Little Junior Sister, We Can’t Handle This Grind Anymore - Chapter 4

As they stepped out of the square, they spotted a lone figure standing ahead.

The man was beaming, looking utterly relaxed—nothing like someone in the throes of cultivation.

Rong Zhuofan, leader of the Beast Taming Sect, was the first to recognize Ye Wentian. His expression twisted in shock. What’s he doing out here already? The hundred-year seclusion period isn’t over yet—

“Hold it right there!” Ye Wentian’s voice rang out as his sword flashed.

A surge of sword qi sliced through the ground before the crowd’s feet, carving a stark boundary line.

The unprepared sect leaders stumbled back in alarm.

“Ye Wentian, have you lost your mind?!” Rong Zhuofan bellowed.

“Stay behind that line. Anyone who disrupts my disciple’s qi absorption will face the consequences.” Ye Wentian’s oppressive aura left no room for argument.

Only then did the group notice the small figure seated in meditation behind him—a girl no older than ten or eleven.

“Who are you trying to fool, Ye Wentian? Drawing in qi doesn’t require this much spiritual energy!” one sect leader scoffed. “Did you set up a spirit-gathering array here?”

None of them bought Ye Wentian’s claim.

Only the Xuanling Sect leader seemed to consider another possibility, his gaze lingering thoughtfully on Feng Qingran.

Ye Wentian remained silent. Why bother explaining? His little disciple possessed a Supreme Immortal Spirit Root—this energy influx was barely enough.

Then—

A soft tug at Xiao Hongyu’s sleeve. “Sect Leader,” Su Yanran piped up sweetly, “I know that girl. She has a five-element spirit root.”

All eyes snapped to Su Yanran, who lifted her chin with pride. She was the once-in-a-millennium prodigy with a supreme ice spirit root. How could trash like Feng Qingran possibly achieve qi absorption before her? Feng Qingran existed only to make her shine brighter.

“Are you certain?” Xiao Hongyu asked gravely.

Ye Wentian’s eight existing disciples were all monstrous talents. Why would he take in a five-element reject?

(A five-element spirit root wasn’t just inferior—it was a death sentence. Unlike ordinary multi-element roots, which still allowed cultivation, the five-element variant was virtually impossible to awaken. Attempting it often led to meridian explosion. Most children born with it died young. Over time, the cultivation world reached an unspoken consensus: five-element spirit roots weren’t worth the effort.)

“She’s Feng Qingran,” Su Yanran declared confidently. “She even begged me earlier to get her into the Heavenly Sword Sect.”

Xiao Hongyu waved a hand, summoning a jade slip that displayed Feng Qingran’s records.

“Hah! A five-element spirit root!” Rong Zhuofan burst out laughing. “Ye Wentian, take your disciple and scram. Don’t embarrass yourself here.”

“Old Ye,” the Xuanling Sect leader said carefully, “you know how this ends. Don’t be stubborn.”

Ye Wentian’s eyes filled with disdain. Short-sighted fools. They only saw the drawbacks—the agonizing cultivation process, the higher tribulation risks—but ignored the truth: more spirit roots meant greater power upon ascension.

A five-element spirit root like his disciple’s? That was peak talent. Not only could it potentially mutate into rare variants, but it also granted invincibility within the same realm.

As for hardships—every cultivator faced them. If they feared struggle, they might as well go home and farm!

Xiao Hongyu’s voice turned icy. “Sect Leader Ye, stop this at once. You’re risking her life.”

“Your time’s better spent selecting disciples,” Ye Wentian retorted, unmoved.

“Forcing a five-element spirit root to absorb qi is tantamount to murder!” Xiao Hongyu snapped.

“Old Ye, killing an innocent will taint your karma,” another sect leader warned.

The group pleaded with Ye Wentian to intervene—Feng Qingran might suffer injuries if stopped now, but continuing would mean certain death. And a failed examinee dying here? That spelled trouble for all sects involved.

She could die anywhere—just not outside the Qingyun Province selection grounds.

Su Yanran hid a smirk. With this interference, Feng Qingran’s already-slim chances vanished. Once the girl lay half-dead from qi deviation, she’d “comfort” her and finally claim that bracelet.

What she didn’t know: Feng Qingran couldn’t hear a word. Ye Wentian had soundproofed her with barrier arrays.

Inside the formation, Feng Qingran’s skin had begun to split—thin crimson lines spiderwebbing beneath her robes.

Every cell in her body screamed in agony. Over and over, she wrestled the rampaging energy, only for it to vanish into her spirit roots like stones dropped into an abyss. Each attempt intensified the pain until her vision blurred.

I’m going to explode.

But giving up meant staying a powerless ant forever.

I will cultivate—even if it kills me!

Then—

An invisible hand seemed to form inside her meridians. Before she could react, it seized the chaotic energy, sorted it effortlessly into five pure streams, and guided each to its corresponding spirit root.