Protect Our Patriarch

……

At the same time.

In front of the altar at the Gu God Village.

Elder Ga and Elder Chan's factions were at each other's throats, their arguments growing increasingly heated, even stirring the emotions of many Celestial Realm-level chieftains into opposition.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, the former Saintess Dai furrowed her brows deeply and commanded, "Silence!"

At this moment, her pale complexion had slightly recovered, and her voice, imbued with profound energy, reverberated powerfully, causing everyone to tremble and fall silent.

Despite her severe injuries from reversing the Heavenly Silkworm's ritual, the former Saintess Dai remained a pinnacle-level Purple Mansion Realm powerhouse, considered a half-step Gu Saint by the Sacred Gu Clan.

In a clan that hadn't seen a true Gu Saint for ages, she was already a figure at the peak.

As the saying goes, "A tiger, even in death, retains its might." The authority she had established over the years would not vanish in an instant.

Her gaze swept sternly over Elder Ga, the former quasi-Saintess Ya, and the vocal opponents, her voice cold as she said, "The Saintess succession ceremony is sacred beyond measure. Throughout the generations of our Sacred Gu Clan, no one has dared to cause a disturbance or attempt to obstruct the ceremony. Moreover, Saintess Jing's succession was the result of a collective decision by the Gu elders. Anyone who seeks to tarnish this sacred ceremony is a traitor to the entire Sacred Gu Clan."

"Elder Ga, if you dare to act recklessly again and disrupt the Saintess succession ceremony, don't blame me for treating you as a traitor and killing you on the spot."

Elder Ga shuddered, fear rising within him.

He knew that Saintess Dai was a person who meant what she said, and if she spoke of killing, she truly intended to do so.

He dared not speak further, though anxiety gnawed at him. What was Wa Bake up to? Why hadn't he acted yet?

If Wang Luojing completed the Heavenly Silkworm ritual, it would be difficult to reverse the situation.

Just as he was growing increasingly anxious.

Suddenly.

A sharp insect whistle echoed throughout the Gu God Village, piercing and continuous, as if it would tear through one's eardrums.

This was an alarm from the hidden sentries of the Sacred Gu Clan!

The alarm signified only one thing: the village was under attack!

Everyone's expressions, including that of the former Saintess Dai, changed.

Elder Ga, however, was overjoyed.

"Finally! I've waited too long."

"Boom!"

With a thunderous explosion, the gates of the Gu God Village were instantly breached.

Typically, this would be impossible. Even if the Barbarian Gu Clan wasn't as advanced as the Great Qian, the Gu God Village was the core stronghold of the Barbarian Gu Clan, with tight defenses and a comprehensive offensive and defensive Gu formation.

Even a Divine Realm cultivator would struggle to break into the Gu God Village.

Such an easy breach clearly indicated an insider.

As everyone was caught in shock and uncertainty.

A figure suddenly appeared in the sky.

He wore a hooded robe characteristic of the Sacred Gu Clan's Gu Masters, his exposed arms covered in tattoos. As he appeared, a powerful aura swept through, causing even the air to stagnate.

At the same time, his booming voice resounded above the altar, "Pan Chi Dai, I, Wa Bake, have returned, hahaha~"

Wa Bake?

Most of those present were bewildered, but several older Gu elders were shocked. How could he have returned?

Back then, Wa Bake had competed with Saintess Dai for succession rights. After failing, he resorted to despicable means, preventing Saintess Dai from receiving the complete inheritance. When his actions were exposed, he fled and disappeared.

After so many years, ordinary people, and even many chieftains, had long forgotten him. Only the long-lived Gu elders remembered the events of that time.

"Wa Bake!" Elder Qi shouted angrily, "You traitor of the Sacred Gu Clan, how dare you show your face here?"

"Today is the celebration of the new Saintess's succession, a time of joy for the entire clan. As the Grand Elder, it's only natural for me to return and witness it," Wa Bake's voice was extremely arrogant. "I heard that this new Saintess gained her succession through despicable means. Truly, she is a disciple of Pan Chi Dai, inheriting her despicable ways."

"Wa Bake, my brother, your timing is perfect," Elder Ga shouted in grief and indignation, "You must uphold justice. Why should our Sacred Gu Clan's Saintess be a despicable person from the Great Qian?"

"Wa Bake, that traitor, has no right to decide who becomes the Saintess," Elder Chan retorted.

"Wa Bake was wrongfully accused by Pan Chi Dai back then and was hunted down. He merely accused Pan Chi Dai of keeping a pretty boy from the Great Qian. What's wrong with that?"

The scene descended into chaos as everyone argued back and forth.

Undoubtedly, Wang Luojing's "succession ceremony" was once again interrupted.

Standing straight behind Wang Shouzhe, Emperor Longchang couldn't help but send a mischievous voice transmission to Wang Shouzhe, "It's lively today~~ One unexpected event after another, all sorts of characters are coming out. With the situation out of control, your plan to take over might fall apart. How about... hehehe~"

"How about what?" Wang Shouzhe replied helplessly.

He felt a bit exhausted.

Your Majesty, couldn't you just watch the show quietly? Why so many issues?

He even had to cooperate with Wang Shouzhe to satisfy his desire to express his sarcasm.

"How about you beg me, and I'll step in to control the situation, allowing your Wang Luojing to smoothly succeed as Saintess," Emperor Longchang was eager, wanting to remove his disguise and jump out, declaring himself as Emperor Longchang, ready to crush any rebellion with a single slap!

Then everyone would be shocked, bowing and trembling on the ground.

Emperor Longchang reminisced about his days of traveling incognito, overturning everything with a single decisive move!

The thought of such a thing was exhilarating for the Emperor. Ever since he retired to the Wang Clan, he hadn't experienced such a thrilling feeling.

Wang Shouzhe almost choked.

If you reveal yourself now, wouldn't my decades of planning go down the drain?

He immediately sent a calming voice transmission, "Your Majesty, please be patient. The situation is still under control. The time is not yet right. If you truly wish to act, please wait for my signal."

"What do you mean 'if I truly wish to act'? I'm the trump card, you have to beg me before I help you out," Emperor Longchang replied arrogantly, "Remember to beg me before you give the signal."

"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, you have the final say," Wang Shouzhe appeased him through voice transmission, "Let's not rush, not rush. Just remember, I have to beg you, and then give the signal before you act."

"Alright, I'll watch the show a bit longer."

Emperor Longchang was somewhat reluctant, but since he had already put his words out, he had no choice but to suppress his impulse to reveal himself as the trump card.

Despite his itching desire, he knew that as the trump card, he should be played at the most critical moment! He had to wait until the opponent thought they had won, and then strike, for maximum satisfaction.

That wonderful feeling never failed.

Patience, patience, the time was not yet ripe, let the enemy revel a bit longer.

At this moment.

Wa Bake's wild laughter echoed again, "Pan Chi Dai, after you removed the Heavenly Silkworm, you're severely injured, almost a cripple. Yet you dare to threaten me, Wa Bake?"

"Do you think I'd be foolish enough to fall for your tricks again? This time, I've returned with friends."

Friends?

Emperor Longchang snorted disdainfully in his heart.

A mere fugitive traitor, what kind of friends could he bring? Probably the kind I could slap to death.

Fine, I'll wait for you to play your cards, let you revel a bit more.

As Emperor Longchang was thinking this.

Suddenly!

From the direction of the Gu God Village gate, one after another, the auras of Basalt cultivators soared into the sky. Each aura was at least Celestial Realm-level, exuding terrifying power.

Hundreds of auras converged, forming a tangible pressure that caused the expressions of most present to change drastically. Those with weaker strength turned pale, feeling as if disaster was imminent.

Even Emperor Longchang's previously relaxed expression slightly tensed.

These auras, he was all too familiar with. This was the Great Qian's military formation!

Only when Basalt cultivators practiced the same system of cultivation techniques and underwent long-term specialized training could they achieve such a unified aura without interference. With a specialized military formation, as long as there were enough people, coordinated and fearless, they could even fight beyond their level. If augmented by a legion flag, their combat power would be astonishing.

Currently, besides the Immortal Dynasty, only the Great Qian's military system had such systematic and organized military formations! This was the foundation that allowed the Great Qian to simultaneously wage war against the Southern Qin and Western Jin, fighting on two fronts. It was also why the Great Qian frequently achieved remarkable feats on the outer region battlefield.

However, before everyone could think further, the sound of armor clashing came from the direction of the village gate.

At the same time, soldiers clad in black armor, exuding a formidable aura, surged in like a black tide from the direction of the gate.

The overwhelming pressure formed by hundreds of auras pressed down on the ordinary villagers below the altar, almost suffocating them. Even the powerful Gu elders looked grim.

Undoubtedly, these black-armored soldiers were the renowned "Great Qian Black Armor Army"!

Moreover, these were clearly not ordinary Black Armor Army soldiers, but the elite of the elite!

Above these obviously elite Black Armor Army soldiers, two powerful Basalt cultivators hovered in the air, exuding immense auras.

One of them, clad in black armor, was clearly a military leader. This person was naturally Grand Marshal Xiao Limei.

The other was an elder dressed in fine clothes, wearing a prince's jade crown, none other than Prince Dexin.

At this moment, the two hovered in the air, their Divine Realm auras almost fully unleashed, the terrifying pressure causing even the space to tremble.

With the black tide of the Black Armor Army as a backdrop, their auras rose another level, like unsheathed swords, sharp and unmatched.

Almost as soon as Prince Dexin appeared, his voice thundered, "Prince Dexin of the Great Qian, Grand Marshal Xiao Limei, have arrived with the personal guard."

"The Changning Wang's Clan is a group of demonic beings from the Demon Dynasty, using sorcery to beguile the Emperor and manipulate Prince An, causing chaos beyond measure."

"We have come to serve the king and eliminate evil. All unrelated persons, quickly disperse to avoid being implicated."

Prince Dexin, though old, still possessed formidable cultivation and strength. As a Divine Realm cultivator, his understanding of the Heavenly Dao was profound, and each word seemed imbued with the grand principles of the Dao, sacred and inviolable, causing the entire Gu God Village to tremble faintly.

Such power.

Instantly silenced the scene, leaving many with expressions of shock.

This was a Divine Realm Basalt cultivator.

In the vast Sacred Gu Clan, only the Saintess lineage could inherit the Divine Realm. With the Saintess not yet on the sacred path, only the Heavenly Silkworm could match it.

But while others were shocked, Prince Deshun, disguised as a guard, and Emperor Longchang were unfazed by the Divine Realm pressure. Especially Emperor Longchang, who was utterly bewildered.

"What what what?"

How did Dexin and Xiao Limei show up? And they brought the Grand Marshal's personal guard, the core assault force!

Such an elite Black Armor Army unit was rare within the entire Great Qian, second only to the most elite units of his own Imperial Guard.

They excelled in joint attacks and assaults! Even a Divine Realm cultivator, once caught in their midst, would be entangled by various means. Without special methods to escape, they would ultimately be trapped and killed.

In this world, while experts were indeed powerful, armies were equally formidable. Especially well-trained armies like the Black Armor Army, which had methods and capabilities to fight and trap enemies beyond their level.

What left Emperor Longchang most bewildered were the words coming from Prince Dexin's mouth.

The Wang Clan was demonic beings from the Demon Dynasty, beguiling him, the Emperor? And controlling Prince An?

A surge of anger and disbelief rose in Emperor Longchang's chest.

What utter nonsense! When was I ever beguiled by Wang Shouzhe? Dexin and the Grand Marshal, claiming to "serve the king and eliminate evil," was clearly a pretext for rebellion!

"Wang Shouzhe, what's going on?" Emperor Longchang, who had been enjoying the spectacle, was naturally inclined to question Wang Shouzhe after such an unsettling turn of events.

"Well... Your Majesty," Wang Shouzhe sighed in response, "From what Prince Dexin said, he suspects, no, he's certain that I'm a demonic being from the Demon Dynasty, using sorcery to beguile Your Majesty and Prince An. He's come specifically to eliminate evil and serve the king."

"Nonsense, I'm not deaf, I don't need you to repeat it. What I'm asking is, why does Dexin think you're a demonic being?" Emperor Longchang scolded irritably.

"Your Majesty, I'm not a mind reader..." Wang Shouzhe replied helplessly, "Perhaps he feels the Imperial Heir Struggle was unfairly lost and is unwilling to accept it, seeking a chance to overturn it."

"What do you mean 'perhaps'? I think that's exactly what he means! Using the pretext of eliminating evil and serving the king, he plans to kill you, the demonic being, and Prince An, then fabricate evidence, claiming you killed Prince An during your resistance," Emperor Longchang, experienced in schemes and plots, analyzed the situation accurately.

"Your Majesty is wise, but could you refrain from using the term 'demonic being' to refer to me?" Wang Shouzhe protested, "It sounds quite harsh."

"I don't have time for your jokes, Dexin's actions are outrageous. Fortunately, I had the foresight to come along and watch the excitement," Emperor Longchang, unable to suppress his anger, sent a voice transmission, "Don't worry, with me here, no one can cause any trouble. You stay put, I'll deal with Dexin."

"Your Majesty, please calm down, I haven't 'begged' or 'given the signal' yet," Wang Shouzhe interrupted the Emperor, "Let's wait and see the situation first."

"Still need to see the situation?" Emperor Longchang's eyes widened.

"Now that the Grand Marshal and the personal guard are involved, we don't know if they've been influenced by Dexin or are outright accomplices," Wang Shouzhe calmly said, "Let's wait a bit longer, after all, with Your Majesty here, we're not afraid of them causing trouble."

"That's true. I'm lucky to have you around, considering you didn't want me to come along earlier," Emperor Longchang reluctantly held back, muttering a complaint.

Regardless of what Emperor Longchang and Wang Shouzhe were discussing.

In those few words, Prince Dexin and Grand Marshal Xiao Limei, leading the Grand Marshal's personal guard, had already arrived at the altar.

The overwhelming presence of Divine Realm experts and the personal guard controlled the scene instantly.

Even the elders supporting Saintess Jing looked extremely grim.

Elder Qi stepped forward, looking up as he said, "Prince Dexin, Grand Marshal Xiao. A few days ago, our envoys had reached a temporary ceasefire agreement. Today is the day of our Saintess's succession, yet you break, no, you breach our Gu God Village gates and come with such aggression..."

Before Elder Qi could finish, Prince Dexin interrupted, "Your so-called Saintess Jing is merely one of the demonic beings of the Wang Clan. Today, as we eliminate the Wang Clan's demons, that demoness cannot escape."

"Elder Qi, so Wang Luojing is a demonic being from the Demon Dynasty, no wonder she could beguile the former Saintess Dai," Elder Ga said, "Fortunately, the Gu God protected us, revealing Wang Luojing's identity at the crucial moment."

"Nonsense, that Dexin is from the Great Qian, just because he says Saintess Jing is a demoness doesn't make it true," Elder Chan retorted angrily.

As the Gu elders and the hot-blooded youths prepared to resist.

Wang Luojing suddenly spoke, "Everyone, this matter arose because of our Wang Clan. Rest assured, our Wang Clan is by no means demonic beings from the Demon Dynasty. The Grand Marshal will surely prove our innocence. Once proven, I will return to succeed as Saintess."

"Saintess Jing!" Elder Chan's expression was complex, "This matter might..."

"Listen to Saintess Jing," the former Saintess Dai said, her eyes flickering slightly, "This is an internal matter of the Great Qian, our Sacred Gu Clan cannot intervene."

With both the former and current Saintess speaking, and under the urging of the Grand Marshal's personal guard, the scene was quickly cleared, even the jar containing the Heavenly Silkworm Gu was escorted away by Saintess Dai, leaving only the internal personnel of the Great Qian.

At this point.

Prince Dexin finally focused his attention on Wang Shouzhe, coldly saying, "Personal guard, seize the demon Wang Shouzhe and the demoness Wang Luojing."

As the personal guard prepared to act.

"Wait!"

Wang Shouzhe finally spoke.

He rose slowly, unhurriedly, and said, "Prince Dexin, as the saying goes, catch the adulterer in the act, catch the thief with the loot. If I am a demonic being from the Demon Dynasty, you have every right to seize me."

"As long as you present the evidence, I will have no objections. If you can't, hehe~~ then this is rebellion."

"Wang Shouzhe, you're at death's door, and you still want evidence?" Prince Dexin sneered, "Obediently come with us, the Grand Marshal will naturally judge you, and you will see the evidence. Now, it's not your turn to speak."

Prince Dexin, unable to produce evidence, naturally intended to use force.

"Absurd!" Prince An shouted angrily, "Dexin, you keep claiming the Wang Clan are demonic beings, yet you have no evidence and want to seize them. Do you think I'm just a figurehead? All personal guard soldiers, listen! I've recorded everything with the Recording Disk."

As he spoke, Prince An took out a Heavenly Recording Disk and said, "If it proves Wang Shouzhe is a demonic being, I have no objections to taking him. But if there's no evidence, then your actions today are tantamount to treason! All participants are traitors to the nation! At that time, His Majesty will seek justice for us!"

With that, Prince An handed the Heavenly Recording Disk to Prince Deshun, coldly saying, "Prince Deshun, if the personal guard and the Grand Marshal dare to act without evidence, it's treason. Take the Recording Disk and break through to seek justice from His Majesty. No one involved in the treason will escape!"

"Rest assured, I'll die in front of His Majesty if necessary," Prince Deshun said "heroically."

The rest of Prince An's guards echoed, "We are willing to protect Prince Deshun with our lives."

They now confirmed that the mysterious guard was indeed Prince Deshun.

For a moment, the atmosphere was somewhat grand.

???

Emperor Longchang, also disguised as a guard, was utterly confused.

Others might not know he was present, but didn't Prince An and Prince Deshun know? What were these two up to with their dramatic performance?

If I just take off my helmet, wouldn't this matter be resolved immediately? Why go through all this?

"Your Majesty, wait for my signal," Wang Shouzhe reminded through voice transmission again.

Emperor Longchang paused.

He already sensed something was amiss.

There's a conspiracy here~~~ a big conspiracy, what is Shouzhe planning?

Sure enough, this action caused another commotion among the personal guard, everyone turning their eyes to Prince Dexin and the Grand Marshal. With no evidence, directly defying Prince An's orders and seizing people in front of him, how was this different from rebellion?

Every member of the personal guard came from military families, and if they were associated with "treason"... their entire families would be implicated.

Prince Dexin hadn't anticipated that Prince An would have this move prepared. If Prince Deshun managed to escape with the Heavenly Recording Disk and report to His Majesty, it would be a huge problem.

He had no choice but to say, "Prince An, of course, there's evidence, but it's too deep and broad, a disgrace to our Great Qian, and cannot be revealed in public."

"Don't you trust the Grand Marshal?"

"That makes some sense, if it involves too many secrets, it naturally can't be revealed publicly," Prince An surprisingly agreed, pondering for a moment before saying, "How about this, during this expedition, His Majesty graciously granted me the national treasure passed down by the Wu Clan ancestors, [Panpan's Protection], which can isolate prying eyes. Let's have me, Wang Shouzhe, Prince Dexin, and the Grand Marshal enter the [Panpan's Protection] space together, where Prince Dexin can present the evidence to me, either proving Wang Shouzhe's guilt or his innocence."

[Panpan's Protection].

Even though Wang Shouzhe wasn't hearing or encountering this treasure for the first time, he couldn't help but twitch his mouth.

He hadn't expected the Wu Clan to possess a space protection treasure left by the famous figure of the Shenwu Royal Dynasty—Wu Panpan.

The name "Wu Panpan" was well-known to Wang Shouzhe. She held the highest record in the Shenwu Royal Dynasty's new recruit training camp graduation exam... until the Wang Clan broke her record.

However, Wu Panpan had set the overall training camp record at the age of sixteen, having just reached the Celestial Realm, far surpassing the Wang Clan's Ancestor Wang Chuanwu.

The Wang Clan had only broken her record by taking advantage of age.

If she hadn't fallen prematurely, she would likely have been a terrifying True Immortal.

However, Wang Shouzhe was quite skeptical of Prince An's claim that "Wu Panpan" was an ancestor of the Wu Clan.

Judging by himself, Wang Shouzhe suspected that the Wu Clan might have stumbled upon Wu Panpan's True Immortal relics, leading to their rise, and then claimed her as their ancestor.

In fact, it's highly likely that the Wu Clan wasn't originally surnamed Wu, but changed their name to associate with Wu Panpan.