Kill The Old Ones!

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Even though some time has passed since the public opinion about the Banished Arms Clan gone a full 180°, Mikel was still adjusting to how different everything was.

The city was now involving them in everything, as opposed to ignoring them like they used to. The Banished Arms Clan was no longer a disgraced clan holding on for dear life in this city. They were now genuinely respected and included.

People now corrected themselves. Instead of saying that there are four ancient martial clans, they now say that there are five. And the Banished Arms Clan was included in that.

Mikel had been receiving invitations to events, collaborations, partnerships, etc. ever since. It was so different than before because he was used to chasing after business, not them coming to him instead.

Although the clan hadn’t changed their operations a lot since the turnaround, they had certainly been busy because of the changes that happened to them.

Mikel finds it hard to articulate just how thankful he was.

He wakes up every day from only a couple hours of sleep—a nap, more like—raring to go. And he wasn’t alone. Every elder of the clan wakes up energized, active, and ready to seize the day.

Their energy was infectious; even the young ones were affected as well.

The clan compound’s size was doubled because of the spatial expansion that Ren won from the tournament. They’ve rearranged many things, making sure to optimize the location of each place to exert the maximum benefit.

In just a couple of months, the clan’s total wealth doubled because of the opportunities that were brought to them. Their annual income increased immensely, and the comfort this wealth brought to the clan was clear for everybody to see.

Members of the clan no longer have to settle for something less. They don’t have to bow their heads and feel bitter about the reality they lived in. They have resources to use, plenty of food to eat, and a lot of work to do.

Their martial arts inheritance was no longer a problem. They don’t lack knowledge, foundation, or techniques to choose from. And with plenty of boons like this, they just don’t have any excuse to remain weak.

Now, they no longer viewed their cursed physique as something so terrible that they had to belittle themselves every time and lower their heads in public. It’s still a disadvantage, sure, but no longer a dead end.

The clan was protected, enhanced, and thriving. And it’s all because one person bravely charged ahead and did something about it—Ren.

He’s not even in his 20s yet, but the changes he brought to the clan were already heaven-defying. He alone achieved the results that the old clan heads tried so hard to do.

Some might say that Ren had impeccable timing and that the stars aligned just in time for him to take action, but simple actions wouldn’t be enough to cause all this.

Ren worked hard, not just for himself, but for the clan too. Plus, Ren’s a genius on a whole another level. He translated every single Sky Archon art into martial arts and dumped them on the clan’s martial hall like he was unloading trash.

The rest of the world is still doing its best to decipher and translate the Sky Archon Arts into martial arts, by the way. Even after so much time has passed, people are still trying.

None of them knew that Ren had already gone way beyond them. And this has become one of the biggest secrets that the Banished Arms Clan protected currently.

Ren didn’t ask them to; they just did it on their own. They understood the value of Ren’s gift, and they didn’t want to cause trouble for him.

Literally, the best they could do for him was to not be a burden. If they can’t even do that, then they simply don’t deserve him.

Everybody understood it. From the oldest in the clan to the youngest. In their eyes, Ren was their future.

He might never sit in the clan head’s position, but his value far exceeds that.

Actually, just from contributions alone, Ren was more than qualified to sit at the position. Hell, Mikel himself will give way to him. He will even clean the seat himself before Ren sits on it.

However, Ren had repeatedly insisted that he was not interested in the position. He doesn’t have the time or commitment available to handle clan matters. He’s pushing Alex for the position and keeps telling Mikel to start grooming his son for it.

Ren said it himself that even though he won’t take the position, he won’t forget about the clan. As he rises, the clan rises with him. That’s not an ’if’; it’s a ’when.’

And really, what more could the clan ask for him? They are incredibly lucky to have him already. So much so that even the other martial clans are envious of them.

What really made Mikel feel vindicated was the faces of the White Haven Clan whenever they were mentioned.

The clan head of that clan couldn’t even meet his gaze properly. Mikel could just feel the burning humiliation the man felt whenever he stepped into the same room as him.

Mikel wasn’t deaf or blind either; he had seen how the public violently tore the reputation of the White Haven Clan apart when both sides of the story were revealed.

The hypocrisy, the lies and deceit, and the betrayal that’s so deeply entrenched with the White Haven Clan’s history—the sins that they worked so hard to bury, the ones that they tried to hide and forget about—had been dug out and exposed for everybody to see.

The best part? It wasn’t even the Banished Arms Clan who did it. The culprit was their very own heiress.

If she weren’t so aggressive and appalled at the presence of Ren in the tournament...

If she hadn’t confronted him, or talked to him at all, none of them would’ve happened.

It was she who pushed this whole thing out in the open, and Ren just accompanied her on the way simply because he, and the Banished Arms Clan, had nothing to hide.

Once the media compared the stories between the two clans, the results were clear. They immediately turned their backs against the White Haven Clan.

Even those who had previously built a close relationship with them began doubting their motives. And it didn’t take long before some of them found out that the White Haven Clan was indeed scheming against them.

Everybody who came from that clan was now being observed closer. Although they haven’t been condemned just yet, a lot of people are beginning to stay clear from them. They were being isolated because of this whole incident.

Mikel didn’t feel the need to kick them while they were down. He’s not that kind of person. He’s just allowing karma to do her work, and that’s enough, not because he’s being generous or forgiving but because a self-inflicted disaster feels more painful compared to one inflicted by others.

How the White Haven Clan ends up after all this couldn’t and wouldn’t be blamed on him or the Banished Arms Clan. They’ll only have themselves for that.

Right now, Mikel’s attention was on Ren.

Not that Ren needed assistance or anything; his nephew learned how to be independent, but because of the upcoming event.

There are only two weeks left before the City vs. City Tournament begins.

Ren was among the list of participants who would represent Central City for that tournament, and Mikel could tell that Ren’s focus had been razor-sharp ever since.

His nephew also told him about the seeded participant requirements. And frankly, Mikel was shocked.

To become a seeded participant, one has to clear stage 100 on the archstones—that’s a very tall order.

Mikel himself cleared stage 100 with a party, but he was in his late 30s when he did it and at the 3rd transformation of the Inhuman Realm, as were his party members.

He could still remember how difficult that dungeon was. They weren’t just against flood dragons; the whole world was against them.

They have to fight underwater. There’s only a single safe zone in stages 91 to 100; it’s a small island in the middle of the sea where they initially spawn.

Once they dive into the sea, that island will eventually be swallowed up by the sea. Whether it was because a storm will suddenly occur, the sea becomes violent, or one of the bigger flood dragons sinks it, the island won’t remain there for long, meaning that the only safe zone for the entire duration of the dungeon will be gone.

The sea was boundless. The pressure was immense, and there were tons of flood dragons and smaller creatures living in the sea.

All of them are enemies. Provoke one and you’re provoking the rest.

Simply put, it’s a nightmare, and Mikel and his party have died multiple times in there because of how difficult it was.

It would be more difficult for Ren because he’s going at it solo, which makes Mikel’s concern very valid.

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