50: Chapter 50 Supreme Ethnic Resolution

When Gu Yuan returned to the Ancient World, the spiritual mist on Ancient Saint Peak was being dyed a pale gold by the setting sun.

He did not return to his study, nor did he even change out of his travel-worn grey robes, instead directly ordering Gu Dao to ring the assembly bell of the Council of Elders.

The bell tolled a full twelve times, echoing over Ancient Saint Peak; this was the highest-level assembly summons of the Ancient Clan, requiring all elders within the clan, regardless of whether they were in seclusion or not, to arrive within one hour.

The last time it had tolled twelve times was a thousand years ago, after the fall of the Xiao Clan, when the Ancient Clan discussed whether to take in the surviving bloodline of the Xiao Family.

The long table in the Council of Elders was quickly filled with people.

Of the seventeen existing elders of the Ancient Clan, excluding one Supreme Elder in death seclusion and three deacon elders who had not yet returned, the remaining thirteen were all present.

Elder Gu Qian sat at the head of the left side, holding a cup of hot tea. The expression on his face could not be called schadenfreude, but it was certainly not grave—he had been overwhelmed just days ago by the Discipline Hall investigating his son, Gu Huan, for embezzlement, and hearing today that Gu Yuan had suffered a setback in the Soul Realm, he felt a subtle sense of balance in his heart.

Gu Dao sat at the head of the right side, his white hair tied meticulously, the long sword at his waist not unbuckled—wearing a sword while seated in the Council of Elders was against the rules, but today, no one reminded him of this.

Gu Yuan took his seat at the head of the table; without pleasantries or preamble, he began by recounting exactly what Hun Feng had said in the main hall.

The Great Thousand World, plane barriers, Source Qi, condensing Emperor Qi by merging the bloodlines of ten thousand races, breaking the barriers to draw Source Qi into the Fighting Qi Continent—he spoke every word slowly and clearly, as if he wanted to nail these words one by one into the green jade floor tiles of the Council of Elders.

After he finished recounting, he fell silent, leaving the elders in the hall sufficient time to digest the information.

The time taken to digest it was shorter than Gu Yuan had expected.

The first to speak was Elder Gu Qian. He set down his teacup, the bottom of the cup striking the table with a crisp sound. His tone was unhurried, yet every word carried a sting: "Clan Leader, I have lived for nearly two thousand years and have never seen anything about a Great Thousand World in any ancient text."

"Hun Feng says he found it in the Scripture Pavilion of the Hun Clan, in the handwritten notes of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor. Where are the notes?"

"He claims they weathered away, and he cannot even produce a single fragment—words like that can only fool the inexperienced younger generation."

"He fabricated this story with a simple goal: to get his hands on Xun'er."

"The betrothal agreement was torn up by us to his face, and he could not swallow that insult. Now that Xun'er is in his hands, he naturally must use a high-sounding excuse to force the Clan Leader to submit."

"Whatever Emperor's path, whatever Source Qi, it is all a smokescreen."

"Elder Gu Qian makes a valid point."

Another elder of the peace faction, sitting below Elder Gu Qian, took up the thread. This elder had white hair and beard and was second only to Elder Gu Qian in seniority within the Council of Elders: "I also believe that Hun Feng is deep-scheming and should not be easily trusted."

"In the Demon Flame Space, he set a trap that pitted the Medicine Clan, Yan Clan, Lei Clan, and Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan against each other. He set an ambush in the Corpse Burial Mountain Range to intercept and kill over thirty elites of the Sky Mansion Alliance, and in the Northern Region Corridor, he used a feigned retreat to lead the allied forces in circles—which of this man's methods was not meticulously designed?"

"Fabricating a story about the Great Thousand World is nothing more than a bit of extra talk for him."

Several elders of the peace faction nodded in agreement.

Seeing his opinion met with a response, Elder Gu Qian added: "Even if we take a step back and assume everything he said is true, what guarantee does he have that he can become an Emperor?"

"Xiao Xuan's talent was only greater than his, not weaker, and even gathering the power of the entire Xiao Clan, he still fell. How can he, Hun Feng, think he can condense the bloodlines of ten thousand races alone? Where does he get the confidence?"

"If he fails, wouldn't Xun'er be thrown away for nothing?"

"The Ancient Clan cannot gamble its treasure on an illusory promise."

Just as he finished speaking, someone from the war faction opposite stood up.

To Gu Yuan's surprise, the first to refute Elder Gu Qian was not Gu Dao, but Elder Gu Jun, a senior elder who had been in seclusion for years and rarely spoke in the Council of Elders.

Elder Gu Jun was the guardian of the Ancient Clan's Scripture Pavilion; his cultivation was only Four-Star Dou Sheng, but in terms of erudition, no one in the entire Ancient Clan could surpass him.

"Elder Gu Qian says he has never seen records of the Great Thousand World in any ancient texts, and that is true."

"But I have guarded the Scripture Pavilion for eight hundred years and have seen several vague fragments. One of them mentioned that the Dou Sheng of the ancient era, after becoming an Emperor, sensed a higher-level power far exceeding the origin of Emperor Qi. However, that record was too incomplete to piece together a full meaning."

"Now that Hun Feng says it is the Source Qi of the Great Thousand World, it does indeed coincide somewhat with the content of that fragment."

"Additionally—" Elder Gu Jun paused, his gaze sweeping over all the elders present, "Regarding the condensation of Emperor Qi from the bloodlines of ten thousand races, I have also seen similar records in a scroll of ancient pill-refining notes. The gist is that the reason Emperor-grade medicinal pills of the ancient era could trigger an Emperor Tribulation was precisely because they condensed the origin power of various natural treasures."

"If even an Emperor-grade medicinal pill requires the collection of multiple origins, how much more so for a true Dou Sheng?"

"Therefore, I believe that while Hun Feng may be suspected of deception, his words are not without basis."

Elder Gu Qian's expression changed slightly.

Elder Gu Jun never participated in factional disputes in the Council of Elders; his stance was always based solely on the records in the Scripture Pavilion, so his words carried great weight in the Council.

Sure enough, after Elder Gu Jun's words, the few elders who had been echoing Elder Gu Qian fell silent.

Gu Dao finally spoke.

His voice remained that hard, sharp tone, but the content of his words surprised Elder Gu Qian: "Clan Leader, I will speak a fair word."

"I have seen Hun Feng with my own eyes twice—once in the Demon Flame Space, and once in the Ancient Emperor Hall."

"In the Demon Flame Space, with the cultivation of a Three-Star Dou Sheng peak, he single-handedly made all forces look foolish, and even the Purification Lotus Demon Flame was subdued by him."

"In the Ancient Emperor Hall, even after being publicly spurned in marriage, he was able to retreat unscathed without changing his expression."

"This youth's methods are indeed ruthless, but looking at the younger generation of the continent, one truly cannot find a second person with his talent and temperament."

"Xun'er has a God-Grade Bloodline, and he also has a God-Grade Bloodline."

"Xun'er entered the Four-Star Dou Sheng at thirty, a rare gem among the younger generation of the continent, yet he is even younger than Xun'er, only twenty-eight, and is already a Six-Star Dou Sheng peak—in terms of cultivation speed, he is only faster than Xun'er, not slower."

"In terms of resource background, the Hun Clan does not lose to the Ancient Clan."

"In terms of temperament, he is far more composed than his peers."

"Marrying Xun'er to him, from the perspective of a well-matched family, is not a disgrace."

"To say something unpleasant, looking across the entire Fighting Qi Continent, the only young men who could be a match for Xun'er, besides Xiao Yan, are him and Hun Feng."

"And Xiao Yan is currently only a Two-Star Dou Sheng; what does he have to compare with a Six-Star peak?"

"Gu Dao! You—" Elder Gu Qian stared at Gu Dao in disbelief; this rival he had fought for hundreds of years was actually speaking up for Hun Feng.

"I am just speaking about the matter as it stands."

Gu Dao swept a cold glance at Elder Gu Qian, "Back when the marriage was called off, you, Elder Gu Qian, were the first to agree, saying you didn't want Xun'er to marry into the Hun Clan and suffer grievances."

"Now that Xun'er is in the Soul Realm and cannot return, the condition Hun Feng has set is to renew the marriage—if you can come up with a better way to bring Xun'er back, I will support you right now."

"Can you?"

Elder Gu Qian opened his mouth, but ultimately sat back down with a livid face.

Gu Qingyang stood behind Gu Dao. Seeing Elder Gu Qian thwarted, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He then stepped forward half a step and cupped his fists to the elders present: "Elders, I have faced Hun Feng in direct combat in the Demon Flame Space, and I was also designedly besieged by him in the Northern Region Corridor."

"In terms of personal grievances, I have more reason than anyone here to oppose this marriage."

"But I must say a fair word—Hun Feng is indeed terrifying, but his terror lies precisely in the fact that he never takes meaningless risks."

"Every step he takes has a clear purpose, and every layout is interlocked."

"If he were not certain of becoming an Emperor, he would not speak with such assurance."

"Since he dared to say those words in front of the Clan Leader, Hun Tiandi, and Void Swallowing Flame, it at least shows that he himself is convinced."

"This conviction, combined with his strength as a twenty-eight-year-old Six-Star peak, is in itself the greatest persuasion."

Gu Qingyang's words caused several of the elders who had been wavering to fall into deep thought.

They all remembered that the last time, before the celebration banquet of the three-clan alliance had even been cleared, Gu Dao had returned from the ruins of the Ling Clan having smashed two tables, while Hun Feng's framing strategy had left not a single trace for them to find.

Such a person truly does not fight battles without preparation.

Furthermore, a twenty-eight-year-old Six-Star Dou Sheng peak, with a God-Grade Bloodline, who had subdued the third-ranked Purification Lotus Demon Flame—this strength alone, even without those grand theories, made him worthy of being a son-in-law of the Ancient Clan.

Gu Yuan looked around, taking in the expression of every elder, and then spoke slowly: "Since you all have differing opinions, we shall follow the old rules."

The "old rules" of the Ancient Clan's Council of Elders were simple: a show of hands.

Those who agree to marry Xun'er to Hun Feng and support him in his push for the Emperor Realm, raise your hands.

Those who oppose, do not raise your hands.

Those who abstain, raise your hand halfway.

Gu Yuan himself had no voting right—the Clan Leader only possessed the final decision-making power in the event of a tie; this was the iron law of the Ancient Clan for a thousand years.

Gu Dao was the first to raise his hand, his rough palm looking like a bronze shield under the candlelight.

Elder Gu Jun fell silent for a moment, then also raised his hand.

Gu Qingyang followed closely behind.

Then the third, fourth, and fifth.

Almost all the elders of the war faction raised their hands, and several of the originally neutral elders also slowly raised their arms under the influence of Elder Gu Jun.

The last to raise their hands were two young elders of the peace faction. They did not dare to look at Elder Gu Qian's livid face, merely lowering their heads and raising their arms halfway—they knew in their hearts that the Ancient Clan's vitality had not yet recovered, and continuing to clash head-on with the Hun Clan was by no means a wise move; this marriage, from any angle, had more benefits than drawbacks.

Elder Gu Qian did not raise his hand.

He remained silent for a long time, eventually pressing his hand on the table without raising it—not opposing, but abstaining.

He knew the tide had turned.

His son, Gu Huan, had just been thoroughly investigated by the Discipline Hall, and his influence in the Council of Elders was no longer what it used to be.

The few peace faction elders sitting below him saw him abstain, and after exchanging glances, they followed suit. Only one most stubborn old elder did not raise his hand from beginning to end.

Thirteen elders: nine votes in favor, three abstentions, one vote against.

Gu Yuan looked at this result and remained silent for quite a while.

He remembered when Xun'er was a child, sitting on his lap and asking him, "Daddy, can I marry someone I like in the future?"—at that time, he had smiled and patted her head, saying she could marry whoever she liked.

Now that she had grown up, he had personally turned her marriage into a clan-wide vote in the Council of Elders.

The promise he had made to her, he ultimately failed to keep.

From the year she was fifteen and snuck off to the Jia Ma Empire to see Xiao Yan, he had known that this daughter had someone in her heart.

He had tacitly consented, because Xiao Yan was indeed worthy.

But now the situation had reversed; the survival of the Ancient Clan and his daughter's lifelong happiness were placed on the same scale, and as the Clan Leader, he had no right to gamble the fate of the entire clan on her feelings alone.

He was the Clan Leader of the Ancient Clan, not just Xun'er's father.

"The voting result is out; no need for reconsideration."

Gu Yuan's voice was very calm, like the surface of water deep in an ancient well without a ripple, but everyone present heard the weight beneath that calm: "Effective immediately, the Ancient Clan formally renews the marriage contract with the Hun Clan, and Xun'er is betrothed to Hun Feng."

"The Ancient Clan will fully support Hun Feng in his push for the Dou Sheng Emperor Realm, including but not limited to providing all texts related to the Emperor Realm in the Ancient Clan's Scripture Pavilion, opening the Ancient Clan's Secret Realm for Hun Feng's cultivation, and mobilizing the Ancient Clan's hidden lines to assist in searching for the whereabouts of Heavenly Flames."

"Additionally, I, as Clan Leader, will personally discuss with Hun Tiandi; if what Hun Feng says is true and there is indeed a possibility of ascending to the Emperor Realm, the Ancient Clan is willing to formally ally with the Hun Clan at an appropriate time, and the two families will advance and retreat together from now on."

Gu Dao was the first to rise and bow to Gu Yuan, and the other elders also stood up one after another to cup their fists and accept the order.

Elder Gu Qian was the last to stand up, his mouth pressed into a straight line. When he cupped his fists, he did not even bend his waist, and he turned and walked out of the Council of Elders first.

After the elders had scattered one by one, Gu Dao remained.

He walked to Gu Yuan and remained silent for a moment, then took out a yellowed jade slip from his robes and placed it on the table.

"What is this?" Gu Yuan looked at the jade slip.

"It was left to me by Xiao Xuan back then."

Gu Dao's voice was uncharacteristically low, "He said that if one day the Ancient Clan faced a crossroads where a choice could not be made, I should give this jade slip to you."

"There is only one sentence inside."

Gu Yuan picked up the jade slip and probed it with his soul power.

A yellowed light screen unfolded silently before him, with only a very short line of text, the brushwork as sharp as a knife: "Trust the person who should be trusted, gamble on the game that should be gambled."

"Losing is not shameful; not daring to gamble is what is shameful."

Gu Yuan looked at this line of text for a long time.

This was the last sentence Xiao Xuan had left him a thousand years ago.

At that time, Xiao Xuan had not yet attempted to reach the Emperor Realm, the Xiao Clan had not yet fallen, and none of this had happened.

When Xiao Xuan said this, he was probably talking about himself.

And now, this sentence seemed to have been written for today in advance.

He slowly closed the jade slip and waved his hand at Gu Dao, signaling him to withdraw.

Gu Dao stopped suddenly when he reached the door. Without turning back, he said in a deep voice: "Clan Leader, when I said Hun Feng is worthy of Xun'er, I was sincere."

"A twenty-eight-year-old Six-Star peak, God-Grade Bloodline, Purification Lotus Demon Flame—Xiao Xuan was no more than this at his age."

Gu Yuan did not answer.

He sat alone in the empty Council of Elders, watching the spiritual mist churning on Ancient Saint Peak outside the window, his grey robes motionless in the night wind.

The mountain wind poured in from outside the hall, blowing the candlelight on the long table down by three parts, stretching his shadow long on the green jade floor tiles.