Earlier, all the elders tested had either lower or middle-grade talents. No one expected that the very first child up for testing would surprise Chen Xiao.
He couldn't help but ask Xi Yunqing, "How's that kind of talent?"
Xi Yunqing's lips curved faintly as he replied, "So long as he's not exceptionally dim-witted, he could be accepted into the Chongxuan Sect."
Chen Xiao drew in a breath. To qualify for the Chongxuan Sect, that meant the child was truly gifted. Back in Fan Village, even out of the ten youths selected for the final trial, only five had been approved after their aptitude was evaluated.
Behind him, Tong Nuonuo nodded repeatedly. "The Chongxuan Sect is a prestigious sect, one of the top Immortal sects. Naturally, their entry requirements are high. The baseline is upper-grade talent. For most other sects, middle-grade is enough. If someone with upper-grade talent joined a lesser sect, they could easily be an inner disciple or even a direct heir to a legacy."
It was only now that Tong Nuonuo realized Xi Yunqing belonged to the Chongxuan Sect.
Chen Xiao finally understood: upper-grade talent was the dividing line, like the cut-off score for a top-tier university. Middle-grade talent could still get one into college, just not the elite ones.
Their brief conversation delayed things a little, and the boy who had just been tested, Ah Shou, had been waiting quietly by the table. Seeing no one respond to his result and not knowing what to do, his clear grape-like eyes began to well with tears as he looked anxiously at Chen Xiao.
Chen Xiao's heart softened. He smiled gently and said, "It's okay, Ah Shou. Your talent is excellent! Really amazing!"
Ah Shou finally broke into a grin, revealing a dark gap where he'd lost a front tooth. Mid-laugh, he suddenly remembered the missing tooth and quickly clapped a hand over his mouth.
Chen Xiao realized the boy must be at the age where kids started losing teeth, no wonder he was so shy. Not wanting to embarrass him, Chen Xiao held back his laughter and said kindly, "Go find your parents and tell them the good news."
Ah Shou nodded obediently, then turned and ran off the platform into the waiting arms of his parents.
Watching their joyful reunion, Chen Xiao couldn't help feeling a little envious. As he turned his gaze back, the second child had already stepped up. Another boy, a bit older than Ah Shou, perhaps eight or nine years old, approached the table briskly. Without waiting to be asked, he clasped his hands behind his back and spoke in a practiced tone, "My name is Aqin, and I'm eight years old."
Xi Yunqing maintained his usual cold demeanor. He gave a slight nod and gestured toward the testing instrument. Aqin swallowed nervously, wiped his palms on his sides, and pressed a hand onto the artifact.
Within moments, the edge of the artifact lit up. Chen Xiao observed carefully, four colors emerged, three soft and gentle, with one bright and vivid hue.
Aqin seemed fascinated, staring curiously at the lights. However, he'd clearly been instructed on proper conduct, despite his curiosity, he stood still and well-behaved.
As before, Xi Yunqing gave a calm evaluation. "Four-root constitution. Upper grade. Affinities: water, wood, wind, and earth."
The sequence of elements differed slightly from the previous child's result. Chen Xiao paused for a moment but didn't question it, he just wrote it down as it was.
Hearing that he too was upper grade, Aqin beamed with delight. He respectfully bowed to those seated on the platform, then dashed off quickly. As he ran back to his parents, they all heard his excited cry, "Mom, Dad, I'm upper grade!"
His high-pitched little voice nearly cracked with joy.
Chen Xiao couldn't help chuckling. The elderly group from earlier had simply wanted answers and, though pleased with their results, their joy had been tempered by age. These children, on the other hand, were like lively little chicks. No matter how hard they tried to stay composed, their energy burst through in chirpy excitement.
Two upper-grade talents in a row, Chen Xiao's earlier prediction seemed likely to come true. Even Xi Yunqing's attitude turned a shade more serious.
Because his presence was so commanding, the children following behind became even more obedient. They followed instructions exactly, reporting their names and ages, undergoing testing, waiting for Chen Xiao to record the results, then dashing off to their families. Only once reunited with their loved ones would they finally relax and burst into laughter.
This age group, as Chen Xiao had learned earlier, included exactly forty children. Of them, about eighty percent could cultivate, the remaining twenty percent could not. Among those tested, eight children pressed their palms onto the device, tried with all their might, faces flushed and foreheads sweaty, but the artifact didn't respond at all.
Despite his sympathy, Chen Xiao could only ask the assisting villagers to gently escort the disheartened children off the stage. Though they might have suspected they lacked spiritual roots, they had still clung to a sliver of hope. Now that hope was gone, several began to sob the moment they stepped off the platform.
Some rejoiced, some despaired. There was nothing Chen Xiao could do. Xi Yunqing, who had seen much in his lifetime, remained unmoved. Tong Nuonuo and Du Rong, both cultivators, struggled to grasp the weight of such disappointment, but even they were touched by the atmosphere and fell silent for a while.
Amid the quiet sobs, occasional bursts of small cheers rang out. Among the thirty-two children who showed talent, exactly twenty-one possessed upper-grade or higher roots, just as Chen Xiao had predicted. Of those, sixteen were upper-grade, and five were even above that, classified as "superior."
Even the always-stoic Xi Yunqing, who had worn a mask of indifference all morning, was visibly moved by the numbers.
Having verified the effect of feng shui on the village, Chen Xiao couldn't help but break into a joyful smile. With a serious expression, Xi Yunqing called for the village chief, and the spiritual root tests were set to begin for the village's elderly, aged fifty-one to sixty-nine.
In this world, it's common for ordinary families to have grandparents in their forties. However, among cultivators, those in their forties are considered to be in their prime. Many cultivators at this age even remain single to preserve their vitality. They only consider marriage and having children in their fifties. As a result, the village has a wide age range for marriages, with even a thirty-year gap between generations.
The elderly in this group represented the second generation of those who settled in the village. Their spiritual roots weren't as strong as the first generation, but they were notably stronger than the fourth. Most of them had middle or lower-grade roots, though there were a few with top-tier roots.
The last group to go up was the young and middle-aged adults, who made up the majority of the village's population. Several people had been busy all day, working tirelessly until the sky began to darken, finally completing the tests for everyone.
The final results were quite pleasing across all age groups in Changjia Village, there were forty-three individuals with top-tier spiritual roots, six of whom had superior-grade roots.
After sitting for the whole day, Chen Xiao's body had become stiff, and he stretched with a yawn. At that moment, Ah Shou arrived, bringing with him several women carrying steaming, fragrant dishes.
Torches were lit on either side of the stage, illuminating the increasingly dark surroundings. In the bright light, Chen Xiao and the others saw that the dishes before them were incredibly abundant. There were dishes made from flying creatures, aquatic life, and even rare wild mushrooms that had been stewed into a whole pot. This feast was made with the best ingredients from every household in the village.
The village chief moved a chair and invited the four to sit. Although he wanted to sit at the end out of respect, he knew his status was too low. Instead, he asked Ah Shou to serve the meal, only raising his glass in a deep gesture of thanks to Xi Yunqing and the others for their hard work. Then he left the stage to return home and celebrate with his family. That day, apart from two people, everyone in his family was found to have spiritual roots, and one of them had superior roots.
Since Ah Shou was most familiar with these people, he was less formal now. He uncorked a jar of white wine with a cheerful laugh. "This wine is made from grains, and it's only brought out for major events in the village. It's incredibly smooth and delicious! Please, try some, my honored guests! You've worked hard today, this bowl is for you!"
The village chief had earlier brought wine cups, but Ah Shou dismissed them, instead using a regular meal bowl for the wine. Both Tong Nuonuo and Chen Xiao had rarely drunk alcohol, and with only a few cups at social events, their tolerance wasn't great. After just one bowl, they both felt they could lie down.
Suddenly, Chen Xiao had a thought. He looked up and asked, "Hey, Ah Shou, what's your spiritual root? I don't remember if you've been tested yet."
Ah Shou froze, then quickly placed the wine bowl down, smacking his head in realization. "Ah, I forgot! The village chief had me run errands, and I never got my spiritual root tested!" His voice rose in panic as he stood up hastily.
He had arrived early but ended up last in the queue. By the time his turn came, everyone was eager to finish so they could get home for dinner, take care of children, or do other chores. When Ah Shou arrived at the front, the others had urged him to go ahead since the immortal masters stayed at his house and ate there every day. There was no rush; they could test him at any time. Eventually, he was pushed to the end.
When only twenty to thirty people were left, the village chief called him out of the line, instructing him to attend to the honored guests. Then the women began preparing dishes and asked him to come taste them and ensure they were to the masters' liking.
Being chosen to host guests for the village was a matter of great pride for Ah Shou. It was his first time being so honored, and he was thrilled, accepting the task without hesitation.
However, when he returned with the dishes, the testing had already wrapped up. He had been so busy preparing for the feast, helping the village chief, that he completely forgot about his own test!
Embarrassed, Ah Shou recounted the situation, causing everyone to laugh. Even Xi Yunqing couldn't help but smile at Ah Shou's forlorn expression. He spoke kindly, "It's not difficult. We can test you now."
Chen Xiao also smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry. We'll make sure to register you; nothing will be left out."
Xi Yunqing retrieved the spiritual root-testing device from the table, setting it down at the corner. Ah Shou was both excited and awkward, rubbing his hands as he apologized and thanked them repeatedly. Du Rong teased, "Stop stalling, hurry up! Once we get the result, we can finally eat!"
Ah Shou gave a sheepish grin, then, with a serious expression, placed his hand on the device. In an instant, the edges of the device lit up with a dazzling azure light that flashed brightly before everyone's eyes!