Chapter 1777 — Each with Their Own Designs

The arrival of these old family heads clearly meant that a matter of great importance was to be discussed. Among the hidden clans, relations were for the most part competitive, yet when a matter of common interest arose, they too would cooperate with one another.

"Old man Zhao, I never would have thought you had actually become an early-stage Heaven-rank expert. I remember, at your birthday last year, when I sent Xiao Chen to offer you birthday congratulations, you were still a peak late-stage Earth-rank expert, were you not?" The Yu Family Ancestor looked at his in-law with some surprise. In less than a year, the man had actually succeeded in breaking through to the peak and become a Heaven-rank expert!

"Hahaha, am I really so worthless in your eyes? What, does my becoming a Heaven-rank expert make you uncomfortable?" Old Master Zhao laughed heartily. "You, my dear in-law, have long been a Heaven-rank expert. If I did not make an effort, how could I hold my head up?"

"Fair enough! Our Yu and Zhao families have always been close. That your Zhao family prospers naturally delights me beyond measure!" The Yu Family Ancestor said this, then turned to look at Zhao Guangyin behind Old Master Zhao and remarked coolly, "Guangyin, I hear from Xiao Jin that you intend to bring back a bastard son from outside? What exactly is going on? There is nothing wrong with a man being a bit of a philanderer, but do not let it stir up trouble within the family."

Zhao Guangyin's face flushed at once. Though the Yu Family Ancestor had mentioned the matter only lightly, anything that drew the attention of a Heaven-rank expert was by no means a small matter. It showed that the Yu Family Ancestor was already somewhat displeased with this course of action.

At that thought, Zhao Guangyin could only brace himself and say, "To reply to my honored father-in-law, this matter was decided by our family's Ancestor. It was not Guangyin's idea..."

He could only shift the matter onto Old Master Zhao. In truth, it had indeed been Old Master Zhao's decision. Now that Old Master Zhao and the Yu Family Ancestor were both Heaven-rank experts, it was naturally impossible for them to fall out with each other over such a thing.

Among the hidden clans, whenever an elder advanced to become a Heaven-rank expert, he would be respectfully addressed as Ancestor, for the lifespan of a Heaven-rank expert was extended. Once one became a Heaven-rank expert, one could shelter the family for at least another century, so the title of Ancestor was no exaggeration.

"This was my idea!" Old Master Zhao took the matter upon himself. "However you look at it, he is a descendant of my Zhao family. Taking advantage of this joyous occasion of my breakthrough to Heaven-rank, I brought him back. It is hardly a great affair."

The Yu Family Ancestor nodded and said no more. Though his daughter was somewhat displeased about the matter, it was, after all, the Zhao family's own business. Since the Zhao Family Ancestor had spoken thus, he naturally could not continue to meddle.

Of course, had Old Master Zhao not broken through to Heaven-rank, that would have been another matter entirely. To a hidden clan, a Heaven-rank expert was akin to a guardian deity. So long as a Heaven-rank expert held the seat and the family was not foolish enough to provoke a more powerful force, the family was guaranteed not to decline for a hundred years.

But if some of the younger generation in the family grew so puffed up with confidence that they lost all sense and provoked a more powerful force, then that was another matter altogether!

Still, a hidden clan possessing a Heaven-rank expert could already stand on equal footing with an ordinary ancient sect. Even those ancient sects possessing only one or two Heaven-rank experts would have to weigh matters carefully before moving against such a hidden clan.

Thus Old Master Zhao's breakthrough to Heaven-rank was both good and bad news for the Yu Family Ancestor. The good: the two families were bound by marriage and counted as allies. The bad: the Yu family could no longer hope to control the Zhao family.

The Yu Family Ancestor's original plan had been to wait until the child of Yu Xiao Jin and Zhao Guangyin grew up and took charge of the Zhao family. Then, with him, the maternal grandfather, present, he could more or less interfere in the Zhao family's decisions. But now that the Zhao Family Ancestor sat at the helm, even if his own grandson became the young family head, the boy could not make decisions on major matters on his own.

It was the same with Yu Xiao Chen of the Yu family: where the Yu family's own interests were concerned, matters still had to be referred to him, the Ancestor.

The Zhao Family Ancestor's breakthrough to Heaven-rank left the old family heads of the other hidden clans somewhat puzzled. They had no idea what fortuitous encounter Old Master Zhao had had over the past year, but such things were not easy to ask about. How they themselves had broken through to Heaven-rank was something they kept closely guarded from others, and they could hardly expect anyone to tell them.

"Congratulations to my old friend Zhao!" This time it was the Pi Family Ancestor who spoke. The Pi Family Ancestor was also a Heaven-rank expert, though an external-path Heaven-rank expert. To break through to Heaven-rank by external-path strength alone was exceedingly rare!

"Congratulations!" said the Right Family Master. Though the Right Family Master focused on alchemy with martial arts as a supplement, no one could underestimate his Heaven-rank strength and his control over pill fire. When an alchemist reached Heaven-rank, even without any special martial techniques, the killing moves he could unleash simply by driving his pill fire were enough to give anyone a headache.

Unless one was a practitioner of the water, ice, or snow elements, which could restrain fire, and thus handle him with composure, other practitioners might well have their clothes burned clean off before they could even close the distance.

Of course, apart from the Yu Family Ancestor, the Ancestors of these hidden clans had all broken through to Heaven-rank in recent years. Back then, the Hidden Clan Arbitration Association had been able to overawe them precisely because the Yu family had only one Heaven-rank expert, the Yu Family Ancestor, and stood alone and weak, so the Arbitration Association could completely overpower them all.

But in recent years, as the founders of the Hidden Clan Arbitration Association vanished and the Chief Grand Elder also fell silent, these Ancestors who had broken through to Heaven-rank began to stir restlessly. They no longer wished to be held in check by the Hidden Clan Arbitration Association, and so this grand gathering of the hidden clans had come about.

Yet the few old fellows seated here were all shrewd veterans, and none was a fool. Though their aim this time was the same, none was willing to be the one to stick his neck out. After all, what if the Grand Elder of the Hidden Clan Arbitration Association was still alive? What if he returned and punished the hidden clans that violated the rules?

So the several old masters sat around the conference table, all rather silent.

"My dear in-law, you were the Second Elder of the Hidden Clan Arbitration Association in those days. Now that the Grand Elder is absent, you, the Second Elder, should say a few words?" Seeing everyone silent, Old Master Zhao pondered for a moment and then spoke.

At present, among the hidden clans, the strongest were still the Hidden Yu family and the Hidden Right family. The Hidden Yu family had two Heaven-rank experts, while the Hidden Right family, though outwardly possessing only the Right Family Master as a single Heaven-rank expert, in truth had no telling how many Heaven-rank retainers in the shadows.

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