The Chen Family's First "Heng" Generation Cultivator

The thousand or so children remaining, all of suitable age, mostly came from remote villages near Jade Spring Town. They were short and rather thin.

The Ascension Ceremony was drawing to a close, and the group didn't hold out much hope.

But under the watchful eyes of the five elders, a boy with bright, spirited eyes, appearing thin but full of vitality, quickly ran onto the Spirit Testing Platform.

The next moment.

The elders, who had grown somewhat numb, were instantly captivated by a dazzling beam of light.

A strong crimson glow erupted from the Spirit Testing Platform. The Eighth Elder, Chen Xingmo, responsible for nurturing disciples within the clan, exclaimed in surprise, "Seventh-grade Fire spiritual root, high-rank talent!"

Chen Heng's eyes widened abruptly. He hadn't expected to find a seedling with a seventh-grade high-rank Fire spiritual root at the end of the Ascension Ceremony in Jade Spring Town.

After all, most disciples of the Chen family in Jade Spring Town came from branch families or minor sects.

It was rare for them to produce seedlings with talent comparable to the direct descendants of Jade Spring Mountain.

Take, for example, the two cultivators of the Ming generation, both possessing seventh-grade high-rank spiritual roots; they were both direct descendants of the Chen family.

The Chen family currently had sixteen generations of cultivators, with the generational names arranged as 'Zu Zhao Xiao Qiong, Yan Ze Tian Xing, Ming Heng Chang Jiu, Yu Quan Yong Sheng'.

As far as Chen Heng knew, none of the direct descendant children of suitable age currently on Jade Spring Mountain had yet tested positive for a spiritual root.

This meant that the person before them would be the first cultivator of the Heng generation in the Chen family!

This was a very rare occurrence in the Chen family.

However, it wouldn't have a significant impact. Although the Chen family had distinctions between direct and collateral lines, they had always placed more importance on cultivation realm and innate talent.

Chen Xingmo chuckled and stepped forward, crouching down. He looked at the slightly thin boy before him with affectionate eyes and said, "Good child, what's your name?"

The boy scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "My name is Chen Gousheng. My mother said I was born frail, so she gave me a humble name, thinking it would make me easier to raise."

Chen Xingyong, the tall elder who hadn't spoken much along the way, suddenly interjected, "How can that be! You are now the first cultivator of the Heng generation in the Chen family."

"Besides, you're healthy and strong now, so it's time to change your name."

"Exactly, exactly!" the short elder, Chen Xingyi, chimed in appropriately.

Chen Xingmo lightly stroked his beard and said kindly, "Child, are your family members currently in Jade Spring Town? Shall we discuss it and give you a new name?"

Chen Gousheng's expression immediately turned sad. He whispered, "A while ago, wild beasts attacked the village. My father and mother are gone. I came with everyone else."

Upon hearing this, Chen Heng felt an inexplicable pang of sorrow. His own parents had died of illness years ago, and it was during the Ascension Ceremony that he had come to this square with everyone else.

At this moment, Chen Mingjing's gentle voice rang out, "Since that's the case, Gousheng, your parents must have hoped you would grow up safe and sound."

"How about you be called Chen Heng'an from now on?"

The boy looked up. He saw a beautiful woman with a kind face, as approachable as his mother, smiling at him.

He nodded, agreeing, and then grinned, carrying a hint of the wild spirit of the mountains.

This scene made Chen Heng momentarily dazed. It seemed someone had asked him his name in a similar way years ago.

Thanks to Chen Heng'an's existence, everyone felt a glimmer of renewed anticipation for the remaining children.

Unfortunately, by the time the last child of suitable age had been tested, only two seedlings had emerged.

The success rate was decent, but their spiritual roots were only of lower grade.

This meant that this Ascension Ceremony had yielded a total of thirteen seedlings.

The next step was to safely escort them back to Jade Spring Mountain for cultivation.

Under normal circumstances, Jade Spring Town was only about a hundred miles from Jade Spring Mountain, so there shouldn't be any audacious individuals daring to attack them.

However, it was always best to prepare for the unexpected.

Moreover, with the emergence of a high-rank seedling like Chen Heng'an, the experienced Chen Xingmo naturally pursued a more cautious approach.

He directly sent a message to Jade Spring Mountain, asking the family head to quickly send someone to meet them.

The reply from Jade Spring Mountain was swift. In less than half a day, a massive Sky Wind Vulture broke through the clouds and landed gracefully in the central plaza in front of the Garrison Mansion of Jade Spring Town.

Leading the group was a bald old man with a powerful aura and a solemn expression. He possessed the cultivation of the peak Qi Refining stage, striking awe into the hearts of the Garrison Commander Chen Xingcheng and others. He was none other than the Great Elder of the Chen family, Chen Xingzhou.

Another person, with a face as calm as a still pond, also possessed the peak Qi Refining stage cultivation. However, his pressure was not apparent, resembling withered wood. He was the Ninth Elder of the Chen family, Chen Xingyuan.

Although he had only recently broken through to the tenth level of Qi Refining, he had mastered the ancient and extraordinary Withered Wood Dragon's Roar Art, making his combat power far superior to his peers.

"Eighth Elder!" Chen Xingzhou's gaze was like lightning as he scanned the thirteen children standing beside Chen Xingmo, lingering for a moment on Chen Heng'an.

"To have a high-grade spiritual root in this Ascension Ceremony is truly an unexpected joy. There's no time to delay, let's depart quickly."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the group wasted no more time.

Chen Xingzhou took out an exquisite and compact spiritual boat magical artifact. It grew in size as it faced the wind, hovering about ten feet above the ground.

The seedlings, along with Elder Chen Heng, Chen Mingjing, Chen Minglang, and Chen Xingmo, were arranged to board this delicate spiritual boat.

Chen Xingyi and Chen Xingyong, along with Chen Xingzhou and Chen Xingyuan, boarded the Sky Wind Vulture. They would fly alongside to provide escort.

Magical artifacts capable of carrying people in flight were already uncommon, and large-scale flying magical artifacts for carrying multiple people were exceptionally rare.

This was a last resort, a necessary measure.

As dusk settled, the spiritual boat's spiritual light shimmered. Under Chen Xingmo's guidance, it rapidly ascended from the ground, instantly transforming into a streak of light and speeding towards Jade Spring Mountain.

Chen Xingzhou, riding the Sky Wind Vulture, arrived first despite starting later. In the blink of an eye, he flew to the front of the spirit boat, escorting it.

A hundred li was not a long distance for flying magical artifacts or flying Yao Beasts.

The spirit boat flew extremely high, with mountains and rivers below passing by like a painting.

Most of the immortal seedlings were flying for the first time. After a brief moment of fear, they couldn't hide their novelty and excitement.

Chen Heng'an tightly gripped the ship's railing, his small face full of awe, a flame of desire burning in his eyes.

The night deepened, leaving only scattered starlight.

As the group smoothly flew over a treacherous canyon named 'Emerald Smoke Valley', Chen Xingzhou, atop the Sky Wind Vulture, suddenly frowned and raised his hand, signaling Chen Xingmo behind him to slow down.

"Something's wrong!" he exclaimed, his voice heavy with gravity.

Almost at the same time, several strange, dark red lights suddenly lit up in the deep valley below.

Immediately after, a piercing shriek tore through the air. Three streams of light, burning with black flames and moving as fast as lightning, attacked the boat and the beast in the air in a triangular formation!

"Enemy attack! Protect the immortal seedlings!" Chen Xingzhou roared, his voice like a thunderous bell, instantly shattering the night's tranquility.

A thick, earth-yellow light shield magical artifact flew out from his sleeve, instantly enlarging and just managing to block the spirit boat directly in front of it!