44: Chapter 44 A Fleeting Fate of Immortality

At the fourth quarter of the Mao hour, as the sun began to rise, Li Changan slowly opened his eyes, a flash of sharp light passing through them.

He did not speak, merely raising his hand slightly. The gesture was casual, yet it carried an unquestionable majesty.

In an instant, all the clamor in the square was severed as if by a sharp blade; even the subconscious whispers of the children were smoothed away by this invisible pressure, leaving only the near-stagnant silence created by over a thousand people holding their breath in concentration.

"The Spirit Testing Ceremony for Jinzhu Town officially begins."

Li Changan's voice was not loud, yet it rang out like a great bell, clearly echoing in everyone's ears and reaching every corner of the square.

Following his command, the teams from various villages, guided by the Martial Artists in charge, waited in an orderly fashion to ascend the high platform for testing; although the process was tedious, it was devoid of chaos.

Soon, the Spirit Testing Ceremony officially got underway.

The first to walk onto the Spirit Testing Platform was a little boy who looked timid and cowardly. Li Changan looked at him, a gentle smile appearing on his face as he tried to ease the boy's nervous emotions: "You don't need to be afraid. Relax and just place your hand on the Spirit Testing Disc in front of you."

The little boy nodded, his eyes filled with anticipation. He carefully extended his tender little hand and, trembling slightly, pressed it against the surface of the cold Spirit Testing Disc.

On the high platform, Li Changan and Li Changqing both focused their attention, their eyes fixed intently on the changes in the Spirit Testing Disc.

However, after several breaths passed, the Spirit Testing Disc remained completely unresponsive. It did not emit even a faint glimmer, its surface remaining a gentle yet lifeless pale color.

Li Changan sighed softly, feeling a slight pity in his heart, though this was within his expectations. He looked at the little boy, his eyes filled with encouragement, and then said: "You do not have a Spiritual Root; you may step down. If you are unwilling to remain ordinary, you can train hard in martial arts and become a Martial Artist; you can still have a good future that way."

A trace of deep disappointment flashed across the little boy's face, but he quickly adjusted his emotions. He bowed respectfully to the two immortals and silently walked off the platform from the other side, his retreating figure appearing somewhat desolate.

However, this was merely the beginning of a cruel prelude. As more children took their turns on the platform for testing, the reaction of the Spirit Testing Disc began to reveal a despairing cruelty.

After the palms of the vast majority of children touched the Spirit Testing Disc, the surface remained completely calm, like a stubborn stone, still a gentle pale color, as if mocking the delusional hopes of Mortals.

As the number of people tested grew, Li Changan's expression gradually became indifferent, mechanically announcing "No Spiritual Root," and the children would then retreat in dejection.

Outside the square, those expectant parents and elders either covered their faces and sighed or forced themselves to remain calm as they led their children away. A suffocating oppression gradually permeated the originally lively square.

Child after child began to walk onto the high platform for testing. By the third quarter of the Wu hour, with the scorching sun high in the sky, more than half of the children in the square had been tested, yet not a single child with a Spiritual Root had been found.

The atmosphere grew increasingly stifling; even the Martial Artists maintaining order felt a trace of fatigue.

At the fourth quarter of the Wu hour, just as some people began to doze off, an unexpected incident broke the monotony and dullness of the spirit testing process.

A boy, standing at the end of the queue and wearing slightly worn and thin clothing, stepped forward at Li Changan's signal and placed his hand on the Spirit Testing Disc.

The youth had a determined countenance, and a spirit of unyielding resolve showed between his brows.

When his hand touched the Spirit Testing Disc, an anomaly suddenly occurred! At first, the Spirit Testing Disc showed no reaction, and the youth's face instantly turned pale, as if he had suffered a heavy blow.

However, just as the crowd was about to shake their heads in disappointment, after three breaths, the inside of the Spirit Testing Disc seemed to be awakened by some sleeping power. It first seeped out a faint glimmer of light, and immediately after, the light flared up instantly; the dazzling spiritual light shone exceptionally brightly above the square!

This sudden radiance caused the village in the little boy's queue to erupt in cheers, but this joy was like a small stone thrown into a lake; the ripples quickly dissipated into the broader silence and envy.

"What is your name?" Li Changan's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise as he asked the boy, who still looked somewhat nervous but was forcing himself to remain calm.

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, my name is Li Yuanliang, from Qingzhu Village." Although the little boy's voice was small, he answered with a hint of excitement and nervousness.

"There is no need to be reserved. You have a Spiritual Root, and according to the Family rules, you belong to the same generation as me."

"You children in this batch should be the last of the 'Chang' generation to have their Spiritual Roots tested among Mortals. My name is Li Changan, and I am ranked third in the 'Chang' generation; you can just call me Third Brother. This one beside me is your Ninth Brother, Li Changqing."

Li Changan smiled, pulled Li Yuanliang to the side, and spoke to him in a kind tone.

Afterward, he had Li Yuanliang stand behind him and continued to test the remaining children for Spiritual Roots, as if signaling a kind of Legacy.

At exactly the Shen hour, as the sun set in the west, all children had been tested. As expected, not a second clansman with a Spiritual Root appeared.

This was a normal phenomenon. In the nine years Li Changan had been stationed in Jinzhu Town, he had held four Spirit Testing Ceremonies, and this was the first time he had detected a clansman with a Spiritual Root, which shows just how rare Immortal Fate is.

All the other children without Spiritual Roots would silently disperse with their families, returning to the farming and labor of the Mortal world.

Immortal Fate is ethereal; today, during the spirit testing, it was made concrete. Its characteristic of having both cruelty and Opportunity coexisting was displayed vividly in this square where over a thousand people gathered.

Li Changan ordered someone to call over Li Yuanliang's parents and, according to the Family rules, bestowed upon them generous rewards, including some Medicinal Pills for strengthening the body and gold coins, as an incentive.

The Family Martial Artists began to tidy up the venue and remove the decorations. The crowd in the square gradually dispersed, and the clamor returned to the mundane; however, the topics of conversation had shifted from the pure anticipation of the morning to discussions about the results, envy of the lucky one, and the replanning of their own children's futures.

With the Spirit Testing concluded, the village chief of Qingzhu Village, Li Xiaodong, was very delighted. This meant their Qingzhu Village now had a Cultivator, which was an supreme honor for their entire village. If Li Yuanliang were to grow up in the future, perhaps the village's taxes could be reduced by a few points.

At night, Li Changan ordered for Li Yuanliang's parents to be summoned once more to the Jinzhu Town residence, and he solemnly informed Li Yuanliang and his parents that in three days, Li Yuanliang would accompany him back to the Qingfeng Mountain ancestral grounds to be taught and cultivated by specialized clan elders.

Perhaps for the next several years, it would be difficult for Li Yuanliang to return home, so he told them to spend these few days reuniting well and enjoying the present.

Although Li Yuanliang's parents were overjoyed about their son's Immortal Fate, upon hearing that it would be difficult for their son to return home for several years, and that this pattern of meeting little and parting often would become the norm, they were truly reluctant to let him go; the mother even secretly wiped away tears.

However, they also understood that this was a tremendous Opportunity for Li Yuanliang, a chance for the carp to leap over the Dragon Gate.

When a child has a better future and a larger platform, as parents, they should support the child's free development rather than holding the child back and engaging in pointless obstruction. They could only bury this reluctance deep in their hearts, transforming it into earnest hope for their son's future.