C2 Little Ghost Is Safe

Wang Ergou garnered newfound respect from his peers for his timely return with news. It could also be that his early contact with the Immortal Elder led everyone to believe he shared a special connection with the revered figure.

En route to the private school, only the white-bearded elder engaged in conversation with Lee Qingyun. The others, in the presence of the cultivator with formidable divine powers, were visibly restrained.

The elder introduced himself as the village chief. In his youth, he had worked at the distant Immortals' Merchant Company, the Nature's Mystery Pavilion, and his worldly experience earned him the role of village chief upon his return.

Mossview Village was home to over three thousand individuals, all bearing the Wang surname. Among them, thirty youths aged twelve to sixteen attended the private school.

"Honestly, we have far more children of the right age for cultivation than just thirty," the village chief confided. "But with limited resources, we prioritize those with innate Qi.

"It's a shame for the ones left behind... In a larger clan, they might have had the chance to continue their cultivation."

Lee Qingyun's heart leapt at the news. Innate Qi was a gift exclusive to those with at least three spiritual veins, and with thirty such children in the village, the prospects of finding promising disciples were excellent. He kept his excitement internal, simply nodding subtly, betraying no emotion.

The practice of Qi Refinement Stage hinges on the absorption and circulation of Heaven and Earth's Spiritual Qi, with the number of spiritual veins in one's body determining the efficiency of this process. The more spiritual veins one possesses, the greater their innate talent, the quicker their cultivation progress, and the sturdier their foundation.

The village chief's admiration grew as he observed Lee Qingyun's unchanged demeanor. The thirty children with innate Qi had already turned neighboring villages green with envy, yet this Immortal Elder remained unimpressed. To him, it seemed, children with innate Qi and three or more spiritual veins were hardly noteworthy—a testament to the grandeur of his own sect.

Little did he know that Lee Qingyun's sect, counting himself, the old gatekeeper, the recently accepted disciple, and the donkey he led, amounted to a mere four individuals.

The village chief mused with a hint of wonder. It made sense why the magpies had been so vocal lately; a stroke of good fortune was indeed on the horizon. If this Immortal Elder from a grand sect were to accept even a single disciple for menial tasks, he wouldn't have to fear the folks from the neighboring village any longer.

Without the backing of a sect, even those with the rare gift of three spiritual veins could only advance to the third level of Qi Refining, amounting to little more than ordinary people with robust health. But with a sect's guidance and resources, even the least gifted with a single spiritual vein could surpass the sixth level of Qi Refining.

The recent boldness of the neighboring village could be traced back to their fortune of having a child accepted into the Soul Capturing Sect.

The local private school had already assembled all the eligible youths early in anticipation.

A group of young people stood neatly before Lee Qingyun, greeting him respectfully, "Greetings, Immortal Elder."

Lee Qingyun returned their greeting with a warm smile, his eyes swiftly scanning the crowd.

The village chief addressed the youths, "Children, today is an auspicious day for Mossview. By a twist of fate, we have been graced by the presence of an Immortal Elder who wanders the earth. He is willing to forge a bond with our village by selecting a few among you as his disciples. This is an incredible opportunity, so seize it with both hands!"

"Next, we will—"

"No need," Lee Qingyun interjected, cutting off the village chief.

The village chief looked at Lee Qingyun with wide eyes, a dawning realization crossing his face.

Lee Qingyun gave a slight shake of his head. He had already assessed the thirty children while the village chief was speaking. All possessed three spiritual veins, but their aptitude and fortune were unremarkable, falling short of the three-star talents the system required.

So, was this visit to Mossview yet another fruitless search for disciples?

Panic began to set in Lee Qingyun's heart. With only three days remaining until the system's deadline, the quest for a three-star prodigy seemed increasingly elusive. Was he on the brink of failing his mission?

"Understood, I shall take my leave," Lee Qingyun bid farewell to the old village chief. He needed to make haste to the next large village in search of promising young talent.

The village chief managed a strained smile, almost pleading as he spoke, "Immortal Elder, might you consider taking a look at our children with a single spiritual root? The path of cultivation demands high aptitude, but in other respects..."

A disdainful "Hmph!" interrupted from above, followed by a gust of wind hurtling towards Lee Qingyun.

With a swift motion, Lee Qingyun caught the projectile from the tree—it was a stone.

The village chief gasped in alarm, "You rascal! Come down from there before you bring disaster upon us!"

The figure in the tree ignored the warning and hurled another stone, which Lee Qingyun effortlessly caught once more.

Several agile villagers swiftly scaled the tree to apprehend the stone-throwing troublemaker.

"Please excuse the disturbance, Immortal Elder. The boy is young and knows no better..." the village chief stammered, well aware that if the visitor before him took offense, the whole village could suffer the consequences.

"Ding! A six-star genius without a legacy has been detected. Host, it is imperative that you take him under your wing!"

"Name: Sun Ping'an

Age: 12

Attributes: 16 spiritual veins (Heavenly Spiritual Vein), bone structure 8, comprehension 8, predestined blessing 7, temperament 5, total score 28

Cultivation: None

Star Rating: Six-Star Genius"

"Bring him to me!" Lee Qingyun commanded.

"Immortal Elder..." The village chief's voice trailed off in resignation, seeing Lee Qingyun's apparent ire, he reluctantly signaled to the bystanders.

A few villagers dragged down a wildly thrashing figure from the tree, as black as coal. Despite being restrained by several adults, the child continued to kick and bite in a relentless struggle.

Finally, with a thud, he was deposited before Lee Qingyun.

The child's eyes, wide and fierce, fixed on Lee Qingyun, revealing that the coal-black figure was, in fact, a shirtless boy. His round head was topped with short, spiky hair, and his vibrant eyes conveyed a mix of anger, fear, and curiosity as he glared at Lee Qingyun.

"I'm taking him with me," Lee Qingyun stated calmly.

"Immortal Elder, he's just a child..." the old village chief said weakly.

"I've made up my mind to take him," Lee Qingyun insisted, locking eyes with the old village chief and repeating himself with gravity.

The old village chief's eyes bulged, his lips quivering. "Is... Is that really true?"

Lee Qingyun offered a faint smile. "Indeed, it is true."

The old village chief burst into uproarious laughter. He hadn't anticipated that the Immortal Elder, so esteemed and aloof, would truly choose a disciple here in Mossview. At last, there was hope!

Lee Qingyun, too, cracked a smile. He hadn't foreseen that this impish boy who had appeared out of nowhere and pelted him with stones would end up being his savior. Without him, he wasn't sure he could fulfill his mission in the coming three days.

The old village chief strode over and ruffled the little black ghost's hair. "Ping'an, don't just stand there—kneel and pay respects to your master!"

"I won't!" the little black ghost blurted out defiantly. "Grandpa Village Chief, he was mean to you!"

The old village chief replied in a fluster, "You don't understand, you rascal. Your master was merely jesting with me..."

The little ghost turned to Lee Qingyun with a serious gaze. "Is that true?"

Lee Qingyun nodded affirmatively.

The little ghost promptly bowed and kowtowed three times with gusto.

"Master, I greet you!"

Lee Qingyun couldn't help but chuckle; the boy was indeed clever.

He produced a small white Taoist robe and said, "Here, a welcoming gift from your master."

With those words, Lee Qingyun employed his spiritual energy to lift Sun Ping'an, cleansing the boy's unwashed body of days' worth of grime to reveal the healthy complexion of a normal child, and then dressed him in the robe.

In the blink of an eye, Sun Ping'an transformed from a grimy lump of coal into a pristine little Taoist priest.

Feeling the eyes of the villagers upon him, he grew self-conscious, his cheeks flushing as he scratched his head in embarrassment.

The old village chief swiftly knocked his hand aside. "Don't dawdle—thank your master for the robe!"

"Oh!" Sun Ping'an's eyes widened in realization, and in his sweet, youthful voice, he said, "Thank you for the robe, Master!"

"Ding! The system's first task is complete, and the host has narrowly escaped death.

Reward: a low-grade Yellow Rank Spirit Gathering Formation, plus 25 Heavenly Points!"

"Successfully recruiting a six-star genius into the sect earns an extra reward of 60 Heavenly Points!"