dmims 902. Resumption of Seclusion
902. Resumption of Seclusion
After stopping Xiao Yan and his companion, Gu Lie returned to the Gu Clan and to the clan leader's private residence.
"That girl...did she leave in the end?" The voice belonged to Gu Yuan, the patriarch of the ancient clan.
Gu Lie bowed slightly: "Yes, clan leader. Xun'er's mind is made up. I observed that although the power of her bloodline has declined, it has been brought under control, so I let them leave."
After listening, Gu Yuan let out a long sigh, as if he had unloaded a burden: "Bringing her back from Xiao Yan's side back then may not have been a good thing for her. Forced love is never sweet. Oh well... let her be."
At this moment, even as the patriarch of the ancient clan, Gu Yuan's heart was filled with more feelings for Xun'er's father.
A silence fell between the two. After a long pause, Gu Lie finally spoke up, asking, "Clan Chief, I don't mean to question your decision, but are we really going to join forces with the Soul Clan now...? This is hardly a foolproof plan!"
"In this Central Continent, there are no foolproof plans anymore. The moment the Soul Clan makes a move, chaos ensues. After the Soul Clan launches its thunderous offensive, we only have two choices: either we take the lead and unite with the other families to ultimately resist the Soul Clan; or, like now, we ride the Soul Clan's momentum and collect all the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade as quickly as possible! Only by gathering all the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade can we truly obtain the secret left behind by the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor!"
Gu Lie nodded, agreeing with Gu Yuan's assessment: "I understand the clan leader's foresight. However, the Soul Clan's audacity in attacking the Flame Clan suggests their ambitions are immense. To ally with such people is like seeking a tiger's skin. Even if our clan is weaker than the Soul Clan, as long as we unite with the remaining Dou Di descendant families, we can absolutely defeat the Soul Clan!"
"I understand everything you're saying. What you don't understand is that I don't want things to stabilize. On the contrary, I hope the situation becomes more chaotic!" A rare look of determination appeared in Gu Yuan's eyes.
Gu Lie was somewhat surprised upon hearing this: "Clan leader, what do you mean?"
"This trip to the Heavenly Tomb was fraught with danger; both the Soul Emperor and I were outmaneuvered by Xiao Xuan. However, we did gain something in the end. Just as I guessed, advancing to the Dou Di realm now requires a fortuitous opportunity, and the only opportunity we might have left on the entire continent is the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade. This might be our only chance to advance to Dou Di!"
"By cooperating with the Soul Clan, we can gather all the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade pieces as quickly as possible. If we can get the Soul Clan to lead the charge, our chances of obtaining the opportunity are quite high! Conversely, even if we unite with all the other families, they won't be willing to hand over the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade they possess, and they might even become more wary of us because of the Yan Clan incident. Therefore, the best outcome of joining forces with them is simply to annihilate the Soul Clan, without touching the opportunity to become a Dou Di!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Lie's mind suddenly cleared: "In that case, we need to be even more wary of the Soul Clan as an ally in our future cooperation. We only have a common goal for now; sooner or later, we'll still have to clash with each other!"
"It's not just about being wary. The Soul Clan dared to take the initiative against the Flame Clan, so they must have some intelligence or trump cards that we don't know about. For the time being, we can only let them be the leader of our alliance. But in the future, maintaining a balance will be the most important thing for us."
But at this point, Gu Yuan's tone changed, becoming resolute: "However, one thing is certain: this opportunity to become a Dou Di must fall into our hands! For this reason alone, everything else can be compromised!"
"Whether it's Xiao Xuan or the Soul Emperor, everyone is vying to become an emperor. If we're going to do it, we'll be the ultimate winners!"
Having understood Gu Yuan's meaning and knowing his clan patriarch's ultimate ambition, Gu Lie's doubts completely vanished. What remained was immense excitement; the very act of seeking the opportunity to become a Dou Di was enough to excite anyone.
"So what should we do next?"
Judging from the current situation, to collect all eight pieces of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade, it is necessary to target the other Dou Di families. According to him, acting sooner rather than later would certainly be more advantageous.
"Don't rush things now. For the next few years, you will be in charge of all the affairs of the Ancient Clan, both internal and external. My soul power was severely damaged during this trip to the Heavenly Tomb. In addition, I fought a great battle with the Soul Emperor during the last war against the Flame Clan. There are hidden dangers both inside and outside. If I don't recover properly, even bigger problems will arise," Gu Yuan instructed.
"What about the Soul Clan?"
"The Soul Clan?" Gu Yuan sneered. "During the great battle with the Flame Clan, neither the Soul Emperor nor I held back. His condition is definitely not much better than mine. After entering the Heavenly Tomb, both of our soul powers were damaged. We know each other well, so his recovery speed won't be much faster than mine."
"Without him, the others in the Soul Clan might not have the courage to make any big moves. Even if they do, you can make your judgment and cooperate accordingly. I believe you can handle these things. That guy always puts his own safety first and would never continue to make moves while still injured. Once he has recovered, I will be fine too."
At this crucial moment, with the ancient clan in charge, Gu Lie felt considerable pressure.
However, as the second-in-command of the Ancient Clan, he understood even better that Gu Yuan, a peak expert, was the most crucial pillar of the Ancient Clan. Without Gu Yuan's leadership, the Ancient Clan wouldn't be much stronger than the Thunder Clan. Therefore, he had to stabilize the current situation. Fortunately, there wasn't much he actually needed to do. It was mostly about managing the overall future; Gu Yuan would return in a few years.
"Chieftain, please rest assured. I will do my utmost to stabilize the situation within the clan. As for the Soul Clan, I will keep a close eye on them. You can focus on recovering your strength!"
……
"Void, my injuries require a period of rest and recuperation. During this time, the entire Soul Clan is entrusted to you." Around the same time, similar entrustments were being made within the Soul Clan. However, the atmosphere here was much colder and more desolate than that of the ancient clans.
Of course, the instructions were also very simple. As if he wasn't worried about the Void Devouring Flame at all, he gave no other instructions to the Soul Clan besides this one sentence.