Chapter 45: Recruitment.

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Recruitment.

Time passed.

At first, nobody moved.

The elderly man remained standing on the other side of the sword-intent line, while the countless members of the Chen Family continued staring at him.

The three ancestors above the sword’s hilt did not react either.

Chen Yuan simply stood with his hands behind his back, Chen Yan remained calm and silent, and Chen Feng held his ancient sword while quietly watching the crowd.

No one urged them forward, and no one dared to tell them to be brave either. The silence itself seemed to become heavier with every passing breath.

Even the inner family members began to feel an uncomfortable sense of despair over the scene.

They had expected the outer clan members to hesitate, perhaps for a few breaths or a minute. But as more time passed, it became clear that nobody else was willing to take that first step.

A woman slowly wrapped both arms around her young son.

The child peeked out from between her arms and stared toward the other side of the sword-intent line.

The elderly man was still standing there.

From their perspective, his body was covered in blood. His clothes were torn, and countless wounds covered his skin.

The woman tightened her embrace.

"Is this... the price to become something beyond a mortal?"

Her voice was barely audible, and the child looked up at her.

The woman swallowed.

"J-just to have a chance at it, I need to suffer that much?"

Nobody answered her. Another young man standing among the mortals stared at the sword-intent line with a pale face.

"T-that’s insane."

His voice echoed across the platform clearly enough for everyone nearby to hear.

"We... we need to die first in order to live? Isn’t that... too much?"

His words caused several people to lower their heads.

One after another, the outer family members of the Chen Family began looking down at the crimson-golden platform beneath their feet, as though suddenly afraid to look at the line in front of them.

Some clenched their fists, some quietly shook their heads, while others simply stood there, unable to decide whether they should move forward or step away.

A few inner family members noticed their hesitation and cast them disdainful looks. They had been given an opportunity that generations of mortals could only dream of, yet they were still afraid.

But the disdain did not last long. Because deep down, those inner family members knew something they did not want to admit.

They would not dare to cross that line either.

If the sight before them were real, then walking across it meant allowing their bodies to be carved apart by sword intent. Even cultivators who had trained for years could not easily accept such a thing.

So they remained silent.

Then, from somewhere within the crowd, a young man’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

"There’s no point."

Several heads turned toward him. He was a young man who could not have been much older than twenty. His face was pale, and his hands were trembling slightly at his sides.

"We can’t do this."

He stared at the sword-intent line.

"We’re mortals. That’s all we are."

His voice became quieter.

"We should just accept it."

Yet while he spoke, his feet moved.

One step.

Then another.

The people around him slowly noticed. Despite the gazes, the young man continued walking. His voice still carried through the silence.

"There’s no way this can work."

Another step.

"We’ll just get ourselves killed."

Another.

"So why bother?"

His legs were trembling badly now, but they continued carrying him forward. Several people stared at him in disbelief as the crowd parted and the young man finally stopped directly before the sword-intent line.

He looked at the silver-white mass of sword intent. His breathing became heavier.

"I..."

His lips trembled.

"I don’t want to die."

Then he stepped forward. His body crossed the line.

From the crowd’s perspective, the result was immediate. Countless wounds appeared across his body as a gasp of horror erupted from the crowd.

Blood splashed across his clothes as his flesh seemed to be carved apart by invisible blades. His arms, chest, shoulders, and legs were covered in cuts almost instantly.

Several people gasped, and in their sight, the young man simply stood there.

He looked down at himself, expecting to feel something, but there was no pain at all, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

"...I crossed it."

He slowly looked back at the crowd.

"I actually crossed it."

The elderly man on the other side smiled faintly, and that small smile seemed to give the others the courage they needed as one person stepped forward, followed by another.

A middle-aged man who had been shaking his head moments ago suddenly muttered, "This is probably going to kill me."

He walked forward anyway.

A woman whispered, "I’m terrified."

She followed.

An old man sighed deeply.

"I’ve lived this long already. I suppose there’s no harm in trying once."

He stepped forward.

The words began coming from every direction.

"I don’t think I can do it."

"I’ll probably die."

"This is crazy."

"I’m scared."

"I don’t want to get hurt."

"There’s no way someone like me can become a cultivator."

Yet their feet kept moving. One after another, the mortals walked toward the sword-intent line.

Some trembled as they approached, some quietly whispered prayers beneath their breath, while others clenched their teeth and walked forward without saying a word.

And every time someone crossed the line, the same strange scene repeated itself. From their own perspective, nothing happened.

From the perspective of everyone watching, their bodies appeared to be covered in blood and wounds, yet the number of people who crossed the line continued to grow, from ten to dozens, and then to a hundred.

The hesitation that had frozen the crowd slowly began to disappear. The outer family members who had spent their entire lives believing they were destined to remain mortals were now walking forward one after another.

The inner family members could only stare. Their expressions gradually changed from disdain to disbelief.

Even the elders were stunned, as they had expected the mortals to retreat rather than continue stepping forward one after another.

Instead, the very people who had been considered the weakest members of the family were now the ones moving forward.

Chen Haoran stood among the cultivators, his eyes fixed on the growing number of people beyond the sword-intent line.

He could not hide the disbelief in his expression.

"They’re actually doing it..."

The words escaped him quietly as more people stepped forward, one after another, and although the cries of fear and despair never disappeared, they were no longer keeping the people from moving forward.

They were no longer using those words to convince themselves to stay behind. They were saying them as they walked.

The young man at the front looked toward the others behind him. His body was covered in blood from their perspective, yet his eyes were burning with determination.

"Then let us greet death in order to live for another chance."

The words spread through the crowd as one person repeated them, then another, until more and more voices gradually joined in.

"Then let us greet death in order to live for another chance."

Eventually, more than a thousand outer family members had crossed the line. The sight left the remaining members completely silent.

Chen Feng waited for a while, and seeing that nobody else had taken a step forward, he finally moved. His figure descended from above the sword’s hilt until he floated several meters above the crowd.

He looked across the people standing before him, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

"Good."

His calm voice carried clearly across the entire platform.

"All of you have done well."

The crowd gradually looked up at him, and his gaze moved toward those who had crossed the line.

"I am proud of all of you."

Several of the mortals froze at those words.

"You did not know what was waiting for you on the other side. You did not know whether my sword intent would truly hurt you, whether you would fail, or whether you would ever become cultivators."

He paused, his eyes studying their faces and expressions one by one.

"Yet you stepped forward anyway in the face of the unknown."

Chen Feng raised his hand, his fingers gently sweeping through the air.

"That is courage, and courage does not mean that you are not afraid. It means that you are afraid, but you still choose to take a step forward nonetheless."

The crowd remained silent, and Chen Feng slowly looked away, toward those who had remained behind among the outer members of the family.

The moment his gaze swept past their faces, those who had not dared to take the risk lowered their heads in shame. Not daring to look up at their Ancestor, they believed they had failed the test.

"As for those who did not step forward, raise your heads as well. You may think that you have failed. Perhaps some of you are even ashamed that you were too afraid to move."

"But listen carefully."

The people who had lowered their heads slowly looked up. There was no anger in Chen Feng’s expression as he continued in a softened voice.

"None of you are fools for choosing to remain where you were."

"You chose safety when you did not know what the danger was. There is nothing shameful about that."

He paused before continuing.

"But the great path of cultivation is not a road where safety can always accompany you."

His gaze swept across everyone.

"Those who crossed that line were the fools."

Several people looked surprised, and Chen Feng smiled in return.

"Foolish enough to gamble their lives on something they did not understand."

A few of the mortals who had crossed the line exchanged awkward glances.

"But they were daring fools."

His smile became warmer.

"They were willing to take a risk for the possibility of becoming something greater than what they were yesterday."

Chen Feng then looked toward those who had remained behind.

"And those who stayed behind were wiser."

"They protected themselves. They chose certainty over uncertainty. They did not throw themselves into danger simply because someone told them there might be another path."

His expression became gentle.

"But there is something you should all understand."

Chen Feng’s gaze returned to the more than one thousand people standing beyond the sword-intent line.

"From today onward, those who crossed my sword intent will enter my Peak."

The crowd fell silent, and several people exchanged confused glances.

"Enter the Ancestor’s Peak?"

"What does that mean?"

"Are we supposed to move somewhere?"

The people beyond the sword-intent line looked around, clearly having no idea what Chen Feng was talking about. Chen Feng continued as though their confusion were expected.

"You will become the first batch of disciples under the Swordheart Peak."

The name immediately caused another wave of murmuring.

"Disciples?"

"Ancestor Chen Feng’s disciples?"

"But... we don’t know how to cultivate."

"I thought the Ancestor said he would teach us his path?"

A middle-aged man looked at the people around him, then cautiously raised his hand.

"Ancestor... what exactly is Swordheart Peak?"

Even some of the inner family members looked confused. Chen Feng had barely finished speaking when a calm voice came from above.

"Let this old man explain."

Chen Yan stepped forward slightly, his silver-black hair shifting in the breeze as he looked down at the confused crowd.

"The Chen Family will be divided into three Peaks."

Several people immediately turned their attention toward him.

"The First Peak will be responsible for the affairs of the family. Trade, businesses, finances, recruitment, resource distribution, and our dealings with other forces will all fall under its responsibility. And this peak will be under this handsome ancestor of yours."

He raised one finger.

"The Main Peak will remain the heart of the Chen Family. The ancestral hall, important inheritances, cultivation grounds, and matters concerning our family’s extremely important decisions will be managed there. And this peak will be under Ancestor Chen Yuan."

Then his gaze moved toward Chen Feng.

"And the Third Peak will belong to Ancestor Chen Feng."

Chen Yan smiled faintly.

"It will be responsible for combat training, swordsmanship, the family’s enforcement force, and the protection of the Chen Family. Anyone who wishes to follow Ancestor Chen Feng’s path will naturally enter his Peak."

"But that doesn’t mean the other peaks won’t have their own forces. It’s just that Ancestor Chen Feng’s Peak is meant to cultivate cultivators for specific tasks and missions."

The crowd gradually began to understand.

"So that’s what Ancestor Chen Feng meant..."

"The three Peaks are actually divisions within the family?"

"Then the Swordheart Peak is where those who wish to enter Ancestor Chen Feng’s path will train?"

Chen Yan nodded.

"Exactly."

He paused before continuing.

"Of course, the family is still developing. We don’t have enough people in every field, and there are many things we need to build from the ground up."

His expression suddenly became slightly more serious.

"And there is one problem that we cannot ignore."

The crowd listened attentively.

"We need money."

The atmosphere became strangely quiet, and Chen Yan looked across the crowd with a completely serious expression.

"More spiritual stones. More resources. More businesses. More sources of income."

A few elders exchanged glances. Chen Yan continued.

"Our family is growing, and with that growth comes greater expenses. Cultivation resources, weapons, pills, formations, construction, businesses, trade routes... none of these things are free."

He sighed softly.

"If we want the Chen Family to become stronger, we cannot simply rely on the spiritual herb fields we have now."

Then his eyes suddenly brightened.

"So..."

Chen Yan raised his hand high above his head. His previously calm expression was replaced by an unusually enthusiastic smile.

"Those who want to make money with this ancestor and become rich..."

He paused dramatically.

"RAISE YOUR HAND!"

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Not a single hand went up.

The countless members of the Chen Family simply stared at him. Some looked confused, while others looked embarrassed.

A few younger members quietly glanced at their parents as though wondering whether they were supposed to respond.

Chen Yan’s raised hand remained suspended in the air, and eventually, his smile slowly stiffened.

"..."

Overhead, Chen Feng closed his eyes and let out a long, exhausted sigh.

"Why did you have to say it like that?"

Chen Yan glanced sideways.

"What? It is an important matter."

"You sounded like a merchant trying to recruit people into a business scheme."

"I am trying to recruit people into a business."

Chen Feng rubbed his forehead.

Below them, the silence somehow became even more awkward.

Chen Yuan stood beside Chen Yan and slowly brought one hand to his face.

This family...

He quietly covered his face.

The dignified atmosphere that had surrounded the three ancestors only moments ago had completely disappeared.

The awkward silence continued for several breaths before Chen Yuan finally lowered his hand from his face.

"Enough."

His voice immediately drew everyone’s attention back.

"The three Peaks have different responsibilities, but they are still part of the same Chen Family. None of them will stand above the others, and none will be allowed to act independently of the family."

Chen Yan nodded and continued explaining the details, making it clear that the First Peak would handle the family’s businesses, finances, trade, recruitment, and external affairs, while Chen Yuan’s Main Peak would oversee the ancestral grounds, important inheritances, cultivation resources, and matters concerning the family’s long-term development.

Chen Feng’s Swordheart Peak, meanwhile, would focus on swordsmanship, combat training, enforcement, and cultivating those who wished to follow the path he had created.

Once the responsibilities of the three Peaks had been made clear, the three ancestors began selecting the first members.

Chen Yan was the first to move.

He quickly selected several dozen members who already had experience managing shops, trading goods, cultivating spiritual herbs, handling accounts, and dealing with merchants.

Some were surprised to discover that the Ancestor had remembered their abilities despite having rarely interacted with them before.

"These people will join my First Peak," Chen Yan announced.

"There will be plenty of work waiting for you."

A few of the selected members exchanged nervous glances.

They had a feeling that the word plenty meant something very different when it came from Chen Yan.

Chen Yuan then looked toward the elders.

"Those responsible for the important affairs of the family will join the Main Peak."

One after another, the elders stepped forward. Chen Yuan’s gaze eventually settled on Chen Haoran.

"Haoran, stand forward..."

Chen Haoran blinked.

"Me?"

"Brat, you are the patriarch. Don’t make me call you twice."

Chen Haoran immediately bowed with an embarrassed look, while Qingxue gave him a strange look from the side.

"Yes, Ancestor."

Soon, the Main Peak had its first group of elders and experienced family members. Then it was Chen Feng’s turn.

He did not select people based on age, position, or cultivation.

Instead, he simply stood there and released a faint strand of sword intent.

Those who had undergone the test were automatically registered as members of his Peak, so he naturally didn’t want to add too many more.

The moment his sword intent spread across the platform, several people reacted. Some of the younger members felt a strange resonance within their bodies.

A few looked down at their hands in confusion, while others instinctively reached toward the swords hanging from their waists.

One after another, descendants carrying the same faint sword intent that Chen Feng had sensed the previous day were selected, and his Peak had the largest group of the three by far.

Chen Feng looked over them quietly before giving a slight nod.

"You will become the first generation of disciples of Swordheart Peak."

The newly selected disciples exchanged glances. Some were still struggling to understand that they had gone from ordinary mortals to disciples of an Ancestor within the span of a single morning.

Chen Yan looked over the three groups and smiled.

"Of course, this is only the beginning."

The people who had not been selected immediately looked toward him.

"Don’t think that you have been left behind."

He raised a finger.

"The three Peaks have only just been established. The system is still new, and there are countless positions and responsibilities that have yet to be filled."

His gaze swept across the family.

"Some of you will be recruited later. Some may discover talents that you have never had the opportunity to use before. Others may find that you are better suited to a completely different role than the one you currently have."

He smiled confidently.

"So don’t rush."

"There will be plenty of opportunities."

Chen Yan suddenly placed both hands on his hips.

"And I promise you this."

His voice became noticeably louder.

"The Chen Family will become rich!"

The declaration echoed across the enormous platform, and the crowd stared at him in deathly silence. Someone even coughed during the awkward pause as Chen Yan raised a fist.

"Not just a little rich."

"We will have spiritual stones piled high enough that you won’t know where to spend them!"

"Hahahaha!"

Several people exchanged uncertain glances.

Chen Feng sighed overhead, and Chen Yuan quietly looked away again. Somewhere in the crowd, a young boy tugged on his mother’s sleeve and whispered,

"Mom."

The woman glanced down, and the boy pointed toward Chen Yan.

"Ancestor Chen Yan is acting rather weird."

The woman immediately covered his mouth.

"Don’t say that so loudly."

Unfortunately, Chen Yan had already heard him. His smile twitched, and he slowly lowered his hand.