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Chapter 7: Farewell to Innocence
🕑 Added 2025-01-22 10:46:30 +0000 UTCOn this day, Fancun was abuzz with excitement, resembling a festival. Almost every villager took part in cleaning the main street until it was spotless. The market was closed, shops shut their doors, and street vendors packed up their stalls, fearing they might offend the arriving Immortal Sect representatives.
The recruitment event was set to take place on the open square in front of the ancestral hall of Fancun's largest family—a location second only to the village's threshing ground in size and prestige. Though many villagers wanted to witness the spectacle, the village chief and the elders only allowed the families of the selected candidates to observe. Even then, they were restricted to standing outside the ancestral hall.
Chen Xiao was fortunate to be among the permitted spectators.
He had risen early and arrived at the narrow alley outside the hall with Ershun. Chen Changgen, however, chose not to attend. He had mixed feelings—unsure whether he hoped the Wu family’s boy would be chosen or not. In the end, he decided to forgo the event entirely, giving his spot to Chen Xiao.
Ershun was allowed to bring someone along because, as the fiancée of a candidate, she was considered a related party. Nevertheless, feeling shy, she avoided standing with the Wu family and instead stayed with Chen Xiao, choosing a spot further back on the steps.
Chen Xiao didn’t mind the position. It wasn’t crowded, and they had a clear view of the scene unfolding inside the ancestral hall.
At around nine in the morning, a group approached. Leading the way were three adult men, followed by ten youths between the ages of ten and fifteen.
Ershun became visibly excited, tugging at Chen Xiao’s sleeve and whispering, “Brother Hanwa, look! The fifth one in line—that’s him. His full name is Wu Xinzhi.”
Chen Xiao glanced over. The fifth youth in the lineup was of average height, with a side-parted hairstyle and bright, intelligent eyes. Likely due to years of training, his skin was a healthy bronze. He wore a fitted, vibrant outfit that exuded energy and confidence.
Wu Xinzhi followed the adults ahead, his gaze focused straight ahead. Perhaps sensing the intense stares from their direction, he briefly glanced sideways. Upon spotting Ershun, his face lit up with a smile, revealing a row of white teeth. But when his eyes fell on Chen Xiao, his expression froze slightly, his gaze sharpening with a hint of curiosity.
Seeing Wu Xinzhi, Ershun forgot everything around her. She raised her hand and waved enthusiastically, her face glowing with sweetness as she called out, “Wu Xinzhi, you’re the best!” Her bright cheer caught Chen Xiao’s attention, prompting him to glance at her.
Her outburst wasn’t too unusual; the appearance of the candidates had stirred a wave of cheers from the crowd, all offering their encouragement.
However, as a quiet and reserved girl, that single shout was Ershun’s limit. With her face flushed, she stood there shyly, her gaze locked on Wu Xinzhi. Although her voice was drowned out by the crowd, Wu Xinzhi had keen senses from his training. He not only saw her lips move but also heard her faint words. Smiling again in her direction, he made her blush even deeper.
Chen Xiao glanced between the two. A boy and a girl, childhood sweethearts—it was clear their bond ran deep.
As the candidates and their mentors entered the hall, the three adults stepped aside, and the boys formed a single line.
Chen Xiao and Ershun, along with the other villagers, moved closer to the scene. Finding the main entrance too crowded, Chen Xiao guided Ershun to the side, choosing a spot with a good view.
Taking another look at the candidates, Chen Xiao observed the group more carefully. Earlier, his focus had been on Wu Xinzhi, but now he noticed that Wu Xinzhi didn’t stand out much among his peers. Three or four other boys appeared equally spirited, dressed in vibrant, tailored outfits, their confident postures exuding self-assurance.
It wasn’t that Chen Xiao judged by appearances, but some of these candidates were from wealthy families. Compared to students selected from the academy, they had inherent advantages. Raised in privilege, they were exposed to better resources and education from a young age, giving them a stronger foundation.
While Wu Xinzhi had talent, he wasn’t necessarily the best among them. Considering the others’ solid skills and equal aptitude, Ershun’s earlier acknowledgment that his selection wasn’t guaranteed seemed accurate.
The group had arrived around 9 a.m. and waited in place for an hour. By the time it was nearly noon, one of the academy instructors, who had grown anxious, perked up as he glanced outside. “They’re here! Stand tall! Whether or not you have a bright future depends on this moment.”
His words immediately reinvigorated the boys, who had grown slightly restless from standing too long.
Following the instructor’s gaze, Chen Xiao spotted three faint dots in the distant sky moving rapidly toward them. He blinked, thinking he was mistaken, but the dots quickly grew larger.
In the blink of an eye, three figures descended gracefully from the sky, their movements ethereal and otherworldly. As they landed, the energy rippling from their arrival sent their long robes billowing dramatically, the wide sleeves lifting with the gusts of displaced air. Their arrival exuded an effortless elegance and an unmistakable aura of the immortal.
The moment they appeared, the square before the ancestral hall fell utterly silent. Even the boldest among the villagers didn’t dare make a sound. It was as if an invisible hand pressed down on everyone, compelling them to bow their heads and avert their gazes, unable to meet the figures’ faces.
The trio landed directly on the open space in front of the ancestral hall. The one in the center stood slightly ahead of the other two, who remained a respectful two steps behind, clearly marking him as the leader. The academy instructors hurriedly stepped forward to bow in greeting. “We humbly welcome the three Immortal Masters to Fancun.”
One of the individuals standing behind the leader spoke for him. “You may rise, teachers.”
The other companion, noticing the prepared chairs nearby, moved one forward for the leader to sit. However, neither he nor the speaker took a seat, instead choosing to stand behind the chair, maintaining their positions.
The Immortal Sect members had no interest in engaging in polite conversation with the local teachers. Such courtesies were unnecessary. The gap between the two parties was vast, and their interaction might well be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
Without preamble, the leader addressed the gathered boys with a commanding tone. “We are here today to select disciples. Consider yourselves fortunate if you are chosen to join Chongxuan Sect. Ours is a prestigious Daoist lineage, steeped in history and brimming with strength. Many immortals have risen from our ranks. Once admitted, when you stand before our mountain gate, you will truly understand how fortunate you are. Enough talk. We shall begin with the spiritual root test. You, the first in line—step forward.”
The first boy in line was barely ten years old. His face glistened with sweat, a clear mix of fear and nervousness. At the command, he awkwardly shuffled forward, moving with uncoordinated steps.
The villagers craned their necks and stood on tiptoe, straining to catch a glimpse of how the testing would be conducted. Standing further back, however, Chen Xiao’s mind was elsewhere. The moment the three immortals descended, his focus had been wholly captured by the man leading them. He couldn’t tear his eyes away.
Others might have marveled at the dramatic gusts that sent their robes flying, but Chen Xiao knew better. The roiling currents weren’t caused by the descent itself but by the sheer power of the leader’s aura colliding with the natural energy field of the village. The turbulence was a direct result of this clash.
Artifacts left behind by immortals often carried stable auras, so it stood to reason that the immortals themselves would emanate such power. Chen Xiao had rushed back to the village from the county city just for this chance to witness it firsthand.
As the trio flew in, Chen Xiao’s sharp senses detected the rapid movement of their energy fields. The two individuals flanking the leader had impressive auras in their own right, but they paled in comparison to the leader’s overwhelming presence. His aura was vast and majestic, radiating brilliance and power, as though it bridged heaven and earth. Every movement of his seemed to ripple through the environment, exerting dominance over the surrounding energy fields.
Most onlookers felt only an intangible sense of awe and intimidation, but Chen Xiao could see it for what it was—a suppression by the leader’s boundless aura, leaving no room for resistance.
Chen Xiao’s throat went dry, his body rigid, and his heart pounded wildly. His excitement was palpable, and he trembled uncontrollably.
A dragon vein’s aura—this powerful! What stunned Chen Xiao even more was the realization that this figure was not merely surrounded by the energy of a dragon vein. This was a human-shaped dragon vein! In his past life, he had never even heard of such a phenomenon, despite his extensive studies of geomancy and ancient texts.
Chen Xiao’s blood surged with excitement, his enthusiasm almost manic. It was as though a starving glutton had discovered the most exquisite feast or a long-restrained man suddenly faced with an impossibly alluring beauty. The desire to rush forward, to touch and explore, was overwhelming.
For a geomancer like Chen Xiao, the allure of such a unique dragon vein aura was utterly irresistible and beyond rational comprehension.
His heavy breathing and visible agitation alarmed Ershun beside him. Forgetting her earlier focus on Wu Xinzhi, she clung to Chen Xiao’s arm and shook him anxiously. “Brother Hanwa! What’s wrong? Don’t scare me!”
Her voice, tinged with panic, and her vigorous shaking managed to bring Chen Xiao back from the brink. The boiling heat in his head subsided slightly. His vision swam, and his dizziness made him realize he’d become overstimulated, causing a spike in his blood pressure. He pressed a hand to his forehead. “I don’t feel well. Ershun, help me move to the side.”
Ershun quickly supported him to a quieter spot and helped him sit down. Then, she dashed to a nearby shop and returned with a bowl of water.
Though the immense energy field was still visible from his new position, its effect was less oppressive, allowing Chen Xiao to calm down. Resting his chin on his hand, he pondered this extraordinary sight.
A dragon vein condensed the fortune and energy of a land, capable of altering its fate. While Chen Xiao had seen dragon veins on land, in lakes, and even beneath the sea, a human-shaped dragon vein was beyond anything he had ever encountered.
The man’s movements embodied the grace of a dragon, perfectly aligned with the traits of a true dragon vein.
As Chen Xiao struggled to process this revelation, he realized something else. The two individuals accompanying the leader had weaker auras, suggesting they were less powerful. This meant the leader was likely incredibly strong—perhaps a true immortal.
Was this the hallmark of immortals in this world?
Chen Xiao felt as though his entire understanding of the world was crumbling. His worldview seemed to bid him a final farewell.
