30: Testing spiritual roots

Pingze County was exceptionally lively today; almost everyone from the surrounding towns and villages who could move had come to the county seat to witness this unprecedented grand event.

"My lady, you hold Yao Yao and Ming'er tight. Jing'an and Jingyan, make sure to hold onto me. Wen Tao, take care of the rest; don't let anyone get separated."

"Rest assured, Family Head."

Ye Wentao's voice sounded from behind Lu Xuan. Several middle-aged men walked on the outside, surrounding the younger children in the middle, with Ye Wentao bringing up the rear.

As they walked further in, the crowd grew denser, and even Martial Artists began to appear around them.

"We won't go any further forward; let's just find a spot in the teahouse on the side."

Lu Xuan made a decisive call.

The group quickly entered the teahouse and even managed to snag a private room by the window.

From the second-floor window, they could see the massive plaza in the center of the county seat. Banners fluttered all around, embroidered with the Yin and Yang Bagua and the words 'Ziyang'.

Clang~

A clear chime of a bell rang out in the center of the plaza.

At some point, a young man wearing a white Daoist robe with flowing clouds and flying cranes appeared in the center of the plaza. He had an ethereal temperament, and faint glimmers of light even flickered around him.

The bell sound came from a fist-sized bronze bell in his hand.

As the sound spread like ripples, the originally restless and noisy crowd instantly quieted down, as if a cool breeze had suddenly swept through a scorching summer day.

Even Lu Xuan felt a sense of peace rising in his heart.

"What a powerful Magic Treasure."

His eyes narrowed slightly, and he lowered his head, fearing that his observation might be noticed by the Immortal.

He quickly adjusted his mindset and looked back at the Immortal in the center of the stage.

The Immortal did not say much. He pinched a hand seal, and a golden text appeared before him. Then, as Spiritual Qi was injected, the text grew larger and larger, eventually reflecting directly over Pingze County.

As each character lit up one by one, an old and steady voice echoed in the air, reading the words aloud word for word.

"The Dao of Immortality begins with the Spiritual Root. Those with a Spiritual Root have Immortal Fate; those without it will find the path to immortality hard to seek."

"Spiritual Roots are bestowed by heaven, and all living beings obtain them by chance."

"Spiritual Roots are divided into Five Spiritual Roots, Four Spiritual Roots, Three Spiritual Roots, Dual Spiritual Roots, and Single Spiritual Roots."

"The purer the Spiritual Root, the smoother the path of cultivation."

"Today, my Purple Sun Immortal Sect first opens the Great Spirit-Testing Formation. Anyone who has reached the age of six may test their Spiritual Root. Those with Three Spiritual Roots may enter my Purple Sun Immortal Sect."

Buzz~

As the voice faded, five pillars of light rose into the sky from the plaza.

White, green, blue, red, and yellow.

The five-colored pillars of light connected with each other in the air, eventually forming a Pentagram Formation Diagram.

The young Cultivator's chest heaved slightly.

"This job really isn't for humans. I don't know what the Sect Head was thinking. He could have just used a Formation Plate to test them one by one. Why set up such a huge testing Formation? Not only does it consume Spirit Stones, but it's also exhausting."

Though he grumbled, his hands were not slow. With a wave of his hand, five-colored Spirit Stones immediately flew to the five corners.

"Condense!"

The pentagram beneath his feet sank into the ground, and the sky-reaching pillars of light slowly descended, finally forming an inverted barrier in the center of the plaza, capable of holding about a thousand people at a time.

The youth nodded to the County Magistrate on the viewing platform and flew away directly.

"The Immortal has left!"

"Is the Immortal Fate over?"

"But I didn't feel anything at all!"

The crowd had been watching the Immortal cast Spells with rapt attention, enchanted by the brilliant light of the Spells.

But the Immortal's sudden departure threw the onlookers into a panic, fearing they had offended the Immortal and missed their Immortal Fate.

"Silence!"

A martial arts expert standing beside the County Magistrate on the high platform let out a roar.

"Those who seek Immortal Fate, enter from the front. Stay in the Formation for three breaths. Those who show no reaction after three breaths must leave from the back. One attempt per person. Anyone caught testing multiple times will be imprisoned for ten years!!"

Hearing this, the onlookers all stared at the Formation barrier ahead, which looked like an inverted jade bowl.

Even the County Soldiers and bailiffs maintaining order glanced there from time to time.

Everyone was waiting for the County Magistrate's command.

"Begin—"

The County Magistrate's voice was soft but deafening.

Everyone desperately tried to squeeze to the front.

"Twenty strokes of the cane for those who disrupt order."

"Twenty strokes for those who are boisterous."

Orders rang out across the plaza. Despite the punishment of twenty strokes, there were still people trying to cut the line.

Lu Xuan watched everything from the window.

The servants beside him were all eager to try; this was a chance to change their destinies. However, since Lu Xuan, the Family Head, was still here, everyone managed to restrain their excitement.

"Go on, go and come back quickly. I'll wait for you here."

"Yes, thank you, Family Head."

"The Family Head is benevolent. I shall go and return shortly."

The others left one after another. Aside from Su Jing and his children, Ye Wentao, Ye Feng, Zhao Xiaoya, and Zhao Xiaolei remained.

"Why aren't you going?"

"The others have all left, Family Head. I'll wait for them to return before I go, otherwise there will be no one capable by your side. Since the Immortal made such a grand display of this test, there will likely be opportunities in the future. No need to compete with them for this moment."

"And Xiaoya, what about you? Why aren't you going?"

"The Young Lord hasn't gone yet, how could I go first?"

Zhao Xiaoya answered prettily.

"Hahaha, alright. When they return, you all go and test. Jing'an won't be testing for now."

Seeing the hesitation in Zhao Xiaoya's eyes, Lu Xuan felt very gratified. At least he hadn't raised an ungrateful wolf.

"Don't worry, would I ever harm my own child? You just go and test."

As the first batch entered the Formation barrier, three breaths passed with no reaction.

"Do not linger! All of you, leave!"

"Lord, give me a bit more time, there must be something!"

"Lord, let me try one more time!"

Several commoners from the first batch lingered inside.

County Magistrate Lu Ying frowned slightly.

"Grandmaster Li, I'll have to trouble you. Kill the chicken to warn the monkeys."

Lu Ying's gaze was cold. He didn't care about the people below; he only wanted to quickly finish what that person had entrusted to him.

Li Tian's long saber left its scabbard, and the saber light crossed dozens of meters, landing on the person who was making the biggest scene.

Slash.

The man was instantly decapitated.

"Ah, someone's dead!"

"Someone's dead!"

"I will only say this once: leave if there is no reaction after three breaths, or die."

After the death, everyone sobered up considerably. Those with no reaction after three breaths left immediately, and some even feared they would exceed the time and started walking out before the three breaths were even up.

One thousand people, three breaths, no reaction.

Two thousand,

Three thousand,

...The thirteenth batch still had no reaction.

Some in the crowd began to doubt the truth of this Immortal Fate. After all, not a single person out of nearly ten thousand had obtained it, which was truly despairing.

Lu Ying acted as if he didn't hear those comments.

If these people knew that in the Imperial City of several million, there were fewer than a hundred with Spiritual Roots—most of whom had Five Spiritual Roots, with the best being only Three Spiritual Roots—one wondered what they would think.

"It appeared! It appeared!!"

A sudden commotion erupted in the crowd.

A barefoot youth in hemp clothes was standing at a loss in the Formation. Three-colored lights of green, blue, and yellow were shining from his chest.

The people around him backed away one after another, leaving an empty circle around him.

"Wood, Water, and Earth Three Spirit Roots!"

Even faster than Lu Ying was the young Cultivator from before.

"Young man, what is your name? Are you willing to join my Purple Sun Sect?"

The youth's smile was like a spring breeze, his eyes filled with surprise. He hadn't expected to find a Three Spiritual Roots talent in this small county town.