Chapter 445: The Elusive Path of Cultivation

Chapter 445: The Elusive Path of Cultivation

As the jade tablet landed on the ground, an unusual aura emanated from it, surrounded by swirling mist, creating a divine spectacle.

The villagers were astonished by this sight.

Lu Qing spoke up, "This jade tablet is specially crafted by me. It can test your potential for cultivation."

All eyes immediately turned to the exquisite jade tablet, filled with curiosity.

Could this beautiful jade tablet determine their suitability for cultivation?

"Brother Qing, what do we need to do?" asked one of the villagers.

"It's simple," Lu Qing smiled. "In a moment, you'll take turns standing before the tablet, breathe calmly, and relax."

"Is it that easy?"

The villagers were even more surprised.

But they recalled that Lu Qing was now a celestial being.

If he was a celestial, there was nothing he couldn't achieve.

"It's as simple as that. So, who wants to be the first to take the test?"

The villagers looked at each other, hesitant.

While they all yearned for cultivation, the prospect of testing made them hesitate.

Finally, one of them clenched his teeth and stepped forward, "I'll go first."

Lu Qing noticed the tension on his face and smiled, "Big An Brother, relax. The test isn't painful."

The villager who stepped forward was Wang Da'an, the same person who had accompanied Lu Qing on his first trip to the market.

Hearing Lu Qing's words, he visibly relaxed and smiled, "Okay."

He stood before the jade tablet, and a soft white light emerged from it, enveloping Wang Da'an.

Initially, Wang Da'an was nervous, but soon he realized the light was gentle and carried a unique power that made him feel refreshed.

His tension gradually faded, and he became calm and serene.

The villagers, on the other hand, grew anxious, watching silently.

Lu Qing observed the changes in the jade tablet.

Although he possessed supernatural abilities, capable of sensing information about all things in the world, each time he probed, the information he received was limited, unable to fully interpret all the characteristics of the items.

Especially for ordinary mortals, the information was even more limited, often just a few words.

This jade tablet he crafted could test one's aptitude for cultivation.

It was a magical artifact once used by the Fire Departure Sect to test the aptitude of new disciples. It was suitable for the villagers.

Wang Da'an was enveloped by the white light from the tablet, but after a long time, the light remained white without any change.

Just as everyone was waiting, the white light gradually dimmed, and Lu Qing sighed.

"Big An Brother, I'm sorry to say that you don't have the innate talent for cultivating the immortal path."

"I don't have the talent for cultivation?" Wang Da'an's face fell, and he looked dejected.

Although he had mentally prepared himself, hearing the news still made it hard to accept.

The other villagers fell silent, quietly observing Wang Da'an.

As the first to take the test, everyone had high hopes.

Wang Da'an was one of the strongest in the village, and if he lacked talent, the others' chances were even slimmer.

The once fiery atmosphere cooled down.

They realized that cultivation talent wasn't as common as they had imagined.

As Wang Da'an walked away, disheartened, Lu Qing remained silent.

The jade tablet primarily tested one's affinity for essence qi.

If one's affinity was too low, unable to sense essence qi, they naturally lacked the innate talent for cultivation.

Wang Da'an was in this situation.

Despite his strength and robust vitality, his affinity for essence qi was too low. Even if he forced himself to cultivate, the mere act of sensing essence qi would be a significant hurdle, let alone entering the path.

Wang Da'an stepped back, and another villager took his place.

The white light enveloped him, but after a while, it remained unchanged.

Lu Qing shook his head, and the villagers understood that this person also lacked cultivation talent.

However, with Wang Da'an's example, it was easier for the villager to accept.

After all, Wang Da'an was much stronger, and if he couldn't cultivate, it was normal for others to face the same fate.

One by one, the villagers stepped forward for testing, and after over ten attempts, the white light showed no signs of change.

The villagers gradually understood why Lu Qing had previously said that the path of cultivation was challenging.

The cultivation talent was indeed rare.

Among so many of them, not a single person possessed the talent for cultivation.

Time passed, and as more villagers underwent testing, over half had already tried.

Surprisingly, not a single person among them had the talent for cultivation.

Just as everyone thought that perhaps none in the village had the talent for cultivation, suddenly, the light from the jade tablet changed.

The pure white light flickered and gradually turned reddish.

In the end, the entire tablet glowed a faint shade of red.

"Hmm?" A hint of surprise flashed across Lu Qing's face.

"There's a change! The white light has turned red!"

One of the villagers exclaimed immediately.

The others, naturally, noticed this transformation and turned their attention to Lu Qing.

Under the expectant gazes of the villagers, Lu Qing revealed a smile.

He nodded, "Indeed, this red light represents that the tested individual possesses the qualifications to cultivate."

Then, he addressed the little girl who was still enveloped in the red light, looking a bit lost, "Er Ya, congratulations."

"Great!"

Everyone suddenly became delighted.

Especially Er Ya's parents, who were overjoyed to the point of tears.

If it weren't for Er Ya still being enveloped in the jade tablet's glow, they would have rushed over to hug their daughter.

"Wow! Er Ya is so amazing!"

Xiao Yan, standing nearby, jumped up in excitement.

Er Ya was one of her playmates, and they often played together in the village.

Seeing her good friend also possessing the qualifications to cultivate, Xiao Yan was genuinely happy for her.

After Er Ya, the situation took a different turn.

Next, two more individuals caused the light of the jade tablet to change.

One was a young man, and the other was a teenager.

However, the red light they triggered was very faint, much weaker than Er Ya's.

Nevertheless, they were still thrilled to have some cultivation potential.

When the teenager finished his test, there was only one person left to be tested.

Everyone's gaze turned to him.

And in their eyes, there was a hint of strangeness.

Because the person who remained untested was none other than Grandpa Zhao.

Grandpa Zhang had already covered his face.

He felt that his old friend was just here to embarrass himself.

At his age, with one foot already in the grave, he still wanted to join the excitement and learn cultivation; this was simply absurd! If it weren't for Lu Qing's good temper, other elders might have driven him away long ago!

Lu Qing, however, didn't think there was anything wrong. He smiled and looked at Grandpa Zhao, "Grandpa Zhao, please."

"Hehe, I'll trouble you, Lu Qing."

Grandpa Zhao didn't feel embarrassed at all. He chuckled and walked up to the jade tablet.

As expected, the jade tablet emitted a white light, enveloping Grandpa Zhao.

Just as everyone thought that they would have to wait for a while, and the white light would remain unchanged, and then Grandpa Zhao would give up—

Unexpectedly, after the white light settled on Grandpa Zhao for about seven or eight breaths, it began to change.

Within a short time, it quickly turned red, and the color gradually deepened.

Finally, when the transformation stopped, the light surrounding him had become a deep red.

And within that deep red, there was also a faint hint of golden color, barely discernible.

This transformation left the villagers stunned.

Even Lu Qing couldn't help but turn his head in surprise.

"Huh? This old man actually has some cultivation talent?"

Even the 'Flame' within the Flaming Cauldron couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"You can't judge a book by its cover. I never expected Grandpa Zhao to have the potential to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Realm. It's just a bit of a pity."

Lu Qing sighed inwardly.

The jade tablet was crafted by him, so he naturally understood what the colors of the light represented.

The color changes of this jade tablet were divided into three levels: red, gold, and purple.

At the same time, these three lights could also, to some extent, represent the cultivation potential of the tested individual.

Among them, those who triggered the red light had a cultivation potential that usually peaked at the Essence Condensation Realm.

In terms of martial arts, this would be the Primordial Realm.

The golden light represented the Foundation Establishment Realm.

As for those who triggered the purple light, they could be considered true cultivation geniuses, possessing the potential to achieve the Core Formation Realm.

Of course, what the jade tablet detected was just the initial potential; it didn't represent the final achievement of the tested individuals.

After all, on the path of cultivation, the most common thing was the various unknown possibilities.

Those with average talent might, with a stroke of good fortune, encounter powerful opportunities and defy the heavens, transforming and elevating their own qualifications.

But Lu Qing couldn't help but feel a bit of regret for Grandpa Zhao, as his age was indeed a bit too advanced.

"Lu Qing, does this red light triggered by Grandpa Zhao mean he also has the qualifications to cultivate?"

Amidst everyone's astonishment, Grandpa Zhang finally couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked.

At that moment, all eyes turned to Lu Qing.

Especially Grandpa Zhao, who looked at Lu Qing with great anticipation.

Under everyone's gaze, Lu Qing nodded lightly, "Of course, and Grandpa Zhao's cultivation talent is very good.

Just as I said before, if he cultivates to a high level, he can indeed fly."

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked.

Grandpa Zhao's eyes welled up with tears.

He murmured, "Xiao E, you see, you really didn't marry the wrong man..."

Grandpa Zhang, who was also initially shocked, felt a twinge of heartache upon hearing Grandpa Zhao's words.

He recalled their younger days when Grandpa Zhao often talked about dreaming of flying in the sky.

He would say that he was a reincarnated immortal who had simply forgotten his magical powers.

And he had always said that one day, he would venture out to seek the path of immortality, find a celestial being, and regain his abilities.

Every time Grandpa Zhao mentioned this, it would prompt ridicule from the villagers.

They mocked him for having wild fantasies and daydreaming about becoming a celestial being.

Eventually, except for himself and a few others, there was almost no one in the village who wanted to play with him.

Everyone said he was crazy, and if they played with him, they might go insane too.

Even Grandpa Zhang himself often found Grandpa Zhao's words irritating and had scolded him more than a few times.

Among all the villagers of the same age, only one person not only didn't dislike Grandpa Zhao but also actively sought him out to chat and listen to his celestial dreams.

She was a girl named Ah E.

Grandpa Zhang had seen them chatting by the river more than once.

Ah E would sit on a tall boulder, swinging her legs, listening attentively to Grandpa Zhao below, as he enthusiastically shared his celestial dreams.

In the end, Ah E married Grandpa Zhao, disregarding her family's objections.

In the blink of an eye, decades had passed. Ah E was no longer around, and they had aged significantly.

Grandpa Zhang looked at the red glow enveloping his old friend, and his eyes suddenly grew moist.

He felt both relief for his friend and sorrow for Ah E.

That girl had mustered all her courage, disregarding everyone's opposition, to marry the man she loved.

In the end, she didn't live to see her husband's glorious moment.

"Alright."

Lu Qing made a gesture, and the jade tablet was put away.

"The test is over. Our village did quite well, with four people possessing the aptitude for cultivation."

Upon hearing this, the villagers' reactions varied.

Some were delighted, some disappointed, some dejected, and others envious.

Seeing everyone's emotions, Lu Qing smiled.

He continued, "Those who didn't test positive for cultivation talent, don't be discouraged.

The jade tablet assesses your aptitude for the path of immortality.

But in this world, there's not only the immortal path; there's also the martial path.

If any of you still have the desire to cultivate, I've asked the head of the Wei family to help.

In a couple of days, they will send over a few highly skilled martial arts masters from the manor to build a Martial Hall in the village.

If you're interested, you can go there to practice martial arts.

When martial arts reach a high level, they are equally powerful and not much weaker than the immortal path."

At these words, the previously dejected villagers suddenly looked up with joy.

Wang Da'an shouted, "Ah Qing, are you saying we can learn martial arts?"

"Of course. The martial path is open to everyone, unlike the immortal path, which is more particular about one's aptitude.

But martial arts cultivation is also challenging. You'll need to persevere." Lu Qing nodded.

"Pfft, what's challenging about it? Can it be more challenging than our daily farming under the sun and rain?" Wang Da'an scoffed.

"Exactly!"

The others nodded in agreement.

They also secretly made a decision in their hearts that once the Martial Hall was built, they would definitely practice martial arts diligently.

After all, in this world, martial artists also held a high status.

Seeing this, Lu Qing nodded inwardly.

Although he didn't know how many of them would eventually stick to it, starting this endeavor was a good thing for Nine Li Village.

"As for you, Grandpa Zhao..."

Lu Qing's gaze fell on Grandpa Zhao and the others. "I often need to seclude myself for cultivation, so I might not have much time to teach you. That's why I also found a teacher for you..."

However, before Lu Qing could finish, Grandpa Zhao waved his hand.

He chuckled, "Ah Qing, I'm good. Just like Elder Zhang said, I'm already this old, half my body is already in the ground. Why bother learning cultivation at this age?"

"Grandpa Zhao, you don't want to cultivate?" Lu Qing was taken aback.

The other villagers were also stunned.

"No need," Grandpa Zhao smiled. "I came here this time just to find out if the dreams I had in my youth were real.

Now I know, and I have no regrets.

As for cultivation, forget it. I'm too old, and I don't have the energy for it."

"But Grandpa Zhao, with your talent, if you truly cultivate, even if you can't unlock your full potential, you can still extend your lifespan," Lu Qing couldn't help but persuade.

However, Grandpa Zhao still shook his head. "Ah E is gone. Why would I want to live so long? Alright, just take good care of these kids. No need to worry about me."

After saying this, Grandpa Zhao headed home on his own.

As he walked, when he reached his doorstep, he looked up and vaguely saw a woman in the courtyard, watching him.

She smiled like a blooming flower, just like she did when she listened to his stories by the river in the past.

The next day, Lu Qing received news.

Grandpa Zhao had passed away, a peaceful death.

He lay on his bed, holding a piece of embroidered cloth in his hands.

According to Grandpa Zhang, it was a gift from Grandpa Zhao's wife when they were young.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end