Wang Yuan looked at Wang Chen. Compared to before, there was now a trace of respect in his eyes.
Wang Chen's display of strength and talent had completely convinced him. He was willing to support him as the next Patriarch.
Wang Yuan explained, "The Great Elder has long been dissatisfied with the current Patriarch. Chen'er, with your strength and talent, the Great Elder will surely give his full support for you to become the new clan leader.
As long as the Great Elder supports you, then the Third Elder, Seventh Elder, and Eleventh Elder will definitely support you as well.
Together with me, that makes five elders in total. You'll only need to win over one more elder, and then we can initiate a nomination during the clan meeting to elect you as the new Patriarch."
Hearing this, Wang Chen's eyes lit up. As a member of the younger generation, he wasn't too familiar with the intricate relationships among the clan's higher-ups.
He hadn't expected the Great Elder to hold such influence—just one man could sway three other elders.
If the Great Elder supported him, then out of the twelve Soul Sage-level elders, five would already stand behind him.
Somewhat surprised, Wang Chen said, "I didn't know the Great Elder wielded so much influence."
Wang Yuan sighed. "It's not that the Great Elder is particularly powerful—it's that the current Patriarch has truly alienated everyone with his actions over the years.
Many of the clan's elders harbor resentment toward him, and several are extremely dissatisfied. The Great Elder merely represents those who are the most displeased."
Wang Chen nodded, understanding that most within the family actually had no desire to get involved in the dangerous struggle for the throne.
After all, the battle for imperial succession was no joke—the danger level was five stars, the highest. It was far more treacherous and deadly than any battlefield.
After explaining, Wang Yuan led Wang Chen toward the Great Elder's residence.
——————————————
A bright, sunny noon.
The Great Elder lay on a lounge chair in his courtyard, basking in the warm sunlight. Yet, despite the fine weather, his expression carried a hint of sorrow.
He had thought that after breaking through to the Contra level, he would finally stand on equal footing with Wang Yan. But to his humiliation, during the last clan meeting, Wang Yan had defeated him in just three punches.
It was truly a tragic tale…
Lying there, staring at the clear blue sky, countless thoughts swirled through the Great Elder's mind.
In recent days, the political situation surrounding the imperial succession had shifted like storm clouds, making even an old man like him anxious and fearful.
First, Xu Tianran had defeated both the Second and Third Princes, becoming Crown Prince. But soon after, barely half a month later, he was ambushed and crippled, his position as Crown Prince suddenly unstable.
Then came rumors that Xu Tianran was no longer "a man." Now, he had even been stripped of his title as Crown Prince.
As for their Wang Clan, who had supported the Second Prince, their fortunes had risen and fallen like a roller coaster.
The Great Elder rubbed his increasingly sparse hair and sighed.
"When will these days of fear and uncertainty ever end?" he muttered. Now that the Second Prince, Xu Tianyu, was rising again after Xu Tianran's fall, there was over a fifty-percent chance he would become the next Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire.
But if, one day, the Second Prince failed to claim the throne, then their Wang Clan would surely be implicated—purged by the new Emperor without mercy.
The Great Elder despised this feeling—being unable to control their own fate, standing with the family on the edge of a cliff, knowing that at any moment they could plunge into an endless abyss.
He hated himself for not being strong enough—for not being able to seize the Patriarch's position from Wang Yan's hands.
If he had the strength, then the one leading the Wang Clan would be him—not that selfish, ruthless Wang Yan.
If he were Patriarch, he would never have dragged the Wang Clan into the struggle for the throne.
Over the years, the Wang Clan had developed tremendously. This generation had truly flourished. The population had surged, producing over a hundred new young clan members in one breath.
And with a larger population came more geniuses. In this generation alone, three children were born with innate soul power of rank nine.
In previous generations, when the clan's population had been smaller, there was usually only one such prodigy per generation.
If these young members were given time to mature, how powerful would the Wang Clan become? Perhaps even a Titled Douluo-level powerhouse could appear in this generation.
But Wang Yan, blinded by selfishness, ignored the clan's bright future and insisted on joining the deadly struggle for the throne—leading the Wang Clan down a path filled with peril.
The Great Elder's eyes were filled with hatred toward Wang Yan and deep worry for the Wang Clan's future.
After pondering for a long while, he finally sighed helplessly.
Since the situation couldn't be changed, he could only prepare for the worst.
If the day ever came when the Second Prince truly lost, he would secretly send part of the Wang Clan's younger generation out of Mingdu.
Over the past two years, he had made preparations in several remote towns far from the capital—new identities, houses, gold soul coins, rare metals, and resources—all ready.
If anything happened, the younger members could immediately be relocated, living in hiding for ten or twenty years. Once the new Emperor died, the Wang Clan could rise again.
As for himself and the other old or less talented members, they would stay in Mingdu to serve as decoys—to draw the enemy's attention.
Thinking of these preparations, the Great Elder felt slightly at ease. Even if the worst came to pass, the Wang Clan's bloodline would endure. The clan would not be completely wiped out.
Just as he was enjoying the warm sunlight, a soft, cheerful voice rang out.
"Grandpa, Elder Wang Yuan is here. He's waiting for you in the main hall. Oh, and Grandpa, Elder Wang Yuan brought Brother Wang Chen with him!"
Hearing his well-behaved grandson's words, the Great Elder slowly rose from his lounge chair, stretching and loosening his joints.
Silently, he thought to himself, "Wang Yuan, that sly old fox, never visits without a reason. If he's come to see me today, he must need something. Eight or nine chances out of ten, it has to do with that Wang Chen boy."
Although his strength wasn't enough to defeat Wang Yan, the Great Elder's mind was sharp. He instantly guessed Wang Yuan's purpose for visiting.
Thinking of Wang Chen, he grew thoughtful. He hadn't met the boy many times, but he knew Wang Chen was the most outstanding member of the younger generation within the Wang Clan. Beyond that, he didn't know much.
"Perfect," the Great Elder thought. "Today I'll see for myself what this Wang Chen is made of.
If the Second Prince truly fails one day, whether our Wang Clan can rise again will depend entirely on Wang Chen's ability."
With that thought, the Great Elder made his way toward the main hall.
Moments later, inside the hall—
After Wang Yuan finished explaining his purpose, the Great Elder sat on the sofa, staring at him with a look that clearly said: Are you out of your mind?
"You want me to nominate Wang Chen as Patriarch at the next clan meeting? Wang Yuan, did you come all this way just to mock me?
Do you even hear what you're saying?
Not even fifteen years old, a Soul Emperor, and you expect him to defeat that old devil Wang Yan? Have you lost your mind?"