Protect Our Patriarch

Wang Shouzhe couldn't be blamed for his shock; Fang You'an's current state was indeed pitiable. His once elegant robe was now tattered, his body marred with mottled scars, and his complexion deathly pale.

Around his neck, strands of black malevolent qi could be seen spreading along his meridians, yet contained within a certain area by his own profound qi, locked in a struggle against each other.

Clearly, during the previous battle, he had been inadvertently invaded by this malevolent qi and was now using his profound qi to suppress it.

If it weren't for the green auras swirling around him, aiding in the suppression of his injuries, the malevolent qi might have already invaded his internal organs.

"What are you staring at?"

Noticing Wang Shouzhe's odd expression, Fang You'an shot him an annoyed glance.

Who hasn't been battle-worn before?

As a direct disciple of the academy, he had experienced countless battles over a hundred years. It was natural not to always have smooth sailing; he had been injured and poisoned before, so he wasn't about to fly into a rage just because someone saw him in a sorry state.

If it weren't for Wang Shouzhe's overly obvious expression, he wouldn't have bothered to care.

Wang Shouzhe immediately composed himself with a cough and stepped forward to help Fang You'an with his injuries.

At this moment, Ancestor Beichen, Ancestor Long Yan, and Liu Ruolan had already leaped forward to assist in dealing with Yin Yuzhe.

Under the influence of the Bridal Blood Gu Emperor, Yin Yuzhe had already lost his senses, revealing his ferocity.

His blood-red eyes, violent aura, deformed body, and the inhuman roars and shrieks made him look incredibly fierce, almost unrecognizable as human.

The thick aura of ice and malevolence mixed with the scent of blood surrounded him, and as he roared, the malevolent qi blades he swung created one sonic boom after another as they sliced through the air, each with a force so powerful it made one's heart tremble.

The ground around him was plowed into deep ravines.

Ancestor Beichen hadn't even approached the battlefield when his expression already turned grave.

Yet even in such a situation, the junior sister Lu Wei seemed to handle it with ease.

A tall tree stood behind her, its canopy as large as a pavilion, leaves lush and dripping with vitality. Streams of green aura fell from the canopy, forming a huge shield that protected junior sister Lu Wei within.

The qi blades from the malevolent qi demon blade struck the shield, causing ripples to spread, but they could never break through the defense to harm junior sister Lu Wei inside.

Wang Shouzhe only glanced once, and his lips twitched.

He had never seen that tree before, but those leaves looked all too familiar.

Wasn't that the Tree of Everlasting Life?

Without a doubt, this tree must be the Tree of Everlasting Life.

He had heard long ago about the famous special spiritual plant "Tree of Everlasting Life" owned by the Immortal of Everlasting Spring, but the Immortal had kept it well hidden, and he had never had the chance to see it.

It was said that the Tree of Everlasting Life stood nearly a hundred zhang tall, its canopy like clouds, acting as a base spring on the battlefield; as long as the Tree of Everlasting Life stood, the base would not fall.

The Tree of Everlasting Life before him was too small; it certainly couldn't be the one owned by the Immortal of Everlasting Spring, at best it was just a sapling.

Thinking of the few leaves of the Tree of Everlasting Life he had painstakingly obtained from the Immortal of Everlasting Spring, and then looking at the lush canopy, Wang Shouzhe felt a complex emotion, experiencing the taste of "poverty" after a long absence.

Moreover, it was clear that this was not the full extent of junior sister Lu Wei's abilities.

Outside the Tree of Everlasting Life's shield, thick rose vines crisscrossed, occupying all the space within hundreds of meters like a forest, fully restricting Yin Yuzhe's movements.

The toughness and lethality of these rose vines were clearly not as strong as the bloodthirsty vines, but they were not far off, obviously a specially cultivated spiritual species.

The qi blades swung by Yin Yuzhe often only managed to cut through five or six vines before being entangled by more vines rapidly growing and spreading.

Junior sister Lu Wei's speed in summoning the rose vines was very fast, which meant that despite Yin Yuzhe's formidable combat strength, his range of movement was still confined within a certain area due to his loss of senses.

At the same time, junior sister Lu Wei was wearing a set of rose vine armor, and behind her, a phantom image very similar to her own was emanating a surging presence.

As the battle continued, bright red petals fell from the armor, swirling and dancing around her.

With the guidance of her hand seals, the petals flew towards Yin Yuzhe, exploding upon contact with him.

The lethality of these petals was evidently not weak; not only were Yin Yuzhe's clothes already blasted to tatters, but even the nearby rose vines were directly severed.

However, it was clear that the attacks from the rose vines and petals were still not enough; they could only slightly penetrate the defense and were unable to inflict serious damage on Yin Yuzhe. Relying solely on herself, even if she fought for days and nights, it was unlikely that a victor would emerge.Fortunately, with the addition of Ancestor Beichen, Ancestor Long Yan, and Liu Ruolan, the shortfall in firepower was compensated for, and the scales of victory began to tip swiftly in their favor.

"Fang You'an, how did Senior Sister Luowei manage to bring over the sapling of the Tree of Longevity?"

Seeing that the battle situation was stable, Wang Shouzhe decided not to join the fray. Instead, he provided long-range healing support while chatting with Fang You'an.

The Tree of Longevity was no ordinary spiritual plant; it was clearly unrealistic to expect it to grow so large in a short period of time. Therefore, Senior Sister Luowei must have used some means to bring it over.

Fang You'an actually knew about it.

"It is rumored that the Venerable Changchun possesses a treasure called the 'Breath Soil Bracelet,' which contains a space capable of storing spiritual plants for battle," he speculated. "I think Venerable Changchun must have passed this treasure on to Luowei."

Breath Soil Bracelet.

Wang Shouzhe's heart stirred; wasn't this a space for spiritual plants?

If he had such a treasure, wouldn't he be able to carry with him those inconvenient-to-move spiritual plants he cultivated, like the Iron Python Vines and the Fire Dragon Fruit Trees?

For them, the Basalt cultivators of the wood element, this treasure was akin to a divine artifact!

He immediately became envious: "Brother You'an, is there a second Breath Soil Bracelet? I want one too."

"What are you thinking?" Fang You'an gave him a look. "This treasure was unearthed from the ruins of the Shenwu Dynasty centuries ago; there are only a few in the entire Daqian. The current owners of the Breath Soil Bracelets are all big shots in the Purple Mansion or Divine Passage realms. Even if you have the money, they wouldn't sell it to you."

Wang Shouzhe was immediately disheartened.

It seemed there was no way to get it in the short term.

He sighed and turned his attention back to the battlefield, only to sense something amiss.

Wasn't the aura of the phantom behind Senior Sister Luowei a bit too strong?

He had seen several spiritual bodies before, whether it was Brother You'an, Yinyuze, or his wife Liu Ruolan, all with quadruple bloodlines, but the aura of their phantoms didn't seem as strong as what Senior Sister Luowei was displaying.

He couldn't help but ask Fang You'an, "Brother You'an, how many bloodlines has Senior Sister Luowei awakened?"

Fang You'an answered without hesitation: "I don't know."

Wang Shouzhe didn't believe it: "We're all direct disciples of the academy; surely you must have some idea?"

Fang You'an looked at Wang Shouzhe expressionlessly and said, "All I know is that when I first saw her take action ten years ago, she was already a spiritual body. At that time, she was only at the Spirit Platform realm."

Goodness, a Spirit Platform realm spiritual body! No wonder Brother You'an had that expression.

Wang Shouzhe sighed incessantly and silently closed his mouth.

Ah, he understood that feeling.

Unknowingly, half an hour had passed.

With the combined efforts of Senior Sister Luowei, Ancestor Long Yan, Ancestor Beichen, and Liu Ruolan, Yinyuze, who had been parasitized by the Bridal Blood Gu Emperor, was unsurprisingly killed.

The moment Yinyuze fell, his body rapidly swelled and twisted. A blood shadow, accompanied by a spray of blood, burst out from his body and sped away.

Fang You'an was prepared and immediately flashed forward with a jade box, capturing the blood shadow, which was clearly the Bridal Blood Gu Emperor, into the box.

This jade box, similar to the one prepared by Yinyuze, was designed specifically to control the Bridal Blood Gu, capable of putting it into hibernation.

Earlier, they had already verified the function of this jade box.

However, just when everyone thought the matter was over, Fang You'an's expression subtly changed.

The Bridal Blood Gu Emperor, upon entering the jade box, did not immediately fall into hibernation but instead struggled frantically.

Caught off guard, Fang You'an didn't apply enough force, and it actually broke free from the jade box.

"Be careful!"

Fang You'an's expression changed abruptly.

Ancestor Beichen's face also turned pale.

Because the Bridal Blood Gu Emperor that had struggled out of the jade box was now hurtling towards him at such a speed that only a blur was left behind.

The distance was too close; Ancestor Beichen didn't even have time to escape.

It's over!

His heart clenched, thinking he was doomed this time.

Unexpectedly.

The Bridal Blood Gu Emperor didn't even glance at him and brushed past his body, lightning-fast, and entered the body of Ancestor Long Yan behind him.

"This…"

Such a sudden turn of events baffled everyone.

Even Wang Shouzhe had not anticipated such a scene.

Suddenly!

Ancestor Long Yan fell to the ground in agony, curling up into a ball.

"Ancestor."

Wang Shouzhe and Liu Ruolan rushed over together, supporting her from both sides.

Her sweat poured down like rain, soaking her veil. Yet she was so strong and enduring, silently bearing the pain without even a moan, completely unlike Yinyuze's agonized howling when he was possessed by the Bridal Blood Gu Emperor.

"Go, leave!" Ancestor Long Yan trembled all over, her eyes faintly emitting a red glow, "I, can't control it…"Xu Beichen, Zhong Xiangyang, and others all had drastic changes in their expressions.

The various transformations that Yin Yuzhe underwent after being parasitized by the Bridal Blood Gu Emperor were still fresh in their minds. Could it be that Long Yan was about to turn into that kind of hideous and irrational monster?

"Shouzhe..."

Fang You'an's gaze was extremely solemn. Just as he was about to speak, he was coldly interrupted by Wang Shouzhe: "Brother You'an, take everyone and leave. Liu Ruolan and I will stay here to assist the Ancestor. Let me make it clear, no matter the outcome, I, Wang Shouzhe, will not let anyone harm the Ancestor."

Having said that.

Wang Shouzhe picked up Ancestor Long Yan and swiftly entered an empty blood nest nearby, with Liu Ruolan quickly following.

The rest of the people looked at each other, unable to speak. If Long Yan had fallen into demonic possession, it would be a big trouble, and there was no telling what kind of commotion Wang Shouzhe might cause.

"Everyone, don't worry for now," Fang You'an said, "The Bridal Blood Gu mainly depends on personal will, bloodline potential, and other factors. It's not certain that one will fall into demonic possession after being parasitized. Whether it's a blessing or a curse, we have to see for ourselves based on Sister Long Yan's condition."

Although he said this, Fang You'an himself didn't have much confidence. He could only try to calm everyone's emotions while arranging for them to leave temporarily, giving Wang Shouzhe a chance to quietly treat the Ancestor.

Only the junior sister from the Green Weave School blinked and said, "I have some treasures that can resist inner demons. Let me try to help."

Then, she rushed into the empty blood nest.

"Junior Brother Shouzhe, I have a Dao Heart Pill here." As soon as Green Weave entered the blood nest, she took out a jade bottle and handed it over, "It has the effect of purifying stray thoughts and guarding the Dao heart. Although I'm not sure if it will be useful."

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

Wang Shouzhe took it without hesitation and fed the Dao Heart Pill to Ancestor Long Yan.

He didn't say much, but he remembered the favor from the junior sister in his heart. Even if she asked him to do some embarrassing experiments in the future, he would grit his teeth and agree!

Meanwhile, Wang Shouzhe had Liu Ruolan support the Ancestor, then placed his palms on her back, continuously channeling his wood-based Changchun Xuanqi into her body.

Wang Shouzhe practiced the superior technique "Changchun True Scripture," which naturally cultivated Changchun Xuanqi. However, his Xuanqi had stronger healing properties and could catalyze the growth of plants.

"Ancestor, don't worry, my Xuanqi will greatly help you resist the Blood Gu," Wang Shouzhe comforted softly, "You just need to stay calm and let my Changchun Xuanqi circulate through the Great Zhou Heavenly Cycle."

He said this, but Wang Shouzhe actually wasn't very confident.

He had indeed helped Wang Zongchang successfully overcome bloodline evolution before. However, what had parasitized Zongchang was just an ordinary Bridal Blood Gu.

The Bridal Blood Gu Emperor was much higher in level than the ordinary Bridal Blood Gu, and Wang Shouzhe was not sure how much help he could provide.

If it weren't for the fact that Ancestor Long Yan had already been parasitized, under normal circumstances, Wang Shouzhe would definitely not want to take the risk and try.

At this moment.

It was unclear whether it was the Dao Heart Pill that was effective, or whether it was Ancestor Long Yan's will, honed from fifty years of battling deadly poisons, or perhaps both.

Ancestor Long Yan, though still in extreme pain with a faint red light flickering in her eyes, still had ample control over her consciousness and body.

She voluntarily sat cross-legged and began to operate the "Xuanbing True Scripture."

In an instant, the temperature inside the blood nest plummeted, and dense ice crystals and snowflakes fluttered, forming a vortex around her like the rotation of stars.

However, after she cultivated the Yin Sha Qi, those ice crystals and snowflakes carried a wisp of Yin Sha Qi.

Liu Ruolan also busily circulated her Xuanqi, covering herself and Wang Shouzhe with a layer of pure and unmatched Yuan Water Xuanqi.

Seeing this, Wang Shouzhe was not alarmed but pleased. From this, he judged that Ancestor Long Yan's condition was still quite good, much better than Zongchang's unclear state of mind back then.

Time passed bit by bit.

When Wang Shouzhe's Xuanqi was exhausted, he went to the side to take medicine and meditate to recover his Xuanqi. At this time, the junior sister from the Green Weave School took over.

She also practiced the "Changchun True Scripture," and in terms of pure Changchun Xuanqi, she was even stronger and purer than Wang Shouzhe.

However, her bloodline was classified as Yi Wood Bloodline, similar to Wang Shouzhe's "different kind of bloodline," yet with its differences.

In fact, the various attribute bloodlines commonly referred to by people, such as "Li Fire Bloodline," "Yao Earth Bloodline," "Yi Wood Bloodline," "Yuan Water Bloodline," and so on, actually refer to the fire, earth, wood, and water bloodlines.

Such names are just to sound more impressive.

In reality, even with the same Li Fire Bloodline, there would be some slight differences. However, with everyone's bloodlines being very thin, such differences are very minor. Only when reaching the fourth, fifth, or sixth level of bloodline awakening would the differences gradually become apparent.

Judging from the strength of the junior sister from the Green Weave School's bloodline, she was probably not just a simple Yi Wood Bloodline.

Afterward.

Wang Shouzhe and the junior sister took turns, and three days passed.Ancestor Long Yan miraculously overcame the perilous transformation of her bloodline, emerging with a layer of dark grime on her skin.

And then.

Wang Shouzhe was sent out, and the junior school sister was also asked to leave by Liu Ruolan.

Leaving Liu Ruolan alone to care for Ancestor Long Yan.

Dozens of zhang away from the empty Blood Nest.

Wang Shouzhe deeply bowed to the junior school sister and said, "For the great kindness and favor you've shown, I, Shouzhe, will forever remember. Should you have any tasks for me in the future, I shall not refuse."

"There's no need for such formality, it was but a trifle," the junior school sister said nonchalantly, waving her hand. Then she paused, sizing up Wang Shouzhe, "Tasks? Would it be possible for you to join me in a life factor compatibility test?"

"Uh..." Even with Wang Shouzhe's thick skin, he was somewhat embarrassed.

But he couldn't ignore such a favor, and immediately gritted his teeth, "Fine, let's set a time later, and I'll go to the academy to assist you."

That's it then! To repay the favor, Wang Shouzhe was ready to go all out.

After all, having lived for fifty or sixty years across two lifetimes, what was there left to be bashful about? Wasn't it just a matter of closing and opening one's eyes?

"I was just speaking hypothetically," the junior school sister said with a hint of regret, shaking her head, "Actually, my master has strictly forbidden me from mentioning that experiment again."

"This..."

Wang Shouzhe's face darkened. He had prepared himself mentally, and now she was telling him this?

"Your bloodline seems quite special, it appears to be far from a simple Yimu bloodline," the junior school sister said with a shift of interest, "It seems even more powerful than my Shengmu bloodline..."

Shengmu bloodline?

Wang Shouzhe was slightly startled, having never heard of such a bloodline. It sounded very advanced.

"It's a type of Yimu bloodline, just at a slightly higher level. After reaching the Lingti stage in the Lingtai realm, it manifested some unique characteristics," the junior school sister explained, "Actually, I don't quite understand it myself, but since my master says it's the Shengmu bloodline, then it must be. I don't have parents; my master picked me up from the roadside."

This... Indeed, she was a Lingti in the Lingtai realm, just like his wife Liu Ruolan.

Wang Shouzhe's face darkened a bit. He had heard from the Changchun elder before that the junior school sister was picked up from the wild. He hadn't taken it seriously before, but now that he thought about it carefully, it probably wasn't that simple.

Picking her up might be true, but randomly finding someone in the wild... that probability was almost zero.

Never mind.

Though curious, it was none of his business.

Wang Shouzhe said, "My bloodline is clearly different from the ordinary Yimu bloodline. But what exactly it is, I still haven't figured out."

After chatting with the junior school sister for a while.

Liu Ruolan and Ancestor Long Yan both emerged from the Blood Nest. Although Ancestor Long Yan was somewhat weak, her eyes were bright and clear, like jewels, with a faint trace of icy murderous aura circulating within. Around her body, small ice-murderous whirlpools appeared from time to time.

This was because she had just advanced to Lingti and was not yet accustomed to it.

With some time, she would be able to completely control the Lingti. After all, Liu Ruolan had experienced similar situations when she advanced to the Yuan Shui Lingti.

It was quite clear that Ancestor Long Yan had ascended to Lingti, and it was the rare combination of Xuanbing and Yingsha — the Ice-Murderous Lingti.

"Congratulations, Ancestor," Wang Shouzhe said with joy, stepping forward to salute, "Ancestor has ascended to Lingti in the Lingtai realm, truly a great prodigy!"

At the same time, he was also filled with emotion.

Truly worthy of being the Bridal Blood Gu Emperor, even a Tianren realm prodigy like Yin Yuzhe coveted such a treasure, which had propelled the Ancestor's bloodline from the third level to the fourth level, stepping from a prodigy to a great prodigy.

Such a heaven-defying effect was far beyond what a basic bloodline enhancement liquid could compare to.

Of course, it was also because the Ancestor's bloodline was compatible, and she was only at the third level of Lingtai realm. If it were a Tianren realm prodigy who was already a fourth-level Lingti, they definitely couldn't have advanced an entire major level.

"For this matter, I must thank Junior Sister Lüwei," Ancestor Long Yan said gratefully, "and for wasting one of your Daoxin Pills."

"No need to thank me, the Daoxin Pill and my help were minor," Lüwei waved her hand, "The main credit should go to Junior Brother Shouzhe's special bloodline effect, as well as Sister Long Yan's strong willpower and the high compatibility of her bloodline."

"Regardless, I will find a way to repay you for your Daoxin Pill," Ancestor Long Yan said, "Your Daoxin Pill should be the prize for the Lingtai realm prodigy competition in the various commandery academies, right? After this matter is settled, I will ask my master to allow me to participate in the once-in-a-decade Lingtai Prodigy Gathering.""No need, no need. The primary function of the Daoxin Pill is to help cultivators cleanse their stray thoughts before advancing to the Celestial Realm, ensuring clarity of mind and greatly increasing the chances of promotion," said the junior sister from the Green Weave sect. "My master said that as a spiritual body, I don't need any Daoxin Pills or Ascension Pills to assist in breaking through to the Celestial Realm. Anyway, these things are just saved up. Besides, junior brother Wang Shouzhe has already promised to repay this favor."

As soon as she finished speaking.

Both Ancestor Long Yan and Liu Ruolan turned their gazes to Wang Shouzhe, filled with doubt and curiosity. How will you repay Green Weave's favor? What do you plan to use to repay it?

"Cough cough!"

Wang Shouzhe's face turned red, and he quickly changed the subject, saying, "Junior sister, if it's a spiritual body at the Lingtai Realm, is it true that they don't need Ascension Pills to advance to the Celestial Realm? I thought that was an essential item for cultivators to break through."

"The master said it's not very necessary. After all, the 'Ascension Pill' was known as a 'mid-level breakthrough aid' during the era of the Shenwu Dynasty. Pay attention to the keyword, 'aid'," Green Weave replied seriously. "If you are a spiritual body before the Celestial Realm, you can do without the aid."

That's great news; our family will save two Ascension Pills and a bunch of other auxiliary pills in the future.

To avoid the junior sister bringing up awkward topics like life factors again, Wang Shouzhe immediately went to find Fang You'an and others, forcibly ending the conversation.

Fang You'an and the others hadn't been idle either. During these few days, they had thoroughly explored the entire floating island and organized various spoils of war.

Fang You'an took out a list of spoils of war, his face also slightly excited: "Everyone, although there were some twists and dangers this time, firstly, junior sister Long Yan turned misfortune into a blessing, and secondly, the spoils of war this time are extremely rich."

Upon hearing this.

Xu Beichen and the other two ancestors, Beichen and Zhong Xiangyang, were immediately invigorated. They had already foreseen a windfall, which would be extremely beneficial for the future development of their families.

Only Ancestor Xiao Yuanwu had an embarrassed expression.

He wasn't part of this team, so naturally, he had no share in the distribution of the spoils of war. Moreover, if it weren't for his timely change of heart, he might have already become part of the spoils by now.

……