Take over the Wu family?
Qiao Siliu's words immediately set Fang Yuan's heart racing.
How could he not be tempted?
After all, the Wu family was a super clan — and not just any super clan. They had always been dominant, consistently holding the top position throughout the history of the Southern Border.
The Wu family's enterprise was vast. Resource nodes dotted their territory like chess pieces on a board, their foundations deep and their storerooms overflowing. If he could seize control of such a super faction and become its first man, then Fang Yuan would never have to worry about cultivation resources again!
To be fair, Fang Yuan's current assets were nothing to scoff at. He had the courage insect trade from Danghun Mountain, the dragon-fish trade, the Eternal Hatred Spider trade, the Dark Fire Dragon Serpent business, plus trades in Star Shard Grass, Star Dart Gu, Star River Gu, Star Fire Gu, Meteor Skyfall Gu, and more. The Spirit Serpent trade was also just getting off the ground.
Calling Fang Yuan a money-making machine wouldn't be an exaggeration at all.
If you factored in the real estate inside his Sovereign Immortal Aperture, he already rivaled the reserves of an ordinary Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal. Add in the Wisdom Gu and Danghun Mountain in the Langya Blessed Land, the marketplace in the Eastern Sea's chaotic waters, and Fang Yuan had already surpassed a typical Eighth Transformation cultivator.
But compared to a super faction, all of that was a drop in the ocean.
Every super faction, even if none currently had an Eighth Transformation powerhouse, had produced one in its storied past. Their historical depth was staggering. On top of that, the resource nodes they controlled across the five regions could leave someone like Fang Yuan in the dust.
For example, the Blood Tide Abyss that the Wu family once controlled — its annual output alone exceeded Fang Yuan's dragon-fish trade.
And the Wu family had twenty or thirty resource nodes on that level.
Below the Blood Tide Abyss in quality — things like the Northern Plains Liu Family's Bone Burial Ground and Xuanlight Pit — they had even more.
And their top-tier resource nodes, superior to the Blood Tide Abyss, numbered nearly ten.
Never mind the resources stored inside the Wu family Gu Immortals' own apertures, or the blessed lands and grotto-heavens left behind by their ancestors.
Of course, super factions also had massive expenses. With the Wu family currently in a situation where their enterprise outstripped their strength, Wu Yong had barely been able to hold things together. Now that Wu Yong was gone, there was no way to maintain everything — they'd inevitably have to shed some of it.
Even so, if Fang Yuan could take control of the Wu family, his gains would be enormous, far beyond anything he could achieve working alone.
Fang Yuan quickly composed himself.
He glanced at Qiao Siliu and immediately understood her purpose.
Just as she'd said, with Wu Yong gone, Fang Yuan's identity as Wu Yihai made him the leading candidate to succeed as the Wu family's Supreme Grand Elder.
This truly was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Fang Yuan had no reason to doubt Qiao Siliu's words — verifying the claims would be trivial. Her rushed arrival also spoke to a degree of sincerity.
Fang Yuan furrowed his brow and smiled bitterly: "Something this big happened, and I had no idea at all."
"The most urgent thing is for us to rush back to the Wu family. Wu Bachong has already summoned the Supreme Elders for deliberation. Quite a few Gu Immortals have returned, and those who couldn't make it sent their will projections. Yet they deliberately left you out — their intentions are obvious." Qiao Siliu's tone was urgent.
Through Wu Yihai, this was the perfect chance for the Qiao family to intervene in the Wu family's affairs!
Fang Yuan let out a long sigh: "I only arrived at the Wu family a short time ago. I have no foundation and no connections. Taking power and inheriting the position of Supreme Grand Elder — how could that possibly be easy? The fact that they deliberately excluded me is proof enough that my chances of succession are slim."
"No, you have excellent prospects. Yihai, don't forget — you have me, and behind you stands my Qiao family!" Qiao Siliu gazed at Fang Yuan with deep emotion.
Fang Yuan blinked: "How exactly would your Qiao family help me? What arrangements has Elder Qiao Zhicai made?"
Qiao Siliu's expression faltered slightly. She hesitated for a moment, but didn't dare conceal the truth from Fang Yuan. In a grave voice, she revealed: "Our family's Supreme Grand Elder also disappeared mysteriously alongside Lord Wu Yong. He's unreachable — his life plate Gu has shattered. Besides the two of them, Iron Face God from the Iron family is also missing. They were investigating the deaths of Wu Yuanju and Rong Hao when they lost contact. Their status is unknown."
Fang Yuan's pupils contracted sharply: "What happened?"
Qiao Siliu smiled bitterly: "Trust me — that's all I know."
Fang Yuan's expression turned troubled: "A shockwave this big can't be kept from the outside world for long. Who was behind this? And with Elder Qiao Zhicai gone, how can your Qiao family help me?"
"Don't worry about that. The entire Qiao family has reached a consensus — I am this mission's full representative," Qiao Siliu said.
Fang Yuan felt a faint flicker of surprise.
The Qiao family was the weakest among the Southern Border's super clans. But with everyone united and Qiao Zhicai's disappearance not disrupting their strategy, they could still follow the course he had charted — one had to admit, every super clan had its strengths.
But in truth, Fang Yuan didn't want to go.
He could keenly sense that this was a massive whirlpool, and the forces lurking behind the curtain were formidable!
Even if he successfully succeeded as the Wu family's Supreme Grand Elder — so what?
More resources couldn't compare to what he could gain from exploring dreams.
What Fang Yuan needed wasn't resources — it was the surge in realm that dreams could bring.
That was the truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Becoming the Wu family's most powerful figure was tempting, and the profits would be immense. But Fang Yuan knew well: life is a series of choices, and if you want to go further, you must never let greed cloud your judgment. You have to know what truly matters!