"Ah? How could Martial Uncle Ancestor take a mortal without spiritual roots as a disciple?"

  "Isn't this going to cut off the inheritance of Emotionless Peak?"

  "No way, why? I have spiritual roots, I'm also a servant, why not take me?"

  "I think Martial Uncle Ancestor must have his reasons for doing this. Let's wait and see."

  "See what? The sect's Testing Stone can't be wrong. No spiritual roots mean no spiritual roots. In a hundred years, just a pile of bones. How can such a person become a personal disciple!"

  "I'm not convinced!"

  "Yeah, I'm not convinced either. Why take a mortal as a disciple!"

  "Not convinced!"

  "Not convinced!"

  At first, the voices were scattered, but eventually, a significant portion of the disciples began to shout in unison!

  Most of the troublemakers were outer sect disciples and servants who had just joined.

  Their cultivation was insufficient, and their temperament hadn't matured.

  Because they couldn't have it, they didn't want others to have it either!

  Why should you, also a servant, be able to ascend to the heavens in one step?

  It's harmful to others and not beneficial to oneself, but it feels satisfying!

  Another part of them had no subjective consciousness, just going with the flow.

  Seeing others shout, they followed suit.

  Qian Qiu lowered her head, silent, biting her lip until it bled!

  She wasn't afraid of embarrassment; when the scar on her forehead was still there, she'd heard much harsher words and had long been hardened.

  What she feared was losing face for Gu Liangyuan because of her.

  Listening to the disciples' chorus, Lv Qingmei's expression also changed slightly.

  She extended her divine sense, carefully probing Qian Qiu's body, and found that indeed, Qian Qiu had no spiritual roots.

  Retracting her divine sense, Lv Qingmei frowned and looked at Gu Liangyuan, seemingly wanting an explanation.

  The other peak masters, seeing Lv Qingmei's expression, guessed the outcome and all looked at Gu Liangyuan, waiting for his explanation.

  There was no rule in the Holy Land against taking mortals as disciples because, unless one was a fool, no cultivator would take someone without spiritual roots as a disciple.

  Clearly, Gu Liangyuan was not that fool.

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  Under everyone's gaze, Gu Liangyuan smiled faintly, stood up, walked to Qian Qiu's side, patted her shoulder, and said softly:

  "Lift your head, don't be afraid, your master is here."

  Hearing Gu Liangyuan's gentle words and feeling the warmth from his hand, the tension and anxiety in Qian Qiu's heart vanished instantly.

  She slowly raised her head and looked at Gu Liangyuan.

  Facing Gu Liangyuan's kind smile, her gaze gradually became resolute!

  Gu Liangyuan was satisfied in his heart; Qian Qiu's Supreme Dao Heart began at this moment!

  After comforting Qian Qiu, Gu Liangyuan looked at the disciples causing a commotion, his gaze turning icy:

  "Anyone who speaks again will have their cultivation abolished and be expelled from the Holy Land!"

  Though his voice wasn't loud, with the aid of his power, it was clearly heard by everyone.

  As Gu Liangyuan's words fell, the place fell silent!

  The disciples who had been causing a commotion, under the pressure of Gu Liangyuan's Nascent Soul, didn't even have the courage to meet his gaze, let alone speak in rebuttal.

  They suddenly realized that the cultivation world was different from the mortal world, where such tactics might have worked.

  But in the face of absolute strength, their actions seemed only to invite disaster!

  The older disciples had anticipated this and remained indifferent.

  Seeing the situation stabilize, Gu Liangyuan looked around and spoke loudly:

  "In this world, there is a type of spiritual root called the Hidden Spiritual Root."

  "This spiritual root cannot be detected by the Testing Stone, nor can it be found by divine sense. Many people don't know they have spiritual roots until they die."

  "But there are also those with Hidden Spiritual Roots who, by chance, awaken and step onto the path of cultivation."

  "For example, Elder Chenyun of Taiyi Holy Land, who accidentally consumed a spiritual item, awakened the dual spiritual roots of wind and thunder within him, and after five hundred years of cultivation, rose from a rogue cultivator to an elder of the Holy Land."

  "And Qian Qiu, she has the Hidden Spiritual Root!"

  Hearing this, the disciples showed expressions of realization. No wonder the Testing Stone couldn't detect the spiritual roots.

  The other six peak masters also brightened up, thinking that someone with the immortal bearing of Gu Liangyuan couldn't possibly take an ordinary mortal as a disciple.

  It turned out to be a Hidden Spiritual Root, which was indeed rare.

  They still had questions, though: if divine sense couldn't detect it, how did you perceive it?

  But these disciples didn't dare to ask, and those who had caused trouble before didn't even dare to look at Gu Liangyuan.

  At Lv Qingmei's level, they deeply understood a principle: in the cultivation world, no matter how close people are, it's taboo to dig too deeply, so they didn't inquire further.

  Behind Gu Liangyuan, Qian Qiu's eyes became brighter, and she subconsciously straightened her spine a bit more!

  So, I have spiritual roots too!

  Gu Liangyuan continued:

  "Now, I will activate Qian Qiu's spiritual roots on the spot!"

  As Gu Liangyuan said this, the interest of both the disciples below and the six peak masters above was piqued.

  Hidden Spiritual Roots were rare, and the awakening process of such roots was even rarer.

  Even these six peak masters had never witnessed such a scene.

  After speaking, Gu Liangyuan looked at Qian Qiu: "Sit cross-legged and clear your mind."

  Qian Qiu was both excited and anxious, wanting to say something but not knowing what, and in the end, just nodded heavily.

  In fact, activating spiritual roots could be risky if disturbed, but Gu Liangyuan was not worried at all.

  With the six peak masters here to protect, it was safer than any cultivation room!

  Seeing Qian Qiu sitting cross-legged, Gu Liangyuan casually waved his hand, setting up a sound-isolating formation to prevent noise from disturbing Qian Qiu, and then took out the Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit needed to awaken the spiritual roots:

  "Here, eat this Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit."

  Qian Qiu took it: "Thank you, Master."

  "Ding, the host bestows the disciple with a Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit, triggering a ten-thousand-fold return, system reward: Longevity Peach."

  "Longevity Peach: Regardless of realm or cultivation, even a mere mortal can extend their life by two thousand years!"

  Gu Liangyuan almost couldn't control his facial expression, nearly showing excitement!

  In the cultivation world, among all spiritual items, those that extend life are the rarest! Because many cultivators are just a step away from exhausting their lifespan.

  Perhaps they only need an extra thirty to fifty years to break through to the next realm and defy fate!

  Therefore, spiritual items and pills that extend lifespan are always in short supply.

  And as far as Gu Liangyuan knew, the top life-extending spiritual item in the cultivation world, the King Purple Ginseng, known as the Immortal Herb, only extends life by eight hundred years!

  Yet this Longevity Peach directly extends life by two thousand years!

  If this peach were to appear, countless old monsters nearing the end of their lifespan would be unable to sit still!

  The entire Eastern State would go crazy over it!

  This item is too precious!

  Gu Liangyuan took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart, and focused on Qian Qiu.

  At this moment, Qian Qiu had already swallowed the Vermilion Fruit, and a powerful force was gathering in her dantian.

  Gu Liangyuan quickly extended his divine sense, guiding this spiritual energy through her meridians to the Hidden Spiritual Root.

  "Qian Qiu, if it starts to hurt, just call out to me."

  Qian Qiu softly replied, "Mm."

  In her dantian, as Gu Liangyuan continued to guide and the spiritual energy increased, a faint red spiritual root phantom gradually appeared.

  Having never experienced cultivation, Qian Qiu felt a burning pain in her meridians due to the rapid flow of spiritual energy.

  So she softly called out to Gu Liangyuan:

  "Master, it hurts."

  "Oh."

  Gu Liangyuan replied, but didn't slow down the flow of spiritual energy.

  Seeing Gu Liangyuan continue, Qian Qiu called out again:

  "Master, it hurts~"

  Gu Liangyuan still didn't stop.

  "Master..."

  Gu Liangyuan suddenly looked up with a smile: "I told you to call me if it hurts, but I didn't say I would stop."

  "I hope calling my name can help ease your pain a bit."

  "I'm going to exert force now, bear with it!"

  Qian Qiu: ...

  That logic, seems flawless...