395: Chapter 395 Elite Gathering, Unbridled Domineering Declaration

The night wind swept through the tall flagpoles of the Martial Arts Arena, making the Chen Family battle flags snap and flutter.

The silver dragon woven from psionic threads on the flags shimmered with a cold light under the moon, as if ready to soar into the sky at any moment.

The entire Martial Arts Arena was illuminated by six giant spiritual lamps, their light reflecting off the obsidian floor tiles to reveal rows of shadows—

These were the Chen Family's most elite one hundred and thirty-seven warriors, clad in modular psionic armor with the Family crest engraved on their pauldrons and silent magnetic boots on their feet, lined up in perfect, silent formation.

They stood straight, like rows of blades plunged into the earth.

No one spoke, and no one moved. Even their breathing was suppressed to the minimum.

Just moments ago, a secret order had been sent down from the Main Peak: "All Level One combat-ready personnel, assemble at the Martial Arts Arena immediately. Do not delay."

The order came suddenly, but no one questioned why. Over the years, which of the Family Head Chen Wuwang's actions hadn't initially baffled people, only to leave everyone blindsided in the end?

Some had noticed the patrol mechs of the West Gate Lamp Array changing their routes half an hour ago; others had sensed the communication frequency of the South Ridge Outpost shifting three times.

But those details were no longer important.

What mattered was—the Family Head had arrived.

When the sound of footsteps rang out, everyone raised their heads.

Chen Wuwang stepped out from the side door of the high platform, his long silver-white hair tied in a high ponytail that swayed slightly with his stride.

The Mechanical Prosthetic Eye in his left socket glinted with a faint blue light under the lamps, like a dormant data crystal core.

He wasn't wearing battle armor, only a form-fitting black nano-spirit-silk suit with translucent armor plates over it. The dagger at his waist was unsheathed, but his right hand rested habitually on the hilt.

He climbed the platform step by step; his footsteps weren't heavy, yet they seemed to land perfectly on the rhythm of everyone's heartbeat.

After coming to a halt, he didn't speak immediately but slowly scanned the entire field.

Wherever his gaze landed, the warriors subconsciously straightened their backs. Some had their Adam's apples bob, while others' fingers tightened slightly.

“Do you know why I called you here?” he finally spoke, his voice not loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

No one below answered.

“I don't know,” a burly man in the front row whispered. He was a garrison captain transferred from the Beigu Lei Family, named Lei Meng.

Chen Wuwang nodded. “Good. Tell the truth.”

He paused, his tone suddenly turning somber. “Because some people think our Chen Family has had it too easy these past few years. So easy that they've forgotten what blood is, and what death is.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the air seemed to freeze.

“Three days ago, during the Nascent Soul celebration, while fireworks were still exploding in the sky, someone was sticking needles into our Spiritual Veins.”

He raised his hand and traced an arc in the air. A holographic projection instantly unfolded—it was a map of the Spiritual Vein network three hundred feet beneath the Eastern Wasteland, with twelve red dots blinking.

“Tiny backflows, precise destruction. Not an external enemy, but a mole,” he sneered. “They thought I wouldn't notice? Ridiculous.”

Below the platform, some gnashed their teeth, while others clenched their fists.

“I know who is stirring the pot.” Chen Wuwang's voice dropped a few notches, turning even colder.

“The West Desert Sand Clan, Liuye Village, the Nanqiu He Clan... I won't name names, but those with guilty consciences know who they are.

They were promised benefits, told that if they acted, they could seize our Spiritual Pivot Source Eye and become the masters.”

He suddenly raised his volume: “But they forgot—this land of the Eastern Wasteland was dug out by me inch by inch! This sky of the Chen Family was lit by me with my own life! Anyone who wants to strike under the cover of darkness must first ask my blade if it agrees!”

When his voice fell, there was dead silence.

A second later, he abruptly raised his hand, his voice booming like a bell: “I gathered you today not to defend! Not to hide! I am here to tell everyone—the Chen Family does not fear trouble! And we certainly do not fear traitors!”

He took a step forward to the edge of the platform, looking down at the crowd. “In this battle, we won't just suppress the rebellion. We will let the entire Eastern Wasteland, the entire All Heavens and Myriad Realms, see with their own eyes—what the true strength of the Chen Family looks like!”

“What we want is not just victory,” he said, emphasizing each word. “It is deterrence! We want anyone who dares to harbor ill intentions in the future to tremble three times whenever they think of tonight!”

Finally, someone in the crowd could no longer contain themselves.

“Family Head!” a young warrior roared. “I am willing to go through fire and water for the Family!”

“I am willing too!”

“Count me in!”

“Kill those damn traitors!”

The voices were scattered at first, but they quickly merged into a single roar.

“Willing to go through fire and water for the Family Head!”

“Willing to fight to the death for the Family!”

“As long as the Chen Family exists, we exist!”

The roar was like a tide, making the flagpoles hum and even the glazed tiles of the distant Main Peak tremble.

Standing on high, the corners of Chen Wuwang's mouth slowly curled up.

He didn't laugh out loud, but his eyes had changed—they held a sharp, almost crazed edge, like a hunter who had finally seen his prey step into the trap.

“Good!” he shouted, suppressing the noise. “Since you all understand, I'll leave you with this—whoever comes back alive will be credited with a third-class merit, and their Family will have priority use of the Cultivation Simulation Pods! If you... don't come back—”

He paused, his voice turning deep. “The Chen Family will support your Family for three generations. Your descendants will be exempt from service, your names will be carved into the genealogy, and you will enjoy eternal offerings!”

The entire field fell solemn.

This wasn't a simple reward; this was the Chen Family's highest promise.

“Now, hear my command!” He suddenly drew the dagger from his waist and plunged it into the ground.

Hum—

A ripple of psionic energy spread out, instantly activating the rune array at the base of the Martial Arts Arena.

Complex light paths lit up on the ground, connecting the positions of every squad to form a combat deployment map.

“First Squad, garrison the logistics hub and take over energy dispatching!”

“Second Squad, take over the training grounds' anti-air towers and activate Level Three alert!”

“Third Squad, infiltrate the underground passages and monitor the Spiritual Vein flow!”

“All other units, stand by and maintain Level One combat readiness! No one is to leave without permission, and no external communications are allowed. All actions await my command!”

The orders were issued one by one, crisp and efficient, without a single wasted word.

The warriors responded quickly, turning in formation with synchronized footsteps. The clashing of their armor sounded like the beating of war drums.

Just then, a messenger ran up the platform and reported in a low voice, “Family Head, abnormal heat source fluctuations have been detected from the direction of the West Desert Sand Clan. It looks like troops are gathering.”

Chen Wuwang didn't even blink. “Understood. Keep watching them, but don't alert them.”

The messenger withdrew.

He stood alone on the platform, watching the elite troops below moving into position. His Mechanical Prosthetic Eye constantly refreshed with streams of data. He knew that those hiding in the shadows must be watching this place right now.

Watching the Chen Family's reaction.

Watching to see if he would panic.

But not only was he not panicking, he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

“Want to rebel?” he whispered to himself, his fingers unconsciously tapping the edge of the platform three times—three short, one long, exactly as he used to do when writing code years ago.

“Fine then.” His mouth split into a grin, revealing a trace of a near-manic smile. “Then come. I'd like to see who gave you the guts to touch the foundation of my Chen Family.”

He looked up at the night sky.

The moon was half-covered by clouds, the remaining half coldly illuminating the land.

On the Martial Arts Arena, all one hundred and thirty-seven elites were in position, their armor stern and their Killing Intent faintly visible.

No one spoke anymore.

But their eyes said everything—at a single word from the Family Head, they would trample any existence that dared to provoke them.

Chen Wuwang slowly raised his hand, fingers spread wide, and then suddenly clenched it into a fist.

“Just wait,” he said softly. “Before dawn, it will be time to pull in the net on this play.”