"Yes, and quite intelligent at that. This treasure was made from a thousand-year-old bamboo that grows
in the Ethereal Valley. It was a gift from a mysterious grandmaster that an ancestor of our clan had met
when he traveled there. It is transmutable and tenacious as it can defend itself and protect its owner at
the same time. Since the death of its previous owner, it has never approved of anyone owning it. That
is why it had been enshrined by our clan for generations. Today, however, it finally found its new
owner," the young master explained in detail.
"Why does it seem like you had expected it to recognize me as its master?" Rocky asked. He sensed
that the young master had arranged all of this.
"I just had to give it a try. With so little time, this was the only way I can confirm this fact, so I wanted to
use it to verify that you are, indeed, a chosen one," the young master admitted.
"A chosen one?" Rocky raised an eyebrow, unsure of what the young master meant about the term.
"That's right. The so-called chosen ones are those of the spiritual race who can enter the Ethereal
Valley without any restrictions," the young master clarified.
"But sir, may I ask why you think I'm the one?" Rocky couldn't help but wonder why the young master
was so sure of his abilities.
"You see, when an ordinary spiritual race member gets endowed with a spiritual root, it usually has a
certain attribute, in comparison to the spiritual root of a chosen one that has five. That's what we
discovered about your test result yesterday," the young master answered.
"Oh."
"Thanks to your participation, our clan will finally manage to turn the tide and rebuild our reputation in
the quest to the Ethereal Valley!" The young master's excitement was apparent.
Rocky took a gander at him and furtively breathed a sigh of relief. Not only did he obtain a new
treasure, but he also got the qualifications to enter the Ethereal Valley without putting in much effort as
they thought they would.
"Well, then. Would you mind coming with me right now to see my father?" the young master requested.
He couldn't wait to let his father know about this good news.
They did not waste any more time and quickly left the cave to make their way back to the hall.
The young master needed to keep Rocky's identity secret, so before he sent a trusted attendant for his
father, he took Rocky and Vivian to a side hall next to the conference hall first.
With a strong aura, the patriarch soon entered the room.
Both Rocky and Vivian looked at him with utter surprise. They were sure that he was strong enough to
be ranked among the top ten of the entire spiritual race.
"Father, I have confirmed that a chosen one is with us. The sacred bracelet has recognized him as its
new master." Without delay, the young master informed the patriarch.
"Is that so?" Richard seemed taken aback. He did not expect that the chosen ones truly existed and
that their clan actually had the luck to find one. He almost went into ecstasy, but eventually managed to
keep cool.
"This is the chosen one, Rookie, and this genius with the Heaven-Stage spiritual root is Tripp," the
young master quickly introduced.
"Welcome, geniuses! It is an absolute honor for our clan to have you with us. I hope you can help us
rebuild our reputation!" The patriarch expressed himself in quite a polite tone. In fact, he didn't have to
be so courteous to them. However, he knew that the chosen ones could not only enter the Ethereal
Valley without any restrictions but also enter some forbidden areas that ordinary people weren't allowed
to enter. It was a place where there usually were priceless spiritual treasures and cultivation methods. If
Rocky could get some of them, it would surely improve their clan a great deal. For this reason, he
decided to treat Rocky with utmost courtesy.
"The pleasure is ours, sir. We just came in pursuit of fame and fortune, but now, I'm sure we can
achieve something with your kind help," Rocky replied with politeness as well.
"Oh, certainly!" The patriarch then turned and ordered, "Alex, arrange a good place for them to live in
and find them some maids."
"Thank you for your kindness, sir, but some good food will be enough. There's really no need to send
maids. We're both a bit of a boor and aren't used to being served," Rocky refused politely. He did not
want to have too many people around them since Vivian's disguise might get exposed.
"Alright, I shall arrange for them to live in the Spring Cloud Pavilion. It's a quiet place, and no one will
disturb them," the young master advised after thinking for a while.
Richard nodded in agreement to the young master, who was actually his daughter, and Rocky, then
took his leave as well.
After that, the young master accompanied Rocky and Vivian to the tier-3 area of the Wankong Clan
along a circular road. This area was where the Spiritual Kings of the clan lived.
Upon their arrival, Alex quickly summoned the manager, who was a peak-level Spiritual King.
"Briar, they are both very important guests of our clan who will live in this area for a while. They are
moving to the Spring Cloud Pavilion, so get the rooms ready right away!" Although Alex gave specific
orders, she did not make it clear who they actually were.
"Alright. May I know who they are?" Briar felt curious, so he tried to ask.
"Keep out of it. Just go and do as I say," Alex responded sternly.
Briar acknowledged, then nodded as he cupped his hands.
"This way, please," Briar invited Rocky and Vivian as he led the way for them.
Alex then left while Rocky and Vivian followed Briar to their accommodation.
The Spring Cloud Pavilion was at the east end of the tier-3 area. It was an isolated, quiet place that had
a scenic view of the surrounding green forest.
"If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to let me know. Please excuse me." Briar left them with a
reminder before taking off.
As he turned around, Rocky and Vivian pushed the door open and entered the building.
It had three floors—the first floor was the living room, and the second and third floors were both
sleeping chambers.
After checking the entire building, Rocky said to Vivian, "How about you sleep on the third floor? I think
it's better suited for you."
"Sure." Of course, Vivian had no objections. She then uttered, "I didn't expect we'd obtain the
qualifications this easy."
"You and me both. Anyway, it's all working out beautifully. Let's just rest here and wait till we get to
enter the Ethereal Valley," Rocky replied. He then added, "Although, we still have to be careful not to
give ourselves away since it's still going to be a while before we can go there."
"Yeah, I know. By the way, why do we both possess spiritual roots even though we're born in the Shura
Race?" Vivian brought up. She had been wondering about this ever since they passed the
test.
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