"Father!" On the other side, Ge Guang saw this and immediately let out a hoarse, frantic scream, his eyes splitting with rage.
The Struggle Gu's effect faded. The Night Wolf King's battle intent dissipated, and it let go of the Ge family's old patriarch, beaten back by everyone's combined attacks.
"Now!" Fang Yuan's heart surged with excitement as he "woke up."
Fourth Transformation — Wolf Taming Gu!
The Wolf Taming Gu dissolved into a great billow of light smoke that descended upon the Night Wolf King, enveloping it completely.
The Night Wolf King's battle intent had waned, it was gravely wounded, its consciousness nearly gone mad, and now it was clashing with Fang Yuan's soul.
Fang Yuan's soul was already stronger than a hundred-person soul.
The Night Wolf King felt a powerful resistance, but from Fang Yuan's werewolf soul, it sensed the aura of its own kind.
That resistance plummeted. Under the crushing pressure of Fang Yuan's soul, it did not hold out for long before the light smoke seeped into its body.
"Success!" A sharp gleam flashed through Fang Yuan's eyes.
Wolf Smoke Gu!
He immediately rushed onto the battlefield and spewed forth great plumes of wolf smoke, enveloping the Night Wolf King on all sides.
The Night Wolf King's severe injuries quickly stabilized.
It let out a long, drawn-out howl, and at that sound, the night wolf pack faltered for a moment before turning to retreat.
The Ge family's crisis was resolved!
But the surviving Gu Masters felt little joy in victory. They gathered around a deep pit.
In the pit lay the old patriarch of the Ge family.
Several Gu Masters were crouched beside him, pouring every last bit of their strength into healing him.
The old patriarch's body had already been reduced to a shapeless mass of flesh, but under their treatment, the greater half of his body gradually began to recover.
But it was no use!
His injuries were too severe. As the healing Gu Masters' True Essence was drained one after another, the faint hope of saving the old patriarch vanished completely.
"Father, father!" Ge Guang knelt on the ground, clutching the old patriarch's hand, crying out in anguish.
"Elder Patriarch…" The other Elders were all streaked with tears.
The old patriarch rallied with a final burst of vitality, a flush of crimson spreading across his face. He gripped Ge Guang's hand with all his remaining strength. "My son, you must be careful…"
He was about to speak the name Chang Shan Yin, but just then, Fang Yuan pushed through the crowd and stepped in.
"Brother Ge!" His face was filled with grief, his shoulders trembling slightly. Hot tears streamed down his cheeks.
The old patriarch gazed deeply at Fang Yuan, his mouth moving several times, but was forced to change his words. "My son, from this day forward, you are the patriarch of the Ge family!"
"Father, you can't die! I still have so many shortcomings. I still need to hear your guidance. The Ge family still needs you!" Ge Guang called out, tears pouring down his face.
The old patriarch lay like a fish on the shore, his mouth opening and closing in feeble gasps. His gaze grew unfocused, and all sensation was ebbing away from his body like a receding tide.
The aura of death had already grown overwhelmingly thick.
"But I can't rest easy… there is so much I cannot let go…"
The obsession in his heart drew out the very last drop of his strength. He gripped Ge Guang's hand tightly, and his unfocused gaze crystallized for a single instant.
From some unknown source, he found the strength to rasp hoarsely and shake Ge Guang's hand. "My son, remember — you are the patriarch of the Ge family. For the sake of the clan, you must never act rashly. And above all, never let emotions rule your decisions!"
With those words, the old patriarch's body went rigid. Then his head tilted back and he collapsed limply.
Life departed from him — this patriarch who had served the Ge family with unwavering dedication, ascending to his position at thirty-eight and dying in battle at eighty-seven. He had given everything to the Ge family, shedding his very last drop of blood.
In the brutal battle to defend the Ge family against the wolf pack, he had made his heroic sacrifice!
"Father? Father!" Ge Guang roared, unwilling to accept such a cruel reality.
But reality was reality. Once it had come to pass, it could neither be undone nor rewritten.
"Father…"
"Elder Patriarch…"
On the battlefield, a heavy grief descended upon them all, and the sound of weeping echoed in everyone's ears.
……
As dawn slowly approached, in the king's tent, the bright lamplight had burned on through the entire night.