Building an Eternal Dynasty: The Eternal Legacy System

Chapter 6: The Patriarch’s Wrath

The Patriarch’s Wrath

The Salvatore Family’s clan elders had all died.

The family Guardians had scattered like birds fleeing a collapsing tree.

The Acting Patriarch’s cultivation had been crippled.

And despite such a catastrophic upheaval, Victor, the Patriarch of the Salvatore Family, had never emerged from seclusion.

As a result, many families gradually came to believe that Victor had already died during his breakthrough.

What followed happened naturally.

In this world, loyalty often lasted only as long as strength remained.

Once the mountain collapsed, the wolves emerged from the shadows.

The Blackwood Family, once a subordinate family of the Salvatore Family, was the first to betray them.

They had been among the greatest beneficiaries of the Salvatore Family’s protection in the past. Their businesses had flourished beneath Salvatore influence. Their younger generation had walked proudly through Aurelia City because others feared offending the family standing behind them.

Yet when the giant appeared to fall...

They were the first to bare their fangs.

The Salvatore Family’s businesses and properties were gradually swallowed up by the various families.

Store after store disappeared.

Trading routes changed hands.

Restaurants, medicine halls, warehouses, spirit farms, and countless other assets vanished one piece at a time.

The family’s foundation was hollowed out piece by piece.

Like termites devouring an ancient tree from within.

Without a top-tier expert to oversee the clan, and with no Guardians willing to join them, the Salvatore Family’s decline became inevitable.

Meanwhile, the resentment, frustration, and guilt that Max Salvatore had bottled up while constantly enduring humiliation for the sake of protecting the clan gradually destroyed his health.

Every compromise cut into his pride.

Every concession carved another wound into his spirit.

He endured because he had no choice.

He endured because the family still needed him.

He endured because someone had to remain standing.

Under the open and covert attacks of the major families, the Salvatore Family’s industries had now been reduced to less than a tenth of their former size.

Yet the Salvatore Family’s former glory had simply been too dazzling.

The reputation of the Three Heroes of the Salvatore Family had once pressed down on all of Aurelia City.

Victor.

Max.

Shawn.

Three names that once made countless cultivators lose sleep.

The temptation of devouring such a massive piece of meat was simply too great.

And so, the Blackwood Family became the dog sent forward to test the Salvatore Family.

The hall grew quiet.

Only Max’s weak breathing could be heard.

Sunlight streamed through the broken windows, illuminating countless drifting dust particles.

Victor stood silently.

The more he listened, the colder his eyes became.

The Salvatore Family had not fallen because they were weak.

They had fallen because enemies smelled blood.

Because they believed the mountain had collapsed.

Because they believed Victor Salvatore would never return.

"What I’m most thankful for is that Shawn never came back all these years."

A complicated smile appeared on Max’s face.

Despite his pale complexion, a faint trace of relief lingered in his eyes.

"Otherwise, with his personality, he’d dare challenge even a Heavenly Genesis Realm expert."

A helpless chuckle escaped him.

"If something happened to him because of that, I truly wouldn’t know how to live with myself."

The Shawn Max spoke of was Shawn Salvatore, Victor’s youngest brother.

The atmosphere in the hall softened slightly at the mention of him.

Even several younger disciples couldn’t help smiling.

Shawn was famous throughout the family.

Not because of his strength.

Not because of his talent.

But because of his temperament.

His temper was as fierce as wildfire.

He couldn’t tolerate the slightest injustice.

Other than Victor, he listened to no one.

Not even clan elders.

Not even respected seniors.

If he disagreed with someone, he would argue until the sky turned dark.

And if arguing didn’t work—

His fists usually followed.

Back then, many people feared Victor.

But they feared Shawn for an entirely different reason.

Victor was reasonable.

Shawn wasn’t.

His talent was astonishing.

More importantly, he feared neither heaven nor death.

Back in their generation, everyone had called him the Salvatore Family’s Mad Dog.

Whoever dared provoke the Salvatore Family—

Even if he died, he would tear a piece of flesh from his enemy before going down.

Victor remembered countless incidents.

A faint smile briefly appeared on his face.

Many years ago, Shawn had challenged someone three realms above him simply because that person insulted Max.

He had lost.

Badly.

Yet after recovering, he challenged the same person again.

And again.

And again.

Until the man finally fled Aurelia City to avoid him.

That was Shawn.

Stubborn beyond reason. freeweɓnovel.cѳm

Before Victor entered seclusion, Shawn had followed a wandering expert and left to travel the world.

He had not returned for many years.

Perhaps that was for the best.

Had he returned and witnessed what happened to Max...

The entire city might already be drowning in blood.

"Big Brother... it’s all my fault."

Max lowered his head.

His voice trembled.

His face was filled with agony.

"Hmph!"

Victor’s cold snort echoed throughout the hall.

The air temperature seemed to drop instantly.

"What arrogance."

The smile vanished from Victor’s face.

Golden eyes filled with chilling fury.

"They killed my clan elders, crippled my younger brother, and called the Salvatore Family ants!"

His voice gradually grew colder.

Every word carried terrifying pressure.

"Hearing his brother’s story, anger finally surged within Victor’s heart."

A cold smile appeared on his face.

"Max, what fault do you bear?"

Victor looked directly at him.

His gaze was firm.

Steady.

Unshakable.

"What is there for you to blame yourself for?"

Max opened his mouth but couldn’t answer.

Victor continued.

"You need neither guilt nor fear."

His voice became calm once more.

Yet that calm carried overwhelming confidence.

"I am here."

Those three words alone seemed capable of supporting heaven itself.

"As the Patriarch of the Salvatore Family, I am the sky above this clan."

The surrounding disciples unconsciously straightened their backs.

"I will personally settle this debt with them."

Max’s eyes trembled.

"But Big Brother..."

Victor raised a hand.

Everything fell silent.

"Everything is in my hands."

His tone left absolutely no room for argument.

Then he looked directly into Max’s eyes.

"Max, remember this."

"It won’t be long before I make them come to our door themselves."

His golden eyes shone brilliantly.

"They will kneel before you and beg you to bring Rias back to the Salvatore Family."

Max froze.

The entire hall froze.

Victor continued before anyone could speak.

"Because she is a woman of the Salvatore Family."

His voice echoed clearly.

"The mother of our direct bloodline descendant."

"Nux carries her blood."

"She is family."

The conviction in his voice was absolute.

"No matter where she is."

"No matter what family stands behind her."

"I will bring her home."

Silence followed.

Many younger disciples felt goosebumps.

Max stared at his elder brother.

His lips trembled slightly.

"Countless emotions stirred within Max’s heart.

Rias...

His wife in name, his closest companion in reality.

For years, they had carried the family’s burdens side by side, understanding each other in ways few people ever could. She was someone who always seemed to smile through her troubles, hiding countless thoughts behind calm eyes.

A strange thought suddenly crossed his mind.

Maybe...

Maybe Big Brother Victor was right.

If Victor personally went to find her and brought her back home, then perhaps Rias would finally stop carrying everything by herself. Perhaps the burdens she had hidden for so many years could finally be set down.

And perhaps...

Some things that had remained unspoken between certain people for far too long would no longer need to stay buried.

The thought lingered quietly in Max’s mind.

But he said nothing.

Some truths were better left for those involved to face themselves."

Not yet.

Instead, he simply smiled.

A genuine smile.

For the first time in many years.

Filled with boundless confidence.

A Heavenly Genesis Realm servant?

Perhaps in the past, such a force would have been utterly beyond the reach of the Salvatore Family.

But everything had changed from the moment Victor awakened the Eternal Legacy System.

As long as he developed steadily and advanced step by step, Victor was confident that it wouldn’t take long before the people who had called the Salvatore Family ants would experience a fate worse than death.

His words exploded within Max’s heart like thunder.

His body shook slightly.

The withered spirit that had long since lost all hope seemed to sprout new life once more.

If anyone else had spoken such words, he would have thought them insane.

But this was Victor.

His elder brother.

The Patriarch who seemed capable of holding up the heavens.

No matter how impossible those words sounded...

Max was willing to believe them.

"Yes, Big Brother!"

His voice remained weak, but for the first time in years, it contained hope.

At that moment, Nux returned to the main hall.

"Uncle!"

His black hair swayed as he hurried inside.

Red eyes burned with determination.

"According to your instructions, the clan members have begun reclaiming the Salvatore Family’s former businesses."

"Many shops and restaurants have already been recovered."

"However, the Blackwood Family attacked our clan members."

"The people responsible have already been killed by me."

His voice remained calm.

"As for what comes next, I didn’t dare make the decision myself."

"So I brought everyone back to await your orders."

Outside the hall, numerous Salvatore disciples stood with weapons in hand.

Their eyes were cold and resolute.

All they needed was a single command from Victor.

Even if the path ahead led through mountains of blades and seas of fire, they would charge forward without hesitation.

"The Blackwood Family..."

A cold light flashed through Victor’s eyes.

"A dog I once raised has truly forgotten who its master is."

The temperature in the room dropped noticeably.

"I originally intended to deal with the accumulated affairs of the family before turning my attention to them."

His voice became colder.

"But since the Blackwood Family is so eager to die..."

Killing intent gradually rose within him.

Now that he had returned, there was only one fate for a dog that bit its owner.

It would be beaten to death.

At that moment, the familiar voice of the Eternal Legacy System sounded once again.

[Ding! Family Mission Triggered: Destroy the Blackwood Family, Establish the Salvatore Family’s Might Throughout Aurelia City!]

[Mission Reward: Heaven-Grade Pill — Hundred Refinements Body Tempering Pill]

[Mission Reward: Earth-Grade Cultivation Technique — Four Seasons Hidden Spring Scripture]

Listening to the ethereal voice in his ears, Victor no longer hesitated.

"The autumn winds in Aurelia City are cold."

He looked toward Max.

"Second Brother, rest well."

"Big Brother, you..."

Victor slowly turned toward the hall entrance.

Golden sunlight illuminated his black robe embroidered with dragons.

"Autumn has arrived."

A faint smile appeared.

"If I remember correctly, it was autumn when I entered seclusion as well."

His gaze drifted toward the sky.

"What a fine autumn day."

His voice remained calm.

But the killing intent hidden within it was like a tidal wave capable of drowning the world.

"The weather has grown cold."

His eyes narrowed.

"The Blackwood Family..."

"Must be destroyed."

Victor slowly stood.

Then his gaze swept across every Salvatore Family disciple present.

"All members of the Salvatore Family..."

"Follow me."

His voice thundered throughout the estate.

"We will exterminate the Blackwood Family."

The younger generation instantly straightened.

Blood boiled inside their veins.

Years of humiliation.

Years of resentment.

Years of helplessness.

All of it erupted.

"Anyone who stands in our way..."

Victor’s eyes turned icy cold.

"Will be shown no mercy."

The moment those words were spoken, the disciples outside felt goosebumps erupt across their bodies.

How many years had it been?

How many years since such overbearing words had emerged from the Salvatore Family?

To outsiders, those words would sound like the laughter of a demon.

But to them—

They were a banner raised high.

A war horn sounding across the battlefield.

"We obey the Patriarch’s command!"

"Destroy the Blackwood Family!"

Victor strode out of the hall.

The members of the Salvatore Family followed closely behind him.

Their heads were held high.

Their momentum was unstoppable.

For ten years, the backbone of the Salvatore Family had never bent.

And now that Victor had returned—

He would tell all of Aurelia City one thing.

The sky above Aurelia...

Belonged to the Salvatore Family.