Chunibyo in Cultivation World

Chapter 2: Heavenly Spiritual Root

Before the Spirit-Testing Stone stood Liu Lingming and Su Qingnuan, the emissaries sent by the Sacred Land of Lingxu to White Profound City for the annual disciple selection.

Looking at Li Tianwei, both of them felt the same familiar sense of weariness — they had met countless such fellows before.

But a spiritual root was not something one could possess merely by being clever or handsome.

They had seen far too many of these pampered young masters like Li Tianwei.

In the end, when the test revealed that they possessed no spiritual root, they would all drop their arrogant façades and collapse in despair, weeping on the ground.

Beneath the wooden platform, however, one person watched Li Tianwei with a mocking gaze.

Had Li Tianwei paid attention, he would have recalled that this fellow was his half-brother, Li Tianchen — the son of the same father but a different mother — of this body he had transmigrated into.

Due to their differing aptitudes, the two brothers were treated as worlds apart in the Li family.

“Master, are you sure he has a False Spiritual Root?”

At that moment, Li Tianchen was stroking the ring on his finger, communicating with the soul within.

“How could I be mistaken? Even if my strength now is but a ten-thousandth of what it once was, I can still see through a person’s innate talent. Otherwise, why do you think I chose you among the Li family?”

Hearing the voice from within the ring, Li Tianchen let out a small sigh of relief.

Just thinking of the vast difference between himself and Li Tianwei within the Li family made Li Tianchen feel a malicious pleasure.

He eagerly anticipated seeing the once highly favored Li Tianwei fall from grace and be trampled into the dust — what a beautiful sight that would be.

On the platform, Li Tianwei could feel the various gazes from below — some expectant, some jealous.

The more he felt them, the more resolute he became in his self-belief.

Looking at the Spirit-Testing Stone before him, Li Tianwei’s heart was utterly calm.

He already knew what the result would be — what was there to be nervous about?

Li Tianwei had firmly believed he was special, unlike anyone else.

Since he had transmigrated, he must surely possess a Heavenly Spiritual Root, the highest and strongest of aptitudes. Others were mere mortals, nothing more.

Thus, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Tianwei reached out and placed his hand upon the Spirit-Testing Stone.

The moment his palm touched it, he did exactly as the disciples of Lingxu Sacred Land had instructed — he closed his eyes and carefully felt for the flow of energy.

“Spiritual energy… spirit source…”

Li Tianwei muttered silently, his heart as tranquil as still water.

In his perception, faint five-colored motes floated in the air, mingled with tiny specks of strange hues.

Within his body, the System naturally detected Li Tianwei’s state.

“I told you, you’re a False Spiritual Root! Even the spiritual energy doesn’t draw near you.”

Li Tianwei ignored it, muttering in his heart,

“I am a Heavenly Spiritual Root. I am a Heavenly Spiritual Root…”

As Li Tianwei continued his quiet chanting, the little lights still showed no reaction. Yet, beneath his hand, the Spirit-Testing Stone suddenly began to respond.

Whoosh—

A gust of cold wind swept by.

Li Tianwei felt the glow spreading under his palm, and he already knew the result.

He slowly opened his eyes, turned away without surprise, and clasped his hands behind his back.

His face radiated confidence and pride — he didn’t even bother to look at the stone.

Such a demeanor left everyone astonished; from this alone, they could already gauge his personality — sheer arrogance and conceit.

At this moment, the Spirit-Testing Stone emitted a faint five-colored glow — elegant, but ordinary.

Liu Lingming observed the color and brightness upon the stone and understood the result.

Perhaps influenced by Li Tianwei’s confidence, a hint of pity flashed in his eyes.

He raised his hand, about to announce the outcome.

“False—”

Suddenly, the five-colored light converged and fused, bursting into a blinding pure white radiance.

In an instant, the entire sky above White Profound City was illuminated, sweeping across heaven and earth.

Everyone in the plaza held their breath, staring up at the figure standing upon the platform.

Dressed in white robes embroidered with golden silk, bathed in divine light — a sacred and unparalleled presence.

Liu Lingming, who had almost blurted out “False Spiritual Root,” froze, staring at the Spirit-Testing Stone in disbelief.

“Hea… Heavenly… Spiritual Root…”

He wasn’t the only one stunned.

The same look of utter disbelief filled the eyes of everyone present — including, most absurdly, the System inside Li Tianwei’s body.

After all, the System had already scanned Li Tianwei’s aptitude countless times, always concluding the same result: he was undoubtedly a False Spiritual Root.

But now, the Spirit-Testing Stone displayed a *Heavenly Spiritual Root*!

How could it not be shocked?

Without hesitation, the System performed several more scans.

“Impossible! Impossible! The data’s clear — he’s a False Spiritual Root! How could the stone detect a Heavenly Spiritual Root? The stone must be defective!”

After multiple scans, it reluctantly reached that conclusion.

Li Tianchen’s ring-bound soul thought the same.

He had been startled by the Heavenly Spiritual Root result, but upon checking again with his spiritual sense, he confirmed without a doubt — Li Tianwei was indeed a False Spiritual Root.

“The Spirit-Testing Stone is broken.”

Seeing Li Tianchen about to question it, the soul inside the ring replied flatly.

“Li Tianwei — Heavenly Spiritual Root.”

Liu Lingming swallowed hard as he stared at the fading glow upon the stone and finally shouted the result.

Never had he imagined that this small White Profound City — which the Sacred Land of Lingxu had nearly abandoned — could hide such a dragon among men.

Standing with his hands behind his back, facing the crowd, Li Tianwei showed not a trace of surprise.

“I told you, I am a Heavenly Spiritual Root — so I am.”

Feeling the countless gazes of shock, disbelief, and envy upon him, Li Tianwei felt nothing unfamiliar.

In his previous life, he had been “that other family’s child.” Such looks were all too common.

If he had to describe what he felt, there was only one answer:

“This is how it should be. I, Li Tianwei — open my eyes, and the day dawns; close them, and night falls. I’ve even transmigrated with a trash System — if I’m not the protagonist, then who is?”

Li Tianwei waved his hand lightly.

“Next.”

Just one word — yet it revealed his unshakable arrogance. And none dared to object.

Though few in White Profound City truly understood cultivators, even they could tell from the Spirit-Testing Stone’s reaction that Li Tianwei’s aptitude was extraordinary.

As for the two disciples from the Sacred Land of Lingxu, they had no complaints about his haughty manner.

It was a *Heavenly Spiritual Root*! The potential for immortality itself! Even in the Sacred Land of Lingxu, there were only a few such geniuses — each a personal disciple of the Grand Elders.

If all went well, Li Tianwei would directly become a personal disciple upon entering the sect.

To cling to such a figure would be to never lack resources again.

So in their eyes, what was wrong with him being arrogant? Perfectly natural! Every direct disciple of the Sacred Land of Lingxu was outrageously proud.

“Senior Brother Li! Over here, over here—”

Liu Lingming shamelessly called out first.

Su Qingnuan, relying on her identity as a female cultivator, was even quicker to approach.

“Senior Brother Li.”

At the same time, both silently cursed the other in their hearts.

*“Shameless.”*