Volume One: A Humble Beginning in Pursuit of Immortality

Prologue

The world says that immortals have it good—eternal life, carefree and unrestrained.

To become immortal, one must cultivate; upon enlightenment, one ascends and becomes an immortal.

To live to seventy is rare; since ancient times, all mortals must face death. No matter how heroic or clever you are, how many wives and concubines you have, how great your power and influence, you cannot escape the cycle of heaven. Even if you live longer than most, after a hundred years, you will still become nothing but a pile of dry bones. Power and wealth are but fleeting clouds.

Thus arose the pursuit of immortality.

With a mortal body, one defies the heavens, endures countless tribulations, overcomes endless hardships, and finally transforms into an immortal, transcending the three realms and the five elements, achieving eternal life and sharing longevity with heaven and earth.

Yet the path to immortality is arduous; even those who wish to cultivate face barriers.

Hence, the concept of spiritual roots.

Spiritual roots allow one to sense the primordial energy of heaven and earth. Only those who possess them can cultivate immortality. In ancient times, when humanity first set foot on the path of cultivation, people were ignorant of what spiritual roots were, still groping in the dark. Back then, the world of cultivation was not prosperous, and the reason was that those with spiritual roots were exceedingly rare. Without them, one could not sense spiritual energy, and cultivating immortality was like climbing a tree to catch fish—no matter how hard you tried, it was all in vain.

Among the countless mortals in the world, whether nobles or commoners, all fear death and thus seek the way of immortality. However, among ordinary people, those with spiritual roots are far too rare—often, among millions, not even one can be found.

With such a low ratio, the sects of cultivation could only sigh in vain; it was too difficult to find disciples. After all, they could not possibly test every single mortal one by one.

Thus, on one side were countless people yearning to cultivate immortality, while on the other, the immortal sects struggled to find suitable successors, fearing the end of their lineages.

These two seemingly contradictory facts have always coexisted, and can be considered a curious phenomenon in the history of cultivation.

The root cause is still the scarcity of those with spiritual roots.

Faced with such a predicament, the predecessors of cultivation were naturally unwilling to accept it. Was the pursuit of immortality truly an act against the heavens?

They pondered tirelessly, expending endless effort in research. Eventually, they discovered that while those born with spiritual roots were indeed rare—one in a million—spiritual roots could, in fact, be awakened later in life.

However, this required guidance.

Thus, through dedicated exploration, the concept of "awakening the spirit" gradually emerged.

Awakening the spirit refers to having a boy or girl under the age of eighteen take a precious spiritual pill, then having a senior cultivator infuse a trace of magical power into their meridians. This can reveal spiritual roots and open the sea of consciousness, allowing them to begin refining qi and embark on the rugged path to immortality.

So, who exactly can awaken spiritual roots?

The answer: anyone under eighteen.

This discovery meant that the immortal sects would never again lack successors. However, things were not so simple. Although, in theory, anyone could awaken their spirit, in practice, the sects found that the probability was actually very low. Most people, though able to awaken spiritual roots, had roots of extremely poor quality. Even if they embarked on the path of cultivation, their achievements would be very limited.

And since the awakening pill was rare, accepting such disciples was hardly worth the cost.

It was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a pot of boiling oil. Yet the sects did not give up. Countless sages persevered, continuing their research, and finally, they discovered a pattern.

Thus, the "Immortal-Seeking Manual" was born.

The "Immortal-Seeking Manual" recorded a special technique for mortals to cultivate. After practicing it, one could condense inner breath within the body. This inner breath was different from the internal force of the mundane martial world; it was a pure Daoist method of nurturing qi. Though it had no offensive power, it had a tremendous effect on awakening the spirit.

The more abundant and enduring the inner breath, the better the effect of awakening the spirit. The quality of the spiritual roots and the sea of consciousness revealed would also be superior.

Thus, a standard was established.

The immortal sects were overjoyed. With their promotion, the "Immortal-Seeking Manual," which was not truly a cultivation technique, spread widely among the people, with no barriers to entry—anyone could practice it.

This way, when the sects needed new disciples, they could select the best from among those who had practiced the "Immortal-Seeking Manual," saving time and effort. The proportion of those with excellent spiritual roots was far higher than before, to everyone's delight.

And this story begins here.

Chapter 1: Disciple of the Immortal Sect

Wu Kingdom.

Qinghe County, Weichi City.

It was not the New Year, yet Weichi City was adorned with lanterns and streamers. People hurried about, sharing the news, everyone dressed in new clothes, and the city was filled with a festive atmosphere.

Even ten years ago, when the third son of Lord Wei in the city achieved the rank of Tanhua, it had not been this lively. The city lord personally issued a proclamation, lifted the curfew, held grand banquets, and even set up a flowing feast in the city square.

“Geoffrey Quinn is truly remarkable, setting a precedent not seen in a hundred years. I watched this child grow up—I always knew he was destined for greatness.”