Chapter 751: The Grand Elder of the Zaar Family
Chapter 751: The Grand Elder of the Zaar Family
In the Zaar family, the patriarch was only a spokesperson. Although he possessed some status, he did not possess much power and could not really make decisions crucial to the Zaar family. Once something major happened or if they needed to do something major, the patriarch would need to report to the elders which stand above.
The elders of the Zaar family were split into two groups. The internal elders of the Zaar family are all senior members of the clan, people who possess power to do things. If their opinions come to agreement, they can essentially determine all crucial things of the Zaar family, as well as control all movements of the clan.
As for the external elders, they were formed from a few experts, of the Zaar family as well as people who were invited from elsewhere. These outer elders possessed a certain status and could enjoy generous treatments from the clan, but they did not really possess any power.
Jian Chen had learned about these groups of the Zaar clan from the president of the union before he had come. This was why he had some rough understandings as to how the largest clan in the City of God functioned.
Jian Chen sat down in an empty seat to the side. Afterwards, he conversed with the people sitting in the hall slightly and after a series of exchanges and introductions, Jian Chen also learned that all the people sitting in the hall were part of the high-ranking management of the Zaar family.
Just at this moment, the patriarch’s expression became serious. He stared at Jian Chen with keen eyes and said, “Master Yang Yutian, this time inviting you to our Zaar family as a guest is actually because we have something important we want to discuss with master Yang Yutian.”
Hearing that, Jian Chen understood that they had finally reached the main topic of conversation. His expression also became slightly stern and said with his hands clasped, “I wonder what the patriarch has to discuss with me?”
The patriarch smiled, “Unprecedented prodigies like Master Yang Yutian are admirable to all of our inner elders. For this, our elders even held a discussion together and decided in the end that they hope master Yang Yutian can become an internal elder of my Zaar clan and enjoy the power and status. I wonder how master Yang Yutian feels about it?” After he finished what he was saying, the patriarch stared fixedly at Jian Chen. Slivers of anticipation appeared in the depths of his eyes.
“I must thank the Zaar family for their great kindness, but I’ve already become a core member of the Radiant Saint Master Union, and the president’s even taken me as his disciple. If I join your Zaar family now, it might be rather inappropriate.” Jian Chen said at ease. He did not care at all whether his decision would offend the Zaar family or not.
“Master Yang Yutian, you must think this through. This is the first time ever since the founding of the clan that my Zaar family is allowing a person who is not a part of the family become an internal elder by inviting you. My Zaar family really views you with importance.” The Zaar family patriarch explained.
Jian Chen said apologetically, “Patriarch, I really must apologise. Unless I gain master’s consent, it’ll be extremely difficult for me to become a internal elder of the Zaar family.”
“Ai!” The patriarch sighed gently and no longer said anything. Suddenly, his expression changed and revealed a sliver of respect, before quickly recovering. He said to Jian Chen, Master Yang Yutian, the grand elder wishes to see you. Please come with me.”
With that, the patriarch directly exited the hall. A light of interest flickered in Jian Chen’s eyes as he hesitated slightly. Shortly afterwards, he followed up behind the patriarch closely, while his bodyguard Yang Ling was kept back in the hall.
Following the patriarch, Jian Chen travelled towards the back courtyard without any obstructions. Within the clan, Jian Chen did not see any patrolling guards, but instead felt several strong presences. They were all at least Earth Saint Masters, even with some Heaven Saint Masters in between.
When Jian Chen walked past a grand hall, he had even felt the presence of a Saint Ruler, a Saint Ruler who had already reached the Third Heavenly Layer.
Jian Chen knew that all the strength he had seen was only the tip of the iceberg for the Zaar family. To be able to occupy the City of God, as well as have one of the eight great kingdoms as a subsidiary nation, the Zaar family definitely had much more than this little bit of power.
Jian Chen followed behind the patriarch, entering a palace in the back of the clan. Finally, they stopped in a guest room and in the centre of the room, a ruddy old man sat next to a table, drinking tea at leisure. The old man wore white robes, while his white hair was tied into a bun on his head. He gave off an ancient feeling around him, and seemed slightly sage-like.
“I greet the grand elder!” The patriarch bowed towards the old man with an expression of respect.
“You can go.” The grand elder said expressionlessly, without even looking at the patriarch.
“Yes sir!: Before the grand elder, the patriarch of the family seemed to show great respect. He bowed deeply towards the grand elder again, before backing off with gentle steps.
After the patriarch left, the grand elder finally raised his head. His gaze landed on Jian Chen and he said with a dull voice, “You’re Yang Yutian?”
Jian Chen clasped his hands, but just when he wanted to speak, his expression suddenly changed. The grand elder began to give off an invisible force, like a mountain, forcefully pushing down on Jian Chen. It caused Jian Chen to lose all mobility, and even his two legs bowed slightly, forcing him down to kneel on the ground.
“You still don’t have the right for me to kneel!” Flames of anger exploded in Jian Chen’s heart. In that very moment, his gaze became sharp, and a light exploded in his eyes, The surrounding Radiant Saint Force quickly gathered towards him, forming a silvery armor that clad every inch of his body at lightning speed. It radiated with a dazzling white light, resisting the great pressure.
With the formation of the Radiant Saint Armor, the pressure on Jian Chen’s body suddenly lessened by a lot. His bent legs immediately straightened out, and his gaze towards the grand elder also increased in hostility.
“This grand elder should be at least a Sixth Heavenly Layer Saint Ruler.” Jian Chen thought to himself. However, he did not feel any fear at all.
A sliver of interest flashed across the grand elder’s eyes. He gaze towards Jian Chen now carried an additional hint of admiration, and the invisible force given off by him abruptly increased.
Jian Chen began to tremble violently. His legs which he had just straightened out began to bend again. In that moment, he felt like the thing above him was not a mountain, but a metal mountain, a mountain entirely made from metal.
Crack!
A crack appeared on Jian Chen’s Radiant Saint Master armor. Shortly afterwards, the crack began to expand, slowly covering every inch of the armor before finally breaking, turning into dust and disappearing.
Jian Chen clenched his jaw, and forced all the Chaotic Force in his body back into the chaotic neidan, to hide it. At this very moment, it was extremely easy to expose his secret as a fighter. In order to prevent any accidents, he gave up on the idea of using his Chaotic Body to resist it.
“God’s Protection!” Jian Chen cried out with a deep voice and cast the only defensive arte of the three great Radiant Artes. Immediately, the surrounding Radiant Saint Force began to gather around Jian Chen at an unbelievable speed. Although the grand elder had restricted Jian Chen’s movements, he was unable to stop Jian Chen from casting Radiant Artes, as Radiant Saint Force was not something fighters could control.
“Gods’s Protection? Who would’ve thought that you’ve even grasped this Radiant Arte. Looks like you know all three great Radiant Artes from the Radiant Saint Master Union.” The grand elder muttered to himself softly, while he carried some shock on his face.
God’s Protection was gathering the Radiant Saint Force in the surroundings and pouring it into the body, allowing the body to become like metal. It did not have any consequential effects either.
The vast Radiant Saint Force poured into Jian Chen without any indication of stopping, before finally all fusing with his body. It caused Jian Chen to radiate with a vague white light all over, and the strength of his body began to increase at an unbelievable pace. Although it was far from the Chaotic Body in toughness, it was the strongest defensive arte for the weak bodies of Radiant Saint Masters.
Jian Chen’s defence constantly increased. As the powerful Radiant Saint Force surged about in his body, it blocked the pressure from the grand elder, and his bent legs began to straighten out slowly once again.
The grand elder revealed a weird light in his eyes and muttered, “Not bad, not bad!” As he said those four words, the pressure Jian Chen was under abruptly increased by several fold, completely suppressing all the light Jian Chen shone with from God’s Protection. As for where Jian Chen was standing, a crack had appeared, and constantly began to expand, His two feet gradually sank three inches into the ground.
A sliver of determination appeared in Jian Chen’s eyes. He slowly closed them and raised his arms with difficulty, forming a weird seal before his chest.
Witness that, the grand elder’s pupils suddenly constricted. He remembered that it was the hand seal for casting the forbidden arte, God’s Descent.”
“I definitely can’t let him cast God’s Descent. Although it’s not the real thing and cannot harm me at all, the great disturbance caused by it will alert the people in the union.” The grand lder thought, before immediately withdrawing the pressure. With the wave of a hand, a gentle force forcefully knocked away the hand seal formed by Jian Chen. He laughed, “Please do not get angry, master Yang Yutian. Before, I was only testing brother Yang Yutian’s strength and did not have any other intentions. If I have offended you in any shape or form, I wish that master Yang Yutian can forgive me.”
Jian Chen slowly opened his eyes. Although he knew that the grand elder was testing him, it really made him angry.
“I wonder why the grand elder has called me here?” Jian Chen said coldly. He was not polite at all.
Perhaps the grand elder understood that what he did before was a little too much, but he did not pay too much attention to Jian Chen’s attitude. He laughed, “Master Yang Yutian really is straightforward. Alright, I’ll get to the point. Master Yang Yutian, I want you to join my Zaar family and become an internal elder of the clan.”
“The patriarch has already raised this topic. I will probably be disappointing the grand elder.” Jian Chen’s tone was rather icy.
The grand elder continued, “Master Yang Yutian, I’ll be honest. The president of the Radiant Saint Master Union only has a hundred years left. Once those hundred years pass, the Radiant Saint Master Union will fall under my Zaar family. If you join my Zaar family as an internal elder, I can promise you that my Zaar clan can give you full authority of the Radiant Saint Master Union, with you as the president and my Zaar family as a powerful supporter. Master Yang Yutian, there is no harm in consider it.”
The grand elder did not hide anything from Jian Chen. Although the whole matter of absorbing the Radiant Saint Master Union could be considered a secret, it was no longer a secret among the larger clans of the City of God. Also, the grand elder knew even better that the president of the union had already become aware of the Zaar family’s wild ambitions long ago, so telling this secret to Jian Chen would not affect the plans of the clan at all.