligence, give them a handful of spirit pills, and new stars of the sect would rise.

Moreover...

"When did I say I was a mortal?"

Wang Zhong, the book boy, was not a fool. Hearing his young master say this, no matter how unbelievable it was, he should have understood...

"Master, you... have a spirit root?"

Wang Lu snorted, showing no interest.

Wang Zhong was then completely stunned. Smelling the strong aroma of the Spirit Bacon in the room, he felt utterly foolish.

---

At the same time, in the inn's hall, the young nobles from all over the country, subdued by the innkeeper's tyranny, finally had a rare moment of peace. However, at this moment, a creaking ox cart stopped outside the door, and an old man walked into the inn with a smile. "Madam, the firewood you wanted."

The innkeeper replied indifferently, "Alright, I know. Move the stuff to the kitchen, and we'll settle at the end of the month." She then waved him away, her business-friendly attitude truly touching.

But the old man walked to the counter without a care, "Madam, warm two bowls of wine and a plate of spiced beans."

The innkeeper glared at him, her fierce gaze making many onlookers in the hall shudder. The old man, however, smiled as if basking in a warm breeze and then laid out nine large copper coins on the counter.

Staring at the nine worn-out copper coins, the innkeeper did not kick the old man out. She took the coins and promptly served two bowls of wine and a plate of spiced beans, a price that made Wen Bao, who had spent a thousand taels of silver on a jar of wine, wince in pain.

The old man and the innkeeper were clearly acquaintances. The old man drank his wine and chatted about trivial matters in town. Although the innkeeper's face was not pleased, she listened quietly. The attentive people in the hall, after the incident with Wang Lu's accommodation voucher, perked up their ears, trying to uncover new clues.

But even when the old man finished his wine, wiped his mouth, and was about to leave, no one in the hall found any inspiration. Hai Yunfan's face was dark, Wen Bao looked bewildered, and a few people showed thoughtful expressions, trying to fish for information.

"Huh?"

As the old man turned to leave, he suddenly sniffed the air and looked up at the second floor. "This smell... whose child is it? They really eat anything!"

The innkeeper also frowned and sniffed the air. "Spirit Bacon? Strange, how could it be him?"

"Ah? Who?"

The innkeeper glanced at him. "A certain honored guest staying in the upper room."

"Hmm, upper room? Which one?"

The innkeeper snorted disdainfully. "Do I have many upper rooms?" She then frowned again. "No, I need to go check..."

The old man was shocked. "So serious? ...It's not that serious, is it?"

The innkeeper pondered for a moment. "You're right, going up without a reason would be seen as harassment... I'll go up and sell some Daughter Red wine."

With that, the innkeeper extended her delicate fingers, firmly lifted the large wine jar, and stomped upstairs. The old man hesitated for a moment and followed behind.

The diners in the hall exchanged glances but dared not rashly follow.

That half-person-tall wine jar, if it hit someone in the face, would definitely be fatal.

---

"Mortals cultivating to become immortals indeed have only one path, but when did I say I was a mortal?"

"Master, you... you have a spirit root?"

When the innkeeper reached the door, she had already heard the conversation in the upper room. Her furrowed brows relaxed, and she smiled wryly.

It seems it was all a misunderstanding. The person who solved the twelve-linked task chain couldn't possibly be defeated by a Spirit Bacon. She had overreacted.

Since it was a misunderstanding, there was no need to push the five-thousand-tael jar of Daughter Red wine... Tsk, she might as well sell it to that Hai Yunfan downstairs, with his deep and gloomy expression, it would be a waste not to take advantage of him!

The innkeeper turned to leave but heard the conversation in the room continue.

"Master, may I ask, what kind of spirit root do you have?"

She paused, her curiosity piqued.

"Of course, it's the Celestial Spirit Root."

Her hand trembled, nearly dropping the wine jar.

Celestial Spirit Root!?

She turned sharply, and the old man behind her also looked surprised. The next moment, the old man gazed deeply forward, his cloudy eyes revealing a hint of starlight, then he sneered. "The talent is indeed good, but... Celestial Spirit Root?"

"Do you think it's a big white radish?"

---

"Of course, it's the Celestial Spirit Root."

Her hand trembled, nearly dropping the wine jar.

Celestial Spirit Root!?

She turned sharply, and the old man behind her also looked surprised. The next moment, the old man gazed deeply forward, his cloudy eyes revealing a hint of starlight, then he sneered. "The talent is indeed good, but... Celestial Spirit Root?"

"Do you think it's a big white radish?"