Sign-In System: Starting With Invincible Physique

Chapter 281: Chapter 281: A Condition For Alliance

Chapter 281: A Condition For Alliance

"To what does my Vaelstrum Clan owe the pleasure of such an unprecedented gathering coming to our doors?"

Rhain didn’t rush to answer.

He let his dark grey eyes sweep across the dozen Domain Master elders lining the hall, looking at each of their wary gazes.

"Patriarch Vaelstrum," Rhain finally spoke, "Let us not waste each other’s time with meaningless words. I know exactly what problem your clan is facing right now."

"Forgive me for being blunt. You have been completely blacklisted by the Celestial Elixir Pavilion. Nebula Sword Sect is growing stronger by the day, and if this continues, your thousand-year legacy will crumble."

All the elders looked at Rhain with unfriendly eyes.

Although they knew what Rhain said was true, they still did not like an outsider to say such harsh words directly at their faces.

First Elder Draven’s face twisted into an ugly grimace. "And what if we are? What can a wanted fugitive, currently hunted by the Emperor himself, possibly do to resolve a commercial blockade established by a mysterious Grandmaster?"

Rhain didn’t take offense. He simply raised his hand and gestured toward the beautiful, blue-eyed girl standing beside him.

"You are looking at the solution," Rhain stated flatly.

All the Domain Master elders shifted their gazes toward Elara Thunderwood.

"Lady Elara was the very first person in Stormveil City to secure a deal with the Celestial Elixir Pavilion," Rhain explained smoothly. "Grandmaster Korryn was deeply impressed by her mercantile behavior and foresight. She holds a very good relationship with the Grandmaster. As long as she requests it, there is a high chance Grandmaster Korryn will reconsider his stance."

Before the elders could even process that, Rhain dropped a second bombshell.

"Furthermore, as you must already know, I am now formally engaged to Lady Lyra of the Emberford Noble Family. The Emberford Family is also an established partner of the Celestial Elixir Pavilion."

Rhain clasped his hands behind his back, his body radiating a confident aura.

"If I ask my mother-in-law, Matriarch Seraphine, to intervene... then you will have the Thunderwood Noble Family and the Emberford Noble Family, two of the Grandmaster’s most trusted partners, simultaneously vouching for you. Grandmaster Korryn will definitely listen."

The elders exchanged stunned, highly conflicted glances.

Seeing the opening, Elara didn’t hesitate for a single second.

Her highly intelligent blue eyes flashed, and the innate, unparalleled business acumen of the Thunderwood’s mercantile genius surged to the forefront.

"Patriarch Vaelstrum," Elara stepped forward, her voice carrying a profound, irresistible magnetism. "If we broker this peace, we will not merely lift the blacklist. I can personally guarantee to negotiate a business deal for your clan that is even more profitable than the one the Nebula Sword Sect currently holds. We can secure a higher monthly quota of flawless Epic-Grade pills, and priority access to flawless Mystic-Grade pills when they are refined."

She offered a perfectly polished, aristocratic smile.

"With that supply, the Vaelstrum Clan will not only catch up to the Nebula Sword Sect—you will permanently surpass them."

The offer was a lethal temptation.

Rhain smiled, he knew that bringing Elara for this matter was the best choice.

She could easily identify the sore point of any person.

It was an offer that the Vaelstrum Patriarch fundamentally could not refuse.

The Patriarch stared at Elara, and then his sharp eyes shifted back to Rhain.

His expression turned solemn.

"There is no such thing as a free meal in this world," the Patriarch spoke, "If I am not wrong... for this unparalleled offer, we will have to pay an equally unparalleled price."

"You are not wrong," Rhain confirmed without a hint of hesitation. "In exchange, I need the Vaelstrum Clan to formally ally with the Valdris Royal Academy to protect me from the Royal Decree."

A collective gasp swept through the inner council.

To openly defy the Royal Decree meant officially slapping the Emperor’s face!

"You want us to risk the our clan’s safety for you?" Draven sneered. "We are already firmly allied with Crown Prince Lucius! Why would we abandon the future Emperor for a wanted criminal?"

Rhain let out a low, mockingly cold laugh.

"Because siding with Lucius right now is nothing short of foolish," Rhain stated, his voice dripping with disdain.

He then casually dropped another piece of intelligence.

"Did Lucius not tell you? Celestial Elixir Pavilion is already in secret discussions to partner with the Second Prince, Arien."

The words struck the hall like a falling meteor.

Standing behind Rhain, Commander Zorak’s muscular frame actually twitched.

The Second Prince was partnering with the Celestial Elixir Pavilion?

He, as Arien’s most trusted commander, hadn’t heard a single word about this!

But Rhain was deliberately spouting this utter nonsense.

He didn’t want the Vaelstrum Clan, or anyone else, to suspect that he had any direct, personal connection with Grandmaster Korryn.

By framing it this way, he made it seem as though his only leverage was his network—Elara, the Emberfords, and now the Second Prince.

That was the exact reason he had brought Elara and Zorak with him in the first place.

They were the perfect shields for his true identity.

The Vaelstrum elders looked at each other with shock.

If the Second Prince secured the backing of the Celestial Elixir Pavilion, Lucius’s bid for the throne would be greatly threatened!

Vaelstrum Patriarch stood in silence.

His eyes were incredibly deep, weighing the survival of his clan against the wrath of the Royal Court.

Finally, the Patriarch raised his head.

"I have one question," the Patriarch asked with a grave tone "Is Grandmaster Korryn... an Emperor rank Alchemist?"

Rhain and Elara instinctively exchanged a quick, subtle look.

Elara stepped forward again, maintaining her composure.

"Patriarch," Elara explained carefully, "I cannot be certain of Grandmaster Korryn’s true rank. However, it is highly likely that he is indeed an Emperor rank Alchemist. As you know, even the current Emperor rank Alchemists of the dynasty cannot refine flawless Mystic-Grade pills. To achieve one hundred percent purity at the Mystic Grade, his true rank must logically exceed it."

The logic was perfectly sound.

But the Vaelstrum Patriarch slowly shook his head.

"Highly likely is not enough," the Patriarch refused, "I need absolute certainty."

Rhain’s dark grey eyes narrowed. "Why?"

The Patriarch let out a long, heavy sigh, looking at the dark-robed youth.

"Do you truly think we are willing to side with Crown Prince Lucius?" the Patriarch murmured, a trace of deep resentment leaking into his tone. "We are one of the three foundational pillars of Valdris City. We prize our independence."

He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second before revealing the massive, devastating secret of the Vaelstrum Clan.

"The only reason we are chained to Lucius is because our Ancestor, the sole Monarch Realm powerhouse of our clan—is dying of old age."

The revelation suprised Rhain, Elara, and commander Zorak behind them.

"He is at the very end of his lifespan," the Patriarch continued bitterly. "And he is only clinging to life right now because of the Emperor-Grade life-sustaining pills provided by the only Emperor rank Alchemist of the dynasty. That Alchemist answers exclusively to the Royal Court."

Draven gritted his teeth, picking up the explanation.

"Lucius promised us," Draven spat, "that if he ascends to the throne, he will request that Emperor rank Alchemist to refine a pill capable of extending a Monarch’s life by an entire century. The Emperor rank Alchemist is firmly sided with Lucius. We need those pills for our Ancestor’s survival. Without our Monarch, the Vaelstrum Clan will be devoured by the Nebula Sword Sect."

The Patriarch looked directly into Rhain’s eyes.

"So, unless Grandmaster Korryn is definitively an Emperor rank Alchemist, and unless he can refine the exact Emperor-Grade pill required to save our Ancestor... we cannot go against Lucius. We cannot afford to sever our only lifeline."

Rhain and Elara both frowned deeply.

This was a huge, unforeseen obstacle.

The political chains binding the Vaelstrum Clan were forged from the literal lifeblood of their greatest protector.

Rhain’s mind spun with rapid calculations.

With his current realm, and knowledge, refining an Emperor-Grade pill was theoretically possible.

But he had never seen or analyzed one before.

"Patriarch Vaelstrum," Rhain spoke, "Could you hand over one of the Emperor-Grade pills you currently possess."

The elders gasped in outrage.

"We will take the pill to Grandmaster Korryn," Rhain proposed, ignoring the glaring elders. "We will ask him to analyze its medicinal structure. If he can guarantee that he can refine a superior version to save your Ancestor... will you align with us?"

The Vaelstrum Patriarch hesitated.

His face tightened with intense conflict.

Each of those Emperor-Grade pills was astronomically expensive, costing them a mountain of resources and compromising their dignity every time they begged Lucius for one.

To just hand one over to a youth on a gamble was madness.

But the burning desire to be free from the Royal Family’s humiliating leash warred fiercely in his heart.

For a long minute, the grand hall was dead silent.

Finally, the Patriarch gritted his teeth.

With a flash of light, an exquisite, heavily sealed crystalline box materialized in his palm.

"This pill is the lifeblood of my clan," the Patriarch said, his hands trembling slightly as he carefully handed the crystalline box to Rhain. "If Grandmaster Korryn can truly refine an Emperor-Grade pill to save my Ancestor’s life... then the Vaelstrum Clan will formally tear up our agreement with Lucius. We will stand with you against the Royal Decree."

Rhain accepted the crystalline box, storing it securely into his spatial ring without a change in expression.

"You will have your answer soon, Patriarch," Rhain stated.

With a final, polite nod, Rhain turned on his heel.

Accompanied by Elara and the still-stunned Commander Zorak, the trio exited the opulent grand hall.

They hadn’t yet secured the alliance they needed.

But they had successfully forced the door open.

Progress had been made.

And now, everything depended on the ’Grandmaster Korryn.’

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!