Chapter 3

The next day.

Before dawn, Huilong Town seemed to boil over like a pot of boiling water.

Countless vendors flooded the streets, loudly hawking their wares.

One by one, figures in groups of three or five, either on foot or in ox carts and horse carriages, came from all directions to Huilong Town.

The Immortals of Yunge Sect on Luofu Peak accepted disciples every three years, but only children aged ten to twelve. This had become a customary tradition, and every time the Immortals accepted disciples, it was also the time for a grand gathering in Huilong Town.

From all the surrounding villages, families with children of the right age would bring their children to try their luck.

First, they could buy some daily necessities. Second, if their child was fortunate enough to be chosen as an Immortal's disciple, it would be a more glorious honor than passing the imperial exams, and even the ancestral graves would emit green smoke.

Su Shier mixed in with the crowd and also entered the town.

The road from Xiaoshi Village to Huilong Town was rugged and difficult to travel. Su Shier had only come once with his grandfather when he was a child. Fortunately, he had a good memory, and despite the bumpy journey, he finally arrived just as dawn broke.

But his clothes were torn and tattered, and he was covered in dirt, looking like a little beggar.

As he walked, Su Shier kept his ears open, looking around.

He came alone and didn't know where the Immortals would accept disciples. But he was sure that among the parents who brought children of his age, some would be bringing their children to be disciples.

Soon, Su Shier followed the crowd to the center of the town, where a large open space was surrounded by adults. Nearly a hundred children of his age were gathered there.

From the conversations of passersby, Su Shier learned that this was where the Immortals would accept disciples.

All the children who wanted to become disciples were waiting here for the Immortals to test their talents.

Su Shier crouched and squeezed through the crowd, finding an empty corner and sitting down.

After walking the mountain path all night, he was both tired and hungry, with swollen feet. At this moment, he just wanted to rest.

At this moment, clouds suddenly drifted across the sky, and a flying sword shot down like lightning.

The flying sword was wide and broad, and on it stood two elegant figures.

"It's the Immortals! The Immortals have arrived!"

On the ground, everyone looked up, their faces tense, holding their breath.

The entire Huilong Town, which had been bustling with noise, suddenly fell silent.

In a flash, the flying sword passed over the open space, and the two elegant figures leaped down, landing in the center of the open space.

In mid-air, the flying sword emitted a glow and quickly shrunk to a three-foot-long sword, landing behind one of the figures.

"Immortals?"

Su Shier's spirit was suddenly lifted, and he quickly turned to look at the newcomers.

The newcomer wore a long green robe, with a youthful face and white hair, looking to be about sixty or seventy years old, with a thick and dense white beard. His eyes were bright and full of spirit, and his entire body exuded an elegant and extraordinary aura.

The other person was a young woman, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a delicate and beautiful appearance.

The woman had fine eyebrows, white teeth, and red lips. Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, and her light green dress fluttered in the wind, making her look like a fairy.

"Is that a fairy? She's too beautiful!"

"I never thought that in my old age, I would still see such a beautiful fairy."

"I've heard that the princess of Song is as beautiful as a fairy, but compared to this fairy, she might fall short!"

...

As soon as the woman landed, the crowd was in an uproar. Faced with such a beautiful woman, the ordinary people present were all captivated.

On the open space, including Su Shier, nearly a hundred children were also stunned.

After landing, the woman looked around curiously and sighed, "Ten years have passed, and I'm finally off the mountain!"

"I never thought that in just ten years, Huilong Town would have so many more people!"

The old man smiled at the woman, "Alright, stop marveling for now. Let's get to business. If we can't outdo Tianhua Peak this time, I'll be laughed at by that old rascal Fu Boren!"

The woman smiled and nodded, "Don't worry, Grandpa, I won't delay your affairs! Many people have come to participate in the test this year, and there will definitely be a few good candidates."

As she spoke, she waved her hand, and a square table appeared in front of them.

On the table was a uniquely shaped stone. It was the Spirit Testing Stone used by the sect to test the spiritual roots of disciples.

The old man nodded and looked at the children on the open space, his eyes suddenly turning cold and his voice devoid of emotion, "Only a few of you will be chosen to join our Yunge Sect."

His cold and merciless words made everyone in the crowd fall silent.

Su Shier shrank his neck, feeling even more anxious.

"The spiritual root is the foundation of a cultivator. Next, I will test each of your spiritual roots. Now, everyone form a line and take turns to place your hand on this stone." The old man said calmly, pointing to the Spirit Testing Stone on the table.

As he finished speaking, the children formed a sparse line.

Su Shier was at the end of the line, tightly clenching his fists and looking around nervously.

At the front of the line, a somewhat brave child cautiously walked forward and placed his hand on the Spirit Testing Stone.

The Spirit Testing Stone trembled slightly and emitted a faint red light.

The old man's face was expressionless as he said calmly, "Inferior Fire Spiritual Root! Qualified, stand to the right!"

Hearing this, the child's eyes lit up, and he walked to the right and stood quietly. In the crowd, a couple became visibly excited.

Next, another child stepped forward, but this time, the Spirit Testing Stone showed no reaction.

"Unqualified! Leave!"

"Unqualified!"

"Inferior Earth Spiritual Root, stand to the right!"

...

In a short time, more than half of the children had been tested, and only two children with inferior spiritual roots had been chosen to stand beside the old man.

Seeing the few remaining children, the old man's brows furrowed, and his expression became somewhat impatient.

Inferior spiritual roots were the most common and ordinary in the cultivation world, and the future prospects for those with such roots were very limited.

If he had come all this way and only recruited two such children, he would surely be laughed at when he returned.

At this moment, a dark-skinned boy in rough linen clothes walked up to the Spirit Testing Stone.

As soon as he placed his hand on it, the Spirit Testing Stone trembled violently, and a brilliant golden light and a dazzling red light simultaneously lit up.

The light radiated, and a faint, powerful aura emanated from it.

This scene stunned everyone.

The old man's face lit up, and he exclaimed in surprise, "What?! It's actually a Superior Gold Spiritual Root and a Superior Fire Spiritual Root?! Dual Spiritual Roots, ha ha, I didn't come in vain this year!"

The old man was extremely excited, his voice trembling with joy, unable to hide his happiness.

It was no wonder he was so excited. For cultivators, the spiritual root is the foundation of everything, determining the speed of cultivation. If the spiritual root is poor, cultivation will be twice the effort for half the result.

For ordinary people, having a middle or upper-grade spiritual root is already considered good. If a superior spiritual root appears, it is a one-in-ten-thousand genius.

And a superior dual spiritual root is a genius among geniuses. Such a spiritual root is so rare that it can be described as scarce. In the entire Yunge Sect, over hundreds of years, there has been only one such case: the founder of the sect, Yunge Shangren!

Beside him, the beautiful woman, though silent, clearly looked at the boy with a joyful expression.