Ordinary People: Starting with the Chen Clan

Within a family, the passing of each high-level cultivator not only represents a change in strength, but also hides a greater struggle for power.

Like their branch, they used to have very little say in Huangfeng Valley, but if someone successfully establishes their foundation at this crucial juncture...

That would give them the opportunity to fill the power vacuum left by the three ancestors.

If they miss this opportunity, even if their lineage produces Foundation Establishment cultivators in the future, they can only go to other families or master-disciple forces in Yellow Maple Valley to share the spoils.

The difficulty levels are completely different.

At this moment, Chen Zhongyan from the second branch of the family and Chen Zhonghe from the fourth branch of the family, who were sitting opposite each other, exchanged a glance and both saw a hint of gloom in each other's eyes.

"Let's take a look at what's inside this memory bead first!"

On the other side, Elder Chen Shanghan took over the conversation and pointed at the image-recording bead.

Immediately, a video was played in the center of the hall, showing Chen Xuanzhou instructing his clansmen throughout the entire process. In addition, there were also various combat videos.

The fact that Chen Xuanzhou had such clear and comprehensive images was naturally something he had prepared from the very beginning, and it wasn't a secret; every student had a copy.

Under the guise of teaching materials to help identify gaps in knowledge and discover problems in the mastery and application of magic, it was actually a work report deliberately left behind by Chen Xuanzhou.

As the saying goes, if you don't leave a trace of your work, isn't that the same as doing nothing at all? If your superiors don't see your efforts, how can you advance in your career?

Even if someone in power wants to promote you, they need to have enough reasons!

These reasons cannot come out of thin air; they must be accumulated little by little and then put together to present a clear incremental effect. Most importantly, they cannot be too obvious or deliberate.

The goal is to make it clear to superiors that, as a seasoned veteran in the workplace, while he may not have mastered various skills, his adage for slacking off has become second nature.

Although the contents of the image-recording bead were extensive, the elders managed to read them quickly after speeding up the process many times over.

"At such a young age, not only has his magical skills reached a level of perfection, but he also applies them so skillfully. Zhongbo, your sixth branch of the family is truly blessed. As long as this child doesn't die young, he will surely achieve great things!"

Most of the people present had heard that Chen Xuanzhou was instructing his peers in cultivating magic and making talismans, but only a few old schemers who had made prior preparations actually witnessed it, so they were somewhat shocked.

"Hehe, Xuanzhou is still young and doesn't deserve such high praise!"

The head of the sixth branch of the family seemed to have little presence among those present. He had an ordinary appearance and a slightly chubby face. He did not have any sense of authority and instead looked more like a street vendor.

"Zhongming hereby asks the elders to consider this carefully. Although Xuanzhou only has three spiritual roots, his talent for talisman making is extraordinary, making him very suitable to inherit the core heritage of my Chen clan."

Moreover, even without much external support, his cultivation speed is still unparalleled in the entire branch, making him an excellent successor for the Chen family of Xizhou to sweep away its decline.

I, Chen Zhongming, have no selfish motives in recommending him to Huangfeng Valley. Judging from his performance since childhood, he will certainly not disappoint our expectations!

This is a golden opportunity that our team has waited hundreds of years for; we cannot let it slip away!

Seeing Chen Zhongming's impassioned speech, even the second and fourth wives, who wanted to recommend their own people, couldn't find any words to refute him.

At this moment, the fifth and ninth branches, who had also recommended Chen Xuanzhou, stood up and spoke in unison.

"Three elders, even at such a young age, Xuanzhou already knows to support his clan and understands that one tree cannot support the whole forest. Only by gathering the strength of the clan can we go far in the cultivation world."

Furthermore, not only does he possess such awareness, he is also able to balance the conflicting time constraints of his own cultivation and guiding his clansmen, demonstrating both his ability and foresight, making him worthy of our full assistance.

The Seventh Branch, who had initially chosen to support Chen Xuanzhou, felt a pang of bitterness upon seeing the two men's synchronized tones. "You've made so many preparations, why didn't you just tell me?"

Why are you being so secretive? I don't have as many tricks up my sleeve as you guys. You're just making things difficult for honest people!

Unfortunately, he had already submitted the list of those supporting the second wife, and now he couldn't afford to contradict himself, otherwise he would not only fail to gain the acceptance of these other wives, but also offend the second wife to the death.

Suddenly, Chen Zhongche, the eighth branch of the clan who was sitting next to him, stood up and bowed to the three clan elders.

"Xuanzhou's excellence is obvious. In fact, in terms of comprehension and magic, there is no one in the entire ancestral land who can compare with him."

However, these advantages are not very competitive within Yellow Maple Valley, or rather, they cannot be effectively utilized.

He paused for a moment, and seeing that no one objected, he was somewhat surprised but still continued speaking in an orderly manner.

"In Huangfeng Valley, there is no profound inheritance in the art of talisman making. Even the inheritance of our Chen family is considered top-notch."

Rather than wasting his talent by sending him to Huangfeng Valley, it would be better to send him to Qingxu Sect. At the same time, we can go to the main lineage to obtain the complete inheritance of my Chen family for his initial cultivation.

With his talent for talisman making, he would surely attract the attention of the higher-ups of the Qingxu Sect. If he could become a disciple of a Core Formation Elder, he could open up a new path for the Chen family, and it wouldn't delay Xuanzhou's cultivation time by much.

As for the nomination, I think Xuanzhang is more suitable. His talent for alchemy is quite good, and after he reaches Foundation Establishment, he can use this skill to build connections within Yellow Maple Valley.

Upon hearing that the Eighth Branch had suddenly mentioned someone from his own branch, Chen Zhongyan from the Second Branch showed little joy on his face; instead, his brows furrowed slightly.

"Indeed, Xuanzhou is so intelligent. If we send him to Qingxu Sect in three years, he will surely be able to show his talents. Moreover, he is so young, yet he knows how to mentor the younger members of the clan. This is truly rare."

"With three years to go until the Ascension Ceremony, let's make it a benchmark to inspire the clan. We old folks can offer guidance, showing them how to better manage a clan."

Before the second wife could speak, Chen Zhongyuan from the first wife suddenly interrupted.

"Among those recommended in the past, Xuanzhang and Xuanheng were indeed quite good, but that's all they were."

Normally, someone of this caliber would be able to pass through Huangfeng Valley, but now is a crucial moment for vying for a major branch's legacy.

With their current level of skill, they'd probably struggle even to qualify for Foundation Establishment, let alone inherit the lineage of the Three Ancestors.

Chen Zhongming showed no politeness, looking like he was about to break ties with the other families.

This made the other branches of the family start to wonder. Chen Xuanzhou wasn't their junior, so why was he so concerned? If they said he was selfless and devoted to the public good, probably no one would believe it.