The First Elder, a Contra-level powerhouse, had been defeated by Wang Yan in just a few moves. This meant Wang Yan's strength was among the top even within the Contra realm.
However, Wang Chen quickly thought it over and realized Wang Yan having such power was only natural. Otherwise, how would he dare attempt to assassinate Xu Tianran?
Xu Tianran, as the Crown Prince, was surrounded by formidable guards. His own strength was also extremely powerful—his martial soul, the Purple Radiant Extinguishing Dragon, was one of the highest-ranking ones. His cultivation level was estimated to be at least over seventy.
His combat ability absolutely rivaled that of a Contra. Moreover, as the Crown Prince, he surely carried numerous life-saving soul tools. To assassinate Xu Tianran without outstanding strength was nothing more than a fantasy.
After learning of Wang Yan's strength, Wang Chen was somewhat shocked. Yet, after three years of growth and experience within the Pingfan Alliance, he had confidence in his own power.
He was confident that he could seize the position of Patriarch from Wang Yan and win the loyalty of the several hundred members of the Wang Clan.
The Wang Clan's population was large. Counting men, women, and children, there were over three hundred people. Apart from the younger generation, most members had reached the level of Soul Elder (Rank 30) or higher.
Especially the direct descendants of the main family—most were born with innate soul power above rank five. Following steady cultivation, by age forty, they typically reached the level of Soul King or Soul Emperor. Only Soul Sages were relatively few.
Becoming the Patriarch of the Wang Clan, with so many high-quality clansmen pledging loyalty,
Wang Chen believed there was a high chance that the third function of the Black Book would be unlocked.
Without the status of Clan Patriarch, it would be impossible to gain the loyalty of hundreds of capable soul masters.
As for creating a new group of several hundred soul masters or soul engineers from scratch—that would be unimaginably difficult.
Soul masters and soul engineers almost always had their own backgrounds. Even if you paid them well and supplied resources, that didn't guarantee their loyalty.
In times of crisis, they might flee without hesitation—unlike the Wang Clan, bound by blood ties.
Furthermore, the Wang Clan's assets were considerable. Once he became Patriarch, he could easily manage daily needs without wasting time and effort on trivial matters.
As for when to take the position from Wang Yan, Wang Chen planned to act after resolving the clan's current crisis. For now, maintaining stability was the top priority.
While Wang Chen was deep in thought, Elder Wang Yuan studied him. The boy's tall, upright figure had already surpassed 1.8 meters, and his features had matured from youthful softness into sharp definition—he now looked entirely like a grown man.
For a moment, Wang Yuan couldn't help but sigh. Time flew so fast—three years had passed in a blink. The boy he once knew had grown up. He wondered how much Wang Chen's cultivation had advanced.
Curious, Wang Yuan probed with his spiritual power—only to find that he couldn't sense Wang Chen's depth at all. Wang Chen seemed like a mass of mist: unseen, untouchable.
This discovery startled Wang Yuan greatly.
He was a Soul Sage. For him to be unable to see through someone's cultivation—what level had this boy reached?
Or perhaps Wang Chen was wearing a special soul tool that blocked detection?
Between the two possibilities, Wang Yuan preferred to believe the latter. Otherwise, it was simply too incredible.
At that moment, Wang Yuan's curiosity about Wang Chen's current strength grew even stronger.
Over the past two years, Wang Chen had trained diligently—always cultivating, rarely displaying his abilities within the clan.
And for the last year, he had barely stayed at home at all, busy with unknown matters.
Thus, Wang Yuan truly had no clear idea of Wang Chen's actual cultivation.
Wang Chen's spiritual power, comparable to that of a Contra, was extremely keen. The instant Wang Yuan tried to probe him, he immediately sensed it.
As for someone trying to gauge his strength—if even Contra-level experts couldn't manage it, then certainly a Soul Sage couldn't either.
Ending his thoughts, Wang Chen smiled at Elder Wang Yuan. Internally, he mused, It seems Elder Wang Yuan harbors dissatisfaction toward the Patriarch. Otherwise, he wouldn't have revealed the details of last night's clan meeting.
Looks like Wang Yan's prestige truly fell to rock bottom once Xu Tianran became Crown Prince…
Looking at Wang Chen, Wang Yuan curiously asked, "Chen'er, are you wearing a soul tool that blocks detection?"
Wang Yuan had always cared deeply for Wang Chen, believing him to be the natural leader of the next generation. Whenever he came across something valuable, he would think of Wang Chen first.
The two had a good relationship. Wang Yuan even insisted Wang Chen not address him formally as 'Elder,' finding it too distant. This was precisely why Wang Chen had chosen to visit him first upon returning home.
A faint smile appeared on Wang Chen's lips. He had now fully spread his wings, his combat power astonishing. Once he used his secret techniques—Ring Tempering and Ring Detonation—even a Contra would have to kneel and crawl away.
He was no longer the weak little Soul Grandmaster from three years ago, trembling with caution and fear.
With his current strength, although he couldn't yet defeat a Titled Douluo, escaping from one was certainly within his ability.
Ten thousand years ago, Tang San had used the Ring Detonation secret technique to escape from the god-ascended Qian Renxue.
Now, although Wang Chen's soul rings weren't as powerful as Tang San's and his detonations couldn't reach such destructive power, Titled Douluos in this era were also far weaker than Qian Renxue.
With such power, as long as he avoided those few monster-level figures in the Sun Moon Empire, he could easily ensure his survival.
And if worst came to worst, he could always rely on Jing Hongchen, his "grandfather-in-law." Surely, Jing Hongchen wouldn't stand by and watch his talented future grandson-in-law be bullied.
Jing Hongchen: (;＿;) In all my years, I've never seen anyone so shameless! If not for my precious granddaughter, I'd have slapped you to death already!
It could be said that Wang Chen was no longer merely a genius—he had already realized part of his potential. The title of "strong one" was well deserved.
And the day when he would become the Patriarch of the Wang Clan was not far away.
Since the upper members of the clan would eventually discover his strength, Wang Chen didn't mind revealing a bit early to give Elder Wang Yuan some mental preparation.
That way, when his full power was displayed later, the shock wouldn't give the old man a heart attack.
Wang Chen said to him, "Grandpa Yuan, I'm not wearing a soul tool that blocks detection."
Upon hearing this, Wang Yuan shot up from his chair, staring at Wang Chen in disbelief. "Chen'er, your cultivation—don't tell me you've already reached the Soul King realm?"
For someone at the Soul King level, hiding their power in front of him would be difficult but not impossible—if they had excellent control over their soul power and kept it completely restrained.
As for anything higher, Wang Yuan didn't even dare to guess. After all, Wang Chen wasn't yet fifteen years old. Having Soul King-level cultivation was already shocking enough.