"Heavenly Calamity."
"Spiritual Root."
"Spiritual Energy."
"So that's it, so that's how it is..."
Within the territory of the Heavenly Sword Sect, in a cultivation market.
Xu Xi flipped through the ancient book in his hand, reading each word carefully. After closing his eyes for a long time, a bitter expression appeared on his face.
He had never imagined that bringing the girl to the Heavenly Sword Sect would endanger her life.
Although the ancient book stated that spiritual energy was omnipresent, and even in the areas with the lowest concentration of spiritual energy, the Heavenly Calamity would not allow anyone to live past the age of forty.
Although Xu Xi had no knowledge of the Heavenly Calamity from the beginning, he had brought the girl along with the intention of protecting her.
Although Mo Li, with her character, would never blame Xu Xi, her elder brother.
But.
"A mistake is a mistake."
Xu Xi sighed inwardly. His haggard face, worn from years of rushing and busyness, now looked even more desolate.
Uneasiness...
Guilt...
Regret...
If one only knew how to shift the blame after making a mistake, then who could Xu Xi possibly shift the blame to?
To his sister, who had always trusted him since childhood?
Or to the spiritual energy of the world, which operated without self-awareness?
It was too ridiculous, wasn't it?
"I'm really not a good elder brother..." Xu Xi's mood was somewhat dismal. He summoned his flying sword and headed straight for the Heavenly Sword Sect.
The mistake had already been made, and his sister's Heavenly Calamity had arrived.
Fortunately, there was a way to remedy it in the ancient book.
The so-called Heavenly Calamity was essentially the curse of being naturally attuned to spiritual energy, but lacking a Spiritual Root, which turned this gift into a nightmare.
Thus, the solution was simple.
Allow the person afflicted by the Heavenly Calamity to gain a Spiritual Root and begin cultivation.
"I've never heard of a way to give a mortal a Spiritual Root. I hope Master has a solution," Xu Xi frowned while standing on his flying sword, the wind and clouds swirling around him.
Although there were methods of possession in the cultivation world, they were essentially just switching to a body that already had a Spiritual Root.
If it were truly possible to create a Spiritual Root from nothing, or to transplant one,
the number of cultivators wouldn't be so scarce.
...
【You learned about your sister's illness and rushed back to Forest Sword Peak as quickly as possible. However, instead of returning to your own cave dwelling, you flew directly to the peak of the mountain and entered Forest Sword Hall】
【This is the secluded cultivation place of your Master, Li Wanshou】
【At the same time, this is the second time you have visited Forest Sword Hall for personal matters】
【The first time, you came to ask Master Li Wanshou about your sister's illness. This time, you want to ask about how to create a Spiritual Root to help your sister truly recover】
【You entered Forest Sword Hall and saw Li Wanshou. You directly stated your purpose and sought the method to create a Spiritual Root】
【Your Master regards you as his successor and has always been accommodating, but this time, even the Nascent Soul stage cultivator couldn't give you the answer you wanted】
"I have lived for over a thousand years, and I have never heard of a method to create a Spiritual Root after birth. Spiritual Roots are naturally formed; human effort cannot change that."
"Perhaps only the legendary Immortals can accomplish such a feat."
In the hall at the peak of Forest Sword Peak, an ethereal old man stroked his beard and sighed, "Disciple, it's not that I am unwilling to help you. Even a Deity Transformation stage cultivator would be powerless to solve this."
Xu Xi remained silent, only continuing to bow.
The old man continued, "You have this stubborn nature... Sigh, I heard that in ancient times, there was a method called External Spiritual Root."
"Using the essence of heaven and earth to replace the naturally born Spiritual Root and assist in cultivation, but this method is almost impossible to achieve."
Why is it impossible?
Because it's too difficult!
The treasures of heaven and earth are so rare that even great experts barely have enough for themselves, let alone spare any to create a Spiritual Root for a mortal.
Even the Heavenly Sword Sect, a Nascent Soul stage sect, doesn't possess such treasures.
Xu Xi understood the difficulty.
It was hard, but it was still a way out.
"Thank you, Master," Xu Xi sincerely thanked and left, leaving the old man watching his back with a long sigh, as if lamenting something, or perhaps reminiscing about something.
...
【Learning about the existence of the External Spiritual Root method, you were extremely excited】
【After returning to your cave dwelling, you set up a Spirit Locking Formation for your sister, which greatly alleviated her suffering and extended her life】
【She still looked at you with warm and trusting eyes, believing in you, relying on you】
【You began searching for treasures of heaven and earth】
【The process of your search was extremely difficult】
【Lower-grade treasures were not enough to serve as an External Spiritual Root, while higher-grade treasures were far beyond the reach of a quasi-Golden Core cultivator like you】
【You started seeking self-salvation, continuously researching and exploring to find other possibilities for an External Spiritual Root, such as using formations or artifacts】
【You overdrew your energy, triggering a Blood Awakening, and your mastery of the Four Arts of Cultivation improved】
【You overdrew your vitality, triggering a Blood Awakening, and your mastery of the Four Arts of Cultivation improved】
【You overdrew your soul, triggering a Blood Awakening, and your mastery of the Four Arts of Cultivation improved】
【You overdrew...】
【Overdrew...】
One failure after another, one restart after another.
Countless hardships made Xu Xi consider giving up, but every time he thought of that pair of trusting eyes, he gained the motivation to continue.
But reality was too cruel.
The External Spiritual Root method was like a floating log for a drowning person.
Just as a glimmer of hope for survival appeared, the next moment, a monstrous wave would ruthlessly drag the person back into the depths of the sea.
With Xu Xi's current quasi-Golden Core cultivation, he simply didn't have the strength to touch or possess such high-grade treasures, let alone shape them into an External Spiritual Root.
If one had to say.
What treasure Xu Xi had by his side was... himself.
A Wood Attribute Spiritual Root, the opposite of the Heavenly Calamity. A Spiritual Root was practically the favor of the heavens, and even though Xu Xi had neglected his cultivation over the years, he was about to step into the Golden Core stage without any hindrance.
As for the Four Arts of Cultivation... Xu Xi had clearly overestimated the upper limit of his talent. Even with continuous Blood Awakening, his level was far from being able to create an External Spiritual Root.
"Perhaps I should change my approach and focus on improving my own strength first."
After multiple failures,
Xu Xi had such a thought.
He no longer insisted on creating an External Spiritual Root, but instead focused his attention on his own cultivation. He closed himself in for intense training, consuming large amounts of pills, and had just broken through to the late-stage Foundation Establishment less than two years ago, yet he directly broke through to the Golden Core stage.
At an age of less than thirty, he became the youngest Golden Core cultivator in the sect's history.
And he awakened his innate divine ability,
【Wood Regeneration】
This was a divine ability with extremely strong survivability, capable of consuming Golden Core mana to release an overwhelming vitality, restoring severed limbs and broken bones without issue.
When the vitality reached a certain level, it would become even more miraculous, having a nourishing effect on Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators, capable of healing the soul and curing hidden wounds.
To be honest,
This was a divine ability that could allow one to dominate the cultivation world.
Combined with the cultivation speed of a Spiritual Root, anyone would inevitably become a top powerhouse in the cultivation world in the future.
But Xu Xi saw even more possibilities within it, a way to save Xu Moli.