Chapter 284 - 282: The Yang Clan’s Bestowal of Arms
The next day, a Sunday.
In front of the Yang Family’s ancestral hall, many people were gathered once more.
The Patriarch’s breakthrough yesterday had been unexpected. No one was prepared; they had merely shared a meal. Today, however, was different.
Yuan Rui had custom-ordered uniforms for the clan’s disciples long ago. They were designed in the traditional Yanhua Martial Artist style for formal occasions: cross-collared robes with the right flap over the left, featuring wide-cut bodies and large sleeves that tapered to narrow, fitted cuffs.
The upper half of the robes was a deep black that faded into gray on the lower half, creating a gradient effect. The shoulders were adorned with inner-buckled leather pieces, embossed with intricate patterns that added to their martial appearance. Upon closer inspection, one would find that the ornamentation was based on the foundational patterns of the Yang Clan’s secret arts.
The direct blood relatives, such as Yang Mo and Yang Man, wore the same attire. The only difference was a single "drop of blood" motif added to the gourd in the shoulder pattern.
Even the Shadow Guard, Long Jiu, was present, also dressed in the clan’s formal uniform. The members of the Yang Clan had grown accustomed to her presence.
It was a shame her eyes were so empty. She was clearly the most powerful member of the Yang Family aside from Yang Shen himself, having reached the Late-stage Innate Realm, yet her eyes were as dull and lifeless as cannon fodder.
Her stunning beauty was the only thing saving her appearance; she was getting by on looks alone.
Though the uniforms were destined to be worn only on formal clan occasions, Yuan Rui had still arranged for them with meticulous care.
A uniform dress code held great significance. It fostered a sense of belonging, boosted morale, and established authority—an indispensable element since ancient times.
Yang Shen stepped out of the ancestral hall. Looking down at the assembly, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
He had to admit, seeing them all lined up in front of the ornate ancestral hall, with its carved beams and painted rafters, truly evoked the feeling of an ancient, great clan.
It was as if he weren’t the same person who’d been fined sixty thousand by a traffic cop just yesterday.
Yang Shen wore the exclusive Yang Clan uniform as well, but his was distinguished by gold thread trim on the cuffs and lapels, giving him a dignified and noble air.
"Yesterday, I was fortunate to receive a flash of insight and successfully break through to the True Gang Realm. Today, before the ancestral tablets of the Yang Clan, I formally announce this event."
The sense of ceremony made his speech take on an archaic tone.
From below, Yuan Rui led the disciples, bowing at once. "Master, your talent is immense! You are a role model for us all!"
The Eight Disciples echoed in perfect unison, their voices full of ancient resonance.
But one shout from Xiaolei Yi yanked everyone back to reality. "Brother is badass!"
Lei Lv landed a kick on Lei Yi’s bottom. "Where did you learn such foul language! And you’re supposed to call him Patriarch!"
Lei Yi mumbled, aggrieved, "The Patriarch says it all the time..."
Lei Lv was speechless.
Yang Shen cleared his throat. Yuan Rui, taking the hint, immediately changed the subject. "Congratulations on your breakthrough, Master. We students have prepared gifts for you."
He then presented a jade pendant. The front was engraved with "Great Kindness," the back with "Like the Sun."
The phrase "as great as a mountain" was not enough to express his reverence; only "like the sun" would suffice. It also alluded to the phrases "like the sun at its zenith" and the "Rising Sun Fist Intent."
He had prepared it long in advance, waiting only for his master’s breakthrough to present it.
The other disciples presented their gifts as well. While perhaps not prepared as far in advance as Yuan Rui’s, they were nonetheless full of sincere sentiment.
Even Tian Zihan offered an impressive, two-meter-tall potted landscape.
Since becoming his master’s disciple, his family’s fortunes had steadily improved. Giving two cases of soda like he might have in the past would be inappropriate now.
Yang Shen accepted every gift, regardless of its value, then spoke again. "The prosperity of the Yang Clan does not rest on me alone. All disciples of the Yang Clan must be diligent and apply themselves to their studies."
"I have more good news today. Wang Yang and Liu Heng have made rapid progress with the Sun Wheel Body Refining Technique and have also successfully broken through to the Innate Realm. This means that five of Yang’s Eight Disciples have now reached the Innate Realm, all at the age of eighteen. They are truly talents of their generation!"
Indeed, reaching the Innate Realm at their age was enough to be called a "prodigy" anywhere in the world.
The disciples had heard this sentiment many times after their breakthroughs—from friends, family, elders, and classmates.
But hearing it from "Yanhua’s Number One Genius" himself still felt completely different.
"You have all brought me gifts today. As your master, I cannot fail to reciprocate."
"Therefore, I have decided to bestow Divine Weapons upon you. With these, the disciples of the Yang Clan can protect themselves and have something to rely on when they venture out into the world."
After he finished speaking, no attendants came forward with platters. Instead, Yang Shen simply gave a casual wave of his right hand.
In the next instant, several Divine Weapons shot out from the ancestral hall behind him, emitting a metallic hum.
Over a dozen Rune Weapons of various forms fanned out behind Yang Shen, bobbing gently in the air.
After reaching True Gang, his flexing had become an art form. The visual effects were maxed out!
SHIING! With a crisp ring, a Double-Headed Scythe separated from the rest and slowly descended into Yang Shen’s hand.
"This scythe is named ’Double Shadow.’ Long Jiu, it was crafted to suit your preferences."
Since acquiring the Rune Weapons, Yang Shen had named each one according to its characteristics. The right to name things was, after all, very important.
Gifting them to the clan disciples while they were still unnamed, and letting them choose the names themselves, would diminish both the weapons’ value and his own authority.
Yang Shen infused a small amount of Spiritual Qi into the weapon. A green and a purple glow immediately emanated from either side of ’Double Shadow,’ revealing its mystical nature.
With a gentle nudge, ’Double Shadow’ flew into Long Jiu’s hands.
The life-sized doll lowered her head slightly, her thoughts unreadable.
Of course, expecting any sort of response from her was wishful thinking. Yang Shen could make her speak, but that would be like ventriloquism—he’d just be playing his own straight man.
Yang Shen extended his hand again. A pair of massive gauntlets flew from the group of weapons and hovered above his palm.
"These are called ’Shaking Mountain.’ Zihan, they should suit your style. May you one day be able to shake mountains and part rivers."
The ’Shaking Mountain’ gauntlets flew into Tian Zihan’s arms, and his massive frame accepted them with great care.
The dual blades, ’Chasing Lightning,’ were bestowed upon Wang Yang, as they were perfectly suited for a speed-based Martial Artist.
As for the longswords, which were the most numerous, aside from the best one—which Yang Shen had named ’Frost Star’ for Xu Bamboo—he took out six more and bestowed them in turn upon the other six members of Yang’s Eight Disciples.
Yuan Rui received ’Hidden Victory.’
Cao Wei received ’Self-Control.’
Wei Xiaoli received ’Zheng He.’
Liu Heng received ’Tongqian,’ and so on and so forth.
’They’re all good disciples who have signed the Blood Contract; their loyalty is off the charts. It’s better to be generous and not sweat the small stuff.’
After the recent period of training with the Nightwalkers, the Eight Disciples had not only reached a new level of strength, but their experience and dispositions had also matured rapidly. He would have to entrust them with greater responsibilities in the future.
Finally, he also gave a longsword to Lei Lv. With deep meaning, Yang Shen named this sword ’Young Dragon.’
Lei Lv had a steady temperament, so there was no harm in him handling a weapon early. As for the other three little ones, it wasn’t necessary yet.
That left only one longsword and one dagger. He wasn’t in a hurry, though. It wasn’t as if he had to give them away immediately. He could just put them in storage for later.
As for himself, no weapon was currently more convenient than his Curse Engraving. His personal combat style was already fully integrated with it, so there was no need for a replacement at the moment.
A key advantage was that he didn’t need to carry it around. If an emergency arose, he could start a barbecue anywhere.
And for his barbecues, he only used disposable skewers. He was a man of particular tastes.
Thus, on the occasion of his breakthrough, the Yang Clan had also completed the "Bestowal of Arms," a ceremony of great significance.
However, none of the Eight Disciples had begun their Cultivation yet, which meant they were still unable to unleash the full power of these Rune Weapons.
In fact, only four of them even possessed a Spiritual Root, yet Yang Shen treated them all the same.
Even if they could never pursue Cultivation, the path of Martial Arts still offered sufficient heights for them to explore for a long time to come.
Bestowing the weapons upon them long before they could fully utilize their potential made the gift seem all the more precious, a true sign of his high regard.
’Being a Patriarch isn’t easy. It’s a game of a thousand little schemes.’
"Remember, three of you have yet to break through to the Innate Realm. You must hurry up."
"The day all of you have broken through to the Innate Realm will be the day I pass down the Yang Clan’s true Secret Transmission."
The faces of Yang’s Eight Disciples lit up with joy, while the members of the direct family line, who had already begun their Cultivation, simply smiled.
The disciples didn’t yet understand what glorious sights and what a grand path awaited them!
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