Though the young lady's face showed clear disbelief, she also knew her grandfather would not speak nonsense, and thus was deeply startled. Han Li had given the other party a mild reprimand but had not truly injured them, and was quite satisfied with the outcome. At that moment, he slightly moved his lips and transmitted a message. Instantly, Han Li's voice rang clearly in the elderly man's ears. "After you exit the Xin Wang's court, don't rush to leave. Wait for me at the back gate of the palace. I have something I need to ask you!" The tone of Han Li's voice was firm and commanding, leaving the elder momentarily stunned and silently cursing his fate. "It's rare indeed that this esteemed master is still unwilling to let go of these two—perhaps he has other intentions. Fortunately, the other party doesn't seem particularly ruthless, so there should be no real danger. Moreover, establishing a connection with a Jixing-period cultivator might well prove to be a rare opportunity for the family's revitalization." The elder could only comfort himself with such thoughts, his mind constantly fluttering with anxiety and his inner distress mounting. Han Li smiled slightly and once again focused his attention on the white-haired elder. At this point, the Wu Xianshi had examined most of the crowd but had yet to find a single person with a celestial destiny. The young people who had been declared without destiny sighed and returned to their seats, their elders clearly displeased. "What's a celestial destiny? This is clearly looking for those with a spiritual root. Still, the old man isn't entirely making things up—he seems genuinely determined to select disciples from among these people. Otherwise, he'd just randomly pick a few." Han Li observed the elder enthusiastically checking each young person's spiritual root, and thought to himself with quiet indifference. Yet he believed the elder would have little success in securing disciples here. Among these fifty or sixty individuals, finding those with a spiritual root seemed rather unlikely. Just as Han Li reached this conclusion, the white-haired elder suddenly exclaimed loudly, "This young man possesses a celestial destiny—I can take him as my disciple!" Han Li listened carefully and was momentarily stunned. He turned to gaze at this blessed young man. Before him stood a plump, youthful figure, standing bewildered and at a loss before Wu the Immortal Master. Beside him, a middle-aged man with a broad, rotund frame and dressed in purple silk, stared in disbelief, pressing on with questions: "Master Immortal, does my son, Tong Jing, truly have a divine destiny? Is this not a mistake?" This man, genuinely struck by the sheer size of the pie, still found it hard to believe—so many promising young talents had been passed over, yet his son, known for his love of comfort and laziness, had been singled out by the Master with such ease. It felt as though he were dreaming. Though not wealthy or noble, I do possess a modest plot of land at home. Tomorrow, I will surely present the仙master with a generous dowry as a token of my gratitude! Son, hurry—hurry and bow before the仙master to formally become his disciple!" Upon confirming the matter was settled, the middle-aged man became ecstatic, dancing and gesturing with such enthusiasm that his words became almost incoherent. The younger candidates who had been rejected stared open-mouthed at this development. After all, wasn't this very person—the very one they often dismissed as a mere wine-and-food-drinker, the plump young man known as Tong Jing? How could such a seemingly useless individual possess the potential of a true immortal? It was simply hard to believe. Not only did the young men find this hard to accept, but even their elders, who had long known Tong Jing's lack of ability, now exchanged puzzled glances, struggling to reconcile this unexpected turn. As for Master Han, his expression remained calm and composed. Whether someone possesses a spiritual root has nothing to do with their physical appearance—neither their elegance nor their charm—and bears no relation to their intelligence or abilities. At times, there's simply no pattern to be found. Otherwise, before the rise of immortal families, immortal sects wouldn't have struggled so much to find qualified disciples. Nevertheless, Han Li was somewhat surprised that among such a small number of people, he could actually find one with a spiritual root. Clearly, this Taoist has good fortune! Han Li and the elderly couple fully understood this principle, but the others in the hall were entirely unfamiliar with it. They began whispering and discussing among themselves. Some of the more discerning ones even started doubting the authenticity of Master Wu's qualifications. Hearing this, those who had not yet been tested began to hesitate. As a result, a brief silence suddenly settled over the old Taoist's presence. Xing Wang noticed this and frowned slightly. Yet the people in the hall were all close friends of his, having known him for years, so it would have been difficult to speak plainly and frankly. Thus, they gently suggested to the old monk: "Master Wu, all of us are ordinary mortals, having seen little of true celestial arts and spells. Why don't you demonstrate once more, so we may all gain a glimpse of your mastery?" Upon hearing the king's words, everyone in the hall fell silent immediately, eagerly watching Master Wu. He clasped his hands in gestures, stood with both feet flat on the ground, and softly chanted a low, murmured incantation—the faint, almost imperceptible sounds adding a touch of mystique. As a result, everyone gathered around held their breath, intently watching every movement of the old monk. Hearing the chants, Han Li, however, merely rolled his eyes internally. At that moment, the old monk brought his palms together in the center, then spread them outward. Instantly, a fiery orb the size of a clenched fist floated between his hands, and the temperature around him suddenly rose, spreading a warm, intense heat. This was precisely the "Fire Ball Technique," a fundamental spell every fire-rooted cultivator must master—a common sight among cultivators. Yet, this familiar scene immediately caused the onlookers to gasp in astonishment, calling it utterly incredible. What followed, however, not only left the ordinary people utterly speechless but even startled Han Li, who had initially been unimpressed. The elder practitioner then continuously pressed hand seals and made gestures, causing the ball of intense heat before everyone's eyes to gradually transform. First, it slowly extended wings and developed a pointed beak; then, it formed delicate claws and a tail, eventually becoming a small, elegant flame bird. "Could this be the Fire Bird Technique!" Han Li's nerves tightened instantly, and he almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. The Fire Bird Technique was a genuine mid-to-lower level spell—one that even Han Li himself had not yet mastered. Yet here it was, being performed spontaneously by this elder, a cultivator at the Qi Condensation stage. It was simply hard to believe! That explained why Han Li had thought he might have mistook his vision. However, Han Li's astonishment lasted only for a brief moment. Soon, he noticed a significant difference between this flame bird and the true Fire Bird Technique. Although in appearance the small bird formed from the fire ball closely resembles the image of the fire bird spell, the size difference between them is quite striking. The fire birds produced by the "Fire Bird Spell" have wingspan nearly ten feet wide when they spread their wings, while the fire bird transformed by the elder sage remains only about the size of a clenched fist—far less impressive in comparison. What truly convinced Han Li that this was merely a mere imitation of the "Fire Bird Spell" was the difference in the strength and flow of magical energy contained within both. The fire birds created by the spell possess such powerful destructive force that even a foundational-level cultivator would hesitate to meet them head-on. In contrast, the small, sparrow-sized fire bird exhibits exactly the same magical energy fluctuations as when it was originally a fire ball—no increase at all. Clearly, it is simply a pure transformation. Han Li now felt both exasperated and amused. He had almost been deceived by this simple trick—how embarrassing! Nevertheless, the elder sage's mastery of flame manipulation was truly astonishing. Han Li himself had to wonder if he could ever achieve such delicate control—how on earth could a cultivator at the Qi Stage manage such feats? This old master truly was intriguing! His subsequent performance completely confirmed Han Li's thoughts. A fiery red bird, soaring high in the air, suddenly alighted on the ground and transformed into a red terrier, galloping joyfully around the old master. Soon after, the dog morphed into a fiery serpent, which then evolved into a small human figure—this series of astonishing displays left the ordinary villagers, who had never witnessed such magical transformations, utterly stunned, mouths agape! Only when the old master suddenly pointed with a hand did the final flame-horse charge toward a cherry sapling on the side, igniting it completely and reducing it to ashes in an instant. Then, the old master concluded his performance. At that moment, the onlookers finally came to their senses, rushing to call out, "Mister Immortal!" The doubt that had once lingered in his heart had long since been set aside, and he now showed not the slightest trace of disbelief!