Protect Our Patriarch

...

As they spoke, they arrived at Wangxia Town.

Thanks to the Great Swamp, Wangxia Town had developed quite well over the past few decades. Although the town's size hadn't changed much, its prosperity had increased significantly, making it worthy of being called "flourishing." Even the buildings in the town had undergone several renovations, transforming into small cement buildings, making it almost unrecognizable compared to decades ago.

Wang Anye and his group, along with the five great wolves, descended from the sky, landing in the central square of Wangxia Town.

A group of Basalt cultivators was already waiting in the square. As soon as Wang Anye and the others landed, they warmly welcomed them.

Leading the group were two dignified middle-aged men.

These two men were imposing, walking with the grace of dragons and tigers, exuding an aura of authority, clearly accustomed to giving orders.

However, at this moment, they respectfully bowed and cupped their hands, their faces filled with sincere and friendly smiles: "Welcome Ancestor Zongchang, Young Master Anye, Wang Dalang, and Miss Wang Yujiao to Wangxia Town."

Miss Yujiao referred to the Jade Horn Flying Horse.

Her fame in Longzuo Commandery was not small. After all, with the power of a single horse, she had directly established a future high-end industry, making a great contribution to the Wang's Clan, and thus was granted the surname "Wang."

However, nowadays, the threshold for granting surnames and names to spiritual beasts was getting higher, especially for those with both a surname and a generation name, which was even more difficult.

Like Wang Dalang and the others, they only had a surname without a generation name, and Wang Yujiao was the same.

As for the two who spoke, one was the current head of the Zhenze Wang's Clan, Wang Chiqun. The other was the head of the Changning Lei Clan, Lei Zhengyi.

Although they were heads of their clans, they were stationed long-term at the [Swamp Development Department], serving as deputy chiefs, showing how much they valued this joint project.

Among them, Lei Zhengyi was the grandnephew of Lei Bowu, the husband who married into the Wang's Clan, belonging to the direct line of the Celestial Lei Clan. After the Celestial Lei Clan and the Wang's Clan married, the Sixth Miss of the "Li" generation, Wang Lihui, married this Lei Zhengyi.

Wang Lihui was the second daughter of the third "Shou" generation elder, Wang Shounuo, and was also the niece of Wang Luojing and Wang Luotong.

She had been steady and capable since childhood, beautiful, with a good temperament and a small prodigy B-level bloodline aptitude. Such aptitude, while not outstanding within the Wang's Clan, was quite remarkable outside.

With such a status, marrying into the direct line of the Lei Clan naturally earned her the treatment of a treasured daughter-in-law.

Lei Zhengyi treated his wife like a treasure, even if they quarreled and he had to run around the house to avoid her, he wouldn't dare to touch a hair on Wang Lihui's head.

After Lei Zhengyi became the head of the Celestial Lei Clan, Wang Lihui, as the main wife of the Lei Clan, also assisted diligently and actively aligned with her maternal family, the Wang's Clan.

She had also graduated from the Wang's Clan School, with insights and vision far beyond ordinary women. Over the decades, the couple managed the Lei Clan with great success, leading it to prosperity.

Today, the Celestial Lei Clan was no longer the weak seventh-grade clan with only one Celestial Realm cultivator. The entire clan, including Lei Zhengyi and Wang Lihui, now had eight Celestial Realm cultivators.

Such strength was considered strong even among sixth-grade families.

Now, they had even begun cultivating Purple Mansion seeds, ambitiously aiming to become a fifth-grade family.

It could be said that without the Wang's Clan, the Lei Clan wouldn't be where it was today.

For various reasons, the Changning Lei Clan naturally looked up to the Wang's Clan, and even if Wang Shouzhe said he wanted to rebel today, they would probably sharpen their knives and follow suit.

"Greetings, Granduncle."

Seeing this, Wang Anye quickly dismounted, lowered his posture, and saluted according to the rules, with a respectful attitude.

Basalt clans had their own etiquette and rules. Regardless of whether one was a prodigy or a child of destiny, seniority was seniority and could not be overstepped.

As a child of the direct line, Wang Anye represented the face of the Wang's Clan and was a role model for his peers and juniors. His every word and action had to be proper.

When in-laws met, there was naturally a round of pleasantries and small talk.

"Zhengyi, I see your eyes are full of energy, have you broken through to the second level of the Celestial Realm?" Wang Zongchang laughed, patting Lei Zhengyi on the shoulder, teasing, "Are you afraid of losing to my sixth sister, so you're training hard to surpass her and take a concubine?"

From Wang Lihui's perspective, Lei Zhengyi was his brother-in-law. From Lei Bowu's perspective, Lei Zhengyi was a nephew.

The seniority was a bit confusing, but family marriages were always like this, nothing unusual.

In large families, even within the same generation, the age difference could be over a hundred years or more, making it difficult to match seniority and age simultaneously. Therefore, family marriages mainly considered age and aptitude.

"Second Brother, don't joke, don't joke." Lei Zhengyi looked around nervously, "If my wife hears this, she might tear me apart."

"Lei, why are you looking around?" Wang Chiqun laughed, "Your wife is still at your Changning Lei Clan's old residence, she doesn't have super hearing. Look at you, can't you stand up for us men?"

"Old Wang, it's easy for you to say." Lei Zhengyi rolled his eyes, looking "miserable," "If you also had a bunch of impressive brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law giving you a hard time when you got married, you'd be scared too."

When young people in the Great Qian got married, it was customary for brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law to support the bride. When Wang Shouzhe married Liu Ruolan, he also went through a lot.

But Lei Zhengyi married a Wang's Clan bride, and one with a high seniority in the "Li" generation. The "Li" and "Zong" generations of the Wang's Clan were full of formidable figures.

Even if Wang Zongchang, due to his age and early marriage, didn't participate, there were plenty of powerful figures in the Wang's Clan, how could he stand a chance?

Not to mention others, just Wang Liyao alone gave him a hard time.

What kind of person was Wang Liyao? She was someone who, at a young age, was in charge of the Longzuo Academy and was said to have the potential to become the master of a holy land in the future.

If Wang Lihui suffered any grievance in the Lei Clan, the elders might not directly confront them due to face, but the peers wouldn't have such concerns.

This was the advantage of a family woman having a strong maternal family, with someone to back her up, her husband's relatives would respect her more.

Of course, the premise was that she had to behave properly. If she was arrogant or did something against the law, having a maternal family to back her up wouldn't help.

This time, Lei Zhengyi and Wang Chiqun also brought their Purple Mansion seeds. While the elders chatted, the "young junior" Wang Anye naturally chatted with the two young talents from the Lei and Wang Clans.

The young talent from the Lei Clan was named "Lei Taize," the second son of Wang Lihui and Lei Zhengyi.

He had a resolute face and a tall stature, and at just over eighty years old, he had already entered the Celestial Realm. Such aptitude was quite remarkable, and even among the young talents in Shangjing City, he would definitely be in the top fifty.

Although Wang Anye was older, in terms of seniority and blood relation, he had to call Lei Taize "Uncle."

However, Lei Taize didn't dare to be too arrogant. He was polite and somewhat respectful towards Anye, calling him "Senior"...

After all, under Wang Lihui's arrangement, he also studied at the Wang's Clan School, in the same class as Wang Ningxi's father, Wang Anxin.

The young talent from the Wang Clan was named "Wang Tianyou," who was dignified and extraordinary. He was a year older than Wang Anye but was very respectful, calling him "Seventh Brother."

The reason was simple, Wang Tianyou's wife was Wang Xuanyi, the seventh sister of the "Xuan" generation of the Wang's Clan.

She was the eldest daughter of Wang Zongchang's youngest son, Wang Shichao, and Wang Anye's seventh sister, only two years younger than Wang Anye. Due to their similar ages, Wang Anye and Wang Xuanyi were quite close.

With blood ties as a bond, Wang Tianyou and Wang Anye were naturally very close, taking every opportunity during festivals to visit the Wang's Clan and hold onto Anye's thigh.

However, Wang Tianyou himself was also quite capable. He was the second-generation Purple Mansion seed, heavily cultivated by the prosperous Zhenze Wang's Clan, and was now at the second level of the Celestial Realm.

With such aptitude and strength, he could even become a core disciple of a certain lineage in a holy land.

This was how it was between families, through intermarriage or shared interests as bonds, and through daily interactions to strengthen relationships, gradually forming a situation of mutual support and assistance, seeking survival and development together.

As the saying goes, "A single tree does not make a forest," which is the truth.

The southern six guards were not just the Wang's Clan's southern six guards, but also the southern six guards of many other large and small families. It was a complex network of clans with intertwined relationships.

Under Wang Shouzhe's intentional or unintentional guidance, the entire southern six guards region had become more united over the years, with increasingly intertwined interests, gradually forming a trend of "you in me, and me in you."

Because of this, the Wang's Clan had developed to its current state in just one hundred and fifty years.

In the southern six guards region, they all looked up to the Wang's Clan.

Similarly, because of this, Emperor Longchang often sarcastically mocked Wang Shouzhe for creating an independent kingdom in the southern six guards, calling him the "local emperor" there!

However, Wang Anye came with a mission this time, and after some pleasantries, he only stayed briefly in Wangxia Town before leading the group towards the Development Department's outpost.

...

In the depths of the Great Swamp, more than two hundred miles from Wangxia Town.

In the sky, the clouds rolled, and dragon roars echoed.

Two massive Yuan Shui Azure Dragons were faintly visible in the clouds, tumbling up and down, fighting fiercely, occasionally erupting with terrifying dragon might and painful dragon roars.

Upon closer inspection, one of the Yuan Shui Azure Dragons was larger, with deeper blue-green scales and a stronger aura, looking majestic and fierce from a distance, clearly an eighth-grade Yuan Shui Azure Dragon.

The other was slightly smaller, with shorter horns, less robust than the other, and its aura was slightly weaker, a seventh-grade Yuan Shui Azure Dragon.

This Yuan Shui Azure Dragon was the Wang's Clan's "Li" generation's guardian spiritual beast—Wang Lilong.

Unknowingly, Wang Lilong had been the Wang's Clan's guardian spiritual beast for nearly eighty years. Her aptitude was considered excellent among dragonkind, and with the Wang's Clan providing for her over the years, her cultivation had advanced rapidly, reaching the late seventh grade.

In terms of pure strength, she was naturally weaker than the other Yuan Shui Azure Dragon.

But she was no longer the wild beast she once was; she was now a cherished family spiritual beast. With Wang Shouzhe's personality, how could he let his daughter fight unarmed?

Decades ago, he had gathered materials and specifically asked the Purple Mansion artifact master of the Gongye Clan to craft a top-grade Purple Mansion treasure for Wang Lilong.

It was the heart-protecting chest armor she was wearing, which not only protected her reverse scale but also enhanced her divine abilities to some extent, making it very practical.

At Wang Lilong's request, the chest armor was crafted in pure gold, shining brightly in the sunlight, with inscriptions flashing, looking quite cool.

In addition, a pearl full of Dao essence hovered above her head, spinning, with streams of spiritual energy flowing from it into her body as if it were free.

This pearl was naturally the "Dao Spirit Pearl" obtained from the new recruit training camp.

Knowing Wang Lilong was coming to the Great Swamp, Liu Ruolan specifically lent her this treasure.

With this exotic treasure and the Purple Mansion treasure's enhancement, Wang Lilong could fight evenly with the eighth-grade Yuan Shui Azure Dragon, holding her ground for a long time without falling behind.

"Howl, howl~~~ Wang Lilong, you traitor to the dragon race! Traitor!" The eighth-grade Yuan Shui Azure Dragon roared in anger, "As a noble Yuan Shui Azure Dragon, you have betrayed Ancestor Grandfather's expectations, siding with humans and recognizing a thief as your father!"

"Pah~" Wang Lilong retorted angrily, "Ao Longtian, you're nothing. I grew up without parents, relying on my own skills. Who I recognize as parents is none of your business! You're just a country bumpkin dragon who only knows how to throw your weight around in the Great Swamp, what do you know!"

"Howl, howl~ I'm so angry." Ao Longtian roared in fury, "If you have the guts, don't use that pearl, and see if I don't teach you a lesson!"

"Fool, that's the 'Dao Spirit Pearl' my mother gave me. Our Clan School teacher said the biggest difference between intelligent beings and beasts is the ability to use tools." Wang Lilong countered, "If you have the guts, suppress your realm to the seventh grade and fight me, see if I don't beat the crap out of you!"

The two dragons fought and cursed, causing thunderclouds to roll in the sky, rain to pour continuously, and occasional flashes of lightning and thunder, making the weather within dozens of miles extremely unstable.

Meanwhile, as the two dragons fought, about ten miles away from their battlefield.

On a high ground at the edge of the Great Swamp, a tall young man stood at the entrance of the [Great Swamp Joint Development Department] office, watching the situation in the Great Swamp with other staff.

This young man was handsome and composed, his white robe tailored to perfection, accentuating his extraordinary demeanor, ethereal and elegant.

This young man was naturally Wang Anxin.

Decades had passed, and Wang Anxin had grown into a steady and capable strongman.

As a great prodigy of the Wang's Clan's second echelon, at eighty years old, he had reached the fifth level of the Celestial Realm. Although he was still slightly inferior to Wang Liyao back in the day, he was already on par with the great prodigies of second and third-grade families.

If the Wang's Clan hadn't become more low-key over the years, with his strength, if he followed in his grandaunt Wang Liyao's footsteps and went to Shangjing City for a great prodigy trial, he would likely break through the so-called "Top Ten Outstanding Youths" list.

Of course, it was mainly because the Wang's Clan was full of geniuses, especially with his Seventh Brother Wang Anye among his peers. In comparison, Wang Anxin naturally felt ordinary.

He finally had a son, Wang Ningxi, who was so clumsy that he accidentally became a waste during cultivation, causing the clan and elders a lot of worry.

Alas~ Wang Anxin's life could only be so ordinary, and in the future, he could only find a divine ability inheritance and become a Divine Ability Master.

"Young Master Anxin, please think of a way." The supervisor in charge of the swamp reclamation, Du Gu Jinghong, said worriedly, "Since Miss Lilong arrived, our safety is temporarily not a concern, but her frequent fights with that Ao Longtian cause such a commotion, with unstable energy around, it's too disruptive to our work."

Originally, the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan only occasionally harassed them.

But Miss Lilong's temper was too fiery, and she directly clashed with Ao Longtian, and now, the two dragons fighting had become routine.

The swamp reclamation's vanguard had a large setup, with hired personnel and equipment burning money every day, and every delay caused significant losses.

Fortunately, both sides were wary and didn't want to escalate the situation, so although Wang Lilong and Ao Longtian fought fiercely, the surrounding workers and civilians weren't affected, just unable to start work temporarily.

"Why don't you all jointly submit a report?" Wang Anxin was also helpless.

Wang Lilong was his grandaunt, and with her fiery temper since childhood, there were few in the Wang's Clan who could persuade her.

He, Wang Anxin, certainly couldn't.

She had been a troublemaker in the Clan School for decades, and when she finally graduated, all the teachers were in tears, even holding a farewell party for her.

The teachers had a hard time~

The surrounding supervisors all had dark faces upon hearing this.

Young Master Anxin, are you kidding us?

To reach their level, whether from in-law families or commoner backgrounds, they were undoubtedly elite selected through layers of selection, many of whom graduated from the Wang's Clan School.

Who hadn't heard of the infamous troublemaker Wang Lilong? Who dared to touch her reverse scale?

"Everyone, don't worry." Wang Anxin reassured them, "I've already reported this to the clan, and they've sent my Seventh Brother to take charge."

"Young Master Anye is coming?"

Upon hearing this, the previously demoralized supervisors immediately became excited as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

"Great, great, with Young Master Anye here, the matter will surely be resolved quickly."

The entire Wang's Clan had a mysterious confidence in Wang Anye. It seemed that as long as he took action, there was nothing that couldn't be done.

In terms of pure prestige, there were few in the Wang's Clan who ranked above him.

As they spoke.

Wang Lilong and Ao Longtian continued their fierce battle in the distance. Amidst the dragon roars, the rain poured incessantly, almost turning the surrounding swamp into a lake.

As both sides became more enraged, they entered a melee phase, with dragon claws tearing at each other's bodies, scales and dragon blood falling from the sky.

The commotion frightened the Great Swamp Fierce Crocodiles in the swamp, making them too afraid to surface, all curling up in the swamp mud, trembling.

At this moment, the only thought in their small brains was.

When will these two terrifying big shots leave? If they keep fighting like this, how will they survive?

The Great Swamp Fierce Crocodiles were greedy eaters, consuming anything, and were almost at the top of the food chain in the swamp.

The reason they were almost at the top was that they were also the primary food source for the Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan.

The poor Great Swamp Fierce Crocodiles had no idea that, far above the clouds, two even more terrifying Yuan Shui Azure Dragons were watching this scene.

These two dragons had transformed into human forms, with white hair and beards, wearing blue robes, exuding a sense of age and time.

In terms of appearance and demeanor, they were indistinguishable from elderly humans. However, they stood in the clouds, letting the cold, blade-like astral winds blow, yet remained with hands behind their backs, looking unperturbed, as if the bone-chilling winds were of no concern.

This showed how unfathomably powerful the two dragons were.

Even though they had restrained their aura, the force surrounding them for protection still exuded a thick, ancient, and majestic aura, like a mighty river.

"Unexpectedly, among this generation of young dragons, besides Longtian and Poqiong, there's such an outstanding one." The old dragon Ao Jiuxiao stroked his white beard, his eyes showing joy, "It seems that in the near future, our Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan may add three more ninth-grade elders."

"Jiuxiao, you're too optimistic." The other ninth-grade elder, Ao Juechen, frowned slightly, his stern face showing dissatisfaction, "Although this child's aptitude seems slightly better than Longtian and Poqiong, she ultimately sided with humans."

"Our Yuan Shui lineage has ancestral teachings, even in death, we must not become human pets. According to our Yuan Shui Azure Dragon's ancestral teachings, she should be executed."

"Juechen, Lilong is still young, and she was tamed by humans during her ignorant phase before transforming into a dragon, probably unaware of the ancestral teachings." Ao Jiuxiao disagreed, "After all, she's our kin. As long as we explain the righteousness to her, making her understand that the noble Yuan Shui Azure Dragons will never be slaves, she will naturally awaken to the pride of the dragon race and return to the clan."

Ao Juechen's expression was uncertain: "I hope so. If she remains stubborn, I still suggest execution. The better the bloodline of a traitor, the more harm they do to the clan, she cannot be kept."

"Whatever the decision, we must consult the Ancestor Dragon." Ao Jiuxiao opposed, "Moreover, humans are not to be trifled with nowadays, their overall strength is several times that of our Yuan Shui Azure Dragon clan. If we provoke them, what if they mobilize an army to exterminate us?"

"Then we'll fight, humans only have numbers on their side." Ao Juechen sneered, "Our Yuan Shui Azure Dragons have lived in the Southern Desolate Swamp for generations, fighting humans in the swamp gives us the advantage, we may not lose."

The Southern Desolate Swamp was an extremely vast marshland. What humans knew as the Great Swamp was just a small part of it. The depths of the Southern Desolate Swamp were complex and dangerous, making it unfavorable for humans to fight there.

Most importantly, it wasn't very valuable to humans. Therefore, in the nearly eight thousand years since the Great Qian was founded, they had never set their sights on this swamp.

Human forces at most expanded to the swamp's edge, establishing flood control facilities and preventing water beasts from the swamp from coming ashore, like the Zhenze Garrison in the southern six guards of Longzuo.

The Wangxia Town in Changning Garrison was an enclave expanded by the Changning Lei Clan, also near a small corner of the swamp.

"Juechen, your thinking is too rigid." Ao Jiuxiao shook his head, sighing, "Human development is too fast, and they've already begun expanding into the Southern Desolate Swamp, even if it's just a small edge, it's worth being vigilant."

As the two ninth-grade dragon elders spoke, in the distance, Wang Anye was riding the Jade Horn Flying Horse, leading Wang's Clan's five great wolves and a group of people, heading towards them.

Seeing Wang Lilong fighting an unfamiliar dragon from afar, Wang Anye immediately shouted, "Grandaunt Lilong, stop fighting, come back for a meal first."

"Anye? Why are you here!? Ouch~"

Distracted, Wang Lilong was clawed by Ao Longtian, leaving a bloody gash on her back, with dragon blood splattering and several scales falling off.

"You despicable, shameless %￥@!#... stinky dragon!"

Wang Lilong immediately cursed.

As an old hand who had been a troublemaker in the Clan School for decades, she had a deep reservoir of insults, one after another, covering such a wide range that even the author dared not translate.

"Howl, howl~~ you traitor dragon!"

Ao Longtian, enraged and ashamed, immediately retorted.

However, compared to her, his vocabulary was quite limited.

As they cursed, the two dragons fiercely continued their fight.

Seeing his grandaunt Lilong injured because of him, Wang Anye frowned slightly, immediately flying up and waving his hand, enveloping Wang Lilong in a vibrant green profound energy.

"Basic Revival Technique!"

As a peerless prodigy, Wang Anye had awakened his sixth bloodline, possessing a sacred body. Although such a powerful bloodline wasn't enough for him to comprehend major divine abilities, it had already elevated his strength far beyond ordinary Celestial Realm experts.

Now at the eighth level of the Celestial Realm, he was actually not weaker than a typical Purple Mansion Realm expert.

With Wang Anye's intervention, a lush tree appeared in the void behind him, tall and straight, its shadow swaying, emitting circles of soft light.

This was Wang Anye's Dharma Aspect.

Over the decades, the sapling had grown into a big tree, its form changing from ethereal to almost tangible, but no one could identify its species. Wang Shouzhe had searched the Longzuo Academy's library and even had clan members in the holy land search its archives, but still found no clues.

This had become an unsolved mystery for the Wang's Clan.

Of course, although the species was unknown, it didn't affect Wang Anye's use.

Under the green profound energy, Wang Lilong's injured body began to heal at a visible speed, her wounds scabbing over quickly, and new scales growing where they had fallen.

At the same time, her exhausted spirit was revitalized, making her feel as if she had taken a refreshing nap, regaining her vigor.

"Great, great, Ao Longtian, you dog, see how I deal with you!" Wang Lilong rejoiced, immediately shaking with excitement, feeling much stronger, with an illusion of being able to take on the world.

She immediately charged at Ao Longtian.

With the Dao Spirit Pearl's enhancement, Wang Lilong could already fight Ao Longtian to a standstill, and now, with Wang Anye's divine ability—[Basic Revival Technique]—providing healing and potential stimulation, Wang Lilong gained a significant advantage.

This was Wang Anye's divine ability, and although its name was plain, its actual effect was very powerful, powerful enough for Wang Lilong to turn the tables and suppress Ao Longtian.

"Huh?" Dragon elder Ao Jiuxiao immediately raised his long eyebrows, "This human youth has such a strong wood-based bloodline talent, not even reaching the Purple Mansion Realm, yet his understanding of bloodline talent and the laws of heaven and earth already has a hint of the half-step Divine Realm."In the Celestial Realm, the disparity in strength due to different levels of bloodline awakening is vast.

Theoretically, the weakest in the Celestial Realm only possess a dual bloodline, meaning they cultivated from a low-grade bloodline to the Celestial Realm without consuming any pills to enhance their bloodline, relying solely on awakening one bloodline at the Lingtai Realm and another at the Celestial Realm.

Of course, such individuals are extremely rare, their rarity somewhere between a great prodigy and a peerless prodigy.

In general, most in the Celestial Realm have a triple bloodline. They ascend from minor prodigies (with an innate single bloodline) and typically reach the Celestial Realm smoothly.

But without any surprises, reaching the Celestial Realm is often their limit.

Those with prodigious qualifications in the Celestial Realm awaken a quadruple bloodline, also known as a "spiritual body," granting them the potential to advance to the Purple Mansion Realm.

Above them are those with great prodigy qualifications in the Celestial Realm, who awaken a fifth bloodline, known as the "dao body." At this level, they can comprehend the laws of the Dao and even grasp minor divine abilities while still in the Celestial Realm.

Such qualifications hold the promise of reaching the Divine Realm in the future.

But Wang Anye is a peerless prodigy, having already awakened a sixth bloodline, known as the "sacred body"!

It's worth noting that ordinary Purple Mansion Realm cultivators mostly ascend from prodigies, and even at the Purple Mansion Realm, they can only awaken five bloodlines. Wang Anye surpasses them by an additional bloodline, with potential pointing directly to the Lingxu Realm, just one bloodline short of the typical Divine Realm.

Thus, despite Wang Lilong and Ao Longtian being hailed as dragon prodigies with the potential to reach the ninth rank, currently at the seventh and eighth ranks respectively, in terms of bloodline awakening, they are only on par with Wang Anye.

Compared to them, Wang Anye is only lacking in cultivation level.

From another perspective, Wang Anye and Wang Lilong are currently two against one.

The battle quickly turned one-sided.

"Roar, roar, roar~"

Thunderclouds rolled in the sky, rain poured down, and Ao Longtian's massive dragon body thrashed in the clouds, a continuous stream of pitiful dragon roars echoing.

Suddenly.

Wang Lilong seized the opportunity, pinning him into the waters below with a claw, sending pillars of water shooting up.

Ao Longtian struggled fiercely, his massive dragon body churning the swamp, stirring up torrents and mud, causing the surrounding energy to swirl chaotically, yet he couldn't break free.

Seeing this, some of the bolder members of the Wang Clan, like Wang Zongchang and the five great wolves, immediately gathered to watch the spectacle.

"Awuu, awuu, awuu~!" (Well done!)

The five great wolves cheered for Wang Lilong.

"Hmph!" The always arrogant Ao Juechen looked displeased, coldly saying, "Humans are indeed despicable and shameless. This elder will teach them a lesson."

"Don't be impulsive..."

Ao Jiuxiao was about to stop him when he saw Ao Juechen transform into a massive Yuan Shui Azure Dragon.

"Moo~~"

A deafening dragon roar shook the sky.

As the dragon roar sounded, it was still high in the sky, but in an instant, it reached the battlefield below.

In just a few breaths.

A massive Yuan Shui Azure Dragon broke through the clouds, descending from the horizon.

In the sunlight, its hard scales shimmered like jade, casting a vast shadow over the water, as if even the sky was obscured by it.

Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger.

With its appearance, the torrential rain in the sky suddenly ceased, countless water vapors gathered, forming clouds that surrounded it, from afar, it looked like a celestial illusion.

At the same time, the overwhelming dragon might swept in like a storm, mercilessly pressing down on everyone present like Mount Tai.

The cultivators with slightly lower cultivation felt their bodies sink, nearly suffocated by the terrifying pressure.

"A ninth-rank Yuan Shui Azure Dragon!"

Wang Zongchang, watching the spectacle, had a slight change in expression.

A ninth-rank Yuan Shui Azure Dragon is not easy to deal with.

In terms of level, a ninth-rank Yuan Shui Azure Dragon is equivalent to a human Divine Realm expert. But dragons are naturally strong in body, their combat power surpassing human Divine Realm experts of the same rank. In a real fight, a Divine Realm expert without good equipment might not be a match.

Even with Divine Spirit Artifacts, a Divine Realm cultivator might not be guaranteed victory, given the dragons' formidable innate abilities.

The family's prediction was indeed correct.

The eighth-rank Yuan Shui Azure Dragon was merely a vanguard scout, with a ninth-rank powerhouse probing behind.

The mighty and domineering Ao Juechen, with a condescending posture, looked down on everyone, displaying the dragon clan's majestic and arrogant dominance, the pressure of a ninth-rank being released without restraint.

Suddenly!

Old Yao and the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy descended from the sky.

Without showing any aura, Old Yao simply wielded a whisk, and with a casual wave, a gentle force swept over everyone, shielding them from the pressure.

The low-level cultivators immediately breathed a sigh of relief, gasping for air like drowning people.

Even Wang Zongchang felt as if a stone had been lifted from his chest, feeling much lighter, and he cupped his hands in gratitude to Old Yao: "Thank you, Senior Yao, for your assistance."

"No problem, no problem, this old servant is just a worker, and it's my duty to help when needed." Old Yao smiled warmly, though his excessive yin energy made it seem like a sinister smile.

Meanwhile.

Ao Jiuxiao also arrived, standing with Ao Juechen, watching Old Yao and the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy, the two human Divine Realm experts, with wary and solemn eyes. Humans see dragons as formidable, but dragons also fear humans.

Though humans are inherently weaker in strength and physique compared to dragons, they excel at using tools, especially those human cultivators with Divine Spirit Artifacts, who are very dangerous.

Old Yao and the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy, as workers, were fulfilling their duties, displaying the necessary aura when needed.

With four Divine Realm (ninth-rank) powerhouses on both sides, they stared at each other in silence.

Wang Lilong and Ao Longtian, the two young dragons, couldn't continue their fight, each transforming into human-sized forms and returning to their respective camps.

Wang Lilong, though still in dragon form, appeared more human-like than Ao Longtian. After the fight, she quickly donned a beautiful dress and floated over to Wang Anye's side: "Anye, you came just in time. Let's teach Ao Longtian a lesson together later. You should have let Seventh Sister out earlier, then I could have taken down Ao Longtian."

The two, a human and a dragon, grew up together. Despite graduating from the clan school decades apart, their bond remained strong.

At this moment, Wang Lilong was no longer the little girl dragon she once was; her dragon form exuded the charm of a young human maiden.

Wang Anye felt a headache coming on. Lilong, the fiery-tempered lady, wasn't easily managed by many in the Wang Clan. He, Wang Anye, could only count as half, and he wondered why his great-grandfather had sent her to handle this matter.

"Lady Lilong," Wang Anye said helplessly, cupping his hands, "not all disputes need to be resolved with fists."

With that, he saluted the two ninth-rank Yuan Shui Azure Dragons opposite him: "Esteemed dragon seniors, I am the direct descendant of the Changning Wang's Clan, sent by my family to resolve the Swamp dispute."

"If the two seniors agree, why not sit down and discuss the conflicts, and I'll strive to satisfy both sides."

"Hmph!" Ao Juechen reverted to human form, casting a wary glance at Old Yao and the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy, then coldly said, "There's nothing to discuss. If you humans withdraw from the Swamp, we Yuan Shui Azure Dragons will let it go."

"Wait!" Ao Jiuxiao interjected, "This young human has an extraordinary demeanor and speaks politely. There's no harm in sitting down to hear what he has to say."

"Negotiations are possible," Ao Longtian, evidently of high status, said, glaring at Wang Lilong, "but we must first address the matter of our dragon traitor. A noble-blooded Yuan Shui Azure Dragon serving as a human's pet!"

"Pet? Your whole family are pets." Wang Lilong rolled up her sleeves, starting to take off her dress, ready to pounce on Ao Longtian again.

Wang Anye hurriedly stopped her: "Lady Lilong, please don't rush to undress, I mean, don't rush to fight." After much persuasion, he managed to calm her down.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and addressed the more amicable Ao Juechen: "Esteemed dragon seniors, please don't misunderstand. Lady Lilong is a member of our family, formally inducted into the clan's genealogy through a ceremony."

"Inducted into the genealogy?" Ao Jiuxiao's gaze softened considerably, "Seeing your attitude towards her, I believe it somewhat. Although I think there's little to discuss, there's no harm in hearing you out."

With these words.

Old Yao glanced at the three dragons with a look of pity, recalling how Wang Anye, as a child, had gradually taken the legion flag from the treasury.

...