Protect Our Patriarch

Huangfu Jinning and Huangfu Jinyu were shocked to their core, and immediately bowed in acknowledgment.

"Yes, Ancestor."

As their words fell, they bypassed Huaye Ancestor and leaped directly down from the cliff of the Eagle Fall.

The cliff was steep enough to chill the heart of any ordinary person, but they didn't care at all. Their bodies had just fallen less than ten feet when an invisible force supported them, slowing their descent.

This was the power of a late-stage cultivator of the Spirit Platform realm.

Having immersed themselves in the path of the Basalt for over 170 years, their control over the Xuan energy had reached a level of perfection, as easy as moving their own limbs. Although they couldn't fly like cultivators in the Heavenly Human realm, short-term gliding was a piece of cake.

Looking down in the night, they floated down like feathers, silently landing in the base.

As soon as they landed.

Huangfu Jinning took out a jade-colored bone whistle and blew it gently.

This bone whistle could emit high-frequency sounds that human ears couldn't hear. Only those wearing the same kind of bone piece could feel the frequency vibration.

This was a specially made bone whistle for contacting scouts. It was small, but valuable.

Before long.

In the darkness, a man sneaked out.

This man was dressed in fine clothes and seemed to have some status, but his posture was somewhat cringing and sneaky. He bowed to Huangfu Jinning and said, "I am Yinyu, at your service, elders."

With that, he took out an ancient jade fish-shaped artifact from his bosom for the two to inspect.

"Dispense with the formalities." After inspecting it, Huangfu Jinning waved his hand, his voice old and deep, "Do you know the mission this time?"

"I do." The middle-aged man said respectfully, "I have received the secret order to assist the two elders to the target's residence. Rest assured, elders, I have arranged the route."

"Lead the way."

A hint of joy flashed in the eyes of Huangfu Jinning and Huangfu Jinyu.

Under the guidance of the middle-aged man, the three of them moved forward secretly, without alarming anyone. In no time, they arrived at a residence in the middle of the valley.

"Elders, the target is inside."

The middle-aged man stopped and bowed to the two behind him.

This residence had been built for several years, specifically for Wang Shouzhe, so that he could have a place to stay while guarding the secret base.

Huangfu Jinning and Huangfu Jinyu exchanged a glance, and with their high skills and boldness, they directly leaped into the courtyard.

Under the hazy moonlight, the courtyard was shaded by green trees, lush and vibrant. At first glance, it seemed as if they had entered a green jungle, even their breathing became more relaxed.

"Hmph! This Wang Shouzhe sure knows how to enjoy life, even a temporary residence is so exquisite." The two elders of the Huangfu Clan looked at each other and nodded, "Let's get started."

The layout of the residence was simple and clear. The two had a clear target, they picked up their weapons and went straight through the courtyard to the main house.

However, just as they were about to burst into Wang Shouzhe's room like wolves.

Suddenly.

Thick vines wriggled out and wrapped around their legs like lightning.

In an instant, countless shadows moved in the darkness.

The vines hidden in the courtyard began to move like giant pythons, each one incredibly thick, like living creatures, crazily entwining Huangfu Jinning and Huangfu Jinyu.

"Not good!"

The faces of the two elders changed dramatically, and a surge of Xuan energy exploded from within them, turning into a shockwave that rolled outward, trying to blast away the vines.

However, the vines were incredibly tough, and only showed some cracks under the explosion of Xuan energy.

Their action, on the contrary, stimulated more vines to surge from all directions, entwining them like countless mad python tentacles.

In a blink of an eye, even the sky above the courtyard was interwoven with vines. Front and back, up and down, left and right, there was no way out.

"What kind of vine is this, so tough?" The two elders' faces were extremely embarrassed, and they immediately raised their spirit swords.

"Swish swish swish~"

The thick Xuan energy turned into sharp sword lights.

Where the sword light passed, there was not the scene of flying vine fragments they had expected. Instead, a sword light could only cut off two or three vines.

But as soon as these two or three vines were cut off, the remaining vines swarmed in, more and more.

Although they kept swinging their sword lights to cut off the attacking vines, they still couldn't get away for a while.

As time passed, the faces of the two elders became more and more ugly, and a hint of unease began to show in their eyes.

Under the night sky, each of these vines was as thick as an arm, with a metallic sheen on the surface, just like metal chains.

These were Iron Python Vines carefully cultivated by Wang Shouzhe.

During their growth, they needed to absorb a large amount of iron slag.

Their roots were so developed that they could even drill into the ground to a depth of more than ten feet. The vine stems were thick and hard, especially the outer skin, which was like a layer of iron fiber, difficult to cut with ordinary swords.

Even cultivators of the Spirit Platform realm couldn't easily cut them down.

Its biggest drawback at present was that it couldn't be used as a combat plant like the Witch series of vines, and had to be planted on the battlefield. Once planted, it couldn't be moved.

Moreover, its growth cycle was several years, and it grew very slowly.

Correspondingly, once they grew up and formed a vine battlefield, they were much stronger than the Witch series. Even late-stage cultivators of the Spirit Platform realm would find it hard to escape once entangled by the vine formation.

Of course.

It was only difficult to escape for a while, and it was almost impossible to trap and kill them directly. Given some time, late-stage cultivators of the Spirit Platform realm could eventually escape.

This Iron Python Vine battlefield had been cultivated by Wang Shouzhe for many years, waiting for this day.

"The two of you are quite skilled. If the information I collected is correct, you should be Elder Huangfu Jinning and Elder Huangfu Jinyu from the Huangfu Clan of Changning, right?"

Amidst the chaotic dance of vines, Wang Shouzhe slowly walked out.His expression was extremely calm, even though he was in the midst of a wild python jungle, his demeanor was as relaxed as if he was strolling leisurely in a garden.

Wherever he set foot, the surrounding vines would automatically retreat, with many of them crawling on the ground, as if in submission.

This scene further accentuated his powerful aura.

"Wang Shouzhe!!"

The two elders of the Huangfu's Clan, Jin Ning and Jin Yu, were shocked, their faces changing color simultaneously.

At this point, how could they not understand?

They had fallen into a trap!

They were clearly caught in a pre-arranged trap!

Immediately, while resisting the vines, they both fixed their gaze on the elegantly dressed middle-aged man - Yin Yu!

"Traitor!"

"You dare to betray the Huangfu's Clan?!"

Both of them were furious, cursing out loud.

However, the middle-aged man seemed to ignore them, instead stepping back a few steps, and calmly said to Wang Shouzhe, "Master Wang Shouzhe, I have followed your instructions and brought these two big fishes here."

"Not bad." Wang Shouzhe nodded slightly, "In that case, let's proceed as we agreed. I will give you a generous reward and arrange for someone to take you and your family to live in a nearby commandery. You should have heard that I am a man of my word."

The middle-aged man was thrilled at his words, and bowed deeply to Wang Shouzhe, "Thank you, Master Wang Shouzhe."

After saying that, he bowed to the two elders of the Huangfu's Clan, "I'm sorry, elders. I inadvertently revealed my identity, and even my wife and children were controlled. In order for my family to survive, I had to betray the Huangfu's Clan."

"Very well!"

The two elders of the Huangfu's Clan laughed in anger, "Wang Shouzhe, you really have some skills! However, do you really think you can take us down with just some vines? You're underestimating us!"

With that, they both burst into action, frantically slashing at the vines, trying to break free.

"Indeed, as elders in the late stage of the Spirit Platform realm, the Huangfu's Clan is indeed profound and has many experts." Wang Shouzhe was still not in a hurry, and said with a calm face, "To show my respect for you two, I have also prepared a big gift for you."

With that, he turned to the side room and said, "Ancestor, please take care of these two enemies."

As soon as his words fell.

A woman flew out from the room.

She was dressed in a white Basalt uniform, her hair was as white as frost and snow, and she wore a veil on her face. It was Wang Long Yan, the first ancestor of the Wang's Clan, also known as Ancestor Long Yan.

As soon as she appeared, the surrounding air became much colder.

"Wang Long Yan!"

The faces of the two elders of the Huangfu's Clan changed involuntarily.

This woman had been famous in Changning Commandery many years ago. If it weren't for the incident sixty years ago, she would have already been a peak figure in the Spirit Platform realm.

Even so, in recent years, her reputation has risen again, and she even personally killed Mr. Yin of the Yinsha Sect, and is now at the height of her fame.

Even in normal times, neither of them could say for sure that they could defeat Wang Long Yan one-on-one. Now that they were entangled by the vines and their combat power was greatly reduced, how could they not change color?

Wang Long Yan's cold gaze swept over the two of them, then she snorted coldly and threw out an object.

"Swish!"

A flag filled with sinister aura floated in the air, growing larger in the wind, and the night wind rustled.

One after another, sinister auras spread out from the flag, like a swirling yin wind, filling the surrounding space in the blink of an eye.

"Yinsha Shura Flag!"

The two elders of the Huangfu's Clan were horrified.

They were both old and cunning, with wide knowledge and a complicated relationship with the Yinsha Sect, so they naturally recognized this object at a glance.

Although this was just a replica of the famous divine treasure, it was still a very rare medium-grade spiritual tool, with a very powerful function.

Even in the Huangfu's Clan, a noble family, there were only three medium-grade spiritual tools. At least they, who had already retired and were nearing the end of their lifespan, were not qualified to use such spiritual tools.

The most terrifying thing about the Yinsha Shura Flag was that it could create a series of sinister auras, covering a range of tens of feet, artificially creating an environment suitable for the disciples of the Yinsha Sect to exert their power, but not suitable for ordinary Basalt cultivators to fight.

This made it even more difficult to deal with than ordinary medium-grade spiritual tools.

"I'll let you taste the power of the Yinsha poison."

Wang Long Yan's eyes were filled with hatred, and she immediately activated the Yinsha Shura Flag with a hand seal.

If it weren't for the Huangfu's Clan's sabotage back then, which resulted in the death of her grandfather, Ancestor Zhou Xuan, and many other family members, the Wang's Clan would not have fallen to where it was.

If it weren't for the Huangfu's Clan, she wouldn't have been tormented by the Yinsha Qi for a full fifty years.

Now, it was time for her to take revenge.

"Swish~"

The momentum of the Yinsha Shura Flag surged, and under the control of Ancestor Long Yan, it floated higher and higher, even the patterns on the flag seemed to come alive.

The Yinsha Qi in the air suddenly became denser, like a Yin knife wandering in the air, enveloping the two elders of the Huangfu's Clan and began to erode them.

The two of them were horrified and quickly circulated their Basalt Qi, forming a thin shield of Basalt Qi on the surface of their bodies, desperately resisting the erosion of the Yinsha Qi.

At the same time, they also had to continuously cut off the endless Iron Python Vines.

If there was only one of these two things, they might have a chance to escape, but at this moment, they could only barely hold on.

Human strength is ultimately limited.

Even though their Basalt Qi was very profound, if they continued to consume it like this, they would eventually run out of Basalt Qi, and they would not be able to escape the fate of being entangled by the vines and invaded by the Yinsha Qi, and eventually die from erosion and corruption.

Even though their lifespan was not much left, it didn't mean they could face death calmly. Not to mention being slowly drained to death!

Their faces showed fear, and they suddenly looked at each other, as if they had made up their minds, and let out a sharp howl.

At this moment, it was the time when everything was silent, and the howl immediately echoed in the sky.The howl had barely faded when a streak of fire had already whistled down from the horizon, transforming into a human figure in the blink of an eye, appearing in the sky.

This figure was awe-inspiring, with flaming red hair dancing around and firelight swirling around him. Who else could it be if not Ancestor Huaye?

"Jinning, Jinyu!"

Upon seeing the scene in the courtyard, Ancestor Huaye was both shocked and furious.

He had anticipated that there might be some arrangements within this base, and the two's actions might not go smoothly. However, he never expected that they would be pushed to such an extent with their strength!

Immediately, he raised his hand and slapped it down.

In an instant.

The red Xuan energy transformed into a giant palm that covered the sky, whistling down from the air.

Still halfway, the giant palm was already ablaze with raging firelight, its brilliant glow almost illuminating the entire courtyard. The overwhelming power pressed down from the sky, making one's heart palpitate even before it touched the vines.

Seeing this, Ancestor Long Yan immediately urged the Yinsha Shura Flag, and the dense Yinsha Qi immediately surged, intending to block the flaming giant palm.

However, this flame seemed to have a restraining effect on the Yinsha Qi.

The dense Yinsha Qi, upon touching the flames on the giant palm, was continuously burned into billows of black smoke amidst the "hissing" sounds.

Wherever the flaming giant palm passed, the surrounding Yinsha Qi was instantly emptied.

Even the Iron Python Vine, which was being driven by Wang Shouzhe to roll upwards, was burned off quite a bit.

In the blink of an eye, a gap was cleared in the sky above the courtyard. The pressure on Huangfu Jinning and Huangfu Jinyu, who were entangled, was also greatly reduced.

Seeing this, the spirits of the two elders were immediately lifted.

"Hahaha~ Wang Shouzhe, Long Yan, Ancestor Huaye is here, let's see how you can still be arrogant!"

Their confidence soared, and they gathered their remaining strength to break out again.

However.

At this moment.

A deep and old voice suddenly came from the courtyard: "Ancestor Huaye, since you're here, stay."

As the voice fell.

An unrivaled domineering aura suddenly rose from the courtyard.

Ancestor Huaye's eyes narrowed, and he saw a figure slowly walking out from the direction of the main house.

Tonight, the night was as dark as ink, and there was no light from the stars or the moon.

However, this figure was emitting a sharp golden glow, making his already steady and mountain-like demeanor even more majestic, just like a Buddha statue cast from bronze, inspiring awe in people.

This was the manifestation of a strong person's power.

Only Xuanwu cultivators who have reached the Heavenly Man realm and have specifically cultivated their battle bodies can have such a demeanor. Because the Xuan Qi used for body tempering contains a rich Geng Metal Qi, the glow appears sharp and golden.

This elder was none other than Ancestor Zhou Bo of the Wang's Clan in Longzuo Commandery, who had been lurking in this base for a long time.

As soon as he appeared, Ancestor Zhou Bo casually slapped a palm towards Huangfu Jinning and Huangfu Jinyu.

The two, who had struggled to almost break free, were immediately slapped back.

With the rescue operation blocked, Ancestor Huaye looked at Ancestor Zhou Bo in utter shock: "You, you, you, could you be Wang Zhoubo of the Wang's Clan in Longzuo? How is this possible?! For nearly half a year, our spies in Longzuo Commandery have been watching your Wang's Clan. Haven't you been active in Longzuo all this time?"

...