Ordinary People: Starting with the Chen Clan

"Don't worry, I'm not unaware of the current number of people in the clan. This system has a grace period of fifteen years. As long as the number of people reaches the target within fifteen years, it will be fine."

Furthermore, I can give an extra Foundation Establishment Pill to the room with the fastest growth in members.

Upon hearing this, the anxious family members immediately sat back down, thinking that it was time to consider continuing the bloodline for those good-for-nothings in the family, so as to prevent them from causing trouble all day long.

The disciples standing outside suddenly tensed up for no reason, glancing into the main hall, but unfortunately, no sound came out.

Seeing that no one else had raised any objections, Chen Xuanzhou spoke up again.

"Third, and finally, we must send our clansmen to recruit independent cultivators and ordinary people with spiritual roots."

The recruitment method for independent cultivators is as follows: firstly, those with a skill can be given the status of guest elders. Others, regardless of gender, must marry into the family.

However, if it is a boy, his first child with spiritual roots can take his father's surname.

"Patriarch, isn't it too hasty to recruit outsiders? It's already difficult for the Chen clan to support itself. If we add outsiders, I'm afraid we won't have enough resources."

This time, the three elders were the first to stand up, not because they opposed this point.

Rather, as someone who had been through it all, he knew all too well that any reform needed to be carried out step by step; otherwise, being too hasty could easily provoke conflict.

Especially for outsiders, the strong cohesion of a family stems from the shared bloodline.

People with different surnames will naturally be excluded. Over time, coupled with the fact that the Chen family's foundation is indeed shallow, the problem of resource allocation will become more prominent.

These conflicts could erupt at any time.

In Chen Shangyu's view, although Chen Xuanzhou was intelligent, he was still young. His ideas were good, but he needed time.

Giving the Chen family time is also giving Chen Xuanzhou time.

"Elder Shang Yu is wholeheartedly devoted to the family, which makes me very gratified. Xuan Zhou also thought of this."

Therefore, before recruiting these outsiders, I will ensure that there are enough Foundation Establishment cultivators within the clan to suppress any inappropriate thoughts.

That's the main reason I came back this time.

Upon hearing this, everyone present exchanged glances, their hearts filled with surprise and uncertainty.

What does it mean to have enough Foundation Establishment cultivators? When can Foundation Establishment be induced?

Without letting anyone speak, Chen Xuanzhou took the initiative to answer the question.

"I learned from some sources that there is a group of demonic cultivators in Yuejing City who are practicing with evil techniques, and some of them may have already achieved foundation building through this method."

Although these kinds of evil techniques all have great side effects, they generally either prevent one from making any progress in cultivation throughout one's life, or they cause some backlash.

However, his lifespan and combat strength remain unchanged.

Upon hearing this news, everyone present stopped paying attention to the seemingly trivial matter of recruiting outsiders.

Only Chen Shangyu looked at Chen Xuanzhou with complex emotions, including relief, peace of mind, and an unprecedented sense of relaxation.

"Patriarch, I think we need to wait a little longer on this matter. You are exceptionally talented, but you have only recently reached the Foundation Establishment stage, while demonic cultivators are ruthless and vicious."

While we are not afraid of facing danger head-on, we cannot risk our lives by sitting under a crumbling wall.

We might as well wait for the patriarch to write down more methods before taking swift and decisive action to eliminate any remaining criminals and prevent future retaliation!

Or we could invite a few more friends from within the sect to help, or even use Foundation Establishment Pills as a condition for our intervention.

This time, it was not Chen Shangyu who spoke, but Chen Shangxian.

It wasn't that he was selfless or that he found the Foundation Establishment Pills too hot to handle; rather, although he was old, he was not yet senile.

He understood that the Chen family was now relying on this young man. If something happened to him, they would be lucky to even survive, let alone get the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Even if they give away the Foundation Establishment Pills they have, will the outside world believe that they have given them all away?

For the sake of Foundation Establishment, no matter whether it's a rogue cultivator, someone from another family, or even the Chen family of Huangfeng Valley, they might not be able to trust anyone.

They might even use the name of their ancestral lineage to be the first to kick someone when they're down.

"The elder's consideration is indeed thorough. Our clan cannot withstand the mad retaliation of demonic cultivators."

I will go back to the market and have Elder Sun refine several sets of formations. We will then set them up in Yuejing City, and with my teacher's token, I will have the seven sects stationed there cooperate.

There shouldn't be any problem in capturing them all.

This is also a training exercise. All clansmen at the sixth level of Qi Refining must participate. Those who perform exceptionally well will be qualified to enter the Hidden Moon Sect and become my master's disciple.

Patriarch, tell us the truth: has Master Qiong been betrothed to you by a direct bloodline?

These are the thoughts of some people living underground.

Otherwise, it really doesn't make sense why Master Qiong would value a newly accepted disciple so much. Even a closed-door disciple, the only true disciple, wouldn't receive this kind of treatment!

They can take whatever they want.

Even if the head of the family really did marry into the family, they wouldn't dare to look down on him in the slightest, considering what he had done over the years.

In each and every one of those incidents, if anyone dared to utter a single word of dissent, the others would tear the person apart without the patriarch even lifting a finger.

Back then, before the patriarch himself had successfully established his foundation, he left a Foundation Establishment Pill for the family. He was even willing to risk his life to enter the Crimson Secret Realm for the sake of the family.

Where can you find a clan leader like that!

Chen Xuanzhou himself probably didn't realize that in just a few years, his influence and prestige within the clan had reached such a level.

This is also the biggest reason why the various factions dare not make any underhanded moves, not just because of the absolute difference in their cultivation levels.

With both interests and strength as guarantees, Chen Xuanzhou's decision-making abilities can achieve 120% or even more effectiveness.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Chen Xuanzhou spoke again.

"There's another matter that needs to be kept secret. Tell the tribespeople outside that you've summoned them just for a rehearsal."

Outstanding disciples will be selected from among them to serve under the jurisdiction of the Hidden Moon Sect, and will have the opportunity to gain entry into the sect!

"Yes, Master, your consideration is thorough! We obey!"

Everyone in the audience stood up and bowed respectfully to Chen Xuanzhou.

"Alright, that's enough for today. I'm going out to meet the young talents of our clan."

After saying that, he led the way outside, and a group of people followed him in an orderly fashion, without making a sound.

As soon as Chen Xuanzhou stepped out of the main hall, the eyes of more than a hundred people outside immediately focused on him.

"Dear members of the Chen family, I have discussed some institutional reforms with several elders of the clan. The specific details will be announced later."

I have something to say here. In three days, I will hold a clan-wide martial arts competition, where you will each choose your teammates.

Everyone can only use mid-grade magic artifacts and ten mid-grade talismans. The results of this assessment will determine your subsequent assignments and treatment.

As soon as Chen Xuanzhou finished speaking, the people below immediately erupted in clamor.

This seemingly fair rule is actually a clear favoritism towards the direct descendants of the eldest son's family.

What's more, they can freely form groups, which makes it difficult for other branches to survive.

Unfortunately, not a single person present dared to utter a word of dissent.