"Wushuang, you have done well. Your master is pleased."
Ye Chen gestured for Yan Wushuang to rise, patting his shoulder. He could see the weariness between his disciple's brows; these years had clearly not been easy, and he had relied solely on himself.
Yan Wushuang shook his head with a bitter smile. "This disciple has failed to live up to your expectations, Master. In a fair competition for the chieftain position, I naturally have confidence. But if Yan Gushen of the Main Branch asks the Nine Mysteries Ancient Ancestor to speak up, a single word from him can decide who the chieftainship falls to."
No matter how much skill and cultivation talent he had displayed over the years, it could never compare to the authority of an Ancient Ancestor Monarch.
"Don't lose heart. You have already done excellently," Ye Chen comforted, then smiled. "Moreover, as long as that Nine Mysteries Ancient Ancestor does not interfere, you are confident you can secure the chieftain position, correct?"
Hearing this, Yan Wushuang, ever astute, immediately grasped the implicit meaning in his master's words. Despite his years of high status and power, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. "Master, please rest assured. Over these years, I have secretly bound the other branch lineages of the Jiuyan Imperial Clan to my cause, leaving them no room for regret. Under fair conditions, even Yan Gushen, as lord of the Main Branch, is no match for this disciple."
"Excellent. In that case, your master will intervene this once to help you completely take control of the Jiuyan Imperial Clan," Ye Chen declared. "Take me to the Emperor World of the Jiuyan Imperial Clan."
"As you command, Master!"
...
The Jiuyan Imperial Star, though controlled by the Jiuyan Imperial Clan, was not all. Upon this ancient Imperial Star existed the Emperor World, a realm belonging exclusively to the Jiuyan Imperial Clan.
This Emperor World had generally remained sealed throughout the ages. Even the successive chieftains of the past had resided primarily on the Imperial Star.
It was only in recent years, with the advent of the Golden Age, that the Jiuyan Imperial Clan had opened the Emperor World.
The Emperor World was vast, no smaller than the Imperial Star, and far more impregnable, for it was the original Emperor World of an Ancient Great Emperor from ages past.
Within the Emperor World slumbered important, sealed powerhouses of the imperial clan, now gradually awakening in the Golden Age, making the Jiuyan Imperial Clan far stronger than ever before.
A magnificent Heavenly Palace spanned the Imperial City at the very center of the Emperor World. On this day, Yan Wushuang directly summoned all the high-ranking members of the imperial clan to convene the highest-level council.
Within the Heavenly Palace, numerous imperial clan elders appeared, all at the very least Great Powers, with no shortage of Divine Kings gathered together.
The sudden convening of this council by Yan Wushuang struck all the elders as highly unusual. Under normal circumstances, such a significant meeting would not be called.
"Yan Wushuang, why have you suddenly called this major council, summoning so many of the clan's elders? Do you truly believe everyone is as idle as you? If you cannot provide a good explanation today, I'm afraid your qualification as a chieftain candidate will be reported to the Nine Mysteries Ancient Ancestor and stripped from you!"
At that moment, a scholarly-looking middle-aged man appeared at the Heavenly Palace's entrance. He seemed amiable, but a trace of gloom flickered deep within his eyes, marking him as no simple figure. He let out a cold laugh, opening with a direct threat.
Upon the Divine Throne, Yan Wushuang opened his eyes from feigned rest. He did not answer, instead sweeping his gaze over all the imperial clan elders present before speaking calmly, "The purpose of calling this major council is singular. I, Yan Wushuang, hereby propose that the chieftain election commence immediately!"
His words caused an uproar throughout the hall.
Even the arriving Yan Gushen was greatly shocked, never having anticipated this turn of events.
Commence the chieftain election immediately?
Had Yan Wushuang gone mad?
It was known that the election was not truly scheduled to begin for at least another ten years.
However, a look of pleasant surprise soon surfaced on Yan Gushen's face. Yan Wushuang's rush to start the election, giving the other elders no buffer time, would likely breed dissatisfaction among them, greatly benefiting his own bid for the chieftainship.
Sure enough, Yan Wushuang's proposal immediately drew criticism and blame from many elders in the hall.
Yan Gushen snorted coldly, "Yan Wushuang, who do you think you are? To start whenever you wish? You are not yet chieftain and already act like this. What would happen if you actually became chieftain?"
His words were echoed by many elders aligned with the Main Branch.
Even elders from the branch lineages frowned. The current situation was highly unfavorable for Yan Wushuang's chieftain candidacy.
Yan Wushuang watched the dissenters expressionlessly. "I know you all oppose this. But I'm afraid that's irrelevant. While I propose the immediate commencement of the chieftain election, it is merely a formality for all of you. What you need to do is immediately cast your vote for me, Yan Wushuang."
Hearing this, Yan Gushen sneered derisively. "Yan Wushuang, you must be mad with desire for the chieftainship. Asking everyone to vote for you? On what grounds?"
"On the grounds of me."
Without a sound, the space beside Yan Wushuang distorted, and a figure of peerless perfection stepped forth. His black hair cascaded like a waterfall, his every movement brimming with absolute aesthetic grace, yet his expression was utterly aloof.
The imperial clan elders in the hall were instantly startled. None of them had detected this person's arrival; he was undoubtedly a formidable figure.
Simultaneously, anger arose. Yan Wushuang had actually brought an outsider, even into such a crucial location. He truly deserved death ten thousand times over.
Immediately, an elder aligned with Yan Gushen roared in fury, "Yan Wushuang, how dare you! You actually brought an outsider into our Jiuyan Imperial Clan's sacred grounds! Your chieftain candidacy qualification shall be stripped immediately, and this person must die!"
Even the many elders standing with Yan Wushuang frowned. The Yan Wushuang of ordinary times was wise and discerning—how else could he have risen from a mere Crown Prince of a small kingdom to this point? But today, he seemed to have lost his senses, committing such a foolish act. They couldn't understand it, and it made them subconsciously wary.
Yan Gushen stepped forward, his powerful Divine King aura flooding the hall as he pressed down upon the perfect figure. He snorted coldly, "I care not who you are. By daring to appear within our imperial clan's sacred grounds today, your death is assured."
"Let me see who dares to touch a single hair on my Master!"
Yan Wushuang stood up, his heroic bearing erupting alongside divine might no less than Yan Gushen's.
Within his body, a vast and mighty Emperor's bloodline power surged and roiled, producing sounds like crashing tidal waves, deafening to the ear.
This Emperor's bloodline power could be considered second to none beneath that of an Imperial Son.
"Master?"
The crowd was astonished. They had never heard that Yan Wushuang had a master.
Now, thinking carefully, Yan Wushuang's step-by-step rise from Crown Prince of a small kingdom to his current position wielding great authority within the imperial clan was likely largely due to the machinations of this mysterious master.
Moreover, this person was extremely young, not much older than Yan Wushuang. Just who was he? That perfect aura—they had never heard of such a person, not on the Jiuyan Imperial Star, nor even in the greater universe.