Immortals Descend

Before long.

To the southeast of the county town, a gigantic White Jade Boat hung in the air. Its entire body looked as if it had been carved from white Spirit Jade, shimmering with radiant colors and exuding an imposing presence. It was a sight to behold, hovering silently in the sky.

After spending some time getting his bearings, Cheng Buzheng figured the boat was near County Square. He was about to hurry over when he noticed that many people in the crowd were already quietly edging in that direction.

"Looks like there are plenty of clever people!"

Suddenly.

Someone in the crowd who seemed familiar with the area pointed toward the distant sky and shouted:

"That's where County Square is!"

At once.

The crowd surged toward County Square. But there were simply too many people, so they moved at an agonizingly slow pace. Cheng Buzheng was like a drop of water in a flood, carried along toward its destination.

As time passed, Cheng Buzheng and the crowd gradually neared County Square. A host of long-waiting constables had formed a human wall, blocking their way.

A middle-aged constable in uniform stood before them, a Waist Saber hanging at his hip and one hand gripping its hilt. From his bearing, he was probably the leader of the constables. He scowled, stepped forward twice, and raised his voice to shout:

"Immortals have graced us with their presence and are recruiting disciples in the square. They will accept only youths aged sixteen or younger.

The Immortals have decreed!

From this moment on, only youths aged sixteen or younger may enter the square!

Anyone who dares charge the constables will find no mercy from us, their fellow countrymen!"

With that, he retreated behind the human wall formed by the constables, keeping his eyes fixed on the crowd before him.

As soon as he finished speaking.

The crowd erupted into a commotion, everyone talking at once. Cheng Buzheng felt as though countless mosquitoes were buzzing around his ears. Before long, the crowd began to flow back. Some people went straight home to fetch their little brats, while others returned to drag along their money-losing daughters.

And so on, more than he could count.

Cheng Buzheng had no habit of being the first to stick his neck out. He quietly waited for the right moment.

Before long.

A luxurious carriage rolled in from afar. A burly man drove it, snapping his whip to clear the people ahead as he shouted:

"The Zhang Family Young Master is passing through! Make way!"

At once, those in front hurried to either side, leaving a broad road. Common folk like them, scraping by on a few measures of rice, couldn't afford to offend the county's powerful families.

With the Zhang Family Young Master's arrival, the other powerful families showed up one after another.

"The Qian Family Young Master is here too. That's all the powerful families accounted for!"

"People like us can't dare steal the powerful families' thunder. If we aren't chosen and end up offending them, life will be miserable from then on!"

"Exactly! Do you remember Old Zhang's son from ten years ago?

"He didn't know his place and stole the powerful families' thunder, but the Immortals didn't choose him. Look how wretched his life is now!"

Cheng Buzheng listened quietly to the crowd's chatter. When he heard what happened to people who stole the powerful families' thunder, his heart tightened.

His eyes remained fixed on the familiar luxurious carriage. Qian Zhe, the Qian Family's eldest young master, was seated inside.

Only after all the powerful families had entered the square did the boys and girls dare to form orderly lines and go in. They knew those families were powerful, and that little households like theirs couldn't afford to offend them.

After quite a while, Cheng Buzheng finally joined the long, winding line.

The line kept moving forward, and before long, Cheng Buzheng entered County Square.

The once empty County Square was now enclosed by four human walls, forming a large rectangle. A long line stretched along each wall, with boys and girls waiting in them.

At the center of the square stood a total of nine Immortals. Eight of them looked like young adults and wore gray robes, with a Flood Dragon embroidered on each sleeve.

The Immortal who seemed to be their leader was an old man with an otherworldly air. He wore a black robe of the same design as the young Immortals' robes, though its color was different. A strange beast resembling a Flood Dragon was embroidered on his sleeve as well.

At that moment, he sat cross-legged at the center of the eight young Immortals, eyes closed as he rested, seemingly indifferent to everything around him.

The eight young Immortals had paired off, with two assigned to each line. The four pairs faced the orderly lines on the four sides.

As time passed, the many youths who failed the Immortals' tests left the square, while those who passed stood respectfully beside them.

Cheng Buzheng noticed that only three youths had passed the Immortals' tests so far, despite nearly a thousand having been tested.

He waited nervously for his own test, and began to feel torn with anxiety.

Before long.

Cheng Buzheng spotted Qian Zhe, who had failed the Immortals' test, walking back with a gloomy expression alongside the other youths who had failed.

He quickly turned around. Only after a long while did he turn back and sneak a look. Seeing that Qian Zhe had already left the square, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew!"

The line continued to advance, and Cheng Buzheng finally got a clear look at how the Immortals tested people.

The two Immortals assigned to his line were testing with different tools: one had an Immortal Artifact shaped like a Crystal Ball floating before him, while the other held a Jade Slip.

Cheng Buzheng realized the test was simple: all one had to do was place a hand on the Crystal Ball. Yet even after he could clearly see how the Immortals conducted the test, not a single youth had passed.

He was curious about what kind of reaction the Immortal Artifact would show when someone passed the test.

After all, his future depended on it.

Suddenly.

The Crystal Ball shone with four colors: green, red, yellow, and blue.

The Immortal with the floating Crystal Ball saw the four-colored light and said coolly:

"Wood, fire, earth, and water. Four Spiritual Roots!

Go register with Junior Brother Huang!

Next!"

The Immortal holding the Jade Slip was rather gentle. He turned to the excited youth and said:

"Come, register over here."

The short, thin, dark-skinned youth who had passed the test said excitedly:

"Immortal, I... I'm Huang... Huang Li!

Thank you, Immortal!"

The Immortal holding the Jade Slip smiled without speaking, as if he were remembering how excited he had been when he first joined the sect.

After recording the youth's information, the Immortal produced a white-jade Identity Token as if conjuring it from thin air and handed it to him.

Cheng Buzheng had seen with his own eyes what sort of reaction the Immortal Artifact showed when someone passed the test. But those who passed were simply too few!

Some youths' tests made the Crystal Ball glow with five colors, but the Immortals accepted none of them.

Just like the youths whose Crystal Balls had shown no light at all, they left dejectedly.

Could five-colored light mean their aptitude was too poor, and the Immortal Sect didn't want to cultivate them?

Two quarters of an hour later.

After the youth in front of him left dejectedly, it was Cheng Buzheng's turn. He stepped forward twice and placed his hand on the Crystal Ball. A cool sensation coursed through his body, then rushed straight toward his brain.

A chill ran through him. The sensation traveled back out of his brain, left his body, and returned to the Crystal Ball. The moment it reached the ball, it shone with three colors: red, yellow, and gold.

The light was much brighter than the glow of the Four Spiritual Roots.

"Three Spiritual Roots."

Cheng Buzheng finally felt his heart settle. This was the first threshold on the road to immortality. Thank goodness he had the aptitude; otherwise, he wouldn't even have been qualified to cultivate!

Then Cheng Buzheng stepped forward twice and went to the Immortal holding the Jade Slip to register his basic information.

After recording it, the Immortal seemed to perform a magic trick, producing a white-jade Identity Token in his palm and handing it to Cheng Buzheng.