The Spirit Roots Test (|)

Three years had passed since Ethan's awakening, and now the time had come for the spirit root test in the Azure Crane Clan. The bustling atmosphere was palpable as young disciples gathered in anticipation, their eyes filled with a mix of nervousness and determination.

In Precious Hastings' courtyard, Kieran, the elder brother of Ethan, the first son of Jonathan Hastings looked at his mother and said "Mother, that bastard is taking his spirit roots test today, I can't wait to see what level of trash he is." Kieran said maliciously.

"He is nothing compared to you son, he is nothing but trash." Precious Hastings answered with a sneer.

"He-he. We have a lot of young geniuses in our Azure Crane Clan and none of them started cultivating or even taking their spirit roots test at age 6, he's too ignorant. A genius like Rachel Ashford, the daughter of Elder Ashford, the first elder, is a genius of our clan. In the last Spirit Roots Test, we had, she came out with exceptional radiance, her spirit root was an Elemental Spirit Root which is a blue spirit root. Her spirit root is more of a water cultivator, and she has left the clan already to one of the greatest sects in the Stormwatch city." Precious Hastings said with yearning eyes.

"Humph... Rachel Ashford is just lucky, I'm more talented than her." Kieran harrumphed coldly with a gloaming look, clearly getting jealous.

"You can say that but luck sure plays a vital role in one's cultivation journey." Precious Hastings replied with a smile, then she continued, "Let's go out and join the others in the martial hall for the Spirit Roots Test, remember Kieran, you have to stand out to be noticed by the powerful guest and to be able to receive at least a middle-grade rank 1 cultivation techniques." Precious said with a serious face. Kieran nodded and said in reply "I won't disappoint you, Mom, I will put Ethan down and humiliate him." Kieran replied with a cold smile. One could see that Kieran is never going to back down unless he has humiliated or ended Ethan.

Precious looked at her son and said, "Your uncle and cousins are gonna be arriving in the clan today. They are from the main family in the imperial city, and they are the ones that are going to be presiding over this year's assessment. They are here to scrutinize our branch family to see if maybe they could mark a potential prodigy in the clan. You must always be respectful and perform excellently for your uncle to notice you."

"Yes, mom."

"Ethan hasn't been out of his mother's quarter for a year now, maybe he is just too scared to show his face outside. Hehe... Let's see how is going to be ordinary, he wanted to start cultivating at six." Kieran laughed mockingly while standing up, striding out of the room.

------

In Ethan's room, Ethan sat down cross-legged with his eyes deeply closed, his presence radiating a faint Azure light.

[I haven't been out of my mother's courtyard for a year now, hmm. Guess it's time to go out.] he said inwardly.

'CREAK!' 'CREAK!!"

[Hmm? Someone is coming] Ethan said and opened his eyes to look at the person, his gaze, piercing through the walls in the room, and soon he discovered it was his mother.

"Ethan, it is time." Victoria Hastings said, walking into the room, "Yes, mother." Ethan replied and stood up, then they both walked out in the direction of the clan's Martial hall.

~ Azure Crane Clan's Martial Hall ~

"Clan leader, the guest from the main family has sent a message that they're already in Stormwatch city, along with your uncle" a guard with blonde hair, clad in azure armor walked up to Jonathan Hastings and reported to him.

"So they are finally here" Jonathan Hastings mumbled under his breath, a frown visible on his handsome face. The elders were also frowning especially the senior elders and the grand elders.

"These people from the main family are here again?" an elder asked with a frown.

"Shit, why are they here again, to come and humiliate us like they always do every year?"

"Now the sh!t is getting real. Argh."

The group of elders started complaining, they were all unhappy.

"There is no big deal in them coming to our branch clan." a cold voice was suddenly heard and the hall went silent, everyone was looking at the speaker. A cold and imposing figure stood at a corner with some young and old men clad in red robes with him. He wore a black robe, his gaze cold with a pair of crafty eyes, his hair was bloodred and he carries an aura of authority wherever he goes.

"That's the disciplinary elders!" someone among the disciples suddenly exclaimed but it was heard by everyone around the young disciples.

"What?????"

"The disciplinary elder is here?" another disciple was stunned and they all quickly quieted down. It could be seen from everyone's reaction that this man called the disciplinary elder held a lot of prestige and authority in the clan.

"Elder Felix Harrington, what do you mean?" an elder asked with a scowling face.

"what I meant?" Elder Felix chuckled and continued, "What I mean is that the people from the main family from the imperial city have every right to be here, and besides, I think Master Richard Crane will be the one presiding over today's spirit root test. And about the main clan disciples bullying our disciples, it's all part of the cultivation world. The strong always prey on the weak." Elder Felix replied coldly, but he was observing Jonathan's reaction with a side face. He smile coldly when he noticed Jonathan's indifferent face and harumph inwardly, [His skin is surely thicker than my whips] he thought.

"You..." the elder was enraged.

"SILENCE!" Jonathan's commanding voice sounded and they both shut up, but they all failed to notice a strange light flashing through Elder Felix's eyes as he glance at Jonathan Hastings.

"They are here!" Jonathan Hastings suddenly said and everyone in the Martial Hall immediately look up.

A majestic spirit beast was seen soaring through the sky with grace and power, its wings spanning wide and shimmering with iridescent blue feathers that glowed in the sunlight. With each powerful beat of its wings, the spirit beast effortlessly propelled itself forward, riding the currents of the wind with unparalleled momentum and agility. Its body, is sleek and streamlined, radiating an aura of power and nobility.

As it soared, a melodic resonance filled the air, its harmonious song echoing through the surrounding landscape.

"Oh, my God! What kind of spirit beast is this?"

"It's so big."

"Its pressure is too heavy" The disciples were all dumbfounded.

"Mom, what is this bird?" Kieran asked the woman beside him, his face filled with awe and fear. Precious noticed this and quickly touch Ethan's shoulder, a stream of cooling sensation palmitate Kieran's body and his body calm down, no longer feeling the pressure again.

"It's Aetherion, the Celestial Azure Crane's younglings," Precious replied, looking at the beast with a wary expression.

"Eh? Mom, this is just a child of a Celestial Azure Crane?" Kieran exclaimed loudly.

"Yes, the Adult Celestial Azure Crane is too powerful and they are a lot bigger than this," Precious replied.

"Wow!"

------

"Wow... This is a young Celestial Azure Crane!" Ethan blurted out with a surprised look while walking together with his mother, Victoria Hastings. Victoria Hastings suddenly stopped walking and look at Ethan with a face full of curiosity and surprise.

"Ethan, how do you know it's the celestial azure crane?" she asked curiously.

[Sh!t. Ethan, why did you have to say it out?] Ethan scolded himself inwardly, almost wishing he could just smack his insolence.

"Umm... Mom, I told you three years ago that I had a dream of an old man that taught me so many things while I was unconscious due to the Soul corroding poison. The master taught and show me a lot of things, and this Celestial Azure Crane is one of them." Ethan quickly said, his word half-truth and half-lies, he said it with a straight face. "Really? Wow!" Victoria was convinced.

He truly had a dream of an old man telling him to be focused, and brave and that he should never bow down to any oppression from anyone not even the heavens.

["You have the power, the ability, and the most powerful and mysterious item in the whole universe in your body, you must not bow to anyone, the power inside you does not permit weakness and you have to grow stronger quickly. Cultivate diligently, with each level of your strength as it grows you will be able to understand the Azure metal in your right eyes and bring out its full power. You are special Ethan, but your journey to the peak is going to be filled with dangers, blood, and corpses. Trend carefully, and grow quickly, the time is ticking, and a great day of disaster and doom is coming"] the old man said.

Ethan recalled what the old man said and his face turned solemn.

[Who is this old man?] he asked himself inwardly.

"Ethan? What are you thinking about? Is something wrong?" Victoria's worried voice sounded beside Ethan, pulling him out of his thought. He calm down and said with a smile, "There's nothing, Mom."

"Let's move quickly then." and they both continue making their way to the martial hall. Victoria's cherry lips curved up as they were going, [Maybe the disaster made my son smarter and he has also completely changed. His hair now...] she thought inwardly, looking at Ethan's hair that has started turning from black to Azure color.