23: Chapter 23 The Emergence of a Trade Union

Qingxi Chen Family, Discussion Hall.

The air was filled with the tranquil scent of century-old sandalwood, mixed with the fragrance of meticulously tended spiritual plants outside the hall, creating an otherworldly immortal atmosphere.

The family head, Chen Xiao, sat upright in the primary seat.

He was about forty years old, with a face as fair as jade. His moon-white brocade robe was embroidered with cloud patterns in silver thread, showing no hint of worldly dust.

He was currently savoring a cup of "Cloud Mist Peak" tea brewed with morning dew in a near-perfect posture.

This composure was completely shattered by a shrill roar and stumbling footsteps.

"Family Head! Family Head! Something terrible has happened!"

A cultivator dressed in the Chen family's secret scout uniform rushed into the discussion hall, stumbling and crawling. His face was as pale as paper, his hair was disheveled, he had lost a boot while running, and his whole body was trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"Impudent!" an elder standing nearby shouted sternly. "Chen Lin, as a family scout, how dare you lose your decorum like this? Where is your sense of propriety!"

Chen Xiao slowly set down his jade cup. The bottom of the cup made a crisp, faint sound as it touched the table.

He did not get angry, but merely frowned slightly. In those eyes, which were as calm as an ancient well, a hint of displeasure at being disturbed finally appeared.

"Speak," he uttered only one word, his voice flat but carrying an unquestionable majesty.

The scout named Chen Lin fell to his knees with a "thud," his teeth chattering so hard he could barely form a sentence: "North... North Mountain Hollow... that group of lunatics... they... they are practicing... practicing the Immortal Slaying Method!"

"Slaying Immortals?" another elder in the hall burst out laughing, as if he had heard the world's biggest joke. "Chen Lin, have you been possessed by a mountain ghost? A bunch of mortals relying on bloodlust and courage can't even beat our Chen family's Household Servants. How can they talk about slaying immortals?"

"No! No!" Chen Lin seemed to be in a frenzy as he tremblingly pulled out a cracked spiritual mirror from his robe. "I saw it with my own eyes! They... they built moving iron walls, as tall as a man and as wide as several people hugging together. If our spells hit them, I'm afraid... I'm afraid they'll only make a sound!"

He held up the spiritual mirror like he was grasping at a final lifeline. "They also... they also throw filthy things. They're all over the sky, with a stench that reaches the heavens. It can foul one's magical tools and disturb the mind! The... the most terrifying thing is that torrent of spiritual energy!"

Chen Lin's breathing became rapid, and his eyes were filled with an indelible fear. "Hundreds, thousands of spells... although each one is as weak as a firefly, when gathered together, they are like a swarm of locusts crossing the land, covering the sky and the earth! My Qi-Gazing Spiritual Mirror only took a distant look and was nearly shattered by that chaotic and violent spiritual energy!"

The discussion hall instantly fell into a dead silence.

The sneer on the face of the elder who had laughed earlier froze.

Everyone's eyes converged on that cracked and mottled spiritual mirror.

A low-grade magical tool was actually counter-attacked just by taking a distant look; this was definitely not something a group of ordinary mortals could achieve.

Chen Xiao's gaze finally moved away from the teacup and fell on Chen Lin's face.

He still had no expression, but his knuckles were unconsciously tapping the table lightly.

"Moving iron walls, a rain of filth, a torrent of spells..." he repeated softly, as if savoring these words. "A group of mortals, wielding spells?"

"Yes! Family Head!" Chen Lin said, as if he had found an outlet, his speech very fast. "They seem to be using the lowest-level talismans, but there are too many! Too many! They cooperate tacitly with a clear division of labor: advancing, suppressing, volleying... that's not a group of stragglers at all. That's an... an army! A frenzied army whose goal is to slaughter cultivators!"

"Absurd," Chen Xiao finally snorted coldly, interrupting his words.

He stood up, paced to the center of the hall with his hands behind his back, and his gaze swept over the people in the hall, who had various expressions.

"A group of mountain villagers who have had some minor lucky encounters has caused you to lose your composure?" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a bone-chilling coldness. "True, they killed Chen Ping, so they must have some tricks. But so what? It's nothing more than some underhanded and sinister tactics. Mortals are, after all, mortals."

He paused, a hint of extreme contempt and arrogance flashing in his eyes. "Why are they practicing these things? Because they are afraid. They know that in a one-on-one fight, they are nothing more than ants before us cultivators. Therefore, they can only huddle together like ants, using the most foolish and clumsy methods to build a ridiculous sense of security."

"What does the Family Head mean?" an elder asked cautiously.

"Pass on my order." Chen Xiao's voice returned to being flat, but it carried an unquestionable decisiveness. "From now on, sever all ties with all the markets around North Mountain Hollow. Any shop that sells them a single grain of rice, a single sheet of paper, or a single piece of iron will be an enemy of my Qingxi Chen Family. I want to see how many days this so-called 'army' can last without food, clothing, and supplies."

The corners of his mouth curled into a cold arc.

"An ant that has crawled out of its hole thinks it has seen the sky and wants to overturn the rivers and seas. We don't need to use thunder to strike it down. We only need to... gently step on its supply line, and it will die of hunger, internal strife, and collapse in despair. This is the dignity we immortals should have."

...

At the back mountain training ground, a strange smell mixed with dust, smoke, and unmentionable things still lingered in the air.

The players' fanaticism, however, was even more intoxicating than this smell.

"Did you see that! Did you see that! That wave of talisman sea just now! Awesome! It was so damn awesome!"

"Awesome my ass! My door panel was almost hit by our own people's 'Immortal Master's Joy Pack'! 'I Love Exploiting Loopholes', can you tell those lunatics under you to aim better!"

"Technical issues, technical issues! It's our first time, we lack experience! Next time, we guarantee we'll hit wherever we point, ensuring the enemy experiences a full-scale, three-dimensional sensory feast!"

Amidst the clamor, three distinct groups were slowly forming.

Around "Shield Mountain," a group of sturdy players with steady auras gathered.

They stroked those rugged "War Gateboards," their eyes filled with a sense of security and trust.

They were natural defenders, the team's most solid bulwark.

"Demolition Office Director" was surrounded by a group of players with fanatical and aggressive eyes.

They discussed how to maximize the projection efficiency of talismans, how to distribute loot, and how to exchange the smallest price for the greatest results.

They were the spearhead, the sharp blade, the beneficiaries of war.

Around "I Love Exploiting Loopholes," a group of players with the most wretched smiles and the most active eyes gathered.

They were huddled together, whispering about newly developed "biochemical weapon" recipes, such as adding scorpion venom to manure or mixing itching powder into lime bags, occasionally letting out bursts of hair-raising, sinister laughter.

This was the most primitive prototype of a guild.

There were no bylaws, no oaths, just factions spontaneously formed based on similar combat styles and personalities.

"Shield Mountain" frowned slightly. He knew that this kind of loose alliance was fine for winning battles when things were going well, but once faced with real pressure, it would easily collapse due to issues with resource allocation and command authority.

They needed a more formal and binding framework.

At that moment, almost all the players saw a line of ancient, golden seal script characters pop up before their eyes without warning, as if branded directly onto their retinas.

[Family Announcement: You filial grandsons have worked together with one heart and mind, and already have the prototype of a battle formation. To commend your achievements and facilitate command and deployment, I am very pleased and hereby initiate the "Family Hall" system.]

Below the announcement, a brand-new interface slowly unfolded.

[Family Hall System]

[Function 1: Create a Hall. Players can consume 1,000 contribution points to create an exclusive hall, name it themselves, and set an emblem.]

[Function 2: Hall Warehouse. Hall members can store materials in a public warehouse, to be distributed by the Hall Master and elders.]

[Function 3: Hall Missions. This Seat will occasionally release high-difficulty, high-reward exclusive missions for halls. Non-hall members cannot accept them.]

[Function 4: Hall Rankings. A comprehensive ranking will be conducted based on each hall's performance in completing missions, slaying powerful enemies, accumulating contribution, and other actions. For those at the top of the rankings, This Seat will bestow additional rewards.]

The interface wasn't large and didn't have many functions, but every word was like a heavy hammer, smashing hard into the hearts of all the players.

Silence.

A deathly silence.

The next second, a volcanic eruption!

"Holy crap! A guild system! An official guild system certified by the Ancestor himself!"

"Damn! I knew this game was awesome! This system NPC is way too intelligent! As soon as we finished grouping, he immediately provided a matching system!"

"Hall! That name has a great feel to it! It's much classier than some bullshit 'Brotherhood' or 'Alliance'!"

"What are we waiting for! Big Boss Shield Mountain! Quick! Create it! My contribution points are already thirsty and unbearable!"

"Shield Mountain" took a deep breath. He looked at the group of brothers who trusted him and at that weather-beaten war gateboard, his eyes bursting with unprecedented brilliance.

Without the slightest hesitation, he clicked directly on "Create Hall."

[Please enter the hall name.]

Almost subconsciously, he entered two words.

——Iron Wall.

["Iron Wall Hall" created successfully! Founder: Shield Mountain.]

A beam of faint light descended from the sky, enveloping "Shield Mountain" and his core members.

Above their heads, an ancient emblem composed of a shield and mountains slowly emerged.

"Awesome!" The members of the Iron Wall Hall let out a thunderous cheer.

On the other side, "Demolition Office Director" chuckled, his eyes full of ambition and fire.

With a wave of his hand, he also chose to create one.

"What do we do? We set fires to mountains and kill for treasure! Our talismans are like fire falling from the sky! Our hall shall be called—"

["Blazing Fire Hall" created successfully! Founder: Demolition Office Director.]

A burning flame emblem blazed fiercely above their heads.

"I Love Exploiting Loopholes" stroked his chin, his eyes darting around.

"Iron Wall focuses on defense, Blazing Fire focuses on offense... what about us?" he asked a player beside him.

That player smiled sinisterly, "As for us, we specialize in low blows and striking vital points, focusing on catching the enemy off guard and attacking when they're unprepared. We are an unexpected force!"

"Good!" I Love Exploiting Loopholes slapped his thigh. "Then we'll be called the Unexpected Force Hall!"

["Unexpected Force Hall" created successfully! Founder: I Love Exploiting Loopholes.]

A strange emblem composed of a dagger and a venomous scorpion quietly emerged.

Immediately after, "Infrastructure Maniac" united all the lifestyle players and established the "Hundred Crafts Hall," which specialized in logistics, construction, and production.

"Gossip Reporter Little Trumpet" recruited a group of female players who were good at socializing and exploration, establishing the "Listening Wind Pavilion," which specialized in intelligence and diplomacy.

For a time, faint lights rose everywhere, and emblems shone brightly.

Several halls with distinct styles and clear divisions of labor were declared established within a short quarter of an hour.

The players' enthusiasm was completely ignited. Looking at the emblems above their heads and the like-minded "family members" beside them, an unprecedented sense of belonging and collective honor welled up.

They knew that the game had only truly begun from this moment.

Deep within the ancestral hall, Lu Bei's soul form gazed at this scene from afar, the corners of his mouth curling into a profound arc.

The leeks had not only learned how to fight but also how to manage and organize themselves.

He was very satisfied.

However, his gaze passed through the noisy crowd, over the layers of mountains, and looked towards the direction of the Qingxi Chen Family.

There, an invisible large net was slowly spreading out.

A new storm was already brewing.