Protect Our Patriarch

……

As Wang Shouzhe was lost in heavy thoughts, everyone greeted each other one by one.

After listening to Wang Lingzhu's introduction, Wang Shouzhe learned that the middle-aged men and women cultivators at the Celestial Realm beside her were collateral relatives of the Longzuo Wang's Clan, who had branched out early on.

Except for a few collateral branches that managed to thrive, most of them hadn't fared well. Some were nearly extinct, while others lived in dire straits.

Once these branches split off, the Longzuo Wang's Clan couldn't possibly protect them like a high-level nanny.

However, if they traveled thousands of miles to seek help from the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, the mansion wouldn't completely ignore them and would lend a hand when reasonable.

Of course, if a branch had already rotted to the core, was incapable yet still didn't strive, and only relied on the Duke of Dingguo's mansion for charity, there was no need to help them.

These clan relatives belonged to different declining branches, and they all had the qualifications of minor prodigies. After joining the Lingyun Holy Land through the connections of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, they were supported by resources from the family, the mansion, and the Holy Land, eventually advancing to the Celestial Realm.

Minor prodigies were considered excellent elite disciples in local academies. If they were B-grade or A-grade, they would be core disciples, and with enough potential, they could even be taken as personal disciples by the various lineages of the academy.

But in the Lingyun Holy Land, minor prodigies were just ordinary disciples. Only B-grade and A-grade were considered elites, and only prodigies were considered core.

Even so, being an ordinary disciple in the Holy Land offered better treatment than in local places, with even the spiritual energy in the air being much richer.

Most importantly, they could make more connections and had the protection of people like Wang Lingzhu, making it overall more worthwhile than being in a local academy.

Once they reached the Celestial Realm, they could become managers in the Holy Land, leading a much better life.

Their seniority was quite mixed, with some being of higher seniority and others lower. Wang Shouzhe naturally followed the family rules and greeted them one by one.

However, they were all timid and respectful towards Wang Shouzhe, which was understandable. Wang Shouzhe was a significant figure, and as Wang Lingzhu privately mentioned, his influence and authority in the court surpassed even that of Ancestor Yinda of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.

In the future, if Yingxuan or Liyao ascended to the position of Holy Master, the influence of the Changning Wang's Clan in the entire Great Qian would reach its peak, potentially developing into a third-grade or even second-grade family.

The driving force behind all this was none other than the elegant, refined, and majestic Master Wang Shouzhe.

How could such a person not inspire awe?

This round of greetings took a whole stick of incense's time, but this was all part of social etiquette and the foundation of family life in this world.

Afterward, Wang Lingzhu led Wang Shouzhe and others to settle in.

Given Wang Shouzhe's current status, he naturally stayed in one of the best scenic areas and courtyards for entertaining guests in the Holy Land. Because he had a "wood attribute," he was arranged to stay in the "Eternal Spring Garden" of the "Green Emperor Valley," which was quite far away and required taking an internal flying carriage of the Holy Land.

Eternal Spring Garden.

This was a courtyard spanning a thousand acres, located in the Green Emperor Valley, one of the nine veins of the Holy Land. The wood-attribute spiritual energy here was as dense as spiritual mist, and various spiritual herbs and grasses were abundant.

The Green Emperor Valley was a massive production base for spiritual herbs, with countless precious herbs planted over the long term.

Many of the spiritual pills and even treasure pills produced by the Holy Land likely used raw materials from the Green Emperor Valley.

Although Wang Shouzhe's true bloodline wasn't wood-attribute, he enjoyed the vibrant and life-filled environment. Wang Ningxi and Shangguan Lingbo naturally stayed with Shouzhe in the inner courtyard, witnessing the grand scene.

However, Shangguan Yunhong was arranged in the outer courtyard's family guard room, temporarily acting as a guard and gatekeeper.

Even if he was upset, there was nothing he could do, as he simply couldn't defeat Wang Shouzhe. Don't ask how he knew; it was a story filled with tears.

"Shouzhe, you all settle down first," Wang Lingzhu said. "The Holy Master has sent word that he will emerge from seclusion in less than three months. During this time, I'll accompany you and Ningxi to explore the unique scenery of the Holy Land."

The Holy Land was a vast area, almost as large as the entire Southern Six Guards. The environment here was built over seven to eight thousand years, and many of its wonders were worth seeing.

"Thank you, Great-Aunt," Wang Shouzhe bowed again.

"Grandfather, my master said I could have a three-day break to accompany you, and then I need to focus entirely on cultivation and training," Wang Yingxuan said, affectionately holding Shouzhe's arm and acting coquettishly. "It's been years since I last saw you, and I really want to spend more time with you."

Then, Wang Shouzhe gently pushed her hand away: "You're almost ninety now, a grown woman. You should dress up nicely before going out. You should be a stunning goddess, not being all mushy with your grandfather here."

"Grandfather, even without dressing up, I'm still a goddess," Wang Yingxuan pouted in annoyance. "You don't know how many young heroes secretly like me."

"Do you have someone you fancy?" Wang Shouzhe asked with a smile.

"How could I? I'm destined to be the Valkyrie commanding the entire army," Wang Yingxuan said disdainfully. "The young people in the Lingyun Holy Land, sigh, there's not a single one of my age who can fight. It's hard to even pick a few satisfactory subordinates."

Wang Shouzhe was speechless. Being a peerless prodigy and the heir of Holy Master Jiang, it's normal not to find a match among peers in the Great Qian.

Among her peers in the Great Qian, perhaps only Wang Anye could barely surpass her.

However, Anye was the type who lacked ambition, preferring to enjoy a leisurely life with his "wives." He traveled around on his Kun, occasionally bringing back treasures and various oddities for the family, living a carefree life.

On the other hand, Wang Yingxuan had always had clear and firm goals: to compete for the position of Saintess in the Lingyun Holy Land and to train an invincible female army, living a passionate life of "riding dragons and slaying."

Who would be more formidable in the future was hard to say.

Shangguan Lingbo looked at Wang Yingxuan with bright, admiring eyes, as if she had met her idol.

Wang Ningxi quickly blocked her view and coughed, "Twenty-first Great-Aunt, with your current strength, you might only find opponents of your age in the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty."

"Yes, yes, my master said that after I finish my training, she'll take me to the Immortal Palace to meet some formidable people, spar a bit, and then conveniently advance to the Purple Mansion Realm and secure the position of Saintess," Wang Yingxuan said excitedly, her beautiful face glowing with enthusiasm.

"Uh... Great-Aunt, what is your training course?" Wang Ningxi asked curiously.

"It's nothing much, just some training courses for the Holy Son Struggle," Wang Yingxuan sighed helplessly. "My master said that practicing in advance could yield better results in the Holy Son Struggle. Although I think it's unnecessary, I can't disobey my master's orders."

"Do other candidates for the Holy Son Struggle also need training?"

"No, they don't. My master said, 'Their masters don't have experience in the Holy Son Struggle, so who can they blame?'"

Wang Shouzhe's expression froze. So, Holy Master Jiang was playing favorites? He hadn't noticed before that Holy Master Jiang was quite crafty. Then, he gave Wang Ningxi a meaningful look.

Wang Ningxi understood and cleverly asked, "Yingxuan Great-Aunt, I'm really curious since I can't cultivate due to my broken meridians..."

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone else. Let's go to the corner and talk."

"Mm-hmm~ Thank you, Great-Aunt. I definitely won't tell 'outsiders.'"

"..." Wang Shouzhe and Wang Lingzhu.

……

At the same time, as Wang Shouzhe arrived at the Holy Land.

Glazed King Hall.

The Glazed King Hall's lineage's place of inheritance was a temple-like structure made of bronze, with an ancient and heavy sense of history.

Its name, "Glazed King Hall," came from a statue of a King that seemed carved from glazed crystal within the building.

The Glazed King Hall's aura was extremely restrained, with no unusual phenomena. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary ancient building.

As the saying goes, "A treasure conceals itself." Whether something is a treasure often can't be discerned from its appearance but must be tested to confirm. This is especially true for places of inheritance.

In ancient times, some large organizations would deliberately make their places of inheritance look ordinary to protect them. This way, even if something happened, the inheritance wouldn't easily be taken.

The Glazed King Hall was such a case.

It was excavated from ruins by a previous Holy Master of the Lingyun Holy Land. Its exact origins are unknown, but based on sparse records from the ruins, it belonged to a powerful local force from the early Near Ancient Era.

However, the Glazed King Hall itself wasn't made by that force; they somehow acquired it.

There are no further records beyond that.

Even the Holy Master Lingyun Zhenjun at the time couldn't determine its origins, so he named it "Glazed King Hall" based on its characteristics and incorporated it into the Holy Land.

The building itself was a rare treasure, with strong defensive capabilities once connected to a spiritual vein. In times of danger, it could serve as a shelter, accommodating dozens of people without issue.

When Lingyun Zhenjun discovered it, he initially considered converting it into a cave dwelling. It was only by chance that he discovered it was a place of inheritance.

Since then, the Lingyun Holy Land has had the "Glazed King Hall lineage."

It's quite a legendary story.

Since settling on the Glazed King Peak, the Glazed King Hall has stood silently at the peak, nurturing generation after generation of Divine Realm experts. Unknowingly, over six thousand years have passed.

At this moment.

On the square in front of the Glazed King Hall, a middle-aged man in a green robe sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, quietly resting with his eyes closed.

This middle-aged man was none other than Xuan Yao Ascetic of the Purple Mansion Academy of Longzuo Commandery.

As the founder of the Xuan Yao lineage at the Purple Mansion Academy of Longzuo, Xuan Yao Ascetic wasn't originally from Longzuo Commandery but from the neighboring Lingbei Commandery. Because the founding quota for Lingbei Commandery was full at the time, he came to Longzuo Commandery to establish the Xuan Yao lineage.

He was a disciple of the Glazed King Hall lineage.

Although not a personal disciple, his qualifications were among the best among prodigies, and he practiced the top-grade technique "Mountain Opening Sword Technique," second only to the "True Method of the Glazed King" within the Glazed King Hall lineage. He had the potential to reach the later stages of the Purple Mansion Realm.

Therefore, his status within the Glazed King Hall lineage was quite high, being one of the senior elders.

He returned this time to have his disciple receive the Glazed King Hall's inheritance.

He himself was guarding outside the hall for his disciple.

And he had been waiting for nearly a month.

Suddenly.

The long-silent treasure hall seemed to come to life, emitting waves of treasure light.

The shimmering light illuminated the entire peak, and a powerful aura spread out.

The aura was fierce and domineering, yet it didn't induce any sense of dread. Instead, it was peaceful and calming, giving an inexplicable sense of security.

This was the phenomenon that occurred when an inheritance was successfully received!

Xuan Yao Ascetic was overjoyed: "Great! It's a success!"

He sprang to his feet, eager to notify others. But just as he activated his movement technique and was about to take off, he heard a thunderous air explosion.

From a nearby peak, a figure was rapidly approaching, moving so fast that only an afterimage could be seen, creating sonic booms in the air.

This was a characteristic of the Glazed King Hall lineage's movement technique.

The Glazed King Hall lineage emphasized overwhelming force, and even their movement technique was known for its power, being extremely fast and distinctive.

After three sonic booms, a figure appeared like a phantom behind Xuan Yao Ascetic.

It was a middle-aged man in a blue outfit, with a tall and upright figure, exuding a steady and solid aura like a mountain. Though his temples weren't yet gray, his face bore the marks of time, looking weathered.

His features weren't particularly handsome, but his face was chiseled with distinct angles, and he sported a short beard, giving him a charismatic look.

His outfit wasn't tight-fitting, but even through the fabric, one could see the bulging muscles and the excellent body proportions underneath, with long limbs and a solid yet agile build, looking like a perfectly sculpted statue.

If Wang Shouzhe were here, he would surely marvel at the "golden ratio." This was the physique every man dreamed of.

"Master!"

Seeing the newcomer, Xuan Yao Ascetic was delighted and quickly bowed.

The newcomer was the current head of the Glazed King Hall lineage, Mingcheng Zhenren.

"Completing the first stage of inheritance in less than a month, this speed surpasses even mine back in the day. It seems that Luo Qiu not only has outstanding talent but also a bloodline and temperament highly compatible with our lineage's inheritance," Mingcheng Zhenren said with a smile of approval, then glanced at Xuan Yao Ascetic with a hint of disdain, "You're lucky to have taken her as a disciple."

"Hehe~" Xuan Yao Ascetic "humbly" chuckled, "Master, what you said is true. My disciple is also your grand-disciple. When she becomes a Divine Realm expert, it will benefit the entire Glazed King Hall lineage. You can't just ignore us because of a generational gap~"

"You rascal~" Mingcheng Zhenren shook his head with a smile, "Alright. You're right. She is indeed a great prodigy of our lineage, and we might rely on her in the future. Once she comes out, let's increase her cultivation resources by half a level, following the standards for my personal disciples. With a push, she might reach the mid to late stages of the Divine Realm."

These days, it's not easy to find a disciple with such outstanding talent.

Back when this girl first joined, she had the qualifications of a B-grade prodigy. If she had been a great prodigy or an A-grade prodigy, he might have fought Xuan Yao for the disciple.

A generational gap is just a generational gap~ After all, feelings are cultivated, and there's not much difference between a disciple and a grand-disciple.

If this girl could reach the late stages of the Divine Realm, it would have a completely different significance for the entire Glazed King Hall lineage. However, in the coming years, the Glazed King Hall lineage might have to tighten their belts.

As they spoke, a figure emerged from the Glazed King Hall.

It was a young woman with bright eyes and white teeth, appearing to be in her early twenties.

She wore a goose-yellow outfit, with a tall and outstanding figure. Though a daughter, she exuded a presence and demeanor not inferior to any man.

Having just received the inheritance, she emanated an aura of fierceness, dominance, yet peace, looking extremely imposing.

Seeing Xuan Yao Ascetic and Mingcheng Zhenren waiting outside, she quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Luo Qiu greets Master and Grandmaster."

This young woman was naturally Xuan Yao Ascetic's personal disciple, Wang Luo Qiu.

Mingcheng Zhenren waved his hand for her to rise, praising, "Well done, you comprehended quickly. Keep up the good work and strive to advance to the Divine Realm soon, contributing to the survival of humanity."

"Yes, Grandmaster."

Wang Luo Qiu respectfully agreed.

"Speaking of which, Luo Qiu is already at the Purple Mansion Realm. How about I sign you up to participate in the Holy Son Struggle?" Xuan Yao Ascetic pondered.

"Better not."

Wang Luo Qiu's face froze, quickly shaking her head. No way, participating in the Holy Son Struggle now would surely be embarrassing.

"It's not impossible to try," Mingcheng Zhenren's eyes lit up, "Though Luo Qiu is a bit young, lacking experience and insight, you are at least a B-grade great prodigy. Compared to Zhen Shicong from the neighboring Heavenly Fire lineage, you're much stronger, and you have a chance in the Holy Son Struggle."

"Grandmaster, you're oversimplifying," Wang Luo Qiu said, exasperated.

Zhen Shicong? What was he?

Others might not know, but she did. Not to mention, there were already three people from the Wang family participating in the Holy Son Struggle.

Not to mention Liyao and Yingxuan, even Lici seemed to be participating in the Holy Son Struggle, and she had been doing quite well outside, always boasting in her letters.

These days, without the bloodline qualifications of a peerless prodigy, what's the point of participating in the Holy Son Struggle?

She thought for a moment, then her eyes brightened, looking at Mingcheng Zhenren with a fawning gaze: "Actually, I could participate. If Master and Grandmaster could gather enough resources to support me in becoming a peerless prodigy, I'm confident I could secure the position of Saintess."

"Peerless prodigy?" Mingcheng Zhenren's face darkened, "You say it so lightly. Do you think it's like Chinese cabbage in the fields, ready to be picked? Even if you sold me, it wouldn't be enough to elevate you to a peerless prodigy."

With Luo Qiu's qualifications, even an eighth-grade Immortal Pill might only raise her to an A-grade great prodigy. To reach peerless status, a ninth-grade Dao Pill would be necessary, requiring at least tens of billions in resources!

Not to mention, once she became a peerless prodigy, her cultivation speed would skyrocket, and the resources needed for full-speed cultivation would be another huge expense.

Even if the Glazed King Hall lineage were emptied, they couldn't support it.

This girl really dared to say anything!

Wang Luo Qiu sighed, "Then forget it~~ I'll first master our lineage's true method, then slowly seek other opportunities."

"Uh... Luo Qiu, won't you reconsider?" Mingcheng Zhenren gritted his teeth, "If you feel uncertain, I'll gather resources to get you an eighth-grade Immortal Pill to improve your qualifications."

"I..." Wang Luo Qiu was tempted to agree and enhance her qualifications, but facing her master and grandmaster, she couldn't bring herself to do such a thing and quickly changed the subject, "By the way, I heard before I went into seclusion that my fourth brother was coming. He should be here by now, so I'll go ask for his opinion."

Then, she quickly bowed and left.

If she stayed any longer, she feared she wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of the eighth-grade Immortal Pill.

……

At the same time.

Above the Xiju Ocean of the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty.

The large Yun Yao flying boat, resembling a real Yun Yao, vibrated its wings as it soared through the clouds.

Next to the wide glass windows manufactured by the Wang's Clan, there were some exquisite tables, chairs, and decorations. The comfortable soft chairs allowed for reclining, offering views of the white clouds, blue sky, and the vast Xiju Ocean.

According to Jiang Xingyuan's usual plans, in such a poetic and elegant setting, everyone would dine slowly, discuss the vast world, talk about noble and passionate ideals, and then, under the admiring eyes of two charming fairies, hehehe...

But instead...

Because the attendants couldn't clean up in time, the table was piled with bones. The various delicacies meant to be savored in small bites were deemed too small in portion, so they requested large plates.

In the end, the chef team of the Yun Yao flying boat was called into the dining room to cook on-site, with seventh-grade dragon liver, eighth-grade phoenix gall, and ninth-grade spiritual fruits being served in stacks.

Jiang Xingyuan wiped the sweat from his forehead, maintaining his composure and politeness, but inside, he felt like ten thousand fifth-grade wild bulls were trampling over him. He cautiously transmitted to Gongyang Ce, "Brother, how many Immortal crystals do you have left?"

"Well... I've traveled extensively, spending quite a bit, so I have just over ten thousand Immortal crystals left," Gongyang Ce replied, also sweating.

"It's over, it's over. I left in a hurry this time and only brought over a hundred thousand Immortal crystals," Jiang Xingyuan lamented, transmitting, "And I saw the price list earlier. The same food on the flying boat is several times more expensive than in the city. The Yao's Clan is really ruthless."

Several hours later.

Yao Chengchao arrived with a smile, looking at Jiang Xingyuan and Gongyang Ce, "Oh, isn't this Young Master Ce? After being banished to the Immortal Dynasty by Wang Shouzhe, you've become even more hopeless? Didn't even bring money for a meal?"

Instantly, Gongyang Ce's face flushed, and he weakly said, "It's not that I didn't bring any, just not enough. I'll make it up to you when I return to the Holy Land."

"Huh? You know my Fourth Uncle?" Wang Lici's eyes lit up at the familiar name.

"What's your name?" Yao Chengchao asked with some doubt, "Your Fourth Uncle wouldn't be..."

"My name is Wang Lici, and my Fourth Uncle is Wang Shouzhe," Wang Lici said boldly, "I haven't seen him in a long time. Once I secure the position of Saintess in the Lingyun Holy Land, I'm going to dazzle him."

"What!?"

Yao Chengchao and Gongyang Ce were both shocked, staring at Wang Lici.

……