34: A great battle!
This news was nothing short of a thunderbolt for the Loose Cultivators struggling at the bottom and the countless Mortals yearning to embark on the path of immortality.
They lacked the Aptitude to join large Sects, unable to even touch their gates.
If they sought refuge with smaller Families, they feared being used as cannon fodder, their last shred of value squeezed dry.
And the Chen Family, this rising new power, was renowned for its prestige and the benevolence of its Family Head, and now it had even promised to impart Cultivation Techniques.
This was simply an Opportunity dropped from the heavens!
For a time, countless people from the entire Shangya Prefecture, and even surrounding counties, flocked to Ninghai Town...
Shangya Prefecture, Shimen County, West City Slaughterhouse.
Stinking blood mixed with mud.
Formed small streams on the flagstone path.
Chu Xuan was shirtless, revealing his muscular body covered in scars.
He wielded his boning knife with an expressionless face, his movements swift and precise.
A recently slaughtered Yao Beast was completely dismembered in his hands in less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, its bones separated from its flesh, neatly arranged by category.
The surrounding butchers looked at him with awe.
This taciturn young man had arrived here half a year ago, and no one knew his origins.
They only knew that he possessed terrifying strength; a Yao Beast carcass that three to five ordinary men couldn't lift, he could carry alone.
Moreover, he never slacked off and his prices were fair.
He quickly established himself in this chaotic place.
After finishing work, Chu Xuan carefully washed off the blood, changed into clean coarse linen clothes, wrapped the dozen copper coins he earned today and the best beef tenderloin in oil paper, and quickly walked out of the slaughterhouse.
He did not linger outside, heading straight back to a dilapidated shack in the poor area of the south of the city.
"Brother, you're back."
A weak voice came from the dim room.
The hardness on Chu Xuan's face instantly melted, and he hurried inside.
Lying on the bed was a girl of about thirteen or fourteen, her face sallow, her lips devoid of color, so thin she was just skin and bones.
She was Chu Xuan's younger sister, Chu Yuer.
"Yu'er, how are you feeling today?"
Chu Xuan placed the meat on the table, poured a cup of hot water, and carefully helped his sister sit up.
"Same as usual..."
Chu Yuer smiled weakly, taking the water cup: "Brother, you went to the slaughterhouse again? The blood Qi there is heavy, it's not good for your health."
"My body is perfectly fine, but what about you? Did you take your medicine on time today?"
"I did, but... it doesn't seem to be working."
Chu Yuer's eyes dimmed.
Chu Xuan's heart felt as if it had been pricked by a needle.
He had wandered everywhere with his sister, sought out famous doctors, and taken countless medicines.
Yet no one could say what disease his sister had.
Her body was like a leaky wooden bucket; no matter how much food or tonic she consumed!
Her life essence was constantly draining away.
An old doctor once sighed and said this was an innate incurable disease, fate, with no cure.
Chu Xuan did not believe in fate.
He worked desperately to earn money, just to find hope for curing his sister's illness.
"Brother will stew some meat soup for you."
He forced a smile.
Just as he was about to start a fire, he heard the shouts of his neighbor, Aunt Zhang, from outside the courtyard.
"Ah Xuan, are you home? Come out and see the excitement! An Immortal Master from the city is recruiting people!"
Immortal Master?
Chu Xuan's heart stirred, and he walked out.
He saw a large crowd gathered at the alley entrance, pointing and gesticulating at a newly posted announcement.
Chu Xuan pushed through the crowd and saw the content of the announcement.
It was indeed the news of the Chen Family recruiting guards, and the line "Those with Spiritual Roots will be taught immortal methods" was prominently circled in red cinnabar.
"The Chen Family of Ninghai Town? Is that the Chen Family that produced a Talisman Dao Great Grandmaster?"
"Indeed! I heard their Family Head is benevolent, and the wages they offer are three times that of other families! If one can be chosen, they will never have to worry about this life!"
"Imparting immortal methods... My heavens, if only my son had a Spiritual Root..."
The discussions around him reached Chu Xuan's ears, word for word.
His hands unconsciously clenched into fists.
Immortal methods... Immortal Masters... He didn't understand what Spiritual Roots or immortal methods were.
But he knew that those high and mighty Immortal Masters possessed means unimaginable to Mortals.
They, perhaps, could find a way to cure Yu'er's illness!
Once this thought arose, it was unstoppable!
He glanced at the recruitment location written at the bottom of the announcement — Ninghai Town, Chen Family Mansion.
A decision quickly formed in his mind.
He returned to the room, looking at his sister, whose Qi was as faint as a wisp of smoke, on the sickbed, his eyes becoming resolute.
"Yu'er."
"Hmm? Brother, what's wrong?"
Chu Xuan took a deep breath and said, "We're going to Ninghai Town."
Chapter 48
Chu Xuan made a simple wheelbarrow, laid soft hay on it, and settled his sister there.
He took all the Family's savings — less than a hundred copper coins, and the boning knife he had used for half a year.
From Shimen County to Ninghai Town, it was over a hundred li.
He, a Mortal, pushed his gravely ill sister, relying on his feet, walking step by step.
He traveled during the day and rested in a dilapidated temple or cave at night, leaving the best dry rations and water for his sister, while he gnawed on hard, dry biscuits.
Exposed to the elements, traveling day and night.
A few days later, when he pushed the cart and appeared at the entrance of Ninghai Town, he had already lost a circle of weight, his clothes were tattered, his face weathered, looking like a refugee.
The prosperity of Ninghai Town even far surpassed that of Shimen County!
The streets were wide and clean, the shops on both sides were numerous and orderly, the passersby were well-dressed, and one could even see some Cultivators carrying long swords and exuding an extraordinary aura.
Chu Xuan had no mind to appreciate these sights; he asked for directions and pushed his cart straight ahead.
He headed towards the Chen Family Mansion in the north of the town.
Even a few streets away, the bustling sound of people could already be heard.
When he turned the corner and saw the scene at the entrance of the Chen Family Mansion, even with his firm resolve, he couldn't help but gasp.
There were too many people.
A dense mass of people stretched from the Chen Family Mansion entrance all the way to the end of the street, probably over a thousand people.
Among these people, there were poor folk like him in tattered clothes, Jianghu individuals with shrewd and capable expressions.
There were even some Cultivators emitting auras!
Everyone's faces bore similar expressions — tension, anticipation, and a faint glimmer of hope.
The Chen Family had set up a large area at the entrance, with dozens of Chen Family guards, dressed in uniform soft armor and armed with Magical Artifacts, maintaining order.
At the very front of the area, there was a long table, behind which sat several stewards, registering information.
And most eye-catching was a half-human-tall black stone next to the table.
The stone's surface was smooth, with a faint flow of light rotating within it.
"Line up! One by one! No pushing, those who disrupt order will be disqualified immediately!"
A guard captain stood on a raised platform, using his spiritual power, his voice clearly reaching the entire crowd.
Chen Tongyuan stood next to the black stone.
He watched everything before him with a serious expression.
He hadn't expected that his father's news of recruiting guards would attract such a large turnout.
These past few days, he had personally witnessed countless people arrive with hope and leave with disappointment.
This gave him a deeper understanding of the cruelty of the path of Cultivation.
"Next!"
A skinny young man nervously walked to the black stone.
Following the steward's instructions, he placed his palm on it.
The crowd instantly fell silent, all eyes focused on the stone.
One breath, two breaths... The stone showed no reaction.
"No Spiritual Root, step down."
The steward's voice was devoid of emotion.
The young man's face instantly turned pale, and he walked away dejectedly.
A sigh of regret rippled through the crowd.
Next, dozens more people came forward for testing, and without exception, the black stone remained unresponsive.
A heavy atmosphere spread through the crowd.
"Next!"
A round, chubby young man, about fifteen or sixteen years old, nervously walked up, wiped the sweat from his palms, and placed his plump hand on the stone.
Buzz!
The stone suddenly lit up with a faint white light; though very dim, it was indeed lit.
"It lit up! It lit up!"
"Oh my god, finally one!"
The crowd instantly erupted, everyone craning their necks, their eyes filled with envy and jealousy.
"Possesses a Spiritual Root, qualified!"
The steward responsible for recording shouted loudly, a hint of a smile on his face.
The chubby young man himself was stunned, then quickly reacted, his face flushed with excitement, almost jumping up and down on the spot.
He was led by a guard to the waiting area, a place of honor for those who passed.
This small success greatly stimulated those behind, and the queue moved a bit faster.
But reality was cruel.
Among the next few hundred people, it was still a uniform string of failures.
Finally, it was Chu Xuan's turn.
He pushed the wheelbarrow aside, whispered "Wait for me" to his sister, and walked into the area.
His ragged clothes and dusty appearance made him stand out in the crowd, drawing some strange looks.
But Chu Xuan paid no mind; he walked to the stone, took a deep breath, and steadily placed his calloused and scarred hand on it.
Time, at this moment, seemed to slow down.
Chu Xuan's heart was in his throat; he could hear his own violent heartbeat.
Success or failure, it all depended on this moment.
His sister's life depended on this moment.
Buzz.
With a soft hum, a faint white light, even weaker than that of the chubby young man before, lit up on the black stone.
If one didn't look carefully, it would be almost imperceptible.
But it did, indeed, light up.
Chu Xuan's body trembled violently, his taut nerves instantly relaxed, and a huge wave of ecstasy rushed to his mind, making him almost lose his footing.
"Possesses a Spiritual Root, qualified."
The steward's voice sounded.
Although it was only the lowest Aptitude, he had finally crossed that threshold.
Chu Xuan was led to the waiting area; he looked back at his sister on the wheelbarrow not far away and nodded vigorously at her.
Chu Yuer's pale face also showed a trace of a relieved smile.
Today's recruitment did not end until evening.
Thousands of people came to test, but only a dozen or so passed the first round.
This result made everyone realize the difficulty of the immortal path.
Chen Tongyuan walked in front of the dozen or so people, his gaze sweeping over each of them.
"First, congratulations to you all for passing the first round of testing. You are luckier than thousands of others, because you possess the most basic qualification to embark on the immortal path — a Spiritual Root."
His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.
"However, don't rejoice too soon. This is just the beginning."
“Starting tomorrow, you will undergo a month-long training.”
“The content of the training includes my Chen Family's basic Cultivation Technique, as well as some combat skills. After half a month, there will be a second assessment. Only those who pass the assessment can become true guards of my Chen Family.”
“My Chen Family does not support idlers. If anyone slacks off during training or fails the assessment, they will be eliminated.”
“Furthermore, I will speak plainly now.”
Chen Tongyuan's gaze sharpened: “Once you choose to join my Chen Family, you must be absolutely loyal. If one day you dare to betray the Family, no matter where you flee, the Chen Family will hunt you down to the ends of the earth, ensuring your Divine Soul is extinguished, never to reincarnate!”
These words made the seven people's hearts clench, feeling the chilling killing intent.
“Do you understand?”
“We understand!”
These people responded in unison.
“Very good.”
Chen Tongyuan nodded, “Now, do you have any other questions?”
Chu Xuan hesitated for a moment, stepped forward, and bowed deeply to Chen Tongyuan.
“This... Young Master.”
He didn't know how to address him: “I am Chu Xuan, and I have an impudent request. My sister is seriously ill and has no one to care for her. May I... may I bring her into the mansion with me?”
Chen Tongyuan looked at him, then glanced at the girl lying on the wheelbarrow not far away.
The girl's breath was faint, and his brows furrowed slightly.
“No.”
He refused flatly: “The Chen Family Mansion has strict rules; it is not a shelter and cannot take in outsiders.”
Chu Xuan's face instantly turned pale, and his heart sank to the bottom.
“However...”
Chen Tongyuan changed his tone, “If you can pass the final assessment and officially become a member of my Chen Family, the Chen Family will naturally take care of your Family.”
“We will find a clean courtyard for her in the town, invite the best doctors to treat her, and the daily expenses will also be fully borne by the Family.”
“All you need to do is put aside all worries, focus on Cultivating, strive to become stronger, and repay the Family with your strength and loyalty.”
Chen Tongyuan looked at him, saying each word distinctly: “This is the Chen Family's promise to you.”
Chu Xuan was stunned. He looked into Chen Tongyuan's eyes.
The despair in his heart was replaced by a warm current.
He understood; this was the Family's rule, and also a test for him.
He said no more, only bowed deeply again, and retreated... The recruitment lasted for a full half month.
The news spread wider and wider, and people came in an endless stream from all over Shangya Prefecture, and even neighboring prefectures, with the total number exceeding tens of thousands.
In the end, after layers of screening, the Chen Family selected one hundred and fifty promising individuals with Spiritual Roots.
The vast majority of them had yellow grade Spiritual Roots, with only five having Yellow Grade Low-Rank Spiritual Roots.
After the recruitment ended, Chen Xu gathered these more than one hundred people in the training ground.
He said little, simply instructing Chen Tongyuan to take these individuals away and hand them over to the Family's head guard instructor, who had been training for many years, to begin rigorous training.
In the study, Chen Xu looked at the detailed list of one hundred and fifty people in his hand.
With a thought, the Eye of Destiny activated.
His gaze fell on the name “Chu Xuan.”
【Name: Chu Xuan】
【Realm: None】
【Cultivation Technique: None】
【Spiritual Root: Yellow Grade Low-Rank (Growable)】
【Lifespan: 18 / 82】
【Loyalty: 75 (Grateful: Views the Chen Family as his only hope, willing to die for it.)】
【Luck: Gray-white (Ordinary, but with a tenacious destiny, showing signs of turning misfortune into blessing.)】
Growable?
Chen Xu raised an eyebrow; this was the first time he had seen this annotation after a Spiritual Root.
He glanced at the information of the others; their loyalty was generally between 60 and 70. Chu Xuan's 75 points were the highest among everyone.
“A bit interesting.”
Chen Xu's lips curved slightly.
He set the list aside and looked out the window.
The Family's foundation had been initially established.
Next, it was a matter of time for it to mature.
Time flew by, and three years passed quietly.
For Mortals, three years is enough for a child to grow up, for a young person to enter middle age.
But for the Chen Family of Ninghai Town, these three years were a period of earth-shattering change.
The one hundred and fifty Spiritual Root seedlings, meticulously selected from tens of thousands of people, had undergone a complete transformation after three years of rigorous training and resource allocation.
The elimination rate was astonishing; less than fifty people ultimately remained.
But these fifty individuals were all elites.
They formed the Chen Family's new guard team, loyal and reliable. The lowest Cultivation among them had reached Qi Refining third layer, becoming the Chen Family's sharpest blade to the outside world.
And Chu Xuan, the young man who once pushed a wheelbarrow, covered in the marks of hardship, was now twenty-one years old.
Three years had passed, and the silence and sternness on him had not faded; instead, they had gained a hint of blade-like sharpness.
Relying on his desperate ruthlessness and extraordinary tenacious Heart-Nature.
He became the Cultivator with the highest Cultivation and strongest combat power among all the newly promoted guards.
Qi Refining sixth layer.
This Cultivation speed, even within a Sect, could be considered above average Aptitude.
No one would have thought that he only possessed a Yellow Grade Low-Rank Spiritual Root.
Chen Xu later used the Eye of Destiny to observe, and the “Growable” annotation after Chu Xuan's Spiritual Root still existed, but it seemed to have not changed.
Now, he was the Captain of the Chen Family Guard, responsible for the defense of the entire Chen Family Mansion.
He deeply trusted Chen Xu and Chen Tongyuan.
His sister, Chu Yuer, was also settled in a small courtyard in town, cared for by dedicated servants, and nourished daily with precious medicinal herbs.
Although her strange illness still hadn't been cured, at least her life was not in danger, and her body was much better than three years ago.
This also made Chu Xuan completely devoted to the Chen Family, his loyalty having long exceeded 90 points, reaching the level of “Grateful, willing to die for it.”
The Family's second generation, Chen Xu's dozen or so children.
Under the personal guidance of Chen Xu and Daoist Yuqing, they also successively displayed their respective Cultivation talents.
Chen Qiming, now a Qi Refining fifth layer Cultivator, was steady in character, much like his father, and had begun to get involved in the Family's general affairs under Chen Tongyuan's guidance.
And Chen Ping'an, with his Earth-Grade Spiritual Root, though only seven years old, had already surpassed the others in Cultivation, reaching an astonishing Qi Refining sixth layer, becoming the undisputed top Genius among all his siblings.
The Family's business, deeply intertwined with the Li Family, grew larger and larger.
The Talismans produced by the Chen Family had become hard currency throughout Shangya Prefecture, and even sold well in surrounding counties, bringing in massive Spirit Stone profits.
Everything was thriving.
In these three years, Chen Xu's several wives and concubines gave birth to four more children for him.
【Ding! Detected host's child born, Spiritual Root: Yellow Grade Low-Rank, rewarding host with twenty years of Lifespan and five years of Cultivation.】
【Ding! Detected host's child born, Spiritual Root: Yellow Grade Low-Rank, rewarding host with twenty years of Lifespan and five years of Cultivation.】
【Ding! Detected host's child born, Spiritual Root: Yellow Grade Low-Rank, rewarding host with fifteen years of Lifespan and ten years of Cultivation.】
【Ding! Detected host's child born, Spiritual Root: Yellow Grade Low-Rank, rewarding host with fifteen years of Lifespan and ten years of Cultivation.】
The four children collectively brought Chen Xu seventy years of Lifespan and thirty years of Cultivation.
Chen Xu's current Lifespan had accumulated to a considerably impressive level.
And these thirty years of Cultivation, for him, who had already reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, although unable to help him Break through his Realm, could make his already abundant magical power even more pure and condensed.
He could feel that the spiritual energy within him, under the operation of the Tide of the Returning Sea Art, had subtly taken on a profound charm like ocean tides... Inside the secret chamber, Chen Xu sat cross-legged.
He slowly channeled the newly acquired fifty years of Cultivation into his Qi Sea.
Boom!
A vast and pure energy exploded within him.
Chen Xu immediately concentrated his mind, fully operating the Tide of the Returning Sea Art, guiding this power to scour his Meridians and Dantian.
His magical power grew at a visible speed, becoming increasingly viscous, like mercury.
Within the Qi Sea, the vortex of spiritual energy spun faster and faster, almost solidifying.
However, no matter how he attacked, the invisible barrier from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core remained as solid as ever, unmoving.
After a long while, Chen Xu slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a turbid breath.
“Still not enough.”
Chen Xu murmured to himself.
After absorbing these fifty years of Cultivation, his strength had advanced a few more points. An ordinary Foundation Establishment Perfection Cultivator would probably not last ten rounds against him.
But he knew very well that he was still far from the true Golden Core Dao.
The Tide of the Returning Sea Art, a top-tier Cultivation Technique that directly points to the Great Dao, brought him combat power far exceeding his peers, but also set an incredibly huge threshold for him.
To form a Core with this method, the accumulation of spiritual energy required was an astronomical figure.
“Estimating based on this trend, I probably need at least another hundred years of pure Cultivation to even hope to touch that Bottleneck.”
One hundred years of Cultivation!
This number was enough to make any Foundation Establishment Cultivator feel despair.
But in Chen Xu's eyes, an even stronger fighting spirit ignited.
Just because others had no hope didn't mean he didn't.
He had the Family System.
As long as the Family continued to grow, its descendants multiplied endlessly, and more highly talented offspring were born, let alone a hundred years, he could gather two hundred, even three hundred years of Cultivation!
...Just as Chen Xu was accumulating strength for his Core Formation path.
Qingyun Immortal Sect.
Main Peak, Qingyun Summit.
This was the Forbidden Ground of the Qingyun Immortal Sect, perpetually shrouded in mist, with Spiritual Qi so dense it was almost liquid. Ordinary Disciples had no right to set foot here.
On the summit, there was an ancient stargazing platform.
A figure dressed in a simple green robe, with an indistinct face as if shrouded in a layer of mist, had been sitting here in meditation for several years.