The Azure Lotus Immortal Continent stretched endlessly beneath the heavens, a land where mortals chased immortality and immortals overlooked mortals like drifting clouds. In its vast Southern Region, among countless prefectures and sect territories, lay Qin Prefecture—a land blessed with fertile spiritual veins and ancient legacies.
At the heart of Qin Prefecture rose Dragon Yuan Mountain.
The mountain towered into the clouds, its peaks sharp like dragon horns piercing the sky. Immortal mist coiled endlessly around its slopes, thick with immortal qi so dense that even breathing felt different. Ancient pavilions and halls dotted the mountainside, connected by floating stone bridges carved with runes that glowed faintly under the sun.
This was the ancestral land of the Immortal Lin Family.
A true cultivation clan.
A Golden Core Family.
Within the Lin Family, cultivators were not rare existences whispered of in legends—they were living, breathing authorities. Even a casual word from an elder could determine the rise or fall of dozens of mortal families attached to them.
And today was one of the most important days for the younger generation.
Spiritual Root Testing Day.
The Spiritual Hall was vast and solemn.
Its ceiling arched high, engraved with ancient formation patterns that absorbed ambient qi and circulated it endlessly throughout the hall. Pillars of white jade stood in perfect symmetry, each etched with images of flying swords, lotus flowers, and dragons soaring through clouds.
Immortal qi drifted like fog across the stone floor, brushing against the ankles of those present. For ordinary mortals, merely stepping into this hall would leave them lightheaded or unconscious.
But today, the hall was filled with children.
Hundreds of them.
They stood in long, orderly lines, boys and girls aged nine to twelve, all wearing identical Lin Family robes—white with pale blue trim. Their expressions varied wildly.
Some clenched their fists tightly, palms slick with sweat, eyes filled with anticipation and fear.
Some stood tall with confident smiles, already imagining themselves soaring through the skies on flying swords.
Others wore blank, indifferent expressions, as if the result no longer mattered to them.
Because in truth—
They all knew.
This single test would decide their fate for life.
At the front of the hall floated an object that appeared… unimpressive.
A crystal orb.
It was no larger than a human head, transparent yet cloudy within, suspended in midair by invisible force. Its surface shimmered faintly, cold and smooth, emitting no obvious light or power.
Yet every child knew—
This orb determined everything.
Whether one could cultivate the Immortal Dao, or remain a mere mortal servant within the clan.
Seated at the highest platform were the elders of the Lin Family.
They were motionless, eyes half-closed, their auras restrained yet heavy like invisible mountains pressing down on the hall. Some wore simple robes, others ornate ones, but all shared one thing in common—
Power.
Foundation Establishment elders.
Purple Mansion elders.
Even Golden Core elders whose presence alone caused the surrounding qi to subtly distort.
No one dared breathe loudly.
An elder with silver hair and stern eyes stood up.
His voice echoed throughout the hall without effort.
"Begin."
The first child stepped forward.
He hesitated, then placed his trembling hand onto the crystal orb.
The orb remained dull.
Silent.
Cold.
The elder glanced at it once, then spoke flatly.
"Lin Yun—no spiritual root."
The words fell like a hammer.
Lin Yun's face turned pale. His lips trembled, but no one comforted him. Two attendants stepped forward calmly and guided him away from the hall.
The line moved.
Another child.
Another trembling hand.
"Lin Su—no spiritual root."
Then another.
And another.
One name after another was called.
Each time, the orb remained unchanged.
Each time, the verdict was the same.
"No spiritual root."
"No spiritual root."
"No spiritual root."
The elders' expressions did not change. Disappointment was common. In cultivation families, most children were ordinary.
Spiritual roots were rare.
Then—
A girl stepped forward.
She was tall for her age, her back straight, her movements precise. Her face was beautiful but cold, her eyes calm and distant, as if nothing in the world could shake her.
Her name was Lin Yan.
The moment her hand touched the orb—
Buzz!
The crystal orb erupted with light.
Blue and white radiance intertwined, swirling like twin streams of water and ice. Frost spread across the orb's surface, while droplets of condensed spiritual water formed and floated upward.
A sharp intake of breath echoed through the hall.
The silver-haired elder's eyes widened.
"Double spiritual root!"
His voice carried unmistakable excitement.
"Ice and Water spiritual roots!"
The elders stirred.
Whispers erupted.
"High compatibility!"
"Excellent purity!"
"A natural cultivator!"
Lin Yan's expression remained unchanged—calm, cold—but deep in her eyes, a faint glint flickered.
A Purple Mansion elder stood up abruptly, laughing loudly.
"Good! Excellent! Lin Yan, I will take you as my personal disciple!"
Another elder snorted.
"You? With your cultivation technique? She would be wasted!"
A third elder rose.
"I have a superior Water Dao scripture—she belongs with me!"
The hall filled with arguing voices, immortal qi surging subtly as their auras clashed.
Then—
Silence.
The air froze.
Time itself seemed to pause.
An overwhelming pressure descended without warning, crushing down like the heavens themselves.
No figure appeared.
No form manifested.
Yet a voice echoed throughout the hall—ancient, calm, and absolute.
"Enough."
The arguing elders instantly bowed.
"Greetings, Ancestor!"
Before anyone could react—
Lin Yan vanished.
In a blink.
One moment she stood before the orb.
The next, she was gone.
Gasps erupted.
The ancestor's voice echoed once more.
"This child will be taken by me."
"I will personally guide her cultivation."
Shock.
Stun.
A Golden Core ancestor… taking a disciple personally?
Among the children, emotions erupted silently.
Awe.
Jealousy.
Envy.
Greed.
Scheming thoughts quietly took root.
The test continued.
A few more children displayed single spiritual roots—Fire, Wood, Earth.
They were accepted, assigned elders, their futures secured.
Many more were dismissed.
Then—
A boy stepped forward.
He was ten years old, dressed neatly, his posture relaxed. His black hair fell naturally over calm eyes that seemed far older than his age.
His name was Lin Sheng.
Among the children, he was… unremarkable.
No overwhelming aura.
No confident grin.
No visible nervousness.
Just quiet composure.
Lin Sheng placed his hand on the crystal orb.
Nothing happened.
No light.
No vibration.
No reaction at all.
The elder waited a moment, then frowned slightly.
He announced plainly.
"Lin Sheng—no spiritual root."
A murmur rippled through the hall.
Another disappointment.
But Lin Sheng's expression did not change.
Unlike others who cried, clenched their fists, or collapsed in despair—
He remained calm.
Almost… unsurprised.
As if he had already known the result.
The attendants stepped forward.
"Come with us."
Lin Sheng nodded lightly and followed them out of the hall without resistance.
Behind him, the spiritual hall continued its solemn process.
As Lin Sheng walked through the long stone corridor leading away from the Spiritual Hall, the sounds behind him faded.
The oppressive immortal qi thinned.
The pressure lifted.
His footsteps echoed softly.
Inside his mind—
A translucent panel floated silently before his eyes.
No one else could see it.
Only him.
Lines of faint light formed words that did not belong to this world.