Meanwhile, in the Chi household...
"I'm afraid this is the maximum that I can do for now," Chi Lian said to Chi Chen. He had supplemented the latter's primal sea, ensuring that he could reach Rank 2. However, much like with Mo Chen, he was concerned as to what would happen tomorrow.
"So, Grandfather, you don't happen to know how it is that Fang Yuan reached Rank 4?" It was the talk of the town, naturally, with many people expecting an answer, like a grand inheritance. However, instead, the clan head had simply accepted this and went on as if there was nothing wrong with Fang Yuan becoming Rank 4, no doubt questions buzzing through everyone's minds. However, if the clan head accepted it, and if the Elders weren't doing anything about it, there was little that small fry like the rest of the Gu Masters could do about such.
"I don't know the secret," Chi Lian said.
"Regardless, I am heading out to battle tomorrow."
"Does it have to be you?" Chi Chen asked.
"If it's not me, then who else?" came the answer. "It has to be someone of Rank 3 or higher, and if Mo Chen himself is wandering off, what will people think of the Chi family if we stand on the sidelines like a massive amount of cowards?"
"Isn't it better to be seen as a coward and be alive rather than be seen as brave and die?" Chi Shen asked.
"That may be so," came the reply. "However, don't worry, your grandfather isn't that easy to kill! I have seen my fair share of battles. "
Inwardly, he thought, 'This blasted plan of Fang Yuan's. There are multiple ways that it could go wrong. However, with the clan head agreeing with him, with other elders backing him, there's little that I can do except ride the tide.' "The question now," he continued, "is what to do should I pass away... this little secret of what has happened between us cannot go beyond the two of us. I hope you understand.'
"I understand."
"Do you, Chi Chen? Not even Chi Shan could know?" Although Chi Chen would be relying upon the latter in the meanwhile, in case his grandfather died, he could not know about their subterfuge.
"Who knows where the chips will fall?" Chi Lian said. "However, remember to attempt to get a Cleansing Aperture Gu for yourself, even if you cannot continue to supplement your own primeval essence like we are doing now. And if discovered, do not hesitate at all to throw me under the bus. Say that I coerced you under the pain of death to go along with this plan. If you must throw my name into the mud in order to save yourself, do so." What did reputation matter from beyond the grave? If it would save his last living descendant, so be it.
"I hope that will not come to that," Chi Chen said, clenching his fist. He once again cursed fate. He had been given a C-grade aptitude, falling behind the others and being forced to resort to such trickery in order to keep up with them.
Although he had managed to keep such a thing hidden for some time, without his grandfather, there was no hope of this ruse continuing. He would literally be thrown to the winds in such a case. With that said, there was a small glimmer of hope.
He didn't know how it was that Fang Yuan had managed to reach Rank 4, but it was clear that he had some manner of external help. If he could get his hands upon such, he might be able to reach Rank 3 or even Rank 4 as well. 'Fang Yuan! What kind of secrets are you hiding?' Chi Chen thought.
Had not the four of them- Chi Chen, Mo Bei, and the Fang twins started the academy at the same time? Then how was Fang Yuan soaring so high out of their reach, to the point where he now even exceeded the strength of their grandparents and could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the clan head himself?
'Did he find an aptitude-raising gu worm and get A-grade aptitude? Or is this the effect of multiple relic gu?'
There was little other than speculation that he could do in the moment, other than praying for his grandfather's safe return.
The dawn of the next day, Gu Yue Yao Ji had woken up early. "Grandmother, shouldn't you be resting a bit more?" Yao Le asked her.
"Not today," Yao Ji said. She was not going along with the others for this mission, but she knew that the likelihood of them being injured was very high today.
"We have to wait for and be prepared for what's coming."
Yao Le didn't fully understand what was going on. However, she understood from her grandmother's expression that there was a high likelihood that things would be going south.
"All right, thank grandmother. I'll have everything ready. Everyone will be alert and ready to respond to your command."
"That's my granddaughter," Yao Ji said.
As the strike force to deal with the Lightning Lycan King headed out; some of them were disguising themselves using Aura Restraint Gu. Fang Yuan himself had reduced his own cultivation to Rank 3 using the Training Weights Gu.
Their goal was to kill the Lightning Lycan King, after all, and for that they needed it to appear and not run away.
One thing surprised everyone who went on the mission along with Fang Yuan: that was the fact that he not only knew the rough location of where the Lightning Lycan King was, or at least claimed to, he also seemed to know all the gu worms that it had.
One of the biggest uncertainties in dealing with a wild beast king was the wild gu worms they could use. The fact that they knew for sure what this thing had made it somewhat easier to deal with in their mind. It was not out of the question for Fang Yuan to know this however, if he had truly fought with it like he had claimed to.
However, those Rank 4 Gu worms could only be countered by someone like Fang Yuan and not by them.
Their forces were arranged in such a way that it appeared multiple factions had been sent out to deal with various pockets of wolves. However, they were also clustered in a way that would be easier to coordinate and coalesce together to form one big whole. A large number of investigative Gu Masters were employed in this on the battlefield. They were skilled in all sorts of investigative measures. However, before the might of a Myriad Beast King, these measures might fail.
Fang Yuan was quite optimistic about this project succeeding. He was leading one of the groups, Mo Chen led another one, and Chi Lian led a third. The fourth was led by Gu Yue Han Lin.
"It will be an honor to fight with you today," he had told Fang Yuan before departing for his assigned position.
Both the leaders of the Mo and the Chi factions were quite warm towards Fang Yuan. They were not only relying upon him during this battle, but also hoping that he would show their families clemency once he had become clan head in case either passed away.
"Everyone! Thousand Beast King!" one of the scouts shouted, sounding the alarm.