“Second Uncle?” Wang Baoling’s face was full of surprise.
He searched through his memories for a long time, but still couldn’t remember when he had acquired a second uncle.
“I apprenticed myself to an immortal master and began cultivating from a young age. I never came back, and these past few years I’ve only kept in touch with your father through letters!” Wang Lin explained.
“So that’s how it is. Second Uncle, come in and sit down!” Wang Baoling hurriedly gestured for him to enter.
Wang Lin nodded and turned to enter the courtyard.
Looking at the dilapidated house, Wang Lin let out a sigh.
“Is there no one left in the Wang family but you?”
“That’s right!” Wang Baoling replied.
“What are you planning to do in the future?”
“I’m planning to cultivate toward immortality!” Wang Baoling answered honestly.
“Have you thought it through?”
“I have. I just don’t know whether my aptitude will allow me to cultivate.” Wang Baoling spoke with a helpless look on his face.
“Tomorrow, I’ll test your aptitude. Even if you can’t cultivate, you can come back with me to the Xu family and manage the Spirit Garden.”
“Okay!”
With that, Wang Baoling quickly cleaned up the room next door.
“Second Uncle, you’ll have to make do for one night tonight!” Wang Baoling said.
“No need. I’m at the sixth level of Qi Refining. I could go a month without sleeping and still be fine!”
“Second Uncle, could you tell me about the cultivation world?” Wang Baoling asked, his face full of curiosity.
“The cultivation world is also called the world of cultivation. ‘Immortals’ are still far too distant from us!”
“Your second uncle is currently a guest elder of the Xu family in Qingzhou Prefecture!”
“So you weren’t recruited by an immortal academy or immortal sect after all!” A trace of disappointment appeared on Wang Baoling’s face.
“The entire Western Regions Continent has a rule: to establish a sect, there must be a Core Formation cultivator standing guard, or ten Foundation Establishment cultivators.”
“There’s only one Core Formation cultivator in all of Qingzhou Prefecture, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators are extremely rare. Within Qingyang City, Qingzhou Prefecture is considered a rather mediocre place.”
“The Xu family has only two Foundation Establishment cultivators, yet they can dominate all of Qingzhou. Doesn’t that tell you how powerful they are?”
After hearing his second uncle’s explanation, Wang Baoling nodded, then asked, “Second Uncle, could you give me an overview of the basics of the cultivation world?”
“We live in Qingzhou Prefecture, which falls under the jurisdiction of Qingyang City. As far as I know, the Western Regions Continent has three cities in total: Qingyang City, Blackwater City, and Wanli City.”
“There are many places like Qingzhou Prefecture within Qingyang City, such as neighboring Xuzhou Prefecture and Qingzhou Prefecture, among others!”
“But enough about that. I’ll tell you about the cultivation realms. This is something you absolutely need to understand!”
“They are, respectively, the Qi Refining stage, which has thirteen levels in total: the first three levels are the early stage, levels four through six are the middle stage, levels seven through nine are the late stage, and levels ten through thirteen are the grand completion stage.
“After that come Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Deity Transformation. Each is divided into the early stage, middle stage, late stage, and grand completion stage!”
“As for the cultivation realms after Deity Transformation, I don’t know. They’re too far beyond our reach.”
“Your second uncle is only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. In Qingzhou, I’m considered a lower-middle-level cultivator.”
After hearing his second uncle’s explanation, Wang Baoling gained a basic understanding of the cultivation world.
“Don’t underestimate the sixth level of Qi Refining. If I remain free of illness and injury, I can live to eighty. Reaching the late stage of Qi Refining lets one live to a hundred, while the grand completion stage lets one live to a hundred and thirty.”
“What about the Foundation Establishment stage?” Wang Baoling asked curiously.
“The early stage grants two hundred years, the middle stage three hundred, and the late stage four hundred. At the peak of Foundation Establishment, one can live for five hundred years!”
“Three hundred years? Five hundred years? Then a Core Formation cultivator can live for a thousand years, right?” Wang Baoling said, his face full of longing.
“That’s right. They really can live for a thousand years, provided they don’t suffer injuries or encounter any danger!”
“However, cultivation requires a Spirit Root. Those without one simply cannot cultivate!”
At this, worry appeared on Wang Lin’s face as he looked toward Wang Baoling.
His elder brother and sister-in-law had no Spirit Roots, so the chances of Baoling having one were not great.
“Second Uncle, my parents didn’t have Spirit Roots, did they?” Wang Baoling asked curiously.
“That’s right. Your father and mother had no Spirit Roots. But you don’t need to worry. I have a Spirit Root, which proves that not everyone in the Wang family’s bloodline is a Muggle!”
“Still, don’t worry. Even if you don’t have a Spirit Root, I’ll teach you how to grow spirit medicines!” Wang Lin said.
Wang Baoling glanced out the window and said, “Second Uncle, dawn is almost here. Why don’t you help me test my aptitude?”
Looking at Wang Baoling’s resolute expression, Wang Lin nodded. He was afraid Baoling wouldn’t be able to face the reality of having no Spirit Root.
Wang Lin let out a sigh and took out a dim green crystal.
“Don’t be nervous. Put your hand on the Spirit Testing Stone.”
Wang Baoling took a deep breath. The moment that would determine his fate had arrived. He held his breath and placed his hand on the Spirit Testing Stone.
Whoosh!
A faint spiritual light flickered.
When he saw this, an ecstatic look appeared on Wang Lin’s face.
“Baoling, you have a Spirit Root! And the Spirit Testing Stone lit up so quickly. You might not have a Five-Element Spirit Root!” Wang Lin’s face was full of delight.
A trace of ecstasy also appeared on Wang Baoling’s face, but with the experience and composure of two lifetimes, he quickly calmed himself.
Wang Lin immediately took a finely crafted bronze compass from his storage pouch. Its surface was covered in dense runes, and exquisite crystals were set around its edges.
“Quickly, place your hand on the compass. I want to see exactly what kind of Spirit Root you have!”
Wang Baoling nodded and immediately placed his hand on the compass.
Whoosh!
The crystals on the compass quickly lit up.
The smile vanished from Wang Lin’s face, replaced by a solemn expression.
Completely confused, Wang Baoling asked, “Second Uncle, what kind of Spirit Root do I have?”
“You have a Five-Element Spirit Root,” Wang Lin explained.
Even more confused, Wang Baoling asked, “Second Uncle, could you tell me about the different levels of Spirit Root aptitude?”
“It’s all right. Don’t worry. Your aptitude is a little better than mine,” Wang Lin said.
Hearing this, Wang Baoling breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought he wouldn’t be able to cultivate.
“Spirit Roots are also called spirit veins. The fewer elements a Spirit Root has, the better the aptitude. There are Heaven Spirit Roots, dual Spirit Roots, three-element Spirit Roots, four-element Spirit Roots, and then Five-Element Spirit Roots. As for some of the Spirit Roots mentioned in legends, I’ve never seen them, so I don’t know anything about them.”
“I have a Five-Element Spirit Root too. Yours is slightly better because one of the five elements in your Spirit Root is a waste Spirit Root. If that waste Spirit Root were removed, you would have a four-element Spirit Root.”
“However, removing a waste Spirit Root requires an ancestor at the Nascent Soul stage or above to act, along with a huge quantity of spirit pills and medicines!”
“Only if someone has a dual, three-element, or four-element Spirit Root is removing the waste Spirit Root worth it.”
“For someone like you with a Five-Element Spirit Root, removing the waste spirit vein isn’t worth much. Even if it were removed and you advanced to a four-element Spirit Root, the resources consumed would be enough for a Five-Element Spirit Root cultivator to break through to the peak of Foundation Establishment. In fact, those resources could even allow a lucky Five-Element Spirit Root cultivator to form a Core!”
After hearing Wang Lin’s explanation, Wang Baoling understood clearly. Unless he encountered some great opportunity, he would have a Five-Element Spirit Root for his entire life, with no chance of removing the waste Spirit Root.
“But don’t be discouraged. A Five-Element Spirit Root can still be cultivated, and you still have a chance of reaching Foundation Establishment!” Wang Lin comforted him.