Chapter 4: Chiyang Chenyang

As the sun rose slowly, painting the sky red on the horizon and casting its glow over the valley, even the thin mountain mist was easily pierced by the sun's sword-like rays.

More than a hundred youths around the age of fifteen were gathered at the entrance of the church at this moment. The church stood tall in the center of the village, five stories high with flying eaves and sharp corners, heavily fortified. In front of the church was a plaza, inside which various idols were enshrined. Each generation of village chiefs resided here, and every major ceremony or emergency event was convened here to gather the elders for discussion. This was the power center of the entire village.

"Everyone is on time. Today is the ceremony to invoke the gods, also a crucial turning point in your lives. Without further ado, follow me," the headmaster of the village school, with white hair and spirited eyes, led the youths into the church.

However, they did not go upstairs but entered a passage leading underground through the entrance hall. The youths exclaimed in awe as they walked, the passage was magnificent, and the secret silver mine emitted a silver-white glow, reflecting on their faces like neon lights.

Chenyang mingled among the crowd, quietly surveying his surroundings, pondering inwardly, "Hundreds of years ago, the Chiyang clan migrated from the Central Continent to the Western Region, settling here in the Hood Mountain. It was because of the secret silver mines underground. This secret silver mine can be forged into weapons and armor, the foundation of the Chiyang Village."

They walked for hundreds of steps, and the underground grew darker, with the sound of water faintly audible. After turning a corner, a three-zhang wide underground river appeared before them. The brilliance of the secret silver mine had disappeared, but in the darkness, the river emitted a faint blue light, like the stars in the night sky.

The river originated from the depths of a cave, clear to the bottom, with fish, water plants, and sand and stones visible. On the opposite bank of the river was a staircase leading to the mountaintop, beside which were the Chiyang flowers intentionally cultivated by the village, with petal-like blades in a fiery red color. The flower stems were like jade, and the flower hearts sparkled, like pearls shimmering in the light.

"Chiyang flowers, the basic auxiliary material for alchemy. This sea of ​​flowers can be said to be the most important cultivation base of the family," Chenyang realized.

The youths exclaimed in admiration, their eyes shining with excitement and nervousness. "Alright, next listen to me call out names, those who are called will cross this river and proceed to the mountaintop. The farther you go, the better. Remember, the farther, the better," the headmaster announced.

"Understood," the youths responded in unison. They had heard from their families or predecessors before coming that the farther they went, the better their aptitude, and the greater their future achievements.

"Chen Xiao," the headmaster called out.

Although the river was wide but not deep, it only reached the knees of the youths. Chen Xiao's face was serious as he stepped onto the mountain climbing stairs. However, just as he took the first step, he felt an indescribable pressure, as if an invisible wall was blocking his way.

As he struggled hard, a sudden sinister wind blew from the mountain, weak yet eerie. The wind blew towards Chen Xiao like a blade, passing through his body, stirring his meridians. Chen Xiao instantly felt the pressure decrease sharply, and the invisible wall suddenly softened. Clenching his teeth, he forced himself to move forward. However, after climbing two steps, the pressure on his body increased sharply again, and he could no longer move forward a single step.

The headmaster sighed deeply, recording Chen Xiao's situation with a serious gaze: "Two steps of the staircase, no descent of divine power. Next, Chen He." Chen Xiao's face turned pale, he gritted his teeth, struggled to cross the river, and returned to his original position.

For him, lacking aptitude meant a future of ordinary life, and he would only be at the bottom of the family.

His body staggered, the weight of the blow was as heavy as choking his life's hope.

Everyone cast pitying glances at him, and more people focused on the next youth to cross to the other side.

Unfortunately, this youth climbed three steps, but also lacked aptitude. Not everyone had the qualifications for cultivation. Only half of the five people could cultivate, and in Chiyang Village, this proportion was higher, reaching sixty percent.

Two consecutive youths without aptitude made the other family elders who were secretly watching frown, even the composed and dignified Chiyang Village Chief frowned slightly.

Just then, the headmaster announced the third name: "Chen Yi."

"Here!" A youth dressed in coarse cloth robes shouted proudly as he stepped forward.

He was tall and much stronger than his peers, exuding a fierce aura.

Stepping across the river, he reached the opposite bank. Ten steps, twenty steps, thirty steps... His body emitted a faint glow.

He continued until he stopped at the thirty-eighth step halfway up the mountain. The youths watched in astonishment as the headmaster exclaimed with joy, "Excellent, Chen Yi, outstanding aptitude! Come, let me see your spiritual sea." Chen Yi returned to the headmaster's side, and the headmaster reached out, placing his hand on Chen Yi's shoulder, closing his eyes and concentrating, probing for a while, then nodded and recorded in the register: "Chen Yi, spiritual sea sixty-six percent, can be greatly cultivated."

 Aptitude was divided into outstanding, excellent, good, and ordinary.

 A youth with ordinary aptitude could be promoted to a first-tier militia after three years of training, becoming the cornerstone of the family.

A youth with good aptitude could become a second-tier sergeant after two years of training, commanding a squad of family militia and becoming a backbone of the family.

A youth with outstanding aptitude needed special care, often groomed as future elders, and could become a third-tier village chief commanding various squads of the family after several years.

As for those with exceptional aptitude, even if there was only one, it was the fortune of the entire family.

By leaning resources, they could become fourth-tier transcendent masters in about ten years, overseeing a town as the ruler.

 This meant that as long as Chen Yi grew up, he would be an elder of Chiyang Village. The headmaster laughed heartily, and the elders secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Chen Chi with envy.

 Chen Chi had a smug look on his face as he looked at his grandson and provocatively said, "How about it, my grandson is not bad, right, Chen Yi?"

Chen Chi was Chen Yi's grandfather, and he smiled proudly. Half an hour later, half of the youths showed either excellent or ordinary aptitude, but almost half of them still lacked aptitude.

 The village chief sighed, "The power of bloodlines is getting thinner and thinner, coupled with the fact that there have been few fourth-tier powerhouses in the family in recent years to strengthen the bloodline.

The fourth-generation village chief was the only fifth-tier powerhouse, but he ended up perishing with an old beggar, leaving no descendants of bloodline.

The aptitude of the descendants of Chiyang Village is getting weaker and weaker." At this moment, the headmaster called out, "Chen San." Chen Chi's grandson, a youth with a pockmarked face, clenched his fists, sweating profusely, looking very nervous.

He stepped onto the opposite bank, and points of light poured into his body, continuing until he stopped at the thirty-ninth step. "Another outstanding one!" the school elder shouted.

The youths became excited, casting admiring glances at Gucheng Chiyang one after another. "Hahaha, thirty-nine steps, thirty-nine steps!" Chen Chi shouted loudly, glaring provocatively at Chen Si.

 This time, Chen Si's face turned pale.

"Chen San..." Among the crowd, Chen Yang stroked his chin thoughtfully.

In his memory, he had been severely punished by the family for cheating at the ceremony to invoke the gods.

 In fact, his aptitude was only good, but his grandfather Chen Chi had falsified it for him, creating the illusion of outstanding aptitude.

In fact, if he were to cheat, Chen Yang had dozens of plans in mind, some of which were even more perfect than Chen San's.

If he were to show outstanding or exceptional aptitude, he would undoubtedly receive strong cultivation from the family. However, firstly, Chen Yang had been reincarnated for too short a time, and it was difficult to prepare cheating methods at the current time node.

 Secondly, even if the cheating were successful, the speed of cultivation afterward would be unmanageable, and the truth would still be revealed.

 But Chen San was different. His grandfather was Chen Chi, one of the two most powerful elders in the family, able to cover up for him.

 "Chen Chi has always been at odds with Chen Si. These two elders are the two largest factions in the family. In order to suppress his opponent, he needs his grandson to have outstanding aptitude. It is precisely because of his backing that Chen San can conceal it for a while. In memory, if it weren't for that accident, it wouldn't have been exposed."

Chen Yang's eyes sparkled with determination as he pondered how to use this opportunity to seize the greatest advantage.

Revealing the truth on the spot, although it might earn him some rewards from the family, would undoubtedly offend the influential Chen Chi, which was not advisable.

Blackmailing or extorting immediately was also out of the question in the short term. With his current low strength, it would only bring trouble upon himself.

 As he contemplated his options, he suddenly heard the headmaster call out his name, "Chen Yang!!!"