Not far away, the Immortal Master had already retracted the array and then looked at Qi Chuan and the other seven, his gaze indistinctly mingling with joy or regret.
Speaking of poor outcomes, this year's Spirit Testing in White Stone Town surprisingly produced seven Immortal Seeds, which is quite a good ratio, a rarity compared to previous years.
Speaking of good outcomes, all were Lower Ninth Grade Spirit Roots, with only one Lower Eighth Grade Spirit Root.
It is said that those with influence in the family secretly tested the Spirit Roots for their younger generations years ago and brought those with Spirit Roots to the main vein in the valley for cultivation.
Some show extraordinary potential in their youth, showing a high probability of having Spirit Roots, reported early for Spirit Testing.
Yet, ultimately, it is still too poor, not even one with Lower Seventh Grade.
I'm afraid these people have little hope of cultivating to the Middle and Late Stage of Qi Refining?
...
After the Spirit Testing, the Immortal Master from the Qi Family gave the Immortal Seeds some time to settle mundane affairs before taking them to the main vein for cultivation.
Qi Li, Qi Fire, and others were conversing with their families.
Qi Chuan, born and raised in White Stone Town, naturally had relatives too.
Waiting for the Golden Finger to be fully loaded takes a little time, so Qi Chuan walked in the direction away from the crowd of mortals and soon saw a middle-aged couple in fine clothes at the square's edge.
"Uncle, Aunt." Qi Chuan spoke softly, his face gentle.
The year Qi Chuan was born, White Stone Town suffered an invasion of Demon Beasts, causing considerable casualties, including the death of his parents, leaving him the sole survivor.
Fortunately, he had his uncle and aunt, who pitied his youth and raised him as their own until the age of ten, to this day.
"Good, good, Ah Chuan is promising, now an Immortal Master, so from now on, cultivate well within the valley and don't worry about us," said the aunt.
Despite her youthful appearance, there were a few faint wrinkles near her eyes, giving her a kind and gentle aura, which indeed matched her behavior; she had always been kind and caring towards Qi Chuan.
She reached out to tidy Qi Chuan's collar and cuffs, satisfaction and joy apparent in her eyes, with a trace of reluctance hidden deep within.
"What your aunt said is right."
The uncle's hair was still thick, his attire clean and neat, as he was still in his prime, feeling somewhat exuberant: "Our family has finally produced an Immortal Master; the higher your cultivation, the better we'll live. If you reach the Qi Refining Late Stage, having three or four concubines would be no problem for me."
"Qi Yue, what did you just say?" Upon hearing this, the aunt smiled at the uncle.
"What I mean is, Ah Chuan, I have a letter here, remember to give it to your second grandpa once you enter the valley." The uncle shivered slightly as he quickly changed the subject, taking out a letter prepared earlier.
Of course, if Qi Chuan hadn't tested for Spirit Roots today, he naturally wouldn't have taken it out.
"A letter for my second grandpa?"
Qi Chuan was accustomed to his uncle's antics, ignoring them while feeling curious about the letter, which he took and looked at.
He knew he had a second grandpa who was a cultivator.
The second grandpa, his late grandfather's brother.
Qi Chuan's grandfather had only two sons.
After Qi Chuan's father passed away, the uncle, without brothers, still managed to live reasonably well in White Stone Town, partly because of the second grandpa's deterrent force.
However, Qi Chuan had heard that his second grandpa wasn't doing well in the main vein, his cultivation not very high, though he wasn't sure if it was true.
"That's right, your second grandpa entered the valley decades ago and is a genuine seasoned Immortal Master. By now, he's likely at the Qi Refining Late Stage. This letter should help you establish contact with him; being kin will surely help greatly."
The uncle nodded emphatically.
Qi Chuan believed his teasing.
Yet, during the early stage of cultivation immortality, having an elder to look after him was far better than being alone.
He couldn't help but wonder what realm his second grandpa might be in.
The three talked a while longer, addressing a few things as the given time from the Qi Family's Immortal Master was short, eventually leading to their separation.
"Aunt, take care, I will occasionally come down the mountain to see you."
"Uncle, have more children. If they have Spirit Roots, let them come to the main vein; they can always find me."
"I'm leaving."
Qi Chuan put away the letter, waved, and bid farewell to the couple before turning and walking away.
"This farewell marks a parting of the immortal and the mortal."
The uncle watched Qi Chuan's departing figure, his gaze painfully sorrowful as he sighed.
"Indeed..."
The aunt, upon hearing these words, couldn't help but feel a surge of unexplainable sadness, though he was her elder brother's son, she had raised him for ten years.
With this departure, the number of future meetings could probably be counted on one hand.
Thinking of this, her eyes unwittingly misted with tears.
The sadness enveloped her heart, leaving no room for other thoughts.
The uncle, seeing this, embraced her, his gaze lingering in the distance, sighing deeply.
...
A sword light rose from the square, leaving White Stone Town, heading deep into Red Maple Valley.
Above the sword light, the Immortal Seeds were excited, their eyes a mix of curiosity and a hint of fear.
The breeze passing by, the scenery below gradually receded; Qi Chuan tapped the iron-colored flying sword beneath his feet, feeling its hard, reassuring texture.
"Is this the legendary flying sword that slays enemies from a thousand miles away? Seems a bit different..."
Such powerful objects like the flying sword are perhaps hard for normal Qi Refining cultivators to possess.
It might just be a normal flying magical artifact, merely resembling a flying sword...
[Hundredfold Critical Strike Loading: 81%]
Then, Qi Chuan focused his mind, and a line of text appeared before him, something he discovered not long ago; he could hide the text according to his thoughts.
It was quite convenient.
"Pretty quick, over 80% already."
Qi Chuan nodded slightly, his mind stirred, and the text slowly disappeared.
Subsequently, Qi Chuan turned his head to look at the Immortal Master standing at the front end of the flying sword, arms behind his back, his robe fluttering, stirring Qi Chuan's heart.
"Immortal Master!" Qi Chuan quickly saluted and spoke.
"What is it?" The robe-clad Immortal Master turned, his demeanor calm, displaying a unique charisma.
"I have a family letter here; may I ask you to deliver it to my second grandpa? I would be most grateful," Qi Chuan handed over the letter.
"Your second grandpa is also a cultivator in the family? What is his name?" The Immortal Master accepted the letter indifferently, asking casually.
"Qi Baicang," Qi Chuan replied, knowing his second grandpa's name.
"I see."
The Immortal Master, upon hearing this, recalled that the Qi family had slightly over a hundred cultivators, all familiar with each other.
Although he didn't have much deep connection with Qi Baicang, this small matter warranted a nod of agreement: "I will deliver it to him."
"Thank you, Immortal Master. Do you know the situation of my second grandpa?" Qi Chuan was intrigued as he knew little about his second grandpa.
"Your second grandpa sustained an injury early on, currently still a Peak of Qi Refining Third Layer Cultivator," the Immortal Master replied.
Qi Refining has ten layers; the Qi Refining Third Layer is still in the early stage.
"Uh... I see, thank you, Immortal Master, for the information."
Qi Chuan was at a loss for words.
Turns out the second grandpa, whom his uncle always boasted about, was only at the Qi Refining Third Layer.
Seems relying on the second grandpa wouldn't work; achieving longevity would depend on his own efforts.
The sword glided, entering deep into Red Maple Valley, soon landing atop a peak of picturesque scenery.
Qi Chuan and others now stood outside a towering hall, looking up at the plaque with the large characters "Inheritance Hall," feeling the air since entering this peak become exceptionally fresh.
Possibly, this is due to Spiritual Qi.
Qi Chuan thought in his heart.
Then, under the guidance of the Immortal Master, the seven entered the hall and met the hair-whitened Preaching Elder of the Qi Family.
Here, there were also several other youths, likely Immortal Seeds found from other mortal towns, though their Spirit Roots were unknown.
Could they all be Lower Ninth Grade Spirit Roots?
"Very good, very good, such fine Immortal Seeds; we elder folk will eventually pass, but the future prosperity of the Qi Family relies on you,"
"This year, be it the ratio or the number of Immortal Seeds, is very remarkable. It seems the Qi Family's fortune is rising,"
The Preaching Elder stroked his beard, squinting in a friendly smile.
The Preaching Elder was reportedly a high tier cultivator at the Qi Refining Late Stage and among the highest-ranking of the elders in the Qi Family.
Being valued and encouraged by such a powerful figure made Qi Li, Qi Fire and other Immortal Seeds' blood boil, silently vowing to achieve cultivation success and revitalize the family.
[Hundredfold Critical Strike Loading: 99%]
Meanwhile, Qi Chuan was staring at the text before him, quietly waiting for the arrival of the Golden Finger.