4 clan grounds
[alright I apologize about the previous 2 days, the webnovel site wouldn't open yesterday after i finished the chapter. I dont like this chapters quality but I quite frankly don't have it in me to re-do it right now so see yall on Thursday or Friday. Have a good day]
The celebratory atmosphere was disrupted by a large surge of energy emanating from a specific point in the array. Haru, with his now waist-length vibrant red hair, wore an excited expression as he anticipated the outcome of this event. The surge of energy attracted everyone's attention, and after it passed, the bright light that covered the figure disappeared, revealing a very muscular old man with a well-trimmed white beard and hair, both adorned with strands of red here and there. The old man, with an impressive build, opened his eyes, revealing dark red irises. A grin appeared on his face as he felt his once frail, dying body revived. The entire clan stared at him in astonishment. Wasn't this the previous clan head, who was near death? He looked like a wild beast, an old warrior who had been through countless battles and barely survived to his current age, with his physique still at its peak.
hahaha, one of the gifts of the inheritance is the mark of a protector. One member of the clan could be named its main elder thus gaining the strength of a Golden core level cultivator with the downside of losing any talent to further cultivate beyond what is currently possible for the lower thousand world. This would mean that Rioto would be the most powerful clan member at the moment however once the clan ascended, he would be forced to watch on as the rest of the clan continued to improve while he stagnated. That would be a horrible fate and I'm impressed my father was willing to bear it for the clan. Good for him, cultivation isn't the only way foward from here. He could choose to become a demon cultivator, a beast tamer or just like the clan's main enemy, The Zuzhou clan, focus on poison making among other things. Of course there is another way...seals according to the inheritance are basically reality manipulation of the lowest form using paint or hand seals so this curse could probably be broken eventually
"Old man! How are you feeling?" I shouted as I walked down from the platform. The old man walked towards me and suddenly, out of nowhere, embraced me. "Thank you..." Uhh, the old man let me go and smiled at me. By now, everybody in the room was staring at me. Noticing this, I broke out of my daze. Cough Okay, uhhm, from today on, all of you are members of the Uzumaki clan's main family, I said, addressing the clan members before turning to the guards and their families. You are all now members of the Uzumaki clan's branch family. This is my first order as the clan leader of the Uzumaki clan, understood? The clan members bowed and shouted in unison, "Yes, clan leader!" Smiling, I spoke. "Alright then, you may go inspect the clan's grounds. Find the vault and the library. The guard captain will pick four of the currently best guards we have, and they will be stationed there. Those are currently the most important rooms in the clan's grounds. Don't touch any plants in the gardens or eat any fruit in the newly appeared spirit trees. Have fun." After my instruction, everybody left except for the elders and the two teenagers of the clan.
Looking around, I observed the changes in the people standing around me. Mei, my favorite elder and a caring woman who had reached the core nurturing realm, was previously starting to age. Now, she looked like a 29-year-old beautiful woman with a kindly expression on her face. The inheritance changed features based on desire, except for hair color, so she looked the same but proportionately more voluptuous and gorgeous, reminiscent of an angel. Shun looked burly, like a guardian. He is a stickler for traditions and clan rules and has, on various occasions, tried to personally face the other clans that had plotted against them. The final elder, Yu, the most knowledgeable clan member, is the one with the least changes. Staying the same other than more vibrant red hair like everyone else and paler skin.
The adults were much the same. Lian, who controls the clan's assets and businesses, Wei-lian's husband, and the caretaker of the clan's children, mostly teaching them, Jang, the clan's ritualist who manages karma and dharma, and finally, Xin Uzumaki, all showed the same transformations, including the teens and my best friends Jing and Huan. "Let's go with the kids on the tour before holding the clan meeting," I spoke with a wide smile. They were all excited and bewildered at the events of tonight and were eager to discuss the future plans of the clan after this. It was visible in their faces except for Jang; he was staring into empty space with a dazed look on his face as if he had found the greatest treasure in existence.
The clan started moving along the refurbished surroundings, and astonished expressions appeared on their faces. The clan's previous layout had been the main mansion atop a hill, with plains beneath where the clan residence was located, and around them, the guards' residence. The clan's layout now was completely unrecognizable from what it was before. The halls they walked past were decorated with red seal symbols, the Uzumaki clan's crest visible everywhere, showcasing a certain level of pride in itself as a bloodline. The halls were pristine and glowing with exquisite lamps on various parts. As the clan and guards toured the place further, the vault was found. With a peek, rows upon rows of shelves were visible in an expansive room, upon which various books, weapons, and scrolls were barely visible. However, before the curious children could enter, they were blocked by the two guards who were already stationed in front of it.
The children begrudgingly left the scene and continued on, with Haru deciding to take the lead. "That's the clan's vault. It is protected by many hidden seals so that anyone without the Uzumaki bloodline at our level of purity and those without permission from myself or Lian would be immediately bombarded with explosion tag explosions, adamantine sealing chains, energy-blocking seals, and many more. You will all be allowed in if you perform great feats for the clan from now on." "That should be easy," commented Huan beside me while observing the muscles on his body appreciatively. "Haha, yes, the inheritance has made you all much stronger, and your martial potential has reached the highest possible in this world. But remember, talent is nothing without strength...we can all die tomorrow at any time, and all of this would have been for nothing."
Huan merely smiled at me in response, his confidence unshaken; he was always the most prideful. The discussion continued as we looked over room after room: bedrooms, large kitchens, a cafeteria, empty halls, seclusion-oriented cultivation rooms, various alchemy chambers, molding and blacksmith's rooms, and many more were explored in depth. Many were sealed off to be later uncovered, and finally, the clan went out of two large doors from the side of the clan head's bedroom. They led to a semi-oval balcony, and the scenery outside was breathtaking. First, they saw the lush grasslands filled with spirit trees holding rare fruits, gardens with herbs that practically held enough spiritual energy to make a cultivator drunk on it. Rabbit-like and various other docile spirit beasts were visible all over the surroundings.
Gasps and shouts of awe sounded among the group, and many ran towards the edge of the balcony to see clearer. They followed the sound of running water and turned their heads, finding various waterfalls running through gaps on the hilly region's rock faces, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the environment. However, as they marveled at the beauty of their previously dull clan grounds, the elders frowned and looked towards the edge of the translucent barrier surrounding the clan's grounds. At the gates of the clan, which were majestic and golden with the swirling pattern representing the Uzumaki crest, there was bustling commotion. Others swiftly noticed while the elders focused their gaze on the giant eye in the sky. Immediately, everyone said the words "Heavenly Dao," whether elders, adults, or 4-year-old children. The lesson from the inheritance had instilled a lot of information on them, including about this being.
"What's going on?" asked Rioto to Huan in a low voice. The rest also wanted to know the answer to this question, and they all looked at Huan for answers. The Uzumaki inheritance had clearly enhanced their loyalty to him, as it was impossible for them to normally look to him for answers. He had just recently become the clan leader, after all, and no one had asked where he got the inheritance from, which Huan also found weird but accepted tactfully. "The inheritance ceremony has resulted in a Dao phenomenon, so the entire town is naturally curious. We can just ignore them for now," Huan spoke and started walking back inside. The rest followed as he spoke again. "The children should get a caretaker and then go to their rooms to see if their belongings are still intact, while all older members should go to the meeting grounds. If the Lingdhou clan acts, we won't have time to discuss the situation any longer."
Everyone was now seated in the clan's newly enhanced meeting hall. "I can't believe we were in this same exact room a few hours ago, and now," Mei continued while gesturing around, "it's all so different." Her words made everyone chuckle before Huan got down to business.
"Okay, I'd like to make my plans for the clan known right now before we deal with any outside forces." The others nodded at his words with light smiles on their faces. "I plan for us to leave this town as soon as possible, preferably in a couple of months. We will sell explosion tags and paper seals in the meanwhile while cultivating together to raise our strength and wealth before we will leave this town."
"To where exactly?" questioned Jing, to which Huan continued, "The vassal games will take place in 6 months among 4 major factions, the prize is a chance to enter a secret realm. Normally clans like ours would only join to show our potential to kingdoms or sects who would take us in."
However, now we have a chance to win. Moreover, if we showcase our array mastery and seal knowledge, the four factions would clamor to have us either join their empires or sects. We would have the power to then choose benefits that are best for us, allowing the clan to gain a lot of freedom. Is anyone opposed? No one voiced a complaint, so Haru was about to continue when he heard the gate bells ring, and a few seconds later, someone came into the meeting hall with a nervous expression on her face. She was a maid of the clan, and her old wrinkled face looked a lot younger along with the change in her hair color.
"Clan head, the leading clan of the town has asked for permission to enter; the Lindhou clan is here." At those words, Haru got up. "It's time to face the music. Invite them in." The maid bowed and ran out.
