Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?! - Chapter 303

Chapter 303: 303- Updated*
Current Location: Mount Skyhowl.

Within the newly claimed Fang estate, the air carried a faint fragrance of spirit herbs and the steady hum of spiritual veins newly awakened beneath the mountain.

A simple yet dignified grand hall had been prepared for the first formal gathering since the clan’s relocation.

Fang Yuan sat at the head of the long obsidian table. Beside him sat Lin Zhaoyue. Though she had at first protested against attending, in the end she still obeyed his quiet insistence and took her place.

Her gaze drifted absently across the hall, as if the very walls whispered echoes she could not remember.

Below them, the elders of both the Fang and Lin families sat in neat rows.

Despite the unity implied by the seating, tension hummed faintly, an inevitable mixture of gratitude, uncertainty, and awe toward the young man who had moved through mountains, quite literally, to save them.

When the Matriarch of the Lin family rose, the murmur in the hall quieted. Dressed in flowing violet robes embroidered with silver clouds, she bowed deeply.

“Clan Head Fang,” she began, her voice carrying both reverence and warmth. “Young Lady Zhaoyue.”

Her words drew every gaze in the hall.

“This old one offers sincere gratitude. In our darkest hour, when the Lin family was scattered and chaos consumed our lands, it was you who extended a hand. Were it not for your mercy, we would have perished under the burning banners of war.”

She paused, her composure briefly cracking as she exhaled softly, then continued. “Yet gratitude alone brings no progress. And so, I have come bearing news, urgent, and perhaps, laden with opportunity.”

Her eyes gleamed faintly as she continued. “Our scouts have reported an anomaly deep within the Redhill mountain range. And that is a secret realm… has revealed itself.”

The hall stirred at once. Elders exchanged glances, their composure breaking.

Matriach Lin didn’t halt and instead she continued on,”The gate is unlike any in recent history, it pulses with spiritual energy so dense that even Nascent cultivators feel pressure upon approach. Only those of Golden Core realm can even stand within a hundred meters of it!”

The Matriarch’s gaze lingered on Fang Yuan. “If the rumors hold true, then whatever lies beyond that gate… could likely reshape the balance between all great powers.”

A faint smile tugged at Fang Yuan’s lips.

“A secret realm, hm?” he murmured, fingers tapping lightly against the armrest.

The air in the hall grew heavier and the murmurs in the hall swelled like a rising tide.

“A secret realm in Redhill territory…” Elder Fang Chen muttered, stroking his beard. “That’s dangerously close to the Azure Phoenix capital. If the gate’s aura truly repels anyone below Golden Core, then the Shu emperor will guard it like a dragon its egg.”

“Guard it?” another elder scoffed. “They’ll seal it. The Shu empire won’t share such fortune with anyone.”

The Lin Matriarch’s expression turned grave. “That is precisely why I bring this news now. The gate appeared only two days ago, but already, factions are gathering. The Qin Empire has dispatched envoys, the Divine Ice Sect has sent disciples, and rogue cultivators have begun slaughtering one another just to claim rumors of entry rights.”

Fang Yuan remained still as he watched his elders fidget in place.

“Chaos follows opportunity,” he said at last, his tone low yet clear. “And opportunity is exactly what we desperately need.”

Lin Zhaoyue turned slightly toward him, her delicate brows furrowing.

“You’re thinking of entering it?” Her voice was soft, hesitant, half born of curiosity, half from an instinct she didn’t yet understand.

Fang Yuan didn’t answer immediately. His gaze drifted past her, toward the open balcony of the hall.

Beyond it lay the endless expanse of Mount Skyhowl, clouds rolling beneath the estate, streaks of spiritual light tracing through the mist like veins of living energy.

He finally spoke. “The Fang Family has only just regained its footing. Our foundations are not yet stable. But if a secret realm truly holds strength capable of pushing back a nascent soul… we cannot afford to ignore it.”

Elder Fang Chen bowed his head slightly. “Clan Head, if I may, our forces are too few. Even with our new home, we are rebuilding. Entering that chaos may draw attention we cannot handle.”

“You’re right,” Fang Yuan said, inclining his head toward Fang Chen.

Then, turning slightly, his gaze fell upon a woman seated a few rows down.

“Aunt Jingyi,” he said evenly, “could you please bring in Du Juan?”

Without hesitation or question, Fang Jingyi rose.

The sound of her chair scraping softly against the floor was the only noise in the hall as she bowed lightly and stepped out, her robes trailing behind her like a crimson whisper.

Fang Yuan waited until the echoes of Aunt Jingyi’s departing footsteps faded beyond the hall doors.

Then, his gaze swept over the assembled elders.

He rose slowly from his seat, the faint crimson hue in his eyes catching the hall’s lantern light.

“Elders of the Fang and Lin families,” he began, his tone calm, deliberate.

“You have all heard of the secret realm that has appeared within the Redhill mountains. An opportunity such as this comes once in a lifetime, perhaps once in several generations. Its spiritual energy alone could probably nourish entire sects, its treasures could perhaps elevate mere mortals into cultivation genius, and perhaps, its very secrets… could change the fate of a clan entirely.”

A ripple of excitement ran through the room, but Fang Yuan raised his hand slightly, and silence returned.

“However,” he continued, his gaze turning sharp, “none of you are in the Golden Core realm.”

The words struck like a hammer against pride, but his tone held no contempt.

“I do not say this to belittle you, but to remind you of reality. That realm gate alone would crush your bodies if you approached it. You could not even stand at its threshold, much less compete within.”

Several elders lowered their heads, the truth stinging but undeniable.