Questioning Life Before the Stone

The so-called Heaven-Questioning Stone was a strange rock placed at the center of the high platform.

It stood over three feet tall, half green and half yellow. It looked like jade, but it was actually a refined 'magic artifact.'

One child after another climbed onto the stage, while their anxious parents waited nearby.

If these children could enter an Immortal Sect to cultivate, not only could they escape the mortal world and become immortal beings admired by all, gaining blessings and longevity, but they could also shelter their families and bless their neighbors.

Yet for some reason, the light blooming from the Heaven-Questioning Stone that day rose no higher than three or four inches, and was mostly green, blue, and cyan.

Six stone chairs had been placed behind the platform. Two white-haired elders sat in the middle, with two middle-aged men and women on either side. All wore Daoist topknots and plain robes or long dresses.

—They were the people from the Immortal Sect.

Li Ping'an stood obediently in line.

Li Dazhi had ordered a wooden chair brought over and sat peacefully at the very front of the crowd. Several burly men in short blue tunics stood behind him; they were all guards of the Li family.

After waiting for nearly four hours, every child in front of Li Ping'an had finished testing.

Not a single one had made the Heaven-Questioning Stone shine a foot high.

Those Few people from the Immortal Sect were already used to such a situation and showed no reaction.

Then they heard the Daoist acolyte call from the stage:

"Li Ping'an, please step forward."

Li Ping'an took a breath and walked forward. He clasped his hands to salute the Daoist acolyte, lifted the hem of his moon-blue satin robe, and climbed the steps.

Upon reaching the platform, Li Ping'an bowed with clasped hands. He first paid respects to the elders of the Immortal Sect in the center, then greeted the cultivators on either side.

—He was an adult, after all. He could not behave like a child; being more courteous could never be wrong.

The two elders exchanged glances, each revealing A Few smiles.

The Daoist acolyte reminded him from the side, "Li Ping'an, you need only place your hand on the Heaven-Questioning Stone."

Li Ping'an nodded gently and pressed his hand against the front of the strange stone. He calmed his mind and carefully sensed it.

Li Dazhi could no longer sit still below the stage. He stood up and watched with a furrowed brow.

Though Li Dazhi knew that Daoist Priest Chen had already pulled strings for his son, at such a crucial moment, he could not help feeling nervous.

A beam of purple light suddenly shot out from the Heaven-Questioning Stone!

The purple light surged upward, rising more than ten feet high. Above it, the phantom of a green tree appeared.

The two elders were slightly moved, then revealed regretful expressions.

The surrounding townsfolk immediately began praising him. Though they did not know what the purple light and green tree represented, they could all see that the young master of the Li family was far from ordinary.

The faces of the people who had mocked Li Ping'an earlier turned somewhat pale.

"Fellow Daoist, you may remove your hand," the Daoist acolyte said softly.

Li Ping'an withdrew his palm. His lips pressed together and his brows furrowed as he silently looked toward the two elders.

The elder on the left, with white beard and brows, said slowly, "Not bad. Superior aptitude indeed. You may enter our Immortal Sect. However... Li Ping'an, is it?"

Li Ping'an calmly bowed with clasped hands. "Please enlighten me."

The elder sighed.

"Unfortunately, our Immortal Sect did not discover you in your youth, and you missed an opportunity to become immortal for nothing.

"It is fate. It is destiny.

"Your Five Elements spiritual root excels in wood, yet you lack earth among the Five Elements. Your spiritual root is diffuse and unstable... this is not the bearing of superior cultivation aptitude.

"You are already advanced in years. That wisp of Innate Qi you carried from the womb has long since dispersed. Your brow is scattered, so I presume your Primordial Yang has already been lost. You may still cultivate if you wish, but it will be quite difficult, and twice the effort will yield half the result.

"Furthermore, your fortune and destiny are merely above average. Though your luck is good, it is far from enough to make up for your present shortcomings.

"You should consider this carefully. The sect has its rules. If you enter our Immortal Sect but fail to cultivate any achievement, you will naturally be unable to descend the mountain and travel the world. If your elders are still alive, you would be better off remaining in the mortal world to fulfill your filial duties. After your parents pass away, you can go cultivate in the mountains. It would make little difference from going now."

Li Ping'an frowned slightly, his thoughts churning as he turned to look below the stage.

"Go! Go cultivate immortality!"

Li Dazhi anxiously waved his hands.

"The two of us built such a great family business. Do you think I can suffer any hardship?"

Li Ping'an turned back and sighed. "This disciple... this disciple is willing to devote himself to the Dao!"

"Good," the two elders nodded at the same time. "Come over here."

Li Ping'an turned to look at his father. The tip of his nose stung faintly, and images of his father taking him to school several times surfaced before his eyes.

It had been the same in both his lives.

A man need not be so soft-hearted.

He would naturally cultivate with all his strength and give himself fifteen years. If he truly was not suited for cultivation, he would decisively give up and apply to become a disciple stationed in the mortal world by the sect, returning to accompany his father through the final stretch of his life.

Li Ping'an lowered his head, clasped his hands toward his father, and bowed deeply.

"Hey, what's with all this empty ceremony? You're making me sentimental."

Li Dazhi raised a hand and pinched his nose.

"If you can cultivate immortality, then go. Cultivating immortality is great. You can fly around and live forever."

The surrounding townsfolk clasped their hands in congratulations.

The Daoist acolyte stepped forward again and called, "Li Dazhi, please step forward."

"I have to test too?"

Li Dazhi stood up with an ingenuous grin.

"Well, I'm just here to register my child. I was afraid he'd be too embarrassed on his own. I'm already over fifty this year."

The Daoist acolyte said sternly, "Are you disrespecting the Immortal Sect?"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! Everyone, I'm going up there to make a fool of myself!"

Li Dazhi hurriedly clasped his hands, thanked the people around him with a salute, and climbed the stone steps to the platform with a chuckle.

He was rather plump and had neglected exercise for many years, so his movements looked somewhat comical.

But the surrounding townsfolk no longer dared to laugh casually.

The Li family's young master had entered the Immortal Sect to cultivate. From then on, the Li family's position in Wan'an City would be incomparably secure. Even officials of the Immortal Dynasty would have to give them some measure of respect.

Li Dazhi saluted in every direction, making a full round of formal greetings. The two middle-aged Daoists cast him impatient looks.

Mortal merchants were the most slippery sort. This man looked shifty and obnoxious, making their Dao hearts uncomfortable.

The Daoist acolyte urged, "Please raise your hand."

"Alright," Li Dazhi said with a smile as he pressed his left hand against the Heaven-Questioning Stone.

The Heaven-Questioning Stone remained perfectly still.

"That's it?" Li Dazhi wondered. "I don't even get a bit of light?"

The Daoist acolyte immediately looked confused, while the two elders beside him also turned to look over curiously.

"Dad," Li Ping'an said quietly, "could it be that you pressed the wrong spot?"

"Ah, forget it. At least I've been tested."

Li Dazhi chuckled as he withdrew his hand.

He turned to look at his son. Countless words merged into a single sentence:

"Ping'an, take good care of yourself. Don't go picking fights with others. Stay calm when encountering matters, be more courteous and yielding. There's Nothing Much wrong with suffering a little, and taking a small loss is a blessing. You must be well."

There was some reluctance in Li Ping'an's eyes, but he refused to show any petty softness.

"Mm, Dad, I'll remember it all."

"Alright then, I'm heading back..."

Crack!

A series of crackling sounds Rang Out behind Li Dazhi.

Li Ping'an's eyes suddenly widened!

What was that sound?

Li Dazhi turned his head and instinctively shuddered.

Dense cracks had appeared across the Heaven-Questioning Stone. Within them, an extremely dense mass of golden light seemed about to burst forth!

The next instant!

The golden light shattered the stone!

The Heaven-Questioning Stone's outer layer suddenly exploded, and a beam of golden radiance shot straight into the heavens!

Inside and Outside the City, the soldiers guarding the walls, porters hurrying along the roads, graceful women, and children in bellybands all raised their heads to watch!

Above the earth and beneath the clouds, Qian Dao, Kun Dao, and practitioners of the Dao of Qiankun Reversal passing near Wan City all used their spiritual senses to investigate!

The golden light dyed a patch of white cloud gold. The cloud slowly churned, forming the shape of a flesh Lingzhi mushroom.

The two elders of the Immortal Sect abruptly rose to their feet!

The four disciples stood dumbfounded, unable to speak!

"Auspicious clouds, an Auspicious Cloud Manifestation! A mortal's Auspicious Cloud Manifestation! This is supreme fortune—this is actually supreme fortune!"

"Golden light bursts forth! Complete Five Elements! Ten Thousand Stars Golden Fate! This—this is the aptitude of a Heavenly Immortal! No, it may be the aptitude of a Golden Immortal!"

"Holy shit?"

Li Dazhi blurted out a curse as he stared at the scene before him in disbelief.

Yet before he could react, the two elders suddenly stepped forward and pressed down on his shoulders from either side.

"Go quickly! Send this child back to the sect at once!"

The Daoist acolyte spread his arms and soared into the sky, transforming into a white crane with a wingspan of ten feet. The two elders and four middle-aged Daoists flashed onto the crane's back. With one beat of its wings, the crane whipped up a fierce gust that sent the people below swaying from side to side.

When the fierce wind dispersed, where was the white crane's shadow?

Wait, had the immortals forgotten something...

Li Ping'an stood frowning in a corner of the platform. He looked toward the horizon, then lowered his head to look at his feet.

He lightly jumped a few times, then raised his hand and pinched the back of it.

His father had top-tier fortune and supreme aptitude? Did that mean his father had a greater chance than him of becoming immortal?

Li Ping'an was delighted at first, then began stamping his feet in frustration.

No!

He had not gotten on the crane!

He had not gotten on the crane!

Fortunately, a streak of green light flashed across the horizon again. A middle-aged female Daoist returned on a flying sword, grabbed Li Ping'an by the arm, and took him as they broke through the void toward the northwestern sky.

The wind roared in his ears, and they traveled too quickly. Li Ping'an felt short of breath and tight in the chest. His vision went dark, and he fainted outright.

PS: The new book is out—please add it to your collection!

Special thanks to Qing丨Cheng, Qingling Xusan, Chenmi Zizouqi ing, Banbu Xianyu, Chuci Shi Shui Bu Zhongyao, Nanwang de BGM, Qinglu Xi Baiya Guang Man Gua Yuanhua, Xiao Yueyue, Chuzou Bawanli, and Fanjian Ren for the first wave of Alliance Leader support! To thank Dear Readers for your support, there will be an extra chapter at launch! From now on, two chapters will be released consecutively every day at noon.