Rise of the Wang Clan: Starting with a Portable Farm

Chapter 237: Wind Escape

In an instant, the expressions of the five elderly clansmen shifted through a kaleidoscope of emotions—worry, shock, and finally, wild, disbelief-tinged joy.

Before they could stammer out a refusal or a polite deferral, Wang Guang’an raised his hand, silencing the room. His voice was heavy with authority.

“I know what you are thinking. You have doubts. Some of you have already given up on the Dao, content to fade away so your descendants might rise. But hear this: my decision is final.”

He looked each of them in the eye. “I chose you not just for your clean records and past contributions, but because you are the most suitable candidates right now. The family is expanding. We are short of hands everywhere. Do you not wish to lend your strength one last time?”

“Ancestor, we…”

At that moment, the doors opened. Wang Hao and Wang Yanzhao strode in.

“Since you have set foot on the path of cultivation, you must have the heart to forge ahead!” Wang Hao declared, his voice ringing with conviction. “Fate has delivered a chance to your doorstep. How can you hesitate?”

“If your goal was merely to outlive mortals by a few decades and learn a few parlor tricks, why stay in the clan? You should have left years ago to become rich city lords in the mortal world!”

The five elders trembled. Wang Hao’s words struck deep, reigniting embers they thought had long since turned to ash.

Wang Wenkai, the youngest at sixty, stepped forward. He had fought hard for advancement before age caught up with him. His eyes burned with renewed fire.

“Ancestor! I want to establish my foundation! Wenkai will not fail the family’s expectations. I will dedicate my remaining life to the clan!”

“Good,” Wang Guang’an nodded, pleased. Wang Wenkai was his direct descendant—a lineage that had been tragically mediocre until now. If Wenkai succeeded, it would bring glory to his branch.

Emboldened, three others stepped forward, pledging their lives to the attempt.

Only Wang Yanzhong remained silent, struggling with his inner demons.

Finally, he looked up at Wang Hao, his voice hoarse. “Elder… why me?”

Wang Hao waved his hand dismissively. “The past is dust. I have already chosen a post for you. Once you advance, you will guard a critical, secluded location for the family. You are old; even if you succeed, your potential is limited. You will likely die of old age at the early Foundation Establishment stage, guarding that post for decades. Are you willing to accept such a lonely fate?”

Wang Hao intended to send him to the Gui Ran Sect Mine. With the spirit vein resealed to recover, the ambient Qi there would be thin—barely enough to sustain an early-stage cultivator, but insufficient for progress. It was a dead-end job, but a vital one.

Wang Yanzhong would have peace and safety, but his path would end there.

“Yanzhong,” Wang Longyou spoke up gently. “Your aptitude was never poor. You sacrificed your prime years helping me manage the clan’s affairs. If not for that burden, you might have reached the Ninth Layer before sixty.”

“Brother,” Wang Yanzhao added earnestly, “Hao’er and Sixth Uncle are right. You delayed your cultivation for the family. Now the family is repaying you. Why not try? To put it bluntly… you are nearly ninety. What do you have to lose? At worst, you die trying!”

Wang Yanzhong looked at the faces around him—the Patriarch, the Genius, the Ancestor. None of them held judgment, only expectation.

The coldness that had gripped his heart for years began to melt. He wiped a tear from his wrinkled cheek and straightened his spine. He bowed deeply, a gesture of profound gratitude and resolve.

“Yanzhong is willing. I will obey the family’s command. Even if I die, I will have no regrets!”

“Excellent!” Wang Guang’an stroked his beard, laughing. “I wish you all success. May your breakthroughs be the finest gift for my Grand Ceremony!”

He waved his hand. Ten jade bottles floated through the air, landing in the candidates’ palms.

“White bottles contain Foundation Establishment Pills. Green bottles contain Water Spirit Essence Milk. The milk will restore your Qi and Blood to their youthful peak. Go. Read the family’s archives, stabilize your hearts, and enter seclusion!”

He turned to the Clan Head. “Yanzhao, arrange their cultivation chambers. The Spirit Vein here cannot support five breakthroughs simultaneously. Send three of them to Ruojun Mountain.”

With the candidates dismissed to prepare for their trials, the leadership team relaxed slightly.

The family restructuring was proceeding smoothly. Wang Yanzhao and Wang Longyou had filled the thirty-seven key positions in the new Eight Halls system. Combined with the shopkeepers and resource point managers, over a hundred clansmen now held official posts—a third of the entire population. The bureaucracy was finally robust enough to handle their expansion.

Wang Guang’an handed a Divine Ability Fruit to Wang Yanzhao and a High Grade Spirit Weapon from Song Churan’s collection to Wang Longyou.

“Go,” he told them. “Prepare yourselves. The Grand Ceremony approaches.”

Wang Hao returned to his cave dwelling. He held the second Divine Ability Fruit in his hand.

He entered seclusion.

For over a month, the stone door of his chamber remained shut.

When he finally emerged, a satisfied smile played on his lips.

He had successfully refined the fruit. The ability he awakened was exactly what he had hoped for: a Wind Escape technique.

It was a “budget version”—not as elegant or fast as the innate movement of a Wind Spirit Root cultivator—but it was far superior to standard Five Elements escape spells. It activated instantly and covered vast distances. For chasing enemies or fleeing disaster, it was invaluable.

It wasn’t as explosive as the Blood Escape Art Ji Xiaotang had taught him, but it didn’t burn his lifespan or cripple him after use. It was a practical, everyday tool for survival.

Wang Hao checked the calendar. Less than half a month remained until the Golden Core Grand Ceremony.

He put his cultivation aside. It was time to switch roles from cultivator to administrator.

Nothing was more important than this event.

The Ceremony wasn’t just a party. It was a geopolitical statement. It was the moment the Wang family would formally announce their rise to the world, cementing their status in the eyes of the vassal clans, the rogue cultivators, and the neighboring powers.

It was also, as Wang Hao had planned long ago, a massive cash grab.

Although the Gui Ran Sect mine had filled their treasury, the upcoming expansion—conquering five Spirit Mountains and building a trade corridor—was a bottomless pit for resources.

Who would ever complain about having too many Spirit Stones?