novelhk 732. Temporary Closure
732. Temporary Closure
Among the ancient clans, the true fighting force was the renowned Black Annihilation Army.
The Black Annihilation Army is structured with one king and four commanders. The Black Annihilation King is a figure comparable to the patriarchs of ancient clans. The four commanders are the absolute backbone of the Black Annihilation Army. Under the Black Annihilation King and the four commanders, there are eight individuals with rather unique positions. They are the army's generals, second only to the commanders in power and status, but their strength may not be among the top in the army. After all, the Black Annihilation Army has many other exceptionally capable deputy commanders and generals, but in terms of status, none of them are as high as these eight!
The most important reason they were able to reach such a position is simply that they are young, young enough!
The younger generation is the true hope for the future of the clan, a truth the ancient clan clearly understands. The investment in their youth is unimaginable, with all resources unconditionally poured into them. All high positions within the ancient clan can be earned through strength; even the position of clan leader is never based on seniority or contributions, but is always held by the strongest member of the clan!
Of course, the position of Commander-in-Chief can only be held by the younger generation of the ancient clan. Once someone is over forty years old, regardless of their strength, they will automatically step down from the position. This measure was established by the ancient clan to stimulate the rapid growth of the younger generation. Indeed, this measure has greatly stimulated the competitive spirit of the young people in the ancient clan. In recent years, the eight Commanders-in-Chief have almost represented the strongest young people in the ancient clan.
Ancient Demon ranks seventh among the eight commanders, but that's something to be proud of, considering that tens of thousands of young members of the ancient clans are eyeing that position every day.
Meanwhile, outside the room of the Black Annihilation Army's Grand Commander, stood an elder of an ancient clan.
"Qingyang, things are already like this, are you still unwilling to go?" Because of his status, the ancient clan elder did not dare to enter the room rashly, but asked anxiously from outside.
"I've reached a critical point in my level-up attempt. Every second counts, and I can't afford any interruptions. Elder Gu Zhen, go find the others." A very gentle voice came from inside the room.
However, gentleness doesn't mean one can be easily manipulated. Gu Zhen, standing outside the door, clearly sensed the rejection in his words. Inside this room was none other than Gu Qingyang, the current First Commander of the Black Annihilation Army!
"But this is a big matter concerning the face of the ancient clan, and those people all hope that you will go to keep things in check." Gu Zhen outside the door still did not give up. He knew that his influence was no longer enough to impress the young man, and at this moment he wanted to try to persuade the Black Annihilation Army Grand Commander inside by appealing to the opinions of the higher-ups.
"The Black Annihilation Army Commander has mobilized all his forces just to deal with a Dou Zun. Elder Zhen, if I may be so bold, but if this gets out, I will only be ridiculed by the other major imperial clans."
"I know this is what those people want, so I won't stop them. As for the rest, I need to cultivate now. Elder Gu Zhen, please return." The voice from inside the room then spoke in a tone that brooked no refusal. Gu Qingyang's tone remained calm, but a subtle pressure had been added.
Faced with this situation, even Gu Zhen could only shake his head helplessly. He dared not force the little ancestor of the ancient clan inside to comply.
While the other commanders of the ancient clans might have been placed in high positions due to their age, only this one's position was beyond question.
Even if Gu Qingyang is over forty years old by then, it's said that one of the Black Annihilation Commanders has already decided to relinquish his position, and he represents the strongest fighting force of the younger generation of the Ancient Clan. This is an honor, but it's also a reputation that Gu Qingyang has earned through his own hard work within the Ancient Clan!
Gu Qingyang couldn't persuade them, so Gu Zhen could only console herself on the way back: "Since Qingyang refuses to go, then we can only call a few others. But that lineup is definitely enough to deal with the down-on-his-luck brat from the Xiao clan!"
……
Within the Xiao family's territory, Xiao Yan's sudden arrival and his frenzied actions in killing the Black Annihilation Army brought a long-awaited peace to the Xiao family members. For the past few days, no one had disturbed them. Consequently, the Xiao family members' feelings towards Xiao Yan improved considerably; they no longer harbored any resentment towards him as their young patriarch, at least because he had pulled them out of that despairing environment.
However, not all members of the Xiao family would feel at ease amidst this temporary calm. Even someone as clear-headed as Xiao Ding felt increasingly heavy-hearted, far from being relieved. The reason was simple: the ancient clans would never simply swallow this loss; the current peace was merely the calm before the storm.
Now, Xiao Yan, the only person the Xiao family can rely on, went into seclusion after learning of his second brother Xiao Li's death. No one in the Xiao family knows what he is doing.
Before going into seclusion, Xiao Yan left only one sentence for Xiao Zhan.
"Father, rest assured, I will personally avenge my second brother's death!"
"Has Xiao Yan not come out of seclusion yet?" The eldest elder of the Xiao family, along with Xiao Zhan and Xiao Ding, have been guarding Xiao Yan's cultivation room every step of the way these past few days.
Aside from the terrifying power they sensed, Xiao Yan made no other moves. The gap in strength between them and Xiao Yan was too vast; they had no idea what he was doing. They could have waited patiently, but the news of Gu Yao taking a concubine was indeed another blow to the Xiao family.
However, neither Xiao Ding, Xiao Zhan, nor the Grand Elder want Xiao Yan to fight the ancient clans to the death. The risk is simply too great. Xiao Yan is now the only pillar of the Xiao family, and the Xiao family can no longer afford to lose him.
The ancient demon's provocative method was far too blatant; it was clearly intended to use this opportunity to deal with Xiao Yan. The situation was incredibly dangerous. One wrong move, and the already fragile Xiao family would be completely wiped out.
To be honest, the few remaining members of the Xiao family who still have influence would rather take this opportunity to apologize to the ancient clan and ensure the safety of their clan members first.
At the same time, both Xiao Zhan and Xiao Ding knew Xiao Yan's temperament very well. His second brother had died innocently at the hands of the ancient demon, and he would never be able to resist seeking revenge.
Even if he were to face an ancient clan, Xiao Yan would absolutely not back down. The current situation, much like Xiao Yan's seclusion, is increasingly tense; once a trigger is found, Xiao Yan will surely do something that will shock everyone!