Protect Our Patriarch

...

Just as Wang Shouzhe was leisurely heading towards the Lingyun Holy Land with Wang Ningxi and others, a ripple began to stir within the vast expanse of the Holy Land.

Within the Holy Land's vast territory lies a majestic and continuous mountain range known as the "Taiyi Mountains." This range serves as the residence for one of the Holy Land's nine veins, the Taiyi Golden Sun vein.

As one of the more powerful veins among the Holy Land's nine, the Taiyi Golden Sun vein boasts numerous disciples. The Taiyi Mountains are naturally filled with blooming celestial flowers, jade pavilions hidden among the foliage, and spiritual birds flitting about. Occasionally, powerful figures traverse the skies, casting brilliant rays of light, creating a truly celestial atmosphere.

The main peak of the Taiyi Mountains is called "Taiyi Peak," the tallest and most majestic of the mountains.

Behind Taiyi Peak lies a separately designated forbidden area. Within this forbidden area is a mountain not particularly grand or peculiar, named "Golden Sun Peak."

This peak is the place of inheritance for the Taiyi Golden Sun vein.

The area surrounding the place of inheritance is heavily guarded, not only shrouded in formations but also protected by spiritual beasts and patrolled by disciples, making its defenses impenetrable.

In the entire Taiyi Golden Sun vein, aside from the vein master Langya Daoist, only the great prodigies permitted to inherit the legacy are allowed entry.

The place of inheritance serves more purposes than just receiving the legacy.

Due to the presence of several top-grade metal and fire spiritual veins buried beneath Golden Sun Peak, the peak is rich in metal and fire spiritual energy. Even without receiving the legacy, cultivating within the range of Golden Sun Peak can yield significant benefits.

Thus, it has also been a place where generations of Daoists have secluded themselves for cultivation.

On this day.

At the central Taiyi Peak, on the lecture platform, Jin Ji Daoist, clad in a dark golden robe, was imparting teachings to several disciples.

He is the senior disciple of Langya Daoist, and in the absence of Langya Daoist, he manages most affairs of the Taiyi Golden Sun vein.

Even though he is over six hundred years old, supported by the superior resources of the Lingyun Holy Land and having consumed many life-extending elixirs, he inevitably shows signs of aging, with eyes no longer as sharp as in his youth.

Just as Jin Ji Daoist was reaching a crucial point in his lecture.

Suddenly.

A majestic aura surged into the sky from the direction of Golden Sun Peak.

The aura was grand and magnificent, like crimson flames reaching the heavens, scorching the sky, and like a sharp blade unsheathed, its edge revealed.

As the aura spread, the energy in the sky above Golden Sun Peak churned, space trembled, and intense energy waves erupted, even causing the spiritual energy at the distant Taiyi Peak to become restless.

"Master has emerged from seclusion!"

Jin Ji Daoist's expression lit up with joy, and he immediately stood up from the lecture platform.

The disciples listening below also showed expressions of joy.

The disciples qualified to sit here and listen are all core disciples of the Taiyi Golden Sun vein, each a prodigy at the Celestial Realm, and the future backbone of the Taiyi Golden Sun vein, numbering in the dozens.

As they spoke, a figure exuding an imposing aura appeared in the sky above Golden Sun Peak, striding through the air.

The figure was dressed in a white robe, standing tall and straight, with a jade-like demeanor. Even though his temples were already frosted with white and his face showed signs of age, he remained gentle and elegant, with an impressive bearing.

This person was naturally the current master of the Taiyi Golden Sun vein, Langya Daoist.

"Congratulations, Master, your Golden Sun Divine Ability has grown even more powerful," Jin Ji Daoist greeted with joy, performing a disciple's salute in congratulations.

"It's merely a matter of mastering it more skillfully on the original foundation," Langya Daoist replied calmly. "The 'Taiyi Golden Sun True Method' reaches its peak at the Divine Realm. I've been in seclusion for many years, seeking a path forward, yet the road ahead seems vast and uncertain, the more I explore, the more confused I become."

"Without reaching the Void, it's ultimately all for naught..."

With that, he sighed, his expression somewhat helpless.

In the end, it was his wishful thinking.

If the path beyond the Divine Realm were so easily explored, how could there be only one tome in the entire Lingyun Holy Land today?

"Master, why be so disheartened?" Jin Ji Daoist consoled. "You are considered young among Divine Ability Masters, and there is still plenty of time to explore in the future. Besides, there are some fragmented texts in the Holy Land that can serve as references."

His figure already somewhat hunched, standing before Langya Daoist, seemed larger than Langya Daoist, more like a senior than a disciple.

This is the fate of Basalt cultivators; without reaching the Divine Realm, their lifespan is limited to eight hundred years, naturally showing signs of aging early.

The path of cultivation is dazzling yet also the most cruel.

Time waits for no one; when one's lifespan is reached, it is reached, and no matter how unwilling, one can only accept it.

However, how could people easily resign themselves to fate? With Celestial Realm cultivation, one thinks of the Purple Mansion; with Purple Mansion Realm cultivation, one thinks of the Divine Realm; with Divine Realm cultivation, one thinks of the Void...

It has always been this way throughout history.

But those who truly reach the Void are as rare as phoenix feathers.

"It's easier said than done; the path to the Void is as difficult as ascending to the heavens," Langya Daoist sighed. "Enough, enough~ let's not talk about this anymore. Has there been any news from Ce'er?"

"Junior Brother Gongyang is still traveling in the Immortal Dynasty," Jin Ji Daoist replied. "However, he sent a letter back a few days ago, saying he is preparing to return. He should be back in the Holy Land soon and certainly won't miss the Holy Son Struggle."

"That's good," Langya Daoist nodded. "Wu Chengsi's failure to compete for the Emperor's Son might not be a bad thing for him. He has always had a smooth path, leading to somewhat simplistic thinking and naive actions. This failure can help him settle down, and as long as he can understand, his mindset will grow significantly."

Master Yunxu True Monarch Jiang Zhencang was from the Taiyi Golden Sun vein, which is why the vein has been developing well over the years, recruiting many disciples with extraordinary aptitude.

Gongyang Ce is Langya Daoist's most favored and valued disciple.

Though he may be somewhat naive, his core is righteous, and with proper cultivation, he is bound to become a great talent. Langya Daoist has always valued this personal disciple, putting a lot of effort into nurturing him.

For this Holy Son Struggle, he holds certain expectations for Gongyang Ce.

Although the little junior sister taken in by the master in recent years also shows remarkable aptitude, even considered stunning, she is indeed quite young and somewhat immature in dealing with people, posing no significant threat to Gongyang Ce.

The most challenging opponent is likely to be Wang Liyao of the Tianyi True Water vein, currently serving as the head of Longzuo Academy. Her aptitude is exceptional, her cultivation speed fast, and as she now serves as the head of the academy, she is preparing early for the Holy Son Struggle.

Fortunately, Ce'er has grown significantly, and with Langya's assistance, heh, they may not necessarily lose.

Once he returns, the Holy Son Struggle will be about to commence.

The Holy Land, which has been calm for many years, is finally about to stir up a storm.

...

Meanwhile.

In Muyue Prefecture, the capital city of Muyue.

In the geographical layout of the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty, Muyue Prefecture is located by the western Xiju Ocean.

The Xiju Ocean is vast and boundless, with more and larger frequent gales as one ventures deeper, even cultivators at the Divine Realm dare not venture recklessly.

Moreover, deep within the Xiju Ocean lies the mysterious Shenwu Heavenly Abyss.

It is said to be a heavenly relic left from the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, and those who can delve into the Shenwu Heavenly Abyss can uncover the greatest secrets of the Shenwu Royal Dynasty.

Thus, in ancient times, a great cultivator of the Void, relying on the ability to tear through space, attempted to traverse the void to explore the full extent of the Shenwu Heavenly Abyss. However, after venturing only a thousand miles, he was nearly torn to shreds by a spatial storm, and only managed to escape back to the capital city of Muyue after deploying several life-saving measures.

The terror of the Shenwu Heavenly Abyss is evident from this.

The cliffs along the continental shelf facing the Xiju Ocean are towering, and the waves and gales have, over time, created many magnificent scenes of natural craftsmanship.

Nestled along this cliff-lined coastline is a giant top-grade spiritual vein, and thus the capital of Muyue Prefecture was built here.

After a long period of development and expansion, the capital city of Muyue is grand and magnificent, resembling a celestial city. Its scale and rank even surpass that of Guilong City in the Great Qian, lacking a bit of heritage.

On the rugged cliffs to the west of the capital city of Muyue, a powerful individual gradually carved out a series of cliffside cave-style inns, adorned with some antique decorations, named "Immortal Abode."

This Immortal Abode is the best inn in the capital city of Muyue, with each cave dwelling benefiting from the top-grade spiritual vein of Muyue City, gathering varying concentrations of spiritual energy.

These cave dwellings can be rented out, specifically for those from families with insufficient internal spiritual veins, or for itinerant cultivators to retreat and cultivate, breaking through bottlenecks.

The currency for renting these cave dwellings is immortal crystals, with an exchange rate of about one to one hundred with the Han Yue Gold circulated within the Immortal Dynasty, and similarly with the Top Gold. This is because the standard for casting Top Gold was modeled after Han Yue Gold.

Among these Immortal Abodes, the best are the Heaven-class dwellings. Inside, the spiritual energy is dense and misty, and each breath feels like it nourishes the body.

Such high-level cultivation dwellings naturally come with a hefty rent, with immortal crystals flowing out in abundance for each day rented.

Inside the dwelling, formations regulate temperature and lighting, and many exotic flowers and plants are cultivated, blooming in clusters and competing in fragrance, providing a feast for the eyes for flower lovers.

However, for some, no matter how beautiful the flowers, they can't compare to the aroma of a wild fruit.

In one of the Heaven-class dwellings.

In front of the spiritual wood house, charcoal smoke curled up.

Dots of red light flickered, and the smell of charcoal smoke spread through the dwelling, even the exotic flowers and plants seemed to absorb the aroma of food, adding a touch of earthly flavor, making them less ethereal.

In the Immortal Abode, there is a master chef with Celestial Realm cultivation, renowned for cooking various seafood from the Xiju Ocean. Many Purple Mansion Realm and even Divine Realm cultivators come to taste his dishes.

At this moment, he was using his signature rock charcoal grilling technique to cook pieces of tender dragon whale meat. These pieces came from the belly of an eighth-grade dragon whale, weighing over hundreds of thousands of pounds, with only about three thousand pounds available for grilling, requiring precise control of the heat.

"Delicious, delicious!"

In front of the charcoal fire, two pretty little girls were sitting around, devouring the food piece by piece.

No matter how fast the chef and his apprentices grilled, they couldn't keep up with their pace.

"Wow~ so tender and delicious, it melts in the mouth, the flavor is endless," the pure girl with bright eyes and white teeth, Lan Wan'er, was so excited that tears almost flowed, "Sister Lici, this is even better than the dragon whale stew we had last time."

The chubby chef laughed, "There are many ways to eat dragon whale, each with its own flavor. For dragon whale stew, it's best to use the large meat from the whale's back and parts like the head, bones, and tail, and cook it in a giant pot with over ten thousand pounds, that's the way to enjoy it. You two esteemed ladies, you can try my stew skills next time."

"Why wait until next time?" The slightly cute and naive-looking Wang Lici licked the fish oil from her lips, her appetite piqued, "Let's have dragon whale stew tonight. Cook two pots, one for Wan'er and one for me."

Wang Lici's tone and demeanor clearly showed she had recently come into wealth. Despite not having seen her for many years, time seemed to have left little mark on her, still retaining the chubby, baby-faced look of a young girl.

However, Wang Lici had a four-clawed little dragon wrapped around her arm.

Its scales were beautifully diamond-shaped, a leaf-like emerald green, its body only about three feet long, as thick as an average girl's wrist, looking small and cute.

At this moment, it was lazily coiled around Lici's arm, its head resting on her shoulder, appearing listless.

"Two pots?"

The chef broke out in a cold sweat, these two girls sure could eat, having just ordered three thousand pounds of eighth-grade dragon whale belly, and now wanting dragon whale stew for dinner?

But according to the operating philosophy of the Immortal Abode, the customer is an immortal, and as long as they can afford the immortal crystals, they are to be treated like true immortals.

"Sister Lici, wouldn't two pots be too much?" Lan Wan'er was both excited and a bit unsure, "I estimate I can only eat another third of a pot."

After all, it's eighth-grade dragon whale meat, and even though she has gained countless benefits following Wang Lici, her bloodline talent still finds it hard to handle. After all, she's only reached the level of a B-grade great prodigy, still a step away from the Purple Mansion Realm.

"No worries," Wang Lici said, "what you can't finish, I'll eat. Since advancing to the Purple Mansion Realm recently, my appetite has grown a lot. It's just immortal crystals, we have plenty now."

"Roar roar~" The mini green dragon, upon hearing this, excitedly lifted its fist-sized head, roaring in protest, "Roar hiss roar roar..."

The meaning was clear. Those were the immortal crystals exchanged for the wealth it had accumulated, and she was spending them without a care.

But before it could finish howling, Wang Lici flicked it back with a light tap.

She poked its head with her finger, saying, "Mutant little green snake, you need to understand, that wealth was offered by you to avoid being eaten by me, it's your life-saving money."

"Besides, were those treasures yours? If I eat you, those treasures are naturally mine. Know your place, you're my reserve food now. If you howl again, don't blame me for eating you."

The little green dragon shrank its head into her arms, trembling with cold and anger.

I, the ancestor of the Yi Wood Green Dragon clan, am being scolded by this girl. If I had the strength, I'd teach you a lesson!

Girl, remember this, as the saying goes, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west! One day, you'll realize how wrong you are!

However, now that the dragon is under the eaves, it has to bow its head, so it decided to play cute first.

"Roar roar~~"

The little green dragon let out a tender and coquettish roar, rubbing its head with two bumps against her neck, seemingly expressing "I'm sorry, please forgive me, master."

Seeing this, Wang Lici picked up a piece of dragon whale meat and fed it to it, praising, "That's better, don't think you're a dragon just because you mutated a few claws. I've eaten many dragons, never seen one hatch from an egg and be so small. If you behave, you can follow me, Wang Lici, and enjoy good food and drink."

"Sister Lici is so kind-hearted, this mutant little snake, if it were me, I'd have eaten it long ago," Lan Wan'er sincerely praised from the side.

"Forget it, we've eaten so many green snake eggs, one more little snake doesn't matter," Wang Lici said with a magnanimous gesture.

Her fate with the little green snake began decades ago.

It all started when she received a letter from her family mentioning her grandnephew An Ye was to marry two little princesses. Such a joyous event that brought honor to the family made Wang Lici very happy.

Lacking a suitable gift, she persuaded her master and Lan Wan'er to take down a lone Yi Wood Green Dragon that had once bullied them. Besides the part for the gift, they divided the rest among themselves.

Little did they know, this act would bring the wrath of the Yi Wood Holy Land's Green Dragon clan upon them.

The master and disciple duo, along with Lan Wan'er, were hunted down miserably. Fortunately, they had plenty of experience being hunted and were adept at escaping, managing to evade capture several times.

However, the Green Dragon clan was relentless, and they couldn't shake them off completely. It was then that Wang Lici remembered something her Fourth Uncle once said, "The most dangerous place is the safest place."

So Wang Lici had Yunyang Daoist lead the dragons away from the ancestral dragon land. After all, her master was already at the peak of the Purple Mansion, experienced, and escaping alone was more convenient and faster than taking the two of them along.

Meanwhile, she and Lan Wan'er sneaked into the ancestral dragon land of the Green Dragon clan to hide.

It was a vast primordial forest, both a burial ground for deceased high-level green dragons and a birthplace for the Green Dragon clan's bloodline. It was a psychological blind spot for the Green Dragon clan.

In that vast primordial forest, the Green Dragon clan would place many eggs.

Due to the unique nature of dragons, those eggs could only hatch green snakes, which would hunt and survive in the ancestral dragon land, "happily" growing in a survival-of-the-fittest environment until they reached the fifth rank and transformed into a flood dragon, at which point the Green Dragon clan would recognize them as kin and begin systematic teaching.

The elimination rate in this process was quite high, the process brutal and primitive, but those who survived to the fifth rank and completed the transformation were bound to have exceptional aptitude, potential, and combat power.

Yi Wood Green Flood Dragons had to grow to the seventh rank to transform into a dragon and officially become members of the Green Dragon clan, able to truly reside in the Yi Wood Holy Land and be assigned their own dragon nest.

Green dragons needed to reach the ninth rank to be eligible for burial in the ancestral dragon land after death.

In this process, even out of ten thousand hatched green snakes, there might not be one that ultimately transforms into a dragon, and losing a few during growth was hardly noticeable.

Wang Lici and Lan Wan'er, upon sneaking into the ancestral dragon land, discovered a new world, as if mice had entered a granary. While hiding, they would venture out daily to find the eggs placed by the Green Dragon clan.

During their twenty years of hiding, they consumed countless eggs and green snakes. Although the dragon bloodline within was sparse, the sheer quantity made up for it.

They nearly emptied the ancestral dragon land by the end.

Additionally, Wang Lici's keen sense for treasures led them to some well-hidden green dragon tombs.

However, the tombs usually had no food and were guarded by the Green Dragon clan's formations. Therefore, they marked the discovered green dragon tombs, planning to raid one before leaving.

They also prepared for the aftermath.

When they had nearly emptied the ancestral dragon land, with many eggs stored as reserves, and felt they were about to be discovered, they finally decided to raid a luxurious green dragon tomb they had long targeted.

The Green Dragon clan had a tradition of placing burial items in tombs, but the most precious were the Yi Wood Dragon Crystals within. These were top-grade materials in crafting and alchemy, and if they raided a tenth-rank green dragon tomb, obtaining a tenth-rank Yi Wood Dragon Crystal would be a huge fortune.

Because of the precious items in green dragon tombs, the Green Dragon clan hid them and left warning and defensive formations. Over the years, they had slowly dug a deep tunnel to bypass the formations.

If they were going to raid, they might as well raid the most luxurious one, as taking anything would inevitably be discovered.

Carefully entering the most luxurious green dragon tomb, they hadn't found any treasures yet but discovered a lone egg... Wang Lici thought the egg looked delicious and decided to cook it first.

To her surprise, the egg hatched a mutant green snake.

A snake is a snake, after all, Wang Lici had eaten many over the years, though this one was smaller.

But this mutant little green snake was clever, quickly begging for mercy and offering a large stash of treasures hidden in the tomb when it realized it was about to be eaten.

Blinded by wealth, Wang Lici "graciously" spared it, but to prevent it from alerting others, she kept it as "reserve food."

The theft of the green dragon tomb, coupled with the mysterious disappearance of eighty to ninety percent of the eggs and green snakes in the ancestral dragon land, finally enraged the Green Dragon clan. An eleventh-rank ancestral dragon even transformed into human form to plead with the Immortal Court to find the culprits.

After all, the Green Dragon clan was nominally a spirit beast race subservient to the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty.

Little did they know.

Wang Lici and Lan Wan'er, along with her puppet, had long dug a deep, hidden tunnel in the ancestral dragon land, leading to an underground river.

They also stored a large number of cooked "reserve eggs" in their storage rings.

Relying on these reserve eggs, they continued along the underground river for two to three years, like two groundhogs, eventually emerging into a large lake.

Finally, the two women successfully reunited with the hiding Yunyang Daoist in the capital city of Muyue, as planned.

During this process, Wang Lici's bloodline gradually evolved and transformed, finally breaking through the greatest barrier of a great prodigy and entering the ranks of the Peerless Prodigy, even surpassing the lowest D-grade by a small margin.

Moreover, she successfully advanced to the Purple Mansion Realm not long ago.

Even her good sister Lan Wan'er, after consuming too many eggs and green snakes with sparse dragon bloodline, experienced continuous bloodline mutations, gradually transforming to a B-grade great prodigy.

Of course, while the two foodie sisters reaped great rewards, they didn't forget to repay Yunyang Daoist.

Through the black market, Wang Lici exchanged a small portion of wealth for a "Divine Communication Sacred Pill" worth tens of thousands of immortal crystals, along with some other auxiliary breakthrough pills.

She also rented the best Heaven-class dwelling in the Immortal Abode for her master Yunyang Daoist to use for his breakthrough.

Her master Yunyang Daoist had reached the threshold for a breakthrough years ago, but was too poor to afford the sacred pill needed for the breakthrough.

Today.

As Wang Lici and Lan Wan'er discussed having dragon whale stew for dinner, the aura of Yunyang Daoist surged from the depths of the rented Immortal Abode.

Immediately, a crimson light shot out like lightning, soaring into the clouds, reaching the edge of the Xiju Ocean in the blink of an eye.

Soon.

Black tribulation clouds gathered, and the rumbling sound of heavenly thunder exploded. The terrifying power of the heavenly tribulation spread across the edge of the Xiju Ocean, its formidable might felt even from the distant Immortal Abode.

Many guests were alarmed, peeking out from the doorways to see who was undergoing the Divine Ability Thunder Tribulation.

After nine heavenly thunders.

A vast and majestic aura of a Divine Realm cultivator rose at the edge of the Xiju Ocean.

That aura was like magma erupting, flames scorching the sky, mixed with countless brilliant and sharp energies, giving an indescribable sense of grandeur, vast and majestic, like the might of heaven.

As the aura spread, even the sea below surged with mighty waves.

Simultaneously, Yunyang Daoist's triumphant laughter echoed, "Hahahahaha~~~ What a thrill! I, Yunyang, have finally reached the Divine Realm!"

"Langya old dog, just you wait, I'll soon return with my disciple to sweep the Holy Land, seize the Holy Son position, and reclaim everything I lost. I'll let you taste the feeling of despair!!"

"Wa hahaha!"