Three days later.
Inside the Wang Family ancestral hall, the family council convened.
Wang Yan sat at the head seat, but when he turned to his right, he noticed something strange—where the Great Elder normally sat, the young Wang Chen now sat instead. The Great Elder had moved one seat over, to Wang Chen's right.
Wang Yan frowned in puzzlement. He thought for a while but could not figure out why Wang Chen would be here.
He glanced at the boy with some curiosity, inwardly scoffing:
Let's see what kind of trick the Great Elder is trying to play this time.
He didn't take Wang Chen seriously at all, regarding him as nothing more than the Great Elder's pawn.
Wang Yan was supremely confident in his own strength. No matter what schemes the Great Elder pulled, he believed he could easily crush them.
So, he said nothing. He simply watched in silence, allowing the other elders to speak freely.
Meanwhile, Wang Chen sat in the Great Elder's position, casually surveying the hall.
Two days earlier, after subduing the Great Elder with his strength, everything had become simpler. With the Great Elder's persuasion, the Third Elder, Seventh Elder, and Eleventh Elder had pledged their support.
Later, they convinced Wang Chen's uncle, the Eighth Elder Wang Xiaoming. With half of the twelve elders backing him, Wang Chen now had the qualifications to be nominated in the family council as a candidate for Patriarch.
All that remained was to defeat the current Patriarch, Wang Yan. Then the title would be his.
Looking at the memorial tablets lining the hall, the gathered elders, and Patriarch Wang Yan himself, Wang Chen appeared calm—completely unlike the respectful caution ordinary clansmen would show in such a setting.
This casual attitude immediately drew the ire of the six elders, who were not yet aware of Wang Chen's true power.
To them, only elders—Soul Saints and above—were qualified to sit in this chamber. Even if Wang Chen was a prodigy, talent alone did not equal strength. What right did he have to be here?
And worse, this junior was sitting in the Great Elder's seat, above them all. That was intolerable.
The Second Elder, Wang Yan's staunch supporter, saw Wang Chen sitting so arrogantly and immediately shouted:
"Wang Chen, you're just a brat! What right do you have to attend the family council? Get out at once!"
Then he turned on the Great Elder:
"Wang Lu, how could you let a child sit in your position? You've disgraced the family!"
But Great Elder Wang Lu, already convinced by Wang Chen's strength and talent, thought otherwise. In his eyes, letting Wang Chen sit in the Great Elder's seat was still too low—it was the Patriarch's seat that truly belonged to him.
The Ninth Elder quickly chimed in, sneering:
"It seems the Great Elder has grown senile and unfit to hold his post. You should give up your seat to the Second Elder and live out your remaining years in peace."
At once, several elders loyal to Wang Yan erupted in mockery and anger toward both Wang Lu and Wang Chen.
The Great Elder only smirked disdainfully.
Bark while you still can. Soon, you won't even be able to speak.
He exchanged a glance with the Third Elder, Seventh Elder, Eleventh Elder, Wang Yuan, and Wang Xiaoming. They all nodded subtly.
The Second Elder noticed and grew uneasy.
Are they… forming a faction? Could they really be plotting against the Patriarch? Impossible. Even if six of them band together, they can't defeat Patriarch Wang Yan.
Just as the opposing elders were puzzling over it, the Great Elder spoke in a deep voice:
"At this family council, I, as Great Elder, nominate Wang Chen as the new Patriarch of the Wang Family."
The moment his words fell, the Third Elder, Fifth Elder Wang Yuan, Seventh Elder, Eighth Elder Wang Xiaoming, and Eleventh Elder all voiced their support.
Six elders in unison—half the council.
The other faction's jaws dropped in shock.
They had thought this alliance was meant to challenge Wang Yan directly. But no—the plan was to nominate a new Patriarch, and not just anyone, but a boy under fifteen years old!
So that's why Wang Chen was here. That's why Wang Lu let him sit in his seat.
But it was madness! A child as Patriarch? What strength could he possibly have compared to Wang Yan? As long as Wang Yan refused to step down, what did Wang Chen have to fight with?
Even Wang Yan himself, despite his composure, was stunned. His mind froze for a moment.
Have the Great Elder and the others lost their minds? To propose a fourteen-year-old as Patriarch? Do they think I'll hand over my seat just because he's my great-grandson? I have countless great-grandsons! The idea is laughable.
The Second Elder leapt to his feet, pointing at them furiously:
"You're insane! All of you! What qualifications does Wang Chen have to lead the Wang Family?"
Just as the hall was about to erupt in angry protests—
Wang Chen stood up.
His Soul Emperor-level soul power, Soul Douluo-level spiritual power, and indomitable will fused, erupting like a tidal wave. The force swept directly toward Patriarch Wang Yan at the head seat.
It was the combat technique—Sovereign's Dominion!
This battle art carried Wang Chen's own will: absolute, domineering, as if no one in the world was allowed to stand as his equal.
The council chamber fell into stunned silence.
Wang Chen's voice rang out, steady and resolute:
"I, Wang Chen, shall be the new Patriarch of the Wang Family!"
Wang Yan's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected Wang Chen's strength to be this great. From his aura alone, he was at least at the level of a Soul Emperor.
And Wang Chen wasn't even fifteen yet. How had he cultivated so monstrously fast? More importantly, Wang Yan's instincts—instincts that had never failed him—screamed that this boy was dangerous, a true threat.
The other elders were dumbfounded. A Soul Emperor? At this age? Could the Wang Family even deserve such a genius?
Before they could recover, Wang Yan said slowly,
"Chen'er, you've given me a great surprise.
But this seat—I may give it, but you cannot take it!"
Wang Chen laughed.
"Then I'll take it by force."
In a flash, silver-white soul tool armor covered his body, and the Breaking Wind Spear appeared in his hand.
Wang Yan's eyes narrowed.
"Then let's see if you have the ability."
Eight soul rings flared around him, and a jet-black suit of soul tool armor encased him.
It was his pride—the Black Demon Armor—a set so powerful it was nearly a rank nine soul tool. With its amplification, Wang Yan could crush the Great Elder in three punches. Among Soul Douluos, few could rival him.
He struck with full force, not holding back due to Wang Chen's youth. Even the fiercest beast used its full strength against a rabbit.
His figure blurred, tearing through the air with sonic booms. In an instant, he was at Wang Chen's side, chopping his hand toward the boy's neck.
But Wang Chen's body vanished.
The strike cut through empty air.
Wang Yan's eyes gleamed.
"A rare teleportation-type skill. Interesting."
He unleashed his spiritual power, instantly locking onto Wang Chen's new position—outside the ancestral hall.
Wang Chen called back,
"The hall is too cramped. Let's fight in the open."
Moments later, both vanished into the night, reappearing in the clan's trial arena.
All twelve elders rushed to follow.
There, Wang Chen faced Patriarch Wang Yan directly.
This time, he wouldn't test the waters. His fight with the Great Elder had already given him a clear understanding of his own strength—and of Soul Douluo-level opponents.
Against a fresh Soul Douluo like Wang Lu, his six ten-thousand-year soul rings and Sovereign's Dominion were enough, especially if he used his secret art, Ring Tempering.
But Wang Yan was different—a peak Soul Douluo, with deep cultivation and mastery of soul tools. Even Ring Tempering might not be enough.
So Wang Chen would use his ultimate trump card: the most violent, most destructive, and most self-harming secret art of all—Ring Detonation!
Unlike Ring Tempering, which carefully drew out power without damaging the rings, Ring Detonation shattered them outright, unleashing their full stored energy at once. The backlash was immense, but the power was overwhelming.
He looked at the elders around him, at the once-unreachable Patriarch before him.
Memories flooded his mind: childhood innocence, the thrill of awakening his martial soul, the dread when the family meddled in the imperial succession, the years of cautious survival, and now—the calm confidence of today.
After tonight, he would stand at the peak of the Wang Family as its Patriarch.
Wang Chen's voice cut through the night, clear and unshakable:
"Three moves. If I cannot defeat him within three moves, I will not take the Patriarch's seat."
Even the Second Elder and the others who opposed him were stunned into silence.
Win or lose, Wang Chen had already earned their awe.
The Great Elder and his allies, however, were utterly confident. With Wang Chen, even the impossible was always within reach.
Wang Yan snorted coldly.
"Even a Title Douluo would not dare claim to defeat me in three moves. If you can, I will surrender the Patriarch's seat with both hands and follow you without question."
His eight soul rings lit up, and a black dragon surged from the Black Demon Armor, roaring as it lunged at Wang Chen. The sheer force rippled space itself—a strike that even Title Douluos would not dismiss lightly.
Wang Chen's eyes blazed.
"Detonate!"
Pairs of soul rings lit up, then exploded.
He detonated them in three groups. To detonate all at once would have burst his body apart. Even so, his meridians swelled threefold, barely contained by the resilience granted from the Life Gold tempering his body.
Power like a raging storm filled him, threatening to shatter the heavens.
Gripping the Breaking Wind Spear, Wang Chen roared. Terrifying soul power surged forth, condensing at the spear's tip until black fissures split the air itself.
First thrust— the black dragon's head shattered!
Second thrust— the Black Demon Armor broke apart!
Third thrust— Wang Yan vomited blood, collapsed, and lost consciousness!
The Breaking Wind Spear itself disintegrated under the overwhelming force, scattering to dust.
With three earth-shaking strikes, a new Patriarch was born.
At that very moment, deep within Wang Chen's soul, the Black Book stirred and subtly transformed…