Starting with the creation of the Immortal Clan through the compilation of the family genealogy.

Chapter 93 The path to immortality is elusive, but the mortal path opens itself.
In front of the mountain gate, the bluestone square was swept clean and spotless.

Meng Xihong, dressed in a blue robe, stood with his hands behind his back on the high platform.

Beside him, Yun Songzi had changed into a brand-new Taoist robe, stroking his beard and trying his best to look like a Taoist immortal.

Behind the two, Meng Yanqing stood ramrod straight, her small face solemn.

Ji Beichuan and Zhang Xianghua stood on either side, their auras heavy and imposing, their gazes sweeping across the area below, exuding an aura of power.

The brothers He Wu and He Wen stood behind Meng Yanqing. They were now the living advertisements of the Body Refining Hall and the most direct hope in the eyes of everyone below.

In the square, thirty-two men, carefully selected from Yunni Township, held their breath, their coarse cloth clothes faded from washing, their eyes filled with excitement, tension and deep anticipation.

"We pay our respects to Mr. Meng! We pay our respects to Senior Yun!"

Thirty-two people knelt down on one knee in unison, their voices filled with heartfelt reverence.

"Get up, everyone." Meng Xihong raised his hand, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"From this day forward, there will be no more village warriors from Yunni Township, only the founding disciples of my Tianyan Sect."

"Today, I will be here to verify your qualifications and impart the Great Dao!"

These words immediately caused a suppressed commotion below, and everyone's breathing became heavier.

Yun Songzi cleared his throat, stepped forward, and slowly began to rummage through his storage bag under the expectant gazes of the crowd.

"Oh dear, where did my memory go...?"

As he muttered to himself, he pulled out a gourd of wine, smelled it, and then put it back. Next, he took out a half-eaten sesame seed cake wrapped in oil paper, which made the bolder people below unable to hold back their giggles.

Meng Xihong's eyes twitched as he watched from the side. This old Taoist priest was always unreliable at crucial moments.

"Ahem! Just trying to lighten the mood," Yun Songzi coughed awkwardly.

Then, after a pause, he finally pulled out a palm-sized, crystal-clear stone.

"Found it!" he exclaimed, holding up the stone as if it were a treasure.

"This spirit-testing stone was dug out by me a hundred years ago from the ruins of a declining sect. It's cheap, but it'll do for now."

“Line up, one by one, and put your hands on the stone.”

The villagers immediately lined up in a tense but orderly manner, each holding their breath and their hearts pounding like drums.

The first man to step forward, full of hope, pressed his rough, large hand on it.

One breath, two breaths...

The spirit-testing stone remained unresponsive, its temperature unchanged.

The man's expectant expression froze instantly, then turned to ashes, and he retreated dejectedly.

Several people stepped forward, but the result was the same.

The atmosphere in the square gradually became oppressive.

It wasn't until the eighth person that the spirit-testing stone finally emitted a faint, mixed light of five colors, as dim as a candle flickering in the wind.

Just as the man was about to rejoice, Yun Songzi sighed and shook his head: "He has all five elements, but his aptitude is inferior, which makes it difficult for him to achieve perfection due to the mixture of the five elements."

The five elements generate and restrain each other; within your body, this is like five dragons vying for a pearl, constantly hindering each other.

When you absorb a wisp of spiritual energy, you must divide it into five parts and expend mental energy to balance it. The consumption and time required are more than ten times that of a single spiritual root.

Without a tremendous stroke of luck, one will hardly make any progress in their entire life; hence the term "pseudo-spiritual root" or "useless spiritual root."

Yun Songzi's words also shocked Meng Xihong, who was standing to the side.

So this is the true situation of ordinary Five Elements spiritual roots: the Five Elements are not in harmony and they drag each other down.

But what about yourself?

Both possess all five elements, but the spiritual root bestowed upon him by the [Immortal Bone] is a harmonious blend of the five elements, mutually generating and circulating. The spiritual energy absorbed flows within his body without any hindrance, but rather like a perfect whole, with efficiency far exceeding that of ordinary single spiritual roots.

This is not a spiritual root; this is clearly the miraculous effect of the legendary "Innate Five Elements Dao Body"!

How could a single talent attribute possess such incredible power? This is beyond what the word "talent" can explain.

A hint of doubt quietly rose in Meng Xihong's heart.

This [immortal bone] came too easily and is far too powerful.

Meng Xihong's thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning. He suppressed these unanswered mysteries and his vigilance, and his gaze returned to the square.

The phrase "a slim chance of immortality" weighs heavily on the hearts of everyone waiting, like an invisible boulder.

Yun Songzi's assessment of the "pseudo-spiritual root" disciple was like a bucket of ice water, completely extinguishing the last glimmer of hope that person had just ignited.

They tested more than ten people, and apart from two others with three or four spiritual roots who also consumed huge amounts of resources or whose attributes clashed, no one else could make the spirit stone light up. With the line nearing its end, the plaza was deathly silent, filled only with disappointed gasps.

Meng Xihong's gaze fell on the He brothers, He Wu and He Wen, and he said loudly, "He Wu, He Wen, come forward!"

"Since you two embarked on the path of body refinement, you have cultivated diligently for several months, proving yourselves with sweat and perseverance."

Now, let everyone see if, besides the path you've forged yourself, Heaven will open another window for you!

As soon as these words were spoken, all eyes turned to the two of them.

He Wu took a deep breath, strode forward, and pressed his hand, which had become incredibly resilient due to body tempering, heavily onto the spirit-testing stone.

hum!
A pure, thick, earth-yellow beam of light suddenly shot up from the spirit-testing stone, reaching a height of three feet.

The light lingered and did not dissipate, illuminating He Wu's honest face with a sacred aura.

"Good!" For the first time, Yun Songzi's eyes shone with genuine light. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Earth-type Heavenly Spiritual Root! Good lad, I misjudged you. Beneath your solid physique, there is such a hidden gem!"

Upon hearing this, He Wu was completely stunned. He stared blankly at the thick yellow light that enveloped him, then looked down at his calloused hands. After a long while, the overwhelming joy broke through the blankness in his mind, making him grin from ear to ear.

Next was He Wen, who calmly stepped forward and gently placed his hand on it.

Instead of a towering pillar of light, it was a blend of cyan and blue light, which, though not as domineering and powerful as He Wu's, was clear, agile, and mutually reinforcing.

Yun Songzi's excitement subsided somewhat, and he resumed his scrutinizing gaze, nodding: "Dual spiritual roots of wood and water, below average aptitude."

Although my cultivation speed is far slower than your brother's, I have the advantage of the five elements mutually generating each other. If I can find a compatible cultivation method that combines water and wood, and integrate the power of the two into one, my future will be limitless.

Looking at the two men, Meng Xihong made a decision and immediately announced: "Good! He Wu, He Wen! You are both resolute and possess spiritual roots, making you excellent candidates for 'cultivating both immortality and martial arts'!"

From this day forward, you are both disciples of my Body Refining Hall and my Qi Refining Hall, and you should set an example for the sect!

In the end, apart from He Wen and He Wu, only five of the thirty-two people possessed spiritual roots, while the remaining twenty-seven were all mortals who had no chance of becoming immortals.

The villagers who hadn't been able to detect any spiritual roots lost all their luster, replaced by barely concealed disappointment and dejection. They believed their chance at immortality had come to an end.

However, Meng Xihong's next words instantly transported them from hell to heaven.

"So what if I don't have spiritual roots?"

Meng Xihong's voice was like a resounding bell, making everyone's eardrums buzz.

"Cultivating immortality and seeking the Dao requires seizing opportunities bestowed by heaven. However, the foundation of my Tianyan Sect is not solely based on heaven!"

Instead, it is to pave a path for all ordinary people, a path that defies fate, relying not on heaven but on themselves!

He pointed to Ji Beichuan and Zhang Xianghua, "Look at them! They are just like you, all mortals, but now, their power is something that even ordinary cultivators dare not underestimate!"

"Those with spiritual roots may enter the 'Qi Refining Hall' of my Tianyan Sect, where I will personally teach them how to cultivate immortality and seek the Dao."

"Those without spiritual roots can also enter my Heavenly Evolution Sect's 'Body Refining Hall,' where Ji Beichuan and Zhang Xianghua will pass on their skills to me, using their own bodies as a furnace to forge an indestructible physique! Their future achievements may not be inferior to those of Qi Refining cultivators!"

He swept his gaze across everyone and announced, word by word, "Today, I will impart to you the first three levels of the Body Forging Chapter of the Furnace Scripture, the supreme martial art of my sect."

I urge you all to cultivate diligently and not waste this immense opportunity!

After saying that, he handed over the more than thirty rubbings of the martial arts manual that he had prepared to Ji Beichuan.

silence.

Deathly silence.

Immediately following was an overwhelming wave of jubilation!
"We...we can cultivate now?"

"Oh my god! Am I dreaming?!"

"We will never forget Mr. Meng's great kindness!"

The twenty-seven villagers, who had already lost all hope, were now so moved that tears streamed down their faces. They knelt down one by one and kowtowed to Meng Xihong and Yun Songzi.

"We pay our respects to the Sect Master! We pay our respects to the Supreme Elder!"

"Meet the sect master!"

The heartfelt shouts converged into a torrent, echoing and reverberating through the valley for a long time.

Looking at the group of simple and loyal disciples before him, and seeing the burning flame of hope in their eyes, Meng Xihong felt a surge of pride in his heart.

From this day forward, the Tianyan Sect shall officially stand tall between heaven and earth!

His gaze had already turned to even higher peaks.

Qi Refining Level Nine, already at its peak!
The next step is to lay the foundation!

(End of this chapter)