Immortals Selecting Disciples

Perhaps because the immortals were choosing disciples, along the way she saw many people leading small children toward the town. All were excitedly discussing which immortal had descended and how they would choose disciples. Zhu Yao silently admired the calling power of this scammer, being able to make so many people believe without a shred of doubt.
Zhu Family Village was actually not far from the town; a half-hour walk was enough to arrive. Because there were too many people entering the town, she had to hold the little child's hand to avoid getting lost. This time, the brat didn't resist, only dodging symbolically a couple of times before silently letting Zhu Yao pull him along. However, his small face was still sour.
With great effort, they finally squeezed their way to the selection site and saw the place packed with people. In the center stood a high platform, upon which stood four people all dressed in pure white robes, with auspicious cloud patterns embroidered on the hems and cuffs, looking quite immortal-like. Surprisingly, the four were very young, much more pleasing to the eye than the white-bearded old men Zhu Yao had imagined.
Zhu Yao secretly praised them. Unexpectedly, the scammers had great professional ethics; one look at their uniforms and you knew they were definitely a disciplined organization. With just this display, no wonder they managed to intimidate so many people into coming to watch.
A long line formed on the right side of the platform. Although there were both men and women, all were leading one or two small children. The young ones had just learned to walk, while the older ones were half the height of an adult. But most were under ten years old. Zhu Yao guessed they were lining up for registration. Although she had no interest in this clearly fraudulent activity, since Uncle Wang had entrusted her, she had to finish it. After all, it wasn't her money being scammed, so she stood at the end of the line without hesitation.
The brat was quite obedient now, standing quietly with her. His previously sour face was now replaced with anticipation, occasionally craning his neck to stare at the line ahead. He was just a kid, always curious about new things.
One of the four on the platform, a middle-aged man, stood up, took a few steps forward, and raised his voice:
"Everyone, today is the day the Qiugu Sect comes to recruit disciples, which happens once every ten years. No limit on gender, no limit on background. Please step forward in order for testing."
This person was very straightforward. Zhu Yao thought he would talk incessantly to deceive everyone all day, but unexpectedly, he started directly after the first sentence. It made Zhu Yao curious as well; exactly which master scammer organized this so arrogantly?
"First person!"
As soon as the middle-aged man finished speaking, a woman at the front of the line led a child in each hand onto the platform. A young white-robed immortal waved his hand. A crystal ball suddenly appeared in the center of the platform. The people below gasped in surprise.
The young man's expression remained unchanged as he said coldly to the two children:
"Place your hands on it!"
The two children shrank back a step in fear, but in the end, their mother pushed them from behind:
"What are you afraid of? If you're chosen, you'll soar to the heavens. Hurry and place your hands on it!"
Only then did the two children place their hands on the ball hovering in mid-air. Unfortunately, the crystal ball did not change at all.
The middle-aged man in white shook his head:
"No spiritual root. Next person."
The woman sighed, her face immediately showing several parts of disappointment, but she said nothing more and led her children down the platform.
Zhu Yao was stunned. This scene... why did it feel so familiar? Huh, isn't this the standard recruitment scenario in cultivation novels? Every cultivation novel starts with a scene: measuring spiritual roots! She had always thought she transmigrated into a farming story, being a mountain peasant woman with a bit of land for the rest of her life. Given the current situation, could it be she had to take the path of Xianxia? But... Zhu Yao looked at herself, then at the row of "little radishes" lining up ahead. Wasn't her transmigration a bit late? With her age, even if she cultivated, she couldn't out-cultivate this group of little radishes!
For the first time since transmigrating, Zhu Yao felt a deep sense of sorrow.
"Hey, hey, hey..."
Zhu Yao's hand felt heavy. She turned her head to see the brat beside her pulling at her.
"What is it?"
Don't disturb someone who is focusing on being sorrowful.
The brat pointed to the high platform ahead:
"Hurry up, it's almost our turn."
Zhu Yao noticed a large empty space ahead and quickly led the brat to keep up with the line.
The speed of measuring spiritual roots was very fast. Unfortunately, most of the children had no spiritual roots. The middle-aged man repeatedly said:
"No spiritual root. Next person."
A large number of children went up, but only three or four remained on the platform. Furthermore, they were all Four-Element or Five-Element spiritual roots. Looking at the expressions of the four on the platform, these were likely not good spiritual roots.
"Next person!"
A filthy child went up, truly very thin and weak, as if a gust of wind would blow him away. His clothes were tattered, with no intact spot to be found; he was clearly a beggar. He had no adult with him. The people below pinched their noses, showing several parts of disgust.
But the four on the platform did not change their expressions. It was as if they didn't see the child's destitute appearance. They had cultivated for many years and did not judge a book by its cover. Destitute today, who knows if they won't soar to the heavens tomorrow?
The middle-aged man pointed to the crystal ball:
"Place your hand on it!"
Although the child was dirty, he didn't care about the gazes of others at all. He walked straight to the center of the platform and placed his hand on it. The previously transparent crystal ball slowly showed a green light, which was about to take over the entire ball when a golden streak flashed, continuing until it filled the ball.
"Metal-Wood Dual Spiritual Root!"
The three young men sitting behind stood up simultaneously. Their previously indifferent expressions changed in a blink. They looked at that destitute youth with joy.
"Unexpectedly, we've encountered a Dual Spiritual Root disciple this year!"
The four nodded simultaneously. Even their voices became polite. A Dual Spiritual Root would certainly be chosen for the inner sect.
"This Little Junior Brother, please stand to the side to rest first. Once the testing is over, you can follow us back to the sect."
The beggar child nodded, showing no joy like the four of them, and simply stood obediently beside the other children on the platform. His expression was as if he had anticipated this long ago.
Zhu Yao observed the beggar child's calm demeanor. For a moment, she had a strange feeling, hard to put into words, sensing that something wasn't right.
"Next is our turn!"
The brat beside her was completely unaffected by Zhu Yao's emotions; instead, he pulled her hand excitedly.
"Next person!"
"It's us!"
The brat pulled her and ran excitedly onto the platform. Without any nervousness or tension, he placed his hand directly on the crystal ball.
Zhu Yao looked down at the brat beside her, then at the beggar child. She seemed to understand; apparently, the fewer spiritual roots, the better. A Dual Spiritual Root was already so precious; she wondered what a Single Spiritual Root would be like?
Just as she thought of this, she suddenly heard a commotion all around. Even the four white-robed immortals standing further away immediately surrounded them, looking at the brat beside her with disbelief.
"Hea... Heavenly Spiritual Root!"
The middle-aged man even stuttered, snatching the child from her hand, looking as if he wanted to hug him.
"To think it's a Fire-attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root!"
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?"
Zhu Yao was nervous. Regardless of whether they were real or fake immortals, snatching a child was not allowed. If she lost the brat, Uncle Wang would poke her to death when she got back! She forcibly snatched the brat back. You damn human traffickers, stay away!
The brat was also scared, burrowing into her arms to hide.
The four of them calmed down, looking at Zhu Yao with full alertness. It was still the middle-aged man who coughed:
"Young lady, you misunderstand. We were excited to see a rare talent that appears once in a thousand years. Your child is a Heavenly Spiritual Root, one in ten thousand."
One must know that let alone the Qiugu Sect, even the entire Cultivation World hadn't seen a Heavenly Spiritual Root for several thousand years. Once this child entered the sect, he would certainly be the direct disciple of all the elders. How could they not be excited?
Zhu Yao's mouth twitched, instantly struck by the words "your child." Did she look like someone with a child that big? Recalling the age of childbearing in ancient times... alright, she did look a bit like it.
"He is not my child!"
This point had to be made clear.
The middle-aged man was stunned, evaluating Zhu Yao from head to toe, his brows furrowing slightly.
Hey, hey, hey, what's with that look like you're looking at a human trafficker?
"I was entrusted by his parents to bring him here."
You're the damn trafficker!
The middle-aged man nodded in understanding, though still a bit suspicious:
"This child's spiritual root is superior; he will surely have great achievements in the future. We will stay here for a day, which is enough time to say goodbye to his parents."
Who knows if you're keeping the child to sell him off? No, I must take the brat back quickly.
"Does the immortal mean I was chosen?"
At the critical moment, the brat popped out again. Seeing the four nod, he immediately scrambled out of Zhu Yao's arms. Before she could react, he had already joined the row of chosen children with great excitement. As he ran, he even held his head high, muttering "that's great."
A teammate like a pig! Black lines silently appeared on Zhu Yao's forehead. Fortunately, they would stay for a day; by then, she would hand the brat over to Uncle Wang and it would have nothing to do with her.
Having no other choice, she followed the brat and stepped back two paces, watching him excitedly chat with the other children, and sighed quietly.
"Don't be too sad!"
The brat seemed to notice her low mood and suddenly sidled up to her, pulling her hand:
"Don't worry, I just asked the four uncles. They said I can bring one person to the immortal sect. I'll reluctantly bring you along!"
Zhu Yao was stunned, looking suspiciously at the child who only reached her waist. The brat wanted to bring her to the immortal sect? Since when did he become so considerate?