At the very front of this group, Sui Xiaohang and his father were in conversation.
Sui Xiaohang had arrived on the very first day Wan Lei announced his intention to rebuild the Thunder Emperor Hall. As Wan Lei’s staunch brother, he naturally supported him wholeheartedly.
Currently, he was in charge of all matters related to pills for the Thunder Emperor Hall, from refining them to procuring them and purchasing medicinal herbs. He was responsible for everything.
With his status as the youngest Heavenly-tier Alchemist in the Central Domain, no one dared to question him.
“Uncle Sui, you’re here, why aren’t you going in?”
Wan Lei walked up to the two of them.
“Your father and the clan patriarch are currently paying respects to the Old Ancestor Thunder Emperor. The Old Ancestor Thunder Emperor is your family’s ancestor, so let them pay their respects first. After they’re done, I’ll go in and kowtow a few times,” said the burly General Sui Potian with a chuckle as he looked at Wan Lei.
“You’ve done well. The little kid back then has now grown to the point of being the leader of the Thunder Emperor Hall. That’s really good. Little Hang, that kid, isn’t as capable as you.”
“Uncle, please don’t say that. Xiaohang has quite a reputation now; he’s already a Heavenly-tier Alchemist.”
“Indeed. Who would have thought that you two, who were once young rascals and little tyrants in Nanfu City, would have achieved so much now?” Sui Potian said quietly. “I can only say this now when there are no outsiders. If I say it again later, it would be a great disrespect to the Thunder Emperor.”
“I’m not the Thunder Emperor yet.”
“It’s only a matter of time, a matter of time. If you don’t ascend the throne, who else will?”
“Our priority now is still to fight against the demon race. I haven’t thought about other matters. Uncle, I’ll go and see my father and grandfather first.”
Wan Lei entered the main hall. At this moment, only two people were in the Thunder Emperor’s main hall: Wan Lei’s father, the White-haired Sword Demon Wan Hongxin, and the Wan family patriarch, Wan Yangfan.
Currently, Wan Hongxin was standing, while Patriarch Wan was still kneeling on the ground, his body twitching slightly, appearing to be crying.
“Dad, Patriarch, you’re here,” Wan Lei said with a smile as he walked over.
Wan Hongxin turned around, his expression very solemn, then clasped his hands in a salute. “Wan Hongxin pays his respects to the Hall Master of the Thunder Emperor Hall…”
“Oh, Father, what are you doing? Why are you acting like Old Fang?” Wan Lei quickly moved aside and helped Wan Hongxin up. Not long ago, when he and Fang Xiaoyu returned to the Fang family, Old Fang had also performed such a grand ceremony.
“The rites must not be neglected. You have now recaptured the Thunder Emperor Hall and are already the leader of one of the top forces in the Central Domain. It is only right that I pay my respects to you.”
“No matter how powerful I am, I’m still your son. If you bow to me, I should kowtow to you three times.” Wan Lei walked over to Patriarch Wan and pulled him up. “Get up, Patriarch. Even if you kneel here for three days and three nights, the Old Ancestor Thunder Emperor won’t be able to see you.”
“Alas, I’ve lost my composure, lost my composure,” Patriarch Wan stood up, tears streaming down his face. “Fifty thousand years ago, this was our Wan family’s territory. At that time, the Thunder Emperor Hall was the overlord of the entire Thunderwind Realm, but due to its treasures, it was attacked by six petty families. In one night, the Wan family collapsed. Fifty thousand years have passed, and I never imagined that a descendant of our Wan family would one day come to the Thunder Emperor Hall to pay respects to the Thunder Emperor. I am so moved, and I am ashamed. Fortunately, by the grace of heaven, our Wan family produced you, who recaptured the Thunder Emperor Hall and returned it to our Wan family’s hands…”
Looking at the tearful Patriarch Wan, Wan Lei deeply understood his feelings. The Wan family had barely survived until today, and Patriarch Wan had devoted countless efforts and worries. He was the one with the deepest feelings for the Wan family. It was normal for him to lose control of his emotions now that he had finally returned to this most honored place in the Thunderwind Realm, the ancestral land of the Wan family.
“Old Patriarch, it’s fine to say these words to me here. Please don’t say them outside. The six petty families you mentioned include the Fang family. However, the Fang family has also made significant contributions to my current achievements and the rebuilding of the Thunder Emperor Hall. The Thunder Emperor Hall is not the Wan family’s Thunder Emperor Hall; it is the spiritual belief of everyone in the Thunderwind Realm, their sacred land, the Thunder Emperor Hall of the Thunderwind Realm, and the Thunder Emperor Hall of the world. We, the Wan family, and I, Wan Lei, are merely managing it on their behalf. Do not mention the grievances from fifty thousand years ago, lest they be exploited by our enemies and damage the unity of our alliance. We still need to win over the three neutral families.”
“Yes, yes, yes, I understand all of this. I’m just getting emotional right now. You have such awareness, such magnanimity, and such skill that you are worthy of being the Hall Master of the Thunder Emperor Hall. Only you can lead everyone to resist the powerful enemy. This old man’s family consciousness is too strong, and my magnanimity is too narrow. Lei’er, this old man wishes to discuss with you today that the position of Wan family patriarch should still be given to you…”
“I don’t want it,” Wan Lei shook his head without hesitation. “I don’t want to be bound by the title of a mere Wan family patriarch. What I want to do is be the Hall Master of the Thunder Emperor Hall, the overlord of the world. If I become the Wan family patriarch, I might inevitably show favoritism and lean too heavily towards the Wan family when acting in the future, which is not good. For the Wan family to earn respect from others, it’s not enough to have a strong patriarch; it requires the collective effort of all Wan family members and the recognition of their strength and achievements. You have done an excellent job as the Wan family patriarch; please continue to do so.”
Wan Hongxin looked at Wan Lei as he spoke, a gratified smile appearing on his lips. This小子, when he spoke, already possessed the magnanimity and commanding presence of an overlord of the world.
“Patriarch, our Wan family’s status should be earned by the Wan family itself. If we rely solely on Lei’er’s connections, others will still look down on us and harbor dissatisfaction towards Lei’er, which would be detrimental to his leadership. This is not the time for power struggles; the most important thing is to unite and resist the powerful enemy. If the enemy is not eliminated, everything else we say is in vain.”
“Look at you two, father and son, saying that. What kind of person do you think I am? You make me sound so petty.”
“I know, I know. You just care too much about the Wan family, and that’s a good thing,” Wan Lei said with a smile.
“By the way, since you two are here, what about home?”
“As for home, we’ve brought everyone who can fight, and they’re all outside. They’re all elites. Of course, compared to any of your subordinates, they’re still not quite presentable. But at least they’re loyal, aren’t they? Your grandfather is taking care of things at home. Your grandfather’s health is not good, and he’s also old. Before we came this time, we argued for a long time, and finally, we insisted on leaving him behind. This war is crucial. If we lose, and we all die, and the Thunderwind Realm is gone, then what’s the point of keeping the Wan family?”
“Alright then, as long as you’ve arranged it properly,” Wan Lei nodded. “As for you, my boy, you didn’t even inform the family about such a major event as rebuilding the Thunder Emperor Hall. We only heard about it from outsiders’ gossip.”