The Ten Thousand Ways to Hug the Female Protagonist’s Thigh - Chapter 22.2

Elder Wen stood at the podium, looking down at the crowd.

He felt a deep sense of pride as he gazed at the finest young talents of the Wen family.

Even though the tragic fall of the Wen family three hundred years ago was still fresh in his memory, the family’s strong traditions had allowed him to nurture a group of disciples who were outstanding in character and cultivation.

“You are all good children,” Elder Wen murmured.

Various factions undoubtedly influenced the assignment of the fortresses. Those who lacked the confidence to challenge the Wen family directly resorted to this method, aiming to test the strength of the family by assigning their elite disciples.

However, the beast tide presented a formidable challenge. Sending less experienced disciples would be unwise. Only the family’s most capable and battle-hardened disciples could secure the fortress.

The three great families weren’t careless either. They couldn’t simply assign the most demanding fortress to the Wen family alone. If the fortress fell, the beasts could flank their positions, also putting them at risk.

Thus, they had arranged for the Li family, another of the four great families, to defend the fortress alongside the Wen family.

This reduced the likelihood of the fortress being breached. At the same time, both families’ strengths would be tested—a strategic balance.

However, things didn’t go entirely as the three families had hoped.

The Li family was not to be underestimated.

Before the official announcement, Li Yusheng, an inner disciple of the Taiyang Sect, had rushed to the imperial capital. Within a few days, an agreement was reached.

The final decision from the government was as follows:

The imperial family and the government would defend the first fortress. The Zhao and Xu families would defend the second fortress. A coalition of smaller families would defend the third fortress. In addition to the Wen and Li families, the fourth fortress would include the Sun family, the fourth of the four great families.

Li Yusheng was perceptive. He understood the imperial family’s desire for balance. The imperial family would not allow any single family to grow too powerful, nor would they tolerate collusion among the great families.

Thus, while the fourth fortress was still the most challenging, adding the Sun family meant that the Wen and Li families were not left to face the task alone. Being the weakest of the four great families, the Sun family would not provoke the imperial family by opposing the arrangement.

The Zhao and Xu families tacitly accepted this outcome, but the Sun family would inevitably harbor resentment toward them. The imperial family’s goal had been achieved, and discord was now sown among the four great families.

Back in the square, Elder Wen stood before the crowd, which included envoys from the four great families and the imperial family. He released a fraction of his Nascent Soul aura, and the sheer intensity of his presence caused an undeniable tension in the air.

“Is this the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator?” the Wen family disciples thought in awe. Though surprised, they quickly accepted it, given Elder Wen’s three centuries of teaching and his vast knowledge.

The envoys from other families, however, were caught off guard. They had come expecting a routine observation of the Wen family’s strength, only to encounter a Nascent Soul elder emerging from seclusion!

The immense presence was undeniable. The envoys exchanged uneasy glances, realizing the weight of this revelation and carefully planning their next steps.

Elder Wen observed the envoys’ reactions. Though they managed to maintain their composure, their unease was evident.

Due to his prolonged lifespan, Elder Wen’s cultivation had fallen from the late Nascent Soul stage to the early stage. Still, he had used a secret technique to maintain the aura of his former strength.

Knowing his limited time, Elder Wen planned to announce his seclusion after the competition. He hoped his appearance would buy the Wen family a few years of respite, allowing the younger generation to grow stronger.

Having achieved his goal of intimidation, Elder Wen retracted his aura and called Wen Shu to the podium.