Blood rose from Pinewood Hollow in threads of crimson, and the dazed Chen Fang finally understood what mortals meant to immortals.
Chen Fang lay against the shattered remains of a vegetable cart, unable to feel his legs. Around him, the previously lively town of Pinewood Hollow stood silent, without a voice, a footstep, or a cry.
Above the town, standing on empty air, a young man in fluttering vermillion robes raised one hand toward the sky, and blood began to rise. From every doorway, every window, every street and courtyard, countless crimson ribbons spiraled upwards, condensing in the palm of the young man above.
Chen Fang had been here for an inspection, and had already finished compiling his report: "Pinewood Hollow—compliant, no demonic activity detected." He had been enjoying a cup of tea when a resounding boom came from above, and moments later the town was dead.
The sphere in the young man's hand compressed and darkened, refining the blood, pulling some essential from the deaths of thousands. Then, the sphere collapsed into the man's abdomen. The young man's gaze swept the city, and then the man vanished in an instant, leaving Chen Fang all alone amidst the sea of bodies.
Chen Fang stood up slowly, finally coming to his senses. He muttered under his breath. "Those vermillion robes… Liu Family… what beasts! They're all beasts!"
Unbeknownst to Chen Fang, two other figures adorned in vermillion robes appeared in the air soon after the young man departed. Both wore worried expressions.
"It's happened again," one murmured. "The karmic debt…once it descends on the Family…"
"Will halt our cultivation." The other finished. "Advancing further will become nearly impossible for us. The one hurt won't be Immortal Master Chengxu, but the rest of us."
A long silence.
"He's the Xu Branch's ancestor, this weakens them more than it weakens us. We can escape this karma, we can redirect it."
"But who could we use? No one is suitable. The good seeds are protected… and the disposable ones can't bear fate."
Both fell into contemplation, wondering how to get free of their circumstances.
Somewhere far from Pinewood Hollow, in a town called Willowbank, a crystal sphere was about to glow for the first time.
The town sat in the shadow of Mount Zhenyuan, home to the Liu Family immortals. Liu Dichun, a distant descendant, lived there with his many children from various concubines. He'd grown up hearing stories of his grandfather—a cultivator who'd spent his life on the mountain suppressing demons.
But Liu Dichun's father had no spiritual root, and Liu Dichun had inherited only shame and feelings of insignificance. He never attended family gatherings at the mountain's base. He didn't feel he deserved to.
Today, he would test his seventh son for a spiritual root. After a dozen children tested, the crystal had never once reacted.
Across from Liu Dichun stood seven-year-old Liu Chenming, a scholarly child who preferred reading history to playing. He'd felt his father's inadequacy his whole life, and while he admired the immortals he sometimes glimpsed crossing the sky, he thought the mundane world had enough to last a lifetime.
His father thought him naive.
Liu Dichun held the crystal to his son's stomach and instructed him to breathe in, and the crystal reacted.
It reacted? Liu Dichun's eyes widened, then quickly narrowed as he scrutinized his son. Liu Chenming felt as if struck by a bolt; he had never expected or even hoped for a spiritual root. Now that he had one, what would become of his life?
"Ming'er…" Liu Dichun said, gripping his son's shoulder firmly as he looked at him with a conflicted expression, struggling to find the right words. Finally, he said seriously: "Don't ever take this for granted."
"Ming'er wouldn't dare," Liu Chenming said as he nodded his small head up and down profusely.
Liu Dichun gave his son's shoulder two pats. Finally coming to his senses he realized that a few years from now, he might be wasting away in an even nicer house.
….
Three months later.
Liu Chenming was the youngest of twelve living siblings. With his sisters married off and his brothers either in offices or brothels it was rare that the entire family gathered together. None of these siblings were full siblings. His mother was a concubine, a branch member of a local Qi Condensation family, who had died soon after childbirth. Still, his family mostly treated him well.
Today was a rare occasion that the entire family was gathered. Liu Chenming's grip was firmly locked onto his brother Liu Chenrui's tunic. His sister Liu Chenxiu tussled his hair. "You can't be so scared, Ming'er. You'll be fighting demons soon!"
"Chenxiu, stop teasing the boy!" her mother quickly scolded.
"If I had a spiritual root, I wouldn't be scared at all. It's a real waste on him!" Liu Chenlan, who was only two years older than Liu Chenming, added.
"Enough," declared Liu Dichun, causing the hall to fall silent. "The Immortal Master will be here soon. Don't make fools of yourselves in front of him."
Just as he spoke, everyone seemed to notice something and collectively held their breaths. Something was descending from the sky, cutting through the clouds as easily as a fish through water. It was a boat—a long, narrow craft of dark wood and pale jade, its prow curved like the beak of a crane. Runes crawled along its sides in thin lines of gold, brightening and dimming as if it was breathing.
The wind roared down with it. Roof tiles rattled and chimes played disorderly. The boat didn't fall all the way, it hovered about a foot above the ground. Inside it stood a figure in elegant crimson robes that were untouched by dust. A simple hairpin bound his hair, and he spoke calmly.
"Respectfully greeting the Immortal Master!" the family exclaimed in unison as they prostrated themselves.
"Heh, what 'master?' We're all of the same clan," the figure responded. "I am Liu Tianrui. I assume you are Chenming?" he said, looking at the young boy hidden behind his younger brother.
"Ming'er is here," the boy firmly said.
"Good temperament, good bearing!" the man noted, causing the Liu family members to let out a sigh of relief. "Ming'er will be coming with me today to go to Zhenyuan. He'll still be able to come down to visit from time to time. Ming'er, come."
For a moment, he didn't move. The words were gentle, even casual, but they carried a weight that made his legs feel like they belonged to someone else. His brother's hand settled on his shoulder. "It's time to go."
Chenming released his grip on Liu Chenrui's tunic. His brother crouched slightly, forcing a smile that looked almost painful.
"You're going to be an immortal," Chenrui whispered. "Don't… don't forget Willowbank."
"I won't," Chenming promised.
His sister Liu Chenxiu leaned down and flicked his forehead, the way she always did when he hesitated.
"Go on," she said, trying to sound teasing. "Go fight demons."
Her eyes were red.
"I- Immortal Master," the young Liu Chenlan suddenly blurted out, "can- can I come too? I can-"
Before she could finish, a pressure fell over the room. Liu Chenlan felt a deep gaze pass over her, measuring her, before disappearing.
Liu Chenlan's mouth snapped shut. Her face went pale. She lowered his head so fast it was almost a bow. "Don't be so greedy," the man said with a plain expression.
Liu Chenming finally stepped onto the boat, and it gently accelerated, passing over the manor. The courtyard was packed. Servants, guards, distant relatives, town officials—people who normally held their heads high—were lined up as if awaiting judgment.
Liu Chenming kept looking at the courtyard until it was out of sight. His last views were those of the masses bowing down.
….
The boat remained silent until the two were above the clouds. Finally, Tianrui spoke.
"How much do you know about Mount Zhenyuan?" he asked.
"I know it's where the immortals of our family live, that's all."
"Yes, Zhenyuan has little to do with the affairs of the mundane world. Other clans govern the surrounding areas but still must pay homage," Tianrui said with a proud expression. "When we first get to the mountain, we will formally test your spiritual root."
Chenming was dumbfounded. "Y-you're saying not all spiritual roots are the same?"
Tianrui laughed, clearly pleased by the knowledge asymmetry, and tried his best to act like a mysterious elder. "Of course not! The heavens are unfair! But while Heaven takes forty-nine, the Great Dao has fifty!"
Chenming was confused. "What does that mean?"
"You'll understand one day," said Tianrui as he gave Chenming a pat. "Most likely, you will go to Far Lantern Peak, which is where young descendants train until they completely awaken their spiritual sense."
"And what happens after that?"
"Usually, you'll either be sent to farm spirit paddies, oversee a spirit vein mine, or if you're lucky help make spiritual wine. If you have some skill, you might even be able to make talismans or refine artifacts!"
Chenming wasn't too interested in farming, but his eyes lit up when he heard about the talisman crafting and artifact refining. "What if I can't awaken my spiritual sense?"
Then you'll be an expendable body sent to reproduce and then die in a low level conflict, Tianrui thought to himself. "Just try your hardest!"
Chenming gave a resolute nod, and he spent the rest of the trip fantasizing about building incredible magic treasures.
The flying boat cut through the clouds for another hour.
At first, Mount Zhenyuan had looked like a single towering mass from Willowbank. But from above the cloud sea, it revealed its true form: a range of peaks, each one rising like a sword from the world, each one crowned in mist and light.
The air changed as they approached.
It grew thicker and cleaner. Even breathing felt different, as if his lungs were drinking something denser than wind. Chenming's scalp tingled. His heart beat harder for no reason. He swallowed and realized his mouth tasted faintly sweet.
Tianrui noticed his expression and chuckled.
"Spirit qi," he said, as if naming the obvious. "Don't get too excited. This is only the outer ring.
Only the outer ring… Chenming stared at the mountains ahead. If this was the outer ring, then what in Heaven was the inner?
They passed over valleys filled with terraced paddies that shimmered like mirrors, each flooded field threaded with faint formation-lines. Spirit grain swayed gently, bending toward invisible currents. Far below, tiny figures moved like ants. Mortals hauling baskets, low-level cultivators carrying talisman poles and driving spirit oxen.
A little further on, Chenming saw the mouth of a mine cut into a cliff face. Lanterns burned with pale blue fire at its entrance. Rows of workers moved in and out, backs bent under heavy loads. Above them, stone tablets carved with runes floated in midair.
The boat rose, and the peaks grew closer. Some were colossal, crowned with palaces and soaring bridges. Chenming caught glimpses of golden roofs, jade stairways, and towering statues half-hidden in fog.
Tianrui didn't spare a glance.
He guided the boat away from the grand peaks, steering instead toward the outermost ridge, where the air felt colder and the sunlight seemed dimmer. A cluster of smaller peaks jutted up like broken teeth.
On one of them stood a single tall tower, narrow and old, with lanterns hanging from its eaves despite the daylight. The lanterns were lit, their flames burned faintly orange and held firm against the wind. This was Far Lantern Peak. It didn't have quite the majestic feel as the others; it seemed more rustic.
As the flying boat hovered, Tianrui flicked his sleeve. A stair of light appeared again. "Walk," he said.
Chenming's feet felt stiff as he descended, but the moment he stepped onto the platform, the pressure of the mountain hit him fully. The world suddenly seemed heavier.
Around the platform were children. So many children. A sea of small figures in plain gray robes, standing in choreographed lines. Boys and girls, almost all between seven and nine. Some tried to stand proudly, chins lifted, eyes bright. Others trembled so hard Chenming could see their sleeves shaking.
Many had parents behind them at the edge of the platform—branch cultivators and mortal officials—faces showing mixtures of pride and terror. None of them dared speak above a whisper.
At the front, where the formation-lines converged, stood three figures on a raised dais. Two wore red robes, their expressions bored and cold.
The third was a young woman in white, hair tied with a silver ribbon. She held a jade tablet and spoke without raising her voice, yet every word rang across the platform clearly.
"Next."
A child stepped forward, and a servant placed a shallow bowl of clear water upon a stone stand. Above it hovered a crystal sphere. The child pressed their palm to the sphere. The water stirred once. Then went still. The jade tablet in the woman's hand flashed faintly. She didn't even look up. "Low-grade root, stand to the side."
The boy looked somewhat disappointed, but he had somewhat expected this result and couldn't be too displeased. He obediently walked to the side with other children that had finished testing.
"Next."
Another child stepped forward, teeth clenched. She pressed her palm, and the water didn't even complete a full cycle. "False-roots. Stand to the side."
The child looked ashen, and her father watching from afar shook his head with a sigh. He knew that with false roots, it was highly unlikely that she would ever open her spiritual sense. Well, at least she has a root, so she'll have some value for marriage, he comforted himself.
Chenming watched as the Liu family children were tested one by one. Most had low-grade roots, some unfortunate ones had false roots, a few lucky ones had mid-grade roots, and one even had a high-grade root, which caused quite a stir.
"Next."
Finally, it was Chenming's turn to walk up to the podium. His heart tightened. Even though he'd never expected to have spiritual roots to begin with, the gazes he felt on him made him afraid to embarrass himself. The woman looked him over—not like a person, but like an item being evaluated, and instructed him to press his palm to the sphere.
The crystal turned cold. And then the water moved. Once, twice, three times… eight times! The woman stared at him in shock, her gaze turning gentle as she announced: "Earth-grade root!"