Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?! - Chapter 296

Chapter 296: 296- Updated*
Spirit energy flowed through its walls in intricate patterns, feeding into a golden lotus that bloomed above the main gate.

Fang Yuan slowed the descent to a near crawl. His fingers brushed the edge of the void, drawing it open like silk.

For a moment, the world beneath them wavered and then reality folded aside, allowing them to emerge within the shadowed courtyard of the treasury itself.

The air was heavy with the scent of spirit stones, gold, and perhaps, rare herbs.

Du Juan’s eyes widened, awe and fear battling in her gaze.

“We… we’re really inside?” she whispered.

Fang Yuan smirked faintly.

“Welcome to the heart of Qin’s greed,” he said, stepping off the boat as his boots touched the marble floor with no sound.

“Now, let’s take what we came for.”

Behind him, the jade vessel dissolved into motes of light, folding neatly back into his spatial ring, leaving only silence and the faint hum of treasure-filled air.

Fang Yuan and Du Juan moved soundlessly through the treasury’s inner halls, the air thick with the scent of spirit energy and aged gold.

Rows upon rows of treasures lined the marble corridors, each sealed within glowing crystal cases, each radiating the weight of centuries.

Fang Yuan swept his gaze over the countless relics with a calm, discerning eye. His hand flicked, and one of the crystal seals shattered silently.

Inside lay a dozen Golden Core Pills, each glowing with gentle warmth like miniature suns.

He opened the box, inhaling the sharp medicinal fragrance before tossing the entire container into his spatial ring.

“These will come in handy,” he murmured. “Perfect for improving the cultivation of our clan elders and apprentices.”

Next, his attention fell upon a black jade shelf lined with scrolls.

Their bindings shimmered faintly with an ancient qi, manuals of long-lost arts.

He picked one up, reading its title:

[Heavenly Tyrant Body Refinement Technique].

His brows arched slightly. “Hoh… Heavenly Tyrant Art? Sounds fun, it’s mine now.”

One by one, he took everything of worth, refinement manuals, sword techniques, mental cultivation arts.

Anything that might strengthen the Fang family was swiftly sealed into his ring.

Meanwhile, Du Juan wandered behind him, her steps cautious but curious.

Her eyes widened as she passed racks of spatial treasures, bags, pouches, and rings glowing faintly with dimensional runes.

There was even a crooked wooden staff resting among them, its surface carved with strange runic patterns.

Fang Yuan picked it up, gave it a lazy spin, and smirked.

“A heaven-grade channeling stick. Not bad. It’ll make a fine walking cane for Uncle Chen.”

Du Juan stifled a laugh despite her nerves, watching as Fang Yuan continued looting with practiced precision.

Then something on a pedestal caught his eye, a slab of golden jade etched with the crest of a roaring dragon.

The Royal Seal of Qin.

Fang Yuan stopped, staring at it for a moment. A faint grin tugged at his lips.

“Well, well. It would be rude to leave this behind.”

He plucked the seal from its pedestal with a flick of his wrist and tossed it into his spatial ring.

A faint tremor passed through the treasury as if the palace itself realized something sacred had just vanished.

“Let’s move,” Fang Yuan muttered, scanning deeper into the vault. “There should be a section for medicinal treasures.”

They descended into the lower chamber, and the air grew heavier, thicker with the fragrance of herbs so ancient that their qi shimmered visibly.

Rows of jade containers stretched before them, each holding something rarer than the last.

Fang Yuan’s eyes glinted as he spotted several familiar plants.

“The Seven Ring Lotus, the Hollow Yeklo Grass, even some Bluebell… impressive.”

Du Juan darted forward, her hands trembling slightly as she held up the delicate blue-petaled herb.

“Clan Head… is this it? Is this the one that can save my sister?”

Fang Yuan paused for a moment, then shook his head slowly.

“No. The Bluebell is only part of the formula. We’ll need the rest if we’re to rebuild a soul vessel properly.”

Her shoulders sank, but before despair could take hold, he continued with a faint smile.

“Looks like Qin didn’t have everything. But don’t worry… there’s still the Azure Phoenix Kingdom. They’ve always been richer in medicinal resources.”

Du Juan looked up, hope flickering anew in her eyes.

Fang Yuan turned, raising a hand. The void shimmered, and the floating jade boat appeared once again, hovering silently in the shadowed air.

He stepped aboard, motioning for her to follow.

As she climbed in, he tapped the boat’s core rune.

The air folded in on itself, reality bent and in a blink, the two vanished into the void, leaving behind only silence and the faint hum of disturbed qi.

Far above, unseen by mortal eyes, the jade boat cut a smooth path through the endless darkness, heading east, toward the Azure Phoenix Kingdom.

The boat glided soundlessly through the vast expanse of the void an endless sea of swirling darkness threaded with faint ribbons of starlight.

Its hull shimmered softly casting a gentle glow that illuminated Fang Yuan and Du Juan’s faces as they drifted above reality itself.

The silence was deep, broken only by the faint hum of the boat’s energy core.

Du Juan sat at the edge of the vessel, her gaze lost in the vast emptiness around them.

After a while, she glanced toward Fang Yuan, who was lazily leaning back with one leg crossed over the other, arms behind his head, eyes half-closed.

“Clan Head,” she finally said, curiosity lacing her tone. “Why are we taking this boat through the void instead of you just… teleporting us straight into the treasury like before?”

Fang Yuan opened one eye and yawned, stretching his arms overhead.

“Ah… that.” He scratched the back of his head and gave her a faint grin.

“I might have forgotten to mention this, but walking through the void eats up a ridiculous amount of qi. It’s not something I can just toss around for fun.”

He gestured lazily to the jade boat beneath them. “This little beauty, though, it’s far more efficient. It glides through the void using stored qi crystals instead of mine. So, instead of draining myself dry, I can just… enjoy the ride.”

“Oh,” Du Juan said softly, her tone understanding. “That makes sense.”

The silence returned for a moment as she stared down at the glowing runes, her expression thoughtful.

Then, in a quieter voice, she asked, “Patriarch… what’s the next herb we need to heal my sister?”

Fang Yuan froze for half a second. Then he gave a small, suspiciously casual cough.

“Ahem—Don’t worry about that. The Azure Phoenix Kingdom definitely has it.”

Her brows furrowed slightly, but she nodded, trusting him.

The boat continued its slow journey through the starless void, its trail of faint light like a silver river cutting through darkness.

Minutes passed in quiet stillness.

Du Juan’s hands gripped the edge of the boat, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke again. “Patriarch… will my sister really be okay?”

Fang Yuan turned his head toward her.

The glow of the runes reflected in her eyes, highlighting the faint traces of exhaustion and hope in her expression.

He smiled gently. “Of course she’ll be fine.”

Du Juan blinked, startled by how easily he said it.

“She’s got the best family member in the world taking care of her,” Fang Yuan continued, his tone light, teasing.

“Well—second best, right after me.”

For a heartbeat, Du Juan stared at him and then she laughed. A soft, genuine laugh that carried through the silent void. Fang Yuan chuckled too, leaning back with a satisfied smirk.

Soon, the air shifted. The runes along the hull flared brightly, and a ripple of light enveloped them.

Space folded, and the darkness melted away revealing a majestic chamber bathed in radiant gold.

They had arrived inside the treasury of the Azure Phoenix Kingdom.

The air itself shimmered with dense spiritual energy.

Piles of treasures gleamed in every direction mountains of spirit stones, crystal chests brimming with rare pills, and relics that pulsed with divine light.

Fang Yuan stood and dusted off his robe with a satisfied smile.

“Well,” he said, surveying the opulent chamber. “Home sweet home at least for the next ten minutes.”

The Azure Phoenix treasury unfolded before them like a dream sculpted in gold.