Along the way, the steward repeatedly reminded the children of necessary rules, such as being polite to the Immortal Masters and not shouting.
Shi Jiu and the others also encountered many groups coming for the test, and several small streams converged into a massive flow of people.
After walking for a long time, they finally reached the outskirts of the testing venue. Shi Jiu, seeing this, couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
Looking forward, all he saw were the backs of heads; looking back, all he saw were faces pushing forward. With so many people, he wondered how long the test would take; perhaps it would be difficult to complete in several days and nights.
By the time the northeast area of Feixian City was almost full, Shi Jiu was submerged by the surrounding clamor.
At this moment, a Cultivator flew out from within the venue. Without any extra movement, he simply uttered softly:
"Silence!"
The voice seemed to echo between heaven and earth, and the vast area instantly fell silent. Only occasional low gasps of awe reached Shi Jiu's ears.
At that instant, Shi Jiu finally believed that Cultivators truly existed in this world!
The Cultivator who silenced everyone appeared young, yet he could float in mid-air with a poker face, relying solely on his own power.
A gentle breeze ruffled his robes, and such an Immortal bearing was deeply imprinted in the hearts of everyone present.
Shi Jiu gazed at the figure in mid-air, his eyes complex. At this moment, his desire to become a Cultivator grew even stronger.
Mortals are, after all, Mortals. Only by becoming a carefree and unrestrained Cultivator can one truly enjoy the world.
"Today, I shall state the rules and requirements for this Spiritual Root test. Listen carefully, all of you. This is a Spiritual Root Aptitude test of the Seven Luminaries Sect, and the rules have been slightly altered.
Firstly, children whose bone age exceeds fifteen years shall not be admitted without exception;
Secondly, in this test, Outer Sect Disciples will only be admitted if they possess Three Spiritual Roots. Those with Four Spiritual Roots or Five Spiritual Roots will not be admitted as Outer Sect Disciples. If they wish to enter the Sect, they can only start as miscellaneous laborers;
Thirdly, if your parents possess special skills such as being an Alchemist, Spiritual Plant Master, Formation Master, or Artifact Refiner, you may be given preferential admission. However, those admitted under this identity must undertake work in that specific field."
After listening to the three rules stated by the Immortal in mid-air, Shi Jiu shook his head slightly, a bitter expression on his face.
It seemed hope was slim. These rules were strictly restrictive, but no matter what, he had to give it a try.
The Seven Luminaries Sect's test first set up nearly a hundred large gates, and all children participating in the Spiritual Root Aptitude test had to pass through these gates.
When passing through, a blue light indicated a bone age of less than 15 years, while a red light indicated a bone age exceeding 15 years. Those who exceeded it would not be able to participate in the subsequent Spiritual Root Aptitude test.
Shi Jiu watched as the children from his village passed through the bone age testing gates one by one, none of them triggering a red light, and he felt a slight sense of relief.
In the distance, a few gates occasionally flashed red, meaning that some children with an excessive bone age were denied entry.
Looking forward, children entering the inner area would sequentially place their palms on half-human-tall transparent glass spheres.
After a simple explanation from others, Shi Jiu learned that the number of colors that appeared represented the number of Spiritual Roots one possessed.
Naturally, the fewer the colors, the more superior the Spiritual Root.
The colors that appeared also seemed to represent Spiritual Roots of different Five Elements. For example, yellowish-brown represented Earth Spiritual Root;
Red represented Fire Spiritual Root; golden yellow represented Metal Spiritual Root; brown represented Wood Spiritual Root; and black represented Water Spiritual Root.
And extremely rare colors often represented a mutated Spiritual Root, such as cyan, which represented a Wind Spiritual Root.
When such a Spiritual Root appeared, it would immediately become the focus of the entire venue.
The next moment, high-level Cultivators would arrive, and after re-verification, they would take them away individually, to be accepted as Disciples by Cultivators who practiced suitable Cultivation Techniques.
Shi Jiu looked at the bone age detection gate before him. Seeing only a few people, he wanted to go forward and try to test if he was overage.
However, just as he lifted one foot, a red light flashed within the doorframe.
The soldier responsible for maintaining order, seeing this, frowned deeply and scolded him:
"Get out! Don't cause trouble here! You are too old, don't interfere! There are many more waiting for the test. If you cause trouble again, I will send you to jail!"
Upon hearing this, Shi Jiu could only retreat dejectedly.
As he retreated, he cupped his fists to the soldier, stating that it was merely an unintentional mistake and he had no intention of disrupting order.
Once the soldier's gaze shifted, Shi Jiu's expression became unpredictable.
He hadn't even tested for Spiritual Roots yet, but he was already stuck at the bone age test. What kind of immoral, smoke-emitting scoundrel came up with such a screening method?
Just because one was a bit older, they weren't allowed to Cultivate? What kind of logic was that?
He hadn't eaten their rice, so why should he suffer from such age discrimination? It was truly perplexing.
Shi Jiu truly didn't believe that one couldn't achieve success in Cultivation just because they were older.
The person who had just explained the Spiritual Root test to Shi Jiu seemed to have noticed Shi Jiu's desire to participate in the test and asked him with a hint of suspicion:
"I observe that this young man also wishes to participate in the test.
However, shouldn't the young people in the towns and villages around Feixian City have already participated in the Spiritual Root Aptitude test before the age of 15? Could it be that this young man has not participated?"
"To be honest with you, big brother, in my early years, I became a Disciple of an old Daoist priest and traveled the world with my master.
Later, my master left, and I settled here, so I have never participated in such a Cultivation Aptitude test. Therefore, I also wish to verify if I have a Spiritual Root."
"So that's how it is. Then it's not surprising. Actually, little brother, if you only want to test whether you have a Spiritual Root, you can go to those Cultivation Families.
Every time the Seven Luminaries Sect conducts Spiritual Root Aptitude tests, several affiliated Cultivation Families will be nearby to receive Disciples eliminated by the Seven Luminaries Sect. There are also testing spheres there, and not many people."
The person next to him seemed quite enthusiastic and patiently explained to Shi Jiu.
Shi Jiu was delighted upon hearing this. It seemed there was always a way out, and he still had a chance to test his Spiritual Root.
However, Shi Jiu did not go immediately, but instead asked:
"May I ask, big brother, when these Cultivation Families do this every time, doesn't it become a competition with the Seven Luminaries Sect for Cultivation seeds?"
"How should I put it, not really."
The person next to him scratched his head and continued to explain.
"Because you see, the Seven Luminaries Sect has very strict Aptitude requirements. They generally don't accept Five Spiritual Root Disciples, and Four Spiritual Roots are generally not accepted unless there's a special connection or background.
However, Cultivation Families are much more lenient in this regard because they are not as powerful as the Seven Luminaries Sect, and their benefits are much worse.
Therefore, they are very happy to absorb Disciples from other surnames. Even those with inferior Spiritual Roots, as long as they achieve Minor Achievement in Cultivation, can secure a position in the Family.
Or intermarry with ordinary members of the Family, which also increases the probability of giving birth to offspring with excellent Spiritual Roots, and can further strengthen the power of these Cultivation Families."
Upon hearing this, Shi Jiu felt enlightened. It seemed that as long as one possessed a Spiritual Root, no matter what, they could at least be considered a Cultivator. With a little effort, they could live a life of comfort and security.
Shi Jiu thanked the person profusely and, under his guidance, arrived at the area where several Cultivation Families were located.
Indeed, there were fewer people here than at the Seven Luminaries Sect's selection site, but it was still crowded with many children who had been rejected, including those with inferior Spiritual Roots such as Four Spiritual Roots and Five Spiritual Roots.
Shi Jiu went to one of the Cultivation Families named "Helian Family," briefly explained his purpose to the person in charge of Aptitude testing, and was effortlessly led to undergo the Spiritual Root Aptitude test.
As the transparent testing sphere slowly brightened, Shi Jiu's heart instantly "lit up" as well.
But as the colors on the sphere gradually increased, Shi Jiu's heart slowly "darkened" again.
"Oh, he actually has a Spiritual Root, but unfortunately, it's a Five Spiritual Roots with all Five Elements, and he's a bit too old. It's estimated that he'll only Cultivate to the fifth or sixth layer of Qi Refining at most in this life."
"Aptitude, upper-middle among Five Spiritual Roots."
As that person reached the final conclusion about Shi Jiu's Spiritual Root, Shi Jiu's feelings were mixed, with both joy and disappointment.
He finally had a Spiritual Root, but it was the lowest-tier Spiritual Root. It seemed his Transmigration status didn't bring about any "mutated Heavenly Spiritual Root" or Dragon King plot of marrying a rich and beautiful woman, as in novels.
Fortunately, Shi Jiu was inherently open-minded and quickly composed himself. He then asked the person from the Helian Family if he could secure a spot as an Outer Sect Disciple or a miscellaneous laborer in the Helian Family.
Actually, at this moment, Shi Jiu had wanted to offer some benefits to that person, but he was currently penniless.
And the two weapons he possessed were too conspicuous; they were likely left by a Cultivator, and it wasn't appropriate to show them or give them away, as Shi Jiu was clearly aware of the saying, "A man who harbors a treasure is guilty of its possession."
However, fortunately, that person did not make things difficult for Shi Jiu. After a moment of contemplation, he said:
"At your age, being an Outer Sect Disciple in the Cultivation Method Hall or similar places is probably not possible. If you are willing, you can learn to be a Spirit Plant Master or a fire stoker in the Alchemy room. That way, you'll have some security in the future."
It was the age issue again. Shi Jiu mumbled softly, this Cultivation world also had significant age discrimination. It was a pity there was no labor protection bureau to complain to them.
However, Shi Jiu did not show it on his face. Instead, he cupped his hands and thanked the person from the Helian Family with a grateful expression.