Supreme Immortal Venerable True Yi Primordial Beginning Sect

At dawn the next day, Datian Town, which should have been asleep, was bustling beyond measure. Every family with a sixteen-year-old eligible candidate had hung lanterns and decorations, slaughtered pigs and sheep, worshipped Heaven and sacrificed to their ancestors. Many parents had knelt before their household altars all night, praying that their child would be chosen by the Immortals and soar to glory from then on.

Qin Haoxuan bid farewell to his parents, who had knelt before the altar all night. Looking at their haggard faces, he, who had slept soundly through the night, left home with a heavy heart.

Escorted and led by over twenty sturdy hunters, forty eligible sixteen-year-old youths set off in grand procession for Pozi Ridge.

Pozi Ridge marked the boundary between the inner reaches and outskirts of Xiaoyu Mountain, a stretch of level grassland.

Not long after Qin Haoxuan and the others arrived, two streaks of white light broke through the mist and rode the clouds from the eastern horizon, flying in on swords. When they landed, Qin Haoxuan was startled to discover that they were the two men who had tried to buy his Solomon's Seal at a high price yesterday.

Qin Haoxuan was not the only one shocked. The other youths were also stunned that these two men were the outsiders who had appeared in Datian Town yesterday.

Joy appeared on Zhang Kuang's face as he exchanged a smile with Zhang Yang, his clansman and lackey. After failing to buy Qin Haoxuan's Solomon's Seal yesterday, they had later bought it from Old Man Chen for the sky-high price of five hundred taels. Perhaps they bore a grudge against Qin Haoxuan for it; if so, Qin Haoxuan's chances would be even slimmer.

After the two landed, the flying swords beneath their feet circled the grounds once, dispersing the surrounding mist and creating a small vacuum-like clearing. The swords then automatically returned to the scabbards on their backs.

This single display of using flying swords to disperse the mist utterly captivated the youths present.

Once the two Immortals arrived, the town mayor was the first to kneel. "Datian Town has forty-one eligible youths this year. Please, honored Immortal Masters, make your selection."

The forty-one youths, together with the twenty hunters escorting them, knelt devoutly in salute.

The forty-one eligible youths who had come for testing were a mixed bag. Most lowered their heads, timid and shrinking, while a few held their heads high with the air of victory already in their grasp. Yet between their brows all wore the complicated mixture of inferiority and confidence.

Only one youth, dressed in a gray cloth shirt, carried himself properly, with a composed expression, steady bearing, and considerable grace. Their eyes lit up. Wasn't this the youth who had sold Solomon's Seal at the Chen family's apothecary yesterday? They found themselves somewhat eager to see his test results.

They had also heard Qin Haoxuan's name in Datian Town and had personally seen him bring Solomon's Seal to sell. Gathering spiritual medicine once or twice could be called luck, but Qin Haoxuan often brought out things no worse than Solomon's Seal. That was surely more than mere luck. If they could bring this boy into the sect, it would do them some good as well.

"I am Xu Tunhu, and this is my senior brother, Zhao Jialong." After the goateed Xu Tunhu made the brief introduction, he did not waste words. "Selecting seedlings is divided into two tests of root and bone! The first is the Bone Marrow Assessment; the second is the Spirit Seed Test. Pass both, and you will be selected."

"First one."

Following the order the town mayor had arranged beforehand, the first youth stepped forward to be tested.

Before the test, however, he had to undergo an entire complicated process of incense fumigation and rinsing.

The youth being tested extended his left hand. Xu Tunhu took it and kneaded it for a while, then frowned. "Mortal Bone... next."

The so-called Bone Marrow Assessment was an initial probing of one's bones and meridians. If one could not even pass this, there was no need to proceed to the next test.

Several youths went up in succession, and every one of them was branded trash by Xu Tunhu. At last, one barely passed the Bone Marrow Assessment and moved on to the Spirit Seed Test overseen by Zhao Jialong.

The Spirit Seed Test tested one's spirit seed. Nearly everyone possessed a spirit seed, but many people's seeds had died after they were born. Even if a spirit seed remained alive, one had to wait until the age of sixteen to see whether it still survived. Only at sixteen could one be infused with and absorb the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth, which was why one had to be sixteen to cultivate immortality. Yet during those sixteen years, many spirit seeds dried up and died.

The youth who had passed the bone test discovered during the Spirit Seed Test that his spirit seed was already dead.

Being chosen as a disciple by the Immortals in the mountains was itself an immense Immortal Destiny. Not just anyone could receive such destiny. It was common for people to come each year full of hope, only to return empty-handed and disappointed.

Several more youths passed the first Bone Marrow Assessment, only to be wiped out entirely at the Spirit Seed Test.

Amid the regretful sighs of the town mayor and others, Zhang Kuang stepped forward, rekindling their hopes.

Zhang Kuang was domineering and unlikeable, but he had inherited his father's fine genes and had shown unusual promise from childhood. His father had nearly been taken away by the mountain Immortals back then, and even now he was one of Datian Town's foremost hunters.

Taking Zhang Kuang's hand, Xu Tunhu kneaded it for a moment. The gloom on his face vanished, replaced by delight, and he repeatedly praised him.

Zhang Kuang smoothly passed the first Bone Marrow Assessment. Though it had been expected, Xu Tunhu's reaction showed that his aptitude was truly extraordinary. Perhaps he would become Datian Town's first Immortal disciple in decades.

Under countless envious gazes, Zhang Kuang approached Zhao Jialong.

The high-spirited Zhang Kuang walked up to Zhao Jialong, putting on a humble smile as he respectfully bowed.

Zhao Jialong's eyes lit up at the sight of Zhang Kuang, but the unhideable arrogance between Zhang Kuang's brows made him frown slightly. Still, regardless of his personal likes or dislikes, the test had to continue.

Zhao Jialong exhaled a breath of Spiritual Qi into Zhang Kuang's body, then cut Zhang Kuang's index finger and let a drop of blood containing Spiritual Qi fall onto the Spirit Flower. If the Spirit Flower showed no reaction, it meant the spirit seed had died. The more luxuriantly the Spirit Flower bloomed, the fuller the spirit seed was.

The blood was absorbed the instant it fell upon the Spirit Flower. The shriveled little bud swiftly swelled and filled out, then its petals slowly opened and closed before blossoming.

In the end, the Spirit Flower bloomed in furious splendor, displaying the fullness and vitality of Zhang Kuang's spirit seed.

The people of Datian Town erupted in cheers and shrieks. After decades, Datian Town had produced another Immortal disciple, a future figure among the Immortals.

Those who had originally disliked Zhang Kuang now looked at him with exceptionally complicated eyes, filled with envy, jealousy, and the urge to curry favor.

Qin Haoxuan's brows drew together slightly, and worry rose in his heart. Zhang Kuang had actually risen to success. Judging from the expressions of the two Immortals, his talent was likely exceptional. This was truly like stepping in dog shit before heading out to a banquet—not a good omen.

Soon afterward, Zhao Jialong formally announced that Zhang Kuang had passed the assessment.

Several more youths failed after Zhang Kuang, and soon it was Qin Haoxuan's turn.

Qin Haoxuan had always been a benchmark figure among the youths of Datian Town. Not only was he agile and skilled at hunting, but he could also gather many rare and precious medicinal herbs that even Old Man Chen could not obtain. His limelight had always steadily overshadowed Zhang Kuang's, and the two had never been able to stand each other.

Among the forty-one, Qin Haoxuan had been considered the most likely to be selected. Now that Zhang Kuang, whose acclaim had been lower than his, had been chosen by the Immortals, Qin Haoxuan was under immense pressure.

Taking Qin Haoxuan's offered left hand, Xu Tunhu did something unprecedented and greeted him. "You've come. Don't disappoint us!"

Qin Haoxuan smiled faintly and allowed Xu Tunhu to examine the bones of his hand. "More than enough slenderness, but the life bone is somewhat short; extraordinary bones, yet the meridians are slightly blocked! What a pity, what a pity, what a pity!"

Xu Tunhu said "what a pity" three times in a row, his gaze upon Qin Haoxuan full of regret. "You can be counted as passing, but your aptitude is truly ordinary."

Qin Haoxuan bowed in return. "Thank you, Immortal Master Xu."

When Qin Haoxuan walked before Zhao Jialong, his unpretentious manner—neither servile nor overbearing, yet humble—made Zhao Jialong silently praise him.

Zhao Jialong smiled faintly at him and exhaled a breath of Spiritual Qi into Qin Haoxuan's body.

Qin Haoxuan only felt a gentle warm current surge from his back into his meridians, instantly flowing through his entire body. Even his blood temporarily fused with Spiritual Qi.

A small grayish-green seed that had not existed before appeared in his dantian. Surrounded by layers of mist, its form could not be seen clearly. Before formally cultivating immortality, even with this temporary breath of Spiritual Qi, he could not look inward.

His index finger was cut, and a drop of blood fell to water the Spirit Flower, which had returned to the form of a small bud.

This time, though the Spirit Flower reacted, it was nothing like Zhang Kuang's immediate result. The little bud grew at an exceedingly slow pace, taking a long while to reach the size of a normal flower bud. Then a narrow slit opened between its petals.

After they waited and waited, the Spirit Flower showed no further movement. This meant Qin Haoxuan's spirit seed had not died, but it was severely dried up. In a few more months, it might very well dry up completely and die.

Zhao Jialong pondered for a long while. Qin Haoxuan's aptitude lay between being worth taking and not worth taking; whether he stayed or left rested entirely in the hands of the two of them.

Zhao Jialong looked at Qin Haoxuan with a face full of regret. He had never imagined that Qin Haoxuan, who could occasionally gather medicinal herbs as precious as Solomon's Seal, would possess such ordinary aptitude—ordinary enough to leave him troubled.

At that moment, Xu Tunhu leaned close to Zhao Jialong's ear and whispered several words. Zhao Jialong's eyes flickered, as though weighing the gains and losses.

A moment later, Zhao Jialong announced that Qin Haoxuan would also be admitted.

The people of Datian Town erupted once again. In a barren place like Datian Town, it was perfectly normal not to have even one person selected in decades, or even a century. Zhao Jialong and Xu Tunhu had only come to go through the motions as routine business, yet they had unexpectedly taken two at once.

Then another large group was eliminated. To everyone's surprise, Zhang Yang, Zhang Kuang's clansman and lackey, also passed the assessment, and his result was even slightly better than Qin Haoxuan's. The Spirit Flower obligingly opened one more slit, proving that Zhang Yang's spirit seed possessed greater vitality than Qin Haoxuan's.

Zhang Kuang's face brimmed with the proud glow of a youth who had found success. The way he looked at Qin Haoxuan was full of contempt, and inwardly he was delighted beyond measure. You rely on your strength and love meddling in other people's business. Just wait until I master spiritual arts and become an Immortal—then I'll show you how I'll deal with you!

Qin Haoxuan turned a blind eye to Zhang Kuang's provocative gaze. So what if his aptitude was a little better and his spirit seed a little more vigorous? What was so great about that? The path of immortal cultivation was filled with countless changes. Good aptitude did not mean one's future achievements would certainly be high. Otherwise, why would those Immortals scour the streets looking for people? Wouldn't they just recruit those with first-rate aptitude directly?

Soon, all forty-one youths had finished testing. This year, Datian Town had produced three Immortal disciples in one stroke, and everyone rejoiced.

"You three should return and prepare. Bid farewell to your parents and family. Tomorrow, you will follow us into the mountains." After speaking, Zhao Jialong handed each of the three a heavy bag of silver. "This is your Settling Allowance. Make proper arrangements, then meet us at the town entrance at dawn tomorrow!"

After giving his instructions, Zhao Jialong and Xu Tunhu summoned their immortal swords and soared away. The rejected youths shifted their envy of the two Immortals onto the three who had passed, especially Zhang Kuang, whose test results were the finest. Before long, they would be able to fly high and low like Immortals.

When news spread that the Immortals had chosen three youths from Datian Town, everyone within a hundred li was shocked. Distant relatives who had lost contact generations ago came calling one after another, bringing gifts, speaking every sweet word imaginable, and trying by every possible means to build ties with these future Immortals. The threshold of Zhang Kuang's home was nearly trampled through by gift-givers known and unknown alike, while the other two households received no small number either.

After a night of revelry, the three youths arrived at the town entrance surrounded by countless fellow townspeople. Xu Tunhu and Zhao Jialong were already waiting there.

Because the journey was long, the town mayor had purchased five fine horses in the county seat overnight for them to use as mounts.

The five mounted their horses. With a flick of his hand, Xu Tunhu affixed five yellow talismans to the horses' rumps. It was as though the horses had been injected with chicken blood; they neighed and charged ahead at breakneck speed.

There was no time to wave goodbye. Looking back, they could only see the tears glimmering in their loved ones' eyes, filled with happiness and sorrow, growing ever farther away.

The road of immortal cultivation was long and endless; once gone, there was no return.

"Honored Immortal Masters, how should we address you two without being discourteous?" Qin Haoxuan urged his horse forward, catching up to Xu Tunhu and Zhao Jialong as he asked neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Senior brothers!" Zhao Jialong answered expressionlessly, spitting out two icy words.

Seeing Qin Haoxuan rebuffed, Zhang Kuang and Zhang Yang secretly found it hilarious, though they wore honest, simple expressions. Zhang Kuang deliberately put on a guileless manner and said, "To be favored by you two senior brothers and accepted within the sect's gates is Zhang Kuang's greatest blessing. I hope you senior brothers will offer me much guidance in the future!"

Neither Xu Tunhu nor Zhao Jialong had any interest in Zhang Kuang's cheap flattery, and both automatically ignored it. Zhang Kuang was deeply displeased inside, but he still kept a smile on his face.

"Senior Brother Zhao, Senior Brother Xu, the three of us come from a remote little place and have shallow knowledge. We only know that Immortals such as yourselves come each year to select disciples, yet we know none of the more detailed circumstances. To avoid making fools of ourselves after reaching the sect and causing you two senior brothers, who guide us there, to lose face, could you please offer us a few words of instruction?"

Qin Haoxuan's words were neither humble nor arrogant, and entirely proper. Zhao Jialong, proud and aloof by nature, gave an "Mm," indicating his agreement.

"Our sect is the Guardian Divine Sect of the Xianglong Kingdom. Heaven once bestowed an immortal register and named it the 'Supreme Immortal Venerable True Yi Primordial Beginning Sect.' It is commonly called the Taichu Sect. Its inheritance spans several thousand years, and the sect is located at Emperor Huang Peak on Dayu Mountain. It has over ten thousand disciples and followers and is the Xianglong Kingdom's only immortal sect! The sect master is the Guardian Immortal Master of the Xianglong Kingdom. Whenever an emperor ascends the throne, he must report it and obtain the sect master's approval!" Speaking of the Taichu Sect, even the cold and arrogant Zhao Jialong wore a solemn expression full of yearning. Qin Haoxuan and the other two listened with animated faces, their hearts racing with longing.