Chapter 2

That day, it was drizzling, but those people still arrived on time at the Leishi Village in the Hongni District. At that time, Gu Xuyao was nine years old.

They were cultivators, the immortals in the eyes of many children. However, most people understood that cultivators were also human, just that they had cultivated primordial energy and possessed much greater strength than ordinary people.

The Hongni District had about fifteen villages of various sizes. A village like Leishi Village was considered large, with a population of nearly a thousand people. The total population of the Hongni District was only around ten thousand.

This was where ordinary people lived, or rather, a refuge provided by heaven for ordinary people. The outside world was filled with primordial energy, and at the same time, it was also filled with danger.

Even ordinary beasts became incredibly powerful under the nourishment of primordial energy. The best hunters in the Hongni District would only be a snack for those beasts outside. However, in the Hongni District, where primordial energy was very thin, although it prevented humans from cultivating, it also made the beasts here less ferocious.

"Not everyone has the qualifications to become a cultivator."

Gu Xuyao had heard such sighs countless times, and he was no exception at the age of nine.

"Xiao Gu, do you want to give it a try?" Standing beside him was the village blacksmith, Zhang. In his youth, he was the best hunter in the village, once hunting a full-grown red lion alone. Later, as he aged and his strength waned, he gave up his long sword and opened a blacksmith shop.

The young Gu Xuyao blinked his big eyes, his face flushed red, clearly unable to contain his excitement.

"Yes! Uncle Zhang, do you think I can become a cultivator? If I become a cultivator, can I wear such nice and clean clothes like them?" Gu Xuyao watched the children who had already been tested and returned home dejectedly, pointing to two well-dressed cultivators. Ignorant children always had naive dreams.

The test condition was to be at least nine years old. Of course, the younger one was, the greater the chance of passing the test. Therefore, people in the village would have their children take the test when they turned nine, not for the sake of what the children would do for them after becoming cultivators, but to help them escape the dark place of the Hongni District.

Zhang the blacksmith patted Gu Xuyao's head, smiling kindly, but said nothing. He gently pushed Gu Xuyao, indicating for him to step forward and try.

Every year, the sect that governed the Hongni District would send cultivators to select promising candidates. Cultivators were also human, and before cultivation, they were ordinary people. The testing tool was very simple. To Gu Xuyao, it was just an ordinary stone.

"Uncle Immortal, can you really test if I can become an immortal with this thing? There are many such stones near the Red Water River! You can't fool me!" Children spoke without reserve, and Gu Xuyao's words drew laughter from the old and young around him.

However, the white-robed, graceful immortal in front of him was not in the mood to joke with a child. "What nonsense, how can you ordinary people understand these magical treasures?"

The cultivator looked to be around eighteen years old, but he had a short temper. Frowning, he spoke harshly, which made Gu Xuyao feel rebellious. Gu Xuyao had always been stubborn, and giving up was a word far from his vocabulary. So, he pouted and refused to step forward.

Seeing this, the cultivator naturally became furious. Just as he was about to lose his temper, a large hand landed on his shoulder. "Junior Brother, how many times do I have to tell you? There is no distinction of high or low between ordinary people and us. If you always think this way, you will never improve your cultivation." The speaker was also a young man, but compared to the arrogant and domineering cultivator, he was much gentler.

"Little friend, my junior brother spoke rudely just now. He has been encountering some difficulties in his cultivation recently and is in a bad mood. Please don't take it to heart, okay?" The cultivator looked at Gu Xuyao and smiled warmly.

Seeing this, Gu Xuyao immediately calmed down, nodding heavily and standing in front of the cultivator called "Junior Brother." "Brother Immortal, you're younger, so I'll call you brother. Hehe, I don't blame you. Sometimes I get angry and ignore people too. Oh, forget it, help me test, okay?"

The "Junior Brother" still looked impatient, but since this was a task assigned by the sect, he had no choice but to do it.

The test was actually very simple. It involved using a triangular stone to test whether an ordinary person could sense primordial energy. If not, they could forget about cultivation.

The cultivator crushed a primordial stone, releasing the primordial energy within and channeling it into the triangular stone, which emitted a faint light. After that, the cultivator gently placed the triangular stone on Gu Xuyao's forehead.

The flashing light made Gu Xuyao a bit dizzy, but he could not stop the tension in his heart. Unfortunately, the triangular stone soon dimmed and then turned into an ordinary stone, just like those found near the Red Water River.

Clearly, the brightness indicated the smooth flow of primordial energy within the cultivator. Those who could maintain the initial brightness of the triangular stone had the potential to become cultivators. If they could make the triangular stone shine even brighter, it proved they had extraordinary talent.

However, Gu Xuyao failed to keep the triangular stone glowing.

"Sigh, what a waste of time. Kid, you're not the right material. Others can at least hold it for three breaths, but you only managed two. Talking about becoming an immortal? You're just making me laugh. Don't dream about cultivation anymore. Learn a trade and grow old here. Next, is there anyone else? Leishi Village, anyone else want to take the test?" Without even looking at Gu Xuyao, the cultivator put away the triangular stone and started shouting.

Gu Xuyao was disappointed, very disappointed. The crowd around him had already dispersed, and the rain was getting colder. The words of the cultivator were a severe blow to Gu Xuyao.

"Senior Brother, the task in Leishi Village is complete. Let's leave. We've wasted a lot of time. I just want to return to the sect and focus on my cultivation." Seeing no one responding, the cultivator said to the older cultivator.

"I really don't understand why our sect has new blood every year, but in the Hongni District, it takes decades to find one person who meets the standards. Our master is so enthusiastic about having us do such a boring task! In my opinion, it would be better to teach us how to improve our cultivation..." As he walked, the young cultivator complained, but his seemingly trivial complaints were a severe blow to Gu Xuyao.

Hearing this, the cultivator glanced at Gu Xuyao, who was still standing there, frowned slightly, but finally nodded and left with his junior brother, quickly reaching the entrance of Leishi Village.

They left so quickly, disappearing in the blink of an eye, while Gu Xuyao remained standing there.

The sky gradually darkened, and the rain grew heavier.

"Xiao Gu..." Zhang the blacksmith, seeing Gu Xuyao standing still, was very worried. He slowly walked over, afraid to upset him.

"I'm not a waste! I'm human! I'm the same as them, I'm human! Why can't I cultivate!" At the age of nine, Gu Xuyao could not bear such unfair treatment. He did not understand that life was inherently unfair. At that moment, he was hysterical, shaking off Zhang the blacksmith's hand and running home like a madman.

The sky began to pour, the rain heavy and drenching every corner of Leishi Village.

"Hey, Gu Xuyao, what are you looking at here!" A frivolous voice interrupted Gu Xuyao's thoughts.

Gu Xuyao didn't need to turn around to know who it was. He knew the three of them.

"Ha ha ha, so you're watching the annual test by the cultivators in the village. What, are you thinking about your embarrassing moment back then?" Another voice chimed in, equally frivolous and full of disdain.

"Tsk tsk, that's one thing, but the funniest part is..." A third voice began, but before he could finish, Gu Xuyao rudely interrupted him.

"Li Bo, Li Tang, Li Jiu, if you think my last lesson wasn't enough, I don't mind giving you another one in the village. But this time, it won't be so easy." Gu Xuyao didn't turn around, but his tone was extremely unfriendly, clearly indicating a long-standing feud with the Li brothers.

Sure enough, seeing Gu Xuyao's attitude, the three of them shut up.

"Hmph, let's go, we won't stoop to your level. But I'm telling you, one day, the three of us will get back everything you owe us." The three of them walked into the village, each carrying game, clearly indicating they were hunters.

Gu Xuyao narrowed his eyes, staring at their backs coldly. After they disappeared into the village, he picked up the red lion's corpse and slowly walked in the direction they had gone.

In the Hongni District, under the control of the cultivator sects, life was naturally also controlled by the cultivators. To live in any village in the Hongni District, one had to pay primordial stones monthly. Similarly, the farmland in each village was controlled by the cultivators. Villagers could choose to farm, and the cultivators would give them primordial stones monthly. As for food, it also required primordial stones to buy.

So, in this special situation, hunters were the most sought-after profession. Not only could they hunt for meat, but they could also sell the beasts' corpses at the market to exchange for primordial stones.

"Thud." Gu Xuyao heavily dropped the red lion's corpse on the ground, splashing red mud everywhere.

"Xiao Gu, today's harvest is not bad. This red lion should fetch at least ten primordial stones. Tsk tsk, that's two months' income for others. So, those who can go hunting are truly remarkable." The market was a mix of all sorts, selling everything, but they were all selling on behalf of the cultivators. All the proceeds went to the cultivators, and they received primordial stones monthly based on the amount sold.