Immortal Clan: I have a Tree of Creation

Jinyang Village, Zhou Family Courtyard.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm golden hue on the adobe walls of the courtyard.

Zhou Chengnan sat on an old elm wood stump in the courtyard, with a bowl of cold, coarse tea in front of him.

Sitting opposite him was Wang Laosan, an old acquaintance who had just returned from the county town with firewood.

They were travel-worn, their faces carrying the excitement and mystery typical of someone delivering messages.

"Brother Zhou, it's absolutely true!" Wang Laosan took a big gulp of the cold tea Zhou Yuanyu handed him, wiped the water from his mouth, and lowered his voice, his spittle almost spraying onto Zhou Chengnan's face. "The big notices have been posted at the county government office, black and white on white paper, stamped with a bright red official seal, saying that an incredible stroke of luck is about to fall upon our Anshan County!"

"I wonder if our child will be fortunate enough to have that blessing..."

Zhou Chengnan's heart skipped a beat, and his fingers gripping the rough pottery bowl tightened slightly: "What exactly does the notice say?"

"Hey, that's very clear!" Old Wang slapped his thigh. "County Magistrate Li has declared that he wants to find children with immortal roots for the lords of the Immortal Sect."

"Any family with children aged six to fourteen can register at the county government office." He tried hard to recall the words on the notice.

"They say that as long as you're found to have spiritual roots, you have a great chance of being selected and sent to a celestial sect to become a disciple of a deity!"

Old Wang clicked his tongue, his eyes full of envy: "I heard that if we can gather a hundred or so children with immortal roots, the Immortal Sect will send an immortal lord who can ride the clouds to come to our Anshan to select people."

"My God, this is something that even our ancestors' graves emitting auspicious smoke couldn't pray for!"

"Brother Zhou, are all three of your kids around this age? Hurry up and take them to try it out, just in case..."

Zhou Chengnan was starting to lose track of Wang Laosan's rambling on about "what if I win" and "bringing glory to my ancestors."

The words of the official notice echoed repeatedly in his mind.

"The county government took the lead, gathered a hundred people, and even the immortal sect members arrived in person..."

This perfectly matched the bits and pieces of information he had gathered in Huangxing County!

A truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has finally arrived.

An indescribable sense of excitement and urgency instantly gripped Zhou Chengnan's heart.

The third son, Zhou Yuanqing, possesses a wood spirit root. He has been pursuing this path for nearly ten years so that his son can embark on the road to immortality.

There's always a way out; the best opportunity has finally arrived.

With the bigwigs of Anshan County government taking the lead, the chances of joining the immortal sect are naturally much greater than for ordinary people.

Is it really possible to join a sect by traveling to the county seat? In reality, the hope is still very slim.

That is precisely why this official notice appears so timely.

After seeing off Wang Laosan, who was still immersed in excitement, Zhou Chengnan stood in the gradually enveloping twilight.

His gaze swept over his third son, Zhou Yuanqing, who was quietly practicing calligraphy in the corner of the courtyard, and then looked towards the direction of the county town.

He took a deep breath, the evening breeze carrying the scents of earth and grass filling his lungs.

The county magistrate and county assistant magistrate, these usually high-ranking figures, personally took to the field.

The pool in Anshan County was deeper than he had imagined.

There is no such thing as a free lunch; there must be huge interests involved.

But in any case...

This is a path we must forge for Qing'er.

Zhou Chengnan turned and strode towards the main room, his voice steady and powerful:

"Shuzhen, tidy up."

"Tomorrow morning, I will take Qing'er... and Shan'er and Yu'er into the city together."

The Tree of Creation has given clear guidance: three white fruits and one green fruit.

Zhou Chengnan knew very well that among the entire Zhou family, only the third son, Zhou Yuanqing, possessed spiritual roots.

But with the opportunity right in front of him, he had to get all three children tested.

Not for any other reason than to ensure Qing'er's safe entry into the sect.

......

The next day.

Zhou Chengnan brought his three children into the city.

Sure enough, a huge notice posted by the government was seen, and several days later, many people were still gathered in front of the notice.

Countless children came to register after hearing the news.

With over 100,000 households in the surrounding villages of Anshan, who wouldn't want to try their luck?

The county government doesn't use "spirit-testing talismans" to examine spiritual roots; instead, they use "spirit-testing platforms."

It is said to be a treasure borrowed from the county seat by the county magistrate, and it is very wondrous.

A dozen or so children of the appropriate age stand on the spirit-testing platform, and the results can be obtained in just a short while.

If any of these children develops a low-grade spiritual root, the spirit testing platform will glow, and then the dozen or so children in the same group will be taken into the inner courtyard by the yamen runners for individual spirit testing.

With the spirit-testing platform in place, there is almost no possibility of omissions.

Zhou Chengnan waited in line for almost half a day before it was finally his child's turn.

As expected, there were no surprises.

Neither Zhou Yuanshan nor Zhou Yuanyu met the county government's standards for spirit testing.

Only the third son, Zhou Yuanqing, caused the Spirit Testing Platform to shine brightly. His two-inch-nine-point wood spirit root was already an extremely dazzling talent in Anshan County.

This even attracted the attention of Li Mao, the county magistrate of Anshan County.

County Magistrate Li was very pleased with this. One hundred children with spiritual roots were just a threshold. The greater the potential of Anshan County, the higher the possibility of inviting a great master from a major sect.

A two-inch-nine-tenths-inch wood spirit root is already very close to a mid-grade spirit root.

Although a slight difference can lead to a huge error, it undoubtedly greatly increases the significance of Anshan County.

Everything is for my precious son!

The government did not disclose the specific spiritual root aptitude to the public.

Zhou Chengnan only received notification that his son, Zhou Yuanqing, had been successfully selected.

Even so, it aroused the envy of countless people in the surrounding area.

Everyone can see clearly that spiritual roots are extremely rare.

The spirit-testing platform may not light up even once out of ten attempts; it's no exaggeration to say it's one in a hundred.

Thanks to Zhou Chengnan's daily teaching.

The eldest son, Zhou Yuanshan, and the second son, Zhou Yuanyu, both took a very indifferent view of cultivating immortality.

Although the spiritual root was not selected for the government's list, they were not too discouraged.

On the contrary, the selection of their younger brother, Zhou Yuanqing, made the two children quite excited.

"Little Qing'er is going to become an immortal in the future." Zhou Yuanyu patted her younger brother's shoulder. "You mustn't forget your second sister in the future."

Little Zhou Yuanqing had always been his older sister's little follower and burden since childhood, and at this moment he still had some understanding but not quite.

"How could I forget my sister..."

The eldest son, Zhou Yuanshan, was sensible from a young age. At this moment, as if realizing something, a hint of melancholy appeared in his eyes when he looked at his younger brother.

"Alright." Zhou Chengnan smiled and waved. "Qing'er's selection is a joyous occasion."

"It's not easy to bring you all to the city, we can't go back empty-handed."

"First, go buy some winter clothes for your mother, and then..."

"Dad, I want to eat roast duck!" Zhou Yuanyu hugged his father's arm.

Zhou Yuanqing's eyes lit up, and he quickly moved closer to his father, his face full of anticipation.

The eldest son, Zhou Yuanshan, swallowed hard, but immediately thought of how hard his father worked to earn money, and didn't dare to speak.

Zhou Chengnan chuckled and looked at the three children with doting eyes.

Children's minds are so simple; a meal is enough to satisfy them.

"Okay, Daddy will buy it for you!"