Cultivation begins with forming a bond with a spirit bee.

These three people were Wang Meng and his family.

Wang Xiaobao was being held in Wang Meng's arms, his little face buried in his father's shoulder, but his little hands were waving excitedly forward.

Aunt Chen followed beside her, bending down to straighten her daughter's collar as she walked, muttering something to herself.

They walked eagerly toward the inner city, their expressions filled with anticipation.

Because Qu Ye had disguised himself, the three people did not recognize him, and he did not deliberately reveal himself.

Soon, the three of them passed by him.

Qu Ye stepped aside, his keen hearing allowing him to catch a few words.

"...Hurry up, let's try to get a good spot in line..."

What are Uncle Wang and his family doing?

Qu Ye's expression shifted, and he looked around.

Then, on the street corner, they saw a father and son. The father was dressed as a farmer and was holding the child's hand. They quickly followed Wang Meng's family.

"Could it be that they're going to test their spiritual roots?"

Qu Ye then remembered this matter.

Every year, Yumen Market holds a spirit-testing event, offering free tests on the spiritual roots of children aged six and above.

However, those with spiritual roots are one in ten thousand. Even if the probability is higher for the descendants of two cultivators, only a handful of people can ascend to the path of immortality at each spiritual root gathering.

That's how the original body was found to have four spiritual roots.

After the spiritual root was discovered, the original owner's parents were overjoyed and even bought a pot of spiritual wine to celebrate.

Qu Ye stood there and thought for a moment.

Uncle Wang and Aunt Chen were very kind to me and took good care of me in the past. I could say that I watched Xiao Bao grow up.

At such an important time, it's only right and reasonable to go and see them.

Besides, he had disguised himself and was in the market, so there was no risk.

After thinking it over, Qu Ye walked forward a short distance before turning around and heading straight for the place where spiritual roots were tested.

The crowd gradually thickened along the way, and about half of them were without children, all smiles, mostly there to watch the excitement.

After walking for fifteen minutes and turning two corners, a vacant lot suddenly appeared in front of us.

In the center of the open space stood a high platform, about ten feet tall, with flags embroidered with the words "Spiritual Measurement" at the four corners, fluttering in the wind.

On the table was a long table covered with a blue tablecloth, on which was a fist-sized transparent bead that gleamed faintly in the sunlight.

By this time, a large number of people had already gathered below the stage, a sea of ​​black, with parents with their children forming long lines, creating a lively atmosphere.

Several timid children huddled behind their parents, secretly glancing at the objects on the stage, their eyes filled with both curiosity and nervousness.

On either side of the open space stood several disciples of the Yang family, their faces stern, their eyes scanning the crowd, looking ready to make a move at any moment.

Qu Ye found an inconspicuous corner and stood there, arms crossed, leaning against the trunk of an old locust tree.

His gaze swept across the crowd, and he quickly found Wang Meng's family.

They were in the middle of the line, with about twenty people ahead of them.

Wang Xiaobao had already gotten down from Wang Meng's arms and was standing on the ground, clutching Aunt Chen's clothes, his eyes curiously looking around.

Wang Meng stood to the side with his hands behind his back, appearing calm on the surface, but Qu Ye noticed that he shifted his weight between his left and right feet.

"This Uncle Wang..." Qu Ye smiled.

On the stage, an elderly man was presiding over the event. He had gray hair, a thin face, and an auspicious cloud pattern embroidered on his chest.

Two Yang family disciples were standing nearby, responsible for registration and maintaining order.

"Quiet down, be quiet!"

The old man shouted, and after the crowd quieted down, he said slowly, "Line up and come up one by one."

The line moved forward slowly.

The first one to go up was a boy, thin and small, wearing a faded blue cotton shirt.

His father carried the boy onto the stage, patted him on the shoulder, and whispered, "Don't be afraid."

The boy walked timidly to the long table and, at the old man's prompting, placed his hand on the round bead.

A moment later, the bead lit up briefly, a faint light that flickered and then disappeared like a firefly.

The old man shook his head. The boy's father's face darkened. He stepped forward, took the child's hand, and retreated with his head bowed.

Someone in the crowd sighed.

The second one was a girl, wearing a floral dress and with two little braids. Without her mother urging her, she ran up to the stage and stood on tiptoe to place her hand on the crystal ball.

The bead flickered briefly, then went out again.

The girl's mother, unwilling to give up, stepped forward and asked, "Was it not put away properly?"

Before receiving a reply, he was asked to leave by the Yang family disciples who were in charge of maintaining order, so as not to disturb the people behind him who were having their spirits tested.

The third, fourth, fifth... none of them had spiritual roots.

The atmosphere among the crowd began to somber, and some people started whispering among themselves.

It wasn't until the eleventh that things finally changed.

This time it was a boy, with a robust and chubby face, wearing a brand-new light blue short-sleeved shirt, and looking like he came from a well-off family.

He placed his hand on the bead, and the bead lit up, not with the fleeting glimmer of light before, but with a stable halo.

Soon, four different eye colors—red, blue, green, and brown—rose from the halo, and it remained stable for several breaths.

There was a moment of silence in the audience, then someone exclaimed, "He has spiritual roots!"

The old man stood up, carefully examined the color of the bead, nodded, and announced loudly, "Fire, water, earth, and wood—the four spiritual roots!"

The boy's father clenched his fists tightly, unable to suppress the smile on his face. A woman rushed out from the crowd, ran onto the stage, hugged the boy tightly, and burst into tears.

The Yang family disciples quickly stepped forward and led them into the shed on the side of the stage.

An uproar erupted in the crowd, with a mix of emotions. It took the old man a few loud reprimands to quiet the scene down.

Qu Ye withdrew his gaze and continued to look at Wang Meng's family.

Wang Meng was visibly more nervous, his jaw was clenched, and his hands were unconsciously twisting the hem of his clothes.

Aunt Chen was calmer. She squatted down and straightened Wang Xiaobao's collar, whispering something to him. Wang Xiaobao nodded vigorously.

The line continued to move forward.

The twelfth, the thirteenth, the fourteenth... still none.

It wasn't until the twenty-sixth person in line that it was finally Wang Xiaobao's turn.

Wang Meng took a deep breath, bent down to pick up his daughter, and walked towards the stage. Aunt Chen followed behind, clutching a handkerchief and wiping her palms repeatedly.

Wang Xiaobao was carried onto the stage and placed in front of the long table. She wasn't shy at all; she stood on tiptoe and placed her little hand on the round bead.

The bead lit up and a halo rose up.

The crowd stirred.

"Another one with spiritual roots!"

"What great luck!"

"I wonder what kind of spiritual root it is..."

As the halo slowly spreads, five different colors appear within it.

The old man picked up the bead, looked at it, and then looked up.

"Five spiritual roots!"

Wang Meng froze for a moment, his lips trembled twice, and he couldn't say a word.

Aunt Chen had already covered her mouth, her eyes were red, and she didn't even notice that her handkerchief had fallen to the ground.

The crowd immediately began to discuss the matter, with some even showing schadenfreude.

"Only five spiritual roots?"

"This talent is mediocre at best, it's going to be tricky."

"Come on, you lot. At least humans have spiritual roots. You should pray that your own kids have spiritual roots first."

"Exactly, exactly, they're just being sour grapes..."

These gloating remarks had no effect on Wang Meng and his wife.

Even if it's just the so-called "pseudo-spiritual root" of the five spiritual roots, can't it still lead to immortality?

Not to mention that with the help of his own husband and wife, Xiao Bao's path to immortality will be much smoother.

At this moment, Wang Xiaobao was still confused, tilting his head to look at the still glowing round bead, reaching out to touch it, but was stopped by the old man.

Then, Wang Meng picked up Wang Xiaobao and went with Aunt Chen to the shed on the side to register information.

Qu Ye looked at the scene before him and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He shared the same view as Wang Meng and his wife: Xiao Bao having spiritual roots was already a pleasant surprise, so why ask for too much?