The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

Xu Changqing's gaze swept over the young faces below.

Xu Xining, who was so boisterous yesterday, is now quiet, his lips tightly pursed and his little fists clenched tightly.

Xu Changqing didn't hesitate. He took out a low-grade spirit stone from his sleeve and put it into the groove of the spirit-testing plate.

"Buzz".

Xu Changqing said in a deep voice, "The time has come, let's begin."

Xu Dayou quickly flipped open the roster, cleared his throat, and called out:

"The first one is Xu Xiping!"

A chubby little boy with a runny nose was pushed out by his mother.

The chubby boy was clearly frightened by the scene and walked tremblingly to Xu Changqing.

"Put your hand on it, don't move."

Xu Changqing tried his best to make his tone sound gentle.

The chubby boy pressed his plump little hand onto the plate.

Take a breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths have passed.

The stone slab remained dark and unresponsive.

Xu Dayou, sitting below, sighed and shook his head.

Xu Changqing put away the spirit-testing disc and removed the little fat boy's hand.

"No spiritual root, go down."

Xu Xiping didn't understand what was happening. He only felt his hands were cold, so he pulled them back and tried to run away.

Xu Changqing felt a little heavy-hearted.

Although it was expected, this unfavorable start is still unpleasant.

"Next, Xu Xi'an."

……

"Another one that doesn't respond."

Three children in a row, but the spirit-testing plate didn't react at all.

The atmosphere inside the ancestral hall was oppressive.

The parents of those children who hadn't been tested yet had sweaty palms.

"Next... Xu Xiwen."

Xu Xiwen was a thin boy who didn't talk much and always followed behind Xu Xining.

He stepped forward and, without Xu Changqing's instruction, placed his hand on it himself.

Just when Xu Changqing thought he was going to waste his time again.

On the spirit-testing disc, five extremely faint and impure lights slowly lit up.

Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth.

It has all five colors, but they are all dim and lack luster, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

"It's lit up! It's lit up!"

Xu Dayou slammed his hand on the offering table in excitement.

The crowd below stirred, and Xu Xiwen's parents even knelt down and kowtowed to their ancestors.

Xu Changqing looked at the multicolored light and sighed inwardly.

Five spiritual roots.

This is the worst aptitude in the cultivation world. With such aptitude, the speed of absorbing spiritual energy is slow, and the five elements are mixed, making it very easy to encounter bottlenecks.

Although his talent is mediocre, he still has spiritual roots.

There is hope if you can cultivate immortality!

"Those with five spiritual roots may have mediocre talents, but diligence can make up for shortcomings. Stand on the left."

Xu Changqing pointed to the open space on the left.

With Xu Xiwen's successful start, the atmosphere in the venue finally became more lively.

"Next up, Xu Xiyue."

This is Xu Xining's younger sister, the little girl with pigtails.

The little girl was very brave; she skipped and hopped up and clapped her hands up.

"Buzz!"

This time the commotion is much bigger.

Four beams of light appeared, much brighter than the five beams of light Xu Xiwen had just emitted, and less of the turbidity associated with earth.

"Four spiritual roots! Lacking earth!"

Although having four spiritual roots isn't considered good, it's still a step above having five. As long as one is willing to work hard, even without great opportunities, one can hope to become a backbone of the family after several decades.

Xu Changqing finally managed a smile.

"Good, move to the left."

Next up was another child without spiritual roots.

"Next up, Xu Xining."

Upon hearing his name called, Xu Xining took a deep breath and strode in.

Although he tried his best to act like an adult, his unsteady gait betrayed his panic.

"That kid..."

Xu Dayou touched his forehead with some concern.

Xu Xining walked to the offering table and looked up at Xu Changqing.

Xu Changqing nodded to him.

Xu Xining gritted his teeth and slammed his hand down on the stone slab.

"It must be lit! It must be lit!"

He cried out in his heart.

If he doesn't have spiritual roots, where will he put his face as the "boss"?

Perhaps God heard his mutterings.

After a moment of silence, the stone disc suddenly flickered with several chaotic rays of light.

Red, yellow, blue, and green.

The four colors intertwined, and although the light was faint and even somewhat murky, it was particularly dazzling in this grayness.

"It's lit up! It's lit up!"

"Metal, Wood, Water, Fire—the four spiritual roots!"

Looking at the multicolored lights, Xu Xining felt that they were the most beautiful colors in the world.

He clenched his fist tightly, finally letting out the breath that had been pent up in his chest.

"good!"

A smile also appeared on Xu Changqing's lips.

Xu Xining didn't care about the number of spiritual roots, as long as he could cultivate immortality.

He excitedly kowtowed to Xu Changqing, as if he wanted to tell the whole island that he had spiritual roots.

Of the seven people, three possess spiritual roots.

One has five spiritual roots, and two have four spiritual roots.

Xu Xining dashed to the left and squeezed in with Xu Xiwen and Xu Xiyue.

The three little heads huddled together. Although they didn't quite understand what the four and five spiritual roots meant, they couldn't hide their excitement at "we'll be a team from now on."

Xu Changqing put away the spirit-testing disc, looked at the clansmen below who were experiencing mixed feelings of joy and sorrow, and cleared his throat.

"Today's spirit reading is complete."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a calm and steady quality, suppressing the noise inside the ancestral hall.

"Xu Xiwen, Xu Xiyue, and Xu Xining, all three possess spiritual roots and are hereby declared to be cultivators of the 'Xi' generation of the Xu family."

"Children whose spiritual roots have not been detected should not be discouraged. The family has its own arrangements. Whether they learn martial arts or other skills, as long as they are willing to work hard, they can also become pillars of the Xu family."

These words were just polite formalities; mortals and cultivators are ultimately worlds apart.

The parents of children whose spiritual roots were not detected could not hide their disappointment, even though they forced smiles on their faces. They could only lead their dejected children out in silence.

The ancestral hall's gate slowly closed, shutting out the wind and snow outside, and also shutting out those complicated emotions.

Only Xu Changqing, Xu Dayou, and the three children who had just been given "identities" remained in the room.

"Come here, everyone."

Xu Changqing waved.

The three children immediately stood in a neat row, and even the most lively Xu Xining straightened his back.

Xu Changqing took out the "Qi-inducing powder" he had prepared beforehand from his pocket and placed it on the offering table.

The rows of small white jade bottles gleamed with a warm luster under the candlelight.

The three children's eyes were instantly drawn to it, and their throats involuntarily bobbed.

Although they hadn't started cultivating yet, they knew it was a good thing, the kind of elixir that could turn someone into an immortal.

"This is Qi-regulating powder, one bottle per person."

Xu Changqing picked up the three bottles and handed them to them respectively.

"When using the Qi-guiding technique to sense spiritual energy, remember not to overdo it, otherwise the medicine's potency will be too strong and damage your meridians."