Henry Sullivan only felt a gentle warm current surge from his back into his meridians, instantly flowing throughout his entire body, even temporarily infusing his blood with immortal spiritual energy.

A tiny gray-green seed, which hadn’t existed before, appeared in his dantian. Surrounded by layers of mist, its appearance was unclear. Before officially embarking on the path of cultivation, even with this brief breath of immortal spiritual energy, he was unable to look inward.

He cut his index finger, letting a drop of fresh blood fall onto the immortal spirit flower, which had reverted to its small bud form.

This time, although the immortal spirit flower reacted, it was not as immediate as Jason Bolton’s. The small flower bud slowly grew larger at a rather sluggish pace, taking quite a while to reach the normal size of a flower bud, and then a small slit opened between the petals.

After waiting for a while, the immortal spirit flower showed no further movement. This indicated that although Henry Sullivan’s immortal seed was not dead, it was extremely dried up. In a few more months, it might wither and die.

Jack Carter pondered for a while. Henry Sullivan’s aptitude was borderline—he could be accepted or not. The decision to stay or go was entirely in their hands.

Looking at Henry Sullivan, Jack Carter wore an expression of regret. He hadn’t expected that someone like Henry Sullivan, who could occasionally gather such precious herbs as polygonatum, would have such ordinary aptitude—so ordinary that it left him at a loss.

At this moment, Thomas Bennett leaned in close to Jack Carter’s ear and whispered a few words. Jack Carter’s eyes flickered, as if weighing the pros and cons.

A moment later, Jack Carter announced that Henry Sullivan was also accepted.

The people of Datian Town erupted in excitement once again. In a poor place like Datian Town, it was perfectly normal not to have a single person selected for decades or even a hundred years. Jack Carter and Thomas Bennett had only come with the intention of going through the motions, but unexpectedly, they ended up accepting two at once.

Immediately after, a large number of candidates were eliminated. Surprisingly, Jason Bolton’s younger cousin and follower, Ryan Bolton, also passed the test, and his results were even slightly better than Henry Sullivan’s. The immortal spirit flower opened an extra slit, proving that Ryan Bolton’s immortal seed was more vigorous than Henry Sullivan’s.

Jason Bolton’s face was filled with the pride of a youth who had achieved success. He looked at Henry Sullivan with contempt, feeling smug inside: You think you’re so strong and like to meddle in others’ business—just wait until I master spiritual arts and become an immortal, then you’ll see how I deal with you!

As for Jason Bolton’s provocative gaze, Henry Sullivan ignored it. So what if your aptitude is a bit better than mine, and your immortal seed is a bit more vigorous? It’s nothing special. The path of cultivation is full of uncertainties; good aptitude doesn’t guarantee future achievements. Otherwise, why would those immortals still search everywhere? Wouldn’t it be easier to just recruit people with top-tier aptitude?

Soon, all forty-one youths had completed the test. This year, Datian Town produced three immortal disciples in one go—everyone was overjoyed.

“You three, go home and prepare, say goodbye to your parents and family. Tomorrow, follow us up the mountain,” Jack Carter said, handing each of them a heavy bag of silver. “This is your settlement allowance. Take care of your affairs, and meet at the town entrance at dawn tomorrow!”

After giving instructions, Jack Carter and Thomas Bennett summoned their immortal swords and soared away. The unsuccessful youths shifted their envy for the two immortals onto the three who passed the test, especially Jason Bolton, who had the best results. In the near future, they would be able to soar like immortals.

News that the immortals had selected three youths from Datian Town spread, shocking everyone within a hundred miles. Many distant relatives who had lost contact for generations came bearing gifts and kind words, trying every possible way to build a relationship with the future immortals. The threshold of Jason Bolton’s house, who had the best aptitude, was worn down by visitors, and the other two families also received plenty of attention.

After a night of excitement, the three youths, surrounded by countless townsfolk, arrived at the town entrance, where Thomas Bennett and Jack Carter were already waiting.

Because the journey was long, the town chief had purchased five fine horses overnight from the county for them to ride.

The five mounted their horses. Thomas Bennett flicked his hand, sticking five yellow talisman papers onto the rumps of the horses. The five horses, as if injected with adrenaline, neighed and sped forward.

There was no time to wave goodbye. Looking back, they could only see the tears in their loved ones’ eyes, filled with both happiness and sorrow, as they gradually rode farther away.

The road to cultivation is long and there is no return.

“Immortal elders, may I ask how we should address you to avoid being disrespectful?” Henry Sullivan urged his horse forward to catch up with Thomas Bennett and Jack Carter, asking politely and confidently.

“Senior brother!” Jack Carter replied coldly, expressionless, spitting out the two words.

Jason Bolton and Ryan Bolton saw Henry Sullivan rebuffed and secretly laughed, but put on an honest facade. Jason Bolton feigned sincerity and said, “It is a great honor for Jason Bolton to be chosen by the two senior brothers and accepted as a disciple. I hope you will look after me in the future!”

Neither Thomas Bennett nor Jack Carter was interested in Jason Bolton’s clumsy flattery and simply ignored him. Jason Bolton was displeased, but still forced a smile.

“Senior Brother Zhao, Senior Brother Xu, the three of us come from a remote place and are inexperienced. We only know that immortals like you come every year to select disciples, but we don’t know the details. To avoid making a fool of ourselves at the sect and embarrassing our guides, could you please give us some advice?”

Henry Sullivan spoke with confidence and composure, and the aloof Jack Carter gave a brief “Mm” in agreement.