Protect Our Patriarch

...

Jiang Zhencang felt a pang of envy in his heart.

How does that saying go? Oh right, starting off with a bang.

If that were the case, perhaps the Holy Land would be twice as powerful as it is now, and he might already be in the mid-stage of the Lingxu Realm, maybe even suppressing the Yinsha Sect with a stroke of luck!

Unfortunately, none of that happened!

In reality, it was precisely because Jiang Zhencang's family was weak, making it difficult for him to get started and forcing him to rely on himself for everything, that he felt exhausted and hoped his disciple Yingxuan could have a higher starting point.

On the spectator seats.

For a moment, the big shots were all lost in their thoughts.

In the trial grounds, the progress of the candidates' trials continued to advance.

As Wang Lici and Wang Yingxuan grew stronger through battle, like a snowball rolling and expanding, the other candidates also found their own ways to enter the development phase.

For example, Lu Wei demonstrated an exceptional talent for cultivation. After several failures, she finally cultivated cold-resistant plant seeds and some seeds for defense and combat, which she has already started to promote externally.

Meanwhile, the future Empress Luo Qiu ventured out alone, seeking out bandit leaders for one-on-one duels and then instilling her ideology in them.

Before long, with her exceptional "kingly aura," she subdued several bandit organizations, bringing them under her command, and her forces rapidly expanded.

There was no helping it; her imperial demeanor was too authentic, more like an emperor reborn than Emperor Longchang himself.

Those bandit leaders, upon pledging allegiance to her, felt certain they would become ministers of the dragon, walking the righteous path to nobility and knighthood, their hearts ablaze with fervor.

Even Bao Bucheng had his own unique approach. With his outstanding knowledge of herbal medicine and alchemy, he quickly developed various potions like hemostatic drugs and Dragon Blood Powder to enhance potential, forming a "Dragon Blood Army" in a short time!

As for Wang Liyao and Gongyang Ce, they took a comprehensive and steady approach, focusing on cultivation, development, construction, exploration, and conquest. While not the fastest in any aspect, they were the most stable, reducing the risk of failure in the future.

Wang Liyao was slightly more stable than Gongyang Ce, with better attention to detail and a higher sense of the overall picture.

Each candidate for the position of Holy Son or Holy Daughter gradually overcame their initial crises. Although there were already some differences in their standings, the road ahead was long, and who would have the last laugh remained uncertain.

...

Meanwhile.

In the extreme west.

Snow-capped peaks stood tall, and the ominous aura stretched endlessly, as if unchanged since ancient times.

The Yinsha Sect.

Not far from the Sacred Hall, there was a slightly shorter but equally steep peak named "Snow Spear Peak."

The top of Snow Spear Peak was covered with snow all year round, and the cold wind was biting. Near the summit, there was a sizable Yinsha Cave, filled with ominous aura year-round, blending into a dense, chilling atmosphere.

Centered around the cave, a large estate was built, with houses meticulously crafted from yin-attributed spiritual wood, adorned with intricate carvings and beams, exuding grandeur.

For ordinary cultivators, living in such a place would undoubtedly be torture, as the ominous aura would soon invade their bodies, causing immense pain.

But for the disciples of the Yinsha Sect, such a residence was a feng shui treasure, an excellent place for cultivation.

This was originally the residence of Qi Hongzhao when he was a Holy Son. After he became the sect master, the estate was sealed off and never given to anyone else.

Now that Wang Long Yan had arrived, Qi Hongzhao unsealed the estate, had it meticulously renovated, and designated it as the future residence of the Holy Daughter.

He even renamed the estate "Minghuang Residence," showing his expectations for his disciple Wang Long Yan.

At this moment.

In Minghuang Residence, several disciples in Yinsha Sect uniforms were watering the spiritual plants in the garden. Their focused expressions, extreme care, and caution made it seem as if they were tending to ancestors rather than plants.

Nearby, a woman in a light purple dress was watching their actions.

She had a gentle and charming face, with a delicate and fragile air, but her tone was extremely stern.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, these 'Blue Purple Phoenix Bell Flowers' seeds were brought by Uncle Ruobing from her hometown, and there aren't many of them. Every single one is precious, so stay alert. If a single petal is missing, you'll pay with your lives!"

As her words fell, the disciples turned pale and became even more cautious.

Due to the excessive ominous aura within the Yinsha Sect, only a few yin-attributed spiritual plants could thrive. Other than that, very few plant species could survive, making spiritual plants far more precious here than in the outside world.

Those delicate species, painstakingly procured from afar and needing to live within formation barriers, were not even worth mentioning. Even those that could be planted in the ground required meticulous care, as any slight mishap could lead to wilting.

Here, even the water used for watering the spiritual plants was specially prepared spiritual spring water, with dedicated disciples taking turns to care for the plants, watching over them twelve hours a day, fearing any mistake.

After finally tending to the spiritual plants, the disciples breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from their foreheads.

In the sunlight, the water-dappled plants exuded a green hue, with clusters of blue-purple flowers blooming on slender stems, looking extremely striking.

The woman in the light purple dress nodded in satisfaction. "Well done. Uncle Ruobing should be pleased."

Hearing this, the disciples finally relaxed completely.

One of the slightly older disciples dared to ask, "Lady Xinrui, did Miss Ruobing ever mention how these flowers reproduce? By seeds or bulbs? I noticed these Blue Purple Phoenix Bell Flowers seem more resistant to the ominous aura than other spiritual plants. If we could propagate more, we might create a sea of flowers, and Miss Ruobing would surely be delighted."

"Having ideas is good." The woman glanced at him, her expression indifferent. "But remember, unless Uncle Ruobing gives instructions, don't do anything extra. If something goes wrong, you can't afford the consequences, even with your life. Understood?"

The disciple hesitated slightly and quickly bowed his head in acknowledgment. "Yes, I understand."

Just then, the restriction in the inner courtyard suddenly opened, and a figure pushed the door open and walked out.

The figure wore a plain white dress, exuding a cold aura, as if she carried a celestial presence, with a strong icy aura emanating from her, making hearts tremble even from a distance.

Who else could it be but Wang Long Yan?

"Uncle Ruobing." The woman in the purple dress brightened and hurriedly approached, bowing respectfully. "You've worked hard in seclusion. I've specially prepared 'Icy Frost Cake' for you, infused with yin-attributed spiritual herbs to consolidate your cultivation, nourish your body, and soothe your spirit. I'll have someone bring it to you right away."

"Mm." Wang Long Yan nodded at her, speaking calmly, "You've worked hard managing the estate these days."

This woman was sent by Qi Hongzhao to assist her, named "Wu Xinrui," said to be a disciple of Deputy Sect Master Yin Futu, specifically tasked with handling her daily affairs.

Initially, Wang Long Yan was quite uncomfortable and even refused, as she couldn't bring herself to treat a great prodigy as a servant. However, this was the custom of the Yinsha Sect, and if she returned Wu Xinrui, the elders would only think Wu Xinrui wasn't serving well enough, leading to her punishment.

This was the logic of the Yinsha Sect, with a clear hierarchy, unlike the harmonious master-disciple relationships in the Lingyun Holy Land.

Moreover, even if Wu Xinrui were gone, another personal disciple would be sent over. Wang Long Yan's esteemed status required someone to serve her, and those with insufficient qualifications weren't even eligible.

Wang Long Yan had no choice but to adapt. Over time, she gradually became familiar with Wu Xinrui.

"It's not hard, not hard at all." Wu Xinrui's smile was gentle and sincere. "It's my fortune to serve Uncle Ruobing."

As they spoke, the Yinsha Sect disciples also came forward to pay their respects, their attitudes respectful to the point of humility.

The hierarchy within the Yinsha Sect was extremely strict, with clear distinctions between ranks. Any slight disrespect towards someone of higher status could endanger one's life. Therefore, the disciples of the Yinsha Sect were always extremely cautious in their actions.

Wang Long Yan nodded at them, exchanged a few words with Wu Xinrui, and then looked at the Blue Purple Phoenix Bell Flowers in the flowerbed, nodding in satisfaction. "They're well cared for. It seems you've put a lot of effort into them."

Wu Xinrui smiled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "As long as Uncle Ruobing is happy. You are the future Saintess of our Yinsha Sect, and it's our duty to serve you."

Wang Long Yan nodded without saying much more. After all, these Blue Purple Phoenix Bell Flowers had nothing to do with her hometown of Changning Garrison, so she naturally had no real attachment to them. The so-called hometown was just a fabrication.

However, the girl responsible for her backstory had done a meticulous job, arranging all the details with great precision.

At this moment, the maid had already brought the Icy Frost Cake.

Wu Xinrui personally set up a table and chairs for her, brewed tea, allowing her to enjoy the flowers while having some snacks.

After spending some time together, Wu Xinrui had become familiar with Wang Long Yan's personality, knowing she wasn't very talkative but enjoyed a lively atmosphere. So, while pouring tea, she casually shared some hearsay and amusing stories.

Wang Long Yan listened absentmindedly, occasionally nodding and agreeing, while organizing and categorizing the information in her mind to extract useful details.

During this time, although no tasks were assigned to her, she was actually quite busy.

Her focus was mainly on two things.

First, of course, was cultivation.

Her primary purpose in coming to the Yinsha Sect was to obtain the "Yinsha Compendium," making cultivation her top priority.

Since becoming Qi Hongzhao's personal disciple, he had given her the first half of the Yinsha Compendium. She had been studying this technique and experimenting with it, finding that it was quite compatible and could be cultivated alongside the "Xuanbing Lifen True Method."

The compendium even had a separate chapter dedicated to explaining different types of bloodlines and how Basalt cultivators who originally practiced other techniques could transition and integrate their cultivation.

Clearly, for a legacy of the compendium's level, her current situation was quite common.

Additionally, Qi Hongzhao had given her a cultivation journal, said to be from one of the Demon Lords of the Yinsha Sect, who also cultivated the power of ice and ominous aura, providing valuable insights.

Indeed, the Yinsha Sect, with its seven to eight thousand years of history, and its lineage from the True Demon Hall, possessed an abundance of ancestral cultivation experiences and resources.

Even the cultivation journal Qi Hongzhao casually handed her was something countless demonic cultivators would fight over.

After several months, Wang Long Yan had mostly completed the transformation of her true energy. Although her cultivation level hadn't visibly increased, she could clearly feel her profound energy becoming more refined, significantly boosting her combat power.

Her greatest progress was in the use of the power of ice and ominous aura.

Previously, although she had mastered the power of ice and ominous aura, she lacked high-level techniques in this domain, using it merely as profound ice power, with a rudimentary understanding of the ominous aura's corrosive effects.

Now, however, she had mastered many advanced techniques related to ice and ominous aura, gaining a deeper understanding of the ominous aura.

Although she hadn't received further inheritance, she felt confident that with her current strength, she could easily defeat a typical late-stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivator and even challenge those in the Divine Realm.

In addition to cultivation, she also devoted some attention to monitoring the Yinsha Sect's activities, trying to understand the intentions of the three prominent figures from the True Demon Hall.

Although Shou Zhe had told her to prioritize her safety and not worry about intelligence gathering, as the ancestor of the Wang Clan, she couldn't help but be concerned, given her unique position as Qi Hongzhao's personal disciple.

Unfortunately, she couldn't extract any information from Qi Hongzhao.

Qi Hongzhao didn't deliberately keep her in the dark, but he believed her current cultivation was too weak, and her primary focus should be on cultivation. To prevent distractions, he instructed his subordinates not to bother her with such matters. As a result, despite her time in the Yinsha Sect, she rarely heard any news on this front.

To avoid arousing Qi Hongzhao's suspicion, Wang Long Yan had to feign disinterest and instead focused on other details.

The Yinsha Sect's operations inevitably involved personnel and resource movements, which were hard to conceal. Especially among the lower-level disciples, who relied on these activities for income and cultivation, they were often the most well-informed.

Extracting information from them was relatively easy. If she asked, they wouldn't dare not to answer.

Over time, she had gathered quite a bit of information, which had been gradually sent back, though she wasn't sure if Shou Zhe had received it.

"By the way, do you remember Uncle Mingya's young disciple, a handsome lad named 'Hang Ruofeng'?" Wu Xinrui asked casually while cutting the Icy Frost Cake into bite-sized pieces. "Recently, he was sent to the Western Jin by the sect master, but he was abducted by a transformed Northern Wilderness Snow Fox on the way."

"…"

Wang Long Yan was quite shocked and hesitated for a moment.

"What happened then?"

"Uncle Mingya was furious when he found out and smashed his desk, saying the boy had disgraced the Yinsha Sect. Of course, despite his anger, he eventually went to the Northern Wilderness to rescue him and punished him by forbidding him from leaving the mountain for a hundred years, forcing him to focus on cultivation," Wu Xinrui said, exasperated. "I suspect the boy brought it upon himself. After all, he has a habit of flirting with female disciples in the sect, and outside, he's even more reckless. He probably got infatuated with the Snow Fox's human form and got himself into trouble."

Wang Long Yan pondered for a moment and asked, "What about his mission to the Western Jin…"

"Someone else took over, of course," Wu Xinrui replied nonchalantly, pouring more tea for Wang Long Yan. "The sect has plenty of manpower. It's just a simple errand. Bring the people back, turn them into corpse puppets, and send them back. It's not difficult."

"If it weren't for the Western Jin's large order of corpse puppets this time, requiring tens of thousands of slaves, personal disciples wouldn't even need to be involved; the lower ranks could handle it."

Wu Xinrui's tone was casual, but Wang Long Yan felt a chill in her heart.

Tens of thousands of corpse puppets!

What is the Western Jin planning? Could it be…

She couldn't help but feel a growing sense of foreboding, a certain suspicion looming large in her mind.

She wanted to inquire about the situation in the Southern Qin, but remembering Shou Zhe's instructions, she reluctantly changed the subject. "Is there enough material to make so many corpse puppets?"

"Sect Master is worried about that too," Wu Xinrui replied, seemingly unaware of any issues. "The sect's stockpile was nearly depleted during the Southern Qin's order. Recently, the prices of materials in the Demon Dynasty market have risen, and buying in a hurry would cost more. I've heard Sect Master complain about it several times."

"Is it that urgent? Can't they wait a bit?" Wang Long Yan's brows furrowed even tighter.

"It seems not," Wu Xinrui sighed. "I don't know the specifics, but I've heard it's related to the True Demon Hall, so we have no choice."

Wang Long Yan couldn't help but recall the meeting from before.

When the three Demon Lords from the True Demon Hall arrived, Qi Hongzhao sealed off the Sacred Hall. Not only was she unaware of what transpired inside, but even Yin Futu couldn't enter.

Afterward, the Yin Snake Demon Concubine and Blood Child Demon Lord left quickly, but the towering Gu Xiang Demon Lord stayed behind, residing on a separate peak near the Sacred Hall, not far from her Minghuang Residence.

Since then, the Yinsha Sect had inexplicably become busy.

Apart from the outer disciples responsible for cultivating spiritual plants, the other disciples seemed preoccupied, often seen rushing around. Yet, within the Yinsha Sect, nothing particularly significant seemed to be happening, and the disciples were primarily engaged in stockpiling resources.

Coupled with the large-scale production of corpse puppets in the Western Jin and Southern Qin…

Everything pointed to one possibility. They were preparing for something.

And that something was most likely—war!

But why would the True Demon Hall want the Western Jin and Southern Qin to initiate a war? What benefit would it bring them against the Great Qian?

Wang Long Yan felt a chill run down her spine, unable to unravel the causal relationships involved. However, one thing was clear: she needed to get this information back to the Wang Clan quickly!

The Wang Clan was now a family intertwined with the fate of the Great Qian, and there was no room for error.

...

At the same time.

In the Great Qian, Longzuo Commandery, Changning Garrison, Xinping Town Port.

The massive port was bustling with activity, a hive of commerce, with countless ships entering the sea daily, heading north to Qingluo Garrison, south to Baidao Garrison, or upstream along the An River, transporting goods to various inland commanderies.

Over time, Wang's Xinping Port had gradually become the largest port in Longzuo Commandery, with a substantial daily throughput, bringing immense wealth to the Wang Clan.

At this moment.

Under the towering refining arm, large cargo boxes were being hoisted by ropes, moving steadily towards the cargo ships.

On the docks, muscular men were shouting and moving goods, loading and unloading with orderly efficiency, resembling busy ants from a distance.

In the midst of the hustle, a young man with a long sword led a small team over.

These individuals wore uniform soft armor, wielded standard long swords, and their attire was clearly issued, with the Wang Clan's emblem embroidered on their collars and cuffs, marking them as members of the Wang Clan's patrol team.

"Captain Zhuge."

Upon seeing the group, one of the muscular men stepped forward, saluting the young man at the forefront with respect and familiarity.

Clearly, they were old acquaintances.

"Have you noticed any suspicious individuals lately?" The young man returned the salute and pulled the man aside, pretending to chat while using his spiritual sense to inquire, "Have those individuals I asked you to watch shown any unusual activity?"

"They've been quite well-behaved recently, with only one leaving the port for the outer regions and hasn't returned yet," the muscular man replied using his spiritual sense. "Rest assured, with me keeping an eye on things, nothing will go wrong. If there's any news, I'll send someone to notify you immediately."

The young man nodded. "Good. I'll leave it to you to keep watch."

"Of course," the muscular man replied with a smile. "It's our honor to work for the Wang Clan. There's no hardship in it. Captain Zhuge, just give us the tasks."

After exchanging a few more words, the young man gathered some trivial information from the muscular man before leading his team to patrol another area.

The young man's name was "Zhuge Liangcai," the captain of the patrol team at the port, also handling some basic intelligence work.

It wasn't complicated; it involved liaising with individuals like the muscular man and then relaying the information back, with the subsequent matters not being his concern.

Like many others here, his ancestors had also migrated from elsewhere.

He remembered his grandfather telling him that their ancestors, Zhuge Wenyao, Zhuge Tiedan, and Zhuge Cuihua, had arrived in Changning Garrison over a hundred years ago when the Wang Clan was still an eighth-grade clan, and Ping'an Town was home to many commoners, with Xin'an Town yet to be developed.

Back then, their ancestors had lost their home to floods and had to wander with their families. The Wang Clan kindly took in these refugees, established refugee camps for them to settle temporarily, and provided work opportunities, helping them through the toughest times, transforming them from having nothing to gradually having a semblance of life, eventually even buying a house.

Over a hundred years, their family had taken root deeply in this land, growing from four members to hundreds, with relatives spread across the newly developed four towns.

Unfortunately, their family remained ordinary commoners, with weak bloodlines, never producing promising cultivators.

Occasionally, an ancestor with decent talent, though not exceptional, signed a cultivation contract with the Wang Clan, received an Enlightenment Pill, and successfully advanced to the lower-grade Ding class, only to ultimately stop at the seventh level of the Qi Refining Realm, merely a decent clan soldier.

However, with each generation living better than the last and the gradual availability of Enlightenment Pills, the weak bloodline began to show potential. It was in this generation that Zhuge Liangcai emerged as a promising cultivator.

At the age of eight, he was tested and found to have lower-grade Bing class aptitude and received a scholarship from the Wang Clan.

He worked hard and diligently, earning a place in the Wang Clan's elite class at thirteen or fourteen, receiving excellent education and being included in the family guard training program.

With good combat talent and a calm, cautious demeanor, he smoothly joined the Wang Clan's patrol team after graduation, becoming one of the many family guards.

Now, it was his tenth year in the patrol team.

Due to his consistently good performance, he received numerous rewards, and recently, Young Master An Song, in charge of coastal defense, even praised him by name, promoting him to squad leader.

Now, at under thirty, he had already reached the eighth level of the Qi Refining Realm.

According to the Wang Clan's family guard regulations, as long as he polished his cultivation to the ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm Great Perfection before the age of sixty, he could receive a Tianling Dan from the Wang Clan's treasury, along with other auxiliary materials.

Perhaps he would become the first in the Zhuge family to break through to the Lingtai Realm.

Although he was a family guard of the Wang Clan, he could still somewhat support the rest of the Zhuge family, making them almost a semi-cultivating family.

If they could gather enough money to buy sufficient land and achieve significant merits, becoming a formally enfeoffed ninth-grade clan was possible, as the Wang Clan had relevant policies.

Their ancestors from over a hundred years ago probably never imagined the Zhuge family would see such a day~

Thinking of the expectations his grandfather and uncles had for him since childhood, Zhuge Liangcai felt the weight on his shoulders, patrolling with even more diligence and caution.

While patrolling.

Suddenly.

There was a commotion from the direction of the docks.

Zhuge Liangcai immediately led his team over, controlling the scene with the patrol squad, only to see a pale blue giant fish, as large as a small mountain, leisurely swimming towards them from the sea.

On the fish's forehead stood three tiny figures.

One of them, dressed in white, exuded elegance and grace, drawing attention even from afar.

"It's Young Master An Ye and the two princesses!"

Someone in the patrol team immediately recognized them and exclaimed.

Zhuge Liangcai's eyes also lit up.

Even though they couldn't clearly see the figures on the fish's forehead with their eyesight, they knew who they were. After all, not just anyone could stand on Young Master Zong Kun's forehead.

"Quick! Send someone fast to notify the family!" Zhuge Liangcai quickly ordered.

By this time, the entire dock had erupted in excitement, as lively as a festival.

There was no helping it; Young Master An Ye and the two princesses had been out at sea "herding fish" for a long, long time. Long enough for everyone to start missing them.

Now that Young Master An Ye had returned, he would surely bring back many good things, benefiting those who relied on the Wang Clan's industry, bringing them many advantages.

After all, who doesn't like the God of Wealth~