As soon as the words fell, everyone exchanged glances, murmuring amongst themselves.
Soon, a group of familiar-looking young men and women emerged from the crowd. They were the second generation group seen earlier, walking to the right side of the supervisors with their heads held high.
After a while, another five or six people gathered sporadically, totaling around forty people.
Fu Ping lowered his head to examine them, nodded, and said kindly:
"You all should head to the Giant Tree Warship No. 303 later."
The forty or so people cupped their hands, rose into the air, and glanced down at the many new recruits waiting at the dock. Most of them wore smiles, but a few of their gazes were condescending, disdainful, proud, or otherwise, which prompted Su Yu to hear someone next to him whispering:
"Damn, what's with those looks?"
"Damn it, pretending to be something just because of their background, not their own ability, what's there to show off?"
"Exactly, it's not even their own capability...."
Su Yu remained expressionless, his heart unstirred.
After the group left, Fu Ping continued:
"Now, all those who have advanced their Basic Qi Refining Skill or Basic Sword Formulas to above the thirtieth level, or have been studying the Advanced Qi Refining Heart Skill and advanced to above the twentieth level, come forward and gather."
As soon as he finished speaking, many people stepped forward from the crowd, significantly more than before.
"This batch is the real elite."
Looking back, Zhuang Zhuo was commenting:
"The first batch of the second generation relied on their parents' support for their cultivation; you couldn't see their real abilities. In contrast, the second group's support was limited, so their emergence indicates some true skills. Historically, more than two-thirds of the guild's middle management have emerged from this group."
Seeing Su Yu turn around, he smiled and said:
"We don't need to rush. This is just the beginning, starting a bit slow doesn't matter. If we work hard, there will always be a day for success. Don't you think so, Mr. Su?"
Su Yu nodded seriously:
"Mr. Zhuang is right, with effort, success will come, but...."
"But what?"
"Uh, there's no time now. Let's talk after the event."
After saying that, he cupped his hands, stepped out of the crowd, and walked to the right side of the supervisors.
Behind him, Zhuang Zhuo and Shi Ning were dumbfounded.
"Wow, Mr. Su is... impressive!"
Turning to Shi Ning and the others, he smiled:
"See, I told you earlier Mr. Su is extraordinary. In the past, I noticed...."
This conversation was not heard by Su Yu, as he had already reached the right side of the several supervisors. Then, after Fu Ping repeatedly inquired without anyone else stepping forward, the supervisors turned their gaze towards them, and for a moment, there was a palpable sense of scrutiny.
Fu Ping quickly spotted Su Yu among the crowd, first showing a surprise, then a slight smile.
After a while, he said:
"You will also go to the Giant Tree Warship No. 303."
After giving a few more instructions, the new recruits soared into the air and flew towards the port's waterfront. Su Yu mixed among them and soon reached a Giant Tree Warship.
The warship's shield was already raised. After a simple identity verification, they passed through the thick shield and entered the ship.
As the main battleship, the shield defense value of the Giant Tree Warship is as high as one billion. Even if thousands of demon armies besieged it, it could hold out for a long time, making it extremely safe and reliable.
The group was guided onto the deck, where they saw the forty plus people who arrived earlier, along with a dozen or so imposing guild executives. Su Yu looked up and was immediately captivated by the beauty of one woman among them.
The woman's features were exceptionally delicate, her skin fairer than snow, long hair cascading like a waterfall down her back, complementing her plain white palace dress. A moon-white silk belt accentuated her graceful curves, leaving one stunned.
"What a beautiful woman, which guild executive is she?"
Among the guild executives, a handsome middle-aged man waved to them to come over. Once they gathered, he smiled and said:
"I am the guild's administration minister, Su Tao!"
The crowd was slightly startled and immediately some sporadic voices rang out:
"Hello, Mr. Su!"
The man waved his hand, smiling as he spoke:
"Any guild or power must have fresh blood to grow strong. You all are the standouts among the guild's new recruits this year, and the guild is willing to invest resources to cultivate you."
His gaze swept over the crowd present, as well as the forty-plus people on the other side, saying:
"Starting now, the guild will register and make a record of your names and will observe you over the long term. All your outstanding performances in the events will be recorded. This will determine your ranking and the intensity of the training you'll receive."
"Training starts now. At the end of this guild event, regardless of how much guild contribution you earn, you will receive an extra 100% bonus afterward."
"Every three months, there will be an assessment. Those who rank ahead will receive additional guild contribution rewards."
"One year later, in a major assessment, the top 10 most outstanding individuals will be selected and promoted to guild elite members and awarded a spot for the Xuanzhen Immortal Sect's entry assessment."
"Note that the selection criteria will reference comprehensive strength, cultivation, Dao skills, flying swords and treasures, combat techniques, and so on."
As soon as he finished speaking, someone immediately shouted:
"Willing to die for the guild!"
Once someone set the tone, others quickly followed suit, and Su Yu was no exception.
Dying for the guild definitely warranted some consideration over its worth, but that didn't stop the slogans from being loudly declared.
The guild bigwigs, full of smiles, continuously waved their hands to indicate.
Five minutes later, several officials from the human resources department came to register and file them one by one.
Being on this list evidently meant gaining focus for cultivation by the guild. As long as they displayed well and improved rapidly, they would catch the higher-ups' radar, paving the way for a smooth ascent.
During this period, the true elite would gradually stand out.
Those newly advancing rapidly with additional resources at the outset would gradually fall behind unless their family could continuously provide support.
"Next, in every three-month minor assessment, strive to excel to win awards. Make sure to obtain an elite spot in the major assessment a year from now. Getting it would guarantee becoming a core guild member, and by then, one can use the guild's power to acquire rare resources."
Su Yu had great confidence in this regard.
"Just based on my talent in swordsmanship, I don't believe many of these newcomers can compare."
After registration, the big shots had all left, and the stunning beauty that captivated Su Yu was also gone.
He felt a tinge of regret, although not much, since he understood that knowing now wouldn't help. The disparity in power and status between them was too large, knowing would only add to his troubles.
After the bigwigs left, without constraints, the new recruits gathered around to chat, quickly forming circles.
Su Yu wasn't particularly interested and instead picked up the small booklet handed out earlier to read.
The book was a newcomers' manual, specially provided for them. The contents inside were richer than the newcomers' manual given when initially joining the guild, including many things he had never heard of before.
For instance, the divisions of cultivation factions.
The names and approximate cultivation levels of all the guild's senior and middle-level officials, the names of several Loose Immortal offerings, the three main force regiments, and the locations of dozens of independent teams.
Outside the guild, the positions of other guild powers and territorial standings, and which forces and sects are in the Blue Mountain Archipelago, and which Mountain Gods, Water Gods, demon lords, and demon dens exist, etc.
All of this was previously unknown to him, yet it was all included in the manual.
"Ding!"
A crisp bell sounded, and everyone looked up to see numerous guild members quickly spreading out and taking their positions on the other end of the deck.
Groups of four quickly moved to the base of the Divine Thunder Tower standing on the warship, and they needed to hold their ground here, providing mana to the Divine Thunder Tower together.
Apart from this, on the massive main battleship, several high platforms densely patterned with array inscriptions could be seen. These were the eyes of the large array covering the entire Giant Tree Warship, where a large number of players would stand on the layers of platform steps. During the subsequent battle, by standing on the platform, they could channel mana into the formation eyes below to maintain the robust defense barrier outside the Giant Tree Warship.
This was similar to infusing mana into a defense treasure.
At this moment, several rookie supervisors came before them, loudly stating:
"There are now a few tasks here, supplying mana to the Divine Thunder Tower and the ship array eyes; post-battle, the reward is 20 guild contribution points. Anyone interested in signing up?"
Everyone exchanged glances, and gradually, some stood up to register.
Su Yu did not sign up, as he had some confidence in his strength and planned to stay within the ship's barrier to coordinate in combat later.