Protect Our Patriarch

……

"Ancestor Long," even Wang Anye felt that things were going a bit too smoothly, so he couldn't help but ask, "This relic is buried in the Dragon Swamp, which should be considered your territory, right? Why are you so indifferent about it?"

"Since you're looking for the Blood Venerable's relic, you must have some understanding of him," Ancestor Long glanced at Wang Anye, his expression somewhat complicated.

Wang Anye nodded, carefully choosing his words, "We know he was from the Shenwu Royal Dynasty era, and we've heard some of his deeds. It's said he was one of the top ten wanted criminals of that time..."

He dared not say more, fearing that the Blood Venerable might have been a benefactor to the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan, which would mean speaking out of turn.

"He was more than just a wanted criminal; he was a madman," Ancestor Long sighed, "For our Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan, it's an unbearable memory."

"This goes back to the Shenwu Royal Dynasty era. At that time, our ancestor of the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon branch in the Swamp, a peak twelfth-grade Azure Dragon Ancestor, was deceived by the Blood Venerable and was captured. He was kept in the Blood Venerable's lair as a test subject, living a life of suffering and humiliation."

As Ancestor Long recounted the story, everyone finally understood the reason.

After the Blood Venerable disappeared, it took a long time before the sealed and slumbering Azure Dragon Ancestor awoke again. By then, the Blood Venerable's lair was long abandoned.

Due to neglect, many facilities and seals in the lair were damaged over time and due to tectonic shifts, allowing the Azure Dragon Ancestor to escape.

By then, the outside world had changed drastically, and the Blood Venerable's lair was submerged in a massive swamp.

With nowhere to go, the Azure Dragon Ancestor settled in the swamp, claiming it as his territory.

Later, during his travels, he found a young female Yuan Shui Azure Dragon and brought her back to the Southern Desolate Swamp, beginning the great mission of propagating the species.

Although the Azure Dragon Ancestor was a peak twelfth-grade, the early torment and constant extraction of his bloodline had damaged his foundation, making his physique far inferior to a normal twelfth-grade Yuan Shui Azure Dragon.

Moreover, the long-term sealing and slumber caused irreversible damage to his body, leading to his early death before reaching the lifespan of a twelfth-grade Yuan Shui Azure Dragon.

Before his death, filled with fear and hatred towards the Blood Venerable, he made his descendants swear never to enter the Blood Venerable's relic.

This dragon clan's ancestral commandment has been passed down through generations, and any Yuan Shui Azure Dragon, once matured, would swear to uphold the ancestral dragon's command under the guidance of the elders.

"Ancestor Long, you mean you're both afraid and curious about the inside of the Blood Venerable's relic," Wang Anye realized, "That's why you hope someone can go in and take a look for you."

"Exactly," Ancestor Long chuckled, "The secrets inside the Blood Venerable's relic have tormented this old dragon for a lifetime. Since I find you, young one, quite pleasing, naturally, I want to go with the flow."

"Is that even possible?" The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy exchanged glances with Old Yao, thinking Wang Anye was getting quite a bargain.

"Even so, I feel a bit uneasy accepting such benefits for nothing," Wang Anye pondered briefly, "Why don't you set some conditions, Ancestor?"

The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy's expression froze instantly.

What can one say about this child? Ancestor Long has already agreed to let you in, why not just accept it? Wouldn't it be simpler and smoother?

Who actively asks the other party to set conditions? Isn't this like sticking your neck out to be slaughtered?

Oh dear~ Anye is excellent in many ways, but he clearly lacks social experience and hasn't been beaten by the harsh world.

"Good, good~ Anye, you're indeed a good child, I, Ancestor Long, didn't misjudge you," Ancestor Long said happily, "If you really want to compensate, just send some spiritual beef to our Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan. It's my fault for being too gluttonous, making our dragon clan quite poor. They haven't had much good food since they were young."

"That's a small matter," Wang Anye waved his hand, "Then I'll send five hundred heads."

"Poof!"

Wang Anxin almost spat out a mouthful of old blood, hurriedly pulling Wang Anye aside, "Brother, a fifth-grade Snow-patterned Spiritual Beef weighs thirty thousand pounds at slaughter, with a total price of four to five hundred thousand top gold. Five hundred heads would be two to three billion top gold~!"

That's almost the price of a decent Divine Spirit Artifact.

Wang Anxin knew his brother was different from others, not having a clear concept of money, nor of the difficulty and price of raising a Snow-patterned Spiritual Beef. He worried Wang Anye was being too generous out of ignorance.

"That's too much, too much, one or two hundred heads would be enough," the Ao clan dragons, though tempted by the five hundred Snow-patterned Spiritual Beef, were also shocked by the value and quickly declined, "If each dragon can get one, we'd be very satisfied."

"No problem, while money is precious, friendship is priceless," Wang Anye said calmly, "Since I said five hundred heads, then it's five hundred heads. Anxin, make sure to handle this. If our Wang's Clan isn't enough, you can use my identity token to borrow from the royal family."

"Yes, brother."

Seeing Wang Anye's insistence, Wang Anxin didn't persuade further and simply agreed.

He turned to Ancestor Long and bowed, "Ancestor, our Wang's Great Pasture currently produces about fifty Snow-patterned Spiritual Beef annually. We need to keep half for ourselves, and the other twenty-five can be supplied to the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan, totaling five hundred heads over twenty years."

In fact, Wang Anxin was deliberately discussing this with Wang Anye.

Sending this favor out, you have to make the dragon clan understand its value, so they appreciate it. Don't think five hundred heads are few; it's an astronomical number.

However, while spiritual beef is precious, it can't compare to the friendship of the dragon clan and the Blood Venerable's relic. Building a close relationship with the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan through this is indeed a worthwhile endeavor.

"That's great, that's great~" Ao Jiuxiao beamed, "We can't finish five hundred heads at once, getting a batch every year is actually better."

Ao Juechen and Ao Longtian also smiled broadly.

The Snow-patterned Spiritual Beef is not only delicious but also rich in vitality, making it excellent for satisfying cravings or aiding dragon growth.

After this exchange, the dragons were filled with goodwill and gratitude towards the Wang's Clan, especially Wang Anye.

Even Ancestor Long was all smiles, unable to help but say, "The Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan appreciates Anye's kindness. Rest assured, we value friendship the most, and such a generous gift will be repaid in the future."

"Ancestor, there's no need to worry about it. Our future cooperation will be even more profitable," Wang Anye replied modestly.

Spendthrift, truly a wealthy and willful spendthrift~

Wang Anye's grand gesture left the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy both heartbroken and envious.

Resources worth billions of top gold, given away just like that! I've lived this long and haven't even sniffed a Divine Spirit Artifact...

If you were to give this demon envoy two or three billion, I guarantee I'd do whatever you want.

"Since the contract is signed, there's no time to waste. Anye, come with me to the Dragon Swamp as a guest now," Ancestor Long, feeling obliged after receiving such a gift, was eager to repay Wang Anye's favor.

"Alright, I'll quickly complete the family task," Wang Anye said, "After this, I still have to visit the Immortal Dynasty."

"Brother, I want to broaden my horizons too," Wang Anxin said with interest, "I hope to find a way to cure Ningxi from it."

"I want to go too, I want to go too," Wang Lilong raised her paw.

"You can't go in," Ao Longtian grinned mischievously, "We have the ancestral dragon commandment, the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon lineage must not enter the Blood Venerable's relic."

"Hmph, who are you to tell me what to do?" Wang Lilong said proudly, "My surname is Wang, not Ao. Besides, it's only after you transform into dragons that the elders make you swear."

"I, Wang Lilong, have never sworn not to enter the Blood Venerable's relic."

That seems to make sense~

The Wang's Clan members nodded in agreement.

Ao Longtian's "dragon face" changed dramatically: "No, no, you must swear quickly. Our dragon clan is not allowed to enter!"

"Pfft! Do you think I'm stupid?" Wang Lilong said with her head held high, "I won't swear, I won't swear, I'll make you angry!"

"Long'er, by a twist of fate, didn't swear after transforming into a dragon and hasn't heard the ancestral dragon commandment. Technically, she can enter," Ancestor Long pondered for a moment, "Perhaps this is the Azure Dragon Ancestor's blessing, granting her an opportunity."

"Thank you, Ancestor Long Grandpa."

Wang Lilong beamed with joy.

Seeing them already discussing the candidates for entering the relic, the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This is troublesome~

Her master's side hasn't even begun their real action, and this side is about to finish exploring the relic. If her master arrives according to the original plan, won't it be too late?

And she can't even send the message back now!

What a mess~

Forget it, just take it one step at a time.

……

At the same time.

Lingyun Holy Land.

The trial had been going on for several days.

After the initial excitement wore off, the candidates entered a slow development phase. Gradually, people lost the initial enthusiasm to watch, and most elders had their own affairs to attend to. As a result, the number of spectators had decreased significantly.

After all, this wasn't something that could be decided quickly.

Of course, the real people with disciples participating in the Holy Son Struggle, as well as the Holy Master Jiang Zhencang, still kept a close watch on the trial every day.

Wang Shouzhe took this opportunity to visit each peak and branch, finalizing several cooperation agreements.

In Wang Shouzhe's view, the Holy Land was actually a great cooperation partner.

Firstly, the nature of the Holy Land gave it a wealth of knowledge that ordinary forces didn't have, along with many technical reserves that other forces lacked. The value of these technical reserves had yet to be fully realized.

For example, the crystal screen technology in the Wang's mission hall was initially purchased from the Holy Land, and it wasn't very expensive, costing only a few million top gold.

Even the subsequent development cost more.

But this wasn't the Holy Land's fault.

Because even if they mastered the crystal screen technology, it was of little use to the Holy Land. The crystal screen itself is just like a monitor, requiring other equipment to work with it. And since the Shenwu Royal Dynasty was ten thousand years ago, there's a severe technological gap.

The Holy Land's main focus was on conquering more important, strategically significant technologies.

Moreover, the Holy Land had preserved many ancient crystal screens unearthed from relics, both large and small, which were temporarily sufficient.

However, Wang Shouzhe, having experienced the technological explosion of the previous generation, knew that this technology was far more important than the Holy Land realized.

Secondly, the Holy Land's environment was relatively simple, and its philosophy of guarding humanity influenced its people to generally have high moral standards. Cooperating with them was far more reassuring than with other clans.

With Wang Yingxuan, the Holy Master's personal disciple, watching over, no branch dared to offend the Wang's Clan.

The only thing to be cautious about when cooperating with the Holy Land was not to do anything too outrageous, not to exploit the lower clans, not to harm the interests of the Great Qian, and most importantly, not to harm humanity or ally with outer region demons.

For Wang Shouzhe, this was no problem.

He wanted mutual development and prosperity, hoping the lower clans and common people would be wealthier, thus having greater purchasing power and generating more economic flow. He'd be foolish to exploit them.

Besides Wang Shouzhe, Wang Ningxi was also very busy.

Every morning, he would check in at the trial hall to monitor the trial progress of his aunts, great-aunts, and newly accepted students. In the afternoon, he'd spend hours in the Holy Land's library.

Wang Shouzhe arranged for him to have a named disciple status in the Holy Land, granting him free access to the library.

Although he still didn't have access to the most advanced knowledge, he was only sixteen, and even with the solid foundation laid by the Wang's Clan School, he couldn't understand the high-level texts in the library.

The vast collection of books on the first three floors of the Holy Land's library was already enough to keep him occupied for a long time.

He enjoyed it, and through this, he met two other Holy Land disciples who also spent their days in the library, sharing book lists and exchanging new knowledge, living a fulfilling life.

One day.

Wang Shouzhe decided to check on the trial situation and was about to head to the trial hall when he received a message from the "Falling Immortal Palace" through a special channel.

"Could it be that the Blood Venerable's lair has been found? Even if Anye is involved, it shouldn't be this fast, right?" Wang Shouzhe wondered as he opened the message, his expression turning serious.

He never expected it to be news from Ancestor Long Yan.

Moreover, it was explosive news about a war.

In fact, after learning from Ancestor Long Yan about the True Demon Hall's arrival, he had already started investigating.

Unfortunately, information about the True Demon Hall wasn't easy to come by.

Firstly, the True Demon Hall is the national religion of the Red Moon Demon Dynasty, holding a status equivalent to the Immortal Palace in the Immortal Dynasty or the Lingyun Holy Land in the Great Qian, with many strong individuals and a complex internal system.

In such a large force, countless events happen daily. Even if you could know everything, sifting through tens of thousands of daily pieces of information to find what you want isn't easy.

Moreover, although the Falling Immortal Palace had developed well over the years, it had only barely extended its reach to the fringes of the Red Moon Demon Dynasty, far from infiltrating the True Demon Hall.

Secondly, the Red Moon Demon Dynasty is too far from the Great Qian, making communication difficult and slow. Just sending a message back and forth takes a long time.

Even if useful clues were found, the message wouldn't return quickly.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Wang Shouzhe instructed Wang Mei and Luo Yuqing to monitor the movements of the Western Jin and Southern Qin, hoping to deduce the True Demon Hall's intentions from their actions.

Unfortunately, with too few clues and too many possibilities, even with Wang Mei and Luo Yuqing's excellent intelligence skills, it wasn't easy to find results quickly.

Ancestor Long Yan's message came just in time, providing great assistance.

After closing the letter, Wang Shouzhe didn't rush to handle the matter but first replied to Ancestor Long Yan. The letter was also written in the Wang's Clan's intelligence cipher, ensuring no secrets would be leaked if intercepted.

The Wang's Clan intelligence cipher wasn't complicated, using the Pinyin Wang Shouzhe learned in kindergarten in his previous life, with modifications to avoid ambiguities.

Although Ancestor Long Yan's message was important, she had taken quite a risk.

If her identity were exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In the letter, Wang Shouzhe repeatedly urged Ancestor Long Yan not to do such dangerous things again. For her, the most important thing now was to obtain the "Yinsha Demon Manual," and everything else was secondary; he would handle it.

After writing the letter, he sealed the thick stack of papers in an envelope and handed it to the maid responsible for delivering messages. Only then did he take the secret letter and head to the Lingyun Sacred Hall.

A moment later.

Lingyun Sacred Hall, rear side hall.

"Hello, hello? Can you hear me?"

A small sapling, just a bit thicker than an arm, stood on the table with its hands on its hips, speaking seriously to the modified Heavenly Recording Disk held by its roots.

This small sapling was, of course, Wang Lixian.

The bright spiritual lamp illuminated her, making her already green leaves even more translucent, looking like a piece of art, particularly beautiful.

In front of her, the Heavenly Recording Disk projected a light image, showing the elderly yet spirited face of Emperor Longchang.

"I can hear you, I can hear you," Emperor Longchang chuckled, greeting Wang Lixian.

Wang Shouzhe sat nearby with a cup of tea, sipping while deep in thought, letting the person and the tree chat away.

This modified Heavenly Recording Disk was the same set used during the Sacred Gu Clan incident, which broadcasted Prince Dexin's face, effectively pulling the rug out from under him.

Over the decades, Wang Shouzhe had the research institute's top talents further improve this set of Heavenly Recording Disks. Now, with Wang Lixian's connection between her main body and avatar, real-time remote communication was possible, even in full holographic form.

Unfortunately, this set of Heavenly Recording Disks' functionality heavily relied on Wang Lixian's abilities, making it impossible to mass-produce in the short term. Otherwise, the Wang's Clan would have another industry generating massive profits.

As for Emperor Longchang, he was naturally called for a meeting by Wang Shouzhe.

Coincidentally, Emperor Longchang had taken on a task to extract wood-type spiritual veins and had been preparing for some time, planning to set off soon.

Just then, he received a meeting notification from Wang Lixian's main body.

Had the message arrived a day or two later, he might have already been on his way to extract the spiritual vein, making it difficult to contact him.

"Shouzhe, my boy."

After exchanging pleasantries with Wang Lixian, Emperor Longchang couldn't hold back any longer and looked at Wang Shouzhe, who was sipping tea nearby, "You called me over in such a hurry, what's the matter? Surely it's not just to watch you drink tea?"

Emperor Longchang never had a good attitude towards Wang Shouzhe.

"Don't rush, let's wait a bit," Wang Shouzhe signaled for him to be patient.

Emperor Longchang was so angry he blew his beard and glared, "What kind of attitude is this, boy? Even though I'm semi-retired, I'm still the Emperor of the Great Qian. Do you even see me as the Emperor?"

"……"

Wang Shouzhe silently glanced at him.

So you still remember you're the Emperor of the Great Qian?

As they spoke, the door to the side hall suddenly opened from the outside, and a tall figure walked in.

Along with it came a loud voice, "Shouzhe, you called me over in such a hurry... huh? Longchang?"

The newcomer was naturally Jiang Zhencang.

He looked at the light image projected by the Heavenly Recording Disk in surprise, wondering if something had finally happened to Longchang. Otherwise, why would Shouzhe show him a projection of Longchang?

"Jiang Zhencang?" Emperor Longchang was also surprised and couldn't help but look at Wang Shouzhe, "Why did you call this old fellow over too?"

"Hmm? It's not a projection?" Jiang Zhencang was even more surprised, taking a while to react, "Is this the real-time communication recorded in the texts?"

As the Holy Master, he had seen many devices unearthed from the Shenwu Royal Dynasty relics.

However, after ten thousand years, many instruments were severely damaged and unusable. Functional ones like the trial hall were rare.

As for real-time communication devices, he had only read about them in texts and never seen one.

"Shouzhe, did you call me just to see this?"

Jiang Zhencang curiously examined the modified Heavenly Recording Disk, chatted with Emperor Longchang on the other side, confirmed it was indeed real-time communication, and then looked at Wang Shouzhe in surprise, "This is a good thing, can it be mass-produced?"

Wang Shouzhe followed protocol and greeted Jiang Zhencang before sitting down again, saying solemnly, "Holy Master, please forgive me, but this device cannot be mass-produced. I specifically invited you two here not for this device, but for another important matter."

Another important matter?

Jiang Zhencang looked at Wang Shouzhe, then at Emperor Longchang on the other side of the Heavenly Recording Disk, realizing something was amiss.

What kind of matter would require both him and Longchang to be present?

Emperor Longchang, already impatient, urged, "Shouzhe, stop beating around the bush. What's the matter? Hurry and tell us."

"It's like this," Wang Shouzhe organized his thoughts and said concisely, "I've received reliable information that the Western Jin and Southern Qin are about to launch a war against the Great Qian and have already begun preparations."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, both Jiang Zhencang and Emperor Longchang's expressions changed.

"Is the information reliable?" Jiang Zhencang instinctively sought confirmation.

Emperor Longchang, already enraged, slammed the table and stood up, ready to fight, "I haven't even gone to trouble them yet, and Yuan You and Yan Qing dare to wage war on the Great Qian? They must be tired of living!"

"I've already sent people to investigate the details," Wang Shouzhe first answered Jiang Zhencang, then calmed Emperor Longchang, "Your Majesty, please calm down. This isn't as you imagine. As far as I know, this isn't the intention of Emperor Yuan You and Emperor Yan Qing, but rather the True Demon Hall's instigation."

"The True Demon Hall?"

Both Emperor Longchang and Jiang Zhencang were taken aback.

Neither had expected the True Demon Hall to be involved.

Although they had been at odds with the Western Jin and Southern Qin for thousands of years, they had little contact with the True Demon Hall. They were on different levels.

If the True Demon Hall acted, it targeted the Immortal Dynasty. Although they were occasionally caught up, they mostly avoided direct confrontation.

Wang Shouzhe briefly explained the intelligence he had gathered and concluded, "Considering the recent infiltration of the Longzuo Commandery by a Divine Realm individual, suspected to be from the Demon Dynasty, I suspect the True Demon Hall plans to stir up trouble within our Great Qian. The Western Jin and Southern Qin are likely providing cover, not necessarily intending to fight."

"However, even so, we must not underestimate them."

Wang Shouzhe's expression grew more serious, "Once a war begins, it cannot be easily stopped. Even if Emperor Yuan You and Emperor Yan Qing don't want to fight, the situation may not allow them to back down."

Both Jiang Zhencang and Emperor Longchang, having weathered many storms, understood this.

Instead, they were surprised by Wang Shouzhe's calmness and sharp insights during such a critical moment.

A war.

It's a war between nations, and once it starts, no one in the Great Qian can remain uninvolved or retreat.

Because losing means losing far more than just their lives.

Only those who have truly experienced it understand the weight of the word "war."

"I'll immediately have Prince An start gathering supplies and mobilize the Black Armor Army to strengthen the border defenses, preparing for war," Emperor Longchang, being impulsive, declared, "If Yan Qing and Yuan You dare to come, I'll beat them so hard they won't recognize their parents!"

"Why the rush? I haven't finished speaking."

Wang Shouzhe glared at Emperor Longchang.

In that instant, his aura overwhelmed Emperor Longchang, making him shiver involuntarily.

After a moment, Emperor Longchang weakly asked, "What else do you want to say?"

Wang Shouzhe withdrew his gaze and continued, "Once a war starts, it won't end quickly. I've studied the history of the Great Qian's wars and found that they last at least a century, sometimes three to five centuries, and they usually end for the same reason."

Jiang Zhencang glanced at Wang Shouzhe with a peculiar look.

What's with this kid? He's only in the Purple Mansion Realm, yet he dares to glare at Longchang and even makes Longchang obedient?

Emperor Longchang, unaware of the oddity, frowned, "What reason? Isn't it because one side gains an advantage on the battlefield?"

"No, it's because they can't afford it anymore," Wang Shouzhe's eyes were sharp, "In almost every war, there's no clear winner. Wars drag on until populations dwindle, national power is exhausted, and the people are discontent, forcing both sides to stop. That's the real reason for a ceasefire."

Emperor Longchang opened his mouth but had no retort.

Wang Shouzhe's expression was grave, "War is a means, not an end. In my view, such wars are meaningless, doing nothing but depleting national strength."Upon hearing this, Emperor Longchang was immediately displeased and angrily retorted, "According to you, should I just do nothing and let the Western Jin and Southern Qin invade our lands, plunder, and slaughter our people?"

"Of course not." Wang Shouzhe looked at him in surprise, as if he had said something strange.

Jiang Zhencang seemed to have a hint of realization, "Shouzhe, what are you thinking?"

"Fight, of course, we must fight. But not like before." Wang Shouzhe's tone was steady and powerful as he began to outline his plan, "I've thought it over carefully and have a rough idea..."

As he spoke, he roughly explained the plan he had just devised.

At first, Jiang Zhencang and Emperor Longchang were a bit confused, but as they gradually understood, their eyes lit up, nodding repeatedly as if a new world had opened up to them.

Thinking back, how similar was this scene to the meeting between Prince An and Wang Shouzhe many years ago?

Even years later, when Emperor Longchang and Jiang Zhencang recalled this scene, they couldn't help but be filled with emotion.

Who would have thought that such an apparently casual meeting would rewrite the fate of the Great Qian?

After explaining for quite some time, Wang Shouzhe finally made his general idea clear to the two, taking a moment to sip his tea, "That's about it. This is just a rough idea; as for the specific operational details, we'll have to refine them slowly later."

Jiang Zhencang looked at Wang Shouzhe with a peculiar expression, "If we can really do as you say, during the war, not only will our national strength not decline, it might even grow stronger. It's unbelievable~ How does your mind work?"

"It's nothing." Wang Shouzhe waved his hand dismissively, not thinking he was particularly remarkable, "These ideas and methods have been used by others before; I'm just borrowing them."

"We're all on the same side, so stop pretending to be modest." Emperor Longchang rolled his eyes, "If someone had really used this method before, wouldn't I know?"

Unconsciously, their evaluation of Wang Shouzhe rose once again, and they couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration for him.

Wang Shouzhe's ability to manage his clan was already impressive, but who would have thought he was also so capable and visionary in state affairs?

Moreover, from the time Wang Shouzhe received the information to when he came up with these methods, not much time had passed. Clearly, Wang Shouzhe's abilities extended far beyond this.

"Shouzhe, have you really not considered taking up an official position?" Emperor Longchang couldn't help but bring up the old topic again, "As long as you're willing, I'll immediately have Yinda step down from the position of chief minister for you. If you achieve some merit this time, I'll find a way to make you a duke."

"Let's skip that; Ancestor Yinda is doing quite well." Wang Shouzhe waved his hand nonchalantly.

He had no interest in becoming an official.

Entering the officialdom meant constantly scheming and competing with others, which was exhausting. He wasn't interested in that.

He just wanted to be a leisurely clan head, tending to flowers, studying plants, playing with his grandchildren, and enjoying family life. That was the truly pleasant life.

This time, if it weren't for the war, which was too significant and could cause massive destruction if mishandled, and the Wang Clan being part of the Great Qian couldn't avoid it, he wouldn't have been so proactive.

Seeing him like this, Emperor Longchang was also helpless.

Thinking back, the Zhao Clan did so much to keep the chief minister position in their clan. If they knew Wang Shouzhe treated the position like a worn shoe, rejecting it repeatedly, what would they think?

"The matter of the war won't be resolved overnight. Before that, I think we can first address the issue of the visitors from the Demon Dynasty." Wang Shouzhe took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and changed the subject, "Regarding the intentions of the three Demon Lords from the True Demon Hall, although I'm not entirely sure, I have a rough idea. Would you like to hear it?"

Another rough idea?

Upon hearing this, Emperor Longchang and Jiang Zhencang immediately perked up.

"Quick, tell us!" Emperor Longchang urged impatiently.

"It's like this..."

Wang Shouzhe began to speak again, narrating in detail.

The three of them huddled together once more, whispering.

...

Meanwhile, Wang Anye and his group had arrived at the Southern Desolate Swamp.

Compared to the Great Swamp bordering the Great Qian, the Southern Desolate Swamp was much larger, giving an impression of boundlessness at first glance.

However, unlike the undulating sea, the environment of the Southern Desolate Swamp was much more complex.

From the sky, the Southern Desolate Swamp below looked like a vast, undulating green carpet, with various spiritual plants growing extremely lush, like a prairie. Only in a few places could one see traces of water puddles.

This is one of the characteristics of wild swamps.

Most swamps have relatively shallow water levels, formed by clusters of puddles, with deep silt beneath the water and dense floating plants on the surface. Inexperienced people in the swamp might not even distinguish between the water surface and solid ground.

Fortunately, cultivators who reached the Celestial Realm could fly through the air.

But even so, those puddles were natural hunting grounds, and who knew what deadly dangers lurked beneath the lush green leaves. Even Celestial Realm cultivators could easily fall into traps if they weren't careful, suffering injuries or poisoning at best, or death at worst.

Only those in the Purple Mansion Realm were relatively safer here.

But only "relatively" safer.

After all, this was the territory of the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan, and if one accidentally intruded into the territory of a Yuan Shui Azure Dragon, even those in the Purple Mansion Realm might not leave alive.

Because of this, the Southern Desolate Swamp had always been one of the "forbidden zones" for Basalt cultivators exploring the outer regions. Unless there was no other choice, very few Basalt cultivators would risk coming here.

Even though Wang Anye had been lucky since childhood, and Wang Shouzhe was relatively at ease letting him roam outside, this was his first time in the Southern Desolate Swamp.

Throughout the journey, Wang Anye couldn't help but frequently scan his surroundings, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Finally, the group arrived at the Dragon Swamp.

Dragon Swamp was an incredibly vast body of water, making Deep Tai Lake seem like a mere puddle in comparison. However, because over a hundred dragons lived in Dragon Swamp, the internal species were scarce, making it seem like a dead pool.

There was no choice; Yuan Shui Azure Dragons were at least seventh-tier, and over time, they had consumed all the food in Dragon Swamp.

Moreover, Yuan Shui Azure Dragons didn't like building houses like humans, and the only Azure Dragon Sanctuary didn't allow outsiders in, so there wasn't much hospitality to offer.

"Senior, in this vast water area of Dragon Swamp, the food chain has been completely destroyed." Wang Anye suggested, "I recommend sending an expert team from our Wang Clan to conduct a comprehensive ecological assessment and gradually restore its ecosystem."

"Good, good, Anye, you're the most reliable." Ancestor Dragon nodded repeatedly, "When I was young, Dragon Swamp had plenty of fish. Unfortunately, they were gradually eaten up."

After a pause.

Ancestor Dragon continued, "Let's not talk about that now. I remember the Blood Venerable's relic is beneath this water area. Everyone, step aside, and I'll open it!"

With that, under everyone's watchful eyes.

"Roar~"

With a dragon's roar, Ancestor Dragon soared into the sky, transforming into a massive Yuan Shui Azure Dragon in an instant.

The azure dragon had antlers and golden eyes, its whiskers flying, and its dark green scales seemed gilded with gold. Its long dragon body stretched for dozens of meters, spiraling in the sky, almost blocking out the sun.

As Ancestor Dragon revealed its true form, a majestic dragon's might spread rapidly, causing the sky to churn with clouds and even adding a hint of moisture to the surrounding air.

In the next moment.

The gigantic Yuan Shui Azure Dragon in the sky extended its massive dragon claw, fiercely clawing downward.

"Crash~"

Amidst the intense sound of water, streams surged upward like a giant whale sucking water, forming a massive water column that spiraled into the sky.

The momentum was immense, reaching the clouds.

In just a moment, the water level in Dragon Swamp dropped significantly.

A deep tunnel appeared in the silt.

Faintly, one could see the traces of water erosion along the tunnel's edges. Clearly, this tunnel was just opened by Ancestor Dragon using water manipulation.

And in the depths of that tunnel, a corner of the ancient relic, after enduring the passage of time, finally reemerged in the world.

Wang Anxin was the most excited.

Good, good, good~~ We've found it, and my useless son finally has hope.

"Could it be any smoother? Can't there be some twists?" The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy had gradually gotten used to this pace but couldn't help rolling her eyes and complaining.

The difference from those adventure memoirs was too great.

All the buildup, twists, difficulties, overcoming difficulties, all the climaxes of the plot were absent. It was just a smooth journey, directly opening the relic.

If this were a memoir, hardly anyone would read it.

...