294: Chapter 294 Overcoming all opposition, no one dared to stop him

Sounds of opposition, questioning, and dissuasion surged like a tide from all corners of the square, especially fierce among some conservative and esteemed elderly Elders, as well as faction members closely related to Elder Mo Feng.

They did not completely deny the achievements of Xu Ruyu, but they could not accept that the Clan Chief had made such an "unconventional" and "risky" decision.

The Clan Chief is the anchor of the Taihu Clan; her safety and energy concern the fate of the entire clan. How could she so easily bind herself so deeply to a boy from an outsider clan?

On the side of the Hehuan Sect, Xiao Nianyin's pupils constricted, and her ice-blue eyes were filled with disbelief.

Su Mei covered her red lips, and Qingyan widened her watery eyes even further.

Although they were happy for Xu Ruyu, they also deeply understood the immense weight and potential risks represented by the five words "Clan Chief Dao Protector"!

This was equivalent to tying Xu Ruyu and the Hehuan Sect completely to the most core and conspicuous chariot of the Taihu Clan!

Xu Ruyu himself was also stunned.

He had guessed that the Taihu Clan would give a generous reward, but he never expected that the method of repayment would be so... direct and overbearing!

The Clan Chief acting as his personal Dao Protector? This pressure was simply too great!

What virtue or ability did he possess to deserve this?

"Silence!"

A clear shout containing the Divine Might of the Soul Transformation Stage swept through like a cold current, instantly suppressing all the noise.

The phantom of the Supreme Mage stepped forward, and an ethereal voice carried unquestionable majesty: "The Clan Chief's decision is the result of careful deliberation between myself and the various core Elders; it is not a momentary impulse.

Sect Leader Xu's contributions are not comparable to ordinary favors; they concern the foundation of our clan's Legacy and future Luck. His Heart-Nature and potential have even been recognized by the First Ancestor and praised by Ancestor Tianhu.

The Clan Chief acting as his Dao Protector is both to repay a debt of gratitude and to invest in the future of our clan, acting in accordance with the clan's Luck. This matter is settled; there is no need for further discussion!"

The Supreme Mage stepping forward to set the tone, combined with that vast Divine Might, caused most of the opposition to temporarily subside.

However, the unwillingness, doubt, and even hidden anger on many people's faces did not dissipate; they were merely forcibly suppressed.

Clan Chief Yuehua swept her calm gaze over the tribesmen below, who wore various expressions, and finally landed on Xu Ruyu, her tone gentle yet firm: "Sect Leader Xu, this matter may surprise you.

But this is the intention of myself and the Taihu Clan, and it is also the direction of my Dao Heart.

You need not feel burdened; just Cultivate with peace of mind and walk your own path.

In these Tianyin Mountains, as long as I am here for one day, no one will be able to touch a single hair on your head."

Xu Ruyu opened his mouth, looking at the Clan Chief's eyes, which were hidden under the moonlight but revealed sincerity and determination, and then looked at the countless complex eyes below the stage; his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

In the end, he could only bow deeply: "Clan Chief's great kindness, this Junior... is deeply moved and will certainly not disappoint expectations, nor will I fail the friendship of the Taihu Clan."

He knew that to decline now would not only be pretentious, but it might also cause the Clan Chief and the Supreme Mage to lose face.

He could only accept this heavy sentiment of being a "Dao Protector" for now and repay it with actions in the future.

The Clan Chief nodded slightly, appearing to heave a sigh of relief.

She turned back to the clansmen, her voice returning to its cold and majestic tone: "From this day forth, this order shall apply to the entire clan.

Any member of my Taihu Clan, upon seeing Sect Leader Xu, must treat him as if they were seeing me. You must treat him with the highest etiquette, cooperate fully with his Cultivation needs, and must not have any negligence, obstruction, or secret harm towards him.

If anyone violates this, it will be treated as betraying the clan, and they will be severely punished without leniency!"

The last eight words were filled with chilling Killing Intent, making everyone's heart tremble.

The clan-wide assembly ended in an atmosphere of shock, complexity, and surging undercurrents.

The news seemed to grow wings, quickly spreading to every corner of the Tianyin Mountains, and also began to spread outside the mountains through various channels.

The Clan Chief of the Taihu Clan personally acting as a Dao Protector for a boy from an outsider clan at the Qi Refinement Stage was undoubtedly one of the most sensational pieces of news in the Cultivation World in recent years, sufficient to arouse the speculation and attention of countless forces.

In the days that followed, everything was peaceful on the surface.

The construction of Qixia Valley was in full swing. With the cost-no-object investment of the Taihu Clan, the new residence of the Hehuan Sect—although not grand in scale, it was fully equipped with pavilions, towers, and Cultivation facilities, and many ingenious Formations (partially drawing on the Forbidden Array ideas optimized by Xu Ruyu) had been arranged—began to take shape.

Xu Ruyu focused his main energy on organizing his gains, consolidating his cultivation (Qi Refinement Stage 25th layer Great Perfection, or 26th layer), and deeply studying the hundred ancient Cultivation Techniques that had been completed and upgraded, as well as the optimization principles of the Taihu Forbidden Array.

He was not in a hurry to improve his "Realm," but instead constantly consolidated his foundation and broadened his understanding of "energy" and "rules."

Clan Chief Yuehua also kept her promise, often appearing in Qixia Valley, either discussing the Dao with Xu Ruyu (mainly listening to Xu Ruyu's novel yet essential views), or personally guiding him on some key points of Cultivation (although the systems were different, her high-level insights were very inspiring to Xu Ruyu), or explaining the situation of the Taihu Clan and surrounding forces to him.

The personal guidance of a Soul Transformation Stage powerhouse was of immeasurable value.

The members of the Hehuan Sect were in high spirits in the new environment and Cultivated with extra effort.

With some of the resources opened up by the Taihu Clan, plus the techniques that Xu Ruyu occasionally extracted from those ancient Cultivation Techniques that were suitable for women or universal, everyone's cultivation progress was much faster than before.

Xiao Nianyin often went into seclusion, attempting to recover her lost cultivation as quickly as possible in a relatively safe environment.

However, beneath the calm surface, the undercurrents never stopped surging.

In the Yuehua Palace, inside a remote hall.

Candlelight flickered, reflecting several gloomy faces.

The leader was none other than Elder Mo Feng.

At this moment, there was no longer the pallor and fear on his face that he had shown during the assembly, only resentment and sinister gloom that could not be dissolved.