Er Ya's Immortal Destiny!

"Junior Sister Ye, the villages within the Coiling Dragon Mountain Range don't seem to have anything special about them. Why did our Martial Uncle send us here to recruit disciples?"

The male cultivator asked, looking puzzled.

His name was Zhang Ming, and he and the female cultivator beside him, Ye Lingshuang, were both Qi Refining stage cultivators of the Spring Autumn Sect.

Ye Lingshuang, dressed in a long gown with a graceful figure and a refined, beautiful face, replied calmly, "A century ago, a cultivator emerged from this place—the very same one who now dominates the Eastern Wasteland. Perhaps there is something unique about the Coiling Dragon Mountain Range after all!"

"The one who dominates the Eastern Wasteland? You mean that Nascent Soul True Lord?!"

Zhang Ming's entire body shuddered.

"Correct!"

Ye Lingshuang nodded.

"Then I am truly looking forward to this!"

Zhang Ming said with a hint of anticipation.

Soon, all the children of the appropriate age in Peach Blossom Village arrived at the village entrance.

Li Qingshan had been dragged along by Er Ya. He hadn't wanted to come; after all, he had already been tested years ago and possessed no spiritual roots, so there was no point in watching the spectacle.

But he couldn't refuse Er Ya, so he had no choice but to come along and see these so-called immortals.

"Grandpa Qingshan, you're here?"

"Greetings, Elder, may you live to be a hundred!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? The Elder just celebrated his hundredth birthday yesterday; you should wish him to live to two hundred!"

"That's right, Grandpa Qingshan, look at my mouth, I deserve a slap!"

The villagers greeted Li Qingshan with smiles, showing him great respect.

It was not just because Li Qingshan had lived for over a hundred years, but also because he was one of the few educated men in the village who understood medicine and had often helped the villagers over the years.

More importantly, Li Qingshan's grandson, Li Yun, was a scholar—the only one Peach Blossom Village had produced in many years.

Li Qingshan responded with a smile, his gaze falling upon the two cultivators at the village entrance.

Watching them stand upon flying swords, treading through the void, Li Qingshan couldn't help but feel a jolt in his heart; his blood, dormant for so many years, began to boil slightly.

This world truly had immortals!

But alas, he lacked spiritual roots and could not cross the chasm between mortal and immortal, destined to live a mundane life and now, nearing the end of his days.

"A hundred-year-old mortal? That is quite rare!"

Zhang Ming and Ye Lingshuang had also heard the villagers' chatter and looked at Li Qingshan with curiosity.

In this world, it was rare for mortals to live to seventy, and a hundred-year-old mortal was exceptionally uncommon.

Even for Qi Refining stage cultivators, their lifespan was only about one hundred and forty or fifty years.

But they only glanced at him out of curiosity before looking away; while a hundred-year-old mortal was rare, it was nothing of note.

Mortals were, after all, just mortals!

In the eyes of cultivators, mortals were like ants, not worth mentioning.

"Line up! Come forward one by one, hold this Spirit Testing Stone, and have your spiritual roots tested!"

Ye Lingshuang's voice was ethereal and melodious, ringing in everyone's ears.

All the children obediently lined up, stepping forward one by one to grasp the Spirit Testing Stone to check for spiritual roots.

But half an hour passed, and after dozens of children from the village had tried, the Spirit Testing Stone showed no reaction at all.

This meant that none of them possessed spiritual roots.

Zhang Ming, who had been full of anticipation at the start, was now incredibly disappointed; he feared that in the end, they wouldn't find a single child with spiritual roots.

After all, this mortal kingdom was a place of barren spiritual energy, making it inherently difficult to produce spiritual roots.

The last one was Er Ya.

"Grandpa Qingshan, I'm a little scared..."

Er Ya held onto Li Qingshan's arm, saying with a hint of fear.

"Er Ya, don't worry, it's just a test. Go on!"

Li Qingshan encouraged her with a smile.

"Mm!"

Er Ya nodded obediently, gathered her courage, and grasped the Spirit Testing Stone.

Hum!

Suddenly, the Spirit Testing Stone hummed and vibrated, emitting golden and blue light that rose more than three feet into the air, radiating a mysterious glow.

"Gold and Water dual spiritual roots! And the spiritual energy resonance is thirty-five—this is a superior-grade spiritual root?!"

Ye Lingshuang and Zhang Ming's eyes lit up instantly.

A High-Grade Spirit Root!

They had truly stumbled upon a treasure today.

Spirit Root aptitude is categorized into: False Spirit Root, Low-Grade Spirit Root, Mid-Grade Spirit Root, High-Grade Spirit Root, Earth Spirit Root, and Heaven Spirit Root.

Classification is based on one's sensitivity to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; a sensitivity of ten constitutes a Low-Grade Spirit Root, while twenty constitutes a Mid-Grade Spirit Root.

Anything above a sensitivity of thirty is a High-Grade Spirit Root.

A High-Grade Spirit Root is extremely precious, allowing one to become an inner sect disciple immediately in any major cultivation sect.

Ye Lingshuang and Zhang Ming had already tested several villages in the Coiling Dragon Mountain Range, finding only a single False Spirit Root and nothing else.

They never expected to discover a seedling with a High-Grade Spirit Root in Peach Blossom Village today!

Bringing her back to the sect would surely earn them a reward!

"Very good! What is your name?"

Ye Lingshuang descended from mid-air, approached Er Ya, and asked in a gentle voice.

"I... I am called Er Ya, my formal name is Zhou Taoyao!"

Er Ya was still a bit dazed, not knowing what was happening, and spoke in a small voice.

"Zhou Taoyao? A lovely name! You possess a High-Grade Spirit Root; how would you like to return to the Spring Autumn Sect with me to cultivate the Dao?"

Ye Lingshuang smiled slightly.

Er Ya's eyes lit up: "Cultivate the Dao? Does that mean becoming an immortal?"

Ye Lingshuang nodded and said: "Although we cultivators are still very far from being immortals, you could understand it that way!"

"That's wonderful, I can become an immortal too!"

Er Ya cheered with joy.

Li Qingshan watched this scene, feeling quite emotional.

He remembered his own spirit root test at eighteen, where he had possessed no spirit root at all.

Yet now, Er Ya possessed a High-Grade Spirit Root and had secured a destiny with the immortals.

As for the village chief and the many villagers of Peach Blossom Village, they were all filled with excitement and envy; was their village actually going to produce an immortal?

Er Ya glanced at Li Qingshan, then suddenly gathered her courage and said: "Um... Immortal Sister, can I ask you for a favor?"

"What is it? Tell me!"

Ye Lingshuang asked.

"Grandpa Qingshan, he must have a spirit root too. Immortal Sister, please test Grandpa Qingshan as well. I want him to come to the Spring Autumn Sect with me!"

Er Ya pleaded.

"Him?"

Ye Lingshuang glanced at Li Qingshan and frowned: "He is already a hundred years old, his lifespan is nearly at its end! Not to mention that the Spirit Testing Stone is inaccurate for testing those over twenty, even if he did have a spirit root, it would be of no use!"

A hundred-year-old mortal has decaying blood and qi; it is extremely difficult for them to even step into the Qi Refining stage, let alone pursue further cultivation.

It was practically a death sentence.

"Immortal Sister, I beg you, just test Grandpa Qingshan. Maybe Grandpa Qingshan's spirit root is even better than mine?"

Er Ya refused to give up and continued to plead.

"Ahem... Er Ya, is it? You don't understand. A hundred-year-old mortal can never step onto the path of immortality. His lifespan is nearly exhausted; testing his spirit root is meaningless!"

Zhang Ming gave a light cough and smiled slightly at Er Ya, but his gaze toward Li Qingshan was filled with coldness and disdain.

If not for the fact that Er Ya was a High-Grade Spirit Root seedling, he would have already scolded them. A hundred-year-old mortal wanting to cultivate immortality?

Delusional!

However, unable to withstand Er Ya's persistent begging, Ye Lingshuang finally agreed reluctantly: "Fine, I will grant you this wish. Let's test him!"

"This... Li Qingshan, come and try!"

Ye Lingshuang's gaze fell upon Li Qingshan as she spoke indifferently.