Test

"Hey, among the children taking the test this time, a few are truly remarkable."

Carpenter Wang held his son's hand to keep him from being swept apart by the crowd as he began to hold forth.

Old Man Zhou was a worthy straight man. Hearing this, he asked, "How so?"

Carpenter Wang pointed at a young man near Linxian Platform, dressed in fine brocade and jade-like garments, with an air of nobility. "See him? That's Wan Liang, the son of our Cloud Prefecture City Lord. I hear that to ensure he passes the test, the City Lord had experts cleanse his sinews and marrow from the time he was three. Though he's only twelve now, he already has the strength of a thousand jin and can wrestle tigers and leopards."

Old Man Zhou said in shock, "Wrestle tigers and leopards? The hell, can he really be twelve? Even battle-hardened generals who've fought for years might not be his equal. Looks like he'll definitely pass this test."

"That surprises you?"

Carpenter Wang laughed. "There's someone even more impressive. See that little girl not far from Young Master Wan?"

Old Man Zhou looked where he pointed. Even Zhou Qing and Wang Xiaohu could not help looking as well. Who could be more impressive than Young Master Wan, who could wrestle tigers and leopards at twelve?

There were quite a few girls taking the test near Young Master Wan, yet the three immediately knew whom Carpenter Wang meant.

She was a girl of thirteen or fourteen, with skin that seemed made of snow. Under the noon sun, she shone so brightly it dazzled the eye.

Though a tide of people crowded around Linxian Platform, everyone instinctively kept some distance from her, as though afraid the press of human warmth would melt this snow-made girl.

Wang Xiaohu unconsciously swallowed. "With a woman like that, even if you married her, you wouldn't have the heart to make her sew clothes or cook."

"Pathetic!"

Carpenter Wang smacked his son, disappointed that iron had failed to become steel. "What sewing and cooking? She's destined to cultivate immortality."

"This is Miss Nie Yunxi, the treasured daughter of Master Nie, the richest man in Cloud Prefecture City. I hear that from the day she was born, Master Nie spent a fortune purchasing spirit stones to keep by her side."

Old Man Zhou said in astonishment, "Spirit stones? Aren't those treasures only Immortal Masters possess?"

"Of course."

Carpenter Wang said proudly, "But if mortals are willing to pay dearly, they can still buy some inferior spirit stones. Immortal Masters disdain such stones, but to mortals, they're priceless treasures."

"Miss Nie kept spirit stones by her side from childhood and was steeped daily in spiritual energy. She actually shed her mortal flesh. According to those with well-informed sources, Miss Nie carries not a trace of the worldly scent of mortal flesh; instead, a faint fragrance lingers around her at every moment."

Old Man Zhou shook his head. "A young lady from a great family naturally uses the finest rouge and powder. A fragrance on her body is nothing strange."

Seeing his authority challenged, Carpenter Wang craned his neck and said, "Who said that? Miss Nie has never used rouge or powder."

"How would you know?"

"Of course I know. My sources are excellent."

As they spoke, the two actually began bickering.

Listening to their conversation, Zhou Qing could not help giving Carpenter Wang a sidelong glance.

They had agreed they were only here to broaden their horizons, yet this Old Wang had done more homework than anyone.

He shook his head with a smile, thinking, If wearing spirit stones could alter one's constitution and allow someone to cultivate, then sects could have mass-produced Immortal Seedlings long ago. Why would they need to come to the mortal world to recruit disciples?

At this time, people around them were also talking, mostly about the same rumors Carpenter Wang had just mentioned.

He guessed that ordinary people, out of worship for power and wealth, had unconsciously added these halos to the City Lord's and the richest man's children.

If worldly power and riches held any meaning for cultivators, then the emperor and the richest man should have been the most powerful immortals.

By noon, a wave of startled cries suddenly rose from the crowd that had been whispering among themselves.

Everyone raised their heads to look into the sky.

There, a gigantic white crane burst through the clouds and glided gracefully toward Linxian Platform.

Only when the white crane flew closer did people see a man in a moon-white Daoist robe sitting cross-legged on its back.

The man looked to be only around thirty, but a cultivator's true age could never be judged directly by appearance, so no one could say how old he truly was.

A wine gourd hung from his belt, while he held a jade flute in his right hand. His looks and bearing possessed an indescribably free and elegant grace.

When the white crane reached the skies above Linxian Platform, the man leaped down. He then flicked his sleeves, and the white crane turned into a wisp of green smoke and slipped inside.

This series of actions instantly established the bearing of an Immortal Master in everyone's hearts. All stared at him with envy in their eyes, too awestruck to speak for a moment.

Zhou Qing felt someone tugging at his sleeve.

He turned and found Wang Xiaohu looking at him with shrewd little eyes. In a low voice, he said, "Brother Zhou Qing, while nobody's reacted yet, let's hurry to the front. Otherwise, who knows when it'll be our turn?"

Zhou Qing found it amusing. This little fatty usually looked simple-minded, but he was actually quite sharp.

He signaled to his father and Carpenter Wang, then immediately squeezed through the crowd with Wang Xiaohu to a spot near Linxian Platform.

They did not dare rush all the way to the front.

Although he had already undergone the test twice, those had been events from his memories, not things he had personally experienced. Zhou Qing wanted to observe the people ahead first.

The Immortal Master announced from Linxian Platform that the test would begin.

Cloud Prefecture City's soldiers immediately stepped forward to maintain order and had those taking the test line up.

Only then did everyone react, arranging themselves according to where they were standing.

In the end, Zhou Qing and Wang Xiaohu were seventh and eighth in line respectively.

It was an ideal position—not too far ahead, yet not so far back that they would waste time. Zhou Qing once again praised the little fatty's quick wits.

The first to take the test was Wan Liang, the City Lord's son.

Wan Liang ascended the platform with a confident expression. He accepted a translucent jade stone from the Immortal Master and closed his eyes to focus as instructed.

After a long while, the jade stone showed no reaction at all.

The Immortal Master's lazy voice rang out. "You do not pass."

Wan Liang had not expected this result. He froze, then blurted out, "That's impossible. You must have made a mistake!"

He was about to demand another test when he saw the mockery in the Immortal Master's eyes. At once, it felt as if a basin of ice water had been poured over his head, chilling him from crown to sole.

He did not dare persist and slunk down from Linxian Platform in disgrace.

One of the people everyone had favored had actually failed. The people below Linxian Platform were greatly taken aback and found it hard to believe.

Zhou Qing was not surprised.

To the citizens of Cloud Prefecture City below the platform, Wan Liang was the City Lord's son, noble in status. But to cultivators, he was merely another ordinary candidate awaiting the test.

Others could be rejected, so why couldn't he?

This further confirmed Zhou Qing's earlier thought: worldly power and wealth meant nothing in cultivation.

This was merely a small interruption in the testing process. The Immortal Master clearly had no intention of explaining anything to the crowd, and the test continued.

Several more people went up in succession to be tested.

Of the people Cloud Prefecture City had favored, only Nie Yunxi passed the test. All the others failed.

Instead, people whom no one had thought highly of ended up passing.

One of them was named Wei Xu. He was Wan Liang's follower and usually followed carefully at Wan Liang's side. This time, he had also come to take the test with him.

When it was determined that he possessed a spiritual root, Wei Xu looked down at the people below, who were gazing at him with envy, and laughed three times. "Only today have I learned that I am myself—how exhilarating!"

Having said that, he drifted gracefully down from the platform. Led by the soldiers maintaining order, he went to the top floor of Immortal Gathering Pavilion to await departure for the Cultivation World with the Immortal Master.