Free Web NovelChapter 3: The Weight of a Patriarch
The Weight of a Patriarch
Victor stepped into the hall and looked toward Max.
"Second Brother, you’ve suffered during the years I was gone."
The words were simple.
Quiet.
Yet the moment they left his mouth, the entire hall fell silent.
Max Salvatore stood frozen.
Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.
For ten years he had carried everything alone.
The decline of the family.
The departure of countless Guardians.
The pressure from rival families.
The responsibility of protecting the younger generation.
The constant fear that the Salvatore Family would collapse under his watch.
He had endured it all.
Without complaint.
Without retreating.
And now, hearing those words from the person he respected most, all the strength he had been forcing himself to maintain finally cracked.
Victor stood at the entrance like a figure descended from legend.
His long black hair flowed gently behind him despite the absence of wind.
The black robe embroidered with golden dragons seemed almost alive beneath the sunlight filtering through the shattered windows.
His golden eyes swept calmly across the room.
They were neither joyful nor sorrowful.
There was no visible anger.
No excitement.
No relief.
Only calm.
A terrifying calm.
Those who knew Victor best understood exactly what that expression meant.
This was the face he wore when his anger had reached its absolute limit.
The atmosphere changed the moment he appeared.
The temperature inside the hall seemed to drop several degrees.
Even the air felt heavier.
No one dared breathe too loudly.
No one dared speak.
Rowan Blackwood stared at Victor as though he had seen a ghost.
His face instantly lost all color.
His fingers trembled uncontrollably.
His pupils contracted.
"V-Victor?!"
His voice cracked.
"You’re still alive?!"
Disbelief.
Shock.
Fear.
All of them exploded within his heart simultaneously.
The Blackwood Family had received intelligence long ago that Victor’s breakthrough had failed.
Many even believed he was already dead.
Otherwise, how could the Salvatore Family have declined to such a degree?
How could Max have been forced to struggle alone for so many years?
But now—
Victor stood before him.
Alive.
And something about him felt different.
Dangerously different. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
However, the instant those words left Rowan’s mouth—
Boom!
Golden light erupted.
A spear materialized out of nowhere.
There were no hand seals.
No visible preparation.
No warning.
One moment the space before Victor was empty.
The next—
A golden spear appeared.
Radiant.
Majestic.
Filled with overwhelming destructive power.
Before Rowan could react—
The spear shot forward.
Like divine judgment.
Like lightning descending from heaven.
Pffft!
Blood exploded into the air.
The spear pierced straight through Rowan Blackwood’s body.
His protective spiritual power shattered instantly.
His defensive techniques were crushed as though they had never existed.
The terrifying force carried him backward.
Then downward.
Boom!
The spear nailed him directly to the floor.
Stone shattered.
Cracks spread across the hall.
The arrogant elder who had dominated the room only moments ago was now pinned to the ground.
Kneeling.
Both knees pressed against the floor.
Blood flowed from the wound in his chest.
The scene was humiliating beyond words.
His proud Arcane Meridian Realm cultivation had been completely powerless.
Like paper before a raging inferno.
"Pfft!"
Rowan coughed violently.
A large mouthful of blood splattered across the ground.
His entire body shook.
Not from pain.
From terror.
At that moment...
It felt as though he had returned to ten years ago.
Back to the first time he had visited the Salvatore Family.
Back when Victor stood at the peak of Aurelia City.
Back when he hadn’t even possessed the qualifications to raise his head.
Back when merely standing in Victor’s presence felt suffocating.
His lips trembled.
"Externalized True Essence..."
His eyes widened.
"Manifesting weapons from nothing..."
His voice shook violently.
"You’ve entered the Astral Manifestation Realm!"
The words echoed throughout the hall.
Everyone froze.
Astral Manifestation Realm.
A realm countless cultivators dreamed of reaching.
A realm that separated true experts from ordinary cultivators.
Ten years ago, Victor had already dominated Aurelia City while only at the Peak Celestial Gate Realm.
Now?
He had stepped beyond it.
The difference between those two realms was like heaven and earth.
Astral Manifestation experts could condense weapons from pure True Essence.
Walk through the skies.
Ride the clouds.
Command power far beyond mortal understanding.
Without exaggeration—
Such individuals were already considered immortals in the eyes of ordinary people.
"Big Brother! You’ve entered the Astral Manifestation Realm!"
Max’s voice trembled with excitement.
"That’s wonderful! Big Brother!"
Years of despair vanished from his eyes.
Hope returned.
Real hope.
Not the false hope he forced himself to cling to every night.
The genuine kind.
The moment Rowan’s suppression disappeared, the younger generation immediately rushed forward.
Their eyes shone brightly.
"It’s the Patriarch!"
"The Patriarch was already Aurelia City’s strongest expert ten years ago! Now that he’s emerged from seclusion, the dead end facing our Salvatore Family has been shattered!"
"Greetings, Patriarch!"
"Patriarch, the Salvatore Family has suffered for so many years!"
"Patriarch, have you truly entered the Astral Manifestation Realm?"
The hall became noisy.
Yet nobody minded.
After years of oppression.
Years of humiliation.
Everyone finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel.
Victor looked at the younger generation.
Many faces were unfamiliar.
Children he once knew had become adults.
The years had passed faster than he realized.
Facing their hopeful gazes, Victor simply nodded.
"I was fortunate enough to step into the Astral Manifestation Realm."
The moment those words were confirmed—
The hall erupted.
Some disciples laughed.
Others cried.
Several older members wiped tears from their eyes.
These were the same young men and women who had stood against Rowan moments ago.
The same people who had refused to bow despite overwhelming pressure.
The same people who had been willing to die.
Yet now many of them cried openly.
Not because they were weak.
But because they had finally endured long enough to see hope return.
Victor silently watched them.
His heart softened slightly.
This family had not broken.
Even after ten years.
They still possessed their backbone.
That alone was worth protecting.
Max slowly approached.
His body trembled.
"Big Brother..."
His voice was hoarse.
"You’ve finally come back."
Victor nodded.
Then his gaze narrowed.
"Second Brother, your cultivation..."
His hand landed gently on Max’s shoulder.
Immediately, Victor sensed the condition of his body.
His brows furrowed.
Before entering seclusion, Max had successfully reached the Celestial Gate Realm.
His future had been bright.
Yet now—
His blood vitality was severely depleted.
His meridians carried signs of repeated injury.
His foundation was unstable.
Worst of all—
His cultivation had fallen by two entire major realms.
The discovery made Victor’s expression colder.
A dangerous coldness.
However, Max merely smiled bitterly.
"Big Brother, let’s talk about that later."
His eyes lowered.
Shame appeared across his face.
"I’ve failed you..."
"I’ve failed the Salvatore Family..."
Before he could continue—
Victor interrupted him.
"You have never failed the Salvatore Family."
The words were firm.
Absolute.
Max froze.
Victor looked directly into his brother’s eyes.
"For ten years, you carried everything alone."
"You protected this family."
"You protected our people."
"You protected the younger generation."
"You stood your ground when others would have surrendered."
Victor’s voice softened.
"You have never failed the Salvatore Family."
Silence followed.
Then Victor added,
"Leave everything that follows to me."
The burden Max had carried for years suddenly felt lighter.
For the first time in a decade—
He felt safe.
Meanwhile, Victor slowly clenched his hand.
Golden True Essence flowed around him like a river of sunlight.
The pressure instantly intensified.
"No!"
"Patriarch Victor!"
"Patriarch Victor!"
"It’s all a misunderstanding!"
"A misunderstanding!"
Rowan Blackwood screamed desperately.
Blood continued pouring from the wound in his chest.
His previous arrogance had completely disappeared.
Only panic remained.
"It was the Ashthorn Family!"
"The Ashthorn Family joined forces with the other great families and sent us ahead as cannon fodder!"
"Our Blackwood Family was only acting!"
"Really!"
"Patriarch Victor, please believe me!"
"The Blackwood Family has always been the Salvatore Family’s most loyal dog!"
His voice sounded pathetic.
Almost pitiful.
But nobody pitied him.
The younger generation looked at him with undisguised hatred.
Max’s eyes were equally cold.
As for Victor—
He didn’t even bother looking at him.
Not once.
His gaze remained fixed elsewhere.
As though Rowan did not exist.
As though he were already dead.
Victor’s voice remained calm.
"What I’m actually curious about..."
His eyes slowly moved toward the shadows outside the hall.
"Is who gave you people the courage to secretly monitor the Salvatore Family."
The surrounding air became colder.
"Have you forgotten how the Salvatore Family earned its reputation?"
His golden eyes gleamed.
"Have you forgotten who I am?"
The words were not loud.
Yet everyone felt their hearts tremble.
Then Victor spoke again.
"Since you’ve come..."
A faint smile appeared.
Cold.
Merciless.
"Then don’t bother leaving."
It sounded almost as though he were speaking to himself.
Then—
His fingers closed.
Boom!
Golden True Essence exploded.
Like a dragon awakening.
Like heavenly judgment descending.
Rowan’s screams instantly stopped.
His body disintegrated beneath the overwhelming force.
Not even a complete corpse remained.
The violent wave of energy then shot toward the surrounding darkness.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Several explosions echoed one after another.
Figures hidden among rooftops, walls, and nearby trees immediately collapsed.
Blood sprayed.
Bones shattered.
They were spies.
Observers sent by the rival families. freewebnøvel.com
They had followed behind the Blackwood Family to discover the truth about the Salvatore Family.
When Victor appeared—
Terror consumed them.
They wanted to flee.
Yet before an Astral Manifestation expert—
Running was a joke.
They could only watch helplessly as death arrived.
The hall became silent.
Everyone stared at Victor.
Awe filled their eyes.
The Patriarch was simply too powerful.
Fanaticism.
Respect.
Admiration.
At this moment, if Victor ordered them into battle, none would hesitate.
From beginning to end, Victor never once looked directly at Rowan Blackwood.
Because Rowan had been right about one thing.
The Blackwood Family truly was a dog.
A dog that had betrayed its former master.
And such a dog—
Did not possess the qualifications to speak with Victor.
Just as Rowan once lacked the qualifications to enter this hall.
"Uncle."
Nux stepped forward respectfully and bowed.
His black hair shifted gently.
His crimson eyes no longer carried the terrifying killing intent from earlier.
Now he simply looked like a respectful young man greeting an elder.
Victor looked at him carefully.
Then a faint smile appeared.
"Nux."
"You’ve grown so much."
The last memory Victor had of him was a small child who liked chasing butterflies through the courtyards.
A child who could barely reach his waist.
Yet now he stood before him as a young man.
Time truly moved quickly.
Victor gently patted Nux’s shoulder.
Then—
His expression froze.
An ethereal voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.
[Ding!]
[Blue-Grade Family Member detected.]
[Legacy Investment available.]
