Chapter 323: Recruitment

Total silence.

The first to stand was a middle-aged man, dressed in a dark gray robe embroidered with silver blades. His eyes were sharp like an eagle’s claws.

“I am Yun Che, envoy of the Gray Blade Sect,” he said, his voice clear and direct.

“And I came here to recruit.”

His eyes swept across the crowd of youths.

“Huo Ling, of the Flaming Sword.”

Huo Ling raised his head, surprised.

“Huo Jiao, of the Flaming Sword.”

The younger brother was also called. Both exchanged looks of disbelief.

“Mo Tianhai, of the Verdant Sword.”

Mo Tianhai held his breath. His fist clenched unconsciously.

“Shen Yu, of the Verdant Sword.”

Shen Yu, who still had his arms bandaged, widened his eyes.

“Mo Xia, of the Verdant Sword.”

Mo Xia brought a hand to her mouth, holding back a cry of joy.

“Wu Jian, of the Verdant Sword.”

Wu Jian, who was still limping, froze for a moment.

“Long Xue, of the Verdant Sword.”

Long Xue bit her lip, her eyes shining.

Yun Che continued listing a few more names from other sects, but Kyrian immediately understood what had happened. The envoy of the Gray Blade had named all five disciples of the Verdant Sword—Mo Tianhai, Shen Yu, Mo Xia, Wu Jian, and Long Xue.

All of them.

Kyrian knew that was no coincidence. The envoy was looking directly at him as he spoke the names. It was not about their talent, though they were talented—it was about creating a connection. A bridge.

Kyrian already belonged to a 4° level force. The Blood Court. No one there would dare recruit him. But they could recruit his companions. They could earn his goodwill.

“You have been chosen to enter the Gray Blade Sect,” Yun Che concluded, giving a shallow bow before sitting down.

Mo Tianhai was the first to react.

“We got in,” he whispered, in disbelief.

“We really got in.”

Mo Xia began to laugh, a nervous and joyful laugh at the same time. Long Xue covered her face with her hands, her shoulders trembling. Wu Jian slapped Shen Yu on the shoulder, who only nodded repeatedly, as if processing the information.

In the VIP stands, Feng Yuan and Mei Ran watched everything with teary eyes.

“He did it,” Mei Ran said, her voice faltering.

“Kyrian did this for them.”

Feng Yuan nodded, his expression solemn.

“The envoy would not have chosen all five if it weren’t for him. He accepted all five to create a bond with Kyrian.”

“They will have a better future now,” Mei Ran whispered.

“A 4° level sect…”

Feng Yuan placed a hand on Mei Ran’s shoulder.

“We have much to thank him for.”

A second envoy stood. It was a woman with green hair, dressed in robes that seemed to be made of intertwined roots.

“I am Lian Hua, envoy of the Deep Roots Sect.”

She looked at the crowd with calm eyes.

“Mu Qing, of the Ancient Forest.”

Mu Qing inclined his head in respect.

“Mo Sun, of the Ancient Forest.”

Mo Sun, who was still recovering from his fight against Yin Xue, nodded weakly.

“And Yin Xue, of the Shadow Valley.”

Yin Xue, pale and silent as always, merely blinked slowly.

The envoy named a few more individuals from smaller sects, then sat down.

One by one, the envoys of the 4° level forces stood and made their choices.

The envoy of the Southern Wind Dynasty recruited the girl from the Wind Sect and two other agile youths.

The envoy of the Earth Forge recruited the War Hammer disciple and other specialists in brute strength.

The envoy of the White Crane Sect recruited the Thorn Flower disciple and two more healers.

The envoy of the Scarlet Rock Sect recruited the two Purple Rock disciples who had survived to the final stages.

The envoy of the Celestial River Alliance recruited three youths from aquatic domains.

When the last envoy sat, all one hundred youths had been invited by at least one force. Some, like Huo Ling and Mu Qing, received multiple invitations and had to choose.

The Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect stood once more.

“The Gathering of Domains is officially concluded! May the bonds forged here endure for generations!”

The plateau erupted in applause. Spiritual fireworks were launched into the sky, bursting into colors that painted the night that was beginning to fall.

Kyrian and his companions left the Central Plateau amid the euphoric crowd. The path back to the Verdant Sword Tree was calm, almost silent. Everyone was processing what had happened.

When they arrived, Feng Yuan and Mei Ran were already waiting for them in the central hall.

“Come in,” Feng Yuan said, his voice deep.

“We need to talk.”

They all sat in a circle. Mo Xia and Long Xue still had shining eyes. Wu Jian couldn’t stop smiling. Shen Yu was calm, but his eyes showed deep satisfaction. Mo Tianhai seemed more serious than usual.

“You heard,” Feng Yuan said.

“All five of you were invited to the Gray Blade Sect.”

“Thanks to your talent, of course, but also thanks to Kyrian,” Mei Ran added, looking at the young man.

“The envoy didn’t hide that he was looking at you while naming you.”

Kyrian shook his head.

“They have talent of their own. I only… opened a door.”

“A door no one else could open,” Feng Yuan said.

“You gave us more than we could ask for. The Verdant Sword will be remembered for generations as the sect that produced a champion of the Gathering of Domains. And our disciples will have a future we never dreamed of.”

He stood and made a deep bow to Kyrian.

Mei Ran did the same.

Kyrian stood up immediately.

“Leader… you don’t need to…”

“I do,” Feng Yuan said, without raising his head.

“Not only for them, but for everything you have done for our sect. You came from nothing, and yet you gave us everything.”

Kyrian was silent for a moment. Then he also bowed slightly in respect.

“It was an honor to fight for the Verdant Sword.”

Night fell over the floating city. Outside, the celebrations continued. Spiritual fireworks lit the sky, and the distant sound of music and laughter echoed among the giant trees.

Inside the Verdant Sword Tree, however, there was a different calm. A quiet farewell.

Mo Tianhai approached Kyrian.

“We leave for the Gray Blade Sect early tomorrow,” he said.

“And you?”

“I will return with Leader Feng Yuan and Elder Mei Ran to the Verdant Sword. After that… I have other matters.”

Mo Tianhai nodded.

“Will we meet again?”

“One day.”

The two young men exchanged a handshake. They needed no more words.

Tomorrow, each would follow their own path. But that night, in the floating city among the great trees, they were just youths who had fought together and won.

And that was enough.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep