"Stealing an Immortal Seedling is a crime worse than defying the Upper Sect or colluding with the Demon Path! Do you have any idea what that means?"

Bai Zichen was furious. ’Was this woman so coddled by Elder Honggu back in the Clan that she has no concept of the consequences for violating a Qingfeng Sect decree?’

Even if it were in the middle of nowhere, with no witnesses, taking in an Immortal Seedling not of the Clan’s bloodline is incredibly risky. Besides, the Spirit-Guiding Ceremony is a grand affair. News of a Dual Spiritual Roots Immortal Seedling appearing would spread to all the nearby towns in a matter of days. It would be impossible to hide.

"Thirty years ago, a Qi Cultivation Family used their merchant caravan traveling to a Mortal City as a cover to steal five Immortal Seedlings. They lied and claimed they were born to the mortal concubines of the Clan’s Cultivators. When they were eventually exposed, all twenty-three Cultivators in the Clan were beheaded, and their thousand mortal members were forced to change their names and relocate!"

"Fifty years ago, a Great Foundation Establishment Cultivator from a Noble Family was traveling and happened upon a child with an Abnormal Spiritual Root. He was overjoyed by the discovery and took the child as his Direct Disciple."

"He managed to hide the child for over a decade, but the child’s Abnormal Spiritual Root was discovered by a Qingfeng Sect disciple during a Combat. A thorough investigation brought the whole story to light. That Great Foundation Establishment Cultivator was subjected to a Soul Search interrogation. It was only after they confirmed it was his personal action and that his family was unaware that they punished only the main culprit and spared his clan!"

Bai Zichen’s expression was grave. In Black Mountain County, a decree from the Qingfeng Sect was like a royal edict, forged from the bones of countless defiant Cultivators over centuries.

The Qingfeng Sect regarded the entire Black Mountain County as their personal domain. They might turn a blind eye to Loose Cultivators, but for a Cultivation Family to steal an Immortal Seedling from outside their bloodline was to cross a true red line.

"Do I need to list more examples? It’s one thing if you want to court death on your own, but do you have to drag hundreds of our clan members down with you?"

"From now on, in your spare time away from Cultivation, I suggest you properly learn the taboos of Black Mountain so you don’t go out, make a mistake, and bring disaster upon the Clan!"

Bai Ling looked as if she had been struck by lightning. Her face went deathly pale, and her hands unconsciously released Huo Feiyan.

Bai Zichen’s words carried a natural authority that left Bai Ling speechless. As for Bai Youfu and the Mortal Town Mayor, they were in an even worse state.

"Brother Chenn, what... what should we do now...?"

The horrifying phrases—clan-wide beheading, Soul Search interrogation, exile to a Desolate Land—echoed in Bai Youfu’s mind. He trembled like a leaf, feeling that his already bleak life was about to hit a dead end.

"It was just a Spirit Testing, what’s there to panic about? It’s not like we’ve actually taken this girl into the Clan."

Bai Zichen rebuked him, disappointed. ’No wonder he ended up relegated to a mortal town as a Guardian Immortal Master. His mental fortitude is so weak.’

"Just let her live in Hutou Town... no, on second thought, in a couple of days, you should go to the nearest Qingfeng Sect outpost. Report that you’ve discovered a Dual Spiritual Roots Immortal Seedling and wish to recommend her to the Upper Sect."

"If all goes well, you might even get a few Spirit Stones as a reward."

He had originally planned to just leave Huo Feiyan in Hutou Town, but on second thought, it was unnecessary. The Qingfeng Sect disciples would find out sooner or later and bring her to the mountain. Why stand in the way of her Immortal Fate?

Helping Huo Feiyan start on her Immortal Path a couple of years earlier could be considered a good deed.

As for dealing with the Qingfeng Sect disciples, Bai Youfu and the others were simply terrified by the cautionary tales Bai Zichen had recounted.

For a Qingfeng Sect disciple, recommending a Dual Spiritual Roots Immortal Seedling to the Sect was also a significant contribution. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

After this little episode, the Spirit-Guiding Ceremony in Hutou Town was hastily concluded. They picked up Bai Shu, and the three of them hurried to the next location.

Aboard the Peach Blossom Pocket, Bai Ling remained silent, her pretty face frosty.

Bai Zichen was in no mood to console her. He was preoccupied with his own thoughts, calculating his uncle’s Cultivation progress.

The Spiritual Qi at the Cold Iron Ore Vein was naturally not as rich as on Hanxiu Peak. Bai Jiu’an had chosen to accept the post of guarding the Ore Vein mostly for the generous clan contribution points.

But as a Four Spiritual Roots Cultivator, he didn’t have much hope left for the Foundation Establishment Path.

Bai Jiu’an was now forty-eight years old and had just reached the Eighth-Layer Qi Refining. He had only two years left to break through two major barriers—the Qi Refining Ninth Layer and Qi Refining Great Perfection. It was practically impossible.

That was why, upon seeing the two bottles of Purple Ginseng Pills Bai Zichen offered him, he was gratified but firmly refused to accept them, insisting his nephew take them back for his own use.

It wasn’t until Bai Zichen swore that if Bai Jiu’an didn’t take the Purple Ginseng Pills, his own Dao Heart would become unstable and affect his Cultivation progress, that his uncle reluctantly accepted them.

’Overestimate your enemy, and do the same with your Cultivation... I can’t afford to relax just because I think I have plenty of time. The sooner I reach Qi Refining Great Perfection, the more time I’ll have to prepare for Foundation Establishment.’

Thinking of his uncle Bai Jiu’an’s hopes for Foundation Establishment, now on a countdown measured in months and shrinking by the day, Bai Zichen felt a pang of sadness and took it as a stark warning to himself.

He resolved that he must not become arrogant or complacent over his current small achievements and lose the sharp drive to seek the Great Dao.

One was sulking, the other was lost in thought, which made things difficult for Bai Shu, who had just undergone a change in status. It was also his first time on a Flying Magical Artifact, hundreds of feet in the air, and he was both terrified and amazed.

But the boy from a hard background didn’t make a single sound, simply closing his eyes and gritting his teeth. It wasn’t until they landed in Lower White Town that he scrambled off the Peach Blossom Pocket and, with a great "BLEGH," vomited all over the ground.

’He may have a Discarded Spiritual Root, but his character seems decent...’

Bai Zichen glanced at Bai Shu, committing the boy’s appearance to memory.

At the Spirit-Guiding Ceremony in Lower White Town, more than fifty children participated, but unfortunately, the results were even more dismal than in Hutou Town. Not a single Immortal Seedling was found.

As dusk fell, the three rested for a night in the Mortal Town Mayor’s spacious courtyard before hurrying on to Upper White Town the next day.

Before his Spiritual Root was discovered, Bai Zichen had lived his whole life in Upper White Town. But now, after just a few years, he suddenly realized his memories of the town had already faded.

This included his mortal family members who remained in town. When he interacted with them, he was far from feeling that intimate, blood-bound connection.

Perhaps it was because he had gone to the clan lands when he was too young, so they had only spent a few years together;

Or perhaps it was because his parents and relatives, while doting on him and treating him like the center of the universe, couldn’t hide a sense of restraint and distance that was all too obvious.

Because Bai Zichen had become an Immortal Master, and they had heard he was highly regarded within the Clan, his family’s house had been expanded by three rooms since he left, and the interior decorations and furnishings now resembled those of a wealthy household.

Two years ago, his father had taken another concubine, who had given Bai Zichen a new younger brother.

The Spirit Testing results in Upper White Town were slightly better. They found one Immortal Seedling with Four Spiritual Roots, but unfortunately, he was a bit old, nearly fourteen.

During the last Spirit-Guiding Ceremony, this person had been struck by a sudden illness and was lying unconscious in bed, unable to move.

Taking the two Immortal Seedlings with them, Bai Zichen and Bai Ling returned to Hanxiu Peak and handed the children over to the Second Elder. The Spirit-Guiding mission was considered complete, and fifty clan contribution points were easily credited to their accounts.

’Aside from the episode with Huo Feiyan, this Spirit-Guiding mission was utterly ordinary.’

’But that’s to be expected. A Dual Spiritual Roots Immortal Seedling is considered a minor genius even in the Qingfeng Sect. It would be abnormal if we could find seedlings like Bai Ling and her brother every time.’

Before he left, the Second Elder hinted that there were still a pile of clan missions under his jurisdiction that lacked capable hands to complete them.

Bai Zichen thanked him for the kind offer but had no intention of spending his time on them. He did, however, mention that he hoped the Second Elder would look after Bai Chongwu a little.

"Director of the Central Bureau. I must seize every moment."

Gazing at the setting sun, Bai Zichen felt a strange sense of urgency.