Translator: CinderTL
On the platform, Jiang Ye bowed respectfully.
"Thank you, Senior," he said solemnly. "This junior will not fail your expectations."
"Hmm."
"Return now," Chen Jiuxuan said with a gentle smile.
"Yes," Jiang Ye nodded slightly and turned to walk off the stage, returning to his seat.
"Congratulations," Chen Zilu said, her eyes curving into crescents. "The position of Foreign Clan Chief is highly esteemed among transcendent families."
Jiang Ye's heart stirred. He transmitted a question telepathically: "Senior Sister, what exactly is this Foreign Clan Chief position?"
The Chen Family Patriarch had been too brief earlier, leaving him unclear on the details.
"The Foreign Clan Chief is the strongest Heavenly Pride from outside the Chen Clan," Chen Zilu explained. "Only the ancestor can appoint someone to this role. Once appointed, the Foreign Clan Chief must advance and retreat alongside the Chen Clan, and the clan will provide all possible resources to support their growth."
"The bond between them is exceptionally close—even stronger than the ties between ordinary clan members and the family," she added.
"Generally speaking," Chen Zilu continued, "only those recognized by the ancestor and with an exceptionally close relationship with the Chen Clan can hold this position."
Jiang Ye suddenly understood.
No wonder the crowd of powerful figures had reacted so strongly when the Chen Family Patriarch made his announcement.
According to Chen Zilu's explanation, the Foreign Clan Chief position likely involved a strategic alliance or even a marriage alliance between the two families.
For a transcendent family like the Chen Clan, the position of Foreign Clan Chief should have been given to a contemporary transcendent talent from another transcendent family.
Yet Chen Jiuxuan had chosen Jiang Ye, a 'primitive' with no background but exceptional innate aptitude.
No wonder the onlookers were so astonished.
Isn't the Chen Family Patriarch afraid of offending the Zhou Family by doing this? Jiang Ye wondered inwardly.
While this was good news for him, the Chen Clan's many Elders would likely be displeased.
As Jiang Ye pondered, the banquet had already begun.
For most of the strong present, the earlier incident was merely a minor interlude—except for the Zhou Family.
The Chen Clan's choice of Foreign Clan Chief had little bearing on the other people present.
Time flowed, the banquet concluded, and the people gradually departed.
With the Shadow Calamity erupting across Blue Star, these powerhouses had only made time to attend the banquet. Naturally, they wouldn't linger long. After brief congratulations, they left in succession.
Within half an hour, the vast banquet hall had emptied, leaving only the Chen Clan's Elders, the Chen Family Patriarch, Chen Zilu, and Jiang Ye.
"Xiaolu, take Jiang Ye outside," Chen Jiuxuan instructed. "Wait there."
"Yes," Chen Zilu replied immediately, helping Jiang Ye to his feet.
The two quickly left the banquet hall.
A moment later, Chen Jiuxuan addressed the Elders gathered below the stage. "You may ask your questions now."
He knew they had remained behind because they had questions for him.
"Ancestor!" Chen Fang spoke first. "Are you truly determined to appoint Jiang Ye as the Foreign Clan Chief of our Chen Clan?"
Under normal circumstances, he would never dare question the Patriarch's decision. But the position of Foreign Clan Chief was of paramount importance. Earlier, the Elders had suppressed their doubts due to the presence of other clans. Now that the people from other families had departed, they no longer felt constrained.
"Indeed, Ancestor," another Elder chimed in. "The Foreign Clan Chief position is of utmost significance. How can we entrust it to someone with a Primitive innate aptitude?"
"Such a move could easily displease the Zhou Family."
"Ancestor, why have you made such a decision?" The Elders voiced their concerns in unison, their confusion palpable.
Chen Jiuxuan stood silently on the stage, listening until the Elders had exhausted their questions and the banquet hall fell into complete silence.
Only then did he slowly speak.
"You..."
"All this talk," Chen Jiuxuan said coldly, "is merely concern about displeasing the Zhou Family."
"But our Chen Clan is also a transcendent family. Since when have we needed to bow to the Zhou Family's whims?"
"Does the Zhou Family truly believe they are superior to us?!" Chen Jiuxuan's gaze swept across the room, icy and piercing.
Instantly, the entire banquet hall fell into absolute silence.
Every Elder instinctively shrank back, not daring to utter another word.
Even Chen Fang, who had previously criticized Chen Zilu, hastily lowered his head, his legs trembling slightly.
He knew the ancestor had been provoked!
Though Chen Jiuxuan emitted no visible pressure, his mere aura was enough to crush the Chen Clan Elders, forcing them to cower.
This was the wrath of a demigod-level powerhouse!
The Elders trembled inwardly, their hearts pounding with fear.
"I understand your concerns," Chen Jiuxuan continued.
"You fear that without a transcendent heir in this generation, the Chen Clan will decline within the next century." He snorted coldly. "But this old man is not yet dead!"
"As long as I still draw breath, the Chen Clan will not fall."
"As for the Zhou Family..."
"Their show of goodwill is nothing more than a ploy to seize the Blood Jade Divine Tree and the hundred cosmic refinements—these two great opportunities." Chen Jiuxuan sneered. "Can none of you see through this?"
Upon hearing these words...
An Elder finally couldn't restrain himself and raised his head, his voice low and grave. "Ancestor, if we could forge an alliance with the Zhou Family and secure their protection for a century, what would it matter if we temporarily ceded those two opportunities to them?"
"As long as the Chen Clan produces a transcendent within the next hundred years, we can reclaim control," the Elder said, his voice barely audible.
"Foolish!" Chen Jiuxuan roared. "Do you think you can simply take back what you've given away? After a century, how many of you will still be alive?"
"Does anyone here dare claim they can become a demigod?!"
Silence fell over the room.
Become a demigod?
If these Elders possessed such confidence, the Chen Clan wouldn't be facing this crisis.
"The Blood Jade Divine Tree and the hundred cosmic refinements are the foundation of our clan," Chen Jiuxuan said, his voice low and grave.
"Even without a transcendent," he continued, "the Chen Clan can rely on these divine-tier opportunities to produce peak ninth breakthrough cultivators."
"But if we surrender even these two treasures?"
"The Chen Clan will inevitably face annihilation," Chen Jiuxuan declared.
The Elders fell silent.
How could they not understand this truth?
Yet, forced by circumstances, after the Ancestor's death, could they truly protect these opportunities?
"Ancestor," Chen Fang said, his voice low. "Even if we refuse to ally with the Zhou Family, we shouldn't antagonize them so openly."
(End of the Chapter)
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