Protect Our Patriarch

...

Under the stimulation of the Soul Revival Pill, Ji Wuchen took less than ten days to set up the formation properly.

Truly worthy of the title "Sword and Formation Master," his efficiency was remarkable.

"My dear disciple, have you understood this 'Whirling Sand Illusion Formation'?" Ji Wuchen admired the formation he had set up, a satisfied look of accomplishment on his face, reminiscent of an old sword immortal in white robes.

In reality, any formation meant to trap enemies must be completely concealed before activation. Thus, it appeared as an empty space, indistinguishable from before the formation was set.

"Master," Wang Anye said helplessly, "I've just started learning the basics of formations... Could you lower your expectations for me just a little bit?"

"Haha, I know you can't understand it. I'm just showing off a bit. The formations I set up, as a master of both sword and formation, aren't something ordinary people can comprehend," Ji Wuchen said, hands behind his back, his white hair and robes fluttering with an ethereal aura, exuding the demeanor of an old immortal.

When he mentioned ordinary people, he glanced at the members of the Wang Clan, making his meaning clear.

The faces of the Wang Clan members immediately turned sour, except for Wang Shouzhe, who remained calm and composed.

Master... if you keep showing off like this, you'll get yourself killed. Wang Anye grumbled internally, then suddenly realized. Wait a minute, Master has already been killed.

Sigh~ Great-grandfather was right. Character determines fate. Master got himself killed mainly because he was too reckless.

Wang Anye, you must take this as a warning and avoid repeating Master's mistakes. It's best to learn from Great-grandfather, prioritize stability, and avoid doing anything without absolute certainty.

As Wang Anye was reflecting on himself, Wang Shouzhe's voice rang in his ears: "Anye, take out the explosives from your 'Boundless Treasure Ring.'"

The formation to trap enemies was just one of the methods. Wang Shouzhe's trump cards were far more than that.

"Yes, Great-grandfather."

With a weak thought, Wang Anye activated his storage ring, a divine spirit artifact that fit perfectly with his finger, and immediately a large pile of explosives was ejected, forming a small mountain.

At the same time, the 'Boundless Treasure Ring' spoke in a human voice: "Anye, my dear, you should persuade your Great-grandfather not to stuff everything into my belly. These things are damn dangerous. If they explode, won't I be blown to smithereens?"

The treasure ring spoke with the voice of a young woman.

Clearly, "its" self-identified gender was female.

"Sister Boundless, these explosives have been specially treated for safety and won't explode easily," Wang Anye patiently reassured, "I'll store more treasures in you in the future."

"Alright, alright, I love storing all kinds of spirit artifacts, immortal crystals, lots of immortal crystals~~" The Boundless Treasure Ring was evidently very excited, "Don't be like your Master, a dignified late-stage Divine Realm cultivator, not only poor but also stuffing me with all sorts of junk."

Ji Wuchen felt extremely awkward being talked about like this. Although formation cultivation was lucrative, it was also expensive, so he wasn't very wealthy. These two divine spirit artifacts were his Master's legacy.

Even when Ji Wuchen was alive, he was often mocked by the Boundless Treasure Ring, and he didn't expect to be nagged even after death...

"Sister Boundless, I'll do my best."

Wang Anye had gradually come to understand the temperament of the Boundless Treasure Ring. She was a very "gentle" young lady who just didn't like having worthless things stored in her. Her happiest moments were when she was filled with treasures worth a fortune.

"Anye, my dear, you're the best. So young and already storing so many valuable treasures," the Boundless Treasure Ring adored Wang Anye, speaking to him in a tone a hundred times gentler than with Ji Wuchen, "When you grow up, you'll definitely gather more heavenly treasures. Hehe~~ Sister just loves boys like you, rich and handsome. This time, I've chosen the right person."

Wang Shouzhe watched the Boundless Treasure Ring with envy.

Its storage space was far beyond comparison to the Endless Abyss. The only drawback was that divine spirit artifacts would develop spirit artifacts, and over time, with different experiences, these spirits would form different personalities.

Encountering a spirit with a bad personality could be quite troublesome.

If it weren't for the concern of maintaining his dignity as a great-grandfather or fearing Liu Ruolan's reproach, Wang Shouzhe would have really wanted to say to Anye, "My dear great-grandson, you're still too young, and the spirit of your Boundless Treasure Ring is too mature. Great-grandfather worries you can't handle it. Let me keep it for you until you grow up and have more self-control."

"Ahem~ Everyone, let's get to work and bury the explosives in the core positions," Wang Shouzhe restrained the urge to trick his great-grandson and shifted his focus.

In this Basalt world, explosives were already present and commonly used in mining operations, so they weren't particularly rare.

Wang Shouzhe's understanding of explosives was also quite basic, just knowing the general idea.

Therefore, although the Wang Clan's research institute had been working on improving explosives, the results were still far from modern explosives, and their power was average.

To blow up a Celestial or Purple Mansion Realm being, it required a large amount and favorable conditions. Even then, whether it could kill a seventh-grade great demon was still a question.

However, as a means, it was still effective.

"Come, everyone take a 'Diamond Shield Talisman.' This can withstand a full-force strike from a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator. Although it's not cheap, use it when necessary. Don't save money for the clan. We don't lack this little bit of money now~"

After burying the explosives, Wang Shouzhe took out some precious protective talismans and distributed them to Ancestor Long Yan, Liu Ruolan, Wang Zongchang, and other participants.

Even Fire Fox Ancestor Yuwen Chi Wei and Yuan Shui Azure Dragon Wang Lilong received one.

"This is a Purple Mansion Sword Talisman, one for each as a backup," Wang Shouzhe began distributing a second wave of treasures.

"This is a Life-Sustaining Pill," Wang Shouzhe started distributing a third wave of treasures, "No matter how severe the injury, it can keep you alive."

"This is my research, the Witch's Long Hair No. 96 Spirit Seed, which can temporarily trap a sixth-grade fierce beast. As for a seventh-grade one, I can't guarantee it can be controlled for even a moment, but throwing a few more should have some effect. This isn't worth much, just costs me some time."

"This is a Heavenly Thunder Bomb, imported from the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty through Baibao Pavilion. Its destructive power isn't as great as the Purple Mansion Sword Talisman, but it's equivalent to a peak Celestial Realm strike. The main advantage is the quantity."

"This is a Heaven Escape Talisman, used for escaping in critical moments. Although it will cause severe damage to your vitality, it's better than losing your life. Especially you, Wang Luo Qiu, I forbid you from fighting recklessly."

"Old... Fourth Brother, I understand."

The Wang Clan members were already accustomed to Wang Shouzhe's thorough preparations, accepting the treasures as a matter of course. They all knew that Wang Shouzhe liked to stockpile life-saving items and various trump cards, and a significant portion of the clan's annual earnings was dedicated to this.

In addition to these high-level trump cards, there were also many low-level ones, stored in the clan's treasury for the younger generation to exchange. Moreover, Wang Shouzhe had strict requirements for the Wang Clan members; no matter who went out on business, they had to have two or three backup plans.

Ji Wuchen, on the other hand, was quite shocked.

Wasn't it just fighting a seventh-grade great demon? In his prime, such a "small demon" would usually be dealt with in one sword strike!

Moreover, the strength on Master Shouzhe's side was already more than sufficient, even more than enough.

Why go to such lengths, why go to such lengths?

Ignoring Ji Wuchen's shock, Wang Shouzhe continued setting up layers of defenses, using the surrounding terrain to scatter countless seeds. These seeds were all new varieties he had cultivated and improved over time.

Additionally, there was his signature spirit plant—the Bloodthirsty Vine.

This exotic spirit plant, obtained from the Shenwu Royal Dynasty's recruitment point, had grown to an unknown extent. As soon as it appeared, it exuded a strong bloody aura, looking extremely ferocious and chilling.

Even Wang Luo Qiu and Wang Luojing instinctively sensed a hint of danger, becoming highly vigilant. This showed how much effort Wang Shouzhe had put into cultivating the Bloodthirsty Vine.

Following Wang Shouzhe's instructions, it hid among the plants, concealing all its aura, ready to launch a deadly strike at any moment.

However, despite the Bloodthirsty Vine's power, the recruitment point they entered back then was just one of countless such points in the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, not the only one. The rewards placed in such recruitment points were relatively ordinary spirit plants compared to the entire Shenwu Royal Dynasty.

According to Wang Shouzhe's own estimation, the Bloodthirsty Vine's growth potential was at most around the seventh grade, barely able to match the Purple Mansion Realm.

Even Wang Zong'an's natal spirit plant was a Longevity Tree capable of growing to the ninth grade, so with Wang Shouzhe's pride, he couldn't possibly refine it into a natal spirit plant.

Unfortunately, high-end spirit plants were extremely rare. Despite Wang Shouzhe's efforts to search, he still couldn't find a suitable natal spirit plant.

After setting up everything, Wang Shouzhe finally showed a hint of satisfaction: "It's almost done, just need one more Wang Shouzong."

Wang Shouzong?

Luo Jing and Luo Qiu frowned slightly.

When did the family get another member with the character "Shou"? Could it be a strong member borrowed from the Monan Wang Clan or the Daqian Wang Clan?

No, no, with Fourth Brother's caution, he wouldn't leak the Shenwu Army training point instance to the Daqian Wang Clan. After all, the Daqian Wang Clan was much stronger than the Changning Wang Clan, and doing so carried many risks.

However, before they could think further, they saw Wang Shouzhe wave his hand.

From his storage ring, a figure emerged, appearing before everyone.

It was a puppet over ten feet tall, its entire body seemingly cast from "refined copper." Just standing there, it exuded an intimidating aura.

The Celestial Realm cultivators present immediately narrowed their eyes, sensing immense pressure from the puppet. Even Fire Fox Ancestor Yuwen Chi Wei was startled, feeling a hint of danger.

"Shouzong, restrain your aura, don't waste spiritual energy," Wang Shouzhe instructed.

"Yes, Master."

The puppet, called "Wang Shouzong," immediately retracted the overwhelming pressure it emitted, standing there obediently like a lifeless statue.

"Tch, it's that annoying guy again." Wang Lilong's dragon mouth pouted slightly, looking at Wang Shouzong with resentment.

Back then, she was invincible in the clan school, causing trouble wherever she went, feared and respected by all. How glorious, how carefree!

But not long after, her parents tricked her into the wilderness and summoned Wang Shouzong. Using Wang Shouzong's suppression, they subjected her to a brutal mixed beating.

It was that brutal mixed beating that made Wang Lilong deeply realize that just because she was a Yuan Shui Azure Dragon didn't mean no one could suppress her.

When things got out of hand, her parents would definitely give her an even more brutal mixed beating.

Even though she was a thick-skinned dragon, she couldn't withstand such a beating. To this day, whenever she thought of it, Wang Lilong couldn't help but shed tears of bitterness.

Living in the human world wasn't easy~

Since then, the family had lived a harmonious and happy life, with filial piety and mutual respect.

"Fourth Brother~" Wang Luo Qiu looked at the puppet Wang Shouzong, swallowing nervously, "Where did you get a Purple Mansion Realm war puppet? How much did it cost?"

"I bought the puppet. Everyone, be careful, this is a clan trump card and must be kept secret." If it weren't for the fact that everyone present was a clan member and trustworthy, Wang Shouzhe wouldn't have revealed the clan's trump card.

This Purple Mansion Realm puppet wasn't easy to come by.

All along, Wang Shouzhe had been someone with an extreme lack of security. As the clan grew stronger, the lack of a Purple Mansion Realm ancestor to hold the fort became increasingly apparent.

Although Fire Fox Yuwen Chi Wei often stayed with the Wang Clan for a while and was very active when called upon, she ultimately belonged to the Yuwen Clan as their guardian spirit beast.

Therefore, Wang Shouzhe spared no effort in gathering resources to enhance strength, with his greatest desire being combat power comparable to the Purple Mansion Realm. Through his connections, he learned that the third-grade Gongye Clan possessed two Purple Mansion Realm puppets.

The now very powerful Gongye Clan had researched those two puppets for thousands of years, with most parts already replicable, but some crucial core components remained impossible to replicate.

As a result, the highest level of puppets the Gongye Clan could currently produce was mid to late Celestial Realm.

Due to the enormous consumption of using Purple Mansion Realm puppets, and the Gongye Clan being rich in talent with no shortage of Purple Mansion Realm experts, they rarely used those two puppets, except for occasional research, leaving them mostly gathering dust in storage.

Upon receiving the news, Wang Shouzhe attempted to purchase one through Baibao Pavilion's connections, but was naturally refused.

It wasn't until Wang Shouzhe married into the Commandery Prince An's family, and through a series of events like Wang Liyao's debut in the capital and Zong'an's promotion of the Dala Great Desert plan, that the Gongye Clan truly began to take the Wang Clan seriously.

Coupled with the private mediation of Commandery Prince An and Princess Gongye Qingrui, and Wang Shouzhe offering very favorable terms, the Gongye Clan finally agreed to sell one of the Purple Mansion Realm puppets.

The main factor prompting the Gongye Clan's decision was that they were now in the same boat as the Wang Clan, and the Wang Clan's potential was very strong. Establishing a good relationship early could lead to a strong alliance in the future.

The puppet cost Wang Shouzhe a total of eighty million top gold, fortunately not all at once. Wang Shouzhe paid forty million top gold upfront, with the remaining forty million to be repaid over twenty years.

Although the Wang Clan was wealthy, there were many places to spend money. With such enormous family and various expenses, taking out eighty million in cash at once was quite a strain, potentially even damaging.

Fortunately, it was all worth it.

With this Purple Mansion Realm puppet, many plans that had been shelved due to lack of strength could finally be implemented. As these plans unfolded, the Wang Clan would become even stronger.

Compared to this, the fact that a battle with the Purple Mansion Realm puppet would consume spiritual stones worth tens of thousands of top gold was a minor issue. After all, the existence of Purple Mansion Realm combat power was more for deterrence, with few opportunities for actual combat.

Setting aside the idle talk.

After nearly twenty days of preparation, Wang Shouzhe felt he was ready and finally began to take action.

During this time, the impatient Wang Luo Qiu was almost falling asleep from waiting.

Hearing that they could finally start, she immediately rolled up her sleeves, eager to fight.

But Wang Shouzhe pulled her back, scolding, "Why are you in such a hurry? We haven't even started reconnaissance yet. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll never be defeated. We don't even know what kind of fierce beast our opponent is. Rushing into battle would be a disadvantage."

"Reconnaissance?"

Wang Luo Qiu knew the importance of reconnaissance, but...

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, looking helplessly at Wang Shouzhe, "Fourth Brother, with our thorough preparations, does it matter what type of seventh-grade great demon it is? Even if an eighth-grade great demon came, it would still be doomed!"

"Besides, if you wanted reconnaissance, why didn't you do it while preparing? Didn't you teach us to manage our time efficiently? Fourth Brother, everyone's time is precious, and I'm eager to sweep through Shangjing City."

"Efficient management? Haha~ What if we accidentally alert the great demon during reconnaissance? Now is the perfect time for reconnaissance. If it fails, we can immediately start the fight, avoiding a passive situation. Luo Qiu, you're still too reckless." Wang Shouzhe lectured her with a stern face, then turned to Wang Zongchang, "Zongchang, this is the spirit artifact 'Concealment Cloak' I bought recently. Although it's far from a divine spirit artifact, with caution, it can evade detection by the Purple Mansion Realm."

"Fourth Uncle, I understand." Wang Zongchang accepted the Concealment Cloak with a solemn nod, "I will complete the reconnaissance mission and ensure my safety."

Fourth Uncle had given him a lot of life-saving items. If he, a dignified Xunfeng scout, couldn't even keep himself safe, he'd be better off dead.

"Thank you, Fourth Uncle, for buying such a good spirit artifact." Wang Zongchang fondly caressed the Concealment Cloak, a warm smile on his face.

"Yes, no one else can use it but you. Consider it an exchange from the clan treasury, and repay the clan contribution slowly," Wang Shouzhe said earnestly, patting his shoulder, "With your ability, Zongchang, you can repay it within a hundred years."

Wang Zongchang stood there, struck as if by lightning.

Why did this routine feel so familiar? Being repeatedly given exclusive treasures, repeatedly advancing contribution value...

Was it his fault that he was the only high-level scout in the clan?

No, he had to find a way to produce another descendant with the Xunfeng bloodline. Otherwise, he would never escape this fate.

Setting aside the idle talk.

Over a thousand miles from where the Wang Clan was stationed, there was a vast area.

This area had an excellent geographical location, with rolling mountains behind and a shallow, emerald-green lake in front. The scenery was beautiful, the spiritual energy abundant, and thin clouds surrounded the mountainside, resembling a paradise.

And on the mountainside, where the spiritual veins converged and the spiritual energy was most concentrated, there was a huge cave.

The cave seemed to have been violently dug out by a giant beast, with an uneven surface and claw marks in some places, looking extremely rough.

Inside the cave.

Some natural fluorescent stones were scattered around, emitting various colors of light. Under the intertwined light, the cave appeared mysterious and ambiguous, especially resembling certain scenes in small, secluded roadside establishments on Earth.

In the wild environment of the outer regions, many great demons, although quite intelligent, had not yet transformed into human form, so their dwellings, or rather lairs, were relatively simple.

However, the concentration of spiritual energy was quite good, and living and cultivating here could significantly speed up growth.

Golden Tiger King!

It was a noble-blooded seventh-grade Golden Winged Sun Swallowing Tiger King, having lived and thrived in this area for over fifteen hundred years.

In its long life, it had found several female tigers of its kind and engaged in activities not suitable for detailed description. Afterwards, it naturally left without a care, not knowing if it had any offspring.

But such matters didn't concern the Golden Tiger King. Whether it had descendants was irrelevant. After all, tiger-type fierce beasts were used to solitary living, and when two tigers met, they would fight more than ninety percent of the time.

Even a mother tiger with cubs would drive them away once they reached a certain level of strength. A family living together in harmony was simply nonexistent.

Reproduction was merely driven by instinct.

Today, the Golden Tiger King was very happy because it was the fifth time it was getting married in its long reign.

The concept of marriage was something it learned from some human captives, finding it interesting and deciding to imitate it.

The previous four wives were eaten shortly after marriage for accidentally angering the Golden Tiger King.

Originally heartbroken and despondent, the Golden Tiger King had decided not to marry again until it met its current wife.

In that moment, it found the courage to seek love once more.

It was a rare moon rabbit, with fur as bright as moonlight and eyes that sparkled like red gemstones.

The moon rabbit, tied to a post, looked so pitiful, so gentle and tender.

In that moment, the Golden Tiger King's heart melted.

As a Golden Winged Sun Swallowing Tiger King, how could it have any bad intentions?

However, the Golden Tiger King's title of "King" was self-proclaimed in a small area. In the human world, a seventh-grade fierce beast wasn't considered a king, usually referred to as a great demon for wild seventh or eighth-grade fierce beasts.

But within the fierce beast community, even fifth-grade beasts often called themselves "King," despite not being able to speak, which didn't stop them from gathering a group of lower-grade fierce beasts under their command.

In the "demon palace" of the Golden Tiger King, besides itself and the moon rabbit, there were five other fifth and sixth-grade fierce beasts.

These included a sixth-grade Giant Horned White Jade Rhinoceros, a fifth-grade Red-striped Black Python, a fifth-grade Diamond Stone Ape, a fifth-grade Blazing Fire Luan Bird, and a fifth-grade Dark Moon Shadow Leopard.

These five fierce beasts were all dominant figures in the vicinity of the Golden Tiger King's territory.

Typically, the territory of a fifth-grade fierce beast covered hundreds of miles, rarely encroaching on other beasts' territories. However, they often semi-depended on more powerful seventh-grade great demons.

Around the territories of these fifth-grade fierce beasts were areas covered by third and fourth-grade fierce beasts. Similarly, there were territories of first and second-grade fierce beasts below them.

Unlike the closely-knit social structure of humans, this dependency was extremely loose, with most of the time spent living their own lives, often in sleep or cultivation.

Only when summoned by a great demon would they gather, either to fight another great demon or to attack a human settlement.

Today was the day of the Golden Tiger King's grand wedding with the moon rabbit, and the surrounding fierce beasts had come to congratulate, bringing gifts ranging from precious spiritual herbs and fruits to rare minerals, and even some fierce beast prey as gifts.

This showed that while fifth-grade fierce beasts had decent intelligence, their social structure was very primitive and rough.

The Golden Tiger King didn't care about these gifts.

It valued its deterrence and influence more, sweeping its tiger eyes across the scene, a fierce look arising, and said in a deep, authoritative voice, "Why are there only a few of you?"

In the Golden Tiger King's domain, there were eight to ten fierce beasts of fifth grade or above that answered its call. But now, only five had come. Were the others planning a rebellion?

Seeing the great demon angry, the other fifth and sixth-grade fierce beasts were naturally terrified, prostrating themselves on the ground, responding to the Golden Tiger King's questions with various cries and howls, sounds that only other fierce beasts could vaguely understand, while humans mostly couldn't.

Although the Golden Tiger King's face was stern, it didn't want to spoil the mood on this "joyous day." It could deal with those disobedient fools later, following the traditional rule of publicly killing and eating one or two as a warning to others.

For today, it would let it go.

The Golden Tiger King then looked at the shivering moon rabbit with gentle eyes and said, "Brothers and sisters, according to human customs, I ask, does anyone object to this marriage between me and the moon rabbit?"

"Howl howl howl~" "Roar roar roar" "Hiss hiss hiss" "Chirp chirp chirp" "Growl growl growl"

The beasts all made various howling sounds of agreement, jokingly, who would dare ruin the great demon's mood at this time? The Golden Tiger King had a bad temper; what if it got angry and ate them?

It wasn't them getting married, so why would any beast care about the pitiful moon rabbit?

The Golden Tiger King's tiger face showed satisfaction: "Since no one objects, then I shall..."

"I object!"

A somewhat childish yet very arrogant voice sounded from outside, "How dare you, a stinky tiger, marry the beautiful and lovely moon rabbit sister."

The Golden Tiger King's expression changed. Who dared to challenge its authority?

It immediately roared in anger, "Who is it, who dares to oppose me?" The voice echoed through the cave, causing stones to fall.

"It's me, it's me, I, Wang Lilong, oppose you."

The voice echoed in the valley, seemingly mocking the Golden Tiger King.

Wang Lilong's voice sounded very arrogant and carefree, and it was no wonder. As a carefree Yuan Shui Azure Dragon, she spent her days battling cultural lessons in the clan school. If she didn't do well, she'd get scolded and have her dragon claws smacked by the teacher's ruler.

In such a stifling dragon life, having a chance to get some fresh air and show off, how could Wang Lilong not be happy? Naturally, the task of luring the monster fell to her.

...