Waking up the next day, after the long and eventful one before, the first thing Hong Wei did was open his gacha system.
And noticing the free daily draw available, he didn't hesitate. With a thought, he activated it.
The same ancient, illusionary wheel materialized once more, suspended in the air before him. He went through the same motions as before, until finally, the familiar notification voice echoed clearly in his mind.
[Congratulations, the host has pulled an Uncommon-ranked character: Hunter, Wei Jin.]
[The character has been placed inside the Gacha Room. You can pull it out at any time.]
'Uncommon? And a hunter, at that?'
Hong Wei stared at the notification with a somewhat mixed expression. In the end, he didn't summon the character immediately, deciding instead to wait… after all, he had other plans for these kinds of characters.
And so, with that important business taken care of, he finally shifted his thoughts toward his current situation, and how he should tackle his present problem.
He considered many possibilities, taking into account the meager information his predecessor had about cultivation, while also trying to recall whatever scraps of knowledge he had from the few cultivation novels he'd read in his previous life.
But that's when he suddenly paused.
He had been making all his plans based on the assumption that he didn't have any talent for cultivation…
But what if he actually did?
What if the person who tested him back then had simply been wrong? What if he'd failed to notice the potential Hong Wei truly held?
It was unlikely, he knew that. But still… what if?
That uncertain possibility sparked a quiet anticipation in his chest.
He was just about to call out to Shan Mei and Seren, intending to ask them to test him again, when Shan Mei's voice gently interrupted his thoughts.
"Master, breakfast is ready."
Turning, he saw her standing just outside the door, her posture respectful, her tone soft.
Somehow, her simple presence and calm voice soothed the restless stir of thoughts in his chest. And so, he decided to delay the test until after the meal.
This time, unlike the feast from the day before, the breakfast was more modest.
Still, it was warm, fragrant, and inviting. His mother, who had clearly regained much of her strength after the treatment, had also helped with the meal.
"The food is delicious. Thank you both for your effort," Hong Wei said sincerely.
Shan Mei and his mother both smiled at his words, their eyes soft with quiet pride.
And just like that, breakfast passed in peaceful silence.
Soon after, Hong Wei found himself in the courtyard, with Shan Mei and Seren standing before him, the morning sun now higher in the sky, casting warm rays over them.
He slowly explained his situation, how he'd already been tested in the past, before finally asking, "So, what do you think? Is there a possibility… that the test was wrong?"
Silence descended after his question, and Hong Wei felt his heart skip a beat, because he understood what that silence meant.
It was Shan Mei who finally broke it.
"Master, it's not like the test couldn't have gone wrong… it could."
"But, these kinds of mistakes only happen sometimes, for people who actually have immense talent, but were tested as having only average one."
"And in your case, what you were tested for wasn't just talent. It was the existence of spiritual roots."
"And that… there can be no mistake with."
Hearing Shan Mei, Hong Wei felt a faint surge of hope rise, only for it to immediately plunge.
He noticed the difficult tone in her voice, calm but laced with helpless honesty, and he could tell she struggled with saying it.
So, he chuckled softly and tried to play it off, saying, "Well, that's fine too. It's not like I was expecting anything anyway."
A quiet, unconvincing statement. One that didn't quite manage to hide the disappointment in his eyes. And perhaps that was why Seren suddenly stepped forward and said.
"Actually, there's no absolute in the cultivation world. And even if the chance is abysmal, that cultivator could have been mistaken. He might've failed to notice spiritual roots that were hidden or dormant. So… how about I test your talent again?"
Hong Wei, who had already come to terms with his situation, and had even glanced at his status window more than once, knew that the chances were practically nonexistent.
But still, he nodded. And went along with Seren's suggestion.
Seren stepped closer, gently took his hand, and closed her eyes in concentration.
Was there any real need for someone like her, a powerhouse in the Spiritual Core Realm, to take this test so seriously… just to check a mortal's potential?
No, there wasn't.
Just by looking at his body, both she and Shan Mei could tell if he had talent or not.
But even so, she did her best.
Just to make sure, so there would be no doubt, no mistake.
And unfortunately, in the end, the result was clear.
He truly had no spiritual roots.
Hong Wei looked at Seren, now standing guiltily in front of him after informing him of the result, and felt warmth stir inside his chest.
In the end, he reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
"It's really fine," he said. "You don't need to feel disappointed for me. Let alone feel guilty. It's not like it's the end of the world if I don't have spiritual roots, after all."
Being patted on the head by a mortal might've been something others would find humiliating.
But Seren didn't feel that way.
He was her master… her only master, and so, instead, she lowered her head slightly to make it easier for him.
Hong Wei chuckled at that, and finally, the heavy mood that had settled over them lifted.
When Seren returned to stand beside the slightly jealous Shan Mei, Hong Wei finally asked the question that mattered most.
"Can I still cultivate even if I have no spiritual roots? And… is there a solution to this problem?"