Chapter 66: The Invasion of the Demonic Beasts!

Shen Zheng had a passing familiarity with Jiang Chaoyun, a figure of some renown within the Xiaolan Mountain market. This man was known as a pseudo-spiritual root cultivator, one whose aptitude for cultivation was less than ideal.

Spiritual roots, in essence, were the very qualification for embarking on the path of cultivation. Whether a person possessed spiritual roots was determined at birth. Apart from the slim chance that two cultivators might bear a child gifted with spiritual roots, there existed no other means by which a person could acquire them. This was the origin of the so-called cultivation clans. Yet, even when two cultivators came together, most of their offspring would be ordinary mortals, with only a small probability of producing a child with spiritual roots.

Those born without spiritual roots could neither sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth nor cultivate mana. No matter how prodigiously talented they might be, they could only live out their lives as mortals, ultimately returning to dust.

Spiritual roots were divided into five attributes: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The more attributes a person possessed, the less efficiently they could absorb spiritual energy. Having all five attributes or lacking just one was termed a pseudo-spiritual root. Cultivators with pseudo-spiritual roots could still breathe in spiritual energy, but their cultivation progressed at a snail's pace. Most would never break through to the Foundation Establishment stage in their entire lives.

Those with three or two attributes possessed what was known as true spiritual roots. Cultivators with true spiritual roots, upon overcoming their bottlenecks, could reach the peak of Qi Refinement or even Foundation Establishment with relative ease. Those with a single attribute were called heaven-grade spiritual roots—geniuses among cultivators, favored by fate itself. Not only did they cultivate at a tremendous speed, but they were also unimpeded by bottlenecks, able to progress straight to the Core Formation stage simply by absorbing spiritual energy. Whenever a heaven-grade spiritual root appeared, both cultivation clans and sects would fight tooth and nail to secure such exceptional talent for themselves.

Beyond the five elements, there were variant spiritual roots—such as ice, lightning, and wind—arising from the mutation and combination of two or three spiritual roots. Cultivators with variant roots had aptitudes similar to those with true roots and were still bound by bottlenecks.

Bottlenecks, it seemed, were a fundamental law of the cultivation world. Before reaching the Nascent Soul stage, all cultivators without a heaven-grade root would inevitably encounter bottlenecks. They might rely on external forces, elixirs, clever insights, or even unorthodox methods to break through, but all these means served the same purpose: to overcome the current obstacle and ascend to a higher realm.

Within the Xiaolan Mountain market, the vast majority of cultivators possessed pseudo-spiritual roots, and Jiang Chaoyun was among them.

By rights, he should have been trapped by his poor aptitude and lack of resources, barely scraping by in the Xiaonan Mountain market. Yet, through his exceptional combat prowess and by hunting the demon beasts on Xiaolan Mountain, he had cultivated all the way to the late stage of Qi Refinement. It was even rumored that he had once bested a cultivator at the peak of Qi Refinement head-on—a feat not to be underestimated.

Like Jiang Chaoyun, Shen Zheng also possessed a pseudo-spiritual root with four attributes. Yet, fortune smiled on him in other ways. After his transmigration, he discovered that his original metal, fire, water, and earth roots had undergone a mutation. The fusion of his metal and fire roots created a lightning root, and the union of his water and earth roots formed an ice root. Thus, Shen Zheng’s talent leapt from a four-attribute pseudo-spiritual root to a dual-attribute variant root, transforming him from a hopeless case into a prodigy. Though not as rare as a heaven-grade root, his aptitude was still seldom seen in the cultivation world.

Shen Zheng attributed this transformation to the mysterious jade cauldron that had journeyed with him across worlds. Since the cauldron could improve the quality of spiritual items, perhaps it could also enhance a cultivator’s natural gifts.

Setting aside these musings, Shen Zheng quietly gathered his belongings and stepped out from his shop. To call it a shop was generous—the place was little more than a small house within the Xiaolan Mountain market, lacking even a signboard. He had his reasons for this. For one, there were too few spiritual items he could repair to warrant a proper storefront. Second, hanging out a sign meant paying annual tribute to the three great cultivation clans. Shen Zheng barely had enough resources for his own cultivation—how could he afford to pay tribute?

After leaving his shop, Shen Zheng donned a black robe, disguised himself, and made his way toward the bustling inner market.

“Fifty-year-old Clear Spirit Grass, fifty-year-old Clear Spirit Grass!”

“Humps from the Three-peak Camel, the best choice for spirit cuisine!”

“Premium Yellow Sprout Pills, miraculous for breaking through the late-stage bottleneck of Qi Refinement!”

“Comprehensive Five Elements Spell Compendium, only ten spirit jades, just ten spirit jades!”

He paid no mind to the cacophony of hawkers. Moving through the crowd, he paused and walked, his eyes and spiritual sense sweeping over the stalls lining both sides of the street. On display were all manner of spiritual items: various magical tools, demon beast furs and bones, colorful porcelain and jade bottles, and all sorts of seemingly worthless scrap metal.

For the past three years, these roadside stalls had provided Shen Zheng with the best avenues for acquiring damaged spiritual items. For one, their wares were cheaper than those found in the market’s shops. Second, there would be no record of his purchases, preventing others from connecting the spiritual items he sold with those he bought in pieces.

“How much for the Yellow Sprout Pills?” he asked in a hoarse voice, stopping before the stall selling them.

“Fifty spirit jades each,” the vendor replied, his eyes lighting up. “These Yellow Sprout Pills are from a top-tier Golden Core sect—guaranteed results. You look like you’re on the verge of a breakthrough, aren’t you? Why not take a few bottles?”

Shen Zheng remained unmoved by the vendor’s boasting. He picked up a jade bottle, opened it, and sniffed lightly before sneering, “These aren’t even of lower grade—practically useless. Yet you dare claim they come from a Golden Core sect?”

The vendor was unfazed. Who in the market didn’t exaggerate the quality of their goods? Seeing that Shen Zheng lingered after inspecting the pills, the vendor realized he was still interested in buying.

With a sly grin, he said, “You have a sharp eye. These Yellow Sprout Pills are just practice batches from my senior brother.”

Shen Zheng’s tone was still cold. “Enough talk. Ten spirit jades each. I’ll take them all.”

Well-versed in the prices of market goods, Shen Zheng cut the price down to one-fifth of the original. Though the vendor wouldn’t make much at that rate, he wouldn’t lose out either. After weighing the offer, the vendor nodded, “Since you’ve made an offer, I’ll give you some face. Seventy spirit jades for all of them.”

He gathered the seven jade bottles and handed them over. Shen Zheng, in no hurry, examined them carefully and, confirming they were all the same, handed over fifty spirit jades before leaving without a backward glance.

The vendor watched his retreating figure and muttered under his breath, “These market folks are getting harder and harder to fool.”