Protect Our Patriarch

...

Wang Yingxuan's eyes were displeased as she stared sharply at Wu Xue'ning, ignoring what she had just said. Her presence was imposing, like a little goddess of war. However, her young age made her seem a bit less commanding.

As soon as she spoke, the atmosphere froze.

Wu Zhixing and Wang An'nan both looked at Wang Yingxuan with disbelief. Wasn't this girl a bit too arrogant? To dismiss the renowned Miss Liyao, who had swept through the Imperial Capital, as "just so-so"—what did that make them, the "young experts" who had been defeated by Liyao? Mere nobodies?

Wang Anye rubbed his forehead, showing a "my heart is so tired" expression. Aunt Yingxuan was still as provocative as ever, always ready to explode at the slightest provocation. Aunt Yingxuan, you're already eleven years old; can't you try to be a bit more mature?

Of course, the most shocked was Little Commandery Princess Wu Xue'ning. Among the young ladies of Shangjing City, she was known for being the most arrogant, invincible, domineering, and unreasonable. Yet here was someone even younger and more arrogant than her, and she was struggling to adapt.

"You, you, you..." Wu Xue'ning was furious, hands on her hips. "Who do you think you are, you little brat, to speak so arrogantly?"

"Right back at you. With your skills, if you truly witnessed my Aunt Liyao's divine power, wouldn't you be scared to your knees, begging for mercy?" Wang Yingxuan was fearless, not afraid of a fight or a war of words.

"Well, well, well, so you really are Wang Liyao's niece. No wonder you're so arrogant!" Wu Xue'ning's eyebrows shot up in anger, her face flushed, as if she were about to explode. "In that case, this princess will teach you a lesson on behalf of Wang Liyao!"

Without warning, she threw a punch at Wang Yingxuan. Pure profound energy surged through her arm, transforming into a powerful ice-type energy that rippled from her fist. The temperature around them dropped by several degrees in an instant.

Clearly, she possessed an ice-type bloodline talent, but hers was more aggressive and domineering than the usual kind.

Wang Yingxuan, though experienced in battles, was still young and had only just reached the mid-stage of the Qi Refining Realm. Her strength was far inferior to Wu Xue'ning's.

Seeing the situation, her expression changed, and without hesitation, she used her Willow Catkin technique to retreat gracefully like a wisp of catkin in the wind.

Wu Xue'ning was actually in the Lingtai Realm?

Wang Anye's expression changed as well. He quickly reacted, calling out "Master" in urgency. No matter how tired or annoyed he felt, Wang Yingxuan was still his aunt, and such a bond was unbreakable.

In the next moment, a clear sword hum echoed as the ancient and heavy Divine Spirit Artifact [Years] unsheathed itself. A powerful aura emanated from the sword, covering a large area around them.

"Young lady, stop."

Accompanied by Ji Wuchen's aged voice, a vast and heavy sword energy surged from the ancient blade of Years, slicing gently downward.

"Not good, it's a Divine Spirit Artifact."

Wu Xue'ning was startled, quickly retracting her fist and retreating. In the next instant, the sword energy tore through the air, leaving a trench over ten meters long on the stone-paved street, separating Little Commandery Princess Wu Xue'ning and Wang Yingxuan.

Clearly, Ji Wuchen, as the Spirit Artifact, was rational and had no intention of harming anyone, only wanting to stop the fight.

However, Wang Yingxuan, who had nearly suffered a great loss, wasn't about to let it go so easily. Remembering her earlier embarrassment and the insults to her beloved Aunt Liyao, anger surged within her. She grabbed the hilt of the floating Years sword and charged at Wu Xue'ning, shouting, "You shameless little princess, how dare you sneak attack your Aunt Yingxuan! Watch how I deal with you!"

"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!"

The Years sword swept across, its light dazzling. Though Ji Wuchen was momentarily stunned by being grabbed, he wouldn't "aid the wicked" by unleashing sword energy to help Wang Yingxuan. Hurting the little princess on the other side would be troublesome, as she seemed to have an unusual background.

Even without Ji Wuchen's active assistance, a Divine Spirit Artifact was still a Divine Spirit Artifact. The mere sharpness of the sword itself was not something Wu Xue'ning, a child who had just entered the Lingtai Realm, could withstand. Even the naturally dissipated energy from the Divine Spirit Artifact was terrifying.

Wu Xue'ning was extremely wary, knowing the power of a Divine Spirit Artifact. She quickly retreated, calling out, "Zhixing, are you just going to watch me get beaten? Hurry and lend me 'Qianqiu'!"

"Yes, Aunt."

Wu Zhixing, though finding this fight a bit absurd, knew that Little Commandery Princess Xue'ning was ultimately his aunt. Besides, Qianqiu was something she had obtained from the Emperor, so naturally, he had to lend it to her.

He released his grip on the hilt of Qianqiu and said, "Qianqiu, go help her. But be careful, don't hurt the other side."

"Gahaha~ Don't worry, I'll be as gentle as possible."

Qianqiu, eager for action, shot out of its sheath at the command. With a "clang," it streaked across the sky like a shooting star, arriving beside Wu Xue'ning, letting out a series of strange laughs, "Qianqiu is ready to fight for the Little Commandery Princess!"

Despite her disdain for Qianqiu, Wu Xue'ning, facing a "strong enemy," was grateful to have a Divine Spirit Artifact at her disposal and couldn't afford to be picky.

Grabbing Qianqiu, she charged back at Wang Yingxuan, "You brat, now we both have Divine Spirit Artifacts. I don't believe you can fly away!"

"Kill, kill, kill!" Qianqiu, excited to be unsheathed, urged, "Little Xue'ning, hold Uncle Qianqiu tight~~~ Uncle is very fast, gahaha~"

The lecherous laughter echoed in the sky, making Wu Xue'ning's skin crawl. She almost threw it away in disgust but held on for the sake of defeating the annoying brat across from her.

With Qianqiu unleashing sword energy, Wang Yingxuan, who had been showing off with Ji Wuchen's help, was no match. In no time, she was forced to retreat in disarray, her heart burning with anger and frustration. The gap in their realms was too vast, making it incredibly difficult!

"Senior Ji, are you just going to watch others bully our Wang Clan?" she shouted angrily.

"Gahaha~~" Qianqiu let out a series of villainous laughs typical of a fantasy novel antagonist, "Little girl, are you really Wang Liyao's niece? You have good bloodline potential for your age. Why not follow our Little Commandery Princess Xue'ning as a follower?"

"Look at our Little Commandery Princess, with her icy beauty and extraordinary temperament. She's destined to be a great goddess and will surely treat you well. Gahaha~~ Little Commandery Princess Xue'ning, I feel like you're my true master. Don't we make a great pair?"

Qianqiu's words started off somewhat reasonable but quickly revealed its deeply lecherous nature. Who knew what kind of life it had led or how many inappropriate books it had read to become so corrupt in thought?

"Arrogant and shameless!" Ji Wuchen was infuriated by these words, immediately rebuking, "A vile spirit like you is unworthy of being a Divine Spirit Artifact's spirit, more like a demonic artifact's spirit."

Ji Wuchen, with a deep-seated hatred for the demonic path, was provoked into anger and stopped holding back, actively assisting Wang Yingxuan in fighting Qianqiu. Sword energy crisscrossed the area, leaving the ground and buildings around them scarred by the Divine Spirit Artifacts' power. Shops along the street suffered collateral damage, with many shopkeepers and employees fleeing in disarray.

In truth, "Qianqiu" was a powerful Divine Spirit Artifact, but it was up against "Years." With Ji Wuchen, a master of swordsmanship, as its spirit, "Years" had the upper hand.

However, Wu Xue'ning, being a great prodigy in the early Lingtai Realm, was indeed stronger than Wang Yingxuan, roughly balancing the scales.

For a while, the two sides were evenly matched, drawing a crowd of onlookers who cheered and jeered.

A nearby patrol team from the Guilong City Defense Camp, sensing the commotion, quickly arrived. The patrol teams in Guilong City were at least in the Lingtai Realm. Initially intending to scold and detain the troublemakers, they were taken aback to see that one side was the notorious troublemaker of the royal family, Little Commandery Princess Xue'ning, and the other side included Wang An'nan from the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.

Clearly, this was a "battle of the immortals," leaving the patrol team helpless. After a few futile attempts to stop the fight, they had no choice but to maintain order and prevent collateral damage while sending a member to report to their superiors.

In truth, the Celestial Realm captain of the city defense team was sweating bullets watching the fight. Two little girls fighting, each wielding a Divine Spirit Artifact... such things were beyond their reach, even if they sold everything they owned.

Little Commandery Princess Xue'ning and Qianqiu were well-known in Guilong City. Xue'ning was one of the Top Ten Outstanding Youths, and Qianqiu had gained fame following Wu Zhixing's battle with Wang Liyao. Few were unaware of them.

But who was the little girl from the Duke of Dingguo's mansion? Her Divine Spirit Artifact was even more formidable than Qianqiu's. She seemed unafraid of Little Commandery Princess Xue'ning, likely another unruly young tyrant with an extraordinary background.

Working in Shangjing City was truly challenging—everyone seemed to have significant status and background.

"Old man, enough is enough. We're both Divine Spirit Artifacts, just trying to get by with our masters. Once they die, we'll have new masters. Why take it so seriously?"

"Oh, you're serious, with quite the temper? I'll fight you!"

"Alright, alright, you win. It's all my master's fault for not being strong enough. Xue'ning, you need to work harder. You can't rely solely on the Divine Spirit Artifact's power."

Qianqiu chattered on, deftly shifting the blame to Wu Xue'ning when it couldn't win. Wu Xue'ning was exasperated by Qianqiu. Clearly, it was the Divine Spirit Artifact's fault for not being as good as the other side's. The little girl was only in the mid-stage of the Qi Refining Realm, yet wielding a Divine Spirit Artifact had suppressed them both.

Qianqiu's lecherous foolishness was infuriating. In truth, it wasn't entirely Qianqiu's fault. The opposing spirit, Ji Wuchen, had been a formidable figure in the late Divine Realm during his lifetime. Even as a remnant soul, he was beyond what a self-generated spirit like Qianqiu could match.

Especially in the early stages when both masters were relatively weak, the Divine Spirit Artifact "Years" with Ji Wuchen had an almost invincible presence. However, a remnant soul was still just a remnant. As the master's strength grew, the Divine Spirit Artifact's power would be gradually unlocked, and Ji Wuchen's influence on combat would diminish, making the gap less pronounced.

"Truly worthy of being my niece," Wang Lilong cheered from the sidelines, her dragon claws clenched in excitement. "Wang Yingxuan, don't hold back, beat her to a pulp, especially that foul-mouthed sword, suppress it, annihilate it!"

Wang Lilong, always one to stir up trouble, was now thoroughly excited.

"That Little Commandery Princess, do you think you can take on my Aunt Liyao? Come, take this!" Wang Yingxuan grew more excited as she fought, feeling invincible. She shouted, "Genius Beautiful Girl's Invincible Light Wave Sword Slash!"

She gripped the Years sword with both hands, performing a common New Year's sword technique.

Ji Wuchen, intent on suppressing Qianqiu, infused his soul energy into Years. In an instant, a formidable sword energy tore through the air, its intent fierce, as if it could tear the very fabric of space.

"Not good!"

Wu Zhixing's eyelid twitched, and he quickly moved to shield Wu Xue'ning, decisively activating his bloodline power.

Roar!

With a roar, a cyan Winged Dragon avatar appeared behind him, its massive multicolored wings unfurling and flapping mightily.

Wind!

The roaring wind surged from the heavens and earth, transforming into a tangible wind sword that met the fierce sword light.

Boom!

In a violent explosion, the wind sword and sword intent clashed and shattered, creating a massive vortex of energy that swept outward!

The residual energy inadvertently blew Wang Yingxuan backward.

Wang Anye, who had been watching the battlefield, quickly rushed over with agile movements, catching his Aunt Yingxuan. His reputation as a little warm man was well-deserved.

Seeing this, Wang Lilong, a "Liy" generation "elder," was displeased. She flew over angrily, scolding, "Awoo~! You, a mid-to-late Celestial Realm adult, bullying my eleven-year-old niece. How shameless!"

As she spoke, she skillfully removed her pretty dress and tucked it into her storage ring.

Roar!

With a dragon's roar, Wang Lilong's form expanded, revealing her true beast form.

Boom!

A massive Yuan Shui Azure Dragon appeared above the street, its jade scales and golden eyes exuding majesty.

A vast dragon's might swept out.

In an instant, the area within hundreds of feet of the street was enveloped in a terrifying dragon's might.

Basalt cultivators with weaker cultivation felt as if they were standing on the edge of an abyss, their faces turning pale. Those in the Lingtai Realm found their legs going weak, barely able to stand.

Wang Anye, having just caught and steadied Wang Yingxuan, turned to see Aunt Lilong revealing her true form... and nearly fainted.

It was one thing after another, and Wang Anye's heart was weary.

He just wanted to quietly stroll around and have a meal—why was it so difficult?

Wu Zhixing, too, was exhausted, both shocked by the audacity of revealing a true form in broad daylight and frustrated by the fiery tempers of people and dragons these days, who resorted to fighting and revealing their true forms at the slightest provocation.

Couldn't everyone just cultivate peacefully?

"Awoo~ You bully the weak, how shameless!" Wang Lilong roared, swiping a claw at Wu Zhixing.

She felt utterly liberated. She had been stifled in the Clan School for too long, and her father had been watching her closely, leaving no chance for mischief.

Today, taking advantage of the other's mistake, she could finally let loose and have some fun.

"I say..." Wu Zhixing, sensing danger, quickly retreated while summoning Qianqiu.

However, the gap in cultivation between him and Wang Lilong was too vast.

As a dragon, Wang Lilong's bloodline had transformed into a true dragon, making her bloodline potential comparable to the great prodigies among humans. Now at the seventh tier, her physical attributes, reaction speed, and the quantity and purity of her profound energy were enough to overwhelm Wu Zhixing.

Even though Wu Zhixing reacted as quickly as possible, he only managed to assume a defensive stance before being swatted by the dragon claw.

Bang!

Wu Zhixing was sent flying, crashing through a building on the street.

Yet he was resilient, quickly emerging from the rubble, brushing off the dust, wiping the blood from his mouth, and offering a bitter smile. "Miss Dragon, are you satisfied now? If not, feel free to hit me a few more times."

"Wow, your skin is pretty thick?" Wang Lilong blinked her large golden dragon eyes. "Since you're so sensible, I'll hit you three more times."

"Hey, hey, don't bully people," Wu Xue'ning stood in front of Wu Zhixing, puffing her cheeks. "The energy from Zhixing accidentally hit that little girl. Who told her to be so weak yet so boastful?"

"I think you're pretty weak too. Let me try blowing you away!" Wang Lilong sneered with her dragon mouth.

The twists and turns of the event left Wang An'nan, who was accompanying them, and the Purple Mansion Realm elder watching from the shadows, bewildered.

They were stunned by how much trouble the Wang Clan's children could stir up...

Just as the two sides were at a standoff, a high-pitched dragon roar suddenly echoed from the direction of the imperial city.

The dragon's roar was distant and ancient. Initially, it seemed far away, but as the roar faded, a massive Azure Dragon appeared above the street.

With antlers and dragon whiskers, its size dwarfed the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon below, its long body almost blocking out the sun, casting a vast shadow on the ground.

Its golden scales gleamed like gold in the sunlight.

"Where did this little dragon come from, daring to cause trouble in the imperial city?!" A thunderous dragon's voice boomed from the sky, tinged with anger.

Simultaneously, a massive dragon claw descended, enveloping the area with overwhelming dragon might.

The claw's power seemed capable of tearing mountains and rivers apart.

"Damn, where did this old dragon head come from?" Wang Lilong was startled, immediately turning to flee.

However, she couldn't escape.

Almost simultaneously with Wang Lilong's attempt to flee, the massive dragon claw pressed down on her head, holding her firmly in its grasp.

In the next moment, the enormous Azure Dragon in the sky rapidly shrank, transforming into an elderly man with yellow clothes and hair.

The old man held a miniaturized Yuan Shui Azure Dragon in his hand.

This scene left everyone stunned.

Even the disheveled Wu Zhixing quickly sheathed Qianqiu, pulling the dazed Wu Xue'ning along, and respectfully saluted, "Wu Clan's Zhixing and Xue'ning greet Ancestor Azure Dragon."

The yellow-clad elder held a high position in Daqian.

His name was Wu Canglong, the battle pet of the founding Emperor Ziwei Xuandu, a Winged Dragon with a relatively pure bloodline, perfectly matching the Azure Dragon bloodline passed down through the Wu Clan.

Wu Canglong was officially listed in the Wu Clan's genealogy and had been the clan's guardian spirit beast for countless years.

However, the Wu Clan was the royal family of Daqian, so Wu Canglong could also be considered Daqian's national guardian spirit beast.

He usually resided in the Azure Dragon Hall within the imperial palace, responsible for guarding Guilong City's safety.

Ordinary brawls wouldn't concern him, but today, he was likely alarmed by the energy fluctuations from the battles involving Wu Xue'ning, Wu Zhixing, and a little Yuan Shui Azure Dragon.

High-level dragons had extremely long lifespans, but even they had limits.

Having been stuck at the peak of the tenth tier for thousands of years, Wu Canglong's lifespan was nearing its end, his aged body exuding a strong sense of decay.

He glanced at Wu Zhixing and Little Commandery Princess Xue'ning, frowning, "You two little troublemakers, causing trouble again?"

I didn't cause trouble... It's always Aunt Xue'ning...

Wu Zhixing smiled bitterly in his heart.

"Ancestor... hehe, we were just playing around, playing around." Wu Xue'ning, somewhat intimidated by Ancestor Azure Dragon, forced a smile, "Things got a bit out of hand accidentally."

"I'll deal with you two later." Wu Canglong gave them a stern look before turning to the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon he had captured with his divine ability [Heaven and Earth in the Palm]. "Where did you come from, little dragon? Don't you know that spirit beasts aren't allowed to reveal their true forms or act recklessly in Guilong City without permission?"

The yellow-clad elder Wu Canglong held her by the back of her neck, as if she were a mere mudfish.

"Old man, let me go! Sneak attacks aren't honorable. If you have the guts, fight my Ancestor Dragon." Wang Lilong, though panicked, remained defiant.

She struggled frantically in his grasp, trying to swat his hand away with her long dragon tail.

However, the difference in their levels was too great. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't even scratch the elder's hand.

"I wondered which family's dragon cub was so bold. Turns out it's the little cub from the Old Dragon Head of the Southern Wilderness." Wu Canglong chuckled, flicking Wang Lilong's forehead with a finger. "You mischievous little thing, do you think Guilong City is a place for you to reveal your true form and cause trouble?"

"Not even your Old Ancestor Dragon would dare act recklessly in Guilong City. Otherwise, it would be skinned and gutted."

"Old Dragon Head, you, you flicked my forehead, it hurts! Awoo awoo~ You're just relying on your age! When I grow up, I'll flick you back." Wang Lilong was furious.

She had finally found an opportunity to reveal her true form and flaunt her Yuan Shui Azure Dragon might. But before she could enjoy it, an old dragon had easily captured her and flicked her forehead.

How humiliating!

But she wouldn't back down, continuing to hurl threats.

"Hehe~ Too late~" Wu Canglong laughed, "You little Azure Dragon won't live to see that day."

"Gulp!" Wang Lilong was terrified, swallowing her dragon saliva, and weakly said, "Old Dragon Grandpa, it won't come to that, right? I was just forced to defend myself, revealing my true form. I'll pay for the damaged houses... Is it really necessary, really necessary~"

The thought of being skinned and gutted made Wang Lilong's head spin.

"Your courage isn't that big, little rascal~ Fine, fine, I won't scare you anymore." Wu Canglong chuckled, "I meant that by the time you grow up and have the ability to flick my forehead, I'll have long turned into a pile of bones. You wouldn't flick a dead dragon's forehead, would you?"

"So that's what you meant, now I'm relieved." Wang Lilong patted her chest, letting out a sigh of relief.

Beside her, Wang Anye facepalmed, feeling exasperated.

Aunt Lilong, your emotional intelligence is truly dragon-like! It's a wonder you haven't been beaten to death yet!

"......"

Wu Canglong's old face twitched.

This little dragon, why do I feel like hitting her? But her background isn't simple, and scaring her is one thing, but actually punishing her would be troublesome.

Maybe I should hand her over to Long Chang to deal with?

After all, I heard he's been quite adept at "raising" mischievous little animals lately. Perhaps this is right up his alley...

...

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