So, even though Wang Chen's cultivation was only at the two-ring Great Soul Master level, he was already capable of skillfully crafting third-tier soul tools.
At present, the only thing limiting his rapid advancement in soul tool crafting is his cultivation base.
This left Wang Chen feeling rather helpless. After all, the Black Book had been severely damaged during his transmigration. Now it retained only its most basic functions, unable to help him directly raise his cultivation level.
Wang Chen had considered repairing the Black Book, but it was far beyond his current comprehension. Its level was simply too high.
Fortunately, the Black Book possessed an auto-repair function, slowly recovering on its own.
All Wang Chen could do was silently pray that it would fully restore itself soon and unlock more of its abilities.
After finishing his core array practice, Wang Chen felt his stomach growl. Glancing at the time, he realized it was already eight o'clock.
His parents had likely finished preparing breakfast by now, so he left his room and headed for the dining hall.
Halfway through the family meal, there came a knock at the door.
Father and Mother Wang exchanged puzzled glances.
"Who would come visiting at this hour?" they both wondered.
Though annoyed at being interrupted mid-meal, Father Wang still rose to answer the door.
The moment the door opened, a towering middle-aged man—well over two meters tall, built like an iron tower—filled his vision.
Father Wang's pupils shrank instantly.
That… that was Wang Shan!
A jolt of shock ran through him. Wang Shan was a seventh-tier soul engineer and a Soul Sage, usually stationed at the clan leader's side. His sudden appearance here could only mean one thing—he had been sent by the Patriarch himself.
Just as Father Wang opened his mouth to ask why he had come—
Wang Shan boomed,
"Wang Chen, come with me at once. The Patriarch summons you. You can finish your meal later—don't waste the Patriarch's time!"
With his mouth still half full, Wang Chen mumbled,
"The Patriarch wants me? For what?"
Wang Shan cursed inwardly. "How would I know? The Patriarch summoned you, not me! Do I look like his secretary?"
Of course, he didn't dare say that aloud. Instead, he snapped,
"What's he calling you for? Just get moving already. Why are you asking so many questions?"
Wang Chen: …
Beside him, Father and Mother Wang quickly urged,
"Chen'er, go. If the Patriarch summons you, it must be for something important. Remember to be respectful when you meet him…"
Wang Shan rolled his eyes at their endless nagging. Impatiently, he cut in,
"Enough, enough! If you keep stalling, the sun will set before we get there."
Without another word, he strode over, grabbed Wang Chen under his arm, and—whoosh!—vanished from sight.
Before Wang Chen even registered what had happened, he was soaring through the air, the landscape below blurring as it sped past.
In less than three seconds, Wang Shan set him down outside the Patriarch's great hall.
"Go on in," Wang Shan said flatly. "The Patriarch is waiting inside."
Windblown and disheveled, Wang Chen stared at him, seriously questioning the man's sanity. All this just to save a few seconds? Really?
Still, he pushed the thought aside. What mattered now was figuring out why Wang Yan, the Patriarch, wanted him.
Deep in thought, he stepped forward into the hall.
At once, it felt as though he had entered another world.
The entire hall was filled with exotic flowers and rare herbs. Their fragrance wafted through the air, refreshing and soothing the mind. The style was completely unlike the cold, metallic aesthetic typical of the Sun and Moon Empire.
Bathed in the fragrance, Wang Chen felt lighter, his thoughts clearer.
He eyed the plants around him, quickly estimating their worth. Just the ones he recognized easily exceeded five million gold soul coins.
As for the ones he didn't recognize—those were surely even more priceless.
"As expected of the Wang Family Patriarch, an eighth-tier peak soul engineer. The decoration of just this one hall alone must have cost a fortune," Wang Chen thought to himself.
Continuing deeper, he soon reached the innermost chamber.
There, a kindly white-haired elder reclined leisurely in a chair at the far end.
Wang Chen immediately clasped his hands in salute.
"Third-generation descendant Wang Chen pays respects to the Ancestor."
Though he harbored dissatisfaction with Wang Yan's decision to take sides in the royal succession struggle, Wang Chen's expression was flawlessly respectful. No one could find fault with his manners.
Of course, he had no intention of trying to persuade Wang Yan otherwise. Even if he told him that supporting the Second Prince was a dead end, Wang Yan would never believe it.
And even if he did believe, it was far too late to withdraw.
Once you make your move in the great game, there is no taking it back.
Besides, who would trust the words of an eleven-year-old boy?
Tell him he knew the future? That he had a golden finger and had transmigrated? Don't be ridiculous. That secret would never leave his lips—not even to his parents, let alone to any future wife or children.
As for Xu Tiannan's retaliation after the assassination attempt failed in a few years—Wang Chen believed it could still be prevented.
One option: intensify the assassination so Xu Tiannan ended up dead, not just crippled. A corpse couldn't retaliate.
Another option: before Xu Tiannan could retaliate, expose his inability to father heirs. Once that was public, his chances at the throne would be permanently destroyed.
From there, Xu Tiannan would be abandoned by all. After all, no one would support a prince fated never to become emperor.
Of course, exposure wasn't as simple as blurting out the truth. His identity would need to remain hidden, or he'd be killed. The method had to be calculated and effective.
If no one believed it—or if the news spread too slowly and Xu Tiannan managed to suppress it—the whole effort would fail. All of this required careful planning…
Naturally, reclining in his chair, Wang Yan was unaware of his "good great-grandson's" heretical thoughts. If he had known, he might have struck Wang Chen dead on the spot.
Instead, Wang Yan gazed at him with envy—envy for his youth, his vitality.
The reason he had summoned Wang Chen today was simple: to have him get closer to Meng Hongchen, strengthening their ties. It was nothing more than a gesture to appease the Second Prince, proof that the Wang Family was "making an effort."
Wang Yan knew Jing Hongchen far too well. Such a man would never be swayed by such a paltry scheme. He even doubted Wang Chen would manage to see Meng Hongchen at all.
Speaking casually, Wang Yan said,
"Chen'er, the family has a task for you."
Wang Chen's heart skipped. "What the—has Wang Yan gone mad? I'm just an eleven-year-old little weakling, and he wants me to carry out a family mission? Is he trying to get me killed?!"
But aloud he proclaimed boldly,
"Please enlighten me, Ancestor! This descendant will devote his full strength to ease the family's burdens!"
Wang Yan smiled faintly.
"I recall you're on good terms with that little girl from the Hongchen Family. Your task is simple—just deepen your bond with her. That's all. You may go."
Wang Chen: That's it??