Longevity begins with alchemy master

Scene of the spirit-testing ceremony.

One after another, energetic young men and women filed in from outside, and scattered in twos and threes throughout the square.

However, if you look down at the site, you can clearly see that even among people of the same age, these teenagers have divided into their own small circles.

The most lively group was naturally Zhou Yuhao's circle, while the most prominent was another team consisting of only three people.

In addition, not far away, a large group of boys were also surrounding Zhou Yuqi, trying to curry favor with him.

This might seem out of place.

After all, once someone is found to have spiritual roots, they can embark on the path of cultivation. Their future depends on their personal opportunities and efforts, so there's no need to curry favor with their peers.

Status and fame are utterly useless in the face of absolute power.

But in reality, absolute strength comes from cultivation, and cultivation relies on resources.

These resources include not only spirit stones, pills, and spiritual veins and caves, but also guidance from elders, teachings on cultivation techniques, and so on.

The reason why those three circles are so popular is that they all have a common feature: they all have elder relatives who are at the Golden Core stage.

Furthermore, the family has no shortage of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Zhou Yuhao's grandfather is Zhou Xiaocheng. Behind that small circle of only three people is the head of the Zhou family. The reason why Zhou Yuqi is so popular is also related to his father's recent breakthrough to the Golden Core stage.

If you can please them, and they can detect your spiritual root later, your future cultivation will be much smoother.

Of course, even becoming a lackey is not something just anyone can do.

At least the dozens of mortal offspring sent from Coral Town couldn't even squeeze into the circle; they could only huddle in a corner, watching those people with envy.

suddenly!

A slight disturbance broke out in the room, with people from two of the three circles starting to move.

They were three people from the family head's lineage, and seven or eight cultivators led by Zhou Yuhao. They all rushed towards the entrance to greet the man and woman.

A group of ordinary teenagers from Coral Town were baffled.

"Who are those two people?"

"Why do the descendants of the patriarch and elders all try to curry favor with them?"

"Hiss, could that man be the legendary child prodigy of our Zhou family?"

"You mean Zhou Fuyou, the genius who was intelligent from a young age, well-versed in martial arts and Taoist classics, and was once personally adopted by the family head?"

Regardless of the surprise and curiosity of the teenagers in Coral Town, Zhou Fuyou and his sister were immediately surrounded by their peers as soon as they entered.

"Boss, you're finally here!" Zhou Yuhao waved enthusiastically and greeted him.

Zhou Fuyou glanced at him, said nothing, but nodded.

Zhou Yuhao chuckled, not taking it to heart, and instead greeted the girl next to Zhou Fuyou.

"Sister Mao, you look so beautiful today! Don't you think so?"

The group of teenagers who followed behind shouted in unison, "Beautiful!"

Zhou Qingyu smiled, her eyes crinkling, and said, "Little mouse, you have such a sweet tongue."

Their harmonious relationship makes it impossible to tell that they had verbally abused and physically fought each other just six years ago.

But that's the reality.

Since that incident, Zhou Yuhao has deliberately tried to befriend Zhou Fuyou and his sister.

Although Zhou Fuyou remained aloof, her younger sister Zhou Qingyu quickly became friends with them.

Zhou Fuyou did not refuse. He knew very well that this was Grandpa Cheng's intention, and that they would still be friends and brothers!
Moreover, my younger sister always lacked friends, so her childhood must have been too lonely.

With such a group of people to play with, her personality won't be too withdrawn.

After exchanging a few words, Zhou Qingyu asked, "Mouse, are you confident today?"

Zhou Yuhao said in a low voice, "I'm definitely confident. My father tested me privately, and I have both water and wood spiritual roots. Although they're not heavenly spiritual roots, they're the best pair among dual spiritual roots!"

Zhou Qingyu blinked, a hint of envy clearly visible in her eyes.

She asked curiously, "Why is the Water and Wood dual spiritual root the best pair among all dual spiritual roots?"

Because of the five elements' mutual generation, water generates wood. Those with these two spiritual roots will surely achieve twice the results with half the effort by focusing on wood-based cultivation techniques.

This was the thought that flashed through Zhou Fuyou's mind.

Then, ignoring the show-off Zhou Yuhao, she looked at the three members of her uncle's family.

The three of them greeted Zhou Fuyou one by one.

"Mayfly Bro!"

Zhou Fuyou forced a smile, which, though awkward, at least elicited a response.

Then Zhou Fuyou swept across the entire venue, taking in all the teenagers who participated in the Spirit Testing Ceremony.

There are about a hundred people in total!
According to clan records, this is the largest group in recent years.

Moreover, there are probably quite a few teenagers in this batch who can be detected to have spiritual roots.

Once the Zhou family recovers, their numbers may increase even further.

Zhou Fuyou's gaze lingered on a face.

It was his childhood playmate, Zhou Yuqi.

Surrounded by a crowd, he looked over with a complicated expression.

Ever since the head of the family refused to be adopted by Uncle Qi's family, Zhou Fuyou's relationship with Uncle Qi's family has cooled down, and he has never visited them.

Zhou Yuqi seemed to have received some kind of instruction and rarely interacted with him.

My only friend is gone too!

Zhou Fuyou felt a little disappointed, but she didn't regret it.

He'll definitely settle accounts with Uncle Seven about the tonic from back then; having too good a relationship would actually make it harder for him to do it.

"Quiet!"

Suddenly a sound rang out.

Then one by one, Qi Refining stage cultivators walked in from all directions, began to organize the order, and made the teenagers line up one by one.

Five Foundation Establishment cultivators then ascended the platform and sat in one corner.

"Is it about to begin?" Zhou Fuyou murmured as she saw this.

His younger sister had also come to his side at some point, looking nervous yet expectant.

"elder brother."

Zhou Fuyou looked at him, her eyes full of encouragement.

Everything was ready, but the test of spiritual roots was delayed.

Amidst the unspoken anticipation of the young people, streaks of light flew in from the center of the family.

There were three people in charge.

The family head, Zhou Junxiao, Elder Zhou Xiaocheng, and the newly appointed elder, Zhou Haiye!

The appearance of the three Golden Core cultivators, even without displaying any magical power fluctuations, still silenced the entire audience with their invisible pressure.

The rest were Foundation Establishment cultivators from the clan, most of whom were parents of the young people who would be participating in the spiritual root test.

The patriarch, Zhou Junxiao, looked at the hundred youths below with satisfaction in his eyes, then asked in a low voice, "Has the guest not arrived yet?"

Just as Zhou Xiaocheng was about to say something, Zhou Junxiao suddenly raised his head.

"coming!"

From outside the tribe, three flying boats, some grand, some magnificent, and some luxurious, flew together toward this place.

Before they even got close, several people flew out from above one after another.

Zhou Junxiao smiled slightly, "Brother Lin, Brother Yin, you've arrived!"

Then, he hesitated and looked at another beautiful young woman.

"Who is this?"

The head of the Yin family respectfully introduced her as "Mo Wanting, the dean of the Jade Balance Academy of the Seven Star Academy of the Dao Palace."

Zhou Junxiao's expression changed slightly, and he bowed respectfully, "I am Zhou Junxiao, the current head of the Zhou family. I greet Dean Yuheng."

Mo Wanting smiled slightly, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, there's no need for such formality. I was just passing by Bailuze when I heard that the Zhou family was about to hold a Spirit Testing Ceremony, so I came to take a look. As you know, this is the duty of our Seven Star Academy. I hope you will forgive my uninvited visit."

How could Zhou Junxiao not be forgiving?

Today, there are many families on the Tiannan Continent, but there is only one true leader, and that is the Tiannan Dao Palace!
Within the Dao Palace, both the abbot and the four hall masters were too far away from them, but the Seven Star Academy was indeed very close to them.

The Seven Star Academy's duty is to search for talented geniuses and send them to the four halls of the Dao Palace.

Countless families hope that someone from the Seven Star Academy will come to their door.

Moreover, it is rumored that the seven academies of the Seven Star Academy are all controlled by the Mo family.

The Mo family, once one of the twelve great families, was also the family of the previous sect leader, Mo Shouzhuo!

They abandoned the Four Palaces and only took the Seven Star Academy, thus gaining immense influence over the various families of Tiannan.

Zhou Junxiao felt a mix of trepidation and excitement.

If Dean Mo Wanting of Yuheng can take a few members of the Zhou family away today, then the Zhou family can be considered to have truly integrated into the Tianyuan Dao Sect!

"Someone, arrange seats for our VIPs!"

After issuing the order, Zhou Junxiao called Zhou Xiaocheng aside.

"I'll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Quickly contact the parents of the boys and find out if they have tested their children's spiritual roots beforehand. If there are any outstanding ones, make a list and insert them into the mortal offspring during the testing later, with the ones with the best aptitude placed at the back."

Zhou Xiaocheng glanced in Mo Wanting's direction and instantly understood the patriarch's meaning.

If someone truly possesses extraordinary talent and appears too early, piquing Mo Wanting's interest, then those who appear later, even if they are of good caliber, will easily be outshone if they are even slightly inferior.

Taking it one step at a time actually increases the chances of the clan's young members being selected for the Tiannan Dao Palace.

"Okay, I'll do it right away!"

Just before he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something.

"Patriarch, what is Zhou Fuyou's spiritual root aptitude?" Zhou Junxiao was taken aback.

He really didn't know!

It wasn't that he didn't want to test Zhou Fuyou in advance, but rather that his ancestors had instructed him not to interfere too much in matters related to Zhou Fuyou.

In addition, the child was very independent, so we didn't do any work in that area.

When Zhou Xiaocheng asked, he gritted his teeth and said, "Arrange her for last! His sister should also be arranged for last, just one place before him."

……

"Why hasn't it started yet?"

Time passed slowly, and the boys were starting to feel restless.

The sheer number of high-level cultivators around them created immense pressure simply from their gazes.

Furthermore, the fact that whether or not they possess spiritual roots is related to their entire future makes them even more uneasy.

Some people who are not strong-willed are already soaked in sweat under the sun.

Zhou Qingyu felt the same way, but with her brother by her side, she felt much more at ease.

"Brother, what are you looking at?"

"It's nothing." Zhou Fuyou withdrew her gaze from the high platform, her expression calm, but her eyes held a profound meaning.

The Lin family patriarch, with his bushy beard and imposing presence, should be considered his maternal grandfather in terms of bloodline and family lineage.

However, my mother wasn't highly regarded in the Qing Tong Lin family back then, so I guess this maternal grandfather doesn't even remember that he had two grandsons in the Zhou family.

Suddenly, a surprised shout came from beside me.

"here we go!"

The long-awaited spirit-testing ceremony finally began when the sun was high in the sky.

On the high platform.

Five Foundation Establishment cultivators sat in one corner, presiding over a massive formation.

Newly promoted Golden Core cultivator Zhou Haiye floated down from the audience seats and landed on the high platform, holding a compass in his hand.

He looked down at the audience and gave a soft shout.

"Zhou Li!"

"To!"

A robust young man responded and nervously walked up the platform to the center.

The five Foundation Establishment cultivators exchanged glances and each cast a spell.

In an instant, five colors swirled on the high platform, and spiritual energy rose and wafted.

Zhou Haiye said gently, "Open your mind, don't resist, concentrate on feeling, feel if there is something that can resonate with you."

The boy named Zhou Li nodded, closed his eyes, and tried his best to feel it.

The compass in Zhou Haiye's hand began to tremble slightly.

About ten breaths later, three beams of light suddenly surged toward Zhou Li's body.

"Metal, Wood, and Fire—three spiritual roots!"

Upon hearing the voice, the boy seemed to awaken from a dream.

Zhou Haiye smiled slightly, "With three spiritual roots, you can embark on the path to immortality. Go stand at the back!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Li's face lit up with ecstatic joy.

He was merely the offspring of an ordinary person in Coral Town, not even worthy of being included in the Zhou family genealogy. Now that his spiritual root has been discovered, he has ascended to the heavens in one step!
He can cultivate in the future, bring his parents to the clan to enjoy their lives, and he will even have the opportunity to be included in the Zhou family genealogy.

How could one not be overjoyed?

Above, the viewing area.

The head of the Yin family congratulated Zhou Junxiao, saying, "Congratulations, Brother Zhou, on such a great start! This young man is dressed simply and his name doesn't include any generational name, so he must be from an ordinary family. For someone to produce a child with three spiritual roots like this shows how incredibly fortunate this generation of the Zhou family is!"

Zhou Junxiao smiled modestly, but his eyes subconsciously glanced at the beautiful woman.

Mo Wanting remained languidly leaning back in her chair, seemingly uninterested in anything.

"Are even three spiritual roots not enough to enter the Dao Palace?"

As Zhou Junxiao thought this, he became increasingly nervous about the upcoming tests, feeling just as anxious as the young men and women below.

The spirit-testing ceremony is proceeding smoothly.

With the addition of Zhou Haiye, a newly appointed Golden Core host, the speed is extremely fast.

One by one, young men and women went up on stage and then left.

He was naturally overjoyed upon receiving the positive result, and pretended to remain calm as he went to stand behind the platform.

Those without spiritual roots were unable to maintain their composure in front of their elders and returned to the square dejectedly.

As for the test results?
Actually, it wasn't very satisfactory.

Out of ten, at most one or two will turn out well.

Among those eliminated were many descendants of cultivators who had grown up within their clans.

Such a grim reality has made the remaining people even more worried.

"Zhou Yusheng, possesses dual spiritual roots of metal and fire!"

The first dual-spiritual-root has appeared!

The boys in the arena all looked at that guy with immense envy, wishing they could take his place.

His parents were also incredibly excited in the audience.

The family head, Zhou Junxiao, even showed a satisfied smile.

However, this satisfaction gradually dissipated after seeing that the woman simply switched the hand she was using to support her chin.

Having both metal and fire spiritual roots is not enough to meet the Dao Palace's criteria for selecting disciples.

Then what do you want?
Does one absolutely need a Heavenly Spiritual Root?

While Zhou Junxiao was deep in thought, the spiritual root testing continued below.

"Zhou Ping'an possesses all five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth."

The boy named Zhou Ping'an was an honest and kind-hearted young man. After hearing that his spiritual root had been detected, a genuine smile appeared on his face.

He instinctively walked to the back.

However, Zhou Haiye stopped him.

"Five spiritual roots are equivalent to useless spiritual roots. You cannot cultivate. Go down!"

Zhou Ping'an was dumbfounded. Before his smile could even fade, he stood awkwardly on the high platform.

He asked, his voice almost breaking with tears, "Isn't it true that anyone with spiritual roots can cultivate?"

Zhou Haiye calmly shook his head. "Five spiritual roots won't work."

"But I...I..."

Just as the boy's tears were falling, a charming voice suddenly came from the audience.

“My Yuheng Academy will accept it.”

The whole audience was silent.

Zhou Junxiao was caught completely off guard.

Why would you rather have five spiritual roots, which are practically useless, than dual spiritual roots?
what is this?
He asked instinctively, "Dean Mo, does the Dao Palace still accept disciples with useless spiritual roots?"

The sound was quite loud; even the boys below could faintly hear it.

Mo Wanting chuckled, "Has Patriarch Zhou never heard of this person's name?"

Zhou Junxiao was bewildered.

“He was once a guest elder of the Star Gate, one of the four great wandering masters of the North Sea, and there are legends about him in the Southern Frontier. He is known as the Demon Luo in the Western Desert, and he is revered as a grandmaster in the Eastern Wilderness. In the entire Mountain and Sea Realm, he is said to be invincible below the Nascent Soul stage!” Mo Wanting stared at Zhou Junxiao with great interest. “Patriarch Zhou, that person has quite a connection with your Zhou family. Haven’t you remembered him yet?”

Zhou Junxiao's expression changed drastically. "You mean, the Desolate Hermit Luo Chen?"

Mo Wanting's smile vanished, and she said seriously, "Yes, it is him. It is said that Luo Chen embarked on his cultivation journey with the talent of five spiritual roots, and has been almost undefeated since his debut. It can be seen that five spiritual roots also have great potential. This time, Tiannan Dao Palace is searching for talents, one of the requirements of which is to recruit disciples with the aptitude of five spiritual roots, which can also be regarded as an experiment."

Zhou Junxiao opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

Finally, he shook his head.

Unexpectedly, the name of Zhou's friend has also brought benefits to the Zhou family's descendants.

That boy named Zhou Ping'an really had a stroke of great luck.

"Continue the testing!"

With that, the interrupted spirit-testing ceremony resumed.

The group of teenagers, who had been filled with anxiety, suddenly felt a surge of hope.

Having spiritual roots allows one to cultivate. Even if one is diagnosed with the five spiritual roots, which are considered useless, there is still a chance to join the Tiannan Dao Palace, which is equivalent to having another way out.

At the back of the crowd, Zhou Fuyou and his sister stood quietly.

Zhou Qingyu heard a faint muttering sound beside her.

"Luo Chen..."

She looked up and saw a look of confusion on her brother's face.

"Brother, what's wrong with you?"

Zhou Fuyou suddenly realized what was happening and said, "It's nothing."

He said he was fine, but his hand unconsciously rubbed his temples.

Why does it feel so familiar?

Why? (End of Chapter)