Chapter Six: Xia Yunxue (Please keep reading)

Upon receiving the assignment, Song Changsheng set off swiftly for the Governor’s Residence, his steps hurried and his heart even more so—he had been waiting nearly a year for this moment.

Song Luding, mindful of this, had deliberately scheduled the commencement three days later, affording Song Changsheng precious time to spend with his mother.

“Who are you here to see?” At the grand entrance of the Governor’s Residence, a cultivator with thick brows and large eyes scrutinized Song Changsheng warily.

“Younger Song Changsheng, one of the hosts of this year’s Ascension Gathering, come to pay my respects to the Fifth Elder,” Song Changsheng replied with a respectful gesture.

The cultivator’s demeanor changed instantly, a broad smile replacing his suspicion. “Ah, so you’re Changsheng, the younger cousin! The Fifth Elder speaks of you often. Wait right here—I’ll go announce you.”

Before he could turn away, Song Changsheng felt a sudden blur, and a woman appeared before him, dressed in a pale yellow cloud-patterned gown, her hair styled in a loose chignon. Her face was oval and unadorned but for a single jade hairpin; she wore no makeup, only a gentle, warm smile. She was not a classic beauty, yet her presence radiated a comforting warmth.

“Your son greets his mother!” Song Changsheng began to kneel, but the woman caught him before he could.

This was the family’s Fifth Elder—his mother, Xia Yunxue, an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

She was not only the clan’s sole mid-grade, second-tier brewer, but also its only elder of non-family lineage.

“I sensed your presence in the residence just now. I thought I was imagining things, but it really is you! Have you already broken through to late-stage Qi Refinement?” Xia Yunxue drew him inside, her eyes alight with joy.

“Yes, Mother. I broke through four months ago, and I’ve also made progress in array formation and artifact refinement,” Song Changsheng answered with uncharacteristic pride—gone was his usual humility.

“My good child, your talent is no less than those with variant spiritual roots. Foundation Establishment is well within your grasp.” Xia Yunxue was filled with emotion. That little boy from years past could now descend the mountain on his own missions.

A smile spread across Song Changsheng’s face. He had heard these words from many people, but when spoken by her, they struck a different chord deep within him.

No sooner had they settled in their seats than Xia Yunxue began her gentle barrage of questions—about his meals, his well-being, whether he lacked cultivation resources—the usual matters of motherly concern.

Once she started, she seemed unable to stop. Far from finding it tiresome, Song Changsheng felt a warmth that suffused his soul. In his previous life, he had been an orphan, never having known the warmth of family—a lifelong regret. By some twist of fate, this second life had filled that void.

As Xia Yunxue’s gentle words filled the air, dusk slowly fell and the chirr of insects began outside the window.

Suddenly, Song Changsheng said, “Mother, I’d like to eat fish.”

Xia Yunxue paused, only then realizing the sun had already set. She hurried to her feet. “Very well. I’ll go and make something delicious for you at once.”

In less than an hour, she had filled the table with dishes—all of them his favorites. He felt a sting at the tip of his nose. Truly, a child with a mother is the greatest of treasures.

Throughout the meal, it was Xia Yunxue who did most of the talking, while Song Changsheng focused on eating, responding occasionally—a simple, warm gathering.

Three days slipped by in a flash, and Song Changsheng rejoined Song Luding and the others.

The Ascension Gathering, awaited by hundreds of thousands, was about to begin.

Since there were only two compasses for testing spiritual roots, they split into two teams. Song Luding, Song Changsheng, and Song Changjiu were tasked with the four eastern cities. Song Luzi and Song Changying managed the three to the west.

“Uncle, what kind of reward would the family give us if we discovered a Heaven-Spirit Root this time?” Song Changjiu asked eagerly.

Song Luding laughed heartily. “You’ve got quite the appetite for rewards, boy. I’d be satisfied with a dual-spirit root, let alone a Heaven-Spirit Root.”

“Changjiu,” Song Changsheng added with a smile, “in nearly five centuries since our clan’s founding, there’s no record of even one Heaven-Spirit Root appearing in Lingzhou. I think your wish may go unfulfilled.”

Spiritual roots were rare—perhaps one in several hundred or thousand had them, and most were mixed roots.

As for Heaven-Spirit Roots—they hardly dared dream of such a thing.

“People need dreams, don’t they?” Song Changjiu muttered.

As they spoke, they arrived at the spiritual root testing chamber in the first city, where an endless queue had already formed.

“With so many people, how long will this take…” Song Changjiu stared dumbfounded at the dense crowd.

“It’s only a few thousand, not too many. Let’s get started and not waste time,” Song Luding replied calmly, producing a token to unlock the chamber.

The chamber was small and sparsely furnished: just a meditation cushion and a waist-high pillar covered in intricate carvings.

“Changsheng, you’ll assist me inside. Changjiu, stand outside and let people in when I call. Understood?”

“Oh.” Song Changjiu deflated, having hoped to witness the testing firsthand.

Song Luding set a basin-sized compass on the pillar and secured it, then placed a blue crystal into the groove.

“This is a Celestial Profound Stone, essential for testing spiritual roots,” he explained to Song Changsheng as he worked.

Soon, the first child—a boy of about eight or nine—stepped in, visibly nervous.

Stroking his beard, Song Luding spoke kindly: “Come, child, place your hand on the center of the compass.”

Timidly, the boy placed his hand on the compass. In moments, it glowed faintly.

Song Changsheng raised his eyebrows—what an auspicious start, the very first had a spiritual root.

“I wonder what grade it is,” he thought.

The pillar beneath the compass soon flashed with red, green, and yellow light.

“Three inches Fire, five inches Wood, four inches Earth—medium grade,” Song Luding said with satisfaction. “A fine start.”

“I… I have a spiritual root?” The boy stared at his hands, unable to believe it.

“Yes, you do. Please wait to the side.”

“Wonderful! I really have a spiritual root!” The boy could barely contain his excitement. He had always known how important spiritual roots were, and now a new future had opened before him.

Outside, Song Changjiu noticed no one exiting and guessed this meant someone had a spiritual root—the chamber’s wards prevented him from seeing inside.

“If only it were a Heaven-Spirit Root,” Song Changjiu muttered, still dreaming.

One after another, children were tested. Perhaps all the luck had gone to the first, for almost a thousand more yielded not a single spiritual root.

Just as Song Changsheng was growing bored, a little girl finally tested positive—unfortunately, she had four roots, making Foundation Establishment nearly impossible.

Not that it was impossible, but the resources required were immense—a four-root cultivator was many times harder to raise than one with three roots. The clan’s resources were limited; they could not afford such extravagance. She would likely never advance beyond the Qi Refinement stage.

Sometimes Song Changsheng wondered if setting them on this path was truly right…

Two days passed quickly; of more than two thousand tested in the first city, only three had spiritual roots.

On the third day, luck improved in the second city: four out of three thousand, but all were four or five-root types—not even one with three roots.

It was all as expected, and no one was surprised, until in the third city, a quiet, withdrawn little boy appeared, bringing with him an unexpected delight…

…