The speaker was a young man of about twenty, who was in charge of registering those who had been selected.
With a sharp gaze, he raised a hand and pointed at the stone tablet.
"Look at the attribute of her spiritual root—it's a dual Water and Fire Spiritual Root!"
His words immediately caught the attention of the others, and the sword-carrying youth also snapped out of his daze and looked at the tablet once more.
A dual Water and Fire Spiritual Root—they all knew what that meant.
Water and Fire Spiritual Roots meant that water restrained fire, while fire found it difficult to draw upon water. Unless one completely overwhelmed the other, achieving Foundation Establishment would be exceptionally difficult, and the chance of success might even be lower than that of a five-element spiritual root.
The sword-carrying youth wore a pensive look. After a moment, he spoke up. "However, the quality of both her spiritual roots has reached perfection. A Water and Fire Spiritual Root of this quality is likely rare even throughout the entire Tianlan Cultivation World. How should we decide?"
Hearing this, the others all fell silent, unable to make up their minds.
Listening to the words of the immortals, Xu Yuxiu could not help but grow nervous.
At the very beginning, she had been overjoyed upon hearing the immortals' words, feeling that she too should be selected by them.
Yet upon hearing what the immortals said next, her heart skipped a beat, and the joy that had just surfaced on her face instantly vanished.
Seeing the silent expressions of the immortals, Xu Yuxiu felt anxious and uneasy. Down on the stage, the mortal onlookers, seeing the immortals fall silent, also cast curious gazes toward them.
Before long, the sword-carrying youth broke the silence. "Forget it, we can't make the call on something like this. Let's wait until we return to the sect and leave it to Elder Zhao, who is in charge of this recruitment drive, to judge."
"I think that's feasible!"
The others nodded one after another.
With that, the sword-carrying youth said to Xu Yuxiu, "For now, consider yourself qualified. Go register."
Hearing this, it sounded to Xu Yuxiu like heavenly music. She hurriedly bowed gratefully to the sword-carrying youth and said, "Thank you, Immortal! Thank you, Immortal!"
"Go on."
The sword-carrying youth waved a hand.
Xu Yuxiu nodded and walked over to the young man in charge of registration.
"Name."
The young man responsible for registration took out a jade plaque, a point of light lit up at his fingertips, and he began to ask.
"Xu Yuxiu."
Xu Yuxiu answered truthfully.
In less than the time it takes for a cup of tea, Xu Yuxiu's information was fully registered.
"Stand over there."
Once the recording was finished, Xu Yuxiu went to stand with the other children who had also been selected.
Yet when those chosen children saw her frail and sickly appearance, they all unconsciously stepped a bit further away from her.
Seeing this, Xu Yuxiu was long accustomed to it and cared not the least.
Down on the platform, the man saw Xu Yuxiu standing among the chosen children, and the heart that had been hanging in his chest finally settled.
"Yuxiu has been chosen by the immortals! Her illness can be cured. This is wonderful! Wonderful!"
He was so excited his eyes welled with tears. The people around him also cast enthusiastic gazes his way, and those who knew him stepped forward to offer congratulations.
"Daniu, congratulations! Your daughter has been chosen by the immortals. In the future, she'll be an immortal herself!"
After replying to those who offered their congratulations, Xu Daniu hurried back home; he wanted to share the news of their daughter being chosen by the immortals with her mother.
The testing was not yet fully over.
Xu Yuxiu stood on the high platform, waiting, her gaze unconsciously wandering toward the crowd below.
Looking down from the high platform, all she could see was a sea of shifting heads.
She searched through the crowd for a long time, yet she could not find the figure of her father, Xu Daniu.
"Dad must have seen..."
During the subsequent tests, two more individuals possessing spiritual roots were deemed qualified. After that, until the very last child was tested, no more qualified candidates with spiritual roots appeared.
Next, amid the loud proclamation of the sword-carrying youth, the immortals' selection of disciples came to a complete close.
By this time, the sky was already nearing dusk.
The afterglow of the setting sun cascaded down, lengthening people's shadows.
Among the gradually dispersing crowd, Xu Yuxiu saw some people weeping with sorrow, others sighing heavily, and still others joyfully greeting those who ran toward the high platform carrying large and small bundles.
Seeing these people running over, the sword-carrying youth waved his hand and said to the group of chosen children, "Go and see your families for the last time. Once you enter our Taixuan Sect this time, some of you may never have the chance to see your families again in this lifetime."
With that, he paid them no further mind, leaving the selected children free to rush toward their loved ones.
Xu Yuxiu also saw her parents running toward the high platform carrying bundles, and with a stirred and excited little face, she wanted to go and meet them too.
Yet her body was naturally frail and sickly, making even walking somewhat difficult. She could only watch as her parents carried their bundles and trotted up before her.
"Dad, Mom, I've been chosen by the immortals!"
Xu Yuxiu smiled as she shared the good news of her selection with her parents, but she did not tell them what had happened earlier, nor did she mention the words spoken by the sword-carrying immortal.
She was afraid her parents would worry upon hearing them, and if so, she wouldn't be at ease even upon leaving.
"Yuxiu, be obedient following the immortals, take good care of yourself, study well what the immortals teach you, cure your illness, live on, and don't cause trouble to make the immortals displeased..."
Words of earnest exhortation and patient instruction, mingled with reluctance to part, lingered by her ears.
Listening to her mother's words, Xu Yuxiu nodded vigorously.
Xu Daniu was a man of few words. He simply hugged the two of them and comforted them, saying, "Her mother, don't keep the immortals waiting too long. With Yuxiu following the immortals, her illness will definitely be cured."
Then, he shoved the bundle in his hand into Xu Yuxiu's embrace. "Yuxiu, this is the luggage your mother and you packed. Hold onto it well, and don't worry about me and your mother."
Clasping the bundle in her arms, though it was very light in weight, it felt immensely heavy in her heart.
"Dad, Mom, your daughter is unfilial. I bow in gratitude for your grace in raising me..."
Bidding a final farewell to her parents, Xu Yuxiu climbed back onto the high platform.
She was the last one to return to the high platform; the rest of the chosen children were already waiting with their large and small bundles.
As she stepped onto the high platform last of all, the sword-carrying youth formed hand seals and waved his sleeve. A vast sheet of white light flew out from his hand, enveloping the entire high platform.
Enveloped in the white light, the high platform transformed into an immortal boat and slowly rose into the air.
When the immortal boat ascended to a certain height, a transparent barrier of light rose up, protecting the entire vessel.
The next moment, the immortal boat turned into a streak of light and vanished into the skies above Lin'an County.
The immortal boat flew at extreme speed, the sound of the wind whistling past on either side.
Yet, being inside the immortal boat, one could not feel even the slightest breeze.
She guessed that this must be the effect of the transparent barrier of light.
Watching the blurry scenery rapidly receding on both sides of the immortal boat and listening to the howling wind, Xu Yuxiu pondered to herself.
Having witnessed the immortals' means of manipulating the immortal boat, the other children already had glowing eyes.
They were already imagining in their minds that one day they too would be able to act like immortals, driving an immortal boat to soar through the nine heavens, free and unfettered, revered by countless mortals.
"It takes three days to return to the Taixuan Sect. These are Inedia Pills; eating one will keep you from feeling hungry for ten days. Each of you take one."
The female immortal who had previously been responsible for testing bone age spoke at this moment.
With that, she distributed an Inedia Pill to each child.
Xu Yuxiu was also given one. She looked at the tiny, round Inedia Pill in her hand—only about the size of a soybean—her eyes filled with curiosity.
"Such a tiny pill can really keep a person from feeling hungry for ten days?"
Harboring this doubt, she placed the soybean-sized Inedia Pill into her mouth.
As soon as the medicinal pill entered her mouth, Xu Yuxiu felt a refreshing fragrance slide down her throat. Her stomach, which had already been feeling somewhat hungry, was filled with a sense of satiety at that very moment, and the previous sensation of hunger was completely swept away.
"How miraculous!"
Exclaimed one of the children after eating the Inedia Pill.
"The Inedia Pill is merely one of the most basic types of pills. Once you enter the sect and are assigned your respective places, each of you will be able to claim a whole bottle..."
At this point, the female immortal began to explain and brief them on various matters concerning the Cultivation World and matters related to entering the sect.
Xu Yuxiu also edged closer, listening intently and carefully.