"Junior Sister Ye, the villages in the Coiling Dragon Mountain Range do not seem to have anything special about them. Why did Martial Uncle send us here to take disciples?"
The male cultivator asked in confusion.
His name was Zhang Ming. He and the female cultivator beside him, Ye Lingshuang, were both Qi Refinement cultivators from the Spring Autumn Sect.
Ye Lingshuang wore a long dress, her figure graceful and her features delicate. She said calmly, "A hundred years ago, a cultivator emerged from this place—the very one who now roams the Eastern Wasteland unhindered. Perhaps the Coiling Dragon Mountain Range holds something special!"
"The one who roams the Eastern Wasteland unhindered? You mean that Nascent Soul True Lord?!"
Zhang Ming trembled all over.
"That's right!"
Ye Lingshuang nodded.
"Then I'm looking forward to this!"
Zhang Ming said expectantly.
Before long, all the children of suitable age in Peach Blossom Village had gathered at the village entrance.
Li Qingshan had also been dragged over by Er Ya. He had not wanted to come in the first place. After all, he had already been tested back then and had no spiritual root, so there was no point in coming to watch the excitement.
But he could not resist Er Ya's persistence, so he had no choice but to come and take a look at these so-called immortals.
"Grandpa Qingshan, you're here?"
"Greetings, old man! May you live to a hundred!"
"What nonsense are you talking about? The old man celebrated his hundredth birthday yesterday. You should wish him to live to two hundred!"
"That's right, Grandpa Qingshan. Look at this mouth of mine—it deserves a beating, it deserves a beating!"
The villagers all greeted Li Qingshan with smiles and great respect.
It was not only because Li Qingshan had lived for more than a hundred years, but also because he was one of the few educated people in the village. He even knew a little medicine and had helped the villagers quite a bit over the years.
More importantly, Li Qingshan's grandson, Li Yun, was a respected scholar. In all these years, Peach Blossom Village had produced only one such scholar.
Li Qingshan responded with a smile, his gaze falling upon the two cultivators at the village entrance.
Watching them stand upon flying swords and tread the void, Li Qingshan could not help but shudder inwardly. Blood that had lain dormant for years began to boil faintly.
There truly were immortals in this world!
But sadly, he had no spiritual root. He could not cross the heavenly chasm between mortals and immortals, and could only drift through a mediocre life. Now, he was already on the verge of death.
"A hundred-year-old mortal? That is rather rare!"
Zhang Ming and Ye Lingshuang had also heard the villagers' discussion and looked curiously at Li Qingshan.
In this world, mortals who lived to seventy were already scarce. A hundred-year-old mortal was even rarer.
Even Qi Refinement cultivators only had lifespans of a hundred and forty or fifty years.
But they merely gave him a curious glance before looking away. Though a hundred-year-old mortal was rare, it meant nothing.
A mortal was still a mortal!
In the eyes of cultivators, mortals were like ants, not worth mentioning.
"Line up one by one! Step forward in turn, hold this Spirit Testing Stone, and test your spiritual roots!"
Ye Lingshuang's voice was clear and melodious as it rang beside everyone's ears.
All the children obediently lined up and stepped forward one after another, grasping the Spirit Testing Stone to test their spiritual roots.
But after half an hour had passed, the dozens of children in the village had all tried, yet the Spirit Testing Stone showed no reaction whatsoever.
This meant that none of them possessed spiritual roots.
Zhang Ming had gone from being full of anticipation at the start to utterly disappointed by the end. It seemed that, in the end, they would still be unable to find a child with spiritual roots.
After all, this was a mortal kingdom, a place where spiritual energy was barren. It was inherently difficult for spiritual roots to be born here.
Er Ya was the last one.
"Grandpa Qingshan, I'm a little scared..."
Er Ya clung to Li Qingshan's arm and spoke fearfully.
"Er Ya, don't worry. It's only a test. Go on!"
Li Qingshan smiled and encouraged her.
"Mm!"
Er Ya nodded obediently, gathered her courage, and grasped the Spirit Testing Stone.
Buzz!
Very soon, the Spirit Testing Stone hummed and trembled. Golden and blue light burst forth, rising more than three feet into the air and radiating a mysterious glow.
"Dual metal and water spiritual roots! And her spiritual energy affinity is thirty-five—this is a high-grade spiritual root?!"
Ye Lingshuang's and Zhang Ming's eyes lit up instantly.
A high-grade spiritual root!
Today, they had stumbled upon a treasure.
Spiritual root aptitude was divided into: false spiritual roots, low-grade spiritual roots, mid-grade spiritual roots, high-grade spiritual roots, Earth Spirit Roots, and Heavenly Spirit Roots.
They were classified according to one's affinity for the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. An affinity of ten meant a low-grade spiritual root, while an affinity of twenty meant a mid-grade spiritual root.
An affinity above thirty meant a high-grade spiritual root.
With a high-grade spiritual root, one could directly become an inner disciple in any major cultivation sect. Such roots were exceedingly precious.
Ye Lingshuang and Zhang Ming had tested all the villages in the Coiling Dragon Mountain Range and found only one false spiritual root. Other than that, they had gained nothing.
They had never expected to discover an immortal seedling with a high-grade spiritual root in Peach Blossom Village today!
If they brought her back to the sect, they would surely be rewarded!
"Very good! What is your name?"
Ye Lingshuang descended from the air, came before Er Ya, and asked gently.
"I... I'm Er Ya. My full name is Zhou Taoyao!"
Er Ya was still somewhat dazed and did not know what had happened. She spoke softly.
"Zhou Taoyao? A fine name! You possess a high-grade spiritual root. Would you like to return to the Spring Autumn Sect with me and cultivate the Dao?"
Ye Lingshuang smiled faintly.
Er Ya's eyes brightened. "Cultivate the Dao? Does that mean becoming an immortal?"
Ye Lingshuang nodded. "Though cultivators like us are still far from true immortals, you can understand it that way!"
"That's wonderful! I can become an immortal too!"
Er Ya cheered and jumped with joy.
Watching this scene, Li Qingshan felt deeply moved.
He remembered the time when he was eighteen and had taken the spiritual root test. He had not possessed any spiritual root at all.
Yet now, Er Ya possessed a high-grade spiritual root and had obtained an immortal opportunity.
As for the village chief of Peach Blossom Village and the many villagers, all of them wore expressions of excitement and envy. Their Peach Blossom Village was 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 something?"
"What is it? Go ahead!"
Ye Lingshuang asked.
"Grandpa Qingshan must have spiritual roots too. Immortal Sister, please test Grandpa Qingshan as well. I want him to go 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, and his lifespan is nearly at its end! Not to mention that the Spirit Testing Stone cannot accurately test the spiritual roots of those over twenty. Even if he has spiritual roots, they would be of no use now!"
A hundred-year-old mortal had declining blood and vitality. It would already be immensely difficult for him to enter the Qi Refinement realm, let alone continue cultivating afterward.
It was practically a death sentence.
"Immortal Sister, please, just test Grandpa Qingshan. Maybe Grandpa Qingshan's spiritual roots are even better than mine?"
Er Ya refused to give up and continued pleading.
"Cough, cough... Er Ya, is it? You do not understand. A hundred-year-old mortal cannot possibly embark upon the immortal path. His lifespan is nearly at its end, so testing his spiritual roots has no meaning at all!"
Zhang Ming gave a light cough and smiled faintly at Er Ya, but the way he looked at Li Qingshan was filled with coldness and disdain.
If not for this immortal seedling with a high-grade spiritual root speaking up, he would have long since rebuked her. A hundred-year-old mortal wanted to cultivate immortality?
A fool dreaming in broad daylight!
But Er Ya kept pestering them, softening them up bit by bit. In the end, Ye Lingshuang could only reluctantly agree. "Fine, then I will fulfill this wish of yours and test him!"
"This... Li Qingshan, come and give it a try!"
Ye Lingshuang's gaze fell upon Li Qingshan as she spoke indifferently.
Before you continue