The day of the spirit root test finally arrived.
Before sunrise, the people of Lu Family were already awake.
Servants moved quickly through the courtyards, calling out names and guiding children into neat lines. Every child below the age of ten was dressed in fresh robes, hair properly tied, faces scrubbed clean.
Lu Haotian stood among them.
He looked ordinary.
His face was calm, his features plain, neither handsome nor ugly. If he blended into a crowd, most people would forget him after a single glance. The only thing that stood out was his posture. Back straight. Eyes steady.
Mei Nian walked beside him, tugging lightly on his sleeve.
"Young Master," she whispered, "do you think it will hurt?"
"I don't know," he replied honestly.
She frowned. "If it hurts, I'll shout for you."
He almost smiled.
Soon, the children were escorted out of the Lu Family compound. Outside, carriages and spirit beasts waited. This was not just a Lu Family matter.
Today, all the children of Hei Yan City would be tested together.
The City Lord's Office was the only place that possessed a Spirit Root Crystal.
The streets were busy as they traveled.
Other clan banners could already be seen from afar.
The Zhao Family's water-blue insignia fluttered calmly in the wind. Their people moved in orderly lines, quiet and composed.
The Bai Family arrived with little noise. Many of their members wore pale robes, their presence strangely muted even in a crowd.
The Huo Family was impossible to miss. Their fiery-red banners and loud voices filled the street before they even arrived.
The Shen Family followed behind. The smell of herbs lingered faintly around them.
By the time they reached the City Lord's Office, the courtyard was filled.
The building itself was imposing. Tall stone pillars lined the entrance, carved with ancient patterns. Spiritual pressure lingered faintly in the air, far stronger than anywhere else in the city.
Lu Haotian felt it the moment he stepped inside.
His breathing slowed.
The elders of each clan stepped forward.
Lu Tianhao stood at the front of the Lu Family group, expression steady.
Zhao Yong of the Zhao Family smiled faintly, hands clasped behind his back.
Huo Lie laughed openly, arms crossed over his chest. ""It's been a whole year since we last gathered for this," he said loudly.
Bai Yansheng gave a calm nod but said nothing.
Shen Dao adjusted his sleeves, eyes sharp behind his calm expression.
At the head of the courtyard stood the City Lord.
City Lord Yan Qingshan.
He was a tall man with graying hair and a firm presence. His cultivation was clearly on a different level. Even standing still, he gave off a pressure that made the surrounding elders instinctively straighten their posture.
Core Formation Realm, middle stage.
Unlike the clan patriarchs, who were all only early stage Core Formation.
"This is the spirit root test of Hei Yan City," Yan Qingshan said calmly. His voice was not loud, but it carried through the entire courtyard. "No fighting. No interference. The results will be recorded fairly."
Huo Lie chuckled. "City Lord Yan, you make it sound so serious. We're only proud fathers and elders."
Zhao Yong smiled. "Still, rules are rules."
Lu Tianhao spoke evenly. "Talent will reveal itself without noise."
Huo Lie snorted. "We'll see whose children makes the crystal brighten the most."
"Spirit root isn't everything," Bai Yansheng said softly.
"A stable root matters more," Shen Dao added.
The words were calm, but the tension underneath was clear.
Nearby, the City Lord's daughter stood quietly.
Yan Ruyan.
She looked around looking at the clan children, she is also going to be tested today, dressed in light green robes. Her face was delicate, her expression curious rather than arrogant. She stood beside her father, eyes moving between the gathered clans and children.
Her gaze paused briefly on the children.
Including Lu Haotian as if memorising their faces, then it moved on.
At the center of the courtyard stood the Spirit Assessment Crystal, a towering pillar that gleamed like polished glass under the sun. It was divided into three distinct vertical columns, each representing a spirit-root grade: Mortal, Earth, and Heaven.
The lowest column, Mortal Grade, was the broadest. Nearly all clan children's spirit roots were measured here. Light moved within the pillar slowly, faintly—most barely rising from the base.
The middle column, Earth Grade, was narrower. Few children reached it, and those who did were regarded as clan prodigies.
The top column, Heaven Grade, was slim and elegant. Only the rarest of talents could even graze its lower edge. It was the pinnacle of achievement in the lower realm, a place whispered about in awe and envy.
The children were lined up by age.
When a child placed their hand on the crystal, elemental light surged upward. The higher it climbed within the columns, the stronger and rarer the spirit root.
Most children caused only a flicker of color at the base of the Mortal column.
One by one, they were called forward.
Some stepped up nervously.
Some looked excited.
When children placed their hands on the crystal, it reacted differently each time. Sometimes a faint glow. Sometimes stronger light. Sometimes nothing at all.
Parents and elders watched closely.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
"Wind Mortal grade spirit roots ."
"No spirit root ."
"Tri fire, water, wind mortal spirit roots.
Lu Haotian waited quietly.
He stood with his hands behind his back, breathing slow and steady. Mei Nian stood off to the side with the servants, twisting the hem of her robe nervously.
When his name was finally called, he stepped forward.
The courtyard felt strangely quiet.
He placed his hand on the crystal.
For a brief moment—
Nothing happened.
A few people frowned.
Then, faint light stirred.
The glow was gentle, steady, not explosive. It did not burst outward, nor did it fade. It simply remained.
The elders watched closely.
The crystal did not crack, instead it shun with the five different colours red, green, blue, yellow, white.
It did not shine .
The light slowly stabilized.
The elder withdrew his hand from the crystal, his gaze lingering on its surface for a long breath before he spoke.