Recruitment

As the two conversed.

At the Chen Family's Back Mountain Forbidden Area.

An elder exuding an air of decay all over, his eyes lowered, his body little more than skin and bones, his face covered in age spots, slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were utterly clouded, still as an ancient well.

He merely lowered his head and glanced beyond the mountain.

A phantom resembling him in form immediately stepped out from within his body.

"Two young friends from the Heavenly Saint Palace have come to visit the Chen Family. May I ask what brings you here?"

The next moment.

An aged voice rang beside the Gray Robed Elder and the Peerless Beauty.

Upon hearing this, the Gray Robed Elder and the Peerless Beauty simultaneously raised their heads to look at the phantom, their pupils contracting slightly.

Before this phantom, even with their Heaven-and-Earth Spanning cultivation, they could not help but feel as insignificant as a drop in the vast sea.

Almost instantly, the two recognized him.

This man had to be that legendary old monster of the Chen Family who had stepped into the Apex Realm an unknown number of years ago!

The two then cupped their hands slightly and said:

"This junior, Fei Long of the Heavenly Saint Palace, greets Senior Elder Chen."

"This junior, Mo Qingyue of the Heavenly Saint Palace, greets Senior Elder Chen."

The aged phantom raised his brows slightly upon hearing that, saying in surprise, "Fei Long True Person and Saintess Mo Qingyue of the Heavenly Saint Palace?"

Fei Long True Person of the Heavenly Saint Palace was one of the great sword talents of the present Cultivation World!

His cultivation was Heaven-and-Earth Spanning. He had long since reached True Self Peak and even had one foot in Nirvana!

On the summit of Kunlun Mountain, he had once slain a Nirvana great demon with a single sword strike. He was hailed as the Sword Dao Grandmaster most likely to enter the Apex Realm in this age!

As for Mo Qingyue, she was the Saintess of the Heavenly Saint Palace, publicly praised by the Heavenly Saint Palace as one whose talent and strength eclipsed all throughout the ages! Though still in the bloom of youth, her cultivation had already reached the Spirit Travel realm, making her one of the foremost Heavenly Prides of the present age!

The speed of her cultivation was shocking enough to startle heaven and earth even across the entire Cultivation World.

Moreover, Mo Qingyue's spiritual perception was extraordinary.

She was a Grand Mental Master, an existence exceedingly rare throughout the Cultivation World today!

Even though he had long secluded himself within the Forbidden Ground of Ziwei Mountain, he had heard of their names.

"Honored guests, may I ask what guidance brings you to my Chen Family?" The aged phantom spoke, his tone becoming much more courteous.

Fei Long True Person smiled faintly. "Guidance would be too much. It is merely that, during this trip down the mountain, I heard that the Chen Family has produced a Prodigy. Not only is he a Nine Ancient Marks Wielder, but he was also born with a King Conferring Diagram. Thus, I was wondering whether he might be brought into our Heavenly Saint Palace."

"Oh?" The aged phantom narrowed his eyes. An Immortal Dao Lineage like the Heavenly Saint Palace did indeed occasionally recruit top Heavenly Prides to cultivate within its gates.

If Chen Zhaosheng could truly enter the Heavenly Saint Palace, it would undoubtedly be a great blessing for the now-declining Chen Family!

It would mean that the Chen Family had forged a connection with an Immortal Dao Lineage.

"May I ask how you intend to recruit him?" the aged phantom asked.

Fei Long True Person replied with a smile, "Very simply. You need only arrange some ordinary identities for us and allow us to enter the Chen Family. We will observe whether that Prodigy of your Chen Family is suitable for our Heavenly Saint Palace."

The aged phantom nodded. Presumably, this was to assess Chen Zhaosheng's Heart Temperament.

"If a descendant of my Chen Family can truly enter the Heavenly Saint Palace, it will be a blessing for our Chen Family."

The aged phantom slowly said, "Unfortunately, my descendant Zhaosheng left with his father for the Southern Frontier Trial half a month ago. I fear it will take another half month before he returns."

"Half a month?"

Upon hearing this, a trace of disappointment could not help but appear on Fei Long True Person's face.

They were not sect envoys specifically responsible for recruitment. Their visit to the Chen Family was merely because they happened to be passing by.

Since they were passing through anyway, they might as well take a look. It was only on a whim that the two had decided to enter the Chen Family and observe Chen Zhaosheng.

"If that is the case, then let this matter rest for now. When there is another opportunity, I will have a sect envoy come to assess and recruit him."

After saying that.

Fei Long True Person glanced at Mo Qingyue beside him and prepared to leave.

The aged phantom likewise revealed a regretful look. If he had not been unable to leave Ziwei Mountain, he truly would have wanted to go straight to the Southern Frontier and bring Chen Zhaosheng back.

If they missed this opportunity, who knew when he would next have a chance to enter the Heavenly Saint Palace—perhaps not until the year of the monkey and month of the horse.

Suddenly, as though he had thought of something, he said:

"Wait, you two. Though Zhaosheng is not in the family, my Chen Family has other descendants as well. Why not take a look?"

"Oh?"

Fei Long True Person and Mo Qingyue exchanged a glance before asking, "What talent does that person possess?"

The aged phantom thought for a moment. "This child's talent may not compare to Zhaosheng's, but it is still quite commendable. As for the specifics, I fear you two will have to examine him yourselves."

"Not as good?"

Upon hearing this, Fei Long True Person shook his head in disappointment and prepared to leave.

As an Immortal Dao Lineage of the present age, the Heavenly Saint Palace had countless people wishing to join it. It did not lack Heavenly Prides.

Someone like Chen Zhaosheng, a Nine Ancient Marks Wielder with a King Conferring Diagram, was worth assessing.

As for someone inferior to Chen Zhaosheng, he could not even be bothered to look.

However, Mo Qingyue, who had remained silent all along, thought for a moment before nodding with a smile. "Very well. Then we shall trouble Senior Elder Chen to arrange identities for us."

"Hm?"

Fei Long True Person looked at Mo Qingyue in surprise. Just as he was about to ask why, he saw her shake her head slightly at him.

He could only suppress the doubts in his heart.

"Good."

The aged phantom smiled faintly and, with a turn of his hand, handed an ancient token to Fei Long True Person. "Once you enter the Chen Family, say that you come from the Yun Province Jia Family. Your family's Ancestor was on good terms with me for generations. Now that your family has declined and only the two of you remain, you have come to seek refuge with our Chen Family."

"That child is Chen Zhixing, the son of Chen Tianliang of the Chen Family's Third Branch."

The aged phantom casually arranged an identity and backstory for the two. Then, with a flicker of his figure, he gradually vanished into the void.

Once not a trace of the aged phantom's aura remained in the void.

Fei Long True Person finally asked curiously, "Your Highness, since Chen Zhaosheng is not here, why should we waste our time here for nothing? Could it be that Chen Zhixing, the son of the Chen Family's Third Branch, has something extraordinary about him?"

Before Fei Long True Person could finish.

Mo Qingyue smiled faintly. "No. I simply thought that there has been nothing to do in the sect recently anyway, and it was not easy for us to come down the mountain. Why rush back to the sect? We might as well take this chance to rest outside a little longer."

Fei Long True Person froze upon hearing that, then could not help laughing wryly.

He had thought Mo Qingyue had discovered something extraordinary about the son of the Chen Family's Third Branch, which was why she had spoken up to stay.

Who would have thought it was merely because she was feeling playful and did not want to return so soon? Well, that made sense.

No matter how calm Your Highness was, no matter how great her talent, she was, in the end, only a young maiden in the bloom of youth. A little playfulness was perfectly normal.

"Hahaha, Your Highness has not left the sect often. After staying in the sect for so long, it truly does get stifling. I understand."

Fei Long True Person waved his hand and laughed.

"Very well, very well. Then this old man shall accompany Your Highness and enjoy ourselves outside a while longer."

As soon as his words fell.

Fei Long True Person transformed first, taking on the appearance of an old farmer dressed in coarse hempen clothes, with dark skin.

Mo Qingyue turned around and likewise transformed into an ordinary girl of eight or nine years old, thin and sallow, with plain features and a waxen complexion.

"Let us go."

The two smiled at each other and headed together toward the Chen Family's mountain gate.