Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 64: Zhou Guangxiang

Zhouyang indeed went to his second brother Zhou Bao’s house.

Upon hearing from Eighth Aunt Xuan Yan that his second brother Zhou Bao’s newly born son possessed a Top-grade Spiritual Root, his first reaction was disbelief, and he couldn’t help but rush to verify it.

His mood at this moment was just like when the old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan first heard of his father Zhou Xuanhao’s successful Foundation Establishment; even though he knew clan members wouldn’t deceive him on such a significant matter, he still needed to see it with his own eyes to fully believe it.

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s speed in Sword Flight is incredible. While Zhou Xuanchen was still speaking with Xuan Yan, Zhouyang had already descended with Sword Light into the backyard of Zhou Bao’s City Lord’s Mansion.

"Clan Leader..."

Seeing the Sword Light descend on his house, Zhou Bao hurried over to pay respects, but Zhouyang, with a hurried expression, waved him off before he could finish speaking.

"Second Brother, surely you know my purpose now. Please bring the child out immediately; I must personally test it again!"

He had just put away his Flying Sword, and the aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator hadn’t fully withdrawn. Zhou Bao, intimidated by his aura, forgot courtesy and reflexively called out towards the bedroom, "Xiaoyun, didn’t you hear the Clan Leader? Quickly bring the child out for him to see."

However, as a Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation Cultivator, Zhou Bao couldn’t withstand Zhouyang’s aura, let alone the mortal concubine inside. The mortals inside were paralyzed by his aura as soon as Zhouyang and his sword landed in the courtyard, unable to move, let alone carry the child out.

Zhouyang’s Divine Sense was immensely potent; seeing no one coming out, his Divine Sense swept out, understanding the situation immediately, and he shook his head, saying, "Forget it, I’d better go in myself!"

Initially, he was concerned about the distinction between men and women and didn’t want to rush into the women’s quarters, but in such circumstances, he no longer cared.

After speaking, he stepped into the bedroom and slightly nodded at the pale-faced woman on the bed, then made a gesture, and the two babies in swaddling clothes fell into his hands.

Holding the two newborns, less than a month old, Zhouyang began to chant, immediately casting the "Spirit Testing Technique."

The "Spirit Testing Technique" is a Tier Two High-grade Technique that every Cultivator of a Cultivation Clan must learn upon reaching the Late-Stage Qi Cultivation.

For the Zhou Family, every three years, their Late-Stage Qi Cultivation Cultivators must go to the secular clansmen’s residential areas at the foot of the Spirit Mountain if they are on it, to test the Spirit Root Talent of newborns from the last three years.

If a cultivator like Zhou Bao has offspring, they can directly invite family elders to test the child’s spirit root at home after birth.

Zhouyang, using his Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivation to cast the Tier Two High-grade Technique "Spirit Testing Technique," took less than ten breaths, despite having little practice with it beforehand.

A shake of his fingers sent the multicolored light ball of the "Spirit Testing Technique" onto the male infant in his left hand.

Wow!

As the multicolored light ball entered, the male infant, less than a month old, twitched and cried out instantly.

But no one cared about the small matter at this moment.

Zhouyang saw, as the multicolored light ball from the "Spirit Testing Technique" entered the infant, a dazzling yellow light shot up from the infant’s body, reaching three zhang high, stopping only then.

Seeing this, Zhouyang had no further doubts and couldn’t help but laugh aloud: "Hahaha, Spirit Light three zhang, indeed the vision of a Top-grade Spiritual Root! My Zhou Family now has an Upper-Grade Spiritual Root Cultivator!"

Behind him, Zhou Bao couldn’t help but giggle foolishly hearing his laughter.

Earlier, when Xuan Yan came to test the infant’s spirit root and said it was a Top-grade Spiritual Root, he was thrilled with the news. But seeing Zhouyang’s serious approach to retesting the child, he couldn’t help worrying it might be a false alarm.

Now, with Zhouyang, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, personally confirming the Top-grade Spiritual Root after his test, he no longer had any worries, only endless joy.

After all, as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and now the clan leader, Zhouyang laughed for a while but soon regained his normal expression.

He wasn’t biased and immediately tested the spirit root of the female infant in his right hand.

The result was that the multicolored light ball entered the female infant’s body, and only a one zhang four chi tall green and yellow spiritual light rose.

According to the Cultivation Realm’s standards for spirit root quality, spiritual light less than seven chi is a Lower-grade Spiritual Root; from seven chi to three zhang is a Middle-grade Spiritual Root; over three zhang indicates a Top-grade Spiritual Root.

As for the legendary Spirit Body or Dao Body, it is said the light reaches over ten zhang and other phenomena appear.

Zhouyang had long heard from his father Zhou Xuanhao that during his spirit root test, the spiritual light reached one zhang eight chi, with gold and red colors.

Now, the spirit root talent of the female infant in his right hand, though slightly inferior to his own, ranked among the top five among the dozens of Zhou Family cultivators, with future potential for Foundation Establishment.

"Second Brother, you are truly fortunate, a Top-grade Spiritual Root! Our Zhou Family hasn’t seen a member with such talent in over two hundred years! It’s not just fortune for you but for the entire family!"

Zhouyang turned to look at the foolishly giggling second brother Zhou Bao, sincerely admiring his brother’s luck.

This second brother had been unremarkable all his life, achieving nothing outstanding. If not born into the Zhou Family, a Cultivation Clan, and cared for by grandfather Elder Zhou Quan, his temperament and wit would likely have seen him devoured without a trace left in the Cultivation Realm.

Who could have thought such a dull, reserved, quiet honest person could father Dragon and Phoenix twins with Top-grade and Middle-grade Spiritual Roots!

"Clan, Clan Leader, these children have yet to be named. You are an Immortal of the Foundation Establishment, and I boldly request you to bestow names upon them, so that they may be touched by your immortal aura!"

Just as Zhouyang was marveling at Zhou Bao, his second brother’s good fortune, the woman on the bed suddenly struggled to get up and knelt on the bed, pleading with him to name the two children.

Hmm?

Zhouyang was slightly taken aback, then looked with a half-smile at the woman whose head pressed against the bed, and glanced at his still laughing second brother, Zhou Bao, as if he understood something.

"Hehe, you’re quite clever, yet it’s a pity you have no Spiritual Root and cannot cultivate, otherwise you might have been a remarkable woman in our Zhou Family!"

He chuckled lightly, noncommittally looking at his second brother, Zhou Bao, and said, "I have no objections, just worried you might blame me for overstepping!"

The woman heard him say this, and a flicker of joy crossed her face. She hurriedly shook her head and exclaimed, "No way, if you name these children, my husband will be delighted. How could he blame you? Right, husband?"

After speaking, she looked intently at the still laughing Zhou Bao, desperately signaling her husband.

Zhou Bao, hearing his concubine’s exclamation, finally regained his senses, exclaiming "Ah" before quickly nodding, "Xiaoyun is right, Xiaoyun is right, Clan Leader, your cultivation and learning far surpass mine; it would indeed be better for you to name them, as the names you choose will surely be beautiful!"

"Since that is the case, the boy shall be named Zhou Guangxiang, and the girl Zhou Xiang."

Zhouyang pondered for a moment before bestowing clan names upon the next "Guang" generation of Zhou family cultivators.

"Zhou Guangxiang, Zhou Guangxiang!"

"It’s a good name, a good name. Henceforth, my child shall be called Zhou Guangxiang!"

Zhou Bao repeated the names Zhouyang had given, his face lighting up with excitement as he agreed with the names chosen by Zhouyang. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

Seeing this, Zhouyang relaxed his hands, letting the two infants in his arms return to the woman’s side on the bed. Then he looked solemnly at Zhou Bao and his wife, saying, "According to clan rules, infants are still to be cared for by their parents until they are five years old. For the next five years, these two children will remain under your care, second brother and sister-in-law. After five years, I will send them to Jade Spring Peak to be personally guided in cultivation by Uncle Xuantai. If you wish to reside on Jade Spring Peak at that time, you may apply to me."

Speaking of clan rules, Zhou Bao and his wife dared not object, hurriedly responding, "We understand, we will do as the Clan Leader says."

Zhouyang nodded slightly and said, "Alright, since it’s decided, I will send a message to the old Clan Leader to inform them of this good news. You both should rest well."

With that, he turned to return to the Spirit Vein of Haoyang Cave to send a message to the old Clan Leader Zhou Minghan.

However, just as he reached the door, he paused and suddenly turned to the woman on the bed and asked, "Which cultivator of the Zhou Family is your ancestor?"

Hearing this, the woman was also taken aback but, being clever, she quickly responded, "In reply to the Clan Leader, my line was passed down by Ancestor Ming Yue."

"Descendant of Grand-aunt Ming Yue? No wonder!"

Zhouyang seemed to have realized something, looking at the bewildered Zhou Bao and his wife with a complex expression.

If he remembered correctly, the said "Grand-aunt Ming Yue" was the biological sister of Elder Zhou Quan’s father and was also a Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation Elder of the Zhou Family during her lifetime.

However, the "Grand-aunt Ming Yue" was not very fortunate; both of the children she bore during her lifetime were mortals without Spiritual Roots. Now, "Xiaoyun," the concubine of Zhou Bao, should be a descendant of those two mortals, though it was unclear if she was from the fourth or fifth generation.

"Although Grand-aunt Ming Yue was also an Elder of our Zhou Family, you, though a mortal, have given birth to a son with a Top-grade Spiritual Root and a daughter with a Middle-grade Spiritual Root, which is a great contribution to our Zhou Family that cannot go unrewarded!"

Looking at the confused woman and the equally bewildered second brother, Zhou Bao, Zhouyang smiled lightly and said earnestly to his second brother, "Zhou Family cultivator Zhou Bao, hear my command. As Clan Leader, I order you to marry the Zhou Family woman, Zhou Yun, as your formal wife. This cannot be changed for life."

"Ah!"

Both Zhou Bao and the woman, Zhou Yun, exclaimed in surprise, staring at Zhouyang, stunned by this unexpected command.

However, Zhou Yun, being wise, quickly understood the deeper meaning behind Zhouyang’s command and repeatedly bowed to Zhouyang in gratitude, "Thank you, Clan Leader, thank you, Clan Leader. Your great kindness, this humble woman will never forget, never forget!"

As a mortal, it was initially unworthy to become the formal wife of a cultivator, only living alongside as a concubine.

Now, Zhouyang, with the authority of the Clan Leader, ordered Zhou Bao to marry her as his formal wife. The deep meaning was that she would be recorded in the clan’s register, ensuring her spiritual tablet would qualify to be placed in the Ancestral Hall on Jade Spring Peak, alongside her husband, Zhou Bao’s spiritual tablet after her death.

In the future, the descendants of Zhou Bao’s lineage, when worshipping ancestors, would see the spiritual tablet of "Zhou Yuanbao’s wife, Zhou Yun," and thereby know their grandmother’s identity and worship her as well.

Mortals in the Zhou Family dream of having their spiritual tablet enter the Ancestral Hall on Jade Spring Peak after death. Yet, over two hundred years, fewer than three mortals have achieved this, with the two before Zhou Yun both being mothers of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Understanding this makes Zhou Yun’s emotion at this moment clear.

As for Zhou Bao, although he still did not understand the intention behind Zhouyang’s command, as a Zhou Family cultivator, obeying the Clan Leader’s orders was ingrained in him since youth.

Moreover, he genuinely cherished Zhou Yun, the concubine who bore him two prodigious children, and naturally agreed without any objections.