The reason it was described as happening before Chu Feng arrived was because once he did, people discovered that his cultivation had actually surpassed Chu Hongyi's — and not by a small margin either.
Because of this, Chu Feng had become a contender for the position of leader of the Chu Heavenly Clan within the Ancestral Martial Cultivation Realm.
Chu Hongyi must have realized this as well, which was why he chose to raise the topic at this particular moment.
Had Chu Hongyi brought up the matter before Chu Feng arrived, there might have still been people inclined to recommend Chu Feng.
But now, faced with the appearance of the Celestial River and the precious opportunity to cultivate within it, the decision truly put everyone in a difficult position.
"Big Brother Hongyi, you've always been our leader," someone suddenly spoke up, and with those very first words, they cemented Chu Hongyi's position as their leader.
Faced with a cultivation opportunity, they chose to capitulate without hesitation.
"That's right, Big Brother Hongyi! Why would you even say such a thing? You're clearly our leader!"
"Exactly. Big Brother Hongyi has led us through so many things. When it comes to merit, you should be the one leading us. Anyone else, and I won't accept it."
After that, more and more people began voicing their support for Chu Hongyi.
On one side was the long-trusted Chu Hongyi. On the other was Chu Feng, who had only just arrived, whom they barely knew, and whom they had even offended just the day before.
For the members of the Chu Heavenly Clan, who had been cultivating in the Ancestral Martial Cultivation Realm for quite some time, this choice was not a difficult one.
"Good. Since everyone trusts me, Chu Hongyi, then I will certainly shoulder this responsibility. I absolutely will not let anyone down."
"Of course, anyone who does not trust me, Chu Hongyi, need not follow me. It would only hold them back."
When Chu Hongyi said this, he deliberately looked toward Chu Feng, Chu Qing, and the others.
He was demanding their submission. Otherwise, he would not take Chu Feng and the others to find the location of the Celestial River.
But in the face of Chu Hongyi's gaze, not only did Chu Qing and Chu Shuangshuang ignore him entirely — even Chu Haoyan and Chu Huanyu, the two who harbored hatred toward Chu Feng, paid him no mind.
Despite their hatred for Chu Feng, they would not pass up the opportunity to cultivate.
Moreover, before coming here, the clan master of the Chu Heavenly Clan had spoken to them about precisely this matter, and they had given their word to set aside their grudge with Chu Feng.
Although deep down they still resented Chu Feng, at the very least, they could not let it show too obviously on the surface.
Weighing both sides, they chose to follow Chu Feng.
"Looks like a few of our newly arrived younger brothers don't trust me very well. If that's the case, you don't need to follow me." Chu Hongyi sneered, his words brimming with threat.
Yet, in the face of Chu Hongyi's threats, Chu Qing and the others remained utterly unfazed.
This greatly displeased Chu Hongyi, so he turned his gaze toward Chu Ping, who was standing together with Chu Feng and the others.
"Chu Ping, you're not willing to trust me either?" Chu Hongyi barked angrily.
"Younger brothers, this cultivation opportunity from the Celestial River is truly rare, and Hongyi's predictions have always been very accurate, so..." Chu Ping quickly spoke up. He was trying to persuade Chu Feng and the others not to pass up this chance.
Although Chu Ping had learned from Chu Shuangshuang just how extraordinary Chu Feng's cultivation talent was, he had no idea that Chu Feng's skills as a Spirit World Master were equally heaven-defying.
Because of this, he hoped that Chu Feng and the others would endure the indignation and follow Chu Hongyi for the time being.
In Chu Ping's view, they were all family. It did not matter who served as leader. What mattered was obtaining cultivation resources and improving their cultivation. Only with advancement in cultivation would their journey to the Ancestral Martial Cultivation Realm not be in vain.
"Big Brother Ping, there's something I'd like to ask you." Suddenly, Chu Feng withdrew his gaze from the horizon and looked toward Chu Ping beside him.
"Younger Brother Chu Feng, what is it? Go ahead and ask," Chu Ping said.
"Is it true that the area we can currently move around in is limited to our own territory?" Chu Feng asked.
"Some cultivation resources are shared, but for those that appear randomly, like the Celestial River, we can indeed only search within our own territory. Entering another's territory would bring about trouble," Chu Ping replied.
"Then could Big Brother Ping tell me how large our Chu Heavenly Clan's territory currently is, and where exactly it's located?" Chu Feng asked.
"Of course. Actually, I should have told you yesterday. This is something you all need to know." Having said that, Chu Ping began to describe the current territorial boundaries of the Chu Heavenly Clan within the Ancestral Martial Cultivation Realm.
Chu Feng was a Spirit World Master with exceptional comprehension, so after hearing Chu Ping's explanation, he immediately understood exactly where their accessible territory lay.
"Why is our Chu Heavenly Clan's territory within the Ancestral Martial Cultivation Realm so small?" Chu Feng's brows furrowed slightly, a flash of displeasure rising in his eyes.
Although he had long guessed that the Chu Heavenly Clan's territory was far from impressive, he had not expected it to be this much smaller than even what he had anticipated.