"Johan, have you ever considered that this life, may not be for you? I mean, this entire thing is just so confusing to a lot of us, you've never really shown you were "brainy" in school or in life, generally. So, I don't understand where this dream of you wanting to become a scientist comes from." A middle- aged woman sighs as she rests her elbows on a glass table, looking down as she looks at her gray pajamas.
"I love you, and I by no means, am calling you stupid, but son, I don't know if I can work to support you through college if you're going down that path. I'm getting old Johan, my legs don't work like they used to before. I asked your aunt Marie, and she said she had to fork over 5 thousand dollars just for the first year alone for her daughter to study who knows what type of science shes studying right now. All I'm saying is, are you sure you want to do this? I don't have much of an inheritance to give you ever since your father took our savings and ran with his new woman. We can't afford for you to shift to other degrees, I just don't have that much time left my son." She said as she lifted her eyes and met the gaze of Johan.
***
On a creaky wooden bed, with a mattress made of rough boars hair and itch- inducing animal fur, an average looking teen covered in dirt, soot, and sweat was startled awake. "...These dreams are starting to get old." The boy then grabbed what seemed to be a hanging sack of flour with 3 cuts and put it on as a makeshift shirt, matching the color of the dirt brown pants he'd found on a corpse whilst working in the fields.
Walking out of the storage space he liked to call his room, he noticed his hairy and shirtless father sitting on the floor where he used old sacks of flour to prevent two the two pieces of hard tack from touching the dirty floor. "Dig in, this is your last meal in this house, so I splurged a little. After this, we're gonna go to the town and attend the annual immortal talents selection. If ever you don't have the talent to get chosen, I'll sell you to a slave-trader Hamin."
"I know, there's nothing to take here, so we can leave after we finish this meal."
After they finished eating the hard tack, they set off barefoot east. They encountered 3 bandit groups, all of whom didn't give them a second glance after seeing their attire. After 6 hours of walking with 15 minute breaks in between every hour, they made it to a bustling and protected town, filled with a variety of people.
Nobles, commoners, and even peasants like them seemed to be everywhere. All walking towards the town square. They arrived in a sea of people, with the most brilliantly dressed crowded nearest to the center of the stone podium in the middle of town. All of whom kowtowed in the direction of the center, including the father and son duo.
"Hm, that seems to be every mortal within this province." A loud and thunderous roar like voice boomed followed by an immensely bright azure flash of lightning hitting the podium leaving behind a dashing white- haired man wearing yellow robes with blue streaks. Two blades hung behind his back leaving a strong impression to everyone who managed to sneak a peek.
"Alright, you know the drill, all those of age 15 and under make an orderly line and touch the root detecting orb, everyone else, scram." The man ordered, instantly making all those not eligible leave with 1500 people still remaining.
The boy in the very front wore ostentatious robes and was the first to touch the orb, made it light up in 5 different muddy colors. "Mixed spiritual roots, denied, next." However, this did not dampen the childs spirits as he knew he could choose to go to a lower ranked sect and he would instantly be accepted on the basis of his spiritual roots.
This continued with every teen that got the same result as the first, however, this was the minority with the majority of the teens not managing to trigger the orb, eliciting a downcast response from the majority of the people who finished until one average looking girl managed to light the orb up in 3 bright colors. "True spirit roots huh? Come stand besides me." The white haired man ordered.
A boy who looked like the girl then stepped up on the podium and touched to orb, making it light up in 4 different colors. "Average spirit roots? Barely acceptable. Get off the podium and stand in the front." To which the boy showed complex emotion in his eyes, but didn't say anything and did as he was told. This went on until there was one other boy standing with the girl besides the white haired man, both of whom now had a visible arrogance within their eyes. The boy, likewise, also now had 13 people standing next to him.
"It seems that I need a minimum of rank 4 roots to get in, but the chances seem dim since there's only me and some 10 or so kids left." Hamin thought before it was finally his turn, his heart beating now audible to him, he walked up as he felt his hands and feet go cold.
Everything he planned on depended on this one singular result. As he felt his hand touch the cool orb, it felt like something from within his soul was being drained into this orb. The orb then started to light up into an incredibly bright yellow color with sparks flying around.
The examiner widened his eyes and immediately activated a formation and blew into a flute that flew after it left his hand at incredible speeds.
Seconds later after setting up the formation, explosions powerful enough to induce mushroom clouds started to batter the protection. "Daoist Blue Sky, you know better than to prevent the death of that one. Your Thunder Calling Sect seniors are busy with dealing the True Demons, they do not have the experts to dispense to protect you. We, of the Elemental Harmony Sect, uphold our honor and dignity by offering you the option to hand us that mortal. You know the result should you refuse." A white- bearded man with a red glass sphere in his hand said whilst flying on top of a cloud of said with a smirk accompanied by nine others.
"Heh, honor? Even my lightning dog spiritual beast has more honor and dignity than you, what dignity do you speak of? You remnants of the Quintessential Unity Sect, know your place! I alone am enough to protect this young one and enough to kill you all while I do it!" Daoist Blue Sky roared whilst sneakily preparing his top spirit stones.
"You seem unconfident my Daoist friend, after saying all those words, you preparing spirit stones to power this formation says otherwise.... Why not come here and leave tha- " A Daoist on top of a flying Taiji symbol said before abruptly turning into a streak of black and white flashing to a distance not visible to the naked eye.