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Just as Tao Tingfeng was enjoying some kebabs, he happened to see a young man about his age entering the barbecue restaurant. The young man was filthy, dressed in tattered clothes, looking like a beggar from the streets.

"Excuse me, are you hiring here?" the dirty young man asked.

"I don’t ask for much, just the minimum wage is fine." The dirty young man saw that the barbecue shop was booming and figured they must be overwhelmed with work. This was his opportunity.

"Get out of here, you little beggar, we’re not hiring." The owner chased the young man away; after all, their shop was ostensibly a barbecue restaurant but secretly a stronghold of the Jiuyou Sect, so there was no way they could hire outsiders.

"I am not a beggar!" the young man shouted angrily.

What kind of person was he? If it were not for his bad luck and being robbed by villains, how could he have ended in such a plight and be mistaken for a beggar?

This was a profound humiliation!

The owner did not intend to listen to the young man any longer and directly grabbed him by the collar, tossing him out.

"Off you go."

The dirty young man felt the money in his pocket; all he had was enough to pay for lodgings, but not enough for a flying boat or a horse-drawn carriage to his destination.

He sighed, knowing that finding a job quickly was the most pressing matter.

Tao Tingfeng didn’t pay too much attention to the dirty young man’s plight and continued to focus on enjoying his kebabs.

Time flew by, and more than half a month had passed. Tao Tingfeng’s performance in the clan school became increasingly outstanding. He could answer all the questions that his clan uncle posed during lectures, and he even achieved a perfect score in the semi-annual school examination, earning the admiring glances of everyone.

In the past, Tao Tingfeng’s academic performance was at best above average, never exceptional, but with the help of Observing Chess True Monarch, his horizons and knowledge had been greatly enhanced. The content discussed by his clan uncle in classes was nothing more than the simplest introductory knowledge to him. Enjoy exclusive chapters from freewebnovel

"Cousin, you are so amazing!"

After class, many of the Tao Family disciples would gather around Tao Tingfeng, casting envious glances his way. With a modest smile, Tao Tingfeng would say it was just luck, and that he wouldn’t achieve such good results next time.

Those among the Tao Family disciples who had previously outperformed Tao Tingfeng looked at him with slightly envious eyes. What did it matter if he had good grades? The most important thing in cultivation wasn’t knowledge, but the Spirit Root!

The Observing Chess True Monarch also slowly recovered from his soul injury during this time. He had improved very slowly—from barely able to speak when he first met Tao Tingfeng, to now being able to speak more comfortably, just over a month later.

In fact, this was the normal recovery speed for cultivators.

The likes of Fairy Eternity, throughout the entire cultivation world, she was the only one.

Even the Four Ancient Immortals couldn’t achieve the level of vitality that Fairy Eternity displayed.

"True Monarch, can my Spirit Root really change through the shedding of Jin Chan?" Tao Tingfeng was most concerned about his Spirit Root at the moment.

The day for the family’s Spirit Root test was approaching, and he had learned about his own Spirit Root in advance from Observing Chess True Monarch.

A combination of Wood, Fire, and Earth Spirit Roots, he had Three Spirit Roots.

If it had been in the past, he would have been ecstatic; without doubt, it was the best Spirit Root in the clan.

But now things were different. With the broadening of his horizons through knowing Observing Chess True Monarch, he no longer wanted to confine himself to the small Tao Family.

Three Spirit Roots were far from enough.

"Of course, you can." In the Spiritual Space, right beside Observing Chess True Monarch, was the Jin Chan that had already merged with Tao Tingfeng.

Observing Chess True Monarch proudly said, "This Jin Chan is a relic left by an Ancient Cultivator who cultivated to the peak of the Transcendance Tribulation Stage. Had not that ancestor of Jin Chan met with a mishap, he might have even advanced a step further, becoming a legendary Semi-Immortal!"

"With the Jin Chan, it’s enough to transform your Three Spirit Roots into a Single Spiritual Root!"

"It’s even possible for you to attain an Immortal body."

Tao Tingfeng’s eyes shone upon hearing this; the thought of joining the Five Great Immortal Sects as a Single Spiritual Root ensured his future would be boundlessly bright!

"However, if you join an Immortal Sect, remember to hide your Spirit Root well," Observing Chess True Monarch instructed.

"Why is that?" Tao Tingfeng asked, puzzled.

Observing Chess True Monarch spoke with an air of disappointment, "It’s called concealing one’s capability. It is said that a tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. If you, as a Single Spiritual Root, join a sect, you will inevitably attract jealousy from your peers."

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"You should know, the larger the Great Sect, the more rampant the phenomenon of factionalism. Take Seek Dao Sect, for example, if you have a Single Spiritual Root, you would not only suffer oppression from your Senior Brothers, but even the Elders might lay their hands on you!"

"What, what should I do?"

With confidence, Grandmaster Guanqi said, "Easy. Jin Chan can help you conceal your Spirit Root. Unless someone at the Transcendence Tribulation Stage personally investigates, no one can see through your true spiritual foundation."

Tao Tingfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he remembered another problem, "Right, Grandmaster, you said before that you ended up in this state because someone was hunting you down. Who are they?"

"You currently lack any cultivation level; don’t worry about these issues. They’re too far removed for you. All you need to know is, you must hide my existence well and not let outsiders become aware of it."

"Okay." Without needing further reminders from Grandmaster Guanqi, Tao Tingfeng would have done so anyway.

Lu Yang, who was secretly observing, heard a reminder from Fairy Eternity.

"There are three from the Body Integration Realm rushing over here at high speed, and they have solid foundations."

"What?!" Lu Yang startled, could they be the enemies of Grandmaster Guanqi coming after him?

Grandmaster Guanqi stole a Jin Chan from a Great Yu Cultivator and killed two companions driven by greed. Whether for wealth or revenge, they would seek out Grandmaster Guanqi.

"Should I summon Eldest Senior Sister?"

Fairy Eternity waved her hand, "It won’t be a problem, just watch."

The three from the Body Integration Realm flew at a great speed, and everyone in Yanshan City saw them.

The three from the Body Integration Realm descended onto Yanshan, finding the spot where Grandmaster Guanqi had initially fallen.

The leader picked up a delicately crafted wooden box from the ground, which was the box that had previously contained the Jin Chan.

The leader calculated with his fingers, then suddenly turned his head, looking down at the city of Yanshan.

"Found you!"

Seeing the three Body Integration Realm cultivators flying over, Grandmaster Guanqi panicked, "Kid, run! The people hunting me are here!"

"Run, run where?"

"It doesn’t matter where, just run first and figure it out later!"

Obeying Grandmaster Guanqi’s instructions, Tao Tingfeng didn’t even bother to pack; he got up to run out the door.

A terrifying presence enveloped him, making him feel as though he was trapped in endless darkness. Even Grandmaster Guanqi in the Spiritual Space was too scared to move.

"Kid, I’m asking you, do you have another soul inside your body, or have you seen something similar to the Jin Chan?"

"No, no I haven’t." Tao Tingfeng forcibly calmed himself, offering a strained smile.

The leader frowned, unsatisfied with Tao Tingfeng’s response, but didn’t continue to release the terrifying aura, "Are you telling the truth, kid?"

"The truth." With the terrifying presence gone, Tao Tingfeng gasped for air.

He finally dared to look at the newcomers.

Three cultivators he didn’t recognize, undeniably powerful.

The leader looked at Tao Tingfeng, sighed, then said seriously,

"We are the Luoshui Guards. Grandmaster Guanqi, we are here to inform you that you are under arrest for the robbery of a Jin Chan from a certain Great Yu Cultivator, a suspected robbery crime."

The leader then turned his attention to Tao Tingfeng, "As for you, you are under arrest for concealing and covering up the proceeds of a crime and sheltering a criminal suspect."

The Luoshui Guards in Great Xia were specially tasked with handling evildoers from the demonic sects, cultivators who abused their power to bully others, and ancient cultivators who violated the law.

The leader, Lu Yang, and Meng Jingzhou both knew him; he was a friend of the Fifth Elder, one of the Nine Palaces of the Luoshui Guards who had been involved in arresting the Fifth Elder for street racing multiple times, Yu Qian.