"Send him to the West Academy!" Overseer Gu's face lit up with a hint of joy. Every genius was taken very seriously at the Heavenly Spirit Academy.
If a genius with a Heavenly Spirit Root appeared, even Overseer Gu himself would receive a reward.
"What's the difference between the West Academy, the South Academy, and the North Academy?"
Xiao Yu explained, "The North Academy is the worst. Generally, the Feathered God Sect won't accept anyone below a fifth-grade Human Spirit Root, but some children whose parents are within the Feathered God Sect can't be expelled, so they get sent to the North Academy."
Lu Piao understood. In other words, the North Academy only took in useless second-generation kids. As for outsiders like them, if they tested below a fifth-grade Human Spirit Root, they wouldn't even qualify for the North Academy.
"The South Academy is a bit better — usually for those with a fifth-grade Human Spirit Root or above, but below the ninth grade. As for the West Academy, it's the best academy you can currently attend. Geniuses with Earth Spirit Roots or Heavenly Spirit Roots are all sent to the West Academy. I'm still there myself. If your cultivation improves quickly enough in the West Academy and you have sufficient potential, you'll be sent to the East Academy."
"Then what about the Middle Academy?" Lu Piao asked.
"The Middle Academy..." Xiao Yu paused for a moment, then said after a brief silence, "It's a very mysterious place. No one really knows what it's like. Everything about it is classified — outsiders aren't allowed to pry. Only the super geniuses of the East Academy are qualified to be sent there. That's where the Feathered God Sect's true backbone lies."
He glanced ahead — the spirit root testing was about to begin. Nie Li had a fair sense of his own talent. In his previous life, he had tested as a seventh-grade Earth Spirit Root. It wasn't particularly strong, but it was still above average. Spirit roots represented a person's cultivation talent and were related to things like soul resilience — they were extremely difficult to change under normal circumstances. He figured that in this life, he'd probably still be a seventh-grade Earth Spirit Root.
Time passed. Several dozen more people were tested ahead of them.
"Young masters, it's time for your people," Overseer Gu said to Xiao Yu and
"Just follow Overseer Gu's instructions — we're merely observers," Hua Ling replied from the side with a smile.
Overseer Gu nodded slightly and pointed at someone. "You, step up for the test." This person came from the Minor Heavenly Origin World — a young man in his twenties wearing a purple robe.
The young man walked forward and, following the guidance of two instructors under Overseer Gu, slowly placed his hand on a round crystal ball roughly the size of a millstone. The ball was completely clear and transparent. He gradually channeled his own power into it.
The crystal ball began to emit a faint glow, which grew brighter and brighter. Fine threads appeared within it, shimmering with a light orange luster, spreading out into six filaments.
"Earth Spirit Root, sixth grade — not bad. Send him to the West Academy," Overseer Gu said with a nod and a smile.
Hua Ling walked over to the young man and patted him on the shoulder. "Well done!"
The young man nodded respectfully, stepped back behind Hua Ling, and showed not a trace of pride on his face.
The instructors continued testing the remaining candidates.
"Earth Spirit Root, third grade — West Academy."
"Earth Spirit Root, seventh grade — West Academy."
Three in a row tested as Earth Spirit Roots, and all were sent to the West Academy.
The geniuses behind them buzzed with discussion.
"Those from the Minor Heavenly Origin World are really something! So many people were tested before, and nine out of ten had Human Spirit Roots — only one or two out of ten had Earth Spirit Roots. But out of these three from the Minor Heavenly Origin World, every single one tested as an Earth Spirit Root!"
"Yeah, and one of them was a seventh-grade Earth Spirit Root! That's already extremely rare!"
Hua Ling's lips curled slightly upward. The Minor Heavenly Origin World had always produced outstanding talent — how could other places compare?
"You, come up for the test!" Overseer Gu pointed at Guan Yu.
"Yes." Guan Yu nodded and, guided by the two instructors, walked up to the crystal ball. He slowly placed his hand on its surface.
After hearing Xiao Yu's explanation, he knew this crystal ball would determine his fate, so he was a bit nervous.
As time passed, the crystal ball began to emit a faint glow that gradually grew brighter. Light red threads appeared inside, slowly branching out into nine strands.
"Human Spirit Root, ninth grade — send him to the South Academy," Overseer Gu said after glancing at Guan Yu. A ninth-grade Human Spirit Root wasn't bad, but it wasn't outstanding either.