<h4>Chapter 23: Spiritual Orifice</h4>


    After performing the hand seal, Li Tongya observed the heavy spirit rain nourishing the dark soil.


    His face, however, betrayed a hint of exhaustion as he reflected, <i>This spirit nt cultivation, particrly the Spirit Rain spell, is especially taxing. I could barely manage to release it one time after condensing the Radiant Lure Chakra. On top of that, these spirit nts need daily care... We definitely need more hands on this.</i>


    Li Xiangping and Li Tongya had surveyed the spirit fields of the viges and found them disappointingly scarce. Thergest plot in Lijing Vige could hold only ten White Essence Fruits.


    Therefore, Li Tongya set up a small courtyard on this once-barrennd at the foot of the mountain. He would usually cultivate and look after the field here, and supplies were regrly delivered to him, so it was a ratherfortable setup.


    Li Xiangping chose a field in Jingyang Vige and sowed Spirit Paddies there. The act drew the local vigers to gather outside his courtyard every day, praying in reverence, which was an amusingly peculiar sight.


    Since he had not yet mastered the Celestial Whirl Chakra, Li Tongya spent nearly an hour in meditation to replenish his mana. When he finally opened his eyes, he realized Li Yesheng had been waiting outside with his men for quite some time.


    As the wooden door creaked open, Li Yesheng quickly bowed in greeting. “All the young ones from the viges have arrived. Is Brother Tongya ready to leave now?”


    “Yes,” Li Tongya replied softly as he walked toward the vige head, apanied by the respectful smiles of Li Yesheng and his men.


    ————


    Beneath the huge acacia tree at the vige entrance, a crowd had formed. Representatives from various viges, apanied by the respective person in charge appointed by the Li Family, guided a diverse group of children from their respective viges.


    The appointed leaders appeared at ease, conversing quietly under the tree. In contrast, the vigers from outside stood in anxious silence, too tense and intimidated to speak. The children, sensing the mood, sat obediently on the ground.


    Chen Erniu was recently swelling with pride over his aplishments, experiencing nights filled with joyous wakefulness. The ancestors of his family must have worked tirelessly in their graves for countless years, and now, at longst, he was witnessing a significant turn for the better in his life.


    Upon learning he was to manage Lichuankou Vige, Chen Erniu expressed his gratitude by kneeling and bowing deeply nine times before the Li Residence.


    He tearfully pledged to Old Master Li, “I, Erniu, swear to diligently manage Lichuankou Vige and never betray Old Master Li’s trust.”


    Chen Erniu''s life had been significantly shaped by the generosity of the Li Family. From the assistance he received as a refugee to the opportunities that led to his marriage and acquisition ofnd, and even the medical care provided for his wife, all these acts of kindness have deeply ingratiated him to the Li family''s cause.


    Besides, Erniu was also known to be a man motivated by prospects and rewards. He was willing to go to great lengths for gain, even if it meant eating dog shit!


    However, his rtionship with Xu Wenshan, another tenant, had always been fraught with tension. This animosity had often caused friction between their viges.


    Only Ren Ping’an seemed unbothered by these petty squabbles, choosing instead to concentrate solely on the affairs of his own vige.


    “Manager Chen...” A voice interrupted Chen Erniu’s thoughts.


    Turning his head around, he recognized the person as Chen Zhanghu, another viger from Lichuankou Vige.


    Lichuankou Vige was predominantly inhabited by members of the Chen Family, and Chen Zhanghu, as the family’s eldest, held considerable respect in the vige. It was his reputation that led the crowd to unanimously rmend him as their representative.


    Gazing toward the vige entrance with an anxious expression, the usuallyposed and dignified elder asked in a hushed tone, “Will this immortal cultivator from the Li Family truly consider epting children from our Chen Family?”


    “All they need to have is immortal destiny! Any children between the ages of seven and thirteen from your Chen Family who possess a spiritual orifice will be epted by the Li Family!” Chen Erniu assured.


    Observing Chen Zhanghu’s repeated nods of understanding, Chen Erniu could not help but feel a twinge of envy. Inwardly, hemented that his own children were either too old to seize this chance or too young to be eligible for testing.


    “The immortals are here!” Chen Erniu announced as he spotted Li Tongya at the vige entrance.


    He quickly approached with a weing smile, all the while thinking, <i>I wonder which of these vige children will be lucky enough to be chosen today.</i>


    Li Tongya cupped his fist and gave Chen Erniu a smile before turning to Li Yesheng and instructing, “Let’s begin.”


    A wooden tform had been set up beside the acacia tree. Li Tongya took his seat on top of it, and those working below the tform began to call out names.


    “Lichuankou Vige, Chen Lifu!”


    A child from the Chen Family, visibly nervous, was brought forward. Li Tongya ced his hand on the child’s shoulder and channeled his mana.


    After his mana quickly coursed through the child’s body for a round, he waved dismissively and said, “You may step down.”


    The child and his escort quickly left the tform without saying a word, while a flicker of disappointment crossed Chen Zhanghu’s face below the tform.


    “Next!”


    ————


    Not long after, everyone from Lichuankou Vige was dismissed. Chen Zhanghu’s face fell, and he cast a pleading look at Chen Erniu.


    Chen Erniu could only roll his eyes and raise his hands, conveying that there was nothing else he could do about the situation.


    Despite the coolness of thete fall noon, the vigers, gathered inrge numbers under the tree, were visibly sweating with nervous anticipation.


    Seeing that no one from Lichuankou Vige was chosen, they grew increasingly anxious.


    Li Tongya, however, seemed unfazed by this oue. Being able to find a child with a spiritual orifice was rare, so finding even one child from all these viges would be considered a sess, and finding two would be an even greater achievement.


    “Jingyang Vige, Liu Rouxuan!”


    As soon as the name was called, a girl who was around thirteen or fourteen years of age stood up, biting her lips nervously. She had beautiful eyebrows and expressive eyes.


    She was fourteen years old, a year above the oldest age they could ept. Li Tongya shook his head, but let it slide and proceeded with the test. He ced his left hand on her shoulder and channeled his mana.


    As soon as his mana coursed through the girl’s meridian for one round, Li Tongya uttered a surprised noise. The Liu Family of Jingyang Vige, who had been watching tensely below the tform, now held their breath in anticipation.


    To Li Tongya’s surprise, he discovered that qi was actively flowing in the girl’s Qihai acupoint. A qi orifice there pulsated rhythmically, almost as if it was breathing on its own.


    “Not bad.” Li Tongya opened his eyes.


    He smiled at the girl and instructed gently, “Stand behind me.”


    Liu Rouxuan stared at Li Tongya’s eyes in a daze, seemingly stunned by the unexpected good news. It took her a few moments to process it, then with a beaming face, she moved to stand behind Li Tongya.


    The crowd from Jingyang Vige erupted into subdued cheers, careful not to disturb Li Tongya. Meanwhile, a somber air settled over Lichuankou Vige, and the remaining viges’ apprehension deepened.


    Shortly after, Jingyang Vige and Lidaokou Vigepleted their tests too. As expected, no other children with a spiritual orifice were found.


    “Lijing Vige!” Li Tongya announced, his gaze sweeping over the children who were gathered below the stage.


    It went without saying that Li Xuanxuan was not present. The child was only three years old, so his body was too underdeveloped to be tested for a spiritual orifice. Only children of at least seven years of age could be tested for one.


    As the children of the local vige’s turn came, Li Yesheng began calling out their names with his eyebrows raised.


    <i>If only Brother Tongya hadn’t already assessed me previously, I’d be up there trying my luck too,</i> he thought resentfully while announcing the names loudly.


    “Ye Qiuyang!” he called.


    At the mention of the name, Ye Chengfu, standing below the tform, tensed up. His legs nearly gave out as he watched his eight or nine-year-old child on the tform intently.


    In his heart, he kept reassuring himself, <i>Our Ye Family has always been a branch of the Li Family. Surely, there’s a chance for immortal destiny among us...</i>


    Watching Li Tongya ce his hand on Ye Qiuyang’s shoulder, Ye Chengfu, overwhelmed with anticipation, closed his eyes and sat down abruptly on the sandy ground, waiting in anxious silence.