Caojing Village was filled with hustle and bustle as everyone gathered in the village center, where rows of carriages were settled on the side, surrounded by stalls and various wares.
"Finest goods from Xiuling City! Come, come!"
"Look at this jade! A charm for fortune! Buy now, and your family's luck will rise!"
Villagers crowded eagerly, trading away their harvests for trinkets they had never seen before. Some items glowed in genuine craft, others were cheap fakes, but excitement drowned their reason for purchase.
Then the air shifted.
From the central carriage, an old man stepped down. His narrow eyes glimmered with the calm of age, his white beard flowing as if steered by unseen wind.
The moment his feet touched the ground, an invisible pressure pressed across the square.
The villagers froze. Upon realization, they buckled their knees and kowtowed.
"A… cultivator!"
"Ahh, senior, pardon us for not knowing you…"
"An immortal, bow down, you stupid child!"
The cultivator caressed his beard, overlooking the entire village that deemed him an immortal.
"Hmm." He nodded and waved his hands flexibly, "No need for such commotion, everyone."
Despite his words, the villagers felt uneasy and remained in their prostrated position, afraid that they would unknowingly court death in front of the old cultivator.
The old man furrowed his brows and repeated his words, "If you continue prostrating, don't blame this immortal for being harsh."
"Ah, ah! Cultivator, we'll follow!"
Hearing his threat, the villagers quickly propped up and dusted their dirtied clothes.
The old man nodded and waved his hand, causing the winds to stir like a boiling pot. The villagers shuddered and zipped their mouths, afraid to let even a whisper escape.
"I am here today to select disciples to join me in my immortal journey." The old man scanned the square and looked at the villagers, "Anyone who is of age, between 6 and 12, can be taken to me."
Then, his right hand, as if grabbing something from the heavens, trembled as a stone tablet appeared from nowhere.
"This stone tablet will decide the immortal destiny of this village's children."
Once his words fell, the villagers started mumbling to themselves. Seeing that his tricks worked perfectly, the old man let out a smirk.
"Go now, I will wait here until dusk."
All across the village, families were stirred. The young children, both boys and girls, were called out in hopes of attaining the dream of immortality.
"Chen Liang, the road to immortality is here. For a cultivator to arrive so suddenly…" A refined old man with scholarly robes walked out from his study after hearing the news, "Follow me to the marketplace."
"Yes, father! Will Brother Shun be there?"
A young man with toned muscles and tanned skin clasped his hands and bowed respectfully.
"Of course. As our village's proclaimed son of destiny, why would he not be? He is of age, and so are you, so stop wasting time and follow me."
The old man snapped his fan and reprimanded. Chen Liang had no choice but to bow his head and follow the scholarly old man out of their house.
Elsewhere in the village, another boy heard the news with a very different heart.
"Cheng'er, I'm old, but you, my grandchild, are young," the wrinkled body of a woman looked up to her grandchild from her bed. Her breath was weak, as if the flames of life would soon be extinguished.
"Grandma, don't worry!" the young child sitting beside her gripped his fists. Determination streaked across his black eyes, "I will show them that Wei Shun is nothing but a nobody, and I am the chosen one!"
"Cheng'er, don't be mad about Xiao Shun…" the old lady coughed, before continuing, "Go, now! Let your grandmother rest here for a while. I know you will come back to me with good news…"
Ma Cheng's eyes couldn't help but tear up after seeing his weak grandmother in bed.
Ma Cheng and his Ma family had been one of the top contributors of Caojing Village ever since it was established. Their family has shed blood and tears over the years, yet despite such sacrifices, the Ma family suffered from the villagers' hypocrisy and admonishment rather than the praises and admiration.
Worse, with the birth of Wei Shun, the Wei family has blossomed while their family withered on the vine.
Despite his excellent performance and unwavering determination to pull their family out of their current plight, that detestable guy Wei Shun seems to keep on gaining an advantage over him time and time again.
Every success of Wei Shun's was another wound carved into his pride. He couldn't take it any longer, and surprisingly, today was the day he felt this was bound to change.
A cultivator. A chance to live the life of an immortal. A chance to be rebirthed, renewed.
Wei Shun, just you wait! I will show the entire village that I, Ma Cheng, am far better than you!
With a nod, he stood up and bowed to his grandmother before leaving for the marketplace.
Back in the village square, the stone tablet awaited like a silent judge. Wei Shun, together with Zhang Yuexin, his sister, and his father, arrived.
The villagers quickly muttered over their presence.
"It's Wei Shun! He's bound to be chosen!"
"Who else could be worthy but him?"
"Look, Zhang Yuexin is with him. Don't they look good together?!"
Their chatters were low, but the cultivator heard them all. He glanced at this wild-looking youth, with short, unkempt hair falling over his brow. Faint scars marked his face, carrying a trace of maturity beyond the years.
From appearance alone, the old man knew that this boy was different from the rest. As for being a cultivator with great talent, it remains to be seen as long as he touches the stone tablet.
A few minutes passed by, and more villagers came upon the square. The old man raised his head and noticed that the sun was at its peak. Seeing that the time was right and that everyone was here, he faintly coughed a few times, catching everyone's attention.
"This Daoist is Ming He, Elder of Qingquan Hall, of the Lingyuan Clan under Tian Ming Ling. I have come to your honored village to select disciples for the sect."
His voice, though soft, could be loudly heard by everyone in the square.
"As I have said before, any child between 6 and 12 years of age may take the spiritual root test and see if they are fated to be immortals!"
Ming He grabbed the stone tablet from before and planted it on the ground, creating a powerful thudding sound. The villagers took a step back as dust was swept away.
Everyone narrowed their eyes, wondering how heavy the stone tablet was.
Carved upon it was the image of a tree with roots sprawling below, and seven leaves rising along the stem.
"Each leaf marks a child's talent," Ming He said, voice steady.
"Reach the second leaf or higher, and the path of cultivation opens. Anything less…" His eyes swept the crowd, pausing on Wei Shun. "…means no spiritual root. Such a child cannot be taken."
The crowd became silent, holding their breaths before the immortal's signal.
"If there are no questions, then let the spiritual root test begin!"