When the maids saw Wang Chen enter, they all gracefully bowed and greeted him in soft, respectful voices.
"Greetings, my lord."
Seeing this scene, Zhao Yurou and Ye Guyi immediately believed most of what Wang Chen had said—at least three parts out of ten now sounded true.
Wang Chen led Ye Guyi and Zhao Yurou to the guest area within the grand hall. The three of them sat down on the sofas as several maids poured tea for Zhao Yurou and Ye Guyi and placed a few plates of delicate pastries in front of them.
Then Wang Chen waved his hand, signaling for all the maids to withdraw.
Seated on the sofa, Wang Chen smiled gently and said,
"Aunt Zhao, Guyi, please sit and have some tea first."
After sitting down, Ye Guyi and Zhao Yurou still found the situation hard to believe.
Ye Guyi couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked again,
"Wang Chen, are you really the Clan Leader of the Wang Family? What… what's going on here?"
Wang Chen took a sip of his tea and replied casually,
"Well, it's a long story. But to put it simply, I really did become the Clan Leader of the Wang Family.
A few days ago, I defeated the previous Clan Leader, Wang Yan, and according to the Wang Family's rules, I succeeded him as the new Clan Leader."
Ye Guyi said incredulously,
"Wang Chen, isn't your strength about the same as mine? How could you possibly defeat the Wang Family's Clan Leader?"
Although Ye Guyi didn't have much worldly experience, she had at least heard a little about the Wang Family's Clan Leader. She knew he was a senior expert who had long been famous—one of the strongest among Soul Douluos.
Wang Chen chuckled and released his spiritual power outward.
Instantly, his immense spiritual force enveloped the entire grand hall, filling the space with an invisible yet overwhelming pressure before he finally withdrew it a few moments later.
Feeling Wang Chen's powerful spiritual aura—comparable to that of a Soul Douluo-level expert—Zhao Yurou's mind went completely blank.
Originally, she had only believed about thirty percent of what Wang Chen said, but now her belief shot up to seventy percent.
She had already guessed earlier that anyone capable of making the Wang Family's Great Elder, a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse, bow respectfully could only be the Wang Family's Clan Leader.
However, she hadn't dared to think in that direction—because Wang Chen was simply too young.
That was why she had assumed he was the illegitimate son of some high-ranking noble.
But compared to that theory, the truth before her eyes carried far greater shock.
This was real, undeniable power.
Wang Yan was a long-renowned, peak-level Soul Douluo, just one step away from becoming a Rank 9 Soul Engineer.
For someone as young as Wang Chen to have defeated him—it was unbelievable. Even if he had started cultivating in his mother's womb and had been born with innate full soul power, this was still beyond imagination.
Zhao Yurou couldn't help but ask,
"Wang Chen, could it be that your strength has already reached the level of a Titled Douluo?"
Wang Chen smiled faintly but didn't answer directly. Instead, he said,
"You'll know in time."
Zhao Yurou nodded lightly, though her heart was already in turmoil.
Even though her meridians had been severed and she could no longer use soul power, her perception and intuition as a former expert remained sharp.
She could feel it clearly—behind Wang Chen's handsome appearance was a terrifying power that she could not fathom.
At that moment, Ye Guyi's blue eyes were also wide with shock.
Although she was astonished, she gradually accepted the reality that Wang Chen was truly the Clan Leader of the Wang Family.
But when she recalled that over the past three years of their sparring sessions, Wang Chen had only ever beaten her by the narrowest of margins, she immediately puffed up her cheeks in mild annoyance and said coquettishly,
"Wang Chen, if you're this strong, then why did you always make it look so hard every time we sparred?"
Her tone was playful, but her words carried a hint of reproach.
Wang Chen's heart couldn't help but ripple slightly as he met Ye Guyi's teasing gaze.
Three years had passed—not only had he grown, but so had she.
As a girl, Ye Guyi had matured faster than boys her age, and absorbing soul rings had only accelerated her development.
If three years ago Ye Guyi had been a budding young maiden, then now she had blossomed into a graceful, elegant young woman.
Her features were perfectly delicate—eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes clear as autumn water, a tall and refined nose, and lips the color of cherry blossoms.
Her sapphire-blue eyes still shone brightly, her skin was smooth and fair, soft as porcelain.
Her long golden hair, silky and lustrous, glowed under the sunlight streaming through the window.
Her posture was straight and elegant, her curves shapely and well-proportioned—her body more mature than before, yet retaining a natural grace.
Her legs were long and shapely, exuding both beauty and strength.
Her waist was slender, her hips full and firm, giving off a sense of supple vitality.
Now, Ye Guyi carried both the innocence of a maiden and the allure of a mature woman, coupled with a sacred nobility that made her beauty all the more breathtaking—enchanting enough to make anyone's heart waver.
When Wang Chen looked into Ye Guyi's autumn-water-like eyes, reflecting his own image within them, and saw her coy, teasing expression—those watery eyes were simply bewitching.
For an instant, Wang Chen froze, his gaze darkening slightly. But a moment later, he quickly regained his composure.
Smiling, he said to Ye Guyi,
"Well, I didn't want to hurt your confidence. But if you don't want me to hold back next time, then I won't."
Thinking of how Wang Chen had even defeated the famous senior expert Wang Yan, Ye Guyi immediately shook her head furiously.
"No way! I'm not sparring with you anymore—you only know how to bully people."
Watching the two of them teasing each other affectionately, Zhao Yurou's lips curved into a knowing smile.
Earlier, that fleeting flicker in Wang Chen's eyes hadn't escaped her notice—she had caught that brief, restrained look of emotion he directed toward Ye Guyi.
She could tell clearly that Wang Chen had feelings for Ye Guyi.
This realization lifted Zhao Yurou's spirits.
Now that her meridians were severed and her cultivation crippled, if her old enemies discovered her condition, not even the Pingfan Alliance's protection could save her forever.
Sooner or later, Ye Guyi would be left without a guardian.
And with her exceptional talent and increasingly stunning beauty, she would surely attract countless covetous gazes.
Therefore, Zhao Yurou desperately wanted to find someone Ye Guyi loved and could depend on—someone powerful enough to protect her.
If she couldn't, then Ye Guyi would have no choice but to join some powerful faction to seek protection.
That was why Zhao Yurou had come to the Wang Family in the first place—to see for herself whether Wang Chen, the man Ye Guyi liked, was truly worthy of her.
But now that she had seen him—she was utterly astonished.
He had power, influence, talent, and such terrifying potential at such a young age. Not only that, he was tall, handsome, and carried himself with extraordinary grace.
Such a man was so perfect that she wouldn't have dared dream of finding someone like him even in her sleep.
If Ye Guyi could be with Wang Chen, her future would undoubtedly be bright and blessed.
Zhao Yurou made up her mind then and there—she absolutely had to bring these two together.
She couldn't let Ye Guyi miss such a rare chance. If she did, she would regret it for ten lifetimes.
After chatting for a while, Wang Chen learned that not long ago, Zhao Yurou had fought a fierce battle against an evil Soul Master from the Xishui Alliance, a Soul Saint-level opponent. During the battle, her meridians had been severed, and she had suffered devastating injuries.
Realizing the dangerous situation Zhao Yurou and Ye Guyi were in, Wang Chen immediately understood everything.
As a man possessing the power of a Titled Douluo, protecting his good friend Ye Guyi and her aunt Zhao Yurou was a trivial matter for him.
Without hesitation, Wang Chen invited both of them to stay temporarily at the Wang Family estate.