During the genius selection period, participants had to remain present unless severely injured. As the eldest daughter of the Wei family and one of its leaders, Wei Chuying had to be there, even though her previous injury from the Ling family auction had not yet healed.
At this moment, thinking of the Wei family's current situation, Wei Chuying glared resentfully at Ling Luoyi, and her injured hand began to ache again.
The martial arts arena was generally circular, with tiered seating. The first tier served as a resting area for participants, the second for family members, and the third for general spectators.
Three staircases led to the first tier. For fairness, these staircases would be closed once the time was up, preventing anyone from entering or exiting.
The resting area below the high platform was for the judges. In Tianwu Kingdom, the right side was considered superior. Therefore, the royal family's resting area was to the right of the judges', and the Wei family's resting area was to the right of the royal family's. Other families were seated to the right of the Wei family according to their ranking. The Ling family, being last, had their resting area second to the left of the judges' resting area. The first area was for individual participants, and all individual participants were in this one.
Ling Luoyi sensed a resentful gaze upon her. She turned and met Wei Chuying's hateful eyes, then smiled at her gently.
Wei Chuying was startled when their eyes met. Seeing Ling Luoyi smile at her, she felt a chill run down her spine. Wei Chuying instinctively averted her gaze, wanting to retreat, but she was seated and could not move.
Wei Chutian sensed Wei Chuying's unease and asked with concern, "Yingying, what's wrong? Is your wound hurting again?"
"It's nothing, I'm fine."
Wei Chutian looked curiously in the direction Wei Chuying had been looking and paused.
Ling Luoyi? But she hadn't done anything.
Ling Luoyi saw Wei Chuying's reaction and sneered dismissively before turning her attention back to the Ling family disciples' tests.
The cultivation of the Ling family disciples had improved significantly in the past half-month. The audience, initially exclaiming in surprise, had since calmed down.
However, when Ling Luofu's test began, everyone was still puzzled.
Ling Luofu, under everyone's gaze, showed no signs of stage fright and calmly proceeded with her test.
After she completed the test, the scene fell silent for a moment before erupting like thunder from a clear sky.
"Isn't that the third young lady of the Ling family? Didn't she have no spiritual roots?!"
"That's right! I was there when she was tested. Back then, the Ling family was still the foremost of the five great families, and their direct descendant had no spiritual roots. That caused quite a stir! There's no mistake!"
...
As the crowd began to murmur, the individuals on the high platform also stood up, looking at Ling Luofu with disbelief.
The events of that year were widely known, and wherever Ling Luofu went, people would mock her. This was why she had been reluctant to leave her home. Even though the Ling family members did not ostracize her because of this, she could not overcome it herself.
Watching her younger brothers and sisters surpass her one by one, Ling Luofu felt increasingly ashamed and became timid.
Ling Luofu stared blankly at the characters appearing on the test stone pillar and couldn't help but shed tears.
She was finally no longer a disgrace to the Ling family.
"Third Sister! Third Sister, that's wonderful!" Ling Luoran shouted joyfully from below.
Ling Luofu looked at her, finally managing a relaxed smile.
The shackles that had been locked in her heart for years finally broke, and Ling Luofu felt a sense of relief. Suddenly, she felt her spiritual power fluctuate intensely.
She had experienced this feeling multiple times in the past half-month and was now familiar with it.
Ling Luoyi watched, raising an eyebrow.
This girl, truly...
Everyone stood stunned, watching Ling Luofu advance in cultivation.
Although Ling Luofu's advancement was rapid, after breaking through a major level, Ling Luoyi had helped her consolidate her cultivation. She had also spent more than three days in the Trial Tower, so her current advancement was as natural as flowing water, without any difficulty.
After successfully advancing, Ling Luofu asked the elder who was still in a daze beside her, "Elder, may I know if I have passed?"
"Passed, passed!" The elder snapped back to attention and announced loudly, "Ling Luofu, eighteen years old, cultivation level Postnatal Six, no, Postnatal Seven-star, with Gold, Wood, and Lightning attributes, High-grade spiritual root, mental strength level Intermediate-High!"
Ling Luofu bowed and stepped down.
Ling Huayu, watching from the stands, looked at the surrounding crowd, their eyes shining with a terrifying intensity. He once again felt fortunate that the Ling family had completed their relocation and now possessed teleportation talismans for survival, so they didn't have to worry about danger.
As for the branch families, their patriarchs had mostly arrived in Yunyuan City five days prior. Ling Huayu had informed them about the relocation, and they had all agreed. After placing the teleportation talismans, they had returned with their storage rings and talismans.
Judging by the time, they would likely return tomorrow.
He needed to get all family members into the small world before this news spread.
Half an hour later, all the tests were completed.
Ling Luoyi stood up and stretched.
On the testing platform, an elder stepped forward, channeled his spiritual energy, and announced, "All tests have been completed today. All participants who have reached the Postnatal realm and above are requested to be present in the rear area tomorrow at the Hour of the Snake."
"Yes!"
"Let's go."
"Luo'er, aren't you waiting for Grandpa?" Ling Luoyu asked as Ling Luoyi walked towards the arena gate.
"Third Brother, Grandpa and the others left long ago."
"Ah?!"
Ling Luoyu looked towards the Ling family's designated area in the stands and indeed, no one was there.
"Alright, let's go. We'll head back to the manor for dinner."
Upon returning to the Ling manor, Ling Luoyi stayed in Qingyin Pavilion, unaffected by the outside world's turmoil.
*
In Ling Huayu's study, Ling Huayu, Steward Liang Shu, and Chen Duanmian were conversing.
"Old Ling, what's going on with your third granddaughter? And your eldest grandson, how did his spiritual roots suddenly improve?" Chen Duanmian asked nervously.
"It was Luo'er's doing. According to the second girl, it's a tea given by the eldest girl, something called Kongling Tea. Old Chen, have you heard of it?"
"Kongling Tea? Never heard of it. Where did Eldest Girl get it?"
Ling Huayu sighed and looked at his old friend of over sixty years, saying helplessly, "Old Chen, it's not that I don't trust you, but some things are Luo'er's affairs, and I cannot tell you about them without her permission."
Chen Duanmian knew his old friend's character, so he wasn't disappointed. He said, "Old Ling, I know your temperament, but you must also realize that this matter absolutely cannot be kept secret!"
"I know, which is why the Ling family is preparing to go into seclusion."
"Seclusion?" Chen Duanmian was a bit surprised, but he quickly understood and said, "This is indeed the best arrangement for you all. By the way, what about your eldest grandson's matter?"
"I truly don't know about Chen'er's situation. I suspect only Luo'er in the entire family knows."
"It's that girl again. She really is the lucky star of your family."
"Indeed," Ling Huayu said with a hint of wistfulness. "But I wish Luo'er were just an ordinary child. Then she wouldn't have to suffer."
Chen Duanmian understood his meaning. Ling Luoyi was only eighteen years old, yet she possessed such strength and hidden trump cards that they were unaware of. She must have suffered greatly. However...
"Old Ling, if she were an ordinary child, she might not have returned."
Ling Huayu's expression froze, then he sighed, lamenting, "That's true."
If she were ordinary, she would have died in Luoxia Forest ten years ago, and she would only exist in his memories now.
"Old Ling, don't dwell on it too much. Let's resolve the immediate crisis first. What happened today will surely spread across the continent, and Luo Yatou's previous deterrence might not last long."
Kongling Tea, which could turn ordinary people into spiritual cultivators, and items that could enhance spiritual roots – the previous deterrence might not be very effective anymore!