Protect Our Patriarch

……

The greatest strength of a great prodigy in the Celestial Realm lies in their awakened dao body. With a dao body, their connection to the laws of heaven and earth becomes more intimate, granting them the qualification to comprehend divine abilities based on their bloodline and dao body.

However, at this stage, the abilities they comprehend are typically "minor divine abilities." Moreover, due to their cultivation level being merely in the Celestial Realm, they still need to rely on the power of their bloodline's dharma image to support the minor divine abilities, unable to fully unleash their power, and the duration is also limited.

As Wang Liyao's words fell, a heavy and powerful aura surged up.

At the same time.

A massive shadow appeared behind her.

It was a gigantic azure bird with magnificent crest feathers, varying shades of azure plumage, and a tail that shimmered with a radiant glow.

Those who recognized it immediately identified the dharma image as the ancient divine beast—Qinghuang!

Qinghuang, an ancient divine beast on par with the Winged Dragon, is the natural Water Lord, commanding the waters of the sky.

The Qinghuang dharma image behind Wang Liyao was so vivid it seemed almost tangible. Its aura and presence faintly suppressed Wu Zhixing's Winged Dragon bloodline.

Simultaneously, the cultivation aura she had been concealing and restraining burst forth, revealing a level slightly superior to Wu Zhixing's.

In an instant, the entire White Cloud Tower fell silent.

"How is this possible?"

In the private room, Prince Dexin, who had been confident and composed, suddenly froze, his old face stiffening: "This... Wang Liyao's cultivation is hidden so deeply, reaching the peak of the fifth level of the Celestial Realm. Isn't she only sixty-nine years old? Her Qinghuang dharma image is also more condensed, with a thicker aura... Could it be..."

All these signs indicated that Wang Liyao's bloodline was far beyond the initial level of a great prodigy. Her aptitude might not even be just a slightly superior great prodigy of the third tier, as the cultivation speed of a third-tier great prodigy couldn't be this fast.

Only the extremely rare second-tier great prodigy bloodline could advance so rapidly, reaching such a level at the mere age of sixty-nine.

The last time Gongyang Ce, who was over ninety years old, came to fight in the great prodigy battle, he was only at the sixth level of the Celestial Realm. Yet even so, Gongyang Ce was already considered quite formidable among great prodigies, comparable to the current Little Commandery Prince Wu Zhixing, both around the third tier of great prodigies.

But compared to Wang Liyao, they were far behind.

After all, how could the second tier be the same as the third tier?

To elevate Wang Liyao's bloodline, Tianhe Daoist had poured in all his resources accumulated over a thousand years. If this didn't create a significant gap, wouldn't all that money be wasted?

Seeing Prince Dexin's expression as if he had swallowed a fly, Tianhe Daoist felt immensely pleased, suddenly feeling that all his previous investments were worth it.

Dexin, oh Dexin~ You dared to compete with me for Senior Sister Muxuan back then!

Didn't you just rely on your good family background, being a member of the royal family? You used despicable means to have Senior Sister Muxuan expelled from the academy, leaving her with no choice but to marry you and become your wife.

Now, I, Tianhe, will repay you for everything!

"Tianhe, you old ghost!" Prince Dexin finally reacted, angrily shouting, "You used despicable means to hide Wang Liyao's cultivation aura, deliberately luring me into a bet."

"Dexin, you old ghost, you've always been too arrogant, blinded by your own conceit." Tianhe Daoist retorted, "If you want to renege on your debt, that's fine. Just bark like a dog three times in front of everyone, and I'll forgive your debt."

Prince Dexin almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.

If he really did that, he would disgrace the entire royal family. He immediately sneered back, "Don't think the outcome is decided yet. Even if Zhixing loses this small battle, I can still afford a mere twenty upper spirit stones."

Although he said this, his heart ached as if being cut by a knife. As a prince, he was indeed wealthy, but he had many children to support, and his spare money was limited. Twenty upper spirit stones were a significant amount~~!!

As the divine realm experts exchanged words, the battle on the stage continued.

With a clear cry, the Qinghuang dharma image behind Wang Liyao suddenly flapped its wings, and the surrounding environment was instantly shrouded in dark clouds, suppressing Wu Zhixing's minor divine ability, the Heavenly Gang Gale, reducing its wind speed significantly.

The interior of the White Cloud Tower became gloomy and filled with moisture, prompting the servants to quickly activate the lighting array, making the tower bright again.

"Yin Turns to Light Rain."

Wang Liyao's eyes were cold as she murmured softly.

Her delicate fingers moved in a series of gestures, as if plucking the strings of the heavenly dao, releasing brilliant rays of light. In her eyes, a faint imprint of a minor divine ability appeared.

"Whoosh!"

A cool breeze swept through, calming everyone's hearts and bringing a refreshing chill.

Immediately.

The surrounding moisture condensed into tiny droplets of water, gently falling like a spring drizzle.

"Is that it?"

The crowd stared at the sparse, soft raindrops, utterly confused. Such light rain indeed matched the essence of "Yin Turns to Light Rain."

But what use was it? This minor divine ability couldn't even water a spiritual field properly!

Could it be that the light rain was meant to create an atmosphere, making people feel like falling in love?

Just as everyone thought Wang Liyao's minor divine ability, "Yin Turns to Light Rain," was a joke.

Suddenly.

Wu Zhixing, who had been calm, turned pale, and the Winged Dragon dharma image behind him let out a long cry, transforming into a swift wind shadow, rapidly moving on the stage.

The Winged Dragon is the master of the long wind, its domain is the sky. If they were in the sky, Wu Zhixing could escape thousands of miles in a blink, but on this stage, he could only maneuver in a limited space, severely restricting his power.

This restriction usually didn't matter, but against an opponent of the same level or even slightly superior, it became a significant hindrance.

Like now.

"Pop!"

Each tiny raindrop fell on Wu Zhixing's protective qi.

Compressed to the extreme, the power exploded, layers of sword intent blossomed, causing ripples in his protective qi.

Each seemingly gentle raindrop contained terrifying sword intent compressed to the extreme.

One raindrop alone wouldn't matter, it couldn't break Wu Zhixing's protective qi. However, the light rain, though sparse, was continuous.

A gust of wind blew, and the rain, as if guided by an invisible force, swarmed towards Wu Zhixing like a hive.

"Pop pop pop!"

Wu Zhixing's protective qi exploded like firecrackers.

Each raindrop contained compressed sword intent, accumulating into a terrifying force.

Wu Zhixing, a great prodigy with deep bloodline power and solid protective qi comparable to a treasure, was now bombarded, his protective qi rippling and shaking, leaving him dizzy and his blood surging.

He had to continue using his divine ability to counter, summoning gusts of wind to disperse the rain.

"Little Wu, you're struggling, can't hold on." Qianqiu's voice buzzed in his ear, "That girl not only has a great figure, but her fairy-like aura has turned into a queen's presence, her power explosive. Why not surrender and join her harem..."

"Being conquered by a queen isn't bad, there's a thrill to it. I've prepared myself for this outcome. If you can't accept it, I'll help you adjust."

Wu Zhixing's face turned black.

What kind of life-bound sword did he refine? Not long ago, it wanted to take Liyao as a concubine, now it was ready to kneel at her feet.

Who needs your psychological adjustment! I, Wu Zhixing, just want to cultivate quietly.

As Wu Zhixing struggled, "Xian Ge," whose character was collapsing, began to reveal her true nature, excitedly shouting, "Miss Liyao, keep going, crush them. Make them kneel and sing..."

Before she could finish.

Wang Liyao's aura turned colder and sharper, her powerful presence like an invisible hand, choking Xian Ge's throat, silencing her.

The rain, as if caught by invisible hands, suspended in mid-air.

The next moment.

The rain gathered, silently merging into one, compressing, compressing, and compressing again.

A drop of dew appeared on Xian Ge's sword tip.

This drop of dew was small, even smaller than ordinary dew.

Under the dim light, it shimmered with a radiant glow, as if countless mysterious runes floated within, emitting an incomparably profound and powerful aura.

"Tianyi True Water!"

Prince Yong'an paused his tea, a look of surprise in his eyes.

Tianyi True Water is the signature skill of the "Tianyi True Water Vein," one of the Holy Land's nine veins. Using this technique requires an extremely high understanding of the laws of heaven and earth and control over power.

Even great prodigies usually need to reach the Purple Mansion Realm to use it proficiently.

Seeing this, Prince Dexin, despite his displeasure, couldn't help but exclaim, "So young, yet mastering Tianyi True Water, this girl is remarkable."

"Hehe~ Of course. My disciple, cultivated with all my efforts, how could she be lacking?" Tianhe Daoist stroked his beard, his face full of pride, though his heart wept.

To cultivate this disciple, he had gone bankrupt and incurred debts. If she wasn't strong, where was the justice?

As they spoke.

On the stage, Wang Liyao's spirit sword Xian Ge trembled slightly, and Tianyi True Water left the sword tip, floating towards Wu Zhixing.

The tiny dew drop, light and ethereal, seemed to carry immense weight, even the air groaned under its pressure.

In that moment, Wu Zhixing felt a sense of impending doom.

Without time to think, he mobilized his profound energy, and the Winged Dragon shadow behind him let out a long cry, layers of divine power unfolding, forming a strong protective qi around him.

The "Heavenly Gang" divine ability, both offensive and defensive.

Layers of protective qi emitted a faint azure light, like armor, protecting his body. Its defense, though not as strong as specialized protective divine treasures, was considerable.

Ordinary minor divine abilities could be blocked by the wind armor.

But now, Wu Zhixing felt no certainty, desperately thickening his protective qi.

"Boom!"

The tiny dew drop hit the protective qi, the compressed sword intent exploded, shattering the thick protective qi in an instant.

Wu Zhixing's body shook, flying backward, crashing into the stage's protective barrier, spitting blood.

The barrier behind him cracked under the impact.

Gasp!

The Commandery Prince of Heng stood up in shock, clutching his bleeding heart.

The stage's barrier was expensive to set up, it better not break!!!

"Little Commandery Prince is indeed the top young expert in the capital, truly extraordinary." Wang Liyao's voice was ethereal, "My drop of Tianyi True Water couldn't defeat you."

"Wait... cough cough~"

Wu Zhixing, eyes wide with fear, tried to speak but coughed up blood.

"In that case, I must reluctantly use the second form of 'Suspended Water Divine Ability,' 'Light Rain Turns to Moderate Rain with Occasional Showers.'" Wang Liyao's expression was serious, her voice heavy, "This form is newly comprehended and hard to control. If the power is too much, I hope Little Commandery Prince will understand."

As she spoke.

The sky darkened further.

Drops of moderate rain fell, larger and denser than the light rain.

"I... surrender~ cough cough~"

Wu Zhixing, eyes filled with fear, tried to refuse.

Liyao Fairy, please, your light rain is already overwhelming, and now a second form?

That second form... "Light Rain Turns to Moderate Rain with Occasional Showers," the name alone sounds terrifying!

He wanted to surrender, but his constant coughing prevented him from speaking, forcing him to hastily reinforce his broken protective qi.

Then he watched helplessly as the moderate rain fell, transforming into ten drops of "Tianyi True Water" under Wang Liyao's technique!

The terrifying power broke through the protective array, spreading throughout the White Cloud Tower.

In the private rooms and scattered seats, many were shocked, unable to control their reactions.

Boom!

One drop hit, shattering his protective qi, and he spat blood, reinforcing his qi.

Boom! The second drop, the third drop!

After three drops, Wu Zhixing had no strength left, collapsing unconscious.

Only then did Wang Liyao stop, retracting the "Light Rain Turns to Moderate Rain with Occasional Showers."

The scene stunned everyone present.

The entire White Cloud Tower fell silent, no one spoke.

Prince Dexin's face changed, finally saying, "Good! Though Zhixing lost, he never surrendered, a true royal! Worthy of our family!"

"Uh..." Tianhe Daoist sneered, "Dexin, you're just like before, always putting a good face on things."

Others might not understand, but the experts knew. Wu Zhixing didn't want to surrender; he was beaten too quickly to surrender!

"You..." Prince Dexin, face dark, checked Wu Zhixing's condition, then waved his sleeve, "I am ashamed to associate with you."

With that, he disappeared, using his divine ability to leave.

Seeing him flee, Tianhe Daoist felt victorious, even finding Prince Yong'an more agreeable.

"Yong'an, about your ancestor's debt..." he smiled at Prince Yong'an.

Though also in the Divine Realm, Prince Yong'an was younger and of lower rank, having to be respectful to the older experts.

He bowed, "Rest assured, Tianhe. I will arrange the twenty upper spirit stones within three days."

Though a significant amount, it wouldn't cripple the royal family, and they wouldn't default.

"Good, I'll wait. I always liked you, Yong'an, unlike your pretentious ancestor." Tianhe Daoist laughed.

Prince Yong'an could only smile awkwardly, then quickly left.

Now, only Wu Zhixing's stepfather, Prince Fu, remained.

Prince Fu also wanted to leave, but as Wu Zhixing's stepfather, he couldn't abandon him.

He, along with the Commandery Prince of Heng and Wu Xue'ning, carried the unconscious Wu Zhixing to a private room for care.

Though the battle ended, the audience's excitement lingered.

This rare great prodigy battle, with Wu Zhixing's impressive performance and Wang Liyao's shocking display, left everyone in awe.

Her "Suspended Water Divine Ability," with the first form "Yin Turns to Light Rain" and the second form "Light Rain Turns to Moderate Rain with Occasional Showers," seemed simple but was profound.

In the private rooms and scattered seats, many Basalt cultivators remained excited, discussing the battle.

In a low-end private room, Shangguan Yunhong, Shangguan Yunque, and Lady Bilian had varied expressions.

"Brother, surviving the last battle with Miss Liyao was lucky." Shangguan Yunhong, trembling, swallowed, "She's too fierce, even beating Little Commandery Prince Wu Zhixing like this."

"Brother, are you going up?" Lady Bilian asked Shangguan Yunque.

Up?

Shangguan Yunque's face darkened.

Why don't you go up?

Though also a great prodigy, his aptitude was slightly inferior to Wu Zhixing, and much inferior to Wang Liyao.

Even at the seventh level of the Celestial Realm, he wasn't confident against Wang Liyao's second form. If she had a third form, he'd be crushed.

He's nearly fifty years older than Wang Liyao; losing publicly would be humiliating.

"Brother, why not arrange a private spar?" Lady Bilian suggested.

"Why do you always push me to fight Wang Liyao?" Shangguan Yunque asked suspiciously.

"Sparring with a fellow great prodigy can enhance your understanding of the dao." Lady Bilian rolled her eyes, "I just want our clan to produce a Divine Realm cultivator quickly, so we can rise to the top three ranks."

"That's true." Shangguan Yunque was tempted, "Miss Liyao's dao body bloodline is two levels above mine, her understanding of divine abilities is no less than mine. Sparring would benefit both. But she may not agree..."

"Don't worry, we have some connections in Longzuo Commandery." Lady Bilian assured, "I'll try to arrange it."

"Thank you, sister."

"We're family, no need for thanks."

……

As the crowd buzzed with excitement and Wang Liyao prepared to leave the stage.

Suddenly.

The sky above White Cloud Tower darkened.

With a sharp cry, a cold, murderous pressure descended, accompanied by the sound of clashing weapons.

With the pressure came a sharp, authoritative voice: "Miss Liyao, please stay."

Wang Liyao turned to see a vast divine power gathering at the White Cloud Tower's entrance.

Moments later, the power dissipated, revealing a figure at the center.

The figure, in a gray eunuch robe, holding a duster, was pale and hunched, looking very old.

Seeing this person, many dignitaries stood and bowed.

"Grandfather Yao."

This was the eunuch, Old Yao, from Emperor Longchang's side.

"No need for such courtesy."

Old Yao bowed to the crowd, then looked at Wang Liyao on the stage, "The Emperor has a decree for Miss Liyao."

"Thank you, Grandfather."

Wang Liyao leaped off the stage, ready.

The other guests bowed respectfully.

Old Yao took out a golden decree from his storage ring. Made of fine spirit silk, it was intricately beautiful.

He opened the decree and read solemnly, "By the Emperor's decree, Wang Liyao of Longzuo Academy is to enter the palace tomorrow to meet the Emperor. Thus decreed."

He carefully rolled up the decree and tossed it, letting it float to Wang Liyao.

Wang Liyao respectfully received it, bowing, "Wang Liyao, accepts the decree!"

The decree was light, but felt heavy in her hands.

Father, I haven't let you down. I've earned the chance to meet the Emperor, a crucial step forward.

Even she felt a mix of excitement and curiosity.

What kind of person is Emperor Longchang?

……