One of Our Own

Just then, footsteps came from outside, mixed with the child's shouts.

"Dad, don't pull me, I can walk by myself!"

"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up!"

The children chattered all the way in, and when the curtain was lifted, a group of children rushed in. There were four boys and two girls, the older ones were about ten years old, and the younger ones were only five or six. Behind them were five women, all of whom were daughters-in-law and sisters-in-law of the Lin Household. Shen Jingchuan recognized them all and greeted them one by one as "sisters-in-law."

When the children reached him, they immediately stopped being so mischievous, stood at attention, bowed to him, and said in unison.

"Hello, Uncle."

They were all well-behaved and orderly. Shen Jingchuan had always liked these nephews and nieces. The Lin Household had strict family discipline and a good family style, and the children were all very sensible.

There were four boys. The eldest was named Lin Guangren, followed by Lin Guangyi, Lin Guangli, and Lin Guangzhi. They were all from the Lin Shan and Lin Yue families.

"Alright, alright, stop being so formal." He smiled and reached out to pick up the youngest girl, Lin Wei. "Do you know why you're here today?"

"I know!" answered the eldest, Lin Guangren, puffing out his chest. "My dad said that my uncle tested our Spirit Roots, and if they're found out, we can cultivate. In the future, we can become immortal masters like our uncle!"

Shen Jingchuan was amused by him and looked down at Lin Wei in his arms to ask.

How old are you this year?

The little girl hugged his neck, her voice sweet and childlike.

"Uncle, I'm six years old."

"Six years old, just right." Shen Jingchuan nodded. "Then you can go first."

Shen Jingchuan placed the Spirit Testing Stone on the table, held Lin Wei in his arms, and guided her small hand to the stone.

The little girl was confused and pulled her hand back halfway, as if she had touched a hot stone.

"Uncle, what is this?"

She made everyone in the room laugh.

"These are called Spirit Testing Stones; they're used to test whether you're capable of cultivation," Shen Jingchuan said.

"Then I'll test it!" Lin Wei pressed her hand up.

The stone remained completely still, emitting not a ray of light. Lin Wei tilted her head and stared at it for a long time, but couldn't figure it out.

Then they proceeded one by one, from youngest to oldest, according to age. Lin Guangyi, Lin Guangli, Lin Guangzhi, and another little girl each placed their hands on the stone, but it remained lifeless, unresponsive to any test, without even a trace of Hidden Spirit Root.

The children slumped down one by one. Every child dreams of flying up into the sky like their uncle, thinking it's incredibly impressive. But now, their hopes seemed dashed, and their disappointment was impossible to hide.

Several women nearby were also anxious. Lin Yue's wife and concubine, Lin Shan's three wives and concubines, all five pairs of eyes were fixed on the stone, hoping that it would light up when it was their child's turn, but time and time again they hoped and were disappointed.

Finally, it was the turn of the eldest brother Lin Guangren.

After his younger siblings all failed, the child walked to the table, his face tense, gritted his teeth, and solemnly placed his hand on it.

At first, there was no light at all.

The light in Lin Shan's eyes dimmed little by little.

After a moment, Shen Jingchuan suddenly narrowed his eyes. He looked closely and saw that deep within the stone, four faint wisps of dark light were rising, barely perceptible and impossible to see without getting close—white, cyan, blue, and red, only lacking the earthy yellow color.

Is it Hidden Spirit Root, or a four-elemental Spirit Root?

Shen Jingchuan thought to himself, "The Lin Household probably really did carry some Spirit Vein bloodline. After going around in circles, they finally found it in my nephew."

Everyone stared at the rock, but couldn't see any light. They all thought the children had no chance. Disappointment was on their faces when Shen Jingchuan suddenly spoke up.

"Etc."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look again, a renewed glimmer of hope rekindled in their eyes.

Shen Jingchuan patted his nephew on the shoulder.

"Guangren, you really do have Spirit Root. But it's Hidden Spirit Root, so it's just hidden inside and doesn't shine. Your uncle will have to find a way to open your meridians, which will be very painful. Can you handle it?"

Lin Guangren's eyes widened in surprise.

"Uncle, I... I can really cultivate?"

Shen Jingchuan nodded.

"I'm not afraid of pain!" Lin Guangren puffed out his small chest. "No matter how much it hurts, I'm not afraid!"

Looking at his gritted teeth and tenacity, Shen Jingchuan thought, "With that kind of determination and perseverance, he can definitely succeed."

However, this child has four Spirit Roots but is missing one, so he really doesn't know what Cultivation Method to use. He has to ask Xian'er.

Lin Shan's eyes had already lit up, as had his three wives and concubines behind him, all craning their necks.

"Brother-in-law," Lin Shan's voice was a little strained, "Your nephew... can he really cultivate?"

"Don't worry, brother. If I say it's possible, it's possible," Shen Jingchuan said with a smile. "His is called Hidden Spirit Root, which is why it doesn't look bright. Ordinary spirit -Spirit Testing Stones can't detect it, but mine is different; it can detect Hidden Spirit Root. We just need to open his meridians first. You all go out and wait; I'll open his meridians right away."

He then turned to Hu Tieniu.

"Tieniu, you should discuss your matter with my elder brothers first. After I finish examining Guangren's pulse, we can talk about it in detail. I think it's feasible."

"Alright!" Hu Tieniu readily agreed, beckoning Lin Shan and Lin Yue, along with all the women and children in the room, to leave, closing the door behind them.

The room became quiet.

"Guangren, please sit down."

"Yes, Uncle."

"It will hurt a little, just bear with it."

Shen Jingchuan originally wanted to open his meridians directly, but then he thought that once his meridians were opened, he would have to be taught how to guide his qi. How could he do that without Cultivation Method? He lacked one of the four Spirit Roots and one of the five elements, so he couldn't practice the "Five Elements Qi Refining Instruction". He had to ask Xian'er about this first.

"Please sit down first, Uncle, please get ready."

"Okay, Uncle."

Shen Jingchuan closed his eyes, his Divine Sense sinking into the Ring, and called out to Xian'er.

Xian'er's voice quickly echoed in his mind.

"I saw everything. You're just a busybody. Now you have another cultivator to deal with. You'll be busy from now on."

"Sister Xian'er, I don't see it that way," Shen Jingchuan said to her in his heart. "The Lin Household is my wife's family, and some of them cultivate. They can help me with many things in the future, whether it's business or other matters. They can lend a hand, and we can earn Spirit Stones faster. Don't you think that makes sense?"

Xian'er thought for a moment.

"Indeed, they're one of our own, so they're more reliable. Alright, I'll pass on a Cultivation Method to you. This one is suitable for all Spirit Roots and is also a Heaven-level Cultivation Method, though it's slightly inferior to yours."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and pointed, and a surge of information rushed into Shen Jingchuan's mind. This Cultivation Method was called "Return to Origin Instruction." Shen Jingchuan closed his eyes and pondered it for a quarter of an hour, thoroughly understanding the Cultivation Method from beginning to end, before opening his eyes.