Chapter 556: Chapter 255: Perfect Flesh Refining Realm, Strange Mask, Promotion to Eighth-Grade

His divine sense swept over the numerous tasks, but in the end, he didn’t choose to take action. At the moment, he had a pile of miscellaneous affairs to attend to.

Where would he find the time to carry out an assassination task?

With a thought,

he exited this strange space.

The runes on the mask dimmed, and it slipped off his face.

After several months.

The treasure ship finally reached the South Huai territory.

Fu Changsheng drove the treasure ship directly toward Wanning Marketplace:

"It’s time to advance to an Eighth-Grade Noble Family!"

...

Meanwhile, the moment the Gongsun Clan Leader was killed,

Gongsun Wen, who was guarding the Soul Hall, trembled as he exited the Repentance Cliff, looking incredulously at the extinguished Patriarch’s Life Soul Lamp:

"This... how is this possible!"

The Patriarch was at Foundation Establishment Peak cultivation and carried the Clan Treasure. Who could possibly slay the Patriarch?

Gongsun Wen was utterly shocked.

Having been in seclusion at the Repentance Cliff for over a decade.

Although his irritable disposition had faded,

at this moment, he found it difficult to remain calm.

That was the head of the clan. Although there were criticisms regarding the Patriarch’s actions in recent years, nobody wanted the Patriarch to perish like this!

Gongsun Wen’s figure flickered.

After leaving the Soul Hall, he immediately rushed to the Council Hall.

In the hall.

The Second Elder, who was in charge of miscellaneous affairs, frowned as he saw him burst in without waiting for an announcement:

"Sixth, it seems your decade at the Repentance Cliff was in vain."

He said,

waving a hand,

and still had everyone else step back.

When he saw the grief on Gongsun Wen’s face, his heart skipped a beat:

"What’s happened? Speak quickly!"

"Uncle, the Patriarch... the Patriarch’s Life Soul Lamp has gone out!"

"What?!"

The Second Elder trembled, and in the next instant, like a gust of wind, he rushed out of the Council Hall. His figure flickered several times, appearing in the Soul Hall, and upon seeing the thoroughly extinguished Patriarch’s Soul Lamp, he stumbled, nearly collapsing to the ground:

"What exactly did the Patriarch encounter in Jingzhou?"

The Patriarch had been away for nearly a decade.

With a decade gone by,

once the Second Elder took over as Acting Clan Leader, he gradually understood the Patriarch’s past difficulties. Sitting in this position, even if you gave it your all, you could never fully satisfy everyone in the clan.

Therefore,

he had eagerly awaited the Patriarch’s return.

Yet, he never thought,

that the news he’d end up receiving would be such a dire one:

"Patriarch... it’s my fault, it’s my fault..."

Back when the Patriarch left home, he should have had a few Foundation Establishment Elders accompany him.

At this point,

Gongsun Wen also stepped into the Soul Hall.

A Technique was cast into the hall’s array, raising the light curtain of the array. His gaze fell onto the row of Life Soul Lamps in the back:

"Uncle, the Life Soul Lamps of Seventh and the others are still lit. They must know what exactly happened to the Patriarch. Furthermore... the Patriarch was carrying the Clan Treasure... We need to confirm whether it remains with Seventh and the others."

After the Second Elder’s sorrow,

his mind began rapidly calculating.

A nation cannot go a day without a ruler, nor a family without a head for a day.

The Patriarch’s passing.

The World Suppression Bureau would surely learn of it too. According to Court custom, they must quickly select a new Patriarch.

As for the cause of the Patriarch’s death.

This location is tens of thousands of miles from Jingzhou.

Going there and back would require several years, not to mention the unknown dangers involved, which is not an urgent matter for the family at present.

Seeing the Second Elder show no indication of action,

Gongsun Wen grew a bit anxious:

"Uncle, what are you hesitating for? At this moment, we should be dispatching clan elders to Jingzhou immediately. First, to investigate the cause of the Patriarch’s death, and second, under any circumstances, we cannot allow our Clan Treasure to fall into someone else’s hands. Uncle, apply to the World Suppression Bureau to use the Teleportation Array!"

The Second Elder frowned.

Gongsun Wen’s urgency was, after all, for the sake of the family.

He gestured to a seat beside him for Gongsun Wen, letting out a long sigh:

"Sixth, the Patriarch is dead, do you think the Mountain-Sealing Seal could end up with Seventh and the others? Nearly a decade has passed, and since the Patriarch has not returned, it’s clear the three of them did not succeed in establishing a foundation, forcing the Patriarch to stay in Jingzhou to hope to purchase Foundation Establishment Pills again and let Seventh and them attempt to establish a foundation once more."

"I’m afraid..."

"I’m afraid the Patriarch most likely perished while adventuring for treasure with others."

The Second Elder’s meaning was clear.

It wasn’t worth spending a fortune to seek out the cause of the Patriarch’s death. The most pressing matter now is to first select a new Patriarch to steady the military spirit.

Gongsun Wen calmed down from his excitement.

However,

he hesitated, saying:

"Uncle, according to the clan’s tradition, the position of Patriarch can only be succeeded by the direct line of the Clan Leader. Seventh and the others are from the main branch. A decade has passed, and perhaps they have succeeded in establishing a foundation. Whether we pursue the cause of the Patriarch’s death or not, we must bring them back. Currently, among the main branch, only they have the highest cultivation."

The Second Elder’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He said coldly:

"If we spend a fortune to teleport to Jingzhou, yet none of the three have established a foundation, are we, the dignified Eighth-Grade Noble Family, to have a Qi Cultivator become the Patriarch?"

The Beast Tide has passed for ten years.

Many noble families have already recovered.

If our Gongsun Family were to elevate a Qi Cultivator as head now, wouldn’t it make our Gongsun Family a laughingstock?

Gongsun Wen’s gaze settled on the Second Elder.

Having managed the family for ten years, the Second Elder was now the only remaining Veteran Foundation Establishment in the clan. Clearly, he intended to go against ancestral commands and assume the position of Patriarch!

.....

Fu Changsheng steered the treasure ship to the gates of Wanning Marketplace.

Having received the message in advance, Fu Yongshang greeted him from afar. Fu Yongshang had established his foundation nine years ago and had now reached the Second-Layer Foundation Establishment.