Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Chapter 7 Affinity for Spiritual Energy and Registration

"Ling'er, this is a medicinal soup made from purple spirit grass and fire-patterned chicken. It will help with your spiritual power test today. Drink more."

Early in the morning, Li Ru served Zhou Ling a large bowl of meat soup and two large chicken legs.

A faint wisp of white steam rises from the bowl, suggesting it contains abundant spiritual energy.

"Mother, why do we need to add Purple Spirit Grass?" Zhou Ling asked reluctantly.

Purple Spirit Grass is a first-grade low-level spirit herb, and one plant costs three or four low-level spirit stones.

Adding a Fire-Patterned Chicken to the mix, this medicinal soup will cost five or six low-grade spirit stones, which is equivalent to a family's monthly expenses.

"Ling'er, you will be taking the academy's test today. This Purple Spirit Grass contains abundant spiritual energy, which will be of some help to you."

Li Ru served Zhou Shan a bowl as she spoke.

Although the couple usually live frugally, she is willing to spend money on their child's food.

Especially this spiritual root test, which concerns the child's entire life, she is willing to make any sacrifice.

"This was obtained by my father from Uncle Ni Chu; it didn't cost many spirit stones!"

Zhou Shan ate the leftover fried rice from last night with a big bite and said with a smile.

After saying that, he chuckled to himself, realizing he was explaining things to a child!
"Mother, I want to go to the lower-level Taoist class!"

After taking a few sips of the broth, Zhou Ling spoke in a childish but firm voice.

Upon hearing her son's words, Li Ru paused for a moment before speaking.

“Ling’er, the concentration of spiritual energy in this low-grade Daoist monastery is similar to that in our home, belonging to the first-grade low-grade spiritual vein.”

"A mid-grade Daoist class, that's the concentration of a mid-grade first-order spiritual vein."

"This has a completely different effect on cultivation."

"Moreover, the children who can enter the intermediate-level Dao Class are generally quite talented, which will be of great help to you in the future!"

Zhou Shan finished every last grain of rice in his bowl and chimed in, "That's right, Ling'er. A mid-grade Daoist class requires five low-grade spirit stones a month, so the concentration of spiritual energy there must be much better."

"Five spirit stones are too expensive!"

"Is there any way to get my parents to give up this idea?"

Zhou Ling thought to himself.

Through the panel, he knew that he had a low-grade spiritual root aptitude and that entering the Dao Academy would not be a problem.

Moreover, kindergarten children generally do not begin formally practicing martial arts.

Therefore, a higher or lower concentration of spiritual energy doesn't have a significant impact.

The lower-grade Daoist class only receives two lower-grade spirit stones per month.

This can greatly relieve the pressure at home.

Zhou Ling had been to the mountains with his parents and knew that his father risked his life to earn every spirit stone he earned.

He didn't want to add to that burden either.

But I'm still young and can't do anything else.

Although he has the talent of "searching mountains for treasure", Li Rujin will only take him into the mountains before the arrival of the cold winter season.

At other times, even when the couple realized that their son seemed to have a special talent for sensing herbs, they were still surprised.

Every time I take him there, we gain a lot more.

But the risks in the mountains are too great, and they would not have let their children go into the mountains unless they had no other choice.

“Son, listen to your mother. The mid-grade Daoist class will be more helpful for your future cultivation, and the instructors in the mid-grade Daoist class will also have higher cultivation levels.”

Li Ru placed another large piece of meat into Zhou Ling's bowl and said softly.

Zhou Shan shook his head. "Explaining these things to the child wouldn't make a difference. Let's just stick to our plan!"

Li Ru nodded.

"Sigh, it seems I have no right to resist!"

Helpless, Zhou Ling could only pick up the earthenware bowl with both hands and drink the medicinal soup inside in large gulps.

"Drink slowly! There's plenty more!"

Li Ru instructed.

As the medicinal soup entered his stomach, Zhou Ling felt warm all over.

[Spiritual Affinity: Increases the speed of spiritual energy absorption, spiritual energy +1. Requirement: Actively absorb spiritual energy 1000 times.]

"Affinity with spiritual energy!"

Zhou Ling was overjoyed. But then he realized that he hadn't started cultivating yet, and it seemed he couldn't absorb spiritual energy through breathing exercises.

They can only absorb spiritual energy through spiritual food.

He immediately picked up the chicken leg and started eating.

[You are eating spirit beast meat. Spiritual affinity +1, Spiritual energy +1]

After eating two large chicken drumsticks, my spiritual energy increased by two points.

After finishing their meal, the couple, filled with trepidation, took Zhou Ling to the western part of the city, where the Taoist temple was located.

······.

After a stick of incense had burned, Mr. and Mrs. Li, looking slightly nervous, led Zhou Ling to the Lingxia West Courtyard.

This is one of the training grounds for children in the Xicheng area.

Lingxia West Courtyard is built along the lake and boasts beautiful scenery.

The lake is called Xixia Lake.

When Zhou Ling arrived at this place with his parents, he saw some spiritual fields scattered along the shore of Xixia Lake.

According to the introduction, beneath Xixia Lake lies a second-tier spiritual vein, which can be used for cultivation by Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.

They are mainly distributed in the eastern part of the lake.

That area is also where the inner disciples of the Lingxia Sect cultivate.

The teaching and outer disciples are located in the western area.

There is a first-order spiritual vein here, which is a branch of that second-order spiritual vein.

The Taoist temple's buildings are antique and arranged in neat rows, resembling the scene of small bridges and flowing water in the Jiangnan region.

The heavy rain that lasted for several days finally stopped last night, leaving the surrounding flower and tree branches brightly colored and full of life.

As soon as Zhou Ling entered the courtyard, she felt the air was exceptionally fresh and took a deep breath.

[You are breathing in spiritual energy. Spiritual affinity +1, Spiritual energy +1]

"It works!"

Zhou Ling was surprised; it seemed that one did not need to cultivate techniques to absorb spiritual energy.

It's just that the spiritual energy in the place where I live is too thin.

He then took a few more deep breaths.

[You are breathing in spiritual energy. Spiritual affinity +1, Spiritual energy +1]

"This is the child's identity jade token. When he is called, he will come to the cloud platform to have his spiritual root tested."

A disciple dressed in a gray cloud-patterned Taoist robe handed the jade token to Zhou Shan and said.

Zhou Ling quickly went with her parents to complete some registration procedures and received her identity jade token.

The family arrived at a square.

The square is surrounded by ancient trees, lush greenery, red walls and yellow tiles, and is quite impressive.

The ground, made of some unknown material, shimmered with a warm glow under the sunlight.

Although it was still early, there were already quite a few people in the square, all of whom had brought their children to have their spiritual roots tested.

As the sun rose higher and higher, directly in their direction, becoming somewhat dazzling, Li Ru led Zhou Ling to a shady spot under a tree.

Several people were also standing under the shade of the tree.

"Fellow Daoist, are you also here to register with your child?"

At this moment, a woman in a light blue dress with a dignified appearance smiled at Li Ru.

Standing next to the woman was a little girl who was about the same height as Zhou Ling.

Her large, bright eyes glanced at Zhou Ling, appearing exceptionally lively.

"Yes, this is your daughter? She's so pretty!"

Li Ru replied with a smile.

The two women immediately started chatting, each talking about their child.

They quickly became acquainted.

The woman's name was Wang Yu, and the girl's name was Wang Xin.

He was also there to take the spiritual root test, and like Zhou Ling, he planned to enroll in the intermediate-grade Dao class.

(End of this chapter)