Strongest Family System

Robert returned to his chamber before the sun rose. He closed the heavy wooden door behind him, letting the silence of the room settle over his shoulders. For a long moment, he sat cross-legged on the mat, steadying his breathing. The memory of the Walker spy's last stare still lingered in his mind—half surprise, half disbelief—before the Shadow Reaper's blade cut him from the world.

Shaking the thought away, Robert reached inward, summoning the translucent panel of his system. The cold blue letters flickered to life before his eyes.

System Status

Name: Robert Osborn

Cultivation Realm: Spirit Root Realm – Level 1 (Peak-Stage)

Soul Power: 200,000

System Points: 130,420

Skills:

Shadow Step – Level 2: Breath Sync (Minor Success Achieved)

Twin Dragon Fang – Level 2: Coiling Scales Technique (Minor Success Achieved)

Mountain Fist – Level 1: Grounded Form Achieved

Soul Awakening Realm – Level 3: Soul Seed Formation Achieved

Quests:

Main Quest: Strengthen the Osborn Family – Progress: 0.5%

Robert exhaled through his nose, a flicker of determination igniting in his chest.

"So much soul power… It cannot lie dormant," he whispered. "If I do not grow now, then when?"

He crossed into the cultivation room, sealing the door behind him. With a thought, he directed one thousand soul points into his cultivation. The energy poured through him in a torrential stream, burning away weariness and carving strength into his meridians. His body trembled, sweat forming along his brow, but he did not stop. The long night flew by in a haze of deliberate will and steady breathing.

By dawn, his entire body hummed with restrained power.

When he finally opened his eyes, light filtered faintly through the window. He summoned the system again and searched its catalog of items. His fingers froze over one entry.

Soul Lotus Pill – Five Lines (High Purity).

The description made his breath tighten: a pill capable of piercing bottlenecks, refining the soul, and opening the door to a higher realm. The price was steep—fifteen thousand points each. But the faces of two people rose in his mind: Lady Mary and Elder Morgan. Both were Spirit Root level nine, yet unable to take the final step into Soul Manifestation.

Their strength would become pillars for the clan's survival.

Without hesitation, Robert purchased two. The system points were reduced to thirty thousand points, but the weight in his heart lightened.

He washed, changed into fresh robes, and tucked the two pills into jade bottles. After a brief breakfast of tea and bread, he made his way through the compound to his mother's quarters.

Lady Mary's chamber door was carved with protective sigils, softly glowing. Robert knocked gently.

"Come in," she said in a calm voice.

He entered, bowing slightly. She sat by the window, her hair unbound, the morning light catching streaks of silver. Despite her graceful posture, there was a tiredness in her eyes that only those closest to her could see.

"Good morning, Mother," Robert greeted, his voice soft.

She smiled faintly, a mixture of affection and curiosity. "Robert. What brings you so early?"

He stepped forward, drawing a jade bottle from his ring. He held it in both hands, offering it to her with a reverence that made her brows knit.

"Mother… This is for you. A Soul Lotus Pill. High purity, five lines. It will aid your breakthrough into the Soul Manifestation Realm."

For the first time in years, Lady Mary's composure cracked. Her lips parted slightly, her fingers hesitating before she accepted the bottle.

"Robert… Do you know what you are giving me? Even in the Magical City, pills of this quality are rarer than Phoenix feathers. Where did you obtain it?"

Robert bowed his head slightly, masking the truth. "I requested Elder Devlin's aid through Grey Shadow Hall. It was… not easy."

Her eyes shimmered, and her voice lowered. "You risked this for me?"

Robert's lips curved faintly. "You are my mother. If your foundation grows stronger, then the Osborns' foundation grows stronger. There is nothing more important than that."

Lady Mary set the bottle aside and, without a word, rose to her feet. She placed her hands on his shoulders, then pulled him into an embrace.

Robert stiffened, unused to the gesture, but slowly relaxed against her.

"You have grown into a man too quickly," she whispered. "I only wish the world had given you more time to be a boy."

Robert said nothing, but his hand closed briefly around her sleeve. The silence carried more than words. After a few moments, Lady Mary pulled back, smiling despite the glisten in her eyes.

"Thank you, Robert. Truly."

He inclined his head and, after a little more conversation, excused himself. His next destination was the array master's quarters.

Elder Morgan was already awake, seated at a desk covered with diagrams and jade slips. At Robert's knock, his rough voice called, "Enter."

Robert stepped in, bowing deeply. "Good morning, Elder Morgan."

The old man looked up, his sharp eyes softening at the sight of him. "Robert. Sit. I was just drafting a new layer for the eastern wall. Your timing is… convenient."

Robert sat, but before words could fall into small talk, Elder Morgan leaned forward. "I never thanked you properly for saving my son and daughter during the James attack. Without you, I would have buried them." His voice caught slightly, rare for the stern elder.

Robert gave a faint smile. "They fought bravely. All I did was help."

From his ring, he drew out the second jade bottle and slid it across the table. "Elder, I have something for you. Please accept it."

Morgan's brow furrowed as he opened it. When his eyes fell on the pill inside, his hands froze. His face paled, then darkened with shock. "This… A five-line Soul Lotus Pill? Robert, this is—no, I cannot accept it. It must be for you or your father. Not for an old man like me."

Robert shook his head strongly. "Elder, your arrays shield us all. Without you, even the strongest blade in the clan would fall with the walls. You must advance for the clan's sake. I insist."

Morgan's throat tightened. For a long moment, silence filled the room. Finally, he let out a slow breath, closing the bottle with trembling hands.

"You… Remind me of your grandfather. He, too, believed that strength is not just for oneself but for the family. Very well. I will not dishonor your gift."

Robert rose, bowing once more. "That is all I ask."

As he left the array building, the morning sun rose higher, gilding the walls in golden light. Disciples moved busily, laughter echoing faintly across the courtyards. For a brief moment, Robert allowed himself a rare smile.

Yes. The Osborn clan was no longer just surviving. It was growing. And they got one step closer to standing firm against the storm with each bond he fortified and each seed of loyalty he fostered.

The Walker compound was shrouded in a soft morning mist, with its courtyards alive with activity. Elders exchanged quiet whispers while disciples engaged in their spirited training.

Elder Tom was standing under a large maple tree at the far end, quietly discussing trade routes and the purchase of spirit herbs with Elder Rain. They spoke in quiet, almost light tones.

Then the pounding of footsteps shattered the air.

A guard rushed in, his robes disheveled, his breath ragged. He dropped to one knee, bowing so quickly that his forehead nearly struck the stone.

"Elder Tom, Elder Rain," he gasped. "Urgent news—grave news."

Both elders turned, their conversation silenced by the man's urgency. Tom's brows wrinkled. "Speak."

The guard's voice shook. "The watcher we stationed near the Magical City… he has vanished. We lost all contact last night. At first, we thought his stone had failed, but when we sent others to search, there was nothing. No trail, no signs of a fight. Not even a body. It was as if he never existed."

Elder Rain's expression hardened, his earlier good humor evaporating. Elder Tom's jaw clenched, his fists curling at his side.

"You dare bring riddles?" Tom's voice cut like steel.

The guard shook his head frantically. "This is no jest, elder. We searched until dawn. The man is gone without a trace. Someone killed him, I swear it."

For a long moment, silence pressed between them. The weight of those words settled heavily in the courtyard. A Spirit Root level nine cultivator, erased so cleanly? Such a feat was no ordinary ambush—it was a statement.

Tom exchanged a look with Rain. Both their eyes burned with fury, but beneath that anger lurked something far colder: unease.

"Keep digging," Rain ordered, his voice low but firm. "I do not care if you scour every shadow outside the city. Find a clue, or find another grave."

The guard bowed again and fled, leaving the two elders standing rigidly beneath the morning light.

Neither spoke until Elder Tom finally exhaled, his voice grim. "We cannot keep this from the Clan Head."

Together, they strode toward the inner hall where Zak Walker resided.

Zak listened without interruption, his broad frame seated in silence until their tale was finished. His expression darkened with every word, until his knuckles whitened against the armrest.

"An unknown hand dares to strike against us, and so close to the city walls…" His tone dropped into a dangerous whisper. "This cannot be ignored."

With a gesture, he summoned attendants. "Call every elder. Now.

The air grew thick with dread, the sense of storm rising. And in the silence between heartbeats, the Walkers understood: someone had declared war in the shadows.