Cultivating a family of immortals

"Father is right. If this formation is set up in a dark room, no one will be able to detect any movement inside."

Xu Changle said with a smile.

A moment later, Xu Guanyi arranged the spirit stones in the entire dark room according to the formation description, and then activated it by chanting incantations.

The formation absorbed the spiritual energy from the spirit stones, slowly transforming into a circular light shield that enveloped the dark room.

"This is the same formation that the Taoist priest used before. It's really powerful," Xu Guanyi exclaimed.

Xu Wanghe nodded and asked, "Bring Jingheng down. He'll be three years old soon. Let's see if we can test his spiritual root so we can make plans in advance."

As he spoke, he looked at Xu Changle and nodded.

Xu Changle then smiled and said to Zhou Xingyao:

"Xingyao, let me tell you the secret of the Xu family."

He took the small green bottle out of his pocket and said, "Why can my father and mother both cultivate immortality? And why did you suddenly develop spiritual roots? I lied to you before, saying that you only developed spiritual roots after you turned ten, but actually I secretly gave you this stuff."

Zhou Xingyao's eyes widened. "Brother Le, are you saying that anyone who takes this will develop spiritual roots?"

"That's right." Xu Changle nodded, his tone extremely solemn. "If anyone else finds out about this thing, it will be the death of my Xu family. Keep it to yourself and never tell anyone, including your family."

Zhou Xingyao nodded heavily.

After a short while, Li Rongping carried Xu Jingheng down.

With blurry eyes, he called out to Xu Changle, "Father."

Xu Changle smiled and said, "Good boy/girl."

He took it and placed Xu Jingheng's small hand on the spirit-testing plate. After waiting for a moment, the plate did not react.

"Perhaps he's not old enough; he's still a few months away from being eligible."

"After we determine the number of spiritual roots, if it is three or more, we will select a child from the village to impersonate Jing Heng and take him to the Immortal Sect for testing. If it is four or five spiritual roots, there is no need to worry."

Xu Wanghe said.

Xu Guanyi was puzzled. "Father, if one has three spiritual roots, joining a celestial sect is not impossible. Why are you doing this?"

Xu Wanghe reached out and touched the young boy, who was almost as tall as him, and said with a smile:

"Nothing is better outside than home. If war breaks out, you will be by my side, and I will have someone to take care of you. Even if I die, I will make sure you live. But outside, you have to carry out the sect's orders. If they tell you to die, you have no choice but to die."

"Although our Xu family benefited from the Haoran Immortal Sect, Jing Lei, that child... also died in the last great battle."

"When Jingheng grows up, I will watch over him day and night, and I will do the same when Xingyao's child is born."

………………

Qingxi County is located north of Mohe County.

Unlike Mohe County, this place doesn't experience heavy snow all year round.

However, the four seasons are not distinct enough; after spring, it seems that winter arrives immediately.

There are also two major sects in Qingxi County.

One of the sects is called the Xuan Yuan Immortal Sect.

Xuanhezi was a steward from this sect.

Unlike the Haoran Immortal Sect and the Chaoyang Immortal Sect, the Xuanyuan Sect occupies a region and wields immense power, all because one of its Supreme Elders is a Purple Mansion cultivator.

There is only one Purple Mansion cultivator in the entire Changkong Immortal Continent.

The two major immortal sects in Mohe County naturally dared not provoke this sect easily, and even had to obey its orders.

At this moment, in a pavilion in the Xuan Yuan Immortal Sect mountain, a young man stood with his hands behind his back, swaying his head as he read a storybook.

The boy was about sixteen or seventeen years old. He had never tied his hair up, but loosely tied half of his dark hair with a white jade hairpin, with the rest of his hair hanging down over his shoulders. He looked quite dashing.

He was dressed in moon-white silk robes inlaid with silver patterns, and held a book in his hand, making him look like a young scholar.

Upon reading the passage about being moved, the young man sighed.

Just then, a girl dressed in a green gauze dress rushed in and shouted:

"Young Master Xuan, something terrible has happened! The jade token of the steward who was sent out to discuss matters with the Chaoyang Sect a few days ago has shattered!"

The boy's name was Xuan Yebai, and he was the young master of the Xuan Yuan Immortal Sect.

He was taken aback by what he heard, turned around, and asked incredulously:

"How could he be dead?"

"This servant does not know either. Just now, the steward of the Xuanming Division came to ask me to inform the young master."

Xuan Yebai pondered for a moment, then smiled and said:

"Perhaps those two sects have been causing trouble lately, and they've actually turned against our people. How interesting."

"Green Bamboo, go and convey my order: summon my Third Martial Uncle to accompany me."

Green Bamboo nodded emphatically.

An hour later, three people descended from the mountains of Xuan Yuan Immortal Sect.

The leader, Xuan Yebai, stood with his hands behind his back, admiring the trees and plants along the way, occasionally reciting a poem, completely at ease.

Behind him followed a maid named Green Bamboo, and an elderly man with a full head of white hair and a face full of wrinkles.

The old man was not fond of talking and calmly followed Xuan Yebai.

The journey from the foot of the mountain to Qingxi County could be completed in a short time by cultivators using spiritual boats or flying on swords.

But the three of them walked for a full four hours.

"This investigation is secondary; the main focus is on enjoying the scenery. After all, one should seize the day and enjoy life to the fullest!" Xuan Yebai smiled as he looked at the sullen little maid beside him, then at the old man. "Uncle-Master Qingya, do you think what I said is right?"

The third uncle, Xuan Qingya, nodded calmly, "What the young master said is absolutely right."

"Haha, that's good. Hurry up and go, don't miss the fireworks in Qingxi County today."

Xuan Yebai said this, but his feet didn't quicken at all.

Green Bamboo suddenly stopped, then realized and said, "Young Master, so you were going to see the fireworks of mortals, that's why you were walking so slowly."

"Little Green Bamboo, you're only just noticing?"

The three of them gradually descended the mountainside shrouded in a thin mist.

Today marks the turn of the year, and fireworks are being set off everywhere in the mortal world to celebrate the auspiciousness of the new year.

After coming down from the foot of the mountain, it's about ten miles to reach Qingxi County.

Coincidentally, the journey to Mohe County inevitably involves passing through Qingxi County.

Xuan Yebai's calculations were extremely accurate, and he raised a smug look between his eyebrows.

After emerging from a pine forest, the view suddenly opened up, revealing the main road ahead. Along the roadside, on the ridges of the fields, farmers carrying hoes were heading home when they suddenly saw three people emerge from the pine forest. Upon closer inspection, they were startled, then overjoyed, dropped their hoes, and knelt down on the ground.

"I pay my respects to the Immortal Master and pray for your blessing so that my family may have a peaceful and prosperous New Year."

Xuan Yebai stopped on the official road, closed his eyes, and seemed to be able to hear the barking of dogs in the distance, and smell the smoke from cooking fires in his nostrils.

"The mortal world is full of troubles, and the immortal master dislikes solitude, haha!"

Xuan Yebai recited two lines of poetry, glanced back at the farmer, and with a smile, tossed a pill in front of him.

"It is fate that I give you a pill. Break it open and dissolve it in a bucket of water. Anyone who drinks this water will gain five years of lifespan."

Xuan Yebai's words struck the old farmer like a thunderclap, and the old farmer excitedly kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude.

Green Bamboo said with heartache, "Young Master, that was a mid-grade Qi Condensation Pill! You just gave it away like that?"

"What are you saying? I was in a wonderful mood when I came down the mountain. That old farmer was very perceptive and flattered me, which made me even happier. Giving him a pill in exchange for my clear mind is nothing to be ashamed of."

Green Bamboo sighed and said, "Young Master...you really are..."

"Huh? What's wrong with me?"

"It's nothing..."

"Speak up, or you'll get a beating!"

As the two were talking, they heard their Uncle-Master Xuan Qingya, who was following behind them, stop walking.

Xuan Yebai stopped helplessly and turned around to look at a woman who was silently following by the side of the road, holding a young child in her arms.

"You and your son have been following us since before we left the pine forest. What is your intention?"

The woman hugged her child tightly and immediately kowtowed, saying, "Immortal Master, my son has developed spiritual roots. I beg you to take him into your immortal sect!"

"Spiritual root? What's this child called?"

"Ma Xiaoman!"