Legend of The Young Master

Chapter 77: Core Elders Meet

The Patriarch, known as Yun Wen, was a man whose presence alone commanded attention and respect. He was not merely a leader; he was the embodiment of the clan's legacy and its guiding force. His features bore the marks of a life dedicated to the highest echelons of martial and spiritual respect.

Despite his advanced age, his appearance was deceivingly youthful, a proof to the power of his Qi cultivation. His skin was smooth and seemed to radiate an inner light, a common trait among those who had reached the realm of Qi Lords. His eyes, sharp and penetrating, glimmered with the wisdom of a century or two, capable of instilling both awe and fear in those who met his gaze.

Around his neck hung a jade amulet, pulsating with a gentle light, a symbol of his status as the Qi Lord and protector of the clan. This amulet was not only a badge of his position but also something that controlled the clan's artifact, containing clan's secrets known only to him. His hands, resting lightly on the armrests of his seat, were those of a warrior .

The fingers were long and slender, yet the veins and muscles beneath the skin hinted at extraordinary strength. Rings of precious stones and metals adorned his fingers, each one inscribed with runes and symbols of protection, power, and prosperity for the Yuanjing Clan.

Besides the Patriarch, in the hall sat the main core elders of the clan, who were the leaders of their factions and supported the patriarch in decision-making. There were around 30 elders present today.

Among the 30 core elders sat Yun Minzhu, Wuyi's great-grandfather. Despite his advanced age, Yun Minzhu had a refined, youthful countenance too.

The other core elders also emitted an austere dignity. Some appeared scholarly, some martial, and others possessed an air of mysticism. But all were united by their cultivation as Qi masters of the advanced layer.

To become a core elder in the clan, you needed to have the cultivation of a Qi master at the advanced layer. As soon as you became a Qi master, you would be accepted as an inner elder in the clan as long as you had enough contributions to the clan, while Qi adepts at the bone-forging level had the opportunity to either become an outer elder or serve an inner elder of the clan.

Only the patriarch in the clan had the cultivation level of Qi lord, which was the reason many other clans in area respected Yuanjing's authority. The patriarch and these core elders were the true pillars of the Yuanjing clan.

The Patriarch cleared his throat, signaling the start of the meeting.

Most of the discussion was about the clan's trade and governance, with some talk about future investments.

After most of the discussion was done, the topic of Wuyi was brought up too.

The ability of spirit calling was too rare for them to take lightly.

One of the governance core elders spoke, "We have some new news that concerns the clan - we need to take action. We have discovered one of the clan's heirs sired a son in the southern desert years ago. At first, the matter seemed trivial, with none of us paying serious attention and letting the outer elders take care of responsibilities.

But fresh information reveals the boy has awakened an extraordinarily rare spirit calling bloodline."

Murmurs rippled through the hall at this revelation.

The elder continued reporting, "Despite being only eleven years old, the child can already summon multiple spirits equaling Qi Cultivators in strength. This means his mother must have had the normal spirit calling bloodline, but Yuanjing's pure blood has elevated his ability to another level. Instead of spirit calling, we have decided to name the ability summoning."

We have reasons to believe that, as he grows, his powers will only increase. Seeing how rare this ability is, we should try to bring this seed back to the clan. But there is a problem..."

The elders absorbed the news with solemn nods. Spirit calling was essentially the ability to summon spirits - otherworldly and extraplanar entities. But they called it summoning because the boy could summon more powerful beings clearly. All the elders were aware of the news.

If it were normal spirit calling, the boy would summon one being weaker than himself. So, anyone who went to fight him would have to face both the boy and the weaker spirit summoned. However, with the enhancement of his bloodline, he might be able to summon four or five spirits with power twice his own, which they were informed had occurred.

This meant that as he grew more powerful, he might be able to face armies alone, possessing the abilities of a small army - this greatly changed matters.

The Governance Elder swept the room with his gaze and said, casting a pointed look at Yun Tianxing, "Unfortunately, rash actions have already been taken against the child by a few outer elders."

He said with a heavy sigh, "They approved the assassination of the boy based on unfounded rumors that he was demonic. We must remember, even prodigies may not fully control their skills at a young age. The child was sired in Minzhu's faction."

Elder Huan, another rival of Yun Minzhu, leaned forward, his voice sharp. "What assurance do we have that this child is not a harbinger of chaos for us? That his powers do not stem from the demonic?"

The governance elder replied, "I dispatched a trusted investigator to observe and get all the details. It's confirmed that the boy's cultivation is righteous. We have also utilized the Jade Mirror of Divinity, our clan treasure, to verify the child's spiritual alignment. Though his gifts allow him to summon both benevolent and malevolent spirits, his Qi remains unsullied."

Another elder named Elder Sheng stroked his beard thoughtfully. "If the boy can summon demonic beings, how can we guarantee he stays on the proper path?"

"You raise a prudent concern," the Patriarch spoke. "Very little is known about Spirit Calling, given the rarity of the ability. But we must remember the summoned entities are but tools, with no free will. The abilities alone do not dictate one's heart. The Jade Mirror shall warn us if the boy turns toward the dark. For now, since he remains pure and with the right guidance, he should stay righteous.

Still, the news of the spirit calling bloodline being born in the clan should be suppressed until the clan takes any action."