Li Xiuchang had originally been a cook. Now he had become a martial artist, and if nothing unexpected happened, he would soon become a cultivator.
"I'm leaving, Master."
Li Xiuchang waved his sleeve and bade farewell to the old boxer of South Mountain Martial Arts Hall.
"Ah Chang, once you become an immortal, don't forget your master."
The old boxer smacked his lips around a puff of strong tobacco, paused, then could not help adding, "If that immortal sect won't accept you... the gates of South Mountain Martial Arts Hall will always be open to you!"
Damn old man, can't you wish me better luck?
Li Xiuchang grumbled inwardly, but his steps grew even more resolute.
He could never return to South Mountain Martial Arts Hall. Having lived a second life in a cultivation world, he had to become a cultivator no matter what!
Li Xiuchang was a transmigrator. In his previous life, he had been called Li Xiu, while in this life he was called Li Chang. After crossing over, he had pondered it and combined the names from both lives, giving himself the new name "Li Xiuchang."
A new name signified a completely new beginning.
Li Xiuchang's steps were light. Every stride seemed to carry him toward the immortal path as he headed straight for the White Cloud City Lord's Manor.
Today was the day cultivators from the Immortal Dust Sect came to White Cloud City to recruit disciples. All boys and girls over eight and under eighteen could go to the City Lord's Manor to have their aptitude tested.
Those with passable aptitude could follow the cultivators into the immortal sect to cultivate.
Li Xiuchang was still a few months away from turning eighteen, so he could be considered to have just made it past the threshold.
Anyone over eighteen had completely lost the wisp of Innate Qi carried from the womb. Their starting point would be difficult, and their future achievements would be limited.
As for those under eight... even immortals did not want to bring children along!
Of course, the age restriction was not absolute. If someone truly possessed astounding talent, with immortal clouds gathering above their head, then whether they were eight months or eighty years old, they would be accepted!
The eight months here did not mean eight months after birth, but eight months into pregnancy.
There were rumors that certain children blessed by heaven could already attract celestial phenomena while still in the womb. When they were about to be born, a group of cultivators would guard the delivery room, fighting to accept them as disciples.
But none of that had anything to do with Li Xiuchang. He only hoped to smoothly enter an immortal sect, and did not harbor overly high expectations for his aptitude.
"Starting out in the 'Mortal Cultivation Genre' isn't a big problem. After all, I have a cheat. As long as I can set foot on the immortal path, starting a little lower doesn't matter." He secretly mused to himself.
When Li Xiuchang arrived before the City Lord's Manor, he found that a long line had already formed. He could only stand at the very back, though he was neither anxious nor impatient.
He had already waited half a year. What difference would a little more time make?
More than half a year ago, after learning that cultivators from the Immortal Dust Sect would be recruiting disciples in White Cloud City, Li Xiuchang had quit his job as a cook and traveled thousands of li from his hometown to get here.
Only after reaching White Cloud City did he learn that the recruitment day was still half a year away.
Since he had already come, he naturally could not spend those six months doing nothing. In the end, he joined South Mountain Martial Arts Hall, intending to learn some martial arts.
At first, South Mountain Martial Arts Hall had not wanted him, thinking he was too old and had missed the best time to temper his Root Bone.
It was only after he pulled two heavy ingots of silver from his robes that the oldest boxer in the martial arts hall accepted him. He even treated Li Xiuchang more affectionately than his own biological son.
His own son might not be able to support him in his old age, but Li Xiuchang... had silver!
There was another reason Li Xiuchang had decided to practice martial arts. In the Mortal Cultivation Genre novels he had read in his previous life, there were always settings where Innate Masters were equivalent to Qi Condensation Cultivators and the like. He had thought that if he ever had to fight someone in the future, he could at least add a few more points to his combat strength.
Only after practicing did he realize that the novels had all been lying!
Two months ago, the master of South Mountain Martial Arts Hall, who claimed to be invincible throughout White Cloud City, had been gored by a wild boar while hiking outside the city. He still could not get out of bed.
But come to think of it, Li Xiuchang felt that those cultivation novels he had read did have some redeeming points. For example, he quite liked the "Stealth Cultivation" and "Prudent Cultivation" they advocated.
In the future, when he ventured through the cultivation world, he also intended to follow the path of stealth, putting prudence first.
Li Xiuchang had not waited long in line before he noticed that the queue ahead had barely shortened, while another long line had formed behind him.
Because the line was too long, he could not see what was happening at the front. He only saw a dispirited boy or girl emerge from the City Lord's Manor every so often, after which the line moved forward by one person.
Li Xiuchang queued from sunrise until the sun stood high overhead. At last, one foot entered the City Lord's Manor's courtyard, and he could finally see what the "immortal" looked like.
He was not the old man with an immortal bearing, white hair, and a youthful face that Li Xiuchang had imagined. Instead, he was a spirited young man who seemed to be not much older than Li Xiuchang himself.
He was not aloof in the slightest, either. He was amiable and wore a smile for everyone.
Li Xiuchang was not surprised. He knew that "immortal" was merely the respectful title ordinary mortals used for cultivators. This young immortal might only be a disciple of the Immortal Dust Sect with a little seniority.
Li Xiuchang's attention was quickly drawn to the next child whose aptitude was being tested.
On the table before the young immortal lay a round, milky-white stone about the size of a fist. It was precisely the tool used to test aptitude.
The child looked about eight or nine years old. Under the young immortal's guidance, he nervously held the white round stone with both hands and placed it three inches below his navel.
The next moment, the white round stone glimmered faintly, but then fell silent, without the slightest further reaction.
The young immortal shook his head. "His Spiritual Aperture is unopened."
The child's eyes immediately dimmed. He lowered his head dispiritedly and put down the round stone. Seeing this, the young immortal actually bent down and comforted him with a few words.
"This immortal is quite approachable, but... no wonder the line is moving so slowly." Li Xiuchang complained inwardly.
Fortunately, there were not many people ahead of him. As for the long line behind him, they would probably still be waiting tomorrow.
Li Xiuchang did not understand the aptitude test very well. He did not even know what a Spiritual Aperture was, so he continued observing.
Before long, a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl picked up the round stone. It began to glow faintly, then grew brighter and brighter as a stream of white energy flowed into the girl's abdomen.
The girl gave a soft hum, her brows knitting slightly. After one breath, the flow of white energy stopped.
Immediately afterward, a Qi Pillar slowly rose above the round stone. It stopped after reaching a little over two inches.
"Not bad!" The young immortal nodded. "Mid-grade aptitude. You may enter the outer sect."
A wave of uproar spread through the surroundings. After half a day, someone with a Spiritual Aperture had finally appeared!
Everyone watching looked at the girl with envy. She herself was beaming with joy as servants from the City Lord's Manor ushered her inside.
"Tch! It's only a mid-grade Spiritual Aperture, and barely at that. What's there to make such a fuss about?"
The voice was not loud, but Li Xiuchang happened to hear it. The speaker was in front of him in line, with only two people between them.
Li Xiuchang sized him up and saw a tall, portly youth in luxurious clothes. From his attire, it was clear that he came from a good family. He also seemed to understand the Spiritual Aperture test quite well.
After a brief hesitation, Li Xiuchang leaned forward and asked for advice. "This... fellow Daoist, may I ask what exactly a Spiritual Aperture is, and how its quality is distinguished?"
The luxurious youth had initially shown impatience, but when he heard Li Xiuchang call him "fellow Daoist," he immediately broke into a smile.
Being addressed this way made him seem as though he had already become a cloud-riding, mist-driving cultivator. He cheerfully said, "You certainly have an interesting way of speaking. You've asked the right person, too. Daoist Grandpa is in a good mood today, so I'll explain it to you."
Several people before and behind him turned their gazes over after hearing this, their ears perking up.
The luxurious youth's vanity was greatly satisfied. He proudly began, "The round stone used to test aptitude is called an Aperture Stone. It's a magical artifact specially refined to detect Spiritual Apertures. Once it nears a Spiritual Aperture, it injects a stream of spiritual energy into it. Only someone with a Spiritual Aperture can absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into their dantian. Without one, cultivation is impossible."
"What does the Qi Pillar rising from the Aperture Stone represent?" someone asked on Li Xiuchang's behalf.
"Spiritual Apertures naturally have different grades. Upper-grade Spiritual Apertures have a high affinity with spiritual energy and absorb it quickly, while lower-grade Spiritual Apertures absorb spiritual energy slowly. The Aperture Stone determines the quality of a Spiritual Aperture based on how much spiritual energy it absorbs in one breath.
"In one breath, however much spiritual energy the Spiritual Aperture absorbs, the Aperture Stone condenses an equal amount into a Qi Pillar above it. A Qi Pillar under two inches means a lower-grade Spiritual Aperture; over two inches but under four means a mid-grade Spiritual Aperture; and over four inches means an upper-grade Spiritual Aperture!"
So that was how it worked... Li Xiuchang only hoped that he had a Spiritual Aperture. As long as he could cultivate, he would be satisfied. He did not dare hope for an especially high-grade one.
But the luxurious youth continued showing off. "Those with lower-grade Spiritual Apertures can only become Registered Disciples after entering the Immortal Dust Sect. Registered Disciples are also called servant disciples. Chopping wood, carrying water, hoeing fields, irrigating farmland—all those chores must be done. Every day, they work from the Hour of the Snake to the Hour of the Boar, laboring for six double-hours, with only half a double-hour to eat. They get one day of rest every ten-day period."
Li Xiuchang's body trembled as he listened, stirring up some unpleasant memories from his previous life.
He had no blessings to spare for this kind of "Karma." It was better left to someone else.
Li Xiuchang immediately raised his expectations: having a mid-grade Spiritual Aperture would do. He did not want to become a servant disciple.
"What about mid-grade and upper-grade Spiritual Apertures? What kind of disciples can they become, and what are the benefits?" someone asked.
"A mid-grade Spiritual Aperture allows entry into the Immortal Dust Sect's outer sect, making one an outer-sect disciple. An upper-grade Spiritual Aperture makes one an inner-sect disciple."
The luxurious youth answered casually, but did not explain the duties or benefits of outer- and inner-sect disciples. Li Xiuchang did not know whether he was too lazy to explain or simply did not know himself.
Li Xiuchang guessed that he probably did not know. Otherwise, with his fondness for showing off, he certainly would not have been able to keep his mouth shut.
Still, he offered a compliment. "Fellow Daoist, your knowledge is extensive. I'm impressed."
The luxurious youth laughed heartily. He found Li Xiuchang the most pleasing to look at, and his words were pleasant to hear. He said with feigned modesty:
"Not at all, not at all. It's merely because an elder in my family cultivates in the Immortal Dust Sect."
"So you come from an immortal-sect Aristocratic Clan. My apologies for my earlier disrespect." Li Xiuchang showered him with free flattery. In the cultivation world, one had to be kind to others and build good connections.
Li Xiuchang had a rough idea. The luxurious youth knew the duties of servant disciples like the back of his hand, but was rather unclear about the treatment of outer- and inner-sect disciples. That elder in his family was probably a servant disciple as well.
Soon, it was the luxurious youth's turn to have his aptitude tested. A burst of exclamations rose from the crowd as a Qi Pillar over four inches tall rose from the Aperture Stone in his hands!
An upper-grade Spiritual Aperture!
The luxurious youth's face showed only smugness, not surprise. Clearly, he had known the result long ago.
The young immortal smiled with genuine sincerity. "Congratulations, junior brother. With an upper-grade Spiritual Aperture, you have hope of becoming an inner-sect disciple of my Immortal Dust Sect."
The luxurious youth was modest and courteous before the young immortal. He clasped his hands and said, "My name is Pang Yuanfu. May I ask how I should address senior?"
The young immortal answered warmly, "My name is Song Yu. I entered the sect several decades before you did. You may call me Senior Brother Song."
After exchanging a few polite words, the luxurious youth, Pang Yuanfu, entered the City Lord's Manor with his round belly held proudly forward.
The aptitude testing continued. The two people ahead of Li Xiuchang had no Spiritual Apertures, as expected, and it was soon his turn.
Li Xiuchang could not help growing nervous. He walked to the table and stood still. After first saluting Song Yu, he picked up the Aperture Stone and pressed it three inches below his navel, at the location of his dantian.
The Aperture Stone lit up. Li Xiuchang then felt a warmth in his lower abdomen. Looking down, he saw a stream of energy flow from the Aperture Stone into his dantian.
Fortunately, I have a Spiritual Aperture... Li Xiuchang let out a sigh of relief.
Now all that remained was to see the quality of his Spiritual Aperture.
After one breath, the Aperture Stone stopped injecting spiritual energy. However, Li Xiuchang still felt a warm, pleasant sensation in his abdomen.
He stared fixedly at the Aperture Stone in his hand until a Qi Pillar slowly rose above it.
The Qi Pillar quickly broke through one inch and continued climbing.
But once it reached an inch and a half, it seemed to be running out of strength, and its ascent visibly slowed.
At this rate, it clearly would not break through two inches. That meant Li Xiuchang only had a lower-grade Spiritual Aperture, and after entering the Immortal Dust Sect, he would only be able to enjoy that "Karma."
But at that moment, the Qi Pillar somehow borrowed strength from somewhere. It suddenly surged upward and grew another inch!
Two and a half inches—a mid-grade aptitude, allowing entry into the outer sect!
"Not bad. A mid-grade Spiritual Aperture. You can become an outer-sect disciple of my Immortal Dust Sect."
Song Yu took the Aperture Stone, turned it over and over in his hand to examine it, then placed it back on the table. He thought that the Aperture Stone had probably been used for too long and was no longer reacting properly.
Seeing this, Li Xiuchang relaxed. He glanced at the string of numbers in the lower-left corner of his vision, visible only to him.
The number there had originally been "2.13." After the Qi Pillar grew another inch, it became "1.13."
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