Chapter 121: Spiritual Root Mystery Box

Chapter 121: Spiritual Root Mystery Box

Afternoon.

A massive bronze cauldron had appeared in front of the small house on Luoxia Peak.

At each of its four corners, Spirit Stones were embedded as array cores, connecting to four formations that continuously spewed pill fire.

"Qingran, are you sure you want to use that secret technique?"

Standing before the cauldron, Su Qinian’s expression was grim.

As the Pavilion Master of Sword Pavilion, and given his own personality, he hated seeing his disciples go through such ordeals.

But this was an unusual situation.

"Disciple has already made up her mind."

Li Qingran smiled, her eyes clear and untroubled, showing not the slightest hint of fear. In fact, there was a certain lightness in her demeanor.

No matter what, at least there was a solution now.

If they had been forced to rely on that Alchemy Sect Master’s cauldron, she would have been completely stuck.

"Alright, Su old man, stop nagging already. Qingran is doing this out of filial piety. Yes, this process is going to be unimaginably painful, but it’s not lethal.

Besides, if Qingran endures this, it could be a stroke of fortune for her."

Unlike Su Qinian, who was always overprotective, Liu Yuanqing was much more open-minded. He preferred supporting his disciples in pursuing their own paths.

Turning to Li Qingran, he said, "If you have any additional requests, just say the word. Su Qinian and I will do our best to accommodate you."

Li Qingran recalled the contents of the secret manual and thought for a moment. Her eyes brightened slightly as she spoke.

"Pavilion Master, Elder Liu, I have only one request.

Please set up a formation that completely blocks spiritual senses and sound.

I’m afraid of making noise, or worse—having Master sense something and grow anxious.

He’s already poisoned and could face a battle against a great demon at any moment.

I don’t want to be another distraction for him."

Liu Yuanqing and Su Qinian exchanged a knowing glance.

Su Qinian let out a deep sigh, flicked his sleeve, and looked away.

Liu Yuanqing stroked his beard and nodded.

"That won’t be a problem. Your master really did pick a good disciple…

Leave the formation setup to me and the Pavilion Master.

For now, you should go sort and cleanse the spiritual herbs.

There’s still time before Zhongzhou Secret Realm opens, so just purify ten herbs a day—you’ll have plenty of time to finish."

Li Qingran bowed in thanks and returned to the house.

Su Qinian walked over to the bronze cauldron, tracing the dragon carvings along its surface with his fingers, and let out a bitter laugh.

"Liu old man, that senior is a Void Transcendence Realm cultivator. Even if he’s just sending an avatar, it’s still no joke.

Do you really think our formation can block his senses?"

"It should hold up. You know my formation skills."

Liu Yuanqing glanced at the small stone house, then at Su Qinian, who still looked worried, and sneered.

"Look at you, hesitating like a fool.

If you want to save that Void Transcendence Realm elder, this is the only way for now.

Even a junior like Qingran is willing to make sacrifices.

Don’t you dare drag your feet."

Su Qinian gritted his teeth and gripped the hilt of his sword, his expression dark.

"That damn Zhou Xuanzi… Just wait. If I ever catch him alone…"

A sharp sound rang out as his killing intent surged.

The ground beneath him cracked in interwoven lines of sword qi, forming hundreds of thin cuts.

Liu Yuanqing involuntarily shivered at the sheer pressure.

"Hell… Su old man, how many people have you actually killed?"

"Lost count."

—

"Chen! Huai! An!"

Lin Lingling kicked open the door and saw Chen Huai’an sitting perfectly fine on the couch.

She let out a long sigh of relief.

She had sprinted all the way up the stairs, not even waiting for the elevator.

Even though she wasn’t an ordinary person anymore, she was still out of breath.

Chen Huai’an glanced at her and chuckled.

"What’s up with you? Did it start raining outside?"

"Why the hell did you take that mission?!"

Lin Lingling pushed her sweaty bangs aside and stomped over, hands on her hips.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve just signed up for?!"

Chen Huai’an nodded.

"I know."

"Then why did you still take it?!"

"Because the bounty is high."

"Three white-rank Demon Slayers have already gone missing! And there’s zero confirmed intel! This mission is a complete death trap!"

"But the bounty is high."

"Arrrgh! You can’t cancel it once you’ve accepted it! Now what?! Now what?!"

"The. Bounty. Is. High."

"High bounty my ass! Are you gonna die if you don’t make money?!"

Lin Lingling glared at him, then collapsed onto the couch, completely out of energy.

"What’s the point of a high bounty if you don’t live long enough to spend it…"

"You just said it yourself. If I don’t make money, I won’t live long enough to spend anything at all.

I need money to survive."

Chen Huai’an stood up, grabbed his coat, and looked out at the city skyline.

Without turning back, he said calmly,

"If you’re scared, you don’t have to come."

He was now at Qi Refinement Stage 1.

He had the Blackscale Sword.

He still had some Thunderfire Talismans left.

More importantly, he had finally figured out how to properly use them.

And he had also learned one critical thing—

The talisman’s cinnabar inscriptions must never be contaminated by blood.

Now, he felt invincible.

"Who the hell are you calling scared?!"

Lin Lingling, unable to tolerate being provoked, exploded on the spot.

"Fine! Let’s go!

If anyone chickens out, they’re a damn dog!"

—

The two took a cab downtown.

The driver gave them a weird look when they mentioned the destination.

"What are you two going there for? That construction site’s been abandoned for ages. People say it’s haunted."

"Ah… We’re just going for a walk nearby. Not actually entering the site."

Hearing the word "haunted", Lin Lingling’s face paled instantly.

She had no issues with wolf demons or rat demons.

But she absolutely hated ghosts.

Even the weakest wandering spirit would have her running for the hills.

Was this mission actually going to involve an evil spirit infestation?

"Alright. Buckle up."

Lin Lingling glanced at Chen Huai’an and saw that he was playing with his phone again.

She had no idea why he found that thing so interesting.

What she didn’t know was—

His phone wasn’t just a phone.

Uncle Beard had deliberately kept that detail from her.

On his screen, Li Qingran was busy sorting spiritual herbs.

A massive cauldron had appeared outside her small house, though he had no clue what it was for.

Without disturbing her, he opened his Battle Order System.

With Li Qingran’s breakthrough to mid-Foundation Establishment, a new high-tier reward had appeared.

A glowing purple mystery box with a question mark on it.

As he claimed it, the box burst open, revealing a vein-like crystal.

[Five-Element Spiritual Root Mystery Box]

[Open to receive a random Five-Element Single Spiritual Root. Chance to obtain a rare spiritual root.]

Chen Huai’an’s eyes narrowed.

His heart pounded wildly.

The moment he stepped into Qi Refinement, he realized a harsh truth—

He had no Spiritual Root.

In the cultivation world, that meant he had the worst possible aptitude.

Forget entering major sects like Sword Pavilion or Qingyun Sect—

Even the smallest sects wouldn’t accept him.

The only reason he had managed to cultivate at all was because the Tideborn Technique was incredibly well-designed, and because Li Qingran had practically spoon-fed him every bit of knowledge.

But so what?

He didn’t have a Spiritual Root.

But his companion spirit sure knew how to take care of him.

"Let’s see what I get."

Chen Huai’an tapped the mystery box.