"Good! Good! Good!! What is your name?" The old man uttered three consecutive words of praise, his sharp eyes gleaming with excitement as he stared at Han Yu, as if he couldn’t wait to snatch him up.

The young boy radiated a sense of pride and answered calmly, "Han Yu!"

"A good name! And a good child. Come, come to me!"

The old man nodded, smiling as he beckoned Han Yu forward. He warmly held Han Yu’s small hand, his face beaming with joy, as if afraid someone might take this rare gem away from him.

Han Yu stood beside the old man with his head held high and chest out, exuding an aura of confidence. Despite his young age, he appeared far more composed and mature than his peers.

Such a demeanor made the old man even more satisfied, nodding with approval in his heart.

The testing resumed, and the old man’s face showed traces of expectation.

However, among mortals, those who naturally awaken spiritual roots are exceedingly rare.

In no time, another thirty or so children were tested, but none possessed spiritual roots.

The old man remained calm, showing no signs of disappointment. Every so often, he glanced at Han Yu, his eyes full of fervor.

To him, whether or not anyone else appeared no longer mattered. As long as he could properly train this prodigy, he was confident it could elevate Luo Fu Peak’s standing within Yun Ge Sect.

At this point, only two children remained: Su Twelve and a chubby boy.

Su Twelve noticed that the chubby boy wore luxurious clothes, his face rosy and healthy—clearly the child of a wealthy family.

Before he could step forward, the chubby boy rushed ahead, jogging to the Spirit Testing Stone and nervously placing his pudgy hand on it.

The next second, the stone trembled slightly but remained unresponsive.

The old man’s face remained indifferent as he said, "Unqualified. Leave!"

The chubby boy, however, seemed prepared for this outcome. Instead of leaving, he dropped to his knees with a loud thud and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "My name is Zhu Hanwei, son of the mayor of Hui Long Town. Greetings to the esteemed immortal! I am devoted to the Dao and humbly beg for a chance to join."

"This is a token of respect from my father to the esteemed immortal!"

As he spoke, Zhu Hanwei hurriedly pulled a small sandalwood box from his robe, his face full of nervousness.

"Hmph!" The old man’s expression darkened, and the air around them grew noticeably colder.

Zhu Hanwei shivered, trembling as the box slipped from his hands and fell to the ground.

The old man was about to reprimand him, but when he saw the cracked box, his pupils contracted. He swiftly retrieved the box, examined it closely, and his face lit up with delight.

"Hmm? A hundred-year Cold Jade? I didn’t expect a mortal like your father to have such a treasure."

The old man’s eyes glimmered with joy as he held the Cold Jade.

Cold Jade was a rare material for refining artifacts, and even for him, obtaining it was no easy task. In comparison, accepting a child without spiritual roots into the sect was a small price to pay.

Without revealing his thoughts, the old man carefully stored the jade and solemnly stroked his beard. "Very well. Since you are so devoted to the Dao, I will grant you a chance."

Zhu Hanwei was overjoyed, kowtowing repeatedly. "Thank you, esteemed immortal! Thank you!"

The old man waved him off. "Enough. Go stand to the side."

Zhu Hanwei got up and walked to the right, grinning sheepishly as he passed Han Yu. However, Han Yu didn’t even glance at him, maintaining an aloof demeanor.

Zhu Hanwei awkwardly smiled, not daring to show any anger. From the old man’s attitude toward Han Yu, it was clear that Han Yu’s future status would be far above his own—a person he could never afford to offend.

At last, it was Su Twelve’s turn. Nervous but determined, he approached the Spirit Testing Stone.

After a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and placed his hand on the stone.

The stone trembled violently before emitting a multicolored glow. However, the glow was dim, flickering faintly as if struggling to stay lit.

Seeing the stone light up, Su Twelve’s heart leaped with joy. "I have spiritual roots after all!"

But just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he noticed the old man’s expression darken, which made his heart sink.

At this moment, the young woman beside the old man exclaimed, "Master, this child has rare full spiritual roots!"

The old man scoffed, "Full spiritual roots? Each of these roots is so weak it’s practically nonexistent. This is the worst kind of mixed spiritual roots! Someone like him would barely reach the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refinement in his lifetime."

He then turned to Su Twelve and said coldly, "Unqualified! Leave!"

Hearing the old man’s conversation with the young woman, Su Twelve’s heart sank even further. By the time the old man dismissed him, he felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.

For Su Twelve, if he couldn’t join the sect and learn immortal techniques, how could he avenge his grandfather?

His thoughts were in turmoil. After hesitating for a moment, he trembled slightly and said unwillingly, "Immortal, but… but I have spiritual roots. Isn’t having spiritual roots enough to join the sect?"

The old man sneered. "What kind of nonsense spiritual roots do you have? In over two centuries of cultivation, I’ve never seen spiritual roots worse than yours. Accepting someone with your potential into the sect would be a waste of resources—and a waste of your own time!"

Su Twelve clenched his teeth and quickly glanced at Zhu Hanwei, feeling a wave of frustration. However, he didn’t dare voice his anger. Instead, he muttered softly, "But he… he doesn’t even have spiritual roots, yet he was accepted."

The fact that someone without spiritual roots could join the sect through bribery shocked Su Twelve. The legendary immortal sects were not as pure and virtuous as he had imagined.

The old man seemed lofty and untouchable, but his actions were no different from that of the petty, opportunistic villagers back in Xiao Shi Village.

"Boy, are you teaching me how to do my job?" The old man’s face darkened with anger, and an invisible pressure emanated from him.

Su Twelve’s breath hitched, and his heart raced as fear gripped him. The oppressive aura reminded him of the black-clad man in Xiao Shi Village.

The young woman frowned slightly, glancing at Su Twelve before saying, "Grandfather, this child does have spiritual roots. Why not give him a chance? Cultivation is difficult as it is. If he can’t endure it, we can send him back down the mountain in a few years."

Hearing his granddaughter plead for the boy, the old man’s expression softened slightly. He said to Su Twelve, "Fine. Go stand to the right. Your aptitude is barely better than that chubby boy’s. You’ll just be a servant disciple."

Relieved, Su Twelve quickly cast a grateful look at the young woman before moving to the side.

By now, all the children had been tested, and only five had passed—including Zhu Hanwei, who joined through connections, and Su Twelve, who had been granted a chance due to the young woman’s intervention.

The old man turned to the group and said flatly, "Though you possess spiritual roots, don’t celebrate too soon. The path of cultivation is long and arduous."

"Next, I will take you to the sect to begin your training. From this moment forward, you are no longer part of the mortal world. If anyone regrets their decision, now is the time to leave."

With that, the old man waved his hand, and the flying sword behind him shot into the air. Under the infusion of his true energy, the sword expanded to over ten meters in length.

The sword hovered about a meter off the ground. The old man leaped onto it, bringing Han Yu with him.

The others climbed aboard under the young woman’s guidance.

As they prepared to depart, the other three children—aside from Su Twelve and Han Yu—had teary eyes, reluctantly gazing back at their families in the distance.

The old man remained indifferent. Having cultivated for many years, he was long accustomed to such farewells.

True energy surged within him, forming a protective barrier around the group. The sword then soared into the sky, carrying everyone toward the distant horizon.

[--------------------------------------------]

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