Qin Guiya suppressed his discomfort and took two steps forward.
The old man reached out to touch the infant, but Qin Guiya subtly shifted, avoiding his hand.
"Senior, the Spiritual Root testing ceremony has its rules. Please follow the procedure."
The atmosphere in the room instantly froze.
The middle-aged man snapped, "How presumptuous! It is your great fortune that Elder Liu is willing to personally examine him!"
Elder Liu, however, waved his hand and squinted, sizing up Qin Guiya.
"The young man has backbone. Never mind, let's test his Spiritual Roots first."
Qin Guiyue stepped forward, took Qin Yuexian, and placed him on the jade platform in front of the Spiritual Root testing pillar.
The infant was unusually quiet, curiously looking around with his big eyes, without the slightest cry or fuss.
"Begin."
Elder Liu said in a deep voice.
Qin Guiyue chanted an incantation, and the runes on the Spiritual Root testing pillar lit up one by one, finally converging into a white light that enveloped Qin Yuexian.
The spiritual power within the infant was activated, forming a three-colored halo above his head — green, blue, and yellow, representing Wood, Water, and Earth Spiritual Roots respectively.
"Wood six inches, Water five inches, Earth four inches."
Qin Guiyue recorded, "Three Spiritual Roots Aptitude, upper-middle grade."
Qin Guiya's heart relaxed.
The ancient tree in his Sea of Consciousness had worked!
The data displayed by the Spiritual Root testing pillar was quite a bit lower than the actual, especially the Wood Spiritual Root, which dropped from nine inches to six inches, completely concealing the true traces.
Elder Liu's brows furrowed. "Test it again."
The second time, the third time... the results were unchanged.
The middle-aged man couldn't help but say,
"Elder, could there be a mistake? How could the Bloodline of that couple only produce offspring with such Aptitude?"
Elder Liu pondered for a moment, then suddenly took out a blood-colored jade pendant from his sleeve.
"Use this to test."
As the blood-colored jade pendant appeared, the temperature in the room plummeted.
Qin Guiya's heart pounded — this was probably the Liu Family's secret treasure specifically for detecting Spiritual Bodies!
He nervously looked at his son, only to see a layer of green light enveloping Qin Yuexian, yet no one noticed it.
The jade pendant floated above the infant, emitting an eerie red light.
A moment later, the red light dissipated, and the jade pendant returned to normal.
"No Spiritual Body reaction," Qin Guiyue announced.
Elder Liu's face darkened.
He abruptly turned to Liu Qingchan, "Girl, do you still remember what your parents looked like?"
Liu Qingchan trembled all over and said in a low voice,
"Replying to Senior, I... have never seen my father. Although I saw my mother, she was no longer around when I was five years old."
Elder Liu snorted coldly and flicked his sleeve, leaving.
The middle-aged man glared fiercely at Qin Guiya and followed closely behind.
Only after the two had gone far did Qin Guiya let out a long sigh, his back already drenched in cold sweat.
He took his son, and found that the green light had disappeared.
Clearly, resisting the blood-colored jade pendant just now had consumed all its energy.
"Eighth Brother, how did you offend the Liu Family?"
Qin Guiheng asked in a low voice.
Qin Guiya gave a wry smile, "Who knows? Perhaps because Qingchan is from the Liu Family."
As they left the Spiritual Root testing hall, Qin Guiya's Divine Sense keenly caught Elder Liu's cold gaze from a distant pavilion.
He pretended not to see it, and quickly walked towards the teleportation array with Liu Qingchan in his arms.
It wasn't until they returned to their Immortal Cave on Peach Forest Island and set up multiple Restrictions that the two completely relaxed.
"They came for a Spiritual Body. Does Yue Xian have Spiritual Body Aptitude?"
Liu Qingchan slumped in a chair, her voice trembling, "And, husband, who exactly are my parents?"
Qin Guiya shook his head, "It's still unclear. But one thing is certain — your Bloodline is definitely not simple."
He gently stroked his son's small face, "Yue Xian might really have a Spiritual Body, inherited from one of your parents' lines."
Tears welled up in Liu Qingchan's eyes, "I only remember growing up in a Spirit Medicine garden. The garden owner said my mother violated family rules, and my father left before I was born..."
Qin Guiya pulled her into his embrace, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
In the Sea of Consciousness, the ancient tree swayed gently... Half a month later, Liu Yuan Market.
This market, located on the edge of the Qin Family's territory, though not as large as Thousand Eye Island, was exceptionally prosperous due to its location at the junction of several major powers.
Cultivators came and went in a continuous stream on the streets, shops lined both sides, and the cries of vendors were endless.
Qin Faha strolled down the main street, seemingly at leisure, but in reality, his Divine Sense vigilantly swept the surroundings.
"Daoist Qin, long time no see."
A hoarse voice came from behind him.
Qin Faha turned and saw a one-armed old man in a gray robe, smiling at him.
The old man's left sleeve was empty, and his right eye wore a black eye patch, making him appear quite fierce.
"Old Ghost Lin!"
Qin Faha laughed and stepped forward, "You're looking more shabby than ever."
The one-armed old man was not offended, and led Qin Faha through several small alleys to an inconspicuous Formation shop.
The shop front was small, with the faded words "Linji Pavilion" written on the signboard.
"Where's your granddaughter?" Qin Faha asked directly.
The one-armed old man called out to the inner room, "Shuang'er, come out and greet our guest."
The curtain was drawn back, and a young female Cultivator in a pink and white Daoist robe emerged.
The woman looked to be in her early twenties, with a delicate but not exceptionally beautiful face. What was most striking were her eyes — as black as ink.
"Junior Lin Mushuang greets Senior Qin."
The woman curtsied gracefully.
Qin Faha's Divine Sense swept over her, noting her Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivation, solid spiritual power, and good Foundation.
He looked at his old friend, "Is this the granddaughter you said... who has ordinary Formation talent?"
The one-armed old man sighed.
"She's indeed far inferior to her Elder brother. But she can master basic Formations."
A hint of cunning flashed in his single eye, "But didn't your nephew just want someone who can bear children?"
Qin Faha neither confirmed nor denied, and took out a jade box from his sleeve, "This is the agreed-upon betrothal gift."
The moment the jade box opened, a refreshing medicinal fragrance filled the air.
Inside the box lay a Medicinal Pill the size of a longan, a perfect quality, High Grade fourth-tier "Nascent Soul Condensing Pill"!
This was a Medicinal Pill that could enhance the spiritual power of a Nascent Soul Late Stage Cultivator, and it was of perfect quality, valued at over three hundred thousand Spirit Stones.
The one-armed old man's single eye widened, and his breathing became rapid.
"You... you actually gave this away..."
"Don't get too happy too soon."
Qin Faha closed the jade box, "This Medicinal Pill was paid for by me. My nephew must repay it within ten years, principal and interest, three hundred and twenty thousand Spirit Stones."
Lin Mushuang's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise upon hearing this, but she remained silent.
She stood quietly to the side, as if her own marriage was not being discussed.
"Deal!"
The one-armed old man snatched the jade box, "Shuang'er, go pack your things. You'll go with Senior Qin today."
Lin Mushuang gave her grandfather a deep look and silently turned into the inner room.
A moment later, she came out carrying a small bundle and kowtowed three times to the one-armed old man.
"Granddaughter bids farewell to Grandfather."
The one-armed old man waved his hand, his attention entirely on the jade box.
"Go, go, be a good wife and mother."
As they left the market, Qin Faha glanced at the silent Lin Mushuang.
"Aren't you going to ask who your future husband is?"
Lin Mushuang said faintly, "It won't be worse than staying in the Liu Family's territory."