227: Chapter 227 Tianyuan Island

At this very moment.

The Yun Family compound.

Inside the council hall, a heavy and oppressive atmosphere hung over everyone's hearts.

Before long, a middle-aged man wearing a long, cyan silk robe walked in from outside the council hall and sat directly in the main seat.

His expression was grave as his gaze swept over the Elders seated on both sides. He spoke slowly, "I have summoned all the Elders today to discuss matters regarding our voyage. Just yesterday, Cloud Sail 1 lost contact."

"Cloud Sail 1... has lost contact." An Elder couldn't help but gasp in a low voice, and the faces of all the Elders present changed drastically.

"How could this happen..."

The term "lost contact" was not unfamiliar to them.

Unlike inland Great Families like the Pei Clan, the Yun Family's territory was located at the southern end of Longnan Prefecture.

Being close to the sea, the Yun Family had formed a maritime trade fleet named Cloud Sail, symbolizing setting sail on a journey.

Over these past two hundred years, the total number of Yun Family merchant ships that had lost contact approached one hundred.

And without exception, not a single one of these lost merchant ships ever returned in the years that followed.

Losing contact was equivalent to being presumed dead.

For a Great Family near the sea, this was not unacceptable.

The sea was inherently more dangerous than land.

The Yun Family could accept a certain degree of loss.

But Cloud Sail 1 was different.

It was the most powerful fleet in the Yun Family's maritime trade operations.

The value of Cloud Sail 1 alone was no less than ten ordinary merchant ships. Not to mention that the personnel on Cloud Sail 1 were all carefully cultivated by the Yun Family.

Whether in terms of resources or effort, they far exceeded other merchant ships.

Of course, this did not mean the Yun Family would collapse without Cloud Sail 1.

Over the past two hundred years, such things had happened before. Not to mention the distant past, thirty years ago, Cloud Sail 1 had an accident once. After spending several years of effort, the Yun Family recovered its Origin Qi.

However, times were different now.

Three years ago, Yun Donglai failed his Breakthrough to the Six Viscera Grandmaster realm.

After the news spread, there was quite a bit of unrest near the Yun Family territory.

Especially the Great Families adjacent to the Yun Family; they tried every possible way to probe for information to verify the truth of this news, even sending out many scouts, which caused strangers to inexplicably appear near the Yun Family territory.

For this reason, the Yun Family had increased manpower to strictly prevent outsiders from approaching the Yun Family territory.

But this could only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. Concealing it for a short time might be possible, but over a long period, it was impossible to hide.

The only solution was for him to reach the Six Bowels Realm.

It was a pity that three years had passed, and he still hadn't reached the Six Bowels Realm.

The news of his failed Breakthrough had long since spread.

If not for the fact that the previous generation's old Family Head had not passed away, the Yun Family would have long been in a precarious situation.

But even so, the Yun Family's situation remained grim, and there was not much time left for them.

The previous Family Head, Yun Zhaoping, was already ninety years old. Although a Six Viscera Grandmaster could theoretically live to one hundred and twenty, in reality, not even one in a hundred did; it was good enough for most to live to one hundred.

Martial Artists do not focus on preserving health; they cannot avoid conflict. This resulted in most of them having hidden injuries in their bodies. Once these hidden injuries were not cleared in time, they would accumulate over the years and affect their Lifespan.

The closer one was to the end of their Lifespan, the greater the impact. Even if a Six Viscera Grandmaster could lock in their Qi and blood, their combat power would inevitably decline.

Although the decline was not large—unlike ordinary Martial Artists in old age who couldn't even reach half of their Peak strength—a decline of ten or twenty percent was still present.

Not to mention that fighting would accelerate this trend.

A top-tier third-rate family, if it lacked a Six Viscera Grandmaster to hold the fort, would absolutely be a sweet pastry in the eyes of other top-tier third-rate families.

Everyone would want to take a bite.

The Yun Family no longer had the time to rebuild Cloud Sail 1.

After a brief commotion, the Elders all looked at Yun Donglai in the main seat.

Seeing that everyone had quieted down, Yun Donglai spoke again, "This time, Cloud Sail 1 lost contact fifty miles south of the coast. Is there any Elder willing to lead a team to investigate and search?"

As soon as he finished speaking, an old man in purple robes on the right stood up, his body standing straight like a pine tree. "Cloud Sail 1 cannot be lost. This old man is willing to lead a team to go."

"Good, then this matter will be left to the Third Elder. After the meeting, come to my study." Yun Donglai nodded, his face devoid of much expression.

After saying this, Yun Donglai turned his gaze to the other Elders again.

This time, he had summoned the other Elders not just to search for Cloud Sail 1, but more as a notification.

The chance of finding a lost ship was slim to begin with.

Furthermore, he suspected that there might be other Great Families playing tricks behind the scenes.

In these three years, the forces of other Great Families had long been restless. If not for the fact that Yun Zhaoping was still alive, they would have long since moved against the Yun Family. Even some low-tier families that were vassals to the Yun Family could not help but harbor some disloyal intentions.

Not making everyone wait, Yun Donglai continued, "Cloud Sail 1's mission has failed, and I intend to take Cloud Sail 2 to Tianyuan Island."

Upon hearing this, many Elders hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

"Family Head, this must not happen. Cloud Sail 1's loss of contact hasn't been investigated clearly yet; how can we dispatch Cloud Sail 2 at a time like this?"

"It would be better to wait until the Third Elder has results before dispatching Cloud Sail 2."

"Indeed, this matter cannot be rushed."

Facing everyone's admonitions, Yun Donglai waved his hand, signaling for everyone to quiet down.

His expression was serious, and his tone was unquestionable. "The journey to Tianyuan Island is imperative. Elders, do not try to persuade me otherwise. This time, I will personally oversee command, and the Second and Fourth Elders will accompany me. During my absence, Family affairs will be handled entirely by the Grand Elder."

"But..."

Facing Yun Donglai's firm attitude, the words the Elders present wanted to say were stuck in their throats.

Only the Grand Elder, Yun Zhaoting, stepped forward and said, "Donglai, I know your thoughts. I do not object to you sending Cloud Sail 2 to Tianyuan Island, but I do not agree with the choice of personnel. As the head of the Family, you should not be the one going. If you still trust your Third Uncle's old bones, let your Third Uncle oversee the command."

"Third Uncle, of course I trust you. I have already discussed this matter with Father, and everything will proceed according to the plan. If we change the personnel now, it will delay us significantly, and I am worried there might be variables. I can only rest easy if I leave the Family affairs to you." Yun Donglai explained.

"Since you and Elder Brother have already discussed it, then I won't worry blindly." Yun Zhaoting sighed softly, his wrinkled skin trembling slightly, and a hint of disappointment showed in his eyes.

"Second Elder, Fourth Elder, go back and prepare. Time is tight; we depart at the Hour of the Rat tonight. Third Elder, follow me to my study." Having said this, Yun Donglai dismissed the Family council and led the Third Elder into the study.