Mortal Transformation into Immortal

"Soaring through the heavens and earth, is this what it feels like to cultivate immortality?"

Gradually getting used to it, Yu Ling excitedly looked around on the crane's back.

They yearned even more for the path to immortality.

In the afternoon, a vast sea of ​​fog appeared ahead.

A crane cried out in the air and flew downwards.

"We're almost there, Little Beetle," Chen Dongting said to him with a smile.

"Immortal Master, is the Immortal Gate inside there?" Yu Ling asked doubtfully. Only a few mountain peaks were visible like islands in the mist, and no Immortal Gate could be seen.

"That's right, this mist is the sect's protective formation, the Cloud-Steaming Great Swamp Formation. If you're not a disciple of our sect, you won't be able to find the entrance at all. Once you go in, you'll just be wandering around in these mountains."

Yu Ling gripped the crane's feathers tightly with both hands.

Before long, the crane flew into the sea of ​​mist, and all that could be seen was a white light.

Yu Ling's eyes stung from the wind, and she just shielded them with her hand when suddenly the bright sunlight shone down on her.

When I opened my eyes again, I found that the crane was still flying in the sky.

The sea of ​​fog has vanished without a trace, leaving only towering mountains.

"Little Ling, this is the Ziyang Immortal Gate, which is about three hundred miles wide," Shui Yao said to him.

"The immortal sects are truly vast."

Yu Ling gazed at the magnificent buildings atop the distant mountain peaks, filled with awe.

"Junior Brother Chen, you've returned from Wudu Sea."

At this moment, two cranes flew closer, and the female disciple in the lead waved to Chen Dongting.

"Senior Sister Zhou."

Chen Dongting and the other two bowed to each other.

"Senior Sister Zhou, is your master in charge of recruiting disciples now?" Chen Dongting asked, looking at the dozen or so children on the backs of the woman's two cranes.

"good."

The two had a very pleasant conversation.

"Immortal Master, are they all here to join the Immortal Sect?" Yu Ling asked Shui Yao in a low voice.

He noticed that most of these children were dressed in fancy clothes and had an air of nobility about them.

Shui Yao nodded and said, "Yes, but unlike you, these children are all born with spiritual bones and are considered immortal beings."

"Born with it."

Yu Ling looked on with envy, envying that they could cultivate immortality without eating insects.

"Little Ling, don't be discouraged. Your mental fortitude is unmatched by them," Shui Yao comforted her.

The crane moved with incredible speed, traversing vast stretches of strange peaks and treacherous ridges before finally landing outside a palace atop a mountain.

"Little cricket, come on, we'll take you to take the entrance test."

"Yes, Immortal Master."

Yu Ling followed the others into the main hall.

Faced with this aura of immortality, I felt extremely nervous and uneasy.

The immortal disciples passing by also looked at them curiously.

Finally, the group went straight to a stone that was ten feet high inside the main hall.

"Greetings, Elder Sun."

Chen Dongting and the other disciples of the immortal sect bowed respectfully to the hunched old man beside them.

Yu Ling and the other children stood behind and followed along.

"Get up, everyone." The old man raised his hand.

Then he said to the children, "Line up and come forward one by one. Place your hands on this stone and see if you have any affinity with my immortal sect."

The crowd immediately lined up.

However, the children around him deliberately kept their distance from Yu Ling, their eyes revealing disdain; his clothes were simply too unsightly.

At the very front of the line was a chubby little boy wearing an embroidered fur coat, who came to the stone.

The stone looked ordinary, covered in moss.

At the top, there was a transparent tree shadow that was half a meter tall.

Although the tree is not tall, its branches and trunk are vigorous, as if it has been there for thousands of years.

The chubby boy took a deep breath and nervously stretched out his little hand.

The stone suddenly emitted a faint light.

"Not bad, a superior mortal-grade spirit bone." The old man nodded silently.

Then a glimmer of light appeared on the tree trunk, eventually reaching a bud on a branch. The light disappeared, and a small leaf slowly grew out.

However, just as it was about to take shape, it suddenly vanished.

The old man felt a pang of regret and said softly, "Go stand on the right first."

"Yes, Immortal Master."

The chubby boy, please stand on the right.

"Next."

This time it was a girl in a yellow dress, breathing rapidly, looking extremely nervous.

"Medium-grade mortal spirit bone, stand on the right."

Several more people went up after that, but none of them managed to make the tree on the stone sprout leaves. Whether they were of inferior or superior mortal spirit bones, they all stood on the right.

"Next."

When it was Yu Ling's turn, a little girl in front of him stepped forward.

"Superior Mortal-grade Spirit Bone"

The old man watched as the light flickered among the shadows of the trees, buds sprouted, and finally, little by little, the leaves took full shape.

"Haha, not bad, not bad, you can be a formal disciple. You stand on the left." The old man smiled with satisfaction.

"Yes, Immortal Master." The girl bowed and then went to stand on the other side.

"I wonder what my spirit bones are like." Yu Ling's heart raced.

"Next."

The old man looked at him.

Yu Ling walked to the stone, held her breath, and placed her right hand on the stone.

It was icy cold, and a chill seeped into my body.

He then felt his entire body bones heating up.

The old man frowned, puzzled. "Strange, it has spirituality, but we can't detect its spirit bone level. Could it be a pseudo-spirit bone?"

Before he could think further, a ray of light appeared in the tree roots and traveled upwards, landing at the top of a small branch.

Yu Ling watched expectantly, hoping to see the elders' reactions; it would be better if the leaves successfully grew.

However, just as the leaves begin to sprout, they disappear, like everyone else.

"Who brought you here?" the old man asked him.

"Elder, it is your disciple."

Chen Dongting stepped forward.

"Did you help him refine the spiritual object?"

The old man frowned. Refining a spiritual object into a pseudo-spiritual bone was a very wasteful act. Usually, only immortals would do this if they had offspring without spiritual bones.

Chen Dongting shook his head: "Elder, he refined it himself. His ancestors received guidance from immortals and accumulated pure spiritual power, so he refined the spiritual object himself. I saw that he was determined to seek immortality, so I brought it back to the sect to try it out."

"The 'spirituality' of a pseudo-spiritual bone is incompatible with the physical body, making it difficult to utilize. The chances of it entering the path of immortality are slim, and it is not suitable for being accepted into an immortal sect," the old man murmured.

Yu Ling's face turned pale instantly. Had all the suffering his grandfather, father, and he had endured over the years been in vain? He was extremely unwilling and knelt on the ground. "Immortal Master, please give me a chance. My family has been seeking immortality for three generations, feeding on hundreds of insects for three generations. It was only with great difficulty that I finally obtained a spiritual bone."

"Please, Immortal Master, have pity on me!" He kowtowed heavily.

He really had no other choice.

"stand up."

The old man immediately reached out and used his spiritual power to support him.

Yu Ling banged his head with great force, and after only two blows, his head was already bleeding profusely. He could only hope that the old man would take pity on him and give him a chance.

"Little cricket!" Everyone around was shocked.

"Elder Sun, this child has been feeding on insects since he was a child, and his body is full of insect energy. The spirit creature just happens to be a spirit insect. I think he has a great chance of embarking on the path to immortality," Chen Dongting pleaded.

Shui Yao said, "Yes, Elder, the price this child paid for the spirit bone was too high."

"What kind of spirit insect is it?" the old man asked.

Hearing that the centipede was about to loosen its grip, Yu Ling quickly held it in her hands: "Immortal Master, it's this one."

"It seems to be a jade-skinned centipede. This kind of ordinary spirit insect wouldn't be worth much in terms of low-grade spirit stones. Even if you absorb its spiritual energy and embark on the path to immortality, you'll only have the aptitude of a low-grade mortal spirit bone. Fine, considering how difficult it is for you to seek immortality, I'll give you a chance." The old man finally nodded.

"Thank you, Immortal Master, thank you, Immortal Master." Yu Ling quickly kowtowed in gratitude.

"Alright, whether you can embark on the path to immortality depends on your own capabilities. Go stand on the right."

Yu Ling happily moved to the right.

"What a scoundrel."

"That's disgusting, three generations have been eating insects."

The children taking the test together whispered among themselves.

"Finally, I can cultivate immortality!" Yu Ling laughed excitedly, ignoring them.

Before long, everyone had finished their tests.

There were seventeen children in total, but only two could stand on the left.

"Take these two to the Elder Hall and accept them as formal disciples," the old man instructed a young man behind him.

"Yes, Master." The young man bowed and then led the two children out.

The old man turned his gaze to the remaining people and said, "Gentlemen, although you have no affinity with my Ziyang Sect, if you are willing to serve as servants within the sect for five years, we can guide you onto the path of immortality."

"Of course, the sect will not provide you with cultivation resources during these five years. The reward for doing menial work for five years is a sensing incantation and a magic technique. How well you can cultivate depends on your own ability. Those who are willing to become menial disciples can stay. Those who are not willing will be sent back by our disciples."

"Immortal Master, I do."

"I'm willing too."

Most of the people were willing to work as menial laborers in the Ziyang Sect for five years in order to learn the incantations and immortal techniques.

"Disciple, if you don't want to, you can send it back," the old man said to the female disciple who brought the child.

"Yes, Master."

The woman led those who did not want to stay away away.

Yu Ling was puzzled as to why some people were unwilling to become immortals.

Little did he know that not all children's parents are ordinary people.

"Since you have chosen to stay, you must abide by the sect's rules. If you violate them, you will be punished, ranging from minor offenses to being sent to the underground to do mining labor, or even losing your lives," the old man instructed the remaining people.

"Alright, this is your reward. Once you get to your lodgings, just place it between your eyebrows." The old man waved his hand gently, and several jade slips flew out, one for each child.

The group then received a token and two gray clothes.

"These are Five Grain Pills, made from five kinds of immortal grains. Eating one pill will keep you from being hungry for several days." The old man then gave each person a bottle of pills.

Everything was arranged, and the old man instructed, "Take them to Jingzhe Peak."

"Yes, ma'am."

Several disciples led the group out.

"Little cricket, I'll take you."

Chen Dongting called him.

"Okay." Yu Ling followed him.