Chapter 16: We see the Ancestor.

Chapter 16: Chapter 16: We see the Ancestor.

For a brief moment, no one spoke.

The courtyard, which had been filled with quiet discussions just moments ago, gradually fell into an unusual silence.

Thousands of eyes remained fixed upon the entrance of the main hall as everyone waited for the figure they had just heard about to appear.

Yet...

Nothing happened.

Chen Haoran blinked several times, confused as to why Chen Yuan hadn’t made his appearance yet.

The morning breeze skimmed across the courtyard, gently moving the robes and hair of the gathered clansmen.

Several breaths passed.

Then—

Boom!

A deep, thunderous sound abruptly erupted above their heads.

The entire sky seemed to tremble beneath the force of the sudden sound. Almost immediately, everyone’s expressions changed.

Countless clan members instinctively raised their heads, their gazes searching the clear morning sky for the source of the sudden disturbance.

"W-what happened? What was that loud noise just now?"

"I-I don’t know, but it came from the sky."

"Was it thunder?"

"No, the sky was clear just now."

Several voices rose from within the crowd. The younger members exchanged uneasy glances, while some of the other clansmen stepped away from the courtyard and looked toward the surrounding areas.

"Could it be someone attacking the residence?"

"An attack? In broad daylight?"

"Don’t be ridiculous. Who would dare to attack the Chen Family directly?"

The questions overlapped with one another as the initial silence broke apart.

Chen Haoran’s expression had already become serious.

He slowly raised his head, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the sky. Even the three prodigies were alerted by the sudden noise, each gazing upward to search for anything unusual.

Chen Yichen’s hand had already settled lightly upon the hilt of the sword at his waist. His expression remained composed, though his eyes were alert.

Beside him, Chen Yuexin looked upward as well.

"What do you think it is?" she quietly asked.

Chen Yichen shook his head.

"I don’t know."

Chen Minghao smiled from the side.

"It could be the Ancestor’s doing."

His voice was calm.

Above them, the clear blue sky remained completely empty.

Then, without warning—

A tiny point of crimson light appeared in the sky.

Chen Yuexin noticed it first.

"There."

Her quiet voice immediately drew the attention of the two men beside her.

"Where?"

She raised her hand and pointed toward the distant sky.

"Over there. There’s something."

Chen Yichen followed the direction of her finger, his eyes narrowing.

A second crimson light appeared.

Then a third.

Then dozens.

The tiny points of light rapidly multiplied, appearing one after another across the sky out of nowhere.

"W-what are those? A-are we under attack?"

A clan member near the front of the gathering whispered.

"They look like... flames."

"No."

An elder standing nearby shook his head.

"They aren’t ordinary flames. I’ve seen them before."

As the elder spoke, the crimson lights suddenly began moving. They streaked through the sky like tiny meteors, leaving faint trails of light behind them.

More appeared.

Hundreds became thousands.

Thousands became hundreds of thousands.

The clear morning sky, which had been illuminated by the gentle sunlight, was gradually covered by countless flickering crimson lights.

The sight was breathtakingly beautiful.

And yet...

"T-this spiritual energy fluctuation..."

Elder Chen Guanshan spoke in a solemn tone as everyone felt it.

The spiritual fluctuation accompanying the spectacle caused everyone present to instinctively tense.

Chen Haoran’s pupils contracted, and even the other elders immediately recognized that aura.

That familiar aura.

Chen Meilan’s expression changed slightly.

"Those flames... aren’t they?"

One of the elders looked toward her.

"It can’t be mistaken. It’s the old man’s signature spiritual technique, Flaming Fireflies."

"But this terrifying aura..."

Chen Rong exclaimed, "How can this be? Did the old man make a breakthrough without telling us? This terrifying coercion clearly belongs to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!"

Her words immediately caused several other elders to exchange glances.

"That should be impossible."

"Didn’t the old man only reach the Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation?"

"I remember that was the case, and he had remained at that layer for almost three decades."

"Could it be that we were wrong about his cultivation all along?"

The elders spoke in lowered voices, their expressions becoming increasingly complicated.

Meanwhile, the countless Flaming Fireflies continued spreading across the heavens.

Hundreds of thousands of crimson lights now covered the sky. Under the morning sunlight, they looked almost like countless crimson stars that had descended into the mortal world.

Then, suddenly, the hundreds of thousands of Flaming Fireflies that had filled the sky abruptly stopped moving, as though a pause button had been pressed.

The countless points of light shifted simultaneously.

A path was slowly formed through the sea of flames.

The clansmen below instinctively followed the movement with their eyes.

"What’s happening?"

"Look!"

"T-they’re gathering over there."

The murmurs spread through the courtyard, and Chen Haoran’s eyes narrowed at the scene.

The crimson lights parted completely as a long corridor of flickering fiery flames stretched across the sky.

And at the end of it, a figure slowly emerged.

A young man.

He walked out from within the sea of flames with an unhurried stride, his steps moving naturally through the empty air as though an invisible staircase lay beneath his feet.

His hands were clasped behind his back, and his posture was straight, without the slightest trace of urgency in his movements.

The countless Flaming Fireflies illuminated his figure from behind, causing his silhouette to stand out vividly against the clear blue sky.

As he drew closer, his appearance gradually became clearer to everyone below.

He looked remarkably young.

His handsome face carried striking, well-defined features, while his long black hair flowed freely behind him in the morning breeze.

His complexion was fair, and his calm expression revealed no hint of emotion as he slowly gazed across the courtyard beneath his feet.

What stood out the most was the pure white robe he was wearing. The simple garment fluttered gently as he walked through the air, giving him an otherworldly appearance beneath the countless crimson flames surrounding the heavens.

The courtyard fell silent.

Thousands of eyes stared upward in shock.

"I-is that the Ancestor?"

The voice was uncertain.

Another clan member beside him had his mouth agape.

"I-I don’t know."

"But those are clearly the Ancestor’s signature technique."

One of the older clansmen spoke.

"I recognize it well. It is the Ancestor during his younger years."

"Why does the Ancestor look so young?"

"Could it be someone else?"

The elders were no less confused. Several of them stared at the young man in disbelief, their expressions becoming increasingly complicated.

Chen Guanshan’s brows furrowed deeply as he stared upward.

"Could he have used some kind of transformation technique?"

Another elder immediately shook his head.

"Perhaps. But I can’t sense any trace of disguise from here."

The discussions continued in hushed voices.

Even Chen Meilan’s expression contained a trace of confusion.

She had known Chen Yuan for many years, and among the older members of the clan, her age wasn’t that different from Chen Yuan’s.

She was twenty years younger and was among the few who had maintained the closest relationship with him.

She remembered his old appearance clearly.

Yet the person descending from the sky looked as though he had suddenly returned to his youth.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Could this really be the Ancestor?"

Beside her, Chen Rong swallowed lightly.

"I... I don’t know."

The young man continued walking toward them.

With every step, the spiritual pressure surrounding him became more apparent. At first, it was faint, almost negligible, but it gradually grew heavier as the smiles disappeared from the faces of the younger members of the clan.

Several people instinctively straightened their backs as an invisible pressure descended upon the entire vicinity.

Some of the weaker clansmen felt their legs grow slightly heavier.

"W-what kind of pressure is this?"

"I can’t move properly."

"Don’t resist it."

An older clan member immediately warned him.

"Just stand still."

The elders were also feeling the pressure.

On the other hand, Chen Haoran and Qingxue were much calmer, as they already knew the truth. A faint smile appeared on Chen Haoran’s face, and he stepped forward.

His robes moved gently beneath the invisible pressure as he raised his hands and clasped them together before his chest.

Then he bowed deeply toward the approaching figure in the sky.

"We see the Ancestor."

His voice rang clearly throughout the courtyard.

The elders hesitated at first, but they immediately lowered their heads and bowed.

"We see the Ancestor."

Their voices were soon joined by the rest of the crowd. One after another, the entire Chen Family lowered their heads.

"We see the Ancestor!"

Thousands of voices echoed across the mountain residence. The sound reverberated through the family grounds and spread toward the surrounding mountains.

Chen Yuan finally stopped in midair and paused his gaze over the bowing crowd before him. His long black hair drifted gently in the morning breeze, and beneath the overwhelming pressure that filled the sky, his gaze slowly swept across their faces.

No one dared to speak.

Every person stood respectfully beneath his gaze.

The elders who had once known him as the ordinary Third Elder now looked at him with completely different expressions.

The younger generation, who had only heard stories about him, finally understood why their Patriarch had called him the Ancestor.

Chen Yuan looked over the gathered clansmen for several breaths.

Then his calm voice finally broke the silence.

"Raise your heads."

The Chen Family members slowly lifted their heads, and thousands of gazes once again fell upon him.

Chen Yuan stood silently above the courtyard, his white robes fluttering gently in the morning breeze. The countless Flaming Fireflies continued to hover behind him, their crimson radiance casting faint glows across the entire blue-and-white canvas.

His gaze moved slowly across the crowd.

There are many unfamiliar faces.

The younger generation, the ordinary clansmen, and the elders who had spent decades within the family.

He looked at each of them without saying anything, as though silently taking in the current state of the family.

After several breaths of silence, he finally spoke.

"Over the past few decades, the Chen Family has gone through many difficulties."

His voice reached every corner of the courtyard.

"Since the passing of the previous Ancestor, the burden of maintaining this family has gradually fallen onto the shoulders of the current Patriarch."

Chen Yuan’s gaze shifted toward Chen Haoran.

Chen Haoran immediately straightened.

"You have done well, child."

The simple words caused Chen Haoran’s expression to change slightly.

Chen Yuan continued.

"Despite the decline of the family and the difficulties that followed, you have managed to keep the clan united. You have protected what we inherited from the previous generation and ensured that the family did not fall apart during its weakest years."

"Your cultivation may not be the highest among those present, but strength alone is not what determines whether someone is worthy of leading a clan."

Chen Haoran lowered his head respectfully.

"This junior merely fulfilled his duty."

A faint smile appeared on Chen Yuan’s face.

"Whether you consider it your duty or not, the fact remains that you did it."

Chen Haoran bowed once more.

"Thank you for the Ancestor’s praise."

The surrounding clansmen remained silent.

Many of the older members looked toward Chen Haoran with complicated expressions.

They knew better than anyone how difficult the past several decades had been.

The Chen Family had once been far more prosperous than it was now. After the previous Ancestor passed away, much of that foundation had gradually disappeared.

The younger generation had become weaker, the family’s resources had dwindled, and the surrounding clans had slowly begun to surpass them.

Yet Chen Haoran had remained in his position throughout all of it.

He had endured the pressure and kept the family together.

Now, hearing the new Ancestor acknowledge his efforts in front of the entire clan, several older clansmen couldn’t help but feel a little moved.

Chen Yuan allowed the silence to settle before continuing.

"There is also another matter that needs to be addressed."

His expression remained the same as he spoke.

"The position of the Third Elder is now vacant."

The atmosphere changed immediately.

Although many had already expected it, hearing the Ancestor personally mention it still caused the older generation to pay close attention.

Chen Yuan continued.

"I will not appoint someone to the position simply because of seniority."

His gaze swept across the elders.

"The position will be open to pursuit."

Several elders exchanged glances.

"And the candidate will be determined according to merit, strength, and contribution to the Chen Family."

As soon as those words fell, quiet discussions immediately erupted among the older clansmen.

"Open to pursuit?"

"So anyone qualified can compete?"

"This means even those who aren’t currently elders have a chance."

Several older members who had remained relatively indifferent suddenly became interested.

The position of Third Elder wasn’t merely a title.

It represented authority within the clan.

It came with greater access to family resources, a higher position within the clan hierarchy, and, more importantly, the opportunity to participate directly in important decisions concerning the Chen Family.

For many years, such a position would have been beyond their reach.

Now, however, the opportunity had suddenly appeared before them.

The Ancestor had opened a gate for them—a gate to compete fairly and prove their abilities.

Chen Yuan didn’t pay much attention to the discussions.

He had already made his decision.

"If someone believes they possess the ability to take the position, then prove it through your actions."

The courtyard gradually quieted again.

Chen Yuan turned his attention toward Chen Haoran.

"Haoran."

Chen Haoran immediately stepped forward.

"Yes, Ancestor?"

"List the outstanding members of the younger generation. I wish to see them."

Chen Haoran nodded.

"Yes."

He turned toward the crowd.

However, after scanning the sea of faces for several breaths, he paused.

There were simply too many people present.

Although Chen Haoran knew most of the younger members by name, there were still many he rarely interacted with directly.

His gaze eventually landed upon Chen Meilan, who was standing among the elders.

"Elder Meilan."

"Yes?"

"Help me out."

Chen Meilan understood immediately and stepped forward to stand beside Chen Haoran.

The two began scanning through the crowd.

"Chen Lin."

A young man near the middle immediately stepped forward.

"Yes!"

"Chen Rui."

"Here."

"Chen Zhi."

"Yes!"

One name after another was called.

Each time a name was announced, the corresponding young clansman stepped out from the crowd and stood toward the front of the courtyard.

The atmosphere gradually became more serious.