Protect Our Patriarch

...

It wasn't that the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy was inherently pure and untouched.

Rather, the true technique she cultivated, the Chaotic Enchantress True Technique, required her to maintain her virgin body. Once broken, her cultivation would plummet, and she would find it difficult to advance further.

This was indeed quite a pitfall.

In the blink of an eye, a terrifying ripping sound echoed, and the blood cocoon in front of the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy exploded, a figure leaping out like lightning.

It was a massive Blood Nest Warrior, towering over ordinary people with muscles like those of a mythical giant. Most notably, a thick layer of keratin armor covered his body, indicating formidable defense.

With his appearance, a terrifying aura swept out like a storm, fierce and domineering, almost suffocating.

Before the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy could react, his blood-red eyes, filled with madness, locked onto her.

Simultaneously, the other blood cocoons behind her shattered, and one after another, Blood Nest Warriors landed with a thud. In the blink of an eye, the hall at the research base's entrance was filled with three Lingxu Realm Blood Nest Warriors, over a dozen Divine Realm Blood Nest Warriors, and nearly a hundred Purple Mansion Realm Blood Nest Warriors!

They stood in dense, orderly rows, like an army at the gates.

The terrifying aura, accompanied by a strong scent of blood, enveloped the entire hall, and pairs of fierce, crazed blood-red eyes locked onto the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy from all directions.

"Gulp!"

The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy swallowed hard.

Now she finally understood why Ancestor Dragon forbade his descendants from entering the Blood Venerable's relic. Wasn't it certain death for anyone who entered?

"Run!"

With Lingxu Realm experts blocking the way, her first instinct was to flee to the side.

Though the Divine Realm Blood Nest Warriors were formidable opponents, she could still manage to avoid instant death.

Under the threat of death, her potential was pushed to the limit.

Her body technique unleashed, gray mist swirling around her, she moved like a nimble fish in the void, weaving through the Divine Realm and Purple Mansion Realm Blood Nest Warriors with incredible speed, leaving a trail of afterimages.

Due to the sheer number of Blood Nest Warriors, they interfered with each other, allowing her to find a sliver of hope.

However, the attacks from the Blood Nest Warriors were too dense. No matter how fast or skilled she was, she couldn't avoid them all, and she took several hits, coughing up blood on the spot.

Fortunately, she managed to break through the encirclement.

Ignoring the blood at the corner of her mouth, she desperately channeled her profound energy, flying frantically down a side passage, covering a great distance in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, she looked utterly disheveled, far from the ethereal and celestial "Xueqing Fairy."

"Roar!"

All the Blood Nest Warriors, seeing this, were enraged, roaring like ancient fierce beasts as they charged after her.

Over a hundred Blood Nest Warriors surged into the narrow passage, forming a long line, like a train.

The rumbling sounds of energy collisions and angry roars echoed throughout the passage.

Leading the charge were the three Lingxu Realm Blood Nest Puppets!

The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy's scalp tingled, feeling as if she were being pricked by needles. She sensed that if she slowed even a little, she would be caught and torn to pieces by these Blood Nest Warriors.

However, profound energy was limited. At such a high intensity of consumption, she felt her profound energy depleting rapidly.

At this rate, she wouldn't last long.

"Wait!"

Just as despair set in, a flash of inspiration struck her mind.

The sanctuary!

Earlier, when the Spirit Artifact introduced the map, she remembered it mentioning a place called the "Blood Sanctuary," said to be impenetrable even by True Immortals. The defenses there should be able to withstand these three Lingxu Realm Blood Nest Warriors!

Once she reached there, she would be safe!

Hope ignited in her eyes, and she made a sharp turn, heading toward the "Blood Sanctuary" as she remembered it.

In a life-and-death situation, her potential was fully unleashed, and she managed to hold on under the pursuit of the Lingxu Realm Blood Nest Warriors, dragging the long "train" behind her all the way to the "Blood Sanctuary."

"Huff... huff... finally safe... cough, cough!"

Only when the doors of the Blood Sanctuary closed completely in front of her did the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy breathe a sigh of relief, sliding down the wall to sit on the ground.

Though she had survived, she was gravely injured, her profound energy nearly depleted, her meridians aching, and her body covered in bloodstains, looking utterly miserable. Even her chest was stained crimson with blood, a sight too tragic to behold.

More seriously, she had been punched by a Lingxu Realm Blood Nest Warrior before entering, leaving her internal organs shaken, her head spinning, and her ears ringing, making her feel disoriented.

The "thud, thud, thud" of pounding on the door echoed in her ears, violent and heavy, making her heart tremble and recalling the harrowing moments earlier.

But she knew that these no longer posed any threat to her.

She was temporarily safe.

A smile of relief appeared on the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy's face.

After a long while, she finally recovered a bit from her dizziness, freeing her mind to observe the "Blood Sanctuary" she was in.

Like the rest of the Blood Dawn Sanctuary, the Blood Sanctuary was vast, giving a sense of grandeur despite its name.

The interior was divided into many spaces, with complete facilities for rest, cultivation, and entertainment. Additionally, there was a massive storage area occupying nearly half the space, filled with standard spatial cabinets from the Shenwu Royal Dynasty.

The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy casually opened a cabinet, finding a vast space inside, clearly utilizing storage space technology. Inside were food items, individually packaged, though their exact nature was unclear.

She took one out, opened it, and found that the food seemed edible.

Clearly, when the sanctuary was built, meticulous preparations were made, even considering the possibility of food spoilage in storage.

Once inside, cultivators could survive for a long time on the stored supplies, even without external support.

With these, she didn't have to worry about starving due to lack of energy.

However, a problem arose.

How would she leave?

The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy searched the sanctuary thoroughly but couldn't find a teleportation array or any "back door."

The walls of the sanctuary were as sturdy as described by the Spirit Artifact. She had tried, but even with her strength, leaving a mark on the walls was difficult.

With Lingxu Realm Blood Nest Warriors outside and the sanctuary's impenetrable defenses inside, what could she do?

Was she to hide here forever?

The Red Enchantress Demon Envoy's expression stiffened, the joy of escaping vanishing in an instant.

While the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy was trapped in the sanctuary, Wang Anye and his companions had methodically taken down four Purple Mansion Realm Blood Nest Warriors, successfully acquiring four Marrying Blood Gu Emperors.

The joy of their harvest invigorated everyone, boosting their morale.

For safety, Old Yao had already led the Divine Realm Blood Nest Warrior far away.

As an ancient monster who had lived for over a thousand years, if he aimed only to stall rather than kill, he could drag it out indefinitely.

"Next, Grandpa Yao will continue to stall," Wang Anye, holding the Divine Treasure Sword Years, commanded confidently, "Great-grandfather Shouzhe, Great-grandfather Shouzong, and Aunt Lilong will assist me in taking down this Divine Realm Blood Nest Warrior."

"The rest of you and the five wolves, step back and don't engage. We have time on our side, so we'll take it slow and steady, prioritizing safety."

In fact, Wang Anye had a treasure called "Legion Commander's Protection," which could end the battle instantly if used. However, it was a life-saving item for critical moments, and he wouldn't use it unless necessary.

What followed was a prolonged battle.

The group, along with two puppets, engaged the Divine Realm Blood Nest Warrior with extreme caution, taking an entire day to finally bring it down.

Simultaneously, a fist-sized Marrying Blood Gu flew out from the Blood Nest Warrior's corpse, caught by the prepared Wang Anye and stored in a jade box.

This was a Marrying Blood Gu parasitizing a Divine Realm Blood Nest Warrior, a level higher than the "Marrying Blood Gu Emperor" from a Purple Mansion Realm Blood Nest Warrior.

Theoretically, its effects should rival the High-Grade Essence version, surpassing the effects of an eighth-grade Rebirth Immortal Pill.

Due to technological limitations, the pills refined with current alchemy techniques could enhance and purify bloodlines, but their effects were often inferior to those from the Shenwu era.

"Finally done," the Spirit Artifact of the sanctuary said, seeing them collect all the Marrying Blood Gu, though its tone carried a hint of complaint, "These mindless Blood Nest Warriors are too uncontrollable, always causing trouble."

As a Spirit Artifact, it naturally had no feelings for these mindless cannon fodder Blood Nest Warriors.

"Spirit Artifact Miss, how is our companion fairy doing?" Wang Anye asked about the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy's situation after storing the jade box, "Earlier, I sensed a violent aura from deep within the sanctuary."

"You mean that traitor~~ she accidentally activated a large group of powerful Blood Nest Warriors and is now trapped in the Blood Sanctuary," the Spirit Artifact, having witnessed the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy's betrayal, naturally had a poor impression of her, speaking with a hint of schadenfreude, "The Blood Sanctuary is very sturdy, even a True Immortal would take a lot of time to break it. However, getting out is difficult for her unless you lure away or eliminate the Blood Nest Warriors outside."

"Well..." Wang Anxin asked with great interest, "Spirit Artifact Miss, are there any Divine Realm Warriors among those Blood Nest Warriors?"

A Divine Realm Blood Nest Warrior meant producing a high-level blood gu comparable to the High-Grade Essence version.

If they could capture another one, it would be a huge gain~

"That's the guard for the great Blood Venerable's laboratory, with sixteen Divine Realm Blood Nest Warriors, three Lingxu Realm Blood Nest Warriors, and a large number of Purple Mansion Realm Blood Nest Warriors," the Spirit Artifact answered truthfully.

"..."

Everyone gasped in unison.

It took them so long to kill just one Divine Realm Blood Nest Warrior, and there were sixteen of them... plus the even more terrifying Lingxu Realm ones...

In the Great Qian Empire, that would be at the level of Emperor Longchang and Jiang Zhencang, the true combat power ceiling.

How could they fight that?

Even if they called in Holy Master Jiang, Emperor Longchang, Ancestor Dragon, and a group of Divine Realm experts, it might still be a tough battle. Moreover, Ancestor Dragon had sworn an oath and wouldn't want to enter the Blood Dawn Sanctuary.

Even the usually bold Wang Lilong shrank back, intimidated.

Too fierce~ too fierce~

She, Wang Lilong, would probably be slapped to death if she went over.

"Sigh, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse," Wang Zongchang sighed after holding back for a while, "Even though the Blood Venerable has been sealed for many years, with his resources depleted and looking down and out, he was still a legendary True Immortal."

Indeed, it was true.

The status of a True Immortal was too high, and in the known world, there were only four living True Immortal-level beings.

They stood at the pinnacle of this world.

There might have been more True Immortals during the Shenwu era, but even then, someone of such power would still hold a position as a regional overlord.

How could the lair of such a figure be simple?

"Why don't we retreat for now and wait for Great-grandfather to come before making plans?" Wang Anxin felt a tinge of fear.

He was just an ordinary great prodigy, and at most, he would reach the Divine Realm in the future. This dungeon was too much for him to handle.

"Wait," Wang Anye's eyes lit up, "Spirit Artifact Miss, you mentioned that those high-level Blood Nest Warriors were originally guards for the Blood Venerable's laboratory? They're now blocking the Blood Sanctuary's entrance? I remember from the map that the Blood Sanctuary and the laboratory are not in the same location."

"Does that mean there are no guards outside the Blood Venerable's laboratory now?" Wang Anxin, realizing the implication, was overjoyed, "Great, great, we really should thank 'Fairy Jiang.' Without her, we wouldn't have been able to enter the laboratory."

"You don't have the authority to enter the Blood Venerable's laboratory," the Spirit Artifact protested.

"What if we insist on going in?" Wang Anxin tested.

"......"

The Spirit Artifact was suddenly at a loss.

The small number of Blood Nest Warriors she could command had long been depleted over the years, and she couldn't command the high-level guards. If they insisted on breaking in, she really had no way to stop them.

Her authority in this sanctuary was too limited, only able to turn on lights, run instruments, and calculate data.

"Spirit Artifact Miss, don't be upset," Wang Anye comforted, "This Blood Dawn Sanctuary has been buried underwater for who knows how many years. Staying here is like being in a tomb. Why not move to our place? We'll help you move the Blood Dawn Sanctuary too. It's lively there with lots of people."

For a moment, the Spirit Artifact didn't want to speak.

Because she suddenly realized that no matter what she said, she couldn't stop them.

Since she couldn't resist, she could only let them do as they pleased.

After tidying up the scene, Wang Anye and his companions cautiously explored further inside. Following the map, they soon reached the entrance of the Blood Venerable's laboratory.

After the Red Enchantress Demon Envoy's disturbance, the hall at the entrance was littered with shattered giant blood cocoons. Even though the Blood Nest Warriors inside had left, the cocoons still exuded a fierce and violent aura, creating a heavy sense of oppression.

The Lingxu Realm Blood Nest Warriors were terrifying.

Opening the laboratory door wasn't much trouble.

After all, it wasn't a sanctuary, and normally, no one would come to break down the door, so the door's sturdiness was slightly inferior to the walls. While it could withstand the aftermath of a strong battle, a Divine Realm expert could break it down with some effort.

Inside.

Under the soft glow of the ceiling, the laboratory was vast and simple in structure, resembling a large, magnificent sanctuary.

However, the "sanctuary" was now in disarray.

In the center of the laboratory stood large crystal pillars filled with green liquid, containing various strange creatures.

There were many broken crystal pillars around, with dried liquid flowing out, and the creatures that should have been inside were nowhere to be found, likely turned to dust.

"Is this a Void Piercing Demon?" Wang Anye asked curiously, standing before one of the crystal pillars.

Inside the pillar was a preserved outer region demon.

Its body was covered in metallic exoskeleton, with six prominent spikes on its back, identical to the Void Piercing Demon hologram he had seen in the training camp's educational illustrations.

"Yes, it's a Void Piercing Demon," Wang Zongchang confirmed, "There's also a Great Asura Demon here, both fierce creatures from the outer regions. But these have no life aura, likely made into specimens."

"Truly worthy of a True Immortal, able to capture outer region demons for experiments."

In the center of the laboratory was a column over a hundred feet tall, though the crystal pillar was broken, with signs of damage and struggle around it, and a complex array nearby.

"That's an ancient teleportation array, a technology lost to time," Ji Wuchen, knowledgeable as ever, explained, "The teleportation arrays within the Immortal Dynasty are all relics."

"That column must have held Ancestor Dragon," Wang Anye deduced, "Due to geological changes, the column broke. Ancestor Dragon, being powerful and resilient, barely survived. With Blood Nest Warriors guarding the main entrance, he couldn't leave through there, so he used the teleportation array."

"Oh? You know the escaped Azure Dragon?" the Spirit Artifact, still sulking, asked with interest.

"That Azure Dragon Ancestor is already dead," Wang Anye replied, "My Aunt Lilong here is a descendant of the Azure Dragon Ancestor."

"I see, but Miss Lilong's bloodline is much weaker than that of the original Azure Dragon," the Spirit Artifact realized, "But it's understandable, as the original Azure Dragon was at the peak of the twelfth rank. If not for its outstanding potential, it wouldn't have been 'invited' by the Blood Venerable."

"Spirit Artifact Miss, we don't have to be enemies," Wang Anye took the opportunity to persuade, "After all, it's been over a hundred thousand years since the Shenwu Royal Dynasty fell. You can't live in the past forever, right? I know many Spirit Artifacts, and I know that after a long time, they develop wisdom and emotions."

The Spirit Artifact was silent for a moment before saying, "I'll consider what you've said. Actually, before leaving, the Blood Venerable hoped that if he couldn't return, someone would continue the path to True Immortality he had painstakingly paved."

She's wavering!

Seeing this, Wang Anye pressed on, "Miss, could you tell us if there's anything in this laboratory that can extract an extra bloodline?"

He then explained Ning Xi's situation.

"So you're trying to save someone," the Spirit Artifact said, "That's easy. This laboratory has the necessary equipment. However, you need to inherit the Blood Venerable's cultivation method, the Holy Gu Codex, to operate the equipment."

"A codex? Why not a celestial scripture?" Wang Zongchang asked curiously, "The Blood Venerable was a True Immortal, right? How did he reach True Immortality without a celestial scripture? Isn't a codex too low-level?"

"What do you know, primitive man?" Suddenly, a little girl's voice rang out. Accompanied by an ancient "codex," she floated out from the corner, "How is a codex low-level? How? Which celestial scripture wasn't developed step by step by our predecessors?"

Meanwhile, a small, delicate girl with two pairs of transparent wings appeared on the codex, scolding with hands on her hips, "You're just a lowly initial blood member, daring to slander me, the Holy Gu. I'm practically a half-step celestial scripture already. Calling myself a codex is being humble, do you understand humility?"

"Holy Gu Codex?" Wang Anye was slightly taken aback, "That name sounds familiar. Oh, right, my great-aunt Luo Jing practices the Holy Gu True Method."

"Holy Gu True Method?" The little girl with wings, called 'Holy Gu,' became excited, flapping her transparent wings as she circled Wang Anye, "Is there a Gu insect? One that looks like me?"

"There is a Gu insect, called the Heavenly Silkworm, looking like a silkworm baby," Wang Anye replied, "It doesn't look like you at all."

"Where, where, bring them to see me," Holy Gu said excitedly, "That's because the Heavenly Silkworm hasn't reached the eleventh rank and transformed."

...