Immortal Mansion: With mediocre qualifications, I have no choice but to live forever

The disciple in charge of testing spiritual roots took a palm-sized array plate from the side and pointed at the center of the array plate.

The next moment, a huge five-element formation appeared in everyone's sight.

This five-element formation slowly rotates in the air, colorfully, and the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire and earth complement each other, forming a breathtaking picture.

"Stand in the formation, relax your mind, and try your best to feel the five elements of spiritual energy around you."

Zhao Tonglai took a deep breath and stepped into the magnificent five elements formation as instructed.

The formation seemed to have a soul. As he entered, the light became more intense and the five elemental forces began to flow slowly around him, trying to resonate with the spiritual roots in his body.

Everyone was looking forward to it, except Zhou Yiqiao, who shook his head and quietly left the platform.

Seeing this, Du Yiling hurriedly followed Zhou Yiqiao's footsteps and asked hesitantly.

"Senior, have you seen through this boy's spiritual roots and feel that he doesn't have much talent for cultivation?"

The Stepping Moon Immortal Sect is a sect in Central Continent after all. Although it is only a Nascent Soul force, its knowledge reserves regarding cultivation are much higher than those of the Nascent Soul sects in other continents.

As the elder of the sect, Du Yiling is familiar with most of the cultivation texts and secrets of the Moon-Stepping Immortal Sect. Naturally, he knows some of the powerful ones. He can observe with the naked eye whether an ordinary person has the potential for cultivation, and even infer the attributes of his spiritual roots.

When he saw Zhou Yiqiao's behavior, he thought that he had seen through Zhao Tonglai's inferior spiritual roots, so he didn't want to watch any further.

However, Zhou Yiqiao's answer was beyond Du Yiling's expectations.

"No, Zhao Tonglai's spiritual roots are not bad at all, and he may even have a water-attributed spiritual root constitution."

When Du Yiling heard this, a hint of ecstasy flashed in his eyes.

The importance of a cultivator with natural spiritual roots to a sect is self-evident.

Their cultivation speed far exceeds that of ordinary people, and they are almost invincible among the same level. They are also excellent seedlings for reaching higher levels in the future.

If the Stepping Moon Immortal Sect could obtain this genius, it would be able to greatly enhance the sect's strength. Perhaps it could also take this opportunity to stand out among the many sects in Central Continent, and even strive for a higher level of sect status.

But after his joy, he quickly realized that there was something more to Zhou Yiqiao's words, so he asked again.

"Then why did you leave early, Senior?"

"Is there any variable in this?"

Zhou Yiqiao stopped and returned his gaze to Zhao Tonglai. His eyes were as dark as the abyss, with almost no light showing through.

"I just feel that this person's spiritual roots are abnormally weak, like rootless duckweed, very unstable."

Du Yiling was confused and wanted to ask something, but he saw Zhou Yiqiao had already stepped into the hall.

"The Zhao family is extremely important to me. Since you have agreed to let Zhao Tong come to test his spiritual roots, I guess you have already infiltrated the Zhao family, right?"

There was something hidden in Zhou Yiqiao's voice.

Du Yiling's heart trembled, realizing that he might have touched upon some sensitive topics, so he quickly collected his thoughts and answered cautiously.

"Senior, you are too polite. After all, he is a possible disciple of the sect, so it is better to investigate his family more clearly."

Zhou Yiqiao did not comment. He threw the Zhao family information that Du Yiling had just given him back on the table and said lightly.

"The Moon-Stepping Immortal Sect has been able to infiltrate the Zhao family, but the information they have obtained is still so one-sided."

"Should I say that you, the Moon-Stepping Immortal Sect, are incompetent and can't even investigate a family in the mortal world? Or are you so bold that you dare to hide something from me!?"

Zhou Yiqiao's voice was like thunder, shaking Du Yiling's heart. He quickly knelt on the ground, with cold sweat on his forehead, and explained.

"Senior, please calm down. The Moon-Stepping Immortal Sect would never dare to conceal anything."

"Although the Zhao family is a mortal family, it has a deep foundation and has been acting more and more low-key in recent years. Although my sect is willing to investigate, it is difficult to touch its core secrets."

"The information presented is indeed the most detailed that we have been able to collect. If there are any omissions, I hope you will forgive me."

Zhou Yiqiao snorted coldly, staring at Du Yiling with a sharp gaze, as if trying to read more sincerity from his eyes.

After a moment, he exhaled slowly, his tone slightly slower.

"Forget it, let's not discuss this matter for now."

"But you must pay close attention to Zhao Tonglai's situation."

“Although his spiritual roots are gifted, they are also accompanied by strange phenomena. I am afraid that he is not a common thing, or... it is either a blessing or a curse.”

"As for the Zhao family's information, I will make a decision after your sect leader sends me the sect's information."

Du Yiling let out a long sigh and bowed towards Zhou Yiqiao's receding back.

"Yes, I will follow the teachings of my predecessors."

......

After parting with Du Yiling, Zhou Yiqiao, led by a disciple of the Stepping Moon Immortal Sect, moved into the most luxurious temporary cave in the palace.

He raised his hand and cast several prohibitions. After confirming that there was no monitoring formation in the room, Zhou Yiqiao sat on the edge of the bed and let out a long breath.

He could clearly feel that Du Yiling didn't take his worries about Zhao Tonglai to heart at all.

"After all the calculations, you still have to rely on yourself."

After muttering something in a low voice, Zhou Yiqiao's figure suddenly disappeared in the room.

......

In Zhuzhou City, Zhao Tonglai finished the test and returned to the gate of Zhao Mansion surrounded by many young men.

"Brother Zhao was found to have a top-grade water spirit root today. From now on, he will join the immortal sect and pursue the path of immortality."

"Yes, Brother Zhao, are we going to have a big banquet to celebrate today?"

Zhao Tonglai stood in front of the Zhao Mansion, looking at the group of enthusiastic friends in front of him, the joy in his heart was also beyond words.

"Thank you all for your congratulations, but today's happiness is not my own achievement. I need to thank my family for their training and the Immortal Sect for their favor."

"Zhao will return to the sect to report the good news to my father and others. Before leaving Zhuzhou City, I will definitely invite all my friends to a banquet to celebrate together."

The group of young men were also sensible people. Seeing that Zhao Tonglai was in a hurry to go home, they did not try to keep him. They bowed and said goodbye, leaving together.

Zhao Tonglai stood in front of the Zhao Mansion, watching his former playmates disappear at the end of the street. Suddenly, he stopped smiling and entered the Zhao Mansion.

The gate of the Zhao Mansion slowly closed, and Zhou Yiqiao quietly walked out from a corner.

"Sure enough, there is something strange about Zhao Tonglai."

Zhou Yiqiao pondered in his heart, and a barely perceptible sharpness flashed in his eyes.

He did not rashly follow Zhao Tong into the Zhao Mansion, but instead quietly walked around the high wall of the Zhao Mansion.

As the night deepened, the moonlight was like water, sprinkling on the quaint eaves of the Zhao Mansion, adding a bit of mystery to the mansion.

Zhou Yiqiao circulated his spiritual power and released his spiritual consciousness, expanding his perception to the extreme, trying to capture any subtle fluctuations in spiritual power or unusual auras.

Suddenly, a weak but strange fluctuation of spiritual power came from a side room in the backyard of the Zhao Mansion.

This fluctuation of spiritual power was not particularly strong, but in Zhuzhou City where mortals gathered, it was an extremely obvious abnormality.

Zhou Yiqiao's mind moved, and with a flash of his body, he quietly approached the side room.

He quietly opened the window and peeked inside.

I saw the candlelight flickering in the room, and Zhao Tonglai was reaching out to touch an old scroll in the room.

There was nothing special about the scroll itself, but the secret passage hidden behind it could not escape the eyes of Zhou Yiqiao, a cultivator.

Zhao Tonglai's finger lightly touched the mechanism, and the scroll slowly moved away, revealing a hidden little door.

He took a deep breath, as if he was making some important decision, and then pushed the door open.

Zhou Yiqiao frowned, feeling even more confused.

He quickly adjusted his breathing, and his figure turned into a faint shadow again, following in silently.

Behind the door is a long and narrow tunnel. The stone walls on both sides are inlaid with faint luminous pearls, bringing a ray of light to this dark space.

Zhao Tonglai walked along the tunnel, taking cautious steps without stopping for a moment. It was obvious that he was very familiar with this road.

Zhou Yiqiao followed closely behind, speculating secretly in his heart.

What secrets does the Zhao family hide?

Before Zhao Tonglai's spiritual roots were detected, his status in the Zhao family was not honorable. How could he know and enter and exit such a secret passage freely?

Is this inextricably linked to his spiritual roots that are gifted with extraordinary talents but also accompanied by strange phenomena?

At the end of the tunnel is a secret room with simple decorations.

In the center of the room stands an ancient altar, on which is enshrined a statue of a peculiar shape.

The layout of the altar seems particularly strange. There are four heads placed around it. The facial expressions of these heads are different. Some are ferocious, some are calm, some are full of fear, and some seem to have a smile of relief.

These heads are both new and old, and judging from the degree of their decay, they were obviously not placed here at the same time.

The oldest skull was reduced to nothing but bones, while the newest skull still had flesh, blood and hair, clearly having been there only a short time ago.

The way these heads are arranged makes it seem like part of some evil ritual and it is chilling.

When Zhou Yiqiao saw this scene, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

He could sense that the altar before him was definitely not a good one. It was very likely to involve some forbidden cultivation method, or even some evil practice.

Just as Zhou Yiqiao was shocked, Zhao Tonglai had already walked to the altar. His eyes swept over the four heads and finally stopped on the head that still had a trace of flesh and blood.

He reached out, carefully picked up the head, and placed it on an empty seat on the altar.

Afterwards, Zhao Tonglai sat cross-legged in front of the altar, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.

As he practiced, the head on the altar began to emit a faint light.

These lights were extremely cold, and after appearing, they quickly gathered on Zhao Tonglai.

Zhou Yiqiao watched as Zhao Tonglai's face turned extremely pale, but the fluctuations of spiritual energy in his body began to gradually increase. Under the illumination of this strange light, his fragile water spirit roots gradually became solid and pure, as if they had been re-tempered by some kind of power.