Immortal Destiny (Please Bookmark)

"Mm... delicious."

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

Beyond the fish's freshness, it carried a sweet taste, like a mountain spring that soothed the heart and refreshed the spirit.

The more crucial point was... once the fish soup entered his stomach, it continuously transformed into cultivation power. Fang Qing even felt as though he were about to burst apart.

"Eating two and a half Treasure Fish in one go really is a bit too much for my body to bear..."

"For anyone else, the only option would be to use the 'release' technique to expel the excess medicinal potency from their body... but I am different."

Fang Qing took a deep breath. The Dao-Born Pearl spun round and round, and his cultivation power instantly transformed into pure Origin Qi.

In an instant, his body was completely empty, like a sponge crazily absorbing the medicinal power.

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

By the time dawn broke in the east, he let out a long breath and turned his inner sight toward the Dao-Born Pearl.

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

"Half a wisp?"

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

"I wonder whether a complete strand of Origin Qi can serve as the first breath of True Qi for an Ancient Shu Qi Ingestion cultivator entering the Dao... Wait, even if it can, I do not have a cultivation technique for Origin Qi..."

Fang Qing shook his head and cast aside the distracting thought, beginning to convert the cultivation power of the Red Sand Hand.

This time, with his own active control, the force within his body was incomparably vigorous and carried no risk of leaking away. He could break through the barrier at leisure.

Crack! Crack!

His joints erupted in sharp cracks, and his entire body seemed to grow several inches taller.

"Ha!"

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

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

The former Fang Qing had grown up as a little farmer for over a decade. He had never eaten well, leaving him not only thin and small, but deficient in vitality.

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

But he felt that after this, all his innate deficiencies had been fully remedied!

And that was not all!

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

He did not seem to exert much force, 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 comparable to ten years of bitter training by a disciple from a wealthy household, one never lacking 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 level of cultivation, it was enough for him to protect himself in Dahua Fishing Village.

Fang Qing had not forgotten that Ruan Qi was still thinking of him day and night...

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

He took a deep breath, then looked out at the world beyond. "As for 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 lead, the townsfolk had risen early to clean the only square paved with bluestone slabs until it was spotless. The 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 arrived from every direction, either riding in horse-drawn carriages or ox carts, or traveling on foot with children of suitable age.

Although arriving a few hours early could not affect the spirit-testing results of the Immortal Destiny Assembly, they stubbornly did so anyway.

"There are quite a lot of children."

Fang Qing mingled among the group from Dahua Fishing Village. As 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 carried a tobacco pouch at his side, a nostalgic look on his face. "This old man... came here back then too."

By the end, his voice had grown low, and his expression darkened.

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

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

Fang Qing was rather curious and glanced around the group again.

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

Moreover, during this period, Fang Qing had kept a low profile and rarely gone out, giving the other man no opportunity to cause trouble.

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

"Haha... this old man has heard the town chief explain it before. Humans are the spirits of all things, born with all five elements within them... Everyone has the possibility of cultivating and opening their wisdom, but the vast majority have aptitudes so poor they might as well have none at all. Those who can stand out even slightly possess immortal destiny. This immortal-destiny aptitude is also divided into several grades, high and low, though this old man does not know much about that."

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

"I see."

Fang Qing nodded and followed the others onto the bluestone square, taking a spot in one corner.

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

"They're here!"

Someone suddenly cried out.

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

Within those lights were women in palace attire and young men in blue robes. Each possessed the bearing of an immortal and an indescribably powerful aura.

One young girl merely swept her curious gaze across 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 in the mortal world, yet before cultivators, I feel like an ant... Still, it cannot be helped. They can fly."

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

"I possess the accumulated advantages of two worlds. I will definitely reach the summit!"

He clenched his fists.

At that moment, the town chief and other local leaders stepped forward with obsequious smiles. After flattering them for a few moments, a burly civilian immediately struck a gong and shouted, "The Immortal Destiny Assembly now begins... Each household will be called according to the registry. Those called, step forward for the spirit test..."

"Mount Chu Town... Huo Sandong!"

A chubby little boy with a prosperous-looking face and silk clothes immediately stepped forward and was led onto the platform.

A young man 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 suddenly burst from the stone disc, though it was exceedingly faint.

"Aptitude... none. Next."

The young man in blue announced it expressionlessly, as if he had long grown accustomed to it.

"Waaah... Mother..."

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

Wang Erya was dressed somewhat worse than the chubby boy before her, though she still appeared to come from a well-off household that never lacked food or clothing.

"Aptitude... none!" The young man in blue performed the technique as usual, looked at the stone disc, and shook his head expressionlessly.

Wang Erya immediately pursed her lips, her eyes reddening, but she still offered a salute before running down from the platform. Her parents gathered her into their arms and comforted her.

"Song Liuque... no aptitude!"

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

As the young man in blue delivered verdict after verdict, sobbing rose throughout the square, and the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy.

Finally, after more than a hundred children had been tested, the young man's eyes lit up. "Li Yudan... spiritual roots leaning toward wood among the five elements. Middle-grade aptitude... qualified!"

The crowd erupted. Many townsfolk immediately congratulated the child. "Congratulations, immortal master..."

Fang Qing looked at Li Yudan and saw that his clothes were covered in patches. He was thin and dark-skinned, standing there foolishly without looking particularly clever.

His parents, however, rushed forward and hugged him, tears and snot streaming down their faces.

"This aptitude truly follows no pattern. It all depends on fate... Wait, fate?"

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

After Li Yudan, another long string of children failed.

The young man in blue tested several hundred in succession before his spiritual power could no longer hold out. He went down to meditate, replaced by a woman in palace attire. By then, the line had reached the fishing villages beyond the town.

During this time, two more children with aptitude appeared, but both had only lower-grade aptitude.

Fang Qing possessed martial arts skill and extraordinary patience, waiting all the way until afternoon.

On the platform, a middle-aged man dressed in Azure Sea Sect robes wore a trace of exhaustion on his face as he said numbly, "Next..."

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

"Dahua Fishing Village... Fang Qing!"

At last, he heard his own name.

Fang Qing did not conceal anything. With the expectation and nervousness of a youth on his face, he climbed the platform step by step.

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

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

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

Fang Qing stared without blinking at the Eight-Trigrams Stone Disc. Black, white, red, yellow, and green lights flashed across it in succession. In the end, black radiance flared brilliantly, extending several inches high.

"Hmm, your spiritual roots are five-elemental with an affinity for water... your aptitude is mediocre, but you pass!"

The middle-aged man in blue 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 joined the ranks of the newly admitted disciples.

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

The girl in palace attire, who had been regulating her breath, opened her eyes and smiled faintly at Fang Qing. Her attitude was completely different from how she had treated those with lower-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!"

"Mm?"

Fang Qing and Gong Susu looked over to see Zha Zhu'er standing helplessly on the platform, while Old Man Cha below was so excited he seemed on the verge of fainting.

"High-grade aptitude?!"

"Apart from exotic and heavenly grades, high-grade aptitude is already the cream of the crop; who knows, she might even have a hope of reaching Foundation Establishment in the future!"

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

Gong Susu no longer had any attention to spare for Fang Qing. She too gathered around Zha Zhu'er, her face blooming with a gentle smile.

Watching this scene, Fang Qing found it rather amusing, though he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "No matter what... having the aptitude to cultivate is wonderful."