Chapter 275 - 266: Looking for a Guide

Chapter 275: Chapter 266: Looking for a Guide

However, if one of the parents possesses a Spirit Root—even the most impure one—the probability of their offspring having a Spirit Root increases dramatically.

The odds can reach nearly one percent!

Although this probability is still very low, compared to one in several thousand or even one in ten thousand, it is a hundred times higher.

And that is just the situation where only one parent has a Spirit Root.

If both parents have Spirit Roots, the probability of their child having one reaches a staggering one-fifth!

If they are also aided by certain special Secret Techniques, this probability can reach one-fourth or even one-third!

Such odds are nothing short of terrifying.

At the same time, the higher the parents’ Cultivation, the greater the probability of their child possessing a Spirit Root, and the purer that Spirit Root will be.

Of course, the higher one’s Cultivation, the more difficult it is to conceive children.

If the father’s Cultivation is high, the developing child will require more sustenance, which necessitates that the mother also has a high enough Cultivation to provide sufficient nourishment.

But if the mother’s Cultivation is high, her body’s defensive and self-preservation mechanisms will activate, automatically eliminating any foreign essence and preventing her from entering the weakened state of pregnancy. Conception becomes nearly impossible.

Furthermore, research has shown that if both parents have Spirit Roots but their child does not, that child’s offspring will still have a greatly increased chance of possessing a Spirit Root.

This is a form of skipped-generation inheritance.

However, this effect only lasts for one subsequent generation before it ceases to have any impact.

All of the above forms the theoretical basis for how Cultivation Clans can endure for long periods without declining.

If a Cultivation Clan cannot ensure that those with Spirit Roots come from its own bloodline, over time, it will have to recruit outsiders to maintain sufficient strength.

Once the number of outsiders reaches a certain point, they will inevitably vie for power with the original family members, ultimately leading to the clan’s unavoidable decline.

Therefore, a proper Cultivation Clan is entirely self-sustaining. It will not recruit cultivators from outside, instead nurturing only its own family members, at most establishing a few branch families.

For the mortals of Liu Family Village, who were dependent on the Cultivation Clan, this reality was truly tragic.

The Sun Clan would not recruit any mortal who happened to possess a Spirit Root.

Even if one of them had a Celestial Spirit Root, they would only be accepted if they were a woman who had already become a cultivation partner to a member of the Sun Clan.

If it were a male, he would likely be secretly eliminated the moment he was discovered, just to prevent any future trouble.

Had this happened in a place like the Profound Origin Sect, such a person would have been treasured immediately.

After hearing Elder Liu’s story, Jiang Xu felt a great deal of pity for them.

But this was not a matter he could influence. After all, he was just a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Even if he had reached the Golden Core realm, this kind of system could not be easily changed.

When Elder Liu saw Jiang Xu remain silent after he finished speaking, he understood what the young cultivator was thinking.

He wasn’t dejected.

Elder Liu had long since come to terms with his lot in life and never expected anything to change.

"Upper Immortal, I can count the regrets in my life on one hand. My only one is that I’ll never know if I have a Spirit Root. Could you... could you check for me?"

Seeing the pleading look in Elder Liu’s eyes, Jiang Xu said nothing and simply placed a hand on the old man’s shoulder.

A thread of Magical Power flowed from his palm and circulated through Elder Liu’s body.

After a long moment, Jiang Xu spoke with a note of regret.

"You do not have a Spirit Root."

Upon hearing Jiang Xu’s words, Elder Liu’s eyes dimmed almost imperceptibly. But then, it was as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His entire Essence, Qi, and Spirit seemed to become much more vibrant.

Jiang Xu watched the change in the old man and sighed to himself.

’He had lied.’

Elder Liu did, in fact, have a Spirit Root.

It was even slightly better than Jiang Xu’s own—a triple Spirit Root.

But Elder Liu was simply too old. He was already in his sixties or seventies. To begin Cultivation at this age would be detrimental to his body. He would likely die long before he achieved any measure of success.

Telling him the truth would only burden Elder Liu with a lifetime of regret, so Jiang Xu decided it was better left unsaid.

"Oh, right!"

Elder Liu suddenly seemed to remember something.

"In a day or two, the Sun Immortal Race will send one of their cultivators to collect the tax levy. If you need to find them, you could wait in our village for a while. It would also give us a chance to properly thank you for saving our lives."

Jiang Xu’s interest was piqued.

He could only stay on Greed Wolf Island for a month, so the sooner he made contact with the island’s local Cultivators, the better.

That would give him more time to search for the island’s unique resources, Techniques and Cultivation Methods.

Besides...

Jiang Xu was also somewhat interested in this tri-monthly tax collected by the Sun Family.

The thought of roughly ten thousand Spirit Stones was quite tempting.

However, after some careful thought, Jiang Xu figured the Cultivation Clan probably didn’t get to keep all those Spirit Stones.

He suspected that both the Seven Stars Association and the Island Master took their cuts, so the amount that actually reached the Sun Family’s hands was likely much less.

And the portion they had to hand over was probably the lion’s share.

If Jiang Xu were to steal it, he would almost certainly attract the attention of the Seven Stars Association, which would cause a major incident.

He was a newcomer here; it was best to be cautious.

Even if he decided against stealing the Spirit Stones, Jiang Xu still planned to wait in Liu Family Village for the Sun Family Cultivators to arrive.

His goal wasn’t to rob them, but to follow them to the places where Cultivators gathered.

Whether it was to buy local resources or to search for Techniques and Cultivation Methods, he needed to go where other Cultivators were.

While he could probably find these places on his own, it would be terribly inefficient.

It was much better to follow a guide who could lead him to the right spots and, in the process, provide some information about the Cultivation Realm on Greed Wolf Island.

With this in mind, Jiang Xu turned to Elder Liu with a pleasant expression.

"Elder, I will not be going to your village. I have just emerged from seclusion and am wandering the world. Our meeting was destined by fate, but now that our fated encounter has run its course, I must take my leave."

With that, Jiang Xu prepared to ascend into the sky.

Elder Liu quickly interjected.

"Upper Immortal, please take these Demon Beasts with you as well! You saved us. Though we are but simple country folk, we are not ones who do not know how to repay a debt of gratitude!"

He then took two or three items from within his robes and offered them to Jiang Xu.

"Upper Immortal, over the years, our Liu Family Village has managed to accumulate a few Immortal Treasures for self-defense."

"It’s just that the Sea Serpent’s attack was so sudden that we were nearly wiped out before we had a chance to use them."

"Please, see if there is anything you can use. Take them. Otherwise, our consciences will not be at ease."

Jiang Xu was touched by Elder Liu’s simple honesty.

These villagers were weak and insignificant, yet they understood gratitude and were pure of heart.

In contrast, most Immortal Cultivators were selfish and self-serving. Instances of brothers turning on each other and disciples betraying their masters were commonplace.

’He truly didn’t know what kind of "immortality" they were even cultivating!’

Jiang Xu accepted the items from Elder Liu’s hand.

Just as he expected, they were a few very low-level items.

One was a Tier One Lower Grade dagger, so dilapidated it was practically scrap. Another was a subpar Talisman, its Magical Power completely depleted and unusable.

These things were useless to him. As far as Tier One Magical Artifacts went, only those of the Top Grade were worthy of his attention now.

Jiang Xu was about to return the items to Elder Liu.

But when his eyes fell on the last item, he frowned.

’This...?’

It was a small, withered piece of wood, the kind of thing one wouldn’t even glance at if it were lying on the ground.

But the moment Jiang Xu took hold of the wood, the Cangmu Skill within his body suddenly trembled, as if it was extremely interested in the object.

"What is this? Why would you call a piece of deadwood an Immortal Treasure, Elder?" Jiang Xu asked.

He deduced that this wasn’t a treasure Elder Liu had found himself, because an ordinary person—and even most Immortal Cultivators—would be unable to discern its purpose.

Elder Liu also seemed surprised by the question.

"This? It was left behind by an old man who passed through the village and lodged here for a night. He said it could ward off evil spirits, suppress calamities, and avert disasters."