The buzz following Ye Xingliu's second victory was a different creature altogether. It wasn't just amusement anymore; it was a low thrum of speculation. Who was this "Laughing Comet"? His style was unrecognizable, his energy strange, and his methods bordered on insulting to the sacred art of combat.
Before the quarterfinal matches could begin, Elder Mu Qing stood. Her voice, cool and clear, cut through the noise. "A moment. The quarterfinalists will now undergo a public spirit root test. The Sect must know the quality of the talent it cultivates."
A hush fell over the arena. This was unprecedented. Spirit roots were a deeply personal matter, the foundation of a cultivator's future. To test them publicly was to lay one's entire potential bare for judgment and envy.
One by one, the other quarterfinalists placed their hands on the gleaming Spirit Revelation Stone. The results flashed in the air in brilliant, predictable script.
"Zhao Ba! Earthfire Root! High-Grade!"
A wave of appreciative murmurs.A solid, powerful root, perfect for the sect's core techniques.
"Li Na! Azure Water Root! High-Grade!"
More applause.A refined root with great potential for alchemy and healing.
Then, it was Ye Xingliu's turn.
He walked to the center of the arena, the eyes of thousands upon him. He could feel Zhao Ba's gloating stare, Feng Shui'er's nervous energy from the stands, and the heavy, analytical gaze of Elder Mu Qing.
He placed his palm on the cold, smooth surface of the stone.
For a moment, nothing happened. A few snickers came from Zhao Ba's faction. Then, the stone flickered. Instead of a stable, brilliant light, it emitted a faint, silvery glow that refused to settle. It swirled, pulsed, and then the stone itself began to vibrate, emitting a low, discordant hum.
Script flickered into the air above it, jagged and uncertain, as if the very stone was confused.
Mutated Wanderlust Root. Grade: UNKNOWN.
The silence in the arena was absolute.
Then, chaos erupted among the elder's podium.
"A what?" sputtered one bearded elder. "Wanderlust? That's not a spirit root, that's a personality flaw!"
"The stone cannot grade it! It is either absolute trash, a nullity, or…" another elder trailed off, his face pale.
"Or it is something the heavens themselves have not deemed fit to categorize," Elder Mu Qing finished, her voice cutting through the debate. Her eyes were locked on the shimmering, unstable script. "A root that defies measurement. A root that belongs to the road, not to a sect."
The argument exploded.
"Trash! It must be! Look how faint the resonance is! He has no future!"
"Fool! The unknown is not 'trash'! It is a mystery! It could be heaven-defying! We should take him as a personal disciple and study him!"
"Study what? His ability to trip people and headbutt? It's a fluke! His cultivation will hit a wall before he even leaves the Mortal Realm!"
While the elders argued, Ye Xingliu stood calmly, his hand still on the stone. He wasn't surprised. A root that could never stay, could never belong? It made perfect sense to him. He almost felt like laughing.
The commotion was so great that the announcer had to shout to be heard. "The quarterfinal match! Laughing Comet versus Zhang He!"
Zhang He, a capable spearman who had been watching the entire spectacle, looked from the arguing elders to Ye Xingliu, whose very spirit root was a question mark that had thrown the sect's leadership into disarray. The pressure, the strangeness, the unknown… it was too much.
"I… I forfeit!" Zhang He blurted out, his face pale. "I will not fight a… a monster!"
He turned and practically fled the arena.
The announcement was made. "Victory by default to Laughing Comet!"
There were no cheers this time. Only a vast, unsettled whispering. Ye Xingliu had advanced to the semi-finals without throwing a single punch. He had won by simply being an enigma too terrifying for his opponent to face.
He bowed slightly towards the elder's podium, where the debate still raged, and walked out of the ring. He had entered the tournament for fun. Now, he was a point of schism within the Starfall Sect.
The compass in his pocket felt heavier than ever. The road had promised him adventure, and it was delivering in the most unexpected ways.
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