Villain : After Slacking Off, The Protagonist Collapse-Chapter 265

Chapter 265

It was deep in the night, with the moon shining bright and stars sparse in the sky.

Within the Ye Clan’s grand and majestic halls, the lights were ablaze, illuminating the solemn gathering of the clan’s top figures. The air was heavy with their imposing auras, yet the atmosphere was stifling and oppressive.

The expressions of the gathered elders were grim, their silence a reflection of their frustration. Tension saturated the room, reaching an unbearable peak.

At the head of the assembly, Ye Changhe sat, his face as dark as the night outside, a flicker of cold light occasionally flashing in his eyes.

The catastrophe in the ancient city had dealt a severe blow to the Ye Clan. Two of their young pillars had fallen, and even a senior elder had perished.

They had lost three quasi-Emperor weapons and an ancient token, a devastating blow to their very foundation. Worse still, this disaster had made the Ye Clan the laughingstock of the Nine Heavens Realm.

Recalling these events, every member of the Ye Clan was consumed by bitterness. Some elders even cast resentful glances at Ye Changhe.

The debacle was the result of Ye Changhe’s so-called plan, which had backfired catastrophically, leaving the clan reeling from losses that were nearly impossible to recover.

Were it not for Ye Changhe’s position as the clan head and his backing within the family, some would have already sought to replace him.

“Patriarch,” one elder finally broke the silence, unable to contain himself any longer.

Bowing slightly, he said, “The ancient city incident has wounded the clan deeply, damaging our foundation. It will take a long time to recover. However, this humiliation inflicted by the Primordial Holy Son has disgraced us thoroughly.”

“Within the Human Alliance, factions have begun to defy us, no longer respecting the authority of the Ye Clan. If this continues, the so-called Human Alliance will become nothing more than an empty shell!”

“If the Ye Clan wishes to remain a force to be reckoned with, we must address this matter.”

“Whether or not we can kill the Primordial Holy Son, we must make the Primordial Holy Land pay a price. Otherwise, we will lose all our prestige, becoming the butt of every joke!”

Although the Ye Clan had always been discreet in its dealings, it harbored ambitions of one day sweeping through the Nine Heavens Realm and producing an Emperor.

Years of covert planning had been leading up to this moment, but their grand scheme had taken a crippling hit before it could even begin.

Two of their brightest young stars had fallen, and the clan’s resources had suffered unprecedented depletion. Years of meticulous preparation were now in jeopardy.

Worse, the Human Alliance, which the Ye Clan had painstakingly formed, was now divided. Rebuilding it would be a monumental task, achievable only by erasing the Primordial Holy Land, killing Jiang Chen, or inflicting a devastating blow to their power.

Without such decisive action, the Ye Clan’s influence within the Human Alliance would be reduced to nothing, and the initiative would slip from their grasp.

“I am aware of the situation,” Ye Changhe said, his expression calm, though his eyes glinted with fury. “But attacking the Primordial Holy Land is easier said than done.”

“We face not only the Primordial Holy Land but its entire alliance. Meanwhile, the factions in our so-called Human Alliance won’t lift a finger to help!”

“If I were to act rashly, we would be pitting the Ye Clan against a behemoth.”

“It would be like striking a stone with an egg, rushing to our doom. Such a move would only bring about the Ye Clan’s annihilation. Is that what you want?” Ye Changhe’s frustration was clear. Of all those present, he was the angriest.

To be manipulated like a puppet in the palm of a mere junior, to have the Ye Clan reduced to a laughingstock—how could he not be enraged?

Yet anger alone solved nothing. The Primordial Holy Son, Jiang Chen, had the powerful Primordial Holy Land Alliance at his back, a force far beyond the Ye Clan’s current capacity to contend with.

“We understand this,” the elder replied, “but we do have a solution.” He fell silent, his gaze resting meaningfully on Ye Changhe.

The room grew even quieter. Everyone understood what he was implying. Ye Changhe, too, knew, but he hesitated.

That “solution” involved the Ye Clan’s greatest trump card, a resource they would not use unless absolutely necessary. It meant asking their revered ancestor to act—a request that filled Ye Changhe with reluctance.

Summoning the ancestor to prevent the clan’s destruction would be one thing. But calling on him over the loss of a mere Holy Son? The ancestor might just kill Ye Changhe for the sheer absurdity of it.

‘A junior bested you, and you dare come to me? Have you no shame?’

“Patriarch, you must realize,” the elder pressed, “Jiang Chen is unlike any other genius of the past. If he reaches the Saint King Realm, he will rival a Great Saint. Even a Great Saint might not be his match!” 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

“And with his current cultivation speed, his strength will only grow exponentially. If we do not act soon, we will lose any chance of stopping him!”

Seeing Ye Changhe’s hesitation, the elder poured fuel on the fire, emphasizing Jiang Chen’s threat.

“Furthermore, as long as Jiang Chen lives, you, Patriarch, will remain the laughingstock of the Nine Heavens Realm! If Jiang Chen dies, everything changes. People will say he brought about his own doom, daring to provoke the Ye Clan!”

The mention of reputation clearly struck a nerve. Though Ye Changhe’s expression barely changed, his resolve began to waver.

“I understand,” he finally said, taking a deep breath. “I will contact the ancestor.”

“Whether the ancestor chooses to act is beyond my control,” he added.

He had made his decision. The threat posed by Jiang Chen had grown too great to ignore. In just twenty short years, Jiang Chen had risen to stand among the Nine Heavens Realm’s elite, a junior who could disrupt the entire realm.

Ye Changhe could no longer afford to hesitate. If he is allowed to continue growing, no one can predict what he might become in the future.

Especially considering their enmity with the Taichu Holy Land, a feud destined to end only in death. Allowing Jiang Chen to develop further would bring nothing but disaster for the entire Ye Clan.

Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in Ye Changhe’s eyes.

Jiang Chen must be eliminated.