The sun began its descent, bathing the entire Wuji Market in a warm, golden glow. As dinnertime approached, wisps of cooking smoke curled up from the chimneys of every household.

Even cultivators had to eat. By the time Qin Lu finished wandering the market and returned home, Zhang Meng had already prepared a table full of food.

Unlike their meager past, dinner was now abundant—three dishes and a soup. This was the most obvious change in their household since Qin Lu began earning Spirit Stones.

At Zhang Meng’s urging, Qin Lu sat down and began to eat. Between bites, he brought up the flying artifact he had purchased earlier that day.

“Hey, I’ll take you two out for a flight sometime. This thing is way more fun than any sports car!”

“Okay! But… what’s a sports car?” Zhang Meng asked curiously.

“Uh, it’s… it’s just a carriage that runs very fast,” Qin Lu explained vaguely.

“Oh…”

“Right!” Qin Lu paused for a moment before continuing. “Today, I heard from Li Qingdu that the merchant caravan will arrive at the market in a few days.”

Hearing this, Zhang Meng put down her chopsticks. She fell silent for a moment before speaking softly.

“Then shall we take Ziyun to test his spiritual roots tomorrow?”

“Mm, no problem,” Qin Lu nodded slightly in agreement.

Zhang Meng had mentioned testing spiritual roots to him before, so he had been mentally prepared for this for some time.

Spiritual roots were the absolute prerequisite for cultivation. To ascend to immortality and become a cultivator, one had to possess them. Without spiritual roots, it was impossible to set foot on the path of the Great Dao.

Generally, spiritual roots fell into five common types: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Aside from these, there were occasional rare, mutated roots.

Cultivators with four or five attributes were said to have pseudo-spiritual roots; their cultivation progress was difficult and slow. Those with two or three attributes possessed true spiritual roots, allowing for faster cultivation.

Single-attribute roots were known as heavenly spiritual roots. These geniuses were the most coveted by sects.

“I’ll pack our clothes tonight,” Zhang Meng said carefully, her head lowered. “If Ziyun has no spiritual roots, then I’ll…”

“Heh.” Qin Lu forced a relaxed laugh. He reached out and rubbed Xiao Ziyun’s head as the boy ate happily.

“No need to pack,” he said cheerfully. “I think Ziyun has great talent for the sword path; he definitely has spiritual roots.”

Hearing this, Zhang Meng looked up with a gentle, hopeful smile. “I hope so…”

Late at night.

After drawing two talismans, Qin Lu felt a sudden wave of restlessness. He threw down his talisman brush and lay back on his bed.

With his hands behind his head, he stared silently at the ceiling, his thoughts swirling in a tangled mess.

In truth, his feelings were complicated.

Regarding Zhang Meng, his initial interest had definitely been more about desire than affection. Her looks were undeniable. At twenty-six, her aura far surpassed any female celebrity from his previous life.

As a fresh university graduate back then, having such an exquisite beauty willing to live with him—and chat to relieve his boredom—was something he had no reason to refuse. Even though she had a child, he didn’t mind at all.

But as they spent more time together, Qin Lu felt his feelings shifting from desire to affection. It was a sense of responsibility now—the duty to take care of this woman and her orphaned child.

He treated the mother and son well. He never let them go hungry and gave Zhang Meng money whenever he had extra. The three of them lived in harmony.

However, since Zhang Meng had no chance at the Great Dao herself, her entire world revolved around her son. She would give her life for Xiao Ziyun without hesitation.

The reason she had proposed living with Qin Lu was to give Xiao Ziyun a better life within the safety of the market. But if the boy had no spiritual roots and was destined to remain a mortal, there was no point in him staying here to live a humble life among cultivators.

Zhang Meng had said it before: if he lacked roots, she would take Xiao Ziyun and leave the market district to live a wealthy, superior life in the secular world.

Qin Lu had tried to persuade her otherwise several times, but he couldn’t change her mind.

This left Qin Lu with two difficult choices.

First, he could leave the market district with them, abandoning the spiritual energy of the cultivation world to live together in the secular realm.

Second, he could let Zhang Meng and her son leave alone, remaining in the market district by himself.

Neither option sat well with him. He couldn’t decide.

Only if Xiao Ziyun possessed spiritual roots would he be spared from making this choice. But the outcome was still unknown, and the uncertainty made him agitated.

With these tangled thoughts weighing on his mind, Qin Lu eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning.

After a simple wash-up, the three of them left their courtyard and headed toward the central district.

As they walked, Qin Lu watched Xiao Ziyun skipping happily ahead of them. On a whim, he activated the Heavenly Eye Technique.

Spiritual energy enveloped his eyes, making his vision crystal clear. His gaze shot forward, sweeping over the boy.

A moment later, Qin Lu withdrew the skill, shaking his head slightly in resignation.

“Still can’t see any spiritual roots. Looks like we’ll have to go get tested…”

Although the Heavenly Eye Technique could reveal the hidden cultivation levels of high-level cultivators, it couldn’t determine whether an ordinary mortal possessed spiritual roots.

Within Wuji Market, there was only one place for such a test: the Government Office affiliated with the Wuji Sect.

It was where the stationed immortal masters resided. They kept a Spirit Testing Stone there specifically for testing the spiritual roots of the market’s inhabitants.

Of course, this wasn’t free; it required a fee of ten Spirit Stones per test.

Qin Lu’s group soon arrived at the Government Office.

The hall was spacious and bright. Inside, several cultivators wearing blue robes sat around sipping tea and chatting leisurely. Clearly, they were miscellaneous duty disciples of the Wuji Sect.

Qin Lu stepped forward to speak, briefly stating their purpose.

Unexpectedly, the receptionist’s reply caught him off guard.

“Sorry, Fellow Daoist, the Spirit Testing Stone isn’t available these next few days,” a young cultivator in blue robes said softly as he put down his teacup.

“Not available? Why is that?” Qin Lu asked.

“Sigh, isn’t that merchant caravan bringing some ordinary mortals here in a few days? Uncle-Master Li said they’ll conduct free spiritual root tests outside the market then. So, right now, they’re performing maintenance on the Spirit Testing Stone to prepare.”

“I see…” Qin Lu nodded lightly. “Then can we go over there for free testing when the time comes?”

“Naturally, you can.”

Hearing this, Zhang Meng, who stood nearby, stepped forward and tugged gently on Qin Lu’s sleeve.

“Since it will be free in a few days, let’s wait until then to test,” she whispered. “No need to waste Spirit Stones now.”

“Mm, that makes sense,” Qin Lu agreed.

After offering brief thanks, Qin Lu led them out of the Government Office.

“Then let’s go home,” Zhang Meng said.

“Wait…” Qin Lu suddenly smiled. “Since we have so much free time today, let’s go watch a movie… uh, no, let’s go watch a variety performance instead.”

Hearing this, Zhang Meng’s eyes lit up slightly, and she immediately agreed.

The three changed direction and headed toward the bustling Joyous Lane.