Minor Myriad Heavens Array Spirit Testing

Chen Xingmo arrived not far from the Spirit Testing Platform. He took a compass no larger than his palm from the storage bag at his waist; it was the Spirit Testing Compass that matched the platform.

He formed a hand seal, continuously changing his gestures, and then pointed the compass toward the sky.

After a short while.

A pure white light illuminated, and the compass flew by itself to hover above the Spirit Testing Platform.

Chen Xingmo then looked at Chen Minglang and instructed, "Minglang, your cultivation is still shallow. This time, you will guard outside the array. Release people only when I tell you to."

"Do you understand?"

Chen Minglang's spirits immediately sank. He could only let out a soft "Oh" and retreated to the side.

He had originally wanted to see how many immortal seedlings Jade Spring Town would produce.

As for the spirit testing and grading, there wasn't much to see. He was from the direct lineage, and the Spirit Testing Platform on Jade Spring Mountain was generally accessible to anyone who reached the required age, with no restrictions.

As for Chen Xingyong, Chen Xingyi, Chen Heng, and Chen Mingjing, they each held a cloud-patterned array flag, which faintly pulsed with flowing light, and stood at the southeast, northeast, southwest, and northwest corners of the Spirit Testing Platform, respectively.

The four of them rapidly formed hand seals like butterflies flitting among flowers, chanting incantations.

After a short while.

The four array flags trembled slightly, and the spiritual light on their surfaces flashed. The entire Spirit Testing Platform became illusory and transparent.

A faint, imperceptible fluctuation that could nevertheless confuse the senses quickly spread out.

This was the high-grade first-tier array specifically used for concealment—the Minor Myriad Heavens Array!

After the array was set up, Chen Heng looked out at the plaza. Everything was as usual.

However, Chen Minglang, who was on the periphery, could no longer see what was happening near the Spirit Testing Platform.

Jade Spring Town had about ten thousand children between the ages of six and twelve. The probability of producing immortal seedlings with medium or low-grade spiritual roots was quite high.

However, the probability of producing immortal seedlings with high-grade, Earth-grade, or even Heaven Spirit Roots was minuscule. Nevertheless, the Chen Family had to prepare for such an eventuality.

What if an immortal seedling with high-grade, Earth-grade, or even Heaven Spirit Roots appeared, and their identity was leaked, leading to assassination or abduction by hostile forces?

The Chen Family would have no recourse.

The Chen Family's history contained similar records.

With the array complete, Chen Xingmo immediately sent a message to Chen Minglang on the periphery, officially starting the Ascension Ceremony.

Soon, the first eligible child was brought in. He was about eight or nine years old, a bit nervous in his demeanor, a fair-skinned, chubby little boy.

Being ranked first, his background in Jade Spring Town was likely quite good.

Seeing this, Chen Xingmo put away his stern expression and said kindly, "Come, child, just walk onto the platform."

The fair-skinned, chubby little boy then cautiously stepped onto the Spirit Testing Platform.

Suddenly.

The compass in mid-air emitted a faint glow.

Upon seeing this, Chen Heng raised an eyebrow. He had struck gold. The very first child tested had a spiritual root.

"I just wonder about the aptitude?"

The same thought arose in the minds of the five of them.

Soon, the pillars on either side of the Spirit Testing Platform provided the answer. The pillars lit up with "blue, green, and yellow" lights of varying brightness.

Among them, the blue light was the brightest, and the yellow light was the dimmest.

"Fifth-grade water spiritual root, fourth-grade wood spiritual root, third-grade earth spiritual root, medium aptitude." Chen Xingmo nodded slightly, greatly relieved. The first child tested and graded this year had medium aptitude as an immortal seedling.

What good luck!

He had been responsible for cultivating the clan's disciples for many years and had organized several Ascension Ceremonies. Such a strong start was rare.

The fair-skinned, chubby little boy's eyes widened when he heard he had a spiritual root. He said with disbelief, "I... I have a spiritual root?"

"Yes, child, please step aside and wait for now."

"Yay, I actually have a spiritual root!"

The fair-skinned, chubby little boy excitedly jumped a few times on the Spirit Testing Platform. Then, he glanced around and retreated to Chen Mingjing's side, but his excitement was still evident on his face.

Since childhood, he had heard his father, the town guard, talk about the importance of spiritual roots. Now, he could also become an immortal like his father. How could he not be thrilled?

"This little fellow!?"

Chen Heng chuckled. The Spirit Testing Platform was so wide, yet he waddled over and sat next to the only female cultivator, Chen Mingjing.

Chen Minglang and Chen Xingcheng on the periphery waited for a while, seeing no one else emerge.

They immediately knew that this was an immortal seedling with a spiritual root. However, since the Spirit Testing Platform was currently covered by the Minor Myriad Heavens Array, they were unaware of the specific situation inside.

"Uncle Cheng, do you think it might be an immortal seedling with a Heaven Spirit Root?" Chen Minglang asked curiously.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xingcheng was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and smiled. Given his own son's disposition, having a spiritual root at all would be a blessing.

After a short while.

Eligible children were summoned one after another. However, perhaps the good luck had been used up by the first one, as the next nearly a thousand children produced no immortal seedlings.

Just as Chen Heng was starting to find things a bit dull, another child, a rather thin girl about six or seven years old, finally had her spiritual root tested.

Unfortunately, not only were her spiritual roots mixed, possessing four attributes—water, wood, fire, and earth—but their grades were also not high. The highest spiritual root grade was merely a third-grade water spiritual root.

Immortal seedlings with this kind of constitution would find their cultivation extremely slow in the future.

If they wanted to reach Foundation Establishment, they would need to invest an unknown amount of resources.

For immortal seedlings with such aptitude, the best path forward was to cultivate peacefully at Jade Spring Mountain until they were eighteen, learn an immortal art that didn't consume many resources, such as Spirit Plant Cultivation, Spirit Cuisine, or clothing making.

Then, they could use that skill to secure a good future within the clan.

After all, no matter what, once one embarked on the path of cultivation and became a cultivator, as long as they didn't engage in combat or face unexpected dangers like Yao Beast attacks.

Generally speaking, they could live over a hundred years without illness or disaster, unaffected by the cold or heat.

Qi Refining cultivators lived for one hundred and twenty years, but it was rare for ordinary mortals in this world to live to sixty or seventy.

The reason was simple: there were too many natural disasters, calamities, and man-made disasters.

Mortal lands without the protection of cultivators were basically extremely difficult to survive in.

Even Jade Spring Town, which was relatively peaceful, prosperous, and where people lived in contentment, rarely had elderly people who lived to eighty.

Regarding this, Chen Heng had a guess: perhaps the lifespan limit for mortals in this world was eighty years, an invisible law of heaven and earth.

Two days passed quickly.

In total, three immortal seedlings—two boys and one girl—emerged from the first two thousand or so eligible children who underwent spirit testing and grade assessment.

They had already settled down at the Garrison Mansion.

On the third and fourth days, the group increased their efficiency significantly, testing over three thousand eligible children. This was better than the previous two days.

Not only did four immortal seedlings appear, but there was also a little girl with a sixth-grade water spiritual root and above-average aptitude. Her luck was quite good.

These were all considered normal situations, and everyone in the group was aware of this.

The next two days were very ordinary. Out of over three thousand eligible children, only three immortal seedlings appeared, and all of them had low-grade spiritual root aptitudes.

It wasn't until the seventh day that the appearance of a thin but bright-eyed little boy among the last thousand eligible children tested brought a surprise to the group