Strongest Family System Chapter 200 200: The Shadow’s Edge (Part 2)

As Robert walked through the clan's inner corridor, he kept his usual pace, looking forward to seeing his father and passing along the information he had gathered.

The clan mbers were already moving to their positions—Sai directing from the information building's first floor and the silent protocol spreading through the clan the way it had been designed to spread.

Each person quietly took their spot according to the contingency plan Robert had ticulously crafted over those three pages and shared with everyone individually in the week following the competition.

He had explained to them that it was just preparation. But deep down, he knew it was always going to be more than that. He turned towards the corridor leading to the inner residence, with his father's room waiting at the far end.

He was halfway down it when Jack spoke.

"Host."

Robert stopped.

The three cultivators have stepped away from their posts at the edge of the clan's territory.

He was still for a mont.

"All three."

"All three imdiately. In just thirty seconds." All at the sa ti. No backing down. No shifting positions.

Simultaneous withdrawal from three points of a coordinated periter ant one thing.

The array was already in place.

Once the synchronization was complete, they no longer needed to hold the anchor positions. The jade cylinder's key had effectively locked the pattern into the spatial frawork surrounding the clan. During their stationary period, the initial QI pressure from the three cultivators had already laid down the foundation nodes for the array.

They had been placing the array for three hours.

Not waiting to place it.

Already done.

"The spatial lock," Robert said.

"Active. Compound periter sealed. External QI sensing is blocked in both directions.

"Duration."

"Based on the array grade and the estimated cultivation level of the three anchors, three hours from activation. Possibly less if the anchors maintain active suppression rather than passive lock."

Robert looked at the corridor ahead.

Three hours.

Whatever cos through the wall does so within three hours.

Or it does not co tonight.

"Jack."

"Host."

"Monitor Magical City's northern road. All movent is toward the clan from the Celestial Brook City direction. Cultivation levels, numbers, formation—everything you can read from this distance."

"Understood."

"And the three cultivators who withdrew."

"Yes."

"Track their new positions."

"They have moved to the northern district's outer edge—the boundary between the residential section and the main lane. Stationary again. Observation positions rather than operational ones."

Robert believed they were waiting for a mber of the Walker clan so they could launch their attack together. He told Jack to check how many mbers would be entering the magical city from the Walker clan. Jack nodded and left the system space, while Robert moved forward.

Knocked once on his father's door.

John opened the door, still wide awake, and noticed his wife was up well. He felt the shift in the atmosphere of their clan an hour earlier and had been anticipating the knock instead of just lying down and waiting for it.

He stepped back.

Robert entered.

The room was as it always was—the single lamp, the working table, and the window facing the compound's front yard, where the outer wall's dark line was visible at the edge of the lamplight's reach.

Robert was seated, and John took a seat right across from him. He did not pry into what had happened; he simply waited.

Robert started to describe the event, going through it one detail at a ti. We detected three unfamiliar cultivators at our clan's area, each cultivator positioned in different spots. They have now left the clan area.

They have installed the Spatial Interference Array, which is ant to block Qi. It looks like they are planning sothing big and are preparing to strike within our clan.

John listened without moving.

"The array is active now," Robert said.

"No."

John asked when and how many cultivators would be arriving. Robert responded that he has not confird the number yet. After hearing this, John turned to look out the window.

The front yard stretched out beyond it, with the wall standing tall. Beyond that wall lay a dark city, one that could no longer peer into this space. "The three who set the array," he remarked.

They have stepped out of the clan area. Right now, they are keeping an eye on things without making any moves. They are trying to figure out how many mbers of the Walker Clan are coming and what our response will be.

John was quiet for a mont.

His cultivation's presence in the room—the settled weight of Soul Manifestation Level 3 Low Stage that the past month had built into him—carried a quality that was different from before. Not louder. Just more present.

The particular density of soone who had been advancing correctly and could feel the difference between what they were and what they were becoming.

"The clan mbers," he said.

Sai is managing everything from the information building. Ronan, Sarah, Taylen, and Eissa are at their designated points around the compound. Now, about Kael and Lina—" Robert paused briefly. "They are in the secondary observation position, looking inward, away from the compound wall."

John looked at him.

He understood what internal facing ant.

"You do not trust them."

"I do not know yet." Robert t his father's eyes. "Which ans I do not position them where the information matters most tonight."

John nodded once.

He looked at the table.

"Your assessnt. Tonight or tomorrow."

Robert had been running this in his mind when he had received the information.

The array is not active yet, and it will only function for three hours. Midnight has just begun, so it might be tonight, depending on the preparations.

The Walker Clan's plan of action—if it were to happen tonight—would have to arrive and execute within that tifra.

However, the northern road from Celestial Brook City stretches for three hundred kiloters.

A Walker Clan unit moving at a combat pace would take, he estimated, at least fourteen to sixteen hours for a force large enough to make a difference.

The ssengers had been in Magical City for eleven days.

It seems like they might be on their way, and the high-ranking mber of the clan will only show up if they are using an array. If they move in a large group, the gray shadow will notice and put a stop to it.

John nodded and then asked if the high-level mber had arrived. He wanted to know what we should do and how we could handle the situation.

Robert smiled and said, "I have a plan, Father. We just need to move the clan mbers to a safe place, and we can use the clan outer area for the battle. This way, our clan area will not be affected too much."

John sees his son smiling, and it brings him joy. He has a plan: he will inform the elder to ensure the safety of the clan mber within the inner clan. Then, they will head to the outer clan and wait for them.

Robert nodded, and his mother chid in, "you have really grown and can handle clan affairs now." Robert replied, "I see our clan becoming stronger." She smiled and added, "Having that vision is great, just like your father, who is finally getting out of his situation."

Robert smiled in response but did not say anything. They enjoyed a happy family mont before Robert and John headed out to tackle their work.

On the other side, the head of the Walker clan and a few elders had just left Celestial Brook City. They have disguised themselves within the clan, and only a handful of mbers know that the Walker clan is planning to attack the Osborn clan.

Total seven mbers have left the clan to head to the magical city, including the clan leader. All of them are at soul manifestation level 4, while the clan leader is at level 5.

Zilton Walker, with his incredible strength, was accompanied by three elders who were residing in a magical city. This strength had the potential to wipe out the Osborn clan in just one hour. He felt a sense of joy in his heart, knowing they were only half an hour away from the magical city.

In Osborn, every mber has moved to the inner clan, and all the elders are out of their training, guarding the clan's inner courtyard. They all know that tonight there will be an attack from the Walker clan. They are afraid that there is not a powerful person in the Osborn clan to help defend them.

Robert and John Osborn were sitting inside the outer clan building, enjoying a cup of tea together. They spent their ti like a father and son, completely unafraid of the threat that lood outside. Actually, they were waiting for it, ready for whatever would co their way.

This night is set to be a restless one for the Osborn clan. The Walker clan mbers are approaching the city.