A distant farming village having a peaceful and uneventful afternoon minding their daily business of tending to their plants and crops suddenly became bustling; it turns out that a mysterious man who is gravely injured arrived in their village carried by his horse.
The village elders held a meeting to discuss what to do with the mysterious man while the said man is being treated by the village physician.
This news became widely known throughout the whole village overnight.
Every villager has been talking about the mysterious man, while the village kids couldn't care less; they were running around without a care in the world.
After a few days the villagers, just like the kids, start to care less about the mysterious man who suddenly arrived in their village until one day the village chief, along with the other elders, made a shocking announcement.
At the village square.
"All the children five years old to ten years old must gather at the village meeting hall tomorrow morning at nine a.m. You better not be late; this is a great opportunity for all of you," the old village head said a few more words before he ended his announcement.
The old village chief's announcement became the talk of the village; the parents are all confused about the opportunity that the village head talked about, but they trust the old man and heed his words seriously.
...
"Jun, do not stay late tonight, okay?" A woman who just came back from the village square said this to his son, who is currently preparing to take a bath.
"Why is that, Mother?" Jun asked his mother.
"I do not know the details, but it is an order from the village chief, and he said it is a great opportunity for kids your age," his mother answered him. She then walked towards him, and she rubbed his head lovingly before going to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Jun is a shy and timid kid, but he also has a lot of friends because he somehow gives off a feeling that makes other people adore him. Maybe it is because of his looks or personality, or maybe because of pity since he lost his father at a young age and his mother is the only one raising him, but he doesn't mind it since he likes playing with his friends.
...
Morning came when Jun was woken up by his mother.
"Wake up, Jun, you can't be late today," Jun's mother said softly while gently shaking him.
"Mmmhhhmm." Jun stretched his body and then slowly opened his eyes.
"Good morning, Mother," Jun said.
"Good morning, my son," his mom said with a warm smile on her face. When Jun's dad died three years ago, he was just four years old. Since that day, his mother has put all her love and affection into him, determined to raise him on her own by working multiple jobs.
Because of this, Jun promised that he will make it big one day, move to the city with his mom, and let her live a comfortable life.
...
In front of the meeting hall, more or less fifty kids are waiting along with their parents, and Jun is one of them. He is with his mother, and when his friends arrive, they start to talk to each other and start laughing.
A few moments later the doors of the meeting hall opened, and an unfamiliar person walked out with the village chief.
He looked around and scanned the scene in front of him; he then turned to the village head.
"Is this everyone?" the unfamiliar man asked.
"Yes, esteemed cultivator, our village is a small farming village with only more than a hundred families residing in it, and these are the only eligible kids," the village head said respectfully.
The people are confused at first as to why the village head is so respectful to this man, then they suddenly realize the village chief's words, "cultivator."
All the villagers exclaimed, even the children; they finally realized that the heavily injured mysterious man who came to their small village is a cultivator from the legends.
One should know that in this world there is a unique energy called spirit energy that certain people can "see," and those people are cultivators.
It is said that cultivators use spirit energy to attain immortality and unparalleled strength that can move mountains and seas.
The adults start to talk among themselves while kids' eyes are practically sparkling as they stare at the cultivator in front of them.
"Ehem," the cultivator made a sound to get everyone's attention.
Everyone suddenly stopped, and they all put their attention on the cultivator in front.
"First of all, I would like to thank you all for letting me stay in your village and recuperate, and as a token of appreciation, I would give the children of this village a chance to become a cultivator."
His words struck the villagers like thunder; they couldn't believe it—their children as cultivators!
"Don't get too excited," the cultivator added.
The villagers turned their heads toward him and contained their excitement.
"Being a cultivator depends on your child's luck; if they are not destined to become one, they will never be one," the cultivator said with a serious face.
This caused the excitement to die down and be replaced with worry and prayers from the parents, praying that their child possesses the luck to become a cultivator.
"Now children, form a line," said the village head, which the kids immediately followed.
The cultivator entered the village meeting hall with the first kid on the line while the village chief closed the door and waited outside.
...
"Here, hold this." The cultivator handed the boy a transparent crystal.
"What do I do with it, Sir Cultivator?" the kid nervously asked.
"Close your eyes and put all your focus on the stone in your hand," the cultivator said.
The boy immediately did what he said, but after a few moments the cultivator shook his head; there was no reaction from the stone.
The stone that he handed to the kid is a spirit testing stone; it tests if someone has a spirit root. If they do, the stone will give off a gentle glow.
Since the stone didn't glow, the cultivator told the kid to open his eyes and exit the room.
The boy who failed exited the room crying; he immediately ran towards his dad.
The other kids saw this, and they started to get nervous. One after another, kids left the room crying. There are only fifteen kids left.
The villagers, along with the village head, started to lose hope until a joyous shout sounded from the meeting hall.
A girl with brown hair and chubby cheeks named Minnie walked out with a big smile on her face.
"I did it hahahahahah," the cultivator walked behind her.
He looked at the village chief and nodded.
"My village has been blessed by the gods hahaha, thank you, sir." The village chief held the cultivator's hand with teary eyes, unable to contain his happiness.
"Don't thank me; it is the kids luck," the cultivator said.
He then went back inside the room to finish the test. The village chief urged the next kid to enter immediately, still excited and hopeful that another kid might be destined to become a cultivator.
While the cultivator inside the meeting hall, despite showing no expression, is extremely surprised that such a distant and small farming village would produce a kid with a spirit root, but he doubts that there will be more, and it seems his conjecture is right because there are only three kids left, and Jun is one of them.
He is now walking towards the door, his hands sweaty from nervousness.
Although he is a shy and timid kid, he still wants to become a cultivator given the chance; that is why, as he got closer to the cultivator, his nervousness became worse.
"Come here and hold this." The cultivator handed Jun the spirit testing stone.
"Close your eyes and put all your focus on the stone in your hand," the cultivator instructed.
Jun swallowed and did what he was told, and a few moments later he heard the cultivator exclaim.
Jun slowly opened his eyes; he then looked at his hand holding a
glowing stone.
"Another one," the cultivator mumbled.