Protect Our Patriarch

……

Today seems destined to be an eventful day.

Wang Shouzhe had just managed to settle "Ruoling" and hadn't even had a moment to catch his breath when Wang Zongchang returned from the outer regions and immediately sought him out to report.

This time, the matter Zongchang handled was quite significant, and Wang Shouzhe took it very seriously.

In the study, Wang Shouzhe met with Wang Zongchang.

"Fourth Uncle," Wang Zongchang cupped his hands apologetically, "I was delayed by some matters while exploring the outer regions recently, so I couldn't make it back in time for the clan's promotion ceremony."

Although Zongchang was of the "Zong" generation, he was actually only five years younger than Wang Shouzhe, now just over eighty years old.

He was the first to have his Xunfeng bloodline awakened by the Marrying Blood Gu, and had always been Wang Shouzhe's right-hand man, one of the pillars of the clan.

With his numerous achievements and extensive experience in exploring and fighting in the outer regions, Wang Zongchang's cultivation speed had always been in the second tier within the clan.

In fact, he had successfully advanced to the Celestial Realm several years ago.

However, due to Wang Shouzhe's special arrangements, Wang Zongchang had always kept a low profile, almost like an invisible man, with few of his great deeds known outside. As a result, many unfamiliar clans didn't even know that the Changning Wang's Clan had someone named Wang Zongchang.

Because of Wang Zongchang's familiarity with the outer regions and his fast Xunfeng bloodline, which excelled in stealth, Wang Shouzhe entrusted him with the most important task.

For the Wang's Clan, many things were important. But one of the most crucial matters related to the outer regions was the [Shenwu Army Headquarters Training Point].

Many years ago, Wang Shouzhe had searched for information in the academy, studied maps, and combined them with the maps provided by the trial ground's spirit artifact, finally pinpointing the approximate location of the [Shenwu Army Headquarters Training Point].

Unfortunately, the pinpointed location was no less than ten thousand miles away from Ping'an Town, where the Wang's Clan was based.

A distance of ten thousand miles in the outer regions was completely different from ten thousand miles within the Great Qian.

The outer regions were sparsely populated and teeming with fierce beasts. Advancing even a few hundred miles meant delving deeper into the outer regions, with dangers increasing tenfold, even a hundredfold.

Fortunately, the clan was gradually growing stronger, and with Wang Zongchang, who excelled in exploration and stealth, advancing to the Celestial Realm, his safety in the outer regions had greatly increased.

Wang Shouzhe could no longer contain his interest in the Shenwu Army's training point.

After stuffing Wang Zongchang with a bunch of life-saving artifacts and equipping him with stealth and concealment treasures, he sent him out to explore.

"Fourth Uncle," Wang Zongchang took out a stack of detailed maps and spread them out on the desk and floor, "In the past two years, I've been expanding the exploration area. These are maps within five thousand miles of our Xin'an Town."

Opening the maps.

Wang Shouzhe vaguely remembered that when he used to play games, he always had to clear the fog of war. He used to think it was a cumbersome design, but now in reality, he was more enthusiastic about opening maps than anyone else.

The reason was simple: without opening the maps in advance, rushing blindly into the outer regions could be disastrous. If luck was on their side, there would be no problem, but if they stumbled into a great demon's lair, not only would they die without a burial place, but it could also trigger a beast tide and other catastrophic consequences.

At that time, the Changning Wang's Clan, which bordered the outer regions, would be the first to bear the brunt and would not be able to escape.

To Wang Shouzhe, clan members were not NPCs in a game. If they died, they were truly dead. Each one of them was a part of the clan's bloodline, living people, and Wang Shouzhe's relatives.

He couldn't bear to lose any of them.

"Xiaoxue, help Zongchang input the maps into the system," Wang Shouzhe instructed, "and make corrections and repairs."

"Ding-dong! Yes, Master." The family spirit artifact Xiaoxue, with her twin ponytails, appeared out of thin air and greeted Wang Zongchang, "Elder Zongchang, long time no see. You look as handsome as ever, though a bit tanned."

"X-Xiaoxue, hello."

Wang Zongchang awkwardly averted his gaze and stammered a greeting.

Even after all these years, he still wasn't used to Xiaoxue's appearance and didn't dare to look at her directly.

After all, there were rumors within the clan that Xiaoxue's appearance was related to Fourth Uncle's secret past. It was best not to look at what shouldn't be seen.

With the cooperation of Wang Zongchang and Xiaoxue, the newly explored maps were quickly entered into the system.

Then, Wang Zongchang meticulously corrected them. Soon, a beautiful map was projected in front of the uncle and nephew.

This map covered the area within about fifteen hundred miles around Xin'an Town, showing the terrain and features in great detail.

The map was clear and comprehensive, depicting mountains, rivers, canyons, forests, wetlands, and lakes.

Even the dangerous areas were marked, with several red markers indicating the presence of fifth-tier fierce beasts. There were also dozens of blue or green markers indicating mineral veins or good spiritual veins.

Of course, in the outer regions, most spiritual veins and fierce beasts were in the same place.

The more powerful the fierce beast, the better the spiritual vein it occupied. Many were mid-to-high-grade spiritual veins. This precious map had cost the Wang's Clan countless manpower and resources.

Several family guards and dozens of clan soldiers had even sacrificed their lives for it.

Beyond the fifteen hundred miles, Wang Zongchang had explored a corridor-like narrow map using a zigzag pattern, each segment about a hundred miles wide.

Moreover, this corridor-like map was not a straight line.

When Wang Zongchang encountered a danger point ahead, he would usually mark it and then detour around it. After many such detours, the long map became serpentine and winding.

This showed the difficulties and dangers Wang Zongchang had faced during his exploration. Only someone with his Xunfeng bloodline, known for speed and specialized in stealth, could achieve this.

If it had been Wang Shouzhe and Liu Ruolan, they would have had to fight their way through, causing a great commotion and potentially triggering a chain reaction, leading to unknown dangers.

"Fourth Uncle, the danger points ahead are manageable, mostly fifth or sixth-tier fierce beast lairs that we can bypass," Wang Zongchang pointed to a large area marked in deep red beyond the five thousand miles, "The key is this large area. Just on the outskirts, I've encountered several fierce beast lairs. After careful investigation, I'm certain there's a seventh-tier great demon in the middle of this area."

"A seventh-tier great demon... Is there a way to bypass it?" Wang Shouzhe's expression was grave.

A seventh-tier great demon was at least as powerful as a Purple Mansion Realm ancestor. Some long-lived great demons with powerful bloodlines were even more terrifying.

Generally speaking, these fierce beasts in the outer regions grew up in an environment governed by the law of the jungle, where fighting, hunting, and territorial disputes were their daily routine. Their combat power was often stronger than that of human cultivators of the same level.

"It's unlikely," Wang Zongchang's expression was equally serious, "Seventh-tier great demons are highly intelligent and have a strong sense of territory, often occupying thousands of miles. Based on my rough estimate, our ultimate target is likely near that great demon's lair."

"That's a reasonable assumption," Wang Shouzhe nodded in agreement, "The Shenwu Royal Dynasty's military camps were mostly built on high-quality spiritual veins. Even if there were no spiritual veins, the Shenwu Royal Dynasty had the capability to relocate them. After ten thousand years of changes, it's normal for the location of the spiritual vein to have shifted."

"In that case, we must prepare well to eliminate that seventh-tier great demon," Wang Shouzhe said calmly, "We must open up the Shenwu Royal Dynasty's training point as soon as possible. The Imperial Heir Struggle is affecting an increasingly wide range. If our Wang's Clan doesn't want to be a pawn that can be used and discarded at will, we must accelerate our growth."

Unknowingly, the Wang's Clan had gradually grown to such a level. In Wang Shouzhe's mind, a seventh-tier great demon was no longer an insurmountable obstacle.

"Zongchang, in the next year or two, you, Ancestor Xiaohan, and Shouyong will form a team to eliminate the fifth and sixth-tier fierce beast lairs along the way," Wang Shouzhe instructed, "If you encounter a formidable target, you can ask Ancestor Long Yan to assist."

"Yes, Fourth Uncle."

Wang Zongchang was excited. His years of risking his life exploring the outer regions had not been in vain. The information he brought back laid the foundation for the clan's future expansion into the outer regions.

With the clan's current overall strength, fifth and sixth-tier fierce beasts were no longer an obstacle. Clearing the way would also prepare for the Wang's Clan's future expansion into the outer regions.

After dealing with matters related to the outer regions, Wang Shouzhe was about to rest when a family guard hurriedly reported that they had received a message from Wang Luotong via a messenger crow.

Since taking charge of the Wang's Great Pasture in the northwest direction of the Changning Garrison, Wang Luotong had always been capable and rarely had any major issues. An urgent report via a messenger crow was even rarer, so Wang Shouzhe naturally took it seriously.

Upon reading the urgent report, he learned that there had been a disturbance in the Great Swamp in the direction of the Zhenze Garrison.

Wang Shouzhe fell into deep thought.

He suspected that this might be the work of the Zhenze Wang's Clan or perhaps Gongyang Ce, who had just returned from the Immortal Dynasty, secretly causing trouble.

However, he quickly dismissed both possibilities.

If the Zhenze Wang's Clan did such a thing, the Zhenze Garrison would be the first to suffer, and the situation would only worsen. As for Gongyang Ce, if he caused such a disaster to disgust the Wang's Clan, it would be too low-level and counterproductive.

Based on what he knew about Gongyang Ce's methods, although he was somewhat ruthless in achieving his goals, he wouldn't resort to such low-level, self-damaging tactics.

Regardless, speculation was just speculation.

The urgent task was to visit the site in person.

……

By evening.

Outside the main base of the Wang's Great Pasture.

A convoy of heavy northern draft horses pulling carts approached from afar.

The carts were guarded by family guards and clan soldiers on horseback. The leading carts were loaded with large chunks of fierce beast meat.

These were from a fifth-tier fierce beast, the [Great Swamp Fierce Crocodile], slain by Wang Luotong.

The Great Swamp Fierce Crocodile was a common fierce beast in the Great Swamp. They reproduced quickly, grew rapidly, and were massive in size. A third-tier one could weigh several thousand pounds, and a fourth-tier one could exceed ten thousand pounds!

A fifth-tier Great Swamp Fierce Crocodile was rare. Even in the vast Great Swamp, they were uncommon. After this fifth-tier fierce beast was slain, the meat alone weighed over twenty-three thousand pounds.

The crocodile skin was also an excellent material for armor, with some prime sections suitable for crafting spirit artifact-level leather armor.

Additionally, the carts carried meat from third and fourth-tier Great Swamp Fierce Crocodiles. The family guards had already processed them, separating the skin, meat, teeth, and bones into different carts.

Humans and fierce beasts had been competing for territory for countless years. Every part of a fierce beast was used to the fullest, with no waste at all.

If not for the losses caused by beast disasters and the resulting panic, this wave of fierce beast invasions would have brought great benefits to the Wang's Clan.

Especially the fifth-tier fierce beast meat, which was in high demand within the Wang's Clan.

The great prodigies and prodigies in the family had enormous appetites. Someone like Wang Shouzhe, a great prodigy in the Celestial Realm, could easily consume several thousand pounds of meat in a month if he ate freely.

The substantial harvest brought smiles to the faces of the family guards and clan soldiers. With such a good haul, Ancestor Luotong would surely distribute rewards.

As the convoy entered the base, it attracted the attention of many herders belonging to the Wang's Clan.

They had heard about the fierce beast disturbance and the harm to livestock. But before any real damage occurred, Ancestor Luotong had slain the fierce beasts, turning them from predators into human food.

This calmed the herders' anxious hearts. With Ancestor Luotong around, no fierce beast could cause trouble.

This was the influence a powerful ancestor had on the clan.

A Celestial Realm ancestor was like an important pillar, stabilizing the core of the clan—its people.

Inside the base, Wang Luotong, Lei Bowu, Wang Shihai, and other core clan members watched the family guards enthusiastically store the meat in the underground cold storage. They felt both happy and worried.

When the clan was relatively poor, the underground cold storage used ice blocks.

These ice blocks were shipped from the northern coast during winter. Although expensive, they were essential for the survival of the clan. Otherwise, they could only use salt for preservation.

However, consuming too much salted food was harmful to the body.

Now, the Wang's Clan used a [Cold Crystal Array] cold storage with more stable temperatures, although it was more costly, it was better for food preservation.

While the harvest of spiritual meat was good news, the stable production of the Wang's Great Pasture was more important. Even a year's interruption would cause significant losses.

The problem in the Great Swamp was a thorn in Wang Luotong and the others' hearts until it was resolved.

Suddenly!

A long, distant crane cry echoed in the sky.

A spirit bird flying carriage descended from the clouds, landing steadily in the pasture base. The markings on the carriage indicated it was the exclusive vehicle of Clan Leader Wang Shouzhe.

At the Wang's Clan's current level of development, the clan leader needed an exclusive flying carriage to maintain face.

After all, Wang Shouzhe couldn't be expected to take public flying carriages or fly himself everywhere, could he?

Seeing this, Wang Luotong's expression brightened. She hurriedly went to greet him and bowed to Wang Shouzhe as he stepped out of the carriage, "Fourth Brother, you're finally here."

Then, she bowed to Ancestor Long Yan, who followed Wang Shouzhe out, wearing a veil and exuding a cold aura, "Luotong greets Ancestor."

"Luotong, no need for formalities," Ancestor Long Yan glanced at Wang Luotong, her eyes showing appreciation and affection.

Luotong had little presence in the clan as a child. Yet, through her efforts and the resources she gradually secured, she had achieved the Celestial Realm at a young age, becoming Ancestor Luotong.

She was now a legendary figure within the clan.

Seeing Wang Shouzhe and Ancestor Long Yan, the tension in Wang Luotong and the others dissipated.

Both Clan Leader Wang Shouzhe and Ancestor Long Yan were important pillars of the clan. With even one of them here, they felt reassured.

Now that both had arrived, what difficulty could they not overcome?

Moreover, Luotong's Fourth Brother had extensive connections. No matter how serious the problem in the Great Swamp, he could surely resolve it.

After exchanging a few words with Luotong, Wang Shouzhe noticed Wang Shihai nearby and frowned slightly, "What are you doing here?"

Wang Shihai quickly put on a smile and bowed, "Grandfather, Brother is handling gifts from the Monan Wang's Clan, so I'm helping out and earning some clan contributions."

"Don't wander around aimlessly. Go home and spend time with your wife and children. Have more kids as soon as possible," Wang Shouzhe waved his hand with a stern expression.

Wang Shouzhe had been displeased with Wang Shihai recently. Despite arranging for him to marry a daughter from the Yuwen's Clan, he still dared to complain privately.

Moreover, after being married for several years, he had only fathered Wang Anrui. At his young age, he should be working harder!

Wang Shouzhe had no patience for children who didn't work hard to expand the family.

Wang Shihai's face stiffened, and he inwardly lamented.

Grandfather, although I'm only your second grandson, the difference in treatment is too much. I've already sacrificed for the family by marrying, but do I really have to be a baby-making machine?

I, Wang Shihai, am a man who wants to conquer the seas, not spend my life as a tool for having children.

However, he only dared to complain inwardly. If he said it to his grandfather's face, he'd be in big trouble.

So, he could only laugh awkwardly and say, "Grandfather, I'll go spend time with Ping'er and Anrui."

"Spend more time with Ping'er. Anrui is taken care of by your grandmother; you don't need to worry about him," Wang Shouzhe waved his hand, "Wang Shihai, you need to settle down and live a stable life. If you get beaten by your grandmother again, don't blame me for not intervening. Go now!"

"Yes, Shihai takes his leave."

Wang Shihai left dejectedly, thinking he must appease Ping'er well. If she complained to his grandmother again, life would be unbearable.

After Wang Shihai left, Lei Bowu smiled and advised Wang Shouzhe, "Master Wang Shouzhe, don't be too harsh on Shihai. He's still young, and every young person has dreams."

"Shihai is restless and needs pressure to keep him in check," Wang Shouzhe said, looking Lei Bowu up and down, "You only have two children yourself. As an elder, you should set a good example. If you don't have more children, how can the family prosper?"

Lei Bowu's face turned gloomy.

Can you blame me? Is having children solely up to me? Even if I wanted more, I couldn't force my wife.

Wang Luotong, feeling nervous, quickly changed the subject, "Fourth Brother, let's go inside. I'll tell you and Ancestor about the current situation."

She couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Fourth Brother was great in every way, except for his fear of having too few clan members. Those who had many children received his favor and valuable clan contributions.

But those who had few children, like Wang Shihai, faced his fury. If it weren't for Fourth Brother's pressure, she wouldn't have rushed to have her son, Zongbo, before reaching the Celestial Realm.

"Alright, let's discuss the Great Swamp issue after we settle down," Wang Shouzhe finally shifted his focus to the Great Swamp.

It seemed that, in his mind, the matter of the Great Swamp was less important than having more clan members.

……

A few days later.

To the west of the Zhenze Garrison lay a vast swamp known as the "Great Swamp."

The Lingbei Commandery and the Longzuo Commandery were divided by the Great Swamp, with Lingbei to the west and Longzuo to the south.

However, the swamp at the junction of these two commanderies was only a small part of the Great Swamp. Its actual area was vast, extending southward into the outer regions, with even a section of the An River flowing through it.

Because of this, the fierce beasts in the Great Swamp were never completely eradicated. No matter how many were killed, there would always be more coming from the outer regions through the swamp.

This was why the An River occasionally had second or third-tier fierce fish and fierce crocodiles, which had drifted downstream from the Great Swamp.

Fortunately, although the fierce beasts in the Great Swamp couldn't be completely eradicated, the Longzuo Academy and the Commandery Governor's mansion regularly patrolled the swamp, clearing out the more dangerous beasts. As a result, while there were many fierce beasts in the Great Swamp, they were generally below the fourth tier, mostly aquatic and amphibious beasts.

A fifth-tier beast like the Great Swamp Fierce Crocodile could already dominate the Great Swamp.

Moreover, whether aquatic or amphibious, these beasts were highly dependent on water before reaching the seventh tier and rarely left the water. As long as the surrounding people were cautious and didn't act recklessly, they wouldn't be in much danger.

As a result, despite being close to the Great Swamp, the Zhenze Garrison had remained relatively stable over the years.

However, in recent days, there had been a mass migration of fierce beasts from the Great Swamp for unknown reasons, causing injuries and even deaths among villagers and commoners.

The Zhenze Wang's Clan, whose territory was closest to the Great Swamp, naturally took responsibility for this incident.

Upon discovering the anomaly, the Zhenze Wang's Clan reported it to the Commandery Governor's mansion and began organizing the evacuation of the populace and the extermination of the migrating beasts.

They also dispatched an investigation team into the Great Swamp.

Given the uncertainty of the situation in the Great Swamp, the investigation team was led by the Zhenze Wang's Clan's First Ancestor, Ancestor Kun Yuan, who was at the eighth level of the Celestial Realm, along with the Second Ancestor, Ancestor Cheng Ye, and more than half of the clan's Lingtai Realm cultivators. It was a very cautious approach.

Unknowingly, the investigation team had been in the Great Swamp for several days, probing deeper and deeper.

However, despite encountering many common fierce beasts of the Great Swamp, they had yet to make any valuable discoveries.

"These Great Swamp Fierce Crocodiles don't seem to be migrating voluntarily; they look more like they're scared," a young Lingtai Realm clan member on the investigation team's small boat observed a third-tier Great Swamp Fierce Crocodile swimming past the boat without noticing it and couldn't help but mutter, "Ancestor, do you think a great demon has finally emerged in the Great Swamp?"

The term "great demon" was a legacy from the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, generally referring to seventh and eighth-tier fierce beasts, equivalent to human Purple Mansion Realm cultivators.

"There's a saying, 'Shallow waters have no great demons.' The Great Swamp's waters are shallow, and its aquatic beasts frequently encounter rogue cultivators hunting them. Their numbers are far fewer than in the outer regions. It's been hundreds of years since a great demon could grow here," the middle-aged scholar sitting at the bow of the boat glanced at him and said calmly.

He was the Zhenze Wang's Clan's Second Ancestor, Ancestor Cheng Ye.

Fierce beasts could be broadly categorized into three types based on their diet: herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores.

In most cases, herbivorous fierce beasts wouldn't reach high tiers, with the fourth tier being their limit. Only a few herbivorous fierce beasts with special bloodlines had significant potential.

Most fierce beasts above the fifth tier were carnivorous, with some being omnivorous at the very least.

Ultimately, the advancement of fierce beasts was not much different from human cultivation; without sufficient meat, their strength couldn't improve.

This was the origin of the saying "Shallow waters have no great demons."

Hearing the Ancestor's words, the young clan member scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "I was just guessing. Just guessing."

On another nearby boat sat the current clan leader of the Zhenze Wang's Clan, Wang Xingzu.

Hearing the young man's words, he shook his head with a smile and then reminded everyone, "Although the Great Swamp is unlikely to produce a great demon, it doesn't mean a powerful fierce beast can't intrude from outside. I suspect that's the case this time. We just don't know the tier of this fierce beast. If it's fifth-tier, we can handle it. If it's sixth-tier, it will be more troublesome. Stay alert, everyone."

"Understood, Clan Leader."

They were the first team of the investigation squad.

Because the Great Swamp's waters were shallow, they couldn't use large boats and had to rely on small boats. The first team consisted of two boats, each with three cultivators, with Ancestor Cheng Ye overseeing them.

A few miles behind them was the second team, also consisting of two boats with three cultivators each, overseen by Ancestor Kun Yuan.

This formation allowed them to spread out and reduce risk, avoiding the entire investigation team being wiped out. Since the two teams were not far apart, they could support each other immediately if needed.

This was a standard investigation formation, basic protocol. If there were more cultivators, they could form a third and fourth team.

After traveling a certain distance, one or two members would scout the surroundings to ensure safety before continuing.

At this moment, each boat was missing one member, indicating they had gone to scout. The rest were waiting for their return.

Suddenly, a loud roar echoed from afar.

"Roar~~!"

The sound was intense and penetrating.

At the same time, a figure flew over the water from a distance.

The person was dressed in battle attire, stained with blood, and looked disheveled and panicked, seemingly unaware of the nearby boats, rushing forward desperately.

The people on the boats were stunned for a moment before recognizing him as a clan member sent to scout.

Ancestor Cheng Ye immediately flew out to intercept him and asked, "What's going on?"The clansman finally snapped out of his daze and grabbed the Ancestor's arm, exclaiming nervously, "Ancestor, dragon... there's a dragon! Run!"

As he spoke, the water behind him exploded with a loud "bang," and a massive azure flood dragon burst out, raising its head and letting out a long roar.

A surging pressure emanated from its body, fierce and domineering, ruthless and violent.

Its size was truly enormous; its head alone was almost as big as a small building, and most of its body was still submerged in the water, making it impossible to estimate its full length. Its sheer size alone brought an overwhelming sense of oppression.

The cold gleam of its azure scales, its sharp claws, and its dripping fangs all showcased its immense power and ferocity.

However, Ancestor Chengye's attention was immediately drawn to the color of its pupils and the scales on its cheeks.

Typically, an azure flood dragon's pupils were gold on the outside and blue on the inside, and the scales on its cheeks were mottled, not pure-colored. But this flood dragon had pure golden pupils and pure azure scales on its cheeks, different from any ordinary azure flood dragon.

It was known that pure azure scales and golden pupils, along with twin horns, were the characteristics of the legendary Yuan Shui True Dragon.

The flood dragon before them, except for the single horn on its head that had yet to shed, was almost indistinguishable from the legendary Yuan Shui True Dragon. This was a sign of imminent transformation into a dragon!

"Sixth-tier peak!"

Ancestor Chengye's pupils contracted, and he reacted almost instantly, grabbing the clansman and retreating rapidly.

"Retreat quickly!"

Wang Xingzu's pupils also trembled violently. Without thinking, he shouted and grabbed the younger generation beside him, retreating swiftly.

With his shout, the other members of the Wang Clan also reacted, turning and running.

Those selected for the exploration team were all cultivators above the Lingtai Realm, their agility honed to perfection. At this moment, they moved at full speed, turning into streaks of afterimages.

But even though their reaction was extremely fast, it was still too late.

The sixth-tier peak Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon was just a step away from transforming into a dragon, equivalent to a human Celestial Realm peak expert. Moreover, it was fighting on its home turf, its speed far surpassing that of Lingtai Realm cultivators.

With a roar, the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon's body moved like a swimming dragon, swiftly crossing the water's surface and catching up to the Wang Clan's exploration team in the blink of an eye, its claw striking the slowest Lingtai Realm clansman.

Ancestor Chengye, who had already flown a distance with the injured clansman, immediately dropped the clansman and turned back alone, positioning himself in front of the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon with his mid-grade spiritual sword.

Although his talent was far inferior to Ancestor Kun Yuan, he was still a minor prodigy. Now nearly two hundred years old, his cultivation had been slowed because most resources were allocated to Ancestor Kun Yuan, but he had still reached the second level of the Celestial Realm. He couldn't afford a magical treasure, relying only on an ancestral mid-grade spiritual sword.

However, in front of the sixth-tier peak Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon, his cultivation was far from enough.

With just one claw, he was sent flying, spitting blood, and crashed into the water with a loud "boom."

The flesh of a Lingtai Realm cultivator was far less rich in spiritual energy than that of a Celestial Realm cultivator.

Seeing this, the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon immediately abandoned its pursuit of the Lingtai Realm cultivators and roared excitedly, biting towards Ancestor Chengye.

Ancestor Chengye was severely injured by the previous attack, with internal organs damaged, meridians shaken, and even his consciousness somewhat muddled.

Seeing the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon biting towards him, he instinctively struggled with his profound energy but couldn't even break free from the water.

Just as Ancestor Chengye was about to be bitten by the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon, a sound of breaking through the air suddenly came from above, and a figure swiftly flew over.

It was none other than Ancestor Kun Yuan.

The two exploration teams were only a few miles apart, and Ancestor Kun Yuan had rushed over immediately upon sensing the commotion, taking only a dozen breaths of time.

Seeing the scene before him, his eyes filled with rage: "Beast! Courting death!"

Without hesitation, he mobilized all his profound energy, and a massive shadow appeared behind him.

It was Ancestor Kun Yuan's Dharma Aspect, a giant bear.

The outline was blurred, making it difficult to discern the exact type of bear, but with the appearance of the giant bear shadow, a heavy and vast aura swept across the sky.

As a prodigy, Ancestor Kun Yuan's bloodline had reached the fourth level of spiritual body upon advancing to the Celestial Realm. Now, with his bloodline power fully unleashed, the overwhelming might occupied half the sky.

"Boom!"

Amidst the thunderous noise, Ancestor Kun Yuan wielded his ancestral low-grade magical treasure, the "Earth-Splitting Axe," and swung it at the giant azure flood dragon.

With the whistling wind, the inscriptions on the massive axe shone, emitting a yellowish glow that was both powerful and sharp, as if it could split mountains and crack the earth.

If this axe struck true, even the thick scales of the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon might not withstand it.

The Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon, about to bite Ancestor Chengye, hesitated, a trace of seriousness flashing in its pure golden eyes. It immediately abandoned Ancestor Chengye and turned to fight Ancestor Kun Yuan.

Ancestor Kun Yuan, now at the eighth level of the Celestial Realm and a prodigy with a spiritual body, had combat power far surpassing that of an ordinary eighth-level Celestial Realm cultivator. With the aid of his magical treasure, he managed to hold his ground against the sixth-tier peak Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon.

However, Ancestor Kun Yuan was over three hundred years old, his stamina and energy not what they used to be. As time passed, his face paled, his movements and reactions slowed, and he made several mistakes, allowing the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon to injure him.

Unknowingly, the balance of victory began to tilt towards the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon.

Ancestor Kun Yuan's injuries worsened, his condition deteriorating. But he had no retreat; behind him were his descendants and clansmen. He could only swing the Earth-Splitting Axe, fighting the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon blow for blow.

His heart grew colder. Ever since his fortuitous encounter made him a prodigy, his ambitions had swelled. He dreamed of dominating the southern six territories, advancing to the Purple Mansion Realm, and elevating his clan to a fifth-grade family.

But in the end, it was all in vain.

"Go! All of you, go... seek help from the Wang Clan," Ancestor Kun Yuan roared, fighting the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon.

Unfortunately, the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon was just a step away from the seventh tier. With its powerful bloodline and limitless potential, it hadn't even exerted its full strength against the prodigy Ancestor Kun Yuan, treating the fight as a game.

"Ancestor!"

Wang Xingzu watched from a distance, anxious and distressed.

Over the years, many resources had been diverted to support Ancestor Kun Yuan's cultivation, even those meant for nurturing a third Celestial Realm ancestor. But it was all for the long-term benefit of the clan, not for Ancestor Kun Yuan's personal gain.

Ancestor Kun Yuan was generous and righteous, always looking out for his clansmen. As clan leader, Wang Xingzu had received much care from him over the years and had deep feelings for him.

Seeing the worsening situation, Wang Xingzu settled Ancestor Chengye and prepared to rush to help.

Suddenly.

A cold voice echoed from the sky: "Everyone, move aside."

A thick purple sword light descended from the sky.

The sword light was surrounded by flickering purple lightning, and its essence seemed to contain a sinister and icy aura.

The sword light moved swiftly, like lightning.

"Boom!"

The Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon couldn't dodge in time and was struck by the sword light, the impact sending it flying across the water. A deep wound appeared on its back, and as electric currents surged, a cold and terrifying energy burrowed into its body like maggots in the bones.

"Roar!"

The Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon let out a dragon-like roar, as if angrily questioning who dared to ambush it.

Raising its head, it saw a woman in a white dress and veil standing in the sky, holding a sword surrounded by purple lightning, like a sword fairy descending to the mortal world.

In an academy, she would undoubtedly attract a legion of admirers.

But to the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon, what did it care about a human's appearance? It roared, baring its fangs and claws, as if to say, "How dare you ambush me!"

Just as the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon prepared to pounce, another figure appeared in the sky, a handsome young man in white. He stood in the air, glanced at the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon, and spoke in a voice like heavenly music, "An azure flood dragon about to transform into a dragon? Its bloodline seems pure. Interesting, interesting."

"What, you have a problem? I possess the true dragon bloodline! Bow down!" The Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon, seeing the humans outnumbered it, felt a twinge of fear and roared twice. It hadn't reached the seventh tier yet, so while it could understand human speech, it couldn't speak.

"Ancestor, my precious daughter Liyao has been training too hard lately. Her master is too strict," the handsome young man said seriously. "Let's just kill it and send it to the academy to nourish Liyao."

"Alright," the extraordinary woman replied coldly, her sword light flaring as she attacked the Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon.

What?

The Yuan Shui Azure Flood Dragon felt as if struck by lightning, its heart filled with curses. What did your daughter's hard training have to do with me?

Retreat, retreat!

These humans were too ruthless; it needed to return to the depths of the Great Swamp.

...