Immortal Destiny

"Mmm... delicious."

This fish soup had only been sprinkled with a little coarse salt, yet its flavor was utterly different from before.

Beyond the fish's freshness, it carried a sweet taste like a mountain spring, soothing the heart and refreshing the spirit.

More importantly... once the fish soup entered his stomach, it continuously transformed into power. Fang Qing even felt as though he was about to burst from being too full.

"Eating two and a half Treasure Fish in one go really is a little more than this body can bear..."

"For anyone else, they could only use the 'discharge' formula to expel the excess medicinal effects from their body... but I am different."

Fang Qing took a deep breath. The Dao-Born Pearl spun, and the power within him instantly transformed into pure Origin Qi.

In an instant, his body became utterly empty, like a sponge madly absorbing the medicinal power.

Whenever his power accumulated to a certain threshold, it was transformed again, keeping Fang Qing in a constant state of "hunger."

By the time the east began to brighten, he let out a long breath and inspected the Dao-Born Pearl inwardly.

Inside the Dao-Born Pearl was half a wisp of strange Origin Qi, clouds steaming and rosy mist rising, suffused with a hazy radiance.

"Half a wisp?"

"According to the Fang Family's Qi-Gathering Formula, a hundred wisps make a thread, and a hundred threads make a Dao... I am still very far from a single Dao."

"I wonder whether a complete strand of Origin Qi could serve as the first mouthful of True Qi for an Ancient Shu Breath-Nourishing Realm cultivator entering the Dao... Wait, even if it can, I do not have any cultivation technique for Origin Qi..."

Fang Qing shook his head, casting aside that stray thought as he began trying to convert the power of his Red Sand Hand.

This time, with his deliberate control, the force within his body was incomparably vigorous and carried no risk of leakage, allowing him to break through calmly.

Crack! Crack!

The joints throughout his body exploded with sound, and his entire figure seemed to grow a little taller.

"Hah!"

With a casual tear from Fang Qing, the clothes on his body shredded like paper.

He looked at his panther-like, well-built physique. His muscles had shape without being bulky, their lines instead becoming even more defined. He could not help but nod. "So this is the real me... My previous body was still far too weak."

The former Fang Qing had grown up living as a small farmer for more than ten years, without ever eating much good food. He had been not only small and thin, but deficient in vital energy.

Even after he began practicing martial arts, it had not made up for much.

But after this time, he felt that every congenital deficiency he possessed had been fully replenished!

And not only that!

Fang Qing extended his right palm and pressed it against a nearby slab of bluish rock.

He did not seem to exert much strength, but when he withdrew his hand, a clear palm print remained behind, its edges incomparably smooth.

"Good! The Red Sand Hand has reached great mastery... At the very least, it is equivalent to ten years of bitter cultivation, the kind enjoyed by disciples of wealthy households who never lacked nourishing medicine or meat."

He withdrew his palm and smiled in satisfaction.

Though worldly legends claimed that even the strongest martial arts masters were no match for immortals,

with this cultivation, protecting himself in Dahua Fishing Village would be more than enough.

Fang Qing had not forgotten that Ruan Qi was still obsessing over him...

"There is no need to do anything for now. I only need to wait for the Immortal Destiny Assembly."

He took a deep breath and looked toward the outside world again. "As for this side of Ancient Shu, I still need to lie low..."

Mount Chu Town.

This ordinary little town was somewhat unusual today. Under the old town chief's guidance, the townsfolk had risen early to scrub the only square paved with bluestone slabs until it was spotless. That raised platform in particular was so clean that not a speck of dust remained.

After all, this was to welcome immortals!

How could there be dust where immortals set foot?

Before dawn had even broken, parents from every direction had already arrived, some in horse-drawn carriages or ox carts and others on foot, bringing along children of eligible age.

Though arriving several hours early could not possibly affect the result of the Immortal Destiny Assembly's spirit test, they still stubbornly wished to do so.

"There are quite a lot of children."

Fang Qing mingled with the group from Dahua Fishing Village. Being the oldest, he had naturally become the children's leader.

Zhu'er followed behind him, both expectant and nervous.

"Of course. Every Immortal Destiny Assembly has several thousand children."

Old Man Cha, with a tobacco pouch slung over his back, looked somewhat nostalgic. "This old man... came here back then too."

As he spoke the last words, his voice sank, and his expression grew dim.

Clearly, neither Old Man Cha nor his children had possessed "immortal destiny"!

"What exactly is this cultivation aptitude? Spiritual roots?"

Fang Qing was somewhat curious and glanced over the group again.

Ruan Qi had long passed the age limit and had no relatives taking the spirit test, so he was not among the crowd.

Moreover, during this period, Fang Qing had kept a low profile and rarely gone out, giving the man no chance to make trouble for him.

In truth, if not for the sake of making a smooth transition, Fang Qing's current martial arts skill would already have allowed him to crush that man with ease.

"Haha... this old man has heard the town chief explain it before. Humans are the spirits of all things and are born complete in the five elements... Everyone has the possibility of cultivating and awakening wisdom, but the vast majority have aptitude so poor it is no different from having none at all. Those who can stand out even a little possess immortal destiny. This aptitude for immortal destiny is divided into several grades, high and low, though this old man does not know the details."

Ever since catching the Little Azure Dragon, Old Man Cha had treated Fang Qing with complete sincerity, answering whatever he was asked.

"So that is how it is."

Fang Qing nodded and followed everyone onto the bluestone square, taking up a corner.

As the sun steadily rose, more and more people filled the square.

"They're here!"

Suddenly, someone cried out.

Fang Qing raised his head and saw a Green Leaf Dharma Boat suspended in the sky. Several streams of multicolored radiance flew down from it.

Within those rays of light were women in palace attire and youths in blue robes. Each possessed an immortal bearing and Daoist bones, carrying an indescribably powerful aura.

One young woman merely swept her curious gaze over the crowd, yet no one dared meet her eyes.

"So strong!"

Fang Qing lowered his head slightly. "I am already considered a martial arts master among ordinary people, yet before cultivators, I feel like an ant... But there is nothing to be done. They can fly."

"If I do not have the aptitude... then I will think of some other way!"

"I possess the accumulated foundation of two worlds. I will surely climb to the summit!"

He clenched his fists.

At that moment, the town chief and other officials stepped forward with obsequious smiles. After flattering the visitors for a few words, a burly townsman immediately struck a gong and shouted, "The Immortal Destiny Assembly now begins... Each household will come forward for the spirit test according to the household register when called..."

"Mount Chu Town... Huo Sandong!"

A chubby little boy with a prosperous appearance, dressed in silk clothes, immediately stepped forward and was led onto the raised platform.

A youth in blue robes held an Eight-Trigrams Stone Disc in his hands and formed a hand seal.

Buzz!

A ray of light emerged from the Eight-Trigrams Stone Disc and enveloped the chubby boy.

Five-colored radiance abruptly erupted from the stone disc, though it was extremely faint.

"Aptitude... none. Next."

The blue-robed youth announced it expressionlessly, clearly long accustomed to such results.

"Waaah... Mother..."

The chubby boy cried as he stepped down. Then the town chief continued calling names. "Mount Chu Town... Wang Erya!"

Wang Erya was dressed a little less well than the chubby boy before her, but she still appeared to come from a comfortable household with no worries over food or clothing.

"Aptitude... none!" The blue-robed youth formed hand seals and cast his technique as usual. Looking at the stone disc, he shook his head without expression.

Wang Erya immediately pursed her lips, her eyes reddening at the corners. Yet she still performed a bow before running down from the platform, where her parents gathered her into their arms and comforted her.

"Song Liuque... no aptitude!"

"Zhang Dadan... no aptitude..."

As the blue-robed youth passed judgment on one child after another, sobbing rose throughout the square, and the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy.

Finally, after more than a hundred children had been tested, the youth's eyes lit up. "Li Yudan... wood-aligned among the five elements of spiritual roots, medium aptitude... qualified!"

The crowd erupted. Many townsfolk directly congratulated the child. "Congratulations, Immortal Master..."

Fang Qing looked at Li Yudan and saw that his clothes were covered in patches. The boy himself was skinny and dark, standing there foolishly without seeming particularly clever.

His parents, on the other hand, seized him in an embrace, tears and snot streaming down their faces.

"This aptitude... truly follows no pattern. It all comes down to fate... Wait, fate?"

Fang Qing's heart stirred. "Ma Laosan once said... my Fang Family seemed to have... rather good fortune?"

After Li Yudan, there came another string of failures.

The blue-robed youth tested several hundred people in succession before his spiritual power ran short. He stepped down to meditate, replaced by a woman in palace attire, and the line eventually reached the fishing villages outside the town.

During that time, two more children with aptitude appeared, though both had only low-grade aptitude.

Fang Qing possessed martial skill and extraordinary patience, and he waited until afternoon.

On the raised platform, a middle-aged man wearing Azure Sea Sect robes had a trace of exhaustion on his face. Numbly, he said, "Next..."

"Dahua Fishing Village... Luo Ping..."

"Dahua Fishing Village... Fang Qing!"

At last, he heard his own name.

Fang Qing concealed nothing. With the expectation and nervousness of a young man written across his face, he climbed the raised platform step by step.

"Oh? Your blood and qi are quite good... It seems your mortal martial arts have been trained to the point of consummate mastery."

The blue-robed middle-aged man nodded and formed a hand seal. "Rise!"

Spiritual power surged, and an indescribable force enveloped Fang Qing.

Fang Qing stared unblinkingly at the Eight-Trigrams Stone Disc. Black, white, red, yellow, and green light flashed across it in alternation before black radiance finally erupted, stretching a full several inches.

"Mm, water-aligned among the five elements of spiritual roots... medium aptitude, qualified!"

The blue-robed middle-aged man nodded slightly. "Junior Brother, my name is Wei Gutong. From now on, we are all disciples of the Azure Sea Sect."

"Greetings, Senior Brother." Fang Qing hurriedly cupped his fists and walked over to join the ranks of newly accepted disciples.

"This Junior Brother... I am your Senior Sister, Gong Susu..."

The young woman in palace attire, who had been regulating her breath, opened her eyes and gave Fang Qing a faint smile. Her attitude was entirely different from how she had treated those with low-grade aptitude.

Just as Fang Qing was about to exchange a few words with her, he suddenly heard the middle-aged man cry out, "High... high-grade aptitude!"

"Hmm?"

Fang Qing and Gong Susu turned to look, only to see Zha Zhu standing helplessly on the raised platform. Below it, Old Man Cha was so excited that he was nearly fainting.

"High-grade aptitude?!"

"Other than variant-grade and heavenly-grade, high-grade aptitude is already outstanding. She may even have hope of Foundation Establishment in the future!"

One Azure Sea Sect disciple who had not spoken until now had fiery eyes. With a broad smile covering his face, he passed Fang Qing and approached her. "Junior Sister, welcome to the Azure Sea Sect. My name is Kan Zimeng..."

Gong Susu could no longer spare Fang Qing another glance. She too gathered around Zha Zhu, her face overflowing with a gentle smile.

Seeing this scene, Fang Qing found it rather amusing, but inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief. "No matter what... having cultivation aptitude is wonderful."