Protect Our Patriarch

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With a swipe over his storage ring, a person suddenly appeared before him. The man had a square, robust face that exuded a sense of steadfast reliability, as immovable as a mountain.

This person was none other than the guardian puppet "Wang Shouwei"! He was not adept at offense, but in defense, he was unmatched by ordinary Spirit Platform Realm cultivators.

The moment he appeared, he underwent a transformation. His massive hands merged into a giant shield, enveloping Wang Shouzhe within its protection.

At the same time.

Wang Shouzhe shattered a jade talisman, and as it broke apart, a thick golden energy formed a shield around both him and Wang Shouwei. This talisman, known as the "Vajra Shield," was a one-time use item that could withstand a full-force strike from a mid-stage Celestial Being Realm cultivator. For an early-stage Celestial Being Realm cultivator to break through this shield, it would take considerable effort.

Wang Shouzhe had several of these Vajra Shield talismans in reserve, each as valuable as a spiritual weapon. How could an ordinary seventh-grade family afford such an expense?

In addition to this, Wang Shouzhe quickly swallowed a fourth-grade healing pill, placed an Everlasting Tree leaf in his mouth, and in his palm, a piece of ancient bark appeared. With a surge of his mystical energy, it transformed into "Ancient Tree Armor" and adorned his body.

The "Ancient Tree Armor," a secret technique from the "Eternal Spring Scripture," was both armor and a living plant, which required the cultivator to nourish it with mystical energy over time to grow stronger.

Wang Shouzhe's mysterious and unknown bloodline possessed healing and growth abilities far more dominant and powerful than Yimu mystical energy. Consequently, the Ancient Tree Armor he had nurtured over time had a defense and recovery strength far superior to that of the disciples from the Eternal Spring Valley.

Even the disciples of the Eternal Spring Valley were known as indestructible turtles. It was evident, then, that Wang Shouzhe's defensive capabilities while wearing the "Ancient Tree Armor" were astonishingly formidable.

Because of this, his high-grade spiritual weapon, the Heart Guarding Shield, was now available for his daughter, Wang Liyao, to use.

With such thorough preparations, even if an ordinary Celestial Being Realm cultivator were to attack him, they would not be able to kill him in a short time. Of course, this was limited to the more common Celestial Being Realm cultivators. If it were someone like Long Yan Ancestor with a formidable treasure and a few fierce moves, they could easily crush you.

As quick as a flash.

All of Wang Shouzhe's preparations were completed in an extremely short time. Before he could make any further arrangements, a branch of heavenly lightning struck, first shattering the outermost Vajra Shield.

Following that, the shield formed by Wang Shouwei was blasted into pieces.

However, that was the extent of the heavenly lightning branch's power. The remaining sparks fizzled out on the Ancient Tree Armor and dissipated completely without even causing a tingling sensation.

"Uh…" Wang Shouzhe was slightly taken aback. Had he over-prepared his defenses, or had the heavenly laws underestimated him? But then again, under the judgment of the heavenly laws, he was merely a minor fifth-layer Spirit Platform Realm cultivator.

The overall power of the heavenly lightning branch that had split off was equivalent to a full-force strike from a late-stage Celestial Being Realm cultivator. Otherwise, the Vajra Shield and Wang Shouwei's defenses would not have been so thoroughly destroyed.

Under normal circumstances, it was extremely rare for a Spirit Platform Realm cultivator to withstand such a strike. And for someone to be over-prepared and emerge unscathed was even rarer.

While the heavenly laws would punish him for recklessly interfering with their operation, they always left a sliver of survival opportunity.

"Alright then!" Wang Shouzhe concluded that it wasn't that the heavenly laws had underestimated him, but rather that he had over-prepared! He had wasted a fourth-grade healing pill and an Everlasting Tree leaf for nothing.

At this moment, Wang Shouzhe finally had the chance to check on the Six-Tailed Fire Fox. Clearly, it had been struck down from the sky by the heavenly lightning and lay in the Heavenly Fox Pavilion, looking like a pitiful fox.

It had managed to block the strike, but it looked even more miserable than before, with its fur scorched black, leaving not a single trace of its former adorable beauty.

This showed that if Wang Shouzhe hadn't healed it earlier, it would not have survived today's tribulation.

After some thought, Wang Shouzhe took the Everlasting Tree leaf from his mouth and gave it to the fox. Once activated, the healing properties of the leaf could not be stopped. To avoid waste, it was the fox's turn to suffer a bit.

Looking up at the sky.

The thunderous essence within the rolling clouds was dissipating rapidly, and from within the dense clouds, a rain of sweet dew descended. Over ninety percent of it fell upon the Six-Tailed Fire Fox.

Only about ten percent of the sweet dew, as if automatically targeted, fell upon Wang Shouzhe.

After the lightning tribulation, comes the heavenly sweet dew! This was common knowledge.

Even when advancing from the Spirit Platform Realm to the Celestial Being Realm, once one passed the lightning tribulation, sweet dew would descend to assist in cleansing the marrow and upgrading the bloodline and physique.

However, Wang Shouzhe hadn't expected that by helping the Six-Tailed Fire Fox and being punished by the heavenly tribulation, he would also receive corresponding heavenly sweet dew. Overjoyed, he let the sweet dew seep into his body, sat down cross-legged, and began to assimilate the various benefits.

At the same time, the Six-Tailed Fire Fox, having received the majority of the sweet dew, also began to recover rapidly. Its flame-like fur grew back, its scorched body regained its former luster, and it even surpassed its previous glory.

Seeing this, Wang Shouzhe was reassured and entered a meditative state. After an unknown amount of time, he slowly awoke, feeling more perceptive and aware, and even his already powerful divine consciousness had greatly improved.

His cultivation had leaped from the fifth layer of the Spirit Platform Realm to the middle stage of the sixth layer, marking a significant increase in strength. However, such a change was surely not just due to the advancement in cultivation.

After a brief examination of himself, he discovered a significant improvement in his bloodline and physique, which delighted him greatly. Honestly, the advancement in cultivation was not surprising; it was merely a matter of a few more or fewer years of cultivation.

However, the enhancement of his bloodline was what Wang Shouzhe cared about the most. Initially, he possessed a third-tier genius bloodline. Later, with the help of the Bridal Blood Parasite King, he elevated his bloodline to the middle stage of the third tier.

But after that, despite collecting various resources to enhance his bloodline, the effects were minimal. Advancing one's bloodline was extremely difficult, especially since he was already at the middle stage of the third tier.

Yet, the heavenly sweet dew baptism following this tribulation had significantly boosted his bloodline. Although he hadn't tested the exact data on the Spirit Testing Platform, according to Wang Shouzhe's estimation, he should now be at the peak of the third tier, on the verge of reaching the Spiritual Body!

What a pity, just a little bit short.

The feeling of regret lasted only a moment before Wang Shouzhe happily accepted the fact. One must learn to be content to be happy. After taking such a big step in his bloodline, it would be much easier to advance from the peak of the third tier to the fourth tier and become a Spiritual Body.

This advancement in cultivation and the change in his bloodline had brought Wang Shouzhe tremendous benefits.

After setting aside his distractions, Wang Shouzhe looked at the Six-Tailed Fire Fox again. Now, it seemed to have recovered, its fur more fiery and radiant, smooth as silk.

More importantly, behind its petite and exquisite body, seven tails rose high like fans, resembling seven burning flames.

"Miss Fire Fox," Wang Shouzhe congratulated, "Congratulations on successfully crossing the tribulation and becoming a seventh-rank spirit beast." He couldn't help but feel that the Yuwen Clan was likely to return to its former glory.

A seventh-rank spirit beast was no ordinary creature; even the Purple Mansion Academy didn't have many.

Recalling the past, the Wang Clan had suffered an irreparable disaster due to a beast tide led by a fifth-rank fierce beast. How terrifying was a seventh-rank existence?

"Squeak~" The Seven-Tailed Fire Fox had just squeaked twice when it came to its senses. It was now a seventh-rank spirit beast with an open spiritual intellect and had refined the intangible bone. It immediately shifted from squeaking to a crisp and pleasant girl's voice: "Husband, thank you for helping me at the critical moment, allowing me to pass the terrifying Spirit Transformation Tribulation."

"It's nothing, I should... wait a minute." Wang Shouzhe responded halfway before feeling a chill run down his spine, "What did you call me?"

"Husband, ah?" The Seven-Tailed Fire Fox still looked adorably silly, but its expressions and eyes had become more anthropomorphic. It blinked its clear, crystal-like eyes innocently, "I've been with the Yuwen Clan for a very long time, and I've heard that's how couples call each other. Did I get it wrong?"

Her accent sounded a bit strange at first, but with her open spiritual intellect and strong control, she quickly adapted, and her voice became as youthful as a young girl's.

"There's nothing wrong with couples calling each other that," Wang Shouzhe said with a drop of cold sweat, "but we're far from that stage, aren't we?" No, there would definitely not be that stage, as he had no interest in a 2D-like beast romance.

"What?" The Seven-Tailed Fire Fox's expression turned pitiful, "Are you planning to abandon me after leading me on? You confessed to me, and I accepted it..."

Confession?

Wang Shouzhe felt a chill down his back, unable to recall when he had ever confessed to such an adorably silly pet fox.

"Didn't you say, little fox, that our fates are now completely intertwined?" The red fur on the Seven-Tailed Fire Fox began to bristle, as if indicating her mood was about to explode, "The confession was sudden, but I accepted it. And you just fed me the leaf you had eaten, I didn't even mind..."

For a moment, Wang Shouzhe was in disarray and cautiously asked, "If I say this is all a misunderstanding, would you kill me?"

"No." The Seven-Tailed Fire Fox blinked its charming eyes, "I'm not a newborn fox; if it's a misunderstanding and you don't want to marry me, it's okay. Feelings need to be cultivated slowly." Her tone was slightly disappointed, but she didn't seem furious.

"Fine, we'll cultivate them slowly." Wang Shouzhe secretly breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that the Seven-Tailed Fire Fox, now with open spiritual intellect, had matured and didn't force him into marriage.

As for slowly cultivating feelings, well... with that, Wang Shouzhe could delay until the end of time. He really had no interest in marrying a spirit beast fox.

If such a thing happened, wouldn't his wife beat him to death?

"Can I call you brother?" The Seven-Tailed Fire Fox hopped over and snuggled into Wang Shouzhe's arms, seemingly enjoying the feeling just as much as before.

"Of course, you can." Wang Shouzhe perked up and said, "Then it's settled, you're my sister from now on." He wiped a cold sweat from his brow, relieved that the Seven-Tailed Fire Fox, a seventh-rank spirit beast, didn't think of marrying him. Whether she wanted to be sworn siblings or even a grandmother, Wang Shouzhe had no objections.

Come to think of it, he was the one benefiting. With this relationship, asking her for a favor later would be completely justified, much better than relying on the Purple Mansion Academy's backing, as they couldn't easily intervene in worldly conflicts.

"Okay, then to repay my brother for saving me during the tribulation." The Seven-Tailed Fire Fox nuzzled in Wang Shouzhe's arms and said, "I'm willing to dual cultivate with you."

Dual?

Dual what exactly?

Wang Shouzhe almost threw the fox out, glancing around guiltily. This was forbidden content! How could it be spoken so casually!

What made him even more nervous was that she was still just a fox, not even a beastly beauty. How could Wang Shouzhe be so degenerate?

"Absolutely not! Of course not." Wang Shouzhe sternly refused, "To avoid the strongest heavenly laws' punishment, you must at least reach the ninth rank and transform before discussing this with me."

Ninth-rank transformation was on par with the mighty Divine Power Realm. Considering the Seven-Tailed Fire Fox's previous state, reaching the eighth rank was possible, but crossing the transformation tribulation was incredibly difficult.

Moreover, spirit beasts grew much slower than humans. Even if she could cultivate to the peak of the eighth rank, it would be an eternity away. By then, Wang Shouzhe would either have become a Divine Power Realm master or one of the ancestral tablets of the Wang Clan!

Fortunately, although she was intelligent, she was still too naive and agreed immediately, "Then it's a deal. But during this time, you're not allowed to dual cultivate with other spirit beasts."

Wang Shouzhe's face darkened. As the head of the Wang Clan and a respected figure, how could he have such degenerate thoughts?

Just then.

Bilian Madam and a group of people rushed in. Seeing Wang Shouzhe and the fox unharmed, they all breathed a sigh of relief and showed great excitement.

"Fourth Uncle, it's so good that you're alright." Wang Zongsheng hugged Wang Shouzhe tightly, tears in his eyes, "If it weren't for the fierce storm clouds, I would have rushed in to save you. What would we do if you died, how could our Wang Clan cope?"

"Go away, don't smear your snot on me, this robe is expensive." Wang Shouzhe shook him off with a burst of mystical energy, "How could your Fourth Uncle die so easily?" He said this, but he was touched inside. The Wang Clan members had come through hardships together and were much more united than other families.

"Congratulations to Fire Fox Ancestor on advancing to the seventh rank." Bilian Madam, along with several Yuwen Clan members, congratulated the Seven-Tailed Fire Fox, "Please, Fire Fox Ancestor, allow us to repair the Heavenly Fox Pavilion before you move back in."

Bilian Madam was bursting with pride. After all, the Fire Fox Ancestor had advanced to the seventh rank under her watch. Regardless of her role in it, just the fact that the Fire Fox Ancestor had become a seventh-rank meant it could protect the Yuwen Clan for a millennium or two.

Some spirit beasts had this advantage, living much longer than humans. The lifespan of a spirit beast like the Fire Fox wasn't even the longest. If a seventh-rank Elemental Water Turtle advanced, it would be even more terrifying, potentially living for seven or eight thousand years or more.

Of course, the Fire Fox had its benefits. Its combat power was formidable, whether it was illusion techniques or fire abilities, it could take advantage against same-rank Purple Mansion Realm cultivators.

Unlike a seventh-rank Elemental Water Turtle, which was more suited for defense than expansion.

"There's no need for such trouble." The Seven-Tailed Fire Fox stayed in Wang Shouzhe's arms, sounding lazy and impatient, "Take your time repairing the Heavenly Fox Pavilion, I'll just stay at my brother's house for a while."

"By your command, Fire Fox Ancestor..." Bilian Madam began to reply, then suddenly felt as if struck by lightning, "Brother... brother? Does Fire Fox Ancestor mean..."

"Madam, it is none other than the humble me." Wang Shouzhe bowed and said, "We just swore siblinghood, so it's normal for a sister to stay at her brother's house for a while, no need to make a big deal out of it."

No need to make a big deal out of it, my soul!

Bilian Madam was both anxious and angry, her hair standing on end, "Wang Shouzhe, on what basis do you become sworn siblings with our Fire Fox Ancestor? You're really crossing the line."

Wang Shouzhe looked at the furious Bilian Madam and sighed inwardly. If he really had no bottom line, they wouldn't be siblings, but husband and wife. By then, the Yuwen Clan wouldn't even get a single fox hair...

After all, Wang Shouzhe's skin wasn't thick enough.