his spine as he thought of the disheveled girl. How many others had faced the same fate?

  Xiao Fang waved her hand dismissively, causing the screen to disappear, leaving the group to return their focus to her.

  "Now," she said, shifting her tone to one of authority, "let us move on. Your journey has only just begun."

  Xiao Fang motioned for the group to follow her, and they obediently filed behind, stepping into a dark tunnel that seemed to stretch endlessly ahead. As they walked, the surroundings shifted, the dim light of the forest fading behind them and being repced by a soft, ambient glow that illuminated the path. The air grew cooler, and the scent of earth and stone filled their noses, signaling their transition from the perilous forest to what seemed like an underground chamber.

  Eventually, they arrived at a rge, open space where several mats were arranged neatly in a circur pattern. Each mat appeared well-worn, as if it had been used for many years, and the soft glow in the room flickered with an ethereal light that seemed to come from nowhere.

  Xiao Fang gestured for them to sit. "Sit in the lotus position on the mats," she instructed, her tone calm but firm. "We will begin the process of awakening your immortal potential. Do not be afraid, but also, do not take this lightly."

  The group hesitated for only a moment before following her instructions. One by one, they seated themselves cross-legged, some looking uneasy, others eager to prove themselves. Zhang Tian settled onto his mat, his mind racing with questions. What is this essence? And what does it mean to awaken immortal potential?

  Xiao Fang stood before them, her presence commanding the room. "I will now inject each of you with essence," she expined. "Essence is what cultivators use to perform miraculous feats—teleportation, strength beyond mortal limits, healing, and more. It is the very energy that fuels the cultivation of the immortal body."

  She paced slowly in front of them, her eyes scanning the group as she continued her expnation. "Every human possesses essence, but it is usually at a low level. Some are born with more than others, and those with more essence are naturally inclined to pursue the path of cultivation. Most of you were vouched for by a family or sect, and I expect that many of you have the potential for immortality, though some of you may not fully realize it yet."

  Zhang Tian's thoughts whirled as he tried to digest her words. Essence... immortal potential... The concept of cultivation was starting to take shape in his mind, though it still felt somewhat abstract.

  "The essence you will receive will awaken your immortal root," Xiao Fang continued, her voice taking on a more instructive tone. "The immortal root is the foundation of your cultivation journey. It determines your potential to reach the heights of immortality, and it can be ranked into various grades."

  She paused, letting her words sink in. "There are six grades of immortal roots. Inferior, lower, medium, superior, earth, and heaven grade. Each grade corresponds to your potential, with heaven grade being the rarest and most powerful. If you are fortunate enough to possess an earth or heaven-grade immortal root, your path to immortality will be far less difficult than those with lower-ranked roots."

  Zhang Tian felt a surge of nervousness wash over him. What if I don’t have a strong immortal root? What if I’m just a mortal, doomed to live and die in obscurity?

  Xiao Fang's eyes moved across the group, her gaze briefly lingering on each of them. "Most of you have already been tested in a simplified manner, using an Essence Resonance Stone," she expined. "It is a method used to measure the amount of essence you possess and to determine if you are capable of awakening your immortal root. Those who were vouched for have already passed this initial test, but this will be your true trial."

  She stepped forward and stood in front of Zhang Tian. Without saying a word, she gently pced her hand on his forehead. A faint pulse of energy flowed from her, and Zhang Tian felt a sudden warmth spread through his body, as if a hidden force within him was being stirred awake. He closed his eyes, focusing on the sensation, as the warmth became more intense.

  A moment ter, the sensation faded, and Xiao Fang withdrew her hand. She moved on to the next participant, repeating the process. Zhang Tian opened his eyes and looked around, feeling the strange energy still lingering in his body. It was as if something had shifted, though he couldn’t tell what had changed.

  Xiao Fang’s voice broke the silence. "You will now meditate, allowing the essence to flow through your body. Concentrate on awakening your immortal root, and trust that your potential will reveal itself."

  Zhang Tian took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing thoughts. He closed his eyes once more, focusing on the essence that now thrummed inside him, waiting to be unlocked. The path ahead was uncertain, but he knew one thing: this was the moment that would determine his future.

  As Zhang Tian closed his eyes, he focused intently on the warmth that Xiao Fang’s touch had ignited within him. At first, it was a subtle sensation—like a distant, comforting heat. But soon, it began to spread, flowing through his veins, like liquid fire coursing from his forehead and down into his chest. His breath hitched as the warmth descended lower, settling deep within his body.

  The sensation seemed to pool just below his navel, a soft pressure forming around the area as if something was stirring from deep within. It was like the heat was gathering in a hidden core inside him, radiating outward, and slowly it started to circute, ebbing and flowing like a gentle tide.

  At first, Zhang Tian wasn’t sure what was happening. It felt as though the warmth was pushing against something—a tightness, as though his body had a sealed compartment it had long forgotten. Slowly, that compartment began to respond. It wasn’t painful, but the sensation was undeniably strange. There was a subtle shift inside him, a soft tugging feeling, as though a hidden pocket or pouch deep within his abdomen had been unlocked for the first time.

  As the warmth continued to circute, it seemed to fan out across this secret compartment, spreading energy into the pouch. Zhang Tian could feel it vibrating with a faint but unmistakable pulse, a sensation of life that had been dormant for as long as his soul had been tethered to this body. His muscles tensed involuntarily, not out of discomfort, but as if his very being was responding to a long-forgotten call.

  It was as though the pouch that had been sealed within him—perhaps the key to his own cultivation, the very thing that would allow him to access his true potential—was slowly coming to life, stretching and awakening. The warmth pushed against this pocket with increasing intensity, coaxing it to open, to unfold, to allow the essence inside him to take root.

  The energy felt different here. Unlike the external essence he had absorbed, this energy was his own, lying dormant within the folds of his being. And now, like a seed in fertile soil, it was beginning to grow, slowly blossoming into something more, something powerful.

  Zhang Tian’s breathing deepened, and with each inhale, the energy seemed to expand, wrapping itself around this hidden pouch and awakening something that had been concealed for far too long. It wasn’t just energy—it was life itself, the essence of cultivation that would guide him on the path toward immortality. The pouch beneath his navel—the immortal root—was stirring.

  A sense of wonder filled him, mixed with a quiet anxiety. Is this it? He thought. Is this the beginning of my cultivation?

  It was an overwhelming feeling—one part fear, one part awe—as the sensation grew stronger and more pronounced. The essence now circuted through his core, slowly but steadily, like a river finding its flow, unlocking a potential that had been waiting to be awakened. Zhang Tian felt as though he was standing at the precipice of something vast, something transformative. The pouch inside him, now throbbing with energy, was ready to fully unfold.

  As the warm sensation continued to pulse within Zhang Tian’s core, Xiao Fang’s voice echoed softly in the background, guiding the participants through their meditations. Her calm tone, almost soothing, broke through his focus on the internal awakening.

  "Focus, all of you," Xiao Fang instructed, her voice carrying an air of quiet authority. "The energy you are feeling is not just the essence, but the awakening of your dantian."

  Zhang Tian’s focus shifted at the mention of the word dantian. His mind, still immersed in the flow of energy within him, grasped at the term. He had heard of it in passing, but never fully understood its significance. Now, the word felt more real, more immediate.

  Sensing his curiosity, Xiao Fang continued, her voice steady and clear. "The dantian is a critical center within your body, a reservoir where essence is stored and circuted. It is located just below your navel, in the space that many of you may have felt stir just now. When a cultivator’s dantian is awakened, it is said that the door to immortality is opened."

  Zhang Tian, now keenly aware of the pulsating sensation in that exact spot, tried to center himself further, listening intently. The warmth in his abdomen seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat, as though it was already becoming part of him.

  "Think of it as the foundation of your cultivation," Xiao Fang expined. "This is where your spiritual energy, your essence, will flow through your body. It is the core of your power, your strength, and your potential as a cultivator. When fully developed, your dantian will allow you to store and channel immense amounts of essence, enabling feats of power beyond mortal comprehension."