Chapter 99: Cao Xuan's Cultivation Talent? A Supreme Spiritual Root!

In their eyes, Cao Xuan’s spirit-root aptitude was nothing more than a ninth-tempered root. Yet his cultivation advanced so quickly—could that, too, be the mark of an exceptionally high cultivation talent?

They did not dare imagine a first-rank talent, but surely he must at least have fifth- or sixth-rank potential.

Seeing everyone turn toward Cao Xuan, Bai Tianxiang understood as well: this quick-witted, glib junior brother must possess no small cultivation talent.

But when hope rises too high, disappointment falls just as hard, so she spoke up to remind them, “Cultivation talent is even rarer than spirit-root aptitude!”

“Take me, for example. I have a first-tempered earth spirit root, but only ninth-rank cultivation talent, which is why I have reached only the mid-Core Formation stage.”

“To be precise, in the cultivation world most people have ninth-rank talent. By the time you reach eighth-rank, your comprehension of techniques is already quite strong!”

“Put simply, cultivation talent only becomes truly important in the later stages of cultivation!”

“If your talent is high early on but your spirit-root aptitude is poor, then even if you fully master a technique, you still cannot keep up with the pace of refinement. It is all for nothing!”

Bai Tianxiang knew this from bitter personal experience. Her comprehension of techniques was not especially fast, but because she possessed an earth spirit root, she had broken through to Core Formation much earlier than many others.

This was still because she had no backing and was constrained by a lack of resources.

In the Central Continent, resources were far more abundant, but competition was far fiercer as well.

In her earlier years, the cultivation resources she received were not even as much as those of outer-sect disciples in Azure Cloud Sect of Cloud State.

She had advanced step by step, relying on top-tier talent and struggling for every gain.

Thus, the nourishment of a land shapes its people. Someone like Liu Yu and the other direct disciples, with eighth- or ninth-tempered spirit roots, could in Cloud State reach the mid- or late-Foundation Establishment stage at their age.

But in the Central Continent, they might not even have enough resources to get by, and at best only reach the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining.

Cao Xuan understood her meaning at once. He was a man who knew how to read between the lines.

And he was also fully aware of his own aptitude. The spirit-cleansing pills he had drawn from the system lottery had, after he broke through to Foundation Establishment, been refined into some top-grade specimens.

But after his spirit root reached top-grade, he was never again able to raise it to earth-grade. He had already realized that anything beyond top-grade required something more, not mere purification alone.

So he asked, “Senior Sister Bai, you said you are a first-tempered earth spirit root?”

“If I remember correctly, spirit roots are classified as first through ninth-tempered roots, then top-grade, earth-grade, heaven-grade, and flawless spirit roots, right?”

Bai Tianxiang nodded. “That classification is perfectly correct, but in the Central Continent the distinctions are made more finely.”

“There are differences even among spirit roots. A first-tempered earth spirit root is actually not much different from a top-grade spirit root, while a ninth-tempered earth spirit root is comparable to a heaven spirit root!”

“I am a first-tempered earth spirit root, and with ninth-rank cultivation talent, after three hundred years I have reached only the mid-Core Formation stage. Still burdened by a lack of resources, I do not even know whether I will be able to break through to Nascent Soul in this lifetime.”

Bai Tianxiang sighed deeply. She admired Fairy Xiangqiu, but was that not also a form of envy?

She held hope for her own future breakthrough, yet she was also deeply anxious.

Both were earth spirit roots, yet among this generation of geniuses, some had already broken through to Nascent Soul.

Of course, a Nascent Soul cultivator at three hundred years old was not a century prodigy, but he was still absolutely a genius.

And his spirit root must at least have been fifth-tempered earth-grade or higher.

Nascent Soul cultivators possessed a five-thousand-year lifespan. Anyone who could break through to Soul Transformation within three thousand years would surely be a top-tier genius courted by first- or second-rate powers.

And if one were fortunate enough to become a thousand-year Soul Transformation cultivator, even a holy land would extend an olive branch.

Once Cao Xuan understood this, it was as though a veil had been torn from his eyes.

When he looked at Bai Tianxiang again, her data panel seemed far more complete.

[Name: Bai Tianxiang]
[Spirit Root: First-tempered earth spirit root]
[Cultivation Talent: Ninth-rank]
[Multiplier: 80x]
[Cultivation Level: Mid-Core Formation]
[Bai Tianxiang’s current favorability: 45]

Just as Cao Xuan was speaking, Ye Caixuan had also finished her test.

“Ye Caixuan, ninth-tempered spirit root, eighth-rank cultivation talent, no innate bone structure, age twenty-eight, mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation!”

It had to be said that Azure Cloud Sect of Cloud State had a real system for taking in disciples. Aside from Jin Tiehua of the Artifact Peak, the other direct disciples all actually possessed eighth-rank cultivation talent.

But as Bai Tianxiang had said, cultivation talent corresponds to comprehension of techniques, and the techniques in Cloud State were only so-so, so the difference was not especially obvious.

Thus, with spirit roots in the eighth- and ninth-tempered range, everyone’s cultivation was roughly around the mid- to late-Foundation Establishment stage.

Through Bai Tianxiang, they also came to understand that in the Central Continent, one either needed excellent spirit-root aptitude or powerful cultivation talent.

Of course, if one possessed one, the other could not be too poor either.

Cao Xuan believed that the ancestor Bai Tianxiang had mentioned earlier, the one with first-rank cultivation talent, must ultimately have raised his spirit-root aptitude as well.

Because the four peak masters were not participating in the competition and were in no hurry to obtain identity tokens, they let the direct disciples who were taking part go first.

Among the several direct disciples, Cao Xuan alone stood at the peak of Foundation Establishment, so he naturally drew every eye.

No one noticed that only Jin Tiehua looked somewhat grim.

His spirit root was tempered only eight times, already inferior to the others’ ninth-tempered roots. That was why he had initially looked at Liu Yu with such envy.

But he felt he was no worse than anyone else. Yet in the end, he alone turned out to have ninth-rank cultivation talent.

By Bai Tianxiang’s account, did that not make him seem like a fool?

He usually pretended to be honest and simple, but he believed himself absolutely not stupid. In fact, he thought himself rather clever. Even Li Yao had been fooled by his rustic bearing and had helped him engrave artifact-forging runes several times for free.

In the end, all the profit was swallowed up by him alone, and Li Yao was still none the wiser.

Yet now, after the tests were finished, he even felt that the other direct disciples looked down on him, and even his own master, Peak Master Wang Tie, seemed faintly displeased with him.

Of course, all of that was only his own imagination. In truth, at this moment Peak Master Wang Tie was even more curious about Cao Xuan’s cultivation talent.

After all, that day Cao Xuan had shocked him by reaching mid-Foundation Establishment in a single day, and then breaking through to late-Foundation Establishment soon after.

As for his own disciple Jin Tiehua, people from Cloud State like them had no grand ambitions.

It would already be excellent if they could carry on the inheritance of Azure Cloud Sect’s Artifact lineage. If they could break through to Core Formation, that would be even better.

After all, a lineage is passed down from generation to generation, constantly renewing itself.

Once one breaks through to Core Formation, one can naturally leave behind a far more valuable legacy for future generations.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Cao Xuan rubbed the bridge of his nose, stepped forward with a wry smile, and said, “I really feel like my talent is terrible. Don’t overthink it.”

“Mm-hmm, Junior Brother, go ahead!” “My disciple, go on!”

Li Yao, Yu Wan, and the others did not believe him at all. They felt Cao Xuan was just showing off. Being modest about what? Whether you’re a genius or not, how could we not know?

Why is it that you can achieve sudden enlightenment, while we cannot?

Too bad they did not know that Cao Xuan truly had no such thoughts.

Thinking back to the few simulations where even his “masters” wore looks of utter despair, how could he possibly be unaware of his own cultivation talent?

He first stepped up to the aptitude-testing white jade pillar, placed his right hand upon it, and poured in true essence. Light blazed forth at once.

Bai Tianxiang’s eyes lit up. “Top-grade spirit root!”