Though the young woman's lovely face was painted with disbelief, she knew her grandfather would not speak nonsense, and her heart was shaken to its core! She had no choice but to force herself to stop looking in Han Li's direction.
Han Li, seeing that he had taught the girl a small lesson without truly harming her, felt rather satisfied.
At that moment, his lips moved slightly as he sent a voice transmission.
Instantly, the voice of Han Li sounded beside the green-robed elder's ear.
"After you leave Prince Xin's estate, don't rush off. Wait for me at the rear gate. I have matters to discuss with you!"
Han Li's voice was brimming with an unmistakable tone of command, causing the elder's body to stiffen as inwardly he groaned endlessly.
"Could it be that this expert still won't let the two of us go? Or does he have some other intentions toward us? Well, at least he doesn't seem the cruel and ruthless type — there shouldn't be any real danger! And forming a connection with a Foundation Establishment cultivator… that could be a rare opportunity for the family's resurgence." The green-robed elder could only console himself with such thoughts, his heart churning with anxiety, suffering beyond measure!
Han Li glanced at him, allowed himself a faint smile, then turned his attention back to the white-haired Daoist priest.
By now, this Master Wu had already examined more than half the crowd and had yet to find a single person with immortal destiny.
Those who had been told they lacked destiny had no choice but to return to their seats with dejected expressions, and naturally their elders wore no pleasant looks either.
"What immortal destiny — he's plainly searching for people with Spirit Roots," Han Li thought, watching the Daoist priest bustling about examining each young person's Spirit Root with undisguised interest. "Still, this old priest isn't purely putting on an act. He does seem genuinely intent on taking a disciple from among these people. Otherwise, he could just randomly point at a few and call it done." Han Li remained unmoved by the spectacle.
Yet Han Li felt that this Daoist priest's chances of finding a disciple here were slim to none. Among these fifty or sixty people, the hope of finding someone with a Spirit Root was exceedingly small!
Han Li had barely finished this thought when the white-haired Daoist suddenly declared in a loud voice: "This young man possesses immortal destiny! I shall take him as my disciple!"
Han Li was startled by these words and couldn't help but look toward this person of "immortal destiny."
He saw a fair, plump young man standing blankly before Master Wu, looking utterly bewildered.
Beside him stood a portly middle-aged man in purple silk robes, whose face was a picture of disbelief as he pressed: "Master Wu, does my son Tong Jing really have immortal destiny? There's no mistake, is there?"
The man who had been struck by this tremendous stroke of luck still couldn't quite believe it. After so many promising young men ahead had been passed over, his own good-for-nothing son — lazy and fond of nothing but eating — had been chosen by the immortal master at a single glance. It felt like a dream.
"Heh heh, rest assured, benefactor! This poor priest has checked several times over. Your son does indeed possess an Immortal Root, and may study immortal arts together with the little prince." Master Wu stroked his snow-white beard and spoke with a beaming smile.
"Thank you, Master Wu! Thank you! Though I am not fantastically wealthy, my family does hold some modest lands. Tomorrow I shall prepare a substantial initiation gift for the Master! Son, quickly… quickly kowtow to Master Wu and accept him as your teacher!" Once the middle-aged man was convinced the matter was settled beyond doubt, his joy made him practically dance, and his words tumbled out in a jumbled rush.
The other young men who had been passed over stared blankly at the scene.
The person Master Wu had chosen — wasn't that Tong the Fatty, whom they all regarded as nothing but a gluttonous waste?
That such a useless person could possess an Immortal Root was almost too hard to accept!
It wasn't only the young men who thought so. Their elders exchanged glances of their own, finding it equally difficult to swallow.
After all, this young man called Tong Jing was famous within their circle for being utterly worthless.
Han Li's expression, however, showed nothing unusual.
Whether or not a person possessed a Spirit Root had nothing to do with whether they were handsome or beautiful, nor did it have the slightest connection to one's intelligence or ability. There was no pattern to be found.
Otherwise, before the emergence of cultivation clans, the cultivation sects would not have had such a hard time finding talented disciples.
Still, Han Li was somewhat surprised that a genuine Spirit Root holder had actually been found among such a small group. It seemed this Daoist priest's luck was quite good!
Han Li and the grandfather-granddaughter pair understood this principle, but the others in the hall did not.
They began whispering among themselves in a murmur.
Some of the sharper ones among them even began to suspect whether this Master Wu was genuine at all. Those who had yet to be tested heard this and grew hesitant, reluctant to step forward.
As a result, a sudden awkward silence fell before the Daoist priest.
Prince Xin's face darkened with displeasure at the sight.
But everyone in the hall was a friend he had known for years, so he couldn't very well say anything harsh directly. Instead, he addressed the priest in a roundabout manner: