Hearing Chunyan’s voice, Chen Suya, Lady Qin, and Wang Feng came out of the kitchen.
They knew it must be Lady Qin’s second brother who had returned, and with him came a senior elder from a cultivation sect.
“Miss Chunyan, please wait a moment,” Chen Suya said as she returned to the kitchen. She carefully packed the plum blossom cakes and brought them out, handing them to Lady Qin and Wang Feng.
“I won’t accompany you two, but I’m sure Brother Zhao will love the plum blossom cakes you’ve made,” Chen Suya said with a smile.
“Sister Chen, why don’t you come with us? That elder could also take a look at Ming’er’s spiritual roots,” Lady Qin said, holding Chen Suya’s hand gently.
For a child born of a concubine to change their fate, gain respect, and rise in status, entering the path of cultivation was the best way.
Even if the chances were slim, what if?
“Thank you for your kindness, Lady Qin, but this would trouble Brother Zhao too much,” Chen Suya hesitated.
Although she hoped the elder could examine her child, if Ming’er had the aptitude for cultivation, he wouldn’t need to stay in the Xu family forever.
“Fifth Madam, the matriarch has decreed that all children under the age of ten in both households must come,” Chunyan added. “So Young Master Ming must attend as well.”
“Everyone?” Wang Feng asked in confusion.
“Yes, Madam. Earlier—” Chunyan then recounted everything that had transpired in the hall.
After listening, Chen Suya and the others exchanged glances.
The Grand Elder of Tianxuan Sect had arrived? If one could become the personal disciple of Tianxuan Sect’s Grand Elder, it would bring glory to the family!
“Ladies, please hurry. The matriarch is growing impatient,” Chunyan urged with a hint of anxiety.
Since it was the matriarch’s order, Chen Suya had no choice but to follow.
Before long, the three women, carrying their children, arrived at the main hall.
Even the Tianxuan Goose had run to the hall’s entrance, its wings flapping against the doorframe as it poked its head inside to join the commotion.
Aside from Xu Ming, Xu Xue’nuo, and Qin Qingwan, seven other children were also standing before the hall, including the chubby boy two years older than Xu Xue’nuo.
Two children, however, caught Xu Ming’s attention.
One was a six-year-old boy standing next to Lady Qian, who showed great talent in talismans.
The other was Lady Lin’s son, Xu Shan, also six years old, born with a Pure Yang Physique and already taken as a disciple by the Sect Master of the Flame Sun Sect.
Lady Qian and Lady Lin both wore grim expressions.
They knew their children couldn’t possibly possess the Innate Sacred Body. If they had, it would’ve been discovered long ago, not now.
Their gazes turned to Wang Feng’s son, the chubby boy—Xu Pangda.
If Xu Pangda had the Innate Sacred Body, the hereditary title of Duke of the Xu family would undoubtedly be his! Even if Xu Pangda later joined Tianxuan Sect, the dukedom would eventually pass to his descendants and never fall into their hands.
Standing by her son, Wang Feng clenched her fists tightly. Her gaze was filled with hope as she looked at him.
She desperately wished for the Innate Sacred Body to belong to her son!
“Thank you, ladies and young masters, for coming.”
A clear and melodious voice, like the sound of a bubbling spring, echoed through the hall.
Xu Ming turned toward the source of the voice and saw a voluptuous and graceful woman entering with the matriarch of the Xu family.
The moment everyone in the hall laid eyes on her, they were stunned.
No other reason than this: they had never seen such a breathtakingly beautiful woman before.
Even though half her face was veiled, her beauty was undeniable.
But just those eyes alone were enough to captivate one’s soul.
Coupled with the woman’s ethereal and dreamlike aura, the crowd couldn’t help but feel as though they were gazing upon an immortal.
Wangxuan’s gaze swept over the children, finally settling on Xu Ming, lingering on him for two extra seconds.
Looking into Xu Ming’s eyes, Wangxuan couldn’t help but feel that this little boy seemed more spirited than the others. Could it be him?
Wangxuan walked up to Xu Ming.
Everyone’s eyes turned to Xu Ming, their hearts pounding in their chests. Chen Suya, in particular, was in a daze, her mind completely blank.
Could it be that my Ming’er is the Innate Sacred Body?
The crowd watched as Wangxuan’s delicate, fair hand gently rested on Xu Ming’s forehead.
A moment later, Wangxuan shook her head, her eyes showing a trace of regret. “What a pity. Despite his lively demeanor, his spiritual veins are severed. There is no hope for him to tread the path of cultivation in this life.”
Upon hearing Wangxuan’s remark, the Xu family’s ladies all breathed a sigh of relief.
With one more child ruled out, the chances of their own child being the Innate Sacred Body increased.
Lady Qin looked at Xu Ming with sympathy in her eyes.
“No hope for cultivation in this life” meant that unless Xu Ming pursued martial arts, his future was bleak.
The problem was that with so many siblings, as a child born of a concubine, how much support and resources could Xu Ming possibly receive?
And even if he did pursue martial arts, it was ultimately an inferior path compared to cultivation.
Unlike the others, Chen Suya wasn’t thinking so far ahead.
In the mortal world, only one in a hundred could cultivate, let alone those born with an Innate Sacred Body.
She only hoped Ming’er could grow up safely and live a peaceful life.
Xu Ming felt a slight disappointment upon hearing that he couldn’t cultivate, but it was just a passing feeling.
If he couldn’t cultivate, so be it. He would continue on the path of physical sanctification. After all, he had his cheat, the greatest resource he could ask for.
Wangxuan moved on to examine the other children.
When it was Wang Feng’s son Xu Pangda’s turn, Wang Feng’s heart was in her throat. But when Wangxuan shook her head again, her heart sank into despair.
At last, only Xu Xue’nuo and Qin Qingwan remained.
Wangxuan began by examining Qin Qingwan’s spiritual roots.
The moment Wangxuan’s jade-like hand touched Qin Qingwan’s forehead, a beam of light shot up from the little girl’s body, piercing through the heavens.
The pillar of light merged into the clouds, and above the Xu family estate, the cries of dragons and phoenixes echoed.
Apart from the young, confused children, everyone present understood what this meant.
The Xu family’s matriarch and elders were overjoyed, their faces filled with excitement as they looked at Qin Qingwan.
The two concubine-born ladies of the Xu family finally felt a weight lifted off their shoulders.
For them, having the eldest daughter of the Qin family as the Innate Sacred Body was the best possible outcome.
Wang Feng’s eyes briefly flickered with disappointment, but in the end, she let out a soft sigh. It seems it was never meant to be.
Beneath her veil, Wangxuan’s delicate lips curved into a faint smile.
Crouching down, Wangxuan looked at the adorable three-year-old girl before her and asked, “Little one, would you like to become my disciple?”