Chapter 45: Recruitment.

Time passed.

At first, nobody moved.

The elderly man remained standing on the other side of the sword-intent line, while the countless members of the Chen Family continued staring at him.

The three ancestors above the sword's hilt did not react either.

Chen Yuan simply stood with his hands behind his back, Chen Yan remained calm and silent, and Chen Feng held his ancient sword while quietly watching the crowd.

No one urged them forward, and no one dared to tell them to be brave either. The silence itself seemed to become heavier with every passing breath.

Even the inner family members began to feel an uncomfortable sense of despair over the scene.

They had expected the outer clan members to hesitate, perhaps for a few breaths or a minute. But as more time passed, it became clear that nobody else was willing to take that first step.

A woman slowly wrapped both arms around her young son.