Chapter 459 - 465: Entering the Treasure Pavilion

"You’re saying those two killed the Great Elder?"

Song Wanning feigned a look of astonishment.

"How is that possible?"

Her eyes were filled with disbelief, and even a hint of doubt.

The Fourth Elder’s face twitched. At first, they hadn’t believed it either.

But the facts were the facts.

"Hmph. We’re the ones who should be asking you how you managed to provoke those two."

His gaze on Song Wanning grew increasingly dissatisfied.

If her willfulness had caused such a grave loss for the family, then everyone would have to reconsider her position as successor.

Song Wanning knew the crucial part was coming. She frowned, still looking somewhat hesitant.

Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she said, "In his effort to resurrect Mother, Father had me secretly search for Pill Masters. That’s why I went to the Outer Realm to preside over the Alchemy Dao competition..."

"Later, they refined the Rejuvenation Pill. I thought we could finally save Mother, but instead..."

"Mother’s body was destroyed, I was gravely injured, and Father went to hunt those two down..."

"I’m not entirely clear on what happened after that."

The matter of resurrecting Meng’er had always been a secret within the Huo Family. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so cautious when they were brought here initially.

Huo Jinchuan had been especially cautious, terrified of exposing even the slightest detail.

This was enough to show that the rest of the Huo Family knew nothing about it.

Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, the temperature in the hall seemed to plummet, a chill filling the air.

Everyone’s expression changed, their faces turning grim.

"The Clan Leader... actually dared to do something that defies heaven and changes fate? Isn’t he afraid of facing Heavenly Punishment?"

"Exactly! If his actions angered the Heavenly Dao, it would affect the fortune of our entire Huo Family. Has he gone mad?"

"The Clan Leader has gone too far. To think he kept this from us for hundreds of years..."

All the elders felt a lingering fear. The Huo Clan Leader had been so secretive. If she hadn’t come forward with this information, they likely would have never known.

As the crowd grew worried, Song Wanning didn’t forget to twist the knife. "The Heavenly Punishment has already descended..."

"What?"

The elders could no longer contain themselves and all shot to their feet.

"This... This... What are we to do?"

When Heavenly Punishment descended, it would have a tremendous impact on a person’s fortune, and its effects wouldn’t fade for decades.

And since Huo Yang was the head of the clan, it meant the fortune of the entire family would be affected.

"No wonder... No wonder..."

The Fourth Elder collapsed back into his seat, muttering, "No wonder the Great Elder, as powerful as he was, was killed by two mere youngsters. It was the Clan Leader’s fault all along..."

Losing two key figures in just one short month was proof that the Huo Family’s destiny was already suffering.

They all exchanged glances, their eyes filled with unease and anger.

"The Clan Leader’s behavior is outrageous. This entire incident was caused by his selfishness, yet it led to the deaths of innocent people like the Great Elder."

"And now he’s taken other elders out with him. What if they run into danger..."

The group’s dissatisfaction with Huo Yang reached its peak.

The more powerful the family, the more internal strife it has.

Now that Huo Yang had caused such immense trouble, if they played their cards right, they might even be able to push him out of the Clan Leader’s seat.

A few of the elders unconsciously exchanged glances, a hint of delight flashing in their eyes.

Song Wanning had seen this kind of thing before. Seeing this, the corner of her mouth curled into a nearly imperceptible smile.

’This is the leverage I’ve served up for them on a silver platter. I hope they don’t disappoint me.’

"Uncles, my Magical Treasure was also damaged during the Heavenly Punishment. I need to enter the Treasure Pavilion in the next two days to exchange for some materials, so I wanted to inform you all."

She cupped her hands in a salute. Seeing a few elders nod, she didn’t linger and left directly.

After she left, the hall was quiet for a moment before someone finally spoke up.

"The Clan Leader has acted foolishly in this matter..."

"Even as Clan Leader, he must give everyone an explanation for this."

"The fate of our entire family is in his hands, yet for his own selfish reasons, he has dragged us all down with him. It’s truly disappointing..."

"For now, we should think about how to mitigate the impact he’s had on our Huo Family. If the Heavenly Dao truly comes to hold a grudge against us, our family..."

The higher one’s cultivation, the more one understands the importance of fortune.

The Huo Family’s long-standing prosperity was inseparable from its good fortune.

But now that Huo Yang had done something like this, they couldn’t feel at ease.

Especially with two people already sacrificed...

The hall fell silent once again as all sorts of thoughts surged through everyone’s minds.

However, Huo Yang had no idea that the elders back in the clan were already harboring other intentions.

To prevent others from finding out the real reason, he had only brought his own people—elders who had always stood firmly by his side.

He sped along, his destination precise: the place where Huo Jinchuan had disappeared.

’Those two will definitely go looking for Huo Jinchuan. When they do, we can wipe them all out at once!’

...

"Did you hear? The deaths of the Great Elder and Elder Huo Yuan were no accident!"

"For real?"

"It’s absolutely true! I heard the Clan Leader was trying to resurrect his dead wife and even wanted to kill those Pill Masters to silence them..."

"Yeah, I heard that too! And the Clan Leader and the Young Master were even struck by Heavenly Punishment..."

"What?!"

The disciples all widened their eyes, as if they had just heard something unbelievable.

In just an hour, the news had spread throughout the entire clan.

Many people grew resentful toward the Clan Leader and Huo Jinchuan. After all, everyone knew the dead could not be brought back to life. The Clan Leader was clearly not taking the Huo Family seriously.

This made everyone feel the Clan Leader was too selfish and irresponsible.

When Song Wanning passed by, the crowd immediately stopped talking, but the looks in their eyes were no longer as respectful as before.

She pretended not to notice, strolling brazenly toward the Treasure Pavilion.

An Integration Stage Cultivator stood guard in the Treasure Pavilion. Song Wanning gave him a polite bow before heading toward the second floor.

The Integration Stage Cultivator glanced at her before closing his eyes again, not sensing anything amiss.

Song Wanning also acted completely natural from start to finish. In a single instant, she used her hairpin to pass through the restrictive barrier.

The restrictive barrier of the Treasure Pavilion was incredibly complex; not even a Grandmaster Array Master could break it.

A vast number of ownerless treasures were stored here. When disciples accumulated enough points, they could come and exchange them for treasures themselves.

After she passed through the barrier, countless orbs of light instantly appeared before her.

These orbs of light were like a sky full of stars, densely scattered throughout a Spatial Array.

The orbs varied in color and brightness, creating a dazzling, multicolored display. It possessed a unique sort of beauty.

Song Wanning looked up, her eyes shining, the curve of her lips growing wider and wider.

’It would be a shame not to take all these treasures with me.’

’But...’

Thinking of the Integration Stage Cultivator standing guard outside, she pressed her lips together.