Cultivating a family of immortals

Xu Guanyi's heart tightened, but he casually smiled and said:

"Now my family has grown into a large and prosperous family, but as children are born, they need to be sent to the sect to test their spiritual root attributes at different ages. In addition, there is a collateral branch that does not have the opportunity to test their spiritual root attributes as often, but it still happens several times a year. I thought it was too much trouble..."

The cultivator smiled slightly, turned his head to see that no one was around, and invited Xu Guanyi to sit down in the inner room with both hands.

Xu Guanyi pretended to be curious, but was inwardly horrified.

Is there some secret about the spirit divination plate that cannot be asked?

He sat down, and the cultivator even carefully set up a soundproof array before turning his head and saying:

"Junior brother, to be honest, although this spirit testing plate has limited uses and can only be used to test the attribute of a spiritual root, it is still classified as a mid-grade magic treasure."

"The stone platform in the sect's Immortal Guiding Pavilion serves this purpose. Once someone develops a spiritual root, they must be sent to the Immortal Guiding Pavilion for testing. Why is that?"

The cultivator answered his own question: "This is because once someone develops three spiritual roots, they must be sent to a sect to cultivate... Conversely, if there is a spirit-testing plate, one can test themselves and, if they have three spiritual roots, the sect will not know, and they can stay in the family to cultivate..."

A glint flashed in the cultivator's eyes again. "So, this is what you're planning, Junior Brother?"

Xu Guan breathed a sigh of relief, a wry smile appearing on his face:

"Junior brother, you do know a lot. I do have this idea."

"Haha, just as I thought," the cultivator clapped his hands and laughed, "Countless cultivation families at the foot of Snowmelt Mountain have the same idea, but they know nothing. Many families have a disciple who has entered the outer sect of a sect and they start thinking about this. But how do they know that the spirit stones and various pills required for cultivation for those with three or higher spiritual roots are a bottomless pit? How can a small family like theirs afford it?"

Xu Guan raised an eyebrow. "So, what does Junior Brother mean...?"

The cultivator bowed to Xu Guan very naturally. "Junior Brother is different. You are an inner disciple. After we parted last time, I inquired about you. It is rumored in the sect that you are born with dual spiritual roots. With such talent, you will soon gain some power in the sect. Naturally, you will be able to send some things to your family through the sect. The sect turns a blind eye. In any case, the sect will ultimately benefit from strengthening its subordinates."

"Others want a spirit-testing disc, but they can't afford it and it's not very useful to them. You want to plan ahead and help your family become a cultivation family, which is a reasonable thing to do. And I can get a spirit-testing disc for you, Junior Brother."

After going around in circles, so that's what it meant.

Xu Guanyi looked at the rather intriguing cultivator and said with a smile, "I still don't know your name, Junior Brother?"

"Junior Brother, my name is Chen Qingyun. I am an outer disciple of the Haoran Immortal Sect and was fortunate enough to obtain the position of steward of the Qingyun Pavilion."

"I see. Junior Brother Chen, how much does that spirit-testing disc cost? Do you have one here?"

Chen Qingshan shook his head and said, "We don't have any right now. If you want some, I can get them for you, but you'll have to pay a deposit first, Junior Brother."

"How many?"

"Fifty high-grade spirit stones."

"What?" Xu Guan was shocked. It turned out that this person had been trying to fool him by treating him like a fool.

Chen Qingshan, however, disagreed and said:

"Junior Brother, you can inquire about the value of this item. Within the Haoran Immortal Sect, this item is strictly controlled. It's impossible to buy it through the official market. Even if I were to get it, I would have to obtain it from outside."

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, goodbye." Xu Guan turned around and was about to leave the inner room.

Chen Qingshan had no choice but to see him off, while lowering his voice and saying, "If you need anything in the future, Junior Brother, come find me. This matter must never be known to the sect."

Xu Guan nodded.

Once on the street, Xu Guan glanced back at Qingyunxuan, cursed it as a rip-off, and turned to leave.

Inside the shop, Chen Qingshan watched Xu Guanyi's retreating figure, shook his head, and thought to himself:

"The Spirit Testing Plate is considered a forbidden item in the Haoran Immortal Sect. This price is really not high. Once Junior Brother has found out the details, he will naturally come looking for me again."

Xu Guanyi found Xu Wanghe and Fang Shouzhuo who were buying spiritual herbs, and nodded to Xu Wanghe in secret.

Xu Wanghe understood. After negotiating a price with the cultivator at the stall, he borrowed several dozen spirit stones from Fang Shouzhuo and bought the spirit seedlings needed for planting in the spirit field.

"After returning, please trouble Immortal Master Lin Wan to convert the spirit seedlings that the sect wants to buy into spirit stones for my Xu family. Then, the spirit stones will be returned to Immortal Master Fang."

"It's alright," Fang Shouzhuo said with a smile.

After settling things here, the three of them returned to the Xu residence in a spirit boat.

Xu Wanghe personally oversaw the planting of this batch of spirit seedlings, while Fang Shouzhuo, having nothing else to do, went to the Zhou family to drink and make merry with the Zhou family head.

The head of the Zhou family was a forthright and generous man, but also shrewd and resourceful.

Since marrying Zhou Xingyao into the Xu family, she has received their care and has never lacked money or anything else. The head of the Zhou family then tidied up the courtyard and built a mansion, just like the Xu family, complete with small bridges and flowing water.

He himself did not crave luxury; the purpose of building his mansion was to host a banquet for the only immortal master in the village, Fang Shouzhuo.

The two were truly kindred spirits. They had shared a drink together at Zhou Xingyao's wedding, and their relationship became close from there.

Now, with the Xu family's backing, the Zhou family has accumulated a lot of money and has also set about making a living as merchants. They collect the clothes and straw sandals woven by some women in Qingping Mountain Village and send them to Chama Town to sell. Every now and then, they can make a profit.

Their lives were also extremely comfortable.

With their relationship with Fang Shouzhuo, the Zhou family even thrived in the markets of the common people in Chama Town.

Fang Shouzhou entered the Zhou residence, and the Zhou family head came out from the main hall to greet him, saying, "Would you like to play chess or drink wine today, Immortal Master?"

"Come on, all of you, let's kill you to our hearts' content today!"

"Although your cultivation is high, you also enjoy spouting nonsense. If I don't carry you back today, I'm not a Zhou!"

"Haha, you old rascal, come quick!"

…………

After Lin Wan brought Xu Guanyi over, she suddenly received a message from the sect, arranging a time to pick him up. She left that day as well.

As evening approached, Xu Wanghe and Xu Guanyi returned home.

The two of them, along with the plant grower, planted all the seedlings they had bought that day. Xu Wanghe then personally oversaw the application of the Green Wood Powder, and only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.

Back home, after dinner, he instructed Xu Jingtao to go to his room to cultivate.

Li Rongping rested in the main hall.

Xu Wanghe then went down into the dark room with Xu Guanyi.

The dark room was incredibly warm.

The firewall was kept burning by Li Rongping all day long, and Zhou Xingyao, who was now pregnant, was being taken even closer care of.

Seeing the smiles on her father's and Guan Yi's faces, Xu Changle reached out and took her father's coat, asking:

"The pills have been sold?"

"Brother, they're all sold! A total of seven hundred mid-grade spirit stones!" Xu Guanyi excitedly took out his storage bag from his pocket and poured out the spirit stones.

It was the first time any of them had ever seen so many spirit stones, and they couldn't help but get excited.

Xu Guanyi then took out over a hundred spirit seedlings from his storage bag and handed them to Xu Changle, saying, "Brother, you need to plant these. After the harvest, your sister-in-law can refine them into pills."

Xu Changle smiled and took it, pointing to the corner of the wall and saying, "There are still a dozen or so plants that have grown out. Why don't we refine them into pills and Guan Yi take them back for your cultivation?"

As the group was talking, a voice came from the entrance to the dark room.

"I see. I wonder what treasure your family acquired that enabled you to cultivate such a spiritual seedling!"

Xu Wanghe suddenly stood up, looking at the entrance with a shocked expression.

Xu Guanyi casually took out a long sword from his storage bag.

Xu Changle protected Zhou Xingyao, his eyes also fixed intently on the entrance to the dark room.

A middle-aged Taoist priest dressed in plain-colored robes and sporting a goatee slowly walked down.