Chapter 1
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Chapter 1: Top-Grade Spirit Roots
"Today’s math class ends here. Tomorrow is the day the Immortal Gate comes to our town to test for spirit roots. I hope all of you have spirit roots," the teacher said.
…
In a humble classroom, a middle-aged man in his fifties was teaching a group of five- and six-year-old children. This middle-aged man is named Li Xiaojun, and he is 25 years old.
Twenty-five years ago, Li Xiaojun was transported to this world as a baby and awakened a tadpole enhancement system.
The enhancement system sounds impressive, but it is quite useless. It consumes ten years of lifespan to enhance a small tadpole.
As a transporter, Li Xiaojun thought he would be like the main character and have extraordinary abilities. However, when he turned six, the biggest setback of his life came during the Immortal Gate test—he had no spirit roots for cultivation.
In the cultivation world, lacking spirit roots means he would have to live as an ordinary person for his whole life.
Although he had a system, it was far too pathetic. Given this situation, Li Xiaojun gave up and chose to be a plain, ordinary person.
He started school at six, took an exam at sixteen, got married at eighteen, and had a daughter at nineteen.
At twenty, he passed the scholar’s examination, but afterward, he failed the college entrance exam twice.
At twenty-one, his wife gave birth to another daughter. Two daughters consumed twenty years of his lifespan.
At twenty-four, his weak and sickly wife passed away, which was a huge blow to him.
At twenty-five, he gave up on the college entrance exam and transformed a room at home into a classroom, becoming a teacher for young children.
Previously, Li Xiaojun thought that, with his identity as a transporter, passing the imperial examination would be easy, but reality hit him hard.
Now, he had accepted his fate, planning to raise his two daughters and live a simple life.
"Dad, Dad, I’m hungry."
Right after school, his young daughter called out for food once all the students had left.
"Feifei, dear, Dad will make food for you right away!"
Hearing his little girl call out, Li Xiaojun’s face lit up with a warm smile.
"Dad, I’ll help you start the fire."
At that moment, his eldest daughter stepped up to help with a sweet smile.
"Tingting is so good," Li Xiaojun said, ruffling his eldest daughter’s hair.
Li Xiaojun’s two daughters are Li Yuting, the eldest, who is six years old, and Li Yufei, the youngest, who is four years old.
Both daughters have always been very smart, especially Li Yuting. She started learning to read at two and has already finished the knowledge of sixth grade in Earth’s elementary school at six; her math is even at a middle school level.
No wonder she was born after ten years of lifespan was consumed to enhance the small tadpole.
Although the youngest daughter is not as advanced as her sister, she began learning to read at two and has just completed fourth grade.
The next day, the entire Honghe Town was decorated with lights and banners.
Today was not a holiday, but it was the day of the Immortal Gate’s spirit root testing ceremony and recruitment.
Every year on the sixth day of June, the Immortal Gate sends people to various towns to test six-year-old children for spirit roots and to take in children with spirit roots.
On this day, Honghe Town is always beautifully adorned, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Immortal Masters.
This year was no exception; preparations in Honghe Town began two days in advance.
Since today was the day for the spirit root test, Li Xiaojun gave all his students a day off.
Early in the morning, Li Xiaojun woke up while his two daughters were still fast asleep, and he got up to start a fire and prepare food.
After finishing the meal, he called his daughters to eat, dressed his young daughter, and so on.
After a busy morning, the close-knit family group finally finished breakfast.
This year, his eldest daughter, Li Yuting, was six years old, so she would participate in the spirit root testing as well.
At eight o’clock in the morning, Li Xiaojun dressed both daughters in beautiful little dresses, carrying his young daughter on his back while holding his eldest daughter’s hand as they made their way to the town square.
"Mr. Li."
"Hello, Mr. Li."
At this moment, the town square was already filled with many children and their parents.
Additionally, there were many onlookers gathered to watch.
As a scholar and a teacher in the town, many people warmly greeted Li Xiaojun upon his arrival at the square.
"The Immortal Masters have arrived."
At ten o’clock in the morning, a flying boat-like object came to a halt in the center of Honghe Town, accompanied by a flash of light.
On the flying boat stood several young men and women who appeared to be in their twenties, along with a few five- or six-year-old children.
These children were likely the ones the Immortal Masters had gathered from other places for their spirit roots.
"Children of the appropriate age, step forward for the spirit root test. Please hurry; we have to go to the next place after this," a young man quickly jumped off the flying boat and called out to everyone.
Everyone was familiar with the process of the spirit root testing, as they experienced this spirit root testing ceremony every year.
In Honghe Town, the children who needed to be tested had already organized themselves into a line, ready to begin the testing as soon as the Immortal Masters arrived.
Once the young man jumped down from the flying boat, the testing began swiftly.
The testing device resembled a crystal ball and was about the size of a basketball.
The children simply needed to place their hands on the crystal ball, and the Immortal Master would cast a spell to determine the children’s talents.
"You have no spirit roots! Step down."
"You also have no spirit roots!"
"You have no spirit roots as well…"
Today, more than one hundred children from Honghe Town participated in the spirit root testing.
One by one, children placed their hands on the crystal ball, only to be met with the cold words of the Immortal Masters.
Some children, upon hearing that they had no spirit roots, immediately burst into tears.
However, their parents quickly covered their mouths and carried them away, fearing that their cries might upset the Immortal Masters.
The spirit root testing proceeded very quickly, and soon, tests for dozens of children were completed.
After continuously testing dozens of children, all results showed no spirit roots, which caused many faces to turn gloomy.
Finally, when it was the turn of the 56th child, the crystal ball for detecting spirit roots finally emitted a lightly yellow glow.
"Earth-type low-grade spirit root, stand over here."
Seeing that they finally detected a spirit root, the Immortal Master’s expression softened a bit.
This was a little boy who, upon hearing that he had spirit roots, broke into a wide smile.
His parents, on the other hand, wore looks of delight.
"Next."
After guiding the little boy to stand behind him, the Immortal Master continued the testing with the next child.
"No spirit roots, next…"
"Still no spirit roots, next!"
"Next…"
"Next…"
The testing continued and soon had included over ninety children.
Apart from the little boy with the Earth-type low-grade spirit root, all the other children had no spirit roots.
In this situation, parents of the children who had not been tested yet felt very disappointed.
Meanwhile, the parents of those still waiting to be tested felt extremely anxious.
Among these anxious parents was Li Xiaojun!
Time passed quickly, and it was soon time for his eldest daughter, Li Yuting, to undergo the spirit root test, making Li Xiaojun’s heart race with anticipation.
"Next."
With the Immortal Master’s call, it was finally Li Yuting’s turn to test her spirit roots.
Li Yuting approached the Immortal Master with some apprehension, then obediently placed her hand on the crystal ball just like the previous children.
The Immortal Master cast a spell into the crystal ball.
In the next moment, the crystal ball emitted a bright green light.
At first, the green glow was faint, but it quickly grew stronger and stronger, until seconds later, the glowing green light became blindingly bright.
Seeing this, the onlookers were stunned.
The Immortal Master conducting the test showed an expression of surprise.
At that moment, on the flying boat, the other Immortal Masters also revealed expressions of delight upon witnessing the event.
In the next instant, several Immortal Masters jumped down from the flying boat in unison.
"Top-grade wood spirit root, fantastic!"
