Chapter 613: A Request
(Planet Su Prime, Su Yang’s POV)
Su Yang’s body trembled with rage as the truth settled over him, for it shattered the very foundation of what he had been raised to believe about the universe.
Weren’t the Six Great Clans supposed to stand as ironclad allies?
Hadn’t their heirs been bound together through carefully arranged marriages, each union designed to weave loyalty into bloodlines and reduce the very possibility of betrayal?
Wasn’t that the reason he himself had been secretly promised to Mu Li, the Mu Clan’s descendant, so that the Su name would remain intertwined with theirs?
If all of that was true, then why— why the moment his grandfather fell— did all those bonds suddenly mean nothing?
Why did the vows of brotherhood, the weight of marriage pacts, the promises etched into generations of blood, vanish like smoke?
Why was it that once Su Ren was gone, the other five clans looked at the Su lands not as a legacy to respect, but as spoils to be carved apart?
"This is unacceptable, father.... This degree of betrayal, it’s simply unacceptable." Su Yang said, his knuckles turning white from strain, as Su Tang let out a deep sigh.
"I am past the point of anger and blame,"
"I went through that storm of fury already, but now my thoughts no longer linger on why this is happening, only on what must be done."
Su Tang said, as he tapped his fingers faintly against the armrest.
"I have already given instructions to the Commanders on every planet, warning them of our peril and ordering them to strip their worlds of the most valuable assets and send everything to Su Prime at once.
That much is already in motion."
His eyes drifted upward, away from Su Yang’s steady stare, settling instead on the carved beams of the ceiling above.
"But there are still countless things left undone... too many threads to tie, too many decisions yet to make."
His voice grew quieter, almost as though he were speaking to himself, before finally returning to Su Yang with a heavy steadiness. "I’m thinking of forcing a breakthrough to the Demi-God tier."
The words struck like a blade, making Su Yang’s eyes widen in shock as his breath caught in his throat. "Father... no. That’s too risky! You could be crippled or worse, you could die!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling, his body stiff with horror at the thought.
"Forcing a breakthrough without preparation is the same as gambling your very life. You cannot—"
"I can, and I must," Su Tang interrupted firmly, though his tone carried not anger but weary finality.
His gaze was calm, almost resigned, as he met his son’s desperate eyes.
"Do you think I do not know the risks? I know them better than anyone.
But we have no choice.
Without Su Ren, the clan has lost its divine shield. If the Patriarch remains only a Monarch while five great clans circle like vultures, then our doom is already written.
Only as a Demi-God can I provide the deterrence we need, only then will they hesitate before carving apart our name."
Su Yang clenched his fists so hard they shook, his lips parting as though to argue further, but no words came.
Deep down, he knew his father was right, yet the thought of losing him in a reckless attempt burned like acid in his chest.
Su Tang leaned back slightly, his fingers tightening around the armrest as his tone turned cold and pragmatic once more.
"In the meantime, I am strengthening the defenses of the planets we have chosen to hold. Su Prime, Veyra, Kotal, and Mitrava will be fortified to their limits.
I’m thinking I’ll bring the planetary defensive arrays and mana shields from other planets to these four, so we will have triple shields or even quadruple shields on our skies, and enough firepower to turn any intruding force to dust.
We will make it so that they can only destroy the whole planet, but can never hope to capture it."
He said, as his golden eyes, tired yet unyielding, stared straight into Su Yang’s, his expression now turning hopeful.
"But amidst all this, there is something that I must request of you. And this time, Yang... you must not fail me.
For you are the only one who can fulfill this request." Su Tang said, as Su Yang immediately placed his hand to his heart, and stood ready to receive any orders.
"Anything father.... You only have to say," He said, as Su Tang nodded with a heavy sense of dread.
"What I’m about to tell you, Yang, is something nobody inside the clan can know as of now, because it will only cause unnecessary misunderstandings at this stage.
Hell, if it backfires, the Clan might stop trusting me as its Patriarch completely.
However, I know in my heart that it must be done...." Su Tang said, as Su Yang became all ears.
"I need you to become my envoy to the Cult Of Ascension, and convince them to join hands with the Su Clan in this dark hour.
I know that there is centuries of bad blood between the Cult and the Su Clan.
However, if they come to our aid, it will deter the other clans from devouring us in full.
And in return, we can cede the control of planet Nemo and planet Zero to the Cult.
They are both resource rich planets, and the Cult will benefit massively from controlling them.
But in return, they must decisively come to our aid when called upon....." Su Tang instructed, as Su Yang felt his worldview being shattered for the second time in the same day.
All his life, he had grown up with this unbearable hatred towards the Cult Of Ascension, which, in part, had been instilled into him by his father and the rest of his clan, and yet, today, his father wanted to make those same evil people the Clan’s allies.
"I can’t entrust this mission to anyone else..... Plus, last I heard, their Shadow Dragon, Leo Skyshard, was your sworn brother in Rodova.
If the two of you still share even some form of bond, then only you can be my envoy."
Su Tang said hopefully, as Su Yang simply stood before him in stunned silence, neither accepting, nor rejecting this mission before him.