Chapter 59: The Branch Family’s Plea
The Branch Family’s Plea
"Blackstone City’s Salvatore family..."
Victor murmured softly as his golden eyes settled upon the broad-shouldered man kneeling before him. A faint glimmer of surprise crossed his calm expression before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
The grand hall fell silent.
Only the gentle rustling of leaves outside the windows and the distant chirping of birds broke the stillness.
The Salvatore Family had endured countless storms over the course of its long history. Generation after generation, its ancestors had learned a simple truth—
Never place the fate of an entire bloodline in a single location.
Because of that wisdom, branch families had been established throughout the Celestial Dawn Empire. They were scattered across different cities and regions, quietly preserving the family’s bloodline.
Even if the main family were someday destroyed...
The Salvatore name would continue to live somewhere.
Yet time had slowly eroded those connections.
Wars.
Internal conflicts.
Changing generations.
One by one, the branch families had lost contact with the main household until they were little more than forgotten names buried within old records.
Before obtaining the [Eternal Legacy System], Victor himself had never paid much attention to them.
Now...
Everything had changed.
The stronger every member of the Salvatore Family became, the stronger he became in return.
According to the memories he had inherited, there were no fewer than ten branch families spread across the empire.
If all of them returned...
The number of clan members would increase dramatically.
Naturally, so would the benefits returned through the system.
A thoughtful smile briefly appeared on Victor’s lips.
It seems... the time has finally come to reunite every branch beneath the Salvatore banner.
His thoughts settled.
Outwardly, however, his expression remained as composed as ever.
His deep gaze shifted toward the kneeling man.
The burly cultivator’s travel clothes were dusty, his boots stained with mud from a long journey. Fine cuts covered his forearms, and exhaustion lingered beneath his eyes.
It was obvious he hadn’t rested properly in days.
The moment their eyes met, the man lowered his head again.
"Magnus Salvatore begs the Clan Patriarch to uphold justice for our branch family!"
His voice echoed through the hall.
Every word carried desperation.
Victor slowly raised one hand.
"Rise."
A gentle wave of true spiritual power flowed outward like an invisible tide.
Before Magnus could react, an irresistible yet remarkably gentle force lifted him from the floor.
His pupils contracted.
The spiritual power surrounding him felt vast beyond imagination.
It wasn’t merely powerful.
It was refined to an unbelievable degree.
Not a single thread was wasted.
Not a single fluctuation escaped Victor’s control.
Magnus’ breathing unconsciously became heavier.
The rumors...
They’re true.
The Clan Patriarch has truly reached the Astral Manifestation Realm...
Hope, which had nearly disappeared from his heart, reignited once more.
Austin...
Perhaps my son can still be saved.
Perhaps our branch family hasn’t reached its end after all.
His respect became even more sincere.
"Clan Patriarch... please... I beg you to uphold justice for us."
Victor looked at him quietly before speaking in an even voice.
"There is no need for excessive ceremony."
"We share the same surname."
"We carry the same blood."
"The Salvatore Family is one family."
"As its Clan Patriarch, protecting every member of our bloodline is my responsibility."
His voice wasn’t loud.
Yet every word carried unquestionable conviction.
Magnus felt as though an enormous weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders.
His reddened eyes trembled slightly.
For days...
No.
For months...
He had carried this burden alone.
Now, someone was finally willing to shoulder it with him.
Taking a deep breath, Magnus slowly gathered his emotions.
Then he began recounting everything from the beginning.
"The Crimson Abyss Sect has gone too far."
"And the Whitecliff Family..."
"They’ve completely abandoned all shame."
"They’ve humiliated my son and repeatedly pressured our branch family."
"I beg you, Clan Patriarch..."
"Please restore justice for Austin..."
"And preserve the honor of the Salvatore Family."
Despite standing well over six feet tall, his voice shook uncontrollably.
Not because he feared death.
But because he couldn’t bear watching his own son suffer such humiliation.
Victor remained silent, allowing him to continue.
Piece by piece...
The entire story unfolded.
More than ten years ago, Magnus had ventured deep into the Demon Beast Spicky Mountains during a training expedition.
There, by sheer chance, he encountered Norman Whitecliff.
The two young cultivators had fought side by side through countless life-and-death situations.
They had rescued one another more than once.
Eventually, admiration became trust.
Trust became brotherhood.
In the end, they swore an oath beneath the stars.
"If we both have sons..."
"They shall become brothers."
"If we both have daughters..."
"They shall become sisters."
"And if one has a son while the other has a daughter..."
"They shall become husband and wife."
At the time...
Neither of them imagined how drastically the future would change.
Years passed.
The two eventually inherited leadership of their respective families.
Their youthful promise gradually evolved into a formal marriage agreement recognized by both clans.
Everything seemed destined to proceed smoothly.
Then...
Austin Salvatore was born.
Even as a child, his talent astonished everyone in Blackstone City.
His cultivation speed far surpassed that of his peers.
By the age of twelve, he had already become known as Blackstone City’s greatest genius.
His reputation spread far beyond the city walls.
Naturally...
The Whitecliff Family was delighted.
They frequently strengthened relations between the two families, publicly praising Austin as their future son-in-law.
For a time...
The relationship between the Salvatore and Whitecliff Families appeared stronger than ever.
Then fate took a cruel turn.
About two years ago...
Austin’s cultivation suddenly began declining for reasons no one could explain.
His true spiritual power refused to gather.
No matter how diligently he cultivated...
His strength continued slipping away day after day.
The brilliant genius who had once illuminated Blackstone City gradually fell from grace.
By now...
His cultivation had dropped all the way to the Third Layer of the Mortal Forging Realm.
And everything changed.
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