Chapter 591: Blood War!!!

Listening to San Yan's description, Yi Dao—who usually sided with his older brother—found himself unable to agree this time.

He had spoken with that kid, even exchanged blows with him. Sure, he had been entirely on the defensive, but...

It still counted as a fight.

Even from that brief encounter, he had gained a completely new understanding of his nephew.

He had a nagging feeling that things wouldn't follow his brother's expectations this time.

That nephew of theirs was no ordinary person.

"Let it go, Brother. That child has been out there for so many years. Don't push things to a point where we can't clean up the mess."

"Our top priority right now," Yi Dao said, "should be nurturing his sense of belonging to the Family."

"You have a point." San Yan stood up.

"But tell me, how do we find the time?"

"You know that after this meeting, Advent Day has been pushed forward again."

"Again?!" Yi Dao froze.

"How did that happen?"

San Yan's face darkened.

"That's why we can't wait anymore. Ah Ji is our Family's last hope. Otherwise... hmph. Relying on cowards who only dare to bare their fangs at their own father? I see no hope there at all."

"Ah..."

Yi Dao let out a heavy breath.

"I'll get it done as soon as possible."

San Yan nodded.

"Whether this succeeds or fails, I have countermeasures ready. You don't need to worry about the rest."

Yi Dao nodded.

San Yan waved him off.

"Leave. I'm going to rest."

Yi Dao pulled a vial of medicine from his coat and placed it in front of San Yan.

"From your son."

San Yan stared at the vial for a long moment before saying quietly, "Do you think it's poisoned?"

"Wouldn't it be perfect if it killed you?" Yi Dao smiled.

"It would prove the kid actually wants to be the Family head."

"Get out!" San Yan snapped, shooing him out the door.

Staring at the vial, San Yan eventually picked it up and downed the liquid in one gulp.

A few days later.

In a Domain secluded in a corner of the Inner World.

Stones. Pale gray stones covered every inch of this Domain. Trees, flowers, grass... absolutely no sign of colorful, vibrant life could be found here.

For the residents living here, everything from their houses to their tools was crafted from stone.

To those who had lived here long term, these stones weren't detestable objects. On the contrary, every rock represented the hope of survival. Clang! Clang! Clang!

Behind a tiny stone hut barely a dozen square meters in size, a young boy swung a stone hoe, forcefully chipping away at a faintly glowing rock in front of him.

After who knew how many strikes, the boy was drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through. Finally, a crack appeared on the surface of the wagon-wheel-sized stone.

As he continued chipping, the crack widened. With a sharp snap, the rock completely shattered. Amidst the rubble, the boy excitedly fished out a sack of potatoes and carried them indoors.

"Dad, look! This junk rock actually had something inside!"

The boy set the potatoes down in front of a man. Before the man could speak, a tremor rolled in from the distance. He immediately grabbed the boy and led him outside. In the Stone Realm, staying indoors during an earthquake meant certain death.

Of course, that didn't mean being outside was completely safe either.

"Dad, which great lord is that?"

The boy asked, watching the swirling dust in the distance and the army marching through it.

"That is no great lord," the man said, his eyes flashing.

"Not a lord?"

The boy looked confused.

In the Stone Realm, he couldn't think of anyone else who would travel with such grandeur.

The man shook his head.

"Compared to him, a great lord is like the tip of a single hair on nine oxen, or a speck of dust in the vast ocean. That is the person who bound the fate of our Stone Realm to himself."

"Come on. He's here for me."

"Go hide inside the house."

"Oh, okay."

The boy didn't really understand what his father meant, but since he said so, he naturally had his reasons.

He believed it without question. After all, his father was practically the savior of the Stone Realm over the past few centuries, treated as an honored guest by several great lords.

The boy went inside, but the man waited outside until the army arrived amidst the billowing dust.

A white palanquin bypassed the army from the rear and hovered right in front of him.

The man bowed slightly.

"Greetings, Young Master."

"Uncle Shi, it has been a long time."

A hoarse voice drifted from the palanquin.

"We haven't seen each other in years, yet your presence remains as striking as ever, Young Master."

"Hardly striking," the person inside replied softly.

"Since I've come here, you should understand my current situation."

"My brothers and sisters all want me dead. I can only hide here in search of a bit of peace."

The man offered no response or comfort. Instead, he asked, "What are the Grand Patriarch's intentions?"

"My father's stance is that I am allowed to die in the Family's Blood War, but not on the outside, so they had to bring me back." "And what are your intentions?" Chen Shi asked.

"I want to win."

The man sighed and shook his head.

"You can't win, Young Master."

"In terms of Domains, you only have one Third Level Complete Domain. Among the eleven members of the Chen Family, three have Second Level Complete Domains. Of the remaining eight, six possess Second Level Incomplete Domains. Only you and the Eleventh Miss are left with a Third Level Complete Domain."

"In terms of Tiers, you have only just reached the Sixth Tier. Your eldest brother and eldest sister are already at the Ninth Tier."

"In terms of bloodline, if this were the past, no one could compare to you. But now that you've discarded your bloodline purity, leaving you with barely eight percent, you won't be able to rally any retainers to help you."

"If you only seek to survive this battle, I can still find a way out for you. But if you want to win, I am truly powerless."

Hearing the man's analysis, the person in the palanquin didn't get angry or sad. Instead, he laughed.

"Uncle Shi, the situation is actually much worse than you think."

"But I'm not afraid."

With those words, the palanquin's curtain was lifted.

A figure wearing a pure white robe stepped out.

The man wore a face mask, his neck tightly bound with bandages. His head of silver hair didn't look out of place in this pale gray Domain; rather, they seemed to complement each other.

Chen Nian smiled, looking at Chen Shi.

"Uncle Shi, you've grown old."

Chen Shi gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"After being exiled to this place by the Family, it's hard not to age."

"I remember when my father praised you for having the talent to govern a world. Looking at it now, he was right," Chen Nian chuckled.

"Before I came, I read the reports on the Stone Realm's various aspects over the years. This Domain only truly came alive after you arrived." "Governing the Stone Realm isn't difficult, but if you want to win..." Chen Shi smiled bitterly.

"Even a hundred of me couldn't make that happen."

"I know you have a way," Chen Nian said.

"Even in exile, you know every little detail about the Family's affairs like the back of your hand. I knew you were still the same."

Seeing that Chen Nian hadn't given up, Chen Shi smiled bitterly and shook his head, wanting to urge him further. But Chen Nian suddenly changed the subject.

"I know what you're worried about. You have a plan, but you don't have the cards to play."

"But I have the cards."

"You have the cards?"

Chen Shi's eyes lit up.

He had practically watched Chen Nian grow up. He knew that aside from that one moment of madness when the young master eloped with the girl he loved, he never did anything without being absolutely certain of the outcome.

He lowered his voice. "Is your Tier... fake?"

Chen Nian shook his head.

"A solid Sixth Tier."

"Then... does the Grand Patriarch have some other intention?"

Chen Nian shook his head again.

"He genuinely wants me dead."

"Then someone in the Family is supporting you. The Third Elder? Or the Seventh Elder?" Chen Shi felt certain he had guessed correctly this time.

The two people he named were the only ones in the intelligence network who hadn't placed their bets yet, and both were exceptionally strong within the Ninth Tier. Yet Chen Nian still shook his head.

"No one in the Family is willing to help me."

"Then what are your cards?" Chen Shi asked, visibly stunned.

"I have friends,"

Chen Nian said.

It was obvious he was smiling beneath the mask.

But Chen Shi couldn't smile.

"Friends..."

Chen Shi shook his head.

"Who would be willing to wade into the muddy waters of the Blood War with you now? Don't overthink things."

"If you ask me, if your friends have a few Eighth Tier experts, we should focus on surviving. The chances would be at least seven or eight percent higher than before. If there are one or two at the Ninth Tier, the odds of survival jump to at least fifty percent."

"When the time comes, lower your head and admit your mistakes, and this will all blow over."

Chen Nian laughed.

"Don't you want to meet my friends?"

Chen Shi chuckled.

"Since you've asked, how could I refuse? I—"

He stopped mid-sentence, his mouth hanging slightly open.

Another figure had walked out from behind the army.

Blond curly hair, a sickly pale face, and eyes that dazzled like gemstones.

"Wen, Wen, Wen..."

Chen Shi stuttered, lost for words.

Yan Jing smiled and extended a hand.

"Wen Xu."

"Hello, Uncle Shi."

Dumbfounded, Chen Shi reached out and shook Yan Jing's hand.

His palms were completely sweaty, but he couldn't bring himself to wipe them.

He looked at Chen Nian.

"Young Master, this is your friend?"

"He is my friend," Chen Nian said with a smile.

Two days ago, Wen Xu and Mao Si's Ship had arrived in the skies above the Stone Realm and found him.

When he saw them take out the Tianque Badges, Chen Nian knew he had finally found what he was waiting for.

It was Wen Xu.

In the battle at the Gods' Association, he had defeated the Hermit in public. His reputation had already spread to the point where everyone among the upper echelons of the Inner World knew his name.

A single Wen Xu.

Was equivalent to a Tenth Tier.

"Now, if we want to win, what are our chances?"

Chen Nian looked at Chen Shi.

Recovering from his shock, Chen Shi pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Thirty percent."

"Only thirty percent?" Yan Jing froze.

He had assumed the addition of a Tenth Tier combatant would push their odds to at least over half.

But beside him, Chen Nian's eyes also widened.

"It's actually thirty percent?"

He knew his monstrous brothers and sisters far too well.

Their inherent talents were beyond his reach, and every single one of them had a genuine Tenth Tier backing them. Most importantly, the Blood War wasn't a simple one-versus-ten match.

Who would team up? Who would turn on whom? The web of feigned allegiances and deceit required deep consideration.

And he was at a massive disadvantage.

First, he had no foundation within the Family. Second, he wasn't close with many of his siblings.

So for Chen Shi to suggest he had a thirty percent chance of sweeping the other ten to reach the Summit caught him entirely off guard.

Chen Shi smiled bitterly.

"That's assuming Mr. Wen truly has the strength of a Tenth Tier."

"I'll do my best,"

Yan Jing said with a smile.

"Then... Uncle Shi..."

Chen Nian smiled at Chen Shi.

Chen Shi bowed at the waist.

"I, Chen Shi, an unworthy descendant of the Chen Family, thank the Young Master for his grace."

"Then let us hit the road."

Chen Nian pulled Chen Shi straight into the palanquin and had someone settle Chen Shi's son in with the entourage.

Entering the palanquin, Chen Shi discovered the hidden marvels within its white confines.

From the outside, it looked like an antique palanquin, yet no one would have guessed the interior overflowed with advanced technology.

White electronic circuits traced across the walls. Under the bright lights sat a round table surrounded by over a dozen chairs.

Chen Shi counted them: exactly twelve chairs.

Which meant this palanquin possessed the power of Space.

"Young Master, have you dabbled in the path of Space?"

"I don't possess it myself; I just attempted to combine and modify it."

Chen Nian's words were modest, but Chen Shi couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

It was a sigh of admiration for Chen Nian's talent in mechanics, but also one of regret that Chen Nian had abandoned the path of bloodlines for it. The man standing before him, though only at the Sixth Tier, was a peerless genius. Chen Shi knew this better than anyone.

When Chen Nian was born, rumors spread outside that the Chen Family had produced a monster with a bloodline purity reaching ninety percent—a rarity seen once in centuries. The last time anyone had surpassed ninety percent was during the second generation, shortly after the Chen Family was founded.

But those were just the public reports.

Only the true insiders knew the reality.

Chen Nian's bloodline purity wasn't ninety percent.

It was an astonishing ninety-seven percent.

Not a rarity seen once in centuries, but a miracle seen once in a millennium.

It was just a pity...

Such a terrible pity...

He looked at Chen Nian's heavily bandaged neck and sighed again.

"Why are you always sighing, Uncle Shi?" Yan Jing asked, looking over.

Chen Shi glanced at Chen Nian. Seeing that he had no intention of stopping him, he explained some of Chen Nian's past.

"So Mr. Chen was originally this strong," Yan Jing smiled.

"Bloodline wasn't my talent." The smile on Chen Nian's face remained constant, neither bright nor dim.

"That was something left to me by the previous generation."

"It doesn't belong to me."

"Makes sense." Yan Jing nodded with a smile.

"As I see it, Mr. Chen's mastery of mechanics is already on par with his bloodline."

"Haha, Mr. Wen jests," Chen Nian chuckled.

"Uncle Shi, let's get down to business. I received news that once the Blood War starts, Seventh Brother and Ninth Sister will immediately join forces to attack my side and wipe out my Domain first."

"Do you think this is normal?"

Hearing this, Chen Shi remained expressionless.

"It's normal."

"But also abnormal."

"How so?" Yan Jing asked.

"Although the Seventh Young Master and Ninth Young Master didn't have a great relationship with you before, there was no deep hatred either. Moreover, their Domains aren't close to the Stone Realm, yet they want to attack the Stone Realm right from the start. That is the abnormal part."

"And the normal part?"

Yan Jing blinked.

"Because the Stone Realm possesses something very unique."

Chen Shi smiled faintly.

"That is also the reason I said from the beginning that even without Mr. Wen, you would still have a way out, Young Master."