“Senior Brother, this village is so remote and dilapidated. Will there really be any good sprouts here?” The young cultivator wearing cyan robes sported a silver hair crown, a blue jade pendant at his waist, and held a longsword, his expression filled with disdain.
Another person was dressed identically; they came from a branch of the Lingyao Sect and wore disciple robes.
His facial features were soft, making him look like a person with a good temper, and he did not even lift his head at those words: “Nowadays, demonic disasters are arising in the mortal world, and Master sent us here for experiential training, which also carries the intention of recruiting disciples. Regardless of anything else, just act according to instructions.”
“Fine.” Gao Qiu sighed, narrowing his eyes as he looked ahead. “The spirit-testing stone glowed all night long last night, and who knows what is in this village? What if we encounter a demonic entity? Why did the Elder only send the two of us?”
They were outer disciples, and outer disciples had limited resources, so the places assigned to them were also backwaters. Had he known it would be like this, he wouldn’t have been so eager to sign up in the first place.
Baili maintained a calm expression and lowered his voice in warning: “The mortal world is different from the Shifang Realm. Upon coming to the mortal world, our cultivation is suppressed to the Qi Condensation stage, and spiritual power is virtually nonexistent. If you want to stay alive, put away that look of looking down your nose at people.”
The more remote a backwater place was, the more dangerous it became. If one carelessly offended someone, they might perish in the barren mountains.
Hearing this, Gao Qiu did not take it to heart, complaining instead: “Senior Brother, Luoxia Village is ten miles away from Jinyu Town. How do they manage to go to the town?”
His eyes were filled with disdain. “Ever since we came here, we haven’t even been able to manage sword flight. In a place like this, can someone with good aptitude really be found?”
Baili listened until his head ached, his eyes fixed ahead where the village loomed indistinctly and a river crossed through the mountain rocks and woods.
He narrowed his eyes. That faint demonic qi had already dissipated, and the residual demonic qi was nearly imperceptible.
“There is demonic qi here, be careful.” Baili quickened his pace without paying any mind to the person behind him.
Gao Qiu hurriedly followed, looking terrified: “Senior Brother, wait for me!” He didn’t want to fall behind alone; if a demon popped out, how on earth could he fight it?
Soon, the appearance of Luoxia Village came into view, surrounded entirely by mountains. Even in broad daylight, the mist in the mountains was extremely dense.
That river wound around the village, trapping the settlement at the foot of the mountain; no matter how one looked at it, it felt bizarre.
Baili and Gao Qiu stood on a hill, gazing across the entire village with tightly furrowed brows.
“Strange, this is a soul-trapping array.” Baili could not help but speak up to break the silence, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. “A soul-trapping array should leave zero vitality and pure death, yet right now there is still vibrant vitality. There is definitely something strange here.”
Gao Qiu’s eyelids twitched, and he grabbed Baili’s arm: “Senior Brother, why don’t we just leave? What you’re saying is making me even more scared.”
His cultivation was at the Meditation stage, and he had only just undergone baptism by heavenly lightning; if he really encountered a demonic entity, he had no confidence at all in winning a fight.
Nowadays, demonic entities ran amok, and their cultivation methods were fierce and tyrannical. Even an Elder at the Separation stage might not necessarily be able to handle them.
Furthermore, his Senior Brother’s cultivation was only at the Void Realm. Having achieved penance shortly before, it was precisely the time when he should be distancing himself from the seven emotions and six desires.
If they encountered a powerful demonic entity, the two senior and junior brothers would surely perish right here.
“What is there to fear? Our cultivation is about contending with the heavens for our lives; apart from ascension, we were born to slay demons and eliminate devils. Even if we die, we will do so without regret.” Baili’s tone was calm as he leaped downward, landing on the path leading to Luoxia Village.
He raised his head to meet a troubled face, his tone leaving no room for argument: “Come down.”
Gao Qiu had no other choice. He was afraid of encountering demons, yet he dared not return to the town alone. Right now, he could only bite the bullet and keep walking.
He gave a hop, grabbing Baili’s arm to steady himself upon landing as he felt the surrounding aura: “Strange, if there’s a soul-trapping array here, this village shouldn’t have any living people.”
“Senior Brother, look…” He pointed toward the cooking smoke ahead. “There is clearly vitality here. Noon is precisely the time when people prepare to eat; they are cooking.”
Mentioning cooking, his eyes lit up involuntarily. He had not yet achieved penance, and the penance pills in his storage bag were completely tasteless; now just happened to be the right time, wasn’t it?
Baili endured the impulse, shook off Gao Qiu’s claws, and walked straight ahead: “Contain yourself.”
Gao Qiu nodded, muttering, “I know, I know. Senior Brother only knows how to bully me; it’s going too far.”
His Senior Brother had already achieved penance, but he hadn’t. He had hastily eaten a penance pill during their journey this morning, and now, smelling the aroma of grease in the air, his stomach began to rumble with hunger.
They carried no luggage, as everything was packed inside their storage bags. However, the storage bags contained only dharma artifacts and elixirs; those dry, tasteless buns and steamed bread had no flavor, and nobody was willing to eat such things.
He wanted to enter the village quickly; they were cultivators, so presumably these mortals wouldn’t refuse them. Not only would they refuse not, but they might even treat them with utmost reverence.
Thinking of this, Gao Qiu instantly puffed out his chest, carrying a natural air of arrogance.
Upon reaching the village entrance, young children dressed in coarse cloth were playing cuju, their laughter bright and carefree.
Seeing the two noble young masters whose aura did not resemble that of ordinary mortals, the children stared at them with curiosity.
Among them, a boy of seven or eight shouted: “Dad, Mom, guests have come to the village!”
A stone stirred up a thousand waves. Immediately, men and women resting in courtyards, cooking in kitchens, or busy weaving backbaskets poked their heads out, looking at the luxurious-looking men at the village entrance with wonder and surprise.
Luoxia Village backed against the mountains, and outsiders rarely came here. The village chief was an old man with a hunchback and sparse, grey-white hair, who approached with narrowed eyes, maintaining a look that was both vigilant and polite.
“Where do the two of you come from? Do you have business coming to Luoxia Village?” His husky voice was filled with displeasure.
Baili and Gao Qiu exchanged glances. Gao Qiu stepped forward first; he possessed fair skin and rosy lips, and when he smiled, two dimples appeared, making it obvious at a glance that he was someone extremely easy to get along with.
“Old sir, we come from Jinyu Town and have important matters to discuss. I wonder if we might confer about them?” Selecting mortals with aptitude was never something they intended to handle through roundabout methods. Such matters were best stated straightforwardly, which also saved a great deal of trouble.
The village chief did not reply. The surrounding discussions drifted into their ears while Baili and Gao Qiu waited with good tempers.
“Look at how they’re dressed differently from us; anyone can tell they’re wealthy and noble. What business could they possibly have coming to discuss in our village?”
“I’m afraid they don’t come with good intentions. Our village has been peaceful for decades; why would anyone come here to discuss business?”
“I’m quite curious, what on earth is the matter?”
“Could it be related to the miasma in the village?”
Miasma?
Baili and Gao Qiu’s pupils shifted slightly, sparking an intense curiosity about the miasma these villagers kept mentioning.
There was still lingering demonic qi in this village; could it be that a demonic entity was truly making trouble here?
The village chief pondered deeply for a moment before stepping aside with a smile: “Since the two honored guests have business here, then please come in.”
“Xiaoshan, go to the foot of the mountain to notify Third Grandpa Lu and the others to gather at the village threshing floor.”
Xiaoshan was none other than the boy who had started shouting at the top of his lungs earlier. Hearing the village chief grandpa’s words, he acknowledged the command and turned to sprint toward the tail of the village.
Baili and Gao Qiu withdrew their gazes and were invited into a house by the village chief.
“A-Qing, you contracted miasma, which is harmful to your body. Drink your medicine quickly.” Lu Liu placed the medicine on the wooden table and took a small piece of rock sugar out of a cabinet in the room. “You’re afraid of bitterness; hold the rock sugar in your mouth after drinking the medicine to dispel the bitter taste.”
Lu Qing lowered his gaze, staring at the pitch-black medicine as the bitter scent drilled straight into his nostrils. His headache instantly worsened, and he made a bitter face: “The medicine is bitter, I don’t want to drink it. What is miasma?”
Without leaving room for argument, Lu Liu shoved the rock sugar into his hand, his tone dejected: “I don’t know, everyone in the village calls it that. Miasma entering the body—the more miasma that enters your body, the faster you die. It’s red miasma.”
Red miasma?
This involuntarily reminded Lu Qing of last night’s blood mists, causing a wave of nausea to churn in his heart as he turned sideways and retched dryly.
He waved a hand: “Stop talking, I feel very uncomfortable.”
Wasn’t red miasma just those blood mists from last night? It seemed these people had some level of perception, even if they didn’t know what it actually was.
[Indeed. Although they do not remember what happened, they experienced it. Inhaling demonic qi is harmful to the body and is a sign of a shortened lifespan,] the Blood-Bath Combat System explained.
[Last night when the host arrived here, his background identity was logical. Coupled with the fact that the host was stunned and knocked unconscious by the dying cry of the mist-blood, Lu Hong whose medical skills are limited will attribute your regaining consciousness to the miasma.]
“Brother Liu, Brother Liu.” An excited voice drew closer from afar as Xiaoshan sprinted over, out of breath: “Brother Liu, outsiders have come to the village, and Village Chief Grandpa told me to call you all to the threshing floor in the village.”
Lu Liu gave an acknowledgment. Xiaoshan did not enter the house, instead taking a turn toward another family’s home.
“A-Qing, drink your medicine quickly.” Lu Liu stared at him sternly, though his mind began to ponder: “Strange, outsiders haven’t come to the village in over a dozen years. Why have people come now?”
“Drink up quickly. Once you finish drinking, we’ll go see what is going on.” Lu Liu fixed his gaze on Lu Qing’s face, not moving his eyes away for even a fraction.
With a slight twitch of his brows, Lu Qing picked up the bowl and gulped down the medicine in one breath. Before the nausea and dry retching could hit, he snatched up the rock sugar and shoved it into his mouth.
His face scrunched up into a ball, which made Lu Liu beam with joy: “Look at you, making you drink medicine is like taking your life; you’re so reluctant.”
Lu Qing remained silent, suppressing that wave of nausea as he followed behind Lu Liu toward the center of the village.
Before they even got close, people were already packed densely in the distance—men, women, old, and young, numbering all three to four hundred souls of the village, creating a magnificent spectacle.
“So immortals have come to select immortal children! This is a tremendous stroke of good fortune. I wonder if my boy can get chosen?”
“What immortal children? They already said it, they haven’t achieved immortality yet; they’re still cultivators.”
“What immortal children? They clearly said they came to select disciples with good aptitude. If you don’t understand, stop talking nonsense.”
Several respectable elders of the village sat beneath a tree, ignoring the chattering conversations around them with calm expressions and unreadable emotions.
Gao Qiu was still speaking, his voice unhurried: “Respected elders and fellow villagers, this time the people tested for spiritual roots must be between ten and thirty years old. Anyone whose spiritual root is detected will go to the Shifang Realm to cultivate, bidding farewell to the mortal world from then on. But everyone need not be afraid; after cultivating to a certain realm, disciples can all venture out for experiential training, and at that time they can also return home to visit their parents and family.”
In the mortal world, a ten-year-old was already considered half-grown and capable of taking care of themselves. Although people feared hardship, with masters and elders teaching them and establishing a solid foundation from childhood, they would be no worse than others.
The reason why children under ten were not tested for spiritual roots was because children under ten were still ignorant and naive; leaving their parents would cause them to cry and make a fuss, and nobody possessed the patience to raise infants.
Of course, if someone’s aptitude was exceptionally good, that would be a different matter entirely.
Gao Qiu spoke of matters pertaining to the Shifang Realm, arousing everyone’s yearning and curiosity, prompting gasps of astonishment from time to time.
The children possessed heavy curiosity and asked Gao Qiu whenever they didn’t understand something. Suppressing his inner impatience, Gao Qiu explained until his mouth was dry.
His original intention was to cadge a meal before working, but who would have known that his Senior Brother sensed demonic qi in the village and immediately took action, also intending to draw out any demonic entities in the village. He had no other choice and could only secretly swallow a penance pill and resign himself to doing the work.
Lu Qing and Lu Liu stood at the very back, while Third Grandpa Lu walked over alongside the other households from the tail of the village, consciously standing beside the two brothers.
Having overheard a mouthful, Third Grandpa Lu sighed: “I never expected there really to be cultivators of immortality in this world. This old fellow is too old and misses out on fate.”
He turned to look at the two brothers with a smiling expression: “A-Liu, your parents departed early, and A-Qing has also recovered thanks to a blessing in disguise. What are your plans?”
Lu Liu did not immediately answer Third Grandpa Lu, instead gripping Lu Qing’s hand tightly with bright eyes: “A-Qing, this is our chance. You are twenty-four this year, and I am twenty-seven; we still have a chance.”
Lu Qing did not reply, merely lowering his gaze to stare at the hand grasping his own. He was not certain whether he possessed a spiritual root, after all, he hadn’t ingested the Spirit-Cleansing Pill yet. And Lu Liu had also forgotten: this was indeed a fine opportunity, but the prerequisite was having a spiritual root.
“I’ll listen to my brother.” Lu Qing smiled without showing much anticipation, his expression flat.
Seeing his calm indifference, Third Grandpa Lu raised a hand and patted his back: “You brat, you don’t even know what this means, why do you look so apathetic? If you get selected, this is a supreme stroke of good fortune.”
“Third Grandpa Lu, A-Qing just cleared his mind; what does he understand about supreme fortune?” Lu Liu replied helplessly, then pursed his lips and cast his gaze toward the crowded throng ahead. “If both of us brothers get selected, that would be wonderful.”
If only one of them got selected, they would inevitably face separation. If he got selected, how would A-Qing survive alone in the village? If A-Qing got selected, what would happen if he got bullied?
Therefore, he prayed silently to the heavens that both brothers would be selected. They wouldn’t have to face separation, nor would they have to worry about whether A-Qing would be bullied by others.
The testing speed was extremely rapid, and by afternoon, it was the turn of the two brothers. They stepped forward in order, and Lu Qing glanced up: those whose spiritual roots were detected formed a single queue, while those who weren’t dropped their heads, drooping their shoulders as they walked back to their relatives with dejected expressions.
Baili’s voice rang in his ears: “No spiritual root.”
Lu Liu pursed his lips, lowering his head as he walked aside to await Lu Qing’s test results.
Staring at the drab stone, Lu Qing placed his hand upon it according to Baili’s instructions. Soon, a rich green radiance lit up.
Gao Qiu and Baili wore expressions tinged with delight, Gao Qiu carrying a hint of excitement: “Such pure wood spiritual root; its aptitude surpasses everyone else’s.”
“What is your name? You have been selected. Go say goodbye to your family; we will set off and leave in three days.” Baili handed a white plaque to Lu Qing, harbouring his own calculations in his heart.
He sized Lu Qing up: looking to be in his early twenties, his brown long hair secured by a black hair ribbon, with a slender build. A few strands hung down before his forehead, featuring upright facial features and an exceptionally pretty pair of phoenix eyes.
Baili furrowed his brow imperceptibly. The Shifang Realm nurtured people well, and if this person grew and matured, it was inevitable that some romantic affairs would ensue.
Lu Qing turned his head to glance at Lu Liu, his voice carrying a trace of dejection and listlessness: “Lu Qing, twenty-four.”
Baili raised his hand to write his name in mid-air, a move that sparked a wave of commotion.
Whispers spread through the surroundings: “That fool recovered? What incredible timing.”
“I heard he contracted miasma sleeping by the river last night, and Lu Liu dragged him to Third Grandpa Lu for treatment this morning. Can you consider this idiot blessed through misfortune?”
“Putting that aside for now, out of two brothers, one gets selected and the other gets left behind they’re bound to face separation.”
“Lu Liu is also pitiful; he finally waited for Lu Qing to clear his mind, and now look—they’re going to be separated.”
“Keep your voice down, they’ll hear you.”
“Hear me if they want, what’s the big deal? Judging by the immortal elder’s meaning, Lu Qing seems awfully formidable?”
“Of course, out of so many people, only Lu Qing got a plaque while nobody else did.” Sour words drifted far away.
Baili smoothed his brow, lifting his gaze toward the two brothers: “You two brothers go on home.” He glanced at Lu Qing. “Later on, pack your bundles and come live with us.”
“If the two honored guests don’t mind, staying at my humble home will do.” Lu Liu accepted the words with shyness.
A-Qing obtained the plaque, which was unique in the village. He had heard all those remarks just now, and Lu Qing would inevitably face bullying from others in the village; if someone ruined this opportunity, what face would he have left to face his deceased parents?
Let it be…
He gripped Lu Qing’s arm tightly, exerting a firm hold let it be considered a brother’s final protection for his younger sibling.
Gao Qiu eagerly agreed: “Alright, then we’ll trouble Elder Brother Lu.”
They had heard those remarks just now, and several malicious gazes had fallen upon Lu Qing. Since a good sprout had finally emerged, it mustn’t be ruined by anyone.
His Senior Brother had already written Lu Qing’s name down, and they couldn’t afford to lose face if an accident occurred.
“Village chief, then we shall stay at the Lu residence for a few days. As for those who were selected, have them pack their bundles so we can depart in three days.” Baili handed the roster to the village chief, nodded to everyone, and followed Lu Liu’s footsteps toward the tail of the village.
“He really does have good luck. Where did this Lu Qing get such fortune? He gets selected the moment he clears his mind could it be that he was just faking it all along?”
“Slap.” That person received a palm strike from the companion beside him, who lowered his voice: “Keep your voice down. If you can pretend to be a fool for twenty-four years, I’ll call you father.”
“You…” Watching his inner scheme forced into abandonment, that person glared fiercely at the four of them before turning on his heel to leave.
“Tch, wanting to bully Lu Qing again, good thing the two immortal elders are here.”
“I told you they haven’t attained immortality yet, you can’t call them immortal elders.”
“Then what should we call them? In any case, as far as we’re concerned, their skills are extraordinary, and this title of immortal elder is well deserved.”
“I can’t be bothered arguing with you; I’m going back to pack bundles for my boy. My boy has no grudges with Lu Qing, so I must warn him not to offend anyone.”
In this spiritual root testing scene, while some were unwilling and resentful, others naturally rejoiced.