After performing the hand seal, Li Tongya observed the heavy spirit rain nourishing the dark soil.
His face, however, betrayed a hint of exhaustion as he reflected, This spirit plant cultivation, particularly the Spirit Rain spell, is especially taxing. I could barely manage to release it one time after condensing the Radiant Lure Chakra. On top of that, these spirit plants need daily care... We definitely need more hands on this.
Li Xiangping and Li Tongya had surveyed the spirit fields of the villages and found them disappointingly scarce. The largest plot in Lijing Village could hold only ten White Essence Fruits.
Therefore, Li Tongya set up a small courtyard on this once-barren land at the foot of the mountain. He would usually cultivate and look after the field here, and supplies were regularly delivered to him, so it was a rather comfortable setup.
Li Xiangping chose a field in Jingyang Village and sowed Spirit Paddies there. The act drew the local villagers to gather outside his courtyard every day, praying in reverence, which was an amusingly peculiar sight.
Since he had not yet mastered the Celestial Whirl Chakra, Li Tongya spent nearly an hour in meditation to replenish his mana. When he finally opened his eyes, he realized Li Yesheng had been waiting outside with his men for quite some time.
As the wooden door creaked open, Li Yesheng quickly bowed in greeting. “All the young ones from the villages have arrived. Is Brother Tongya ready to leave now?”
“Yes,” Li Tongya replied softly as he walked toward the village head, accompanied by the respectful smiles of Li Yesheng and his men.
————
Beneath the huge acacia tree at the village entrance, a crowd had formed. Representatives from various villages, accompanied by the respective person in charge appointed by the Li Family, guided a diverse group of children from their respective villages.
The appointed leaders appeared at ease, conversing quietly under the tree. In contrast, the villagers from outside stood in anxious silence, too tense and intimidated to speak. The children, sensing the mood, sat obediently on the ground.
Chen Erniu was recently swelling with pride over his accomplishments, experiencing nights filled with joyous wakefulness. The ancestors of his family must have worked tirelessly in their graves for countless years, and now, at long last, he was witnessing a significant turn for the better in his life.
Upon learning he was to manage Lichuankou Village, Chen Erniu expressed his gratitude by kneeling and bowing deeply nine times before the Li Residence.
He tearfully pledged to Old Master Li, “I, Erniu, swear to diligently manage Lichuankou Village and never betray Old Master Li’s trust.”
Chen Erniu's life had been significantly shaped by the generosity of the Li Family. From the assistance he received as a refugee to the opportunities that led to his marriage and acquisition of land, and even the medical care provided for his wife, all these acts of kindness have deeply ingratiated him to the Li family's cause.
Besides, Erniu was also known to be a man motivated by prospects and rewards. He was willing to go to great lengths for gain, even if it meant eating dog shit!
However, his relationship with Xu Wenshan, another tenant, had always been fraught with tension. This animosity had often caused friction between their villages.
Only Ren Ping’an seemed unbothered by these petty squabbles, choosing instead to concentrate solely on the affairs of his own village.
“Manager Chen...” A voice interrupted Chen Erniu’s thoughts.
Turning his head around, he recognized the person as Chen Zhanghu, another villager from Lichuankou Village.
Lichuankou Village was predominantly inhabited by members of the Chen Family, and Chen Zhanghu, as the family’s eldest, held considerable respect in the village. It was his reputation that led the crowd to unanimously recommend him as their representative.
Gazing toward the village entrance with an anxious expression, the usually composed and dignified elder asked in a hushed tone, “Will this immortal cultivator from the Li Family truly consider accepting children from our Chen Family?”
“All they need to have is immortal destiny! Any children between the ages of seven and thirteen from your Chen Family who possess a spiritual orifice will be accepted by the Li Family!” Chen Erniu assured.
Observing Chen Zhanghu’s repeated nods of understanding, Chen Erniu could not help but feel a twinge of envy. Inwardly, he lamented that his own children were either too old to seize this chance or too young to be eligible for testing.
“The immortals are here!” Chen Erniu announced as he spotted Li Tongya at the village entrance.
He quickly approached with a welcoming smile, all the while thinking, I wonder which of these village children will be lucky enough to be chosen today.
Li Tongya cupped his fist and gave Chen Erniu a smile before turning to Li Yesheng and instructing, “Let’s begin.”
A wooden platform had been set up beside the acacia tree. Li Tongya took his seat on top of it, and those working below the platform began to call out names.
“Lichuankou Village, Chen Lifu!”
A child from the Chen Family, visibly nervous, was brought forward. Li Tongya placed his hand on the child’s shoulder and channeled his mana.
After his mana quickly coursed through the child’s body for a round, he waved dismissively and said, “You may step down.”
The child and his escort quickly left the platform without saying a word, while a flicker of disappointment crossed Chen Zhanghu’s face below the platform.
“Next!”
————
Not long after, everyone from Lichuankou Village was dismissed. Chen Zhanghu’s face fell, and he cast a pleading look at Chen Erniu.
Chen Erniu could only roll his eyes and raise his hands, conveying that there was nothing else he could do about the situation.
Despite the coolness of the late fall noon, the villagers, gathered in large numbers under the tree, were visibly sweating with nervous anticipation.
Seeing that no one from Lichuankou Village was chosen, they grew increasingly anxious.
Li Tongya, however, seemed unfazed by this outcome. Being able to find a child with a spiritual orifice was rare, so finding even one child from all these villages would be considered a success, and finding two would be an even greater achievement.
“Jingyang Village, Liu Rouxuan!”
As soon as the name was called, a girl who was around thirteen or fourteen years of age stood up, biting her lips nervously. She had beautiful eyebrows and expressive eyes.
She was fourteen years old, a year above the oldest age they could accept. Li Tongya shook his head, but let it slide and proceeded with the test. He placed his left hand on her shoulder and channeled his mana.
As soon as his mana coursed through the girl’s meridian for one round, Li Tongya uttered a surprised noise. The Liu Family of Jingyang Village, who had been watching tensely below the platform, now held their breath in anticipation.
To Li Tongya’s surprise, he discovered that qi was actively flowing in the girl’s Qihai acupoint. A qi orifice there pulsated rhythmically, almost as if it was breathing on its own.
“Not bad.” Li Tongya opened his eyes.
He smiled at the girl and instructed gently, “Stand behind me.”
Liu Rouxuan stared at Li Tongya’s eyes in a daze, seemingly stunned by the unexpected good news. It took her a few moments to process it, then with a beaming face, she moved to stand behind Li Tongya.
The crowd from Jingyang Village erupted into subdued cheers, careful not to disturb Li Tongya. Meanwhile, a somber air settled over Lichuankou Village, and the remaining villages’ apprehension deepened.
Shortly after, Jingyang Village and Lidaokou Village completed their tests too. As expected, no other children with a spiritual orifice were found.
“Lijing Village!” Li Tongya announced, his gaze sweeping over the children who were gathered below the stage.
It went without saying that Li Xuanxuan was not present. The child was only three years old, so his body was too underdeveloped to be tested for a spiritual orifice. Only children of at least seven years of age could be tested for one.
As the children of the local village’s turn came, Li Yesheng began calling out their names with his eyebrows raised.
If only Brother Tongya hadn’t already assessed me previously, I’d be up there trying my luck too, he thought resentfully while announcing the names loudly.
“Ye Qiuyang!” he called.
At the mention of the name, Ye Chengfu, standing below the platform, tensed up. His legs nearly gave out as he watched his eight or nine-year-old child on the platform intently.
In his heart, he kept reassuring himself, Our Ye Family has always been a branch of the Li Family. Surely, there’s a chance for immortal destiny among us...
Watching Li Tongya place his hand on Ye Qiuyang’s shoulder, Ye Chengfu, overwhelmed with anticipation, closed his eyes and sat down abruptly on the sandy ground, waiting in anxious silence.