Protect Our Patriarch

……

Fire Fox Yuwen Chi Wei and Wang Lilong both looked quite displeased, ready to reveal their true forms and tear down this Shenwu Army's new recruit camp. Neither the Fire Fox Ancestor nor the little Azure Dragon were known for their good tempers.

Two powerful auras emanated from them.

As for the moon rabbit, it remained adorably dazed. As long as it wasn't eaten, everything was fine.

"Calm down, calm down," Wang Shouzhe stepped in to mediate, "Chi Wei, Long'er, let's not argue with a mere Spirit Artifact. Focus on the bigger picture, and I'll make it up to you later."

At this moment, only Wang Shouzhe could keep them in check.

Compensation?

Fire Fox Chi Wei's eyes lit up, and then her fox eyes narrowed into slits as she spoke in a sweet, soft voice, "Brother Shouzhe, I'll listen to you. As long as you ask, I'll do anything."

As she spoke, Fire Fox began to imagine how Brother Shouzhe would compensate her, and the deeper she thought, the happier she became, giggling uncontrollably.

Wang Shouzhe felt a chill down his spine, thinking that once she reached the ninth stage of transformation, would it be a constant battlefield of emotions?

Fortunately, Wang Lilong was more reasonable.

She just pouted her little dragon mouth and said pitifully, "Father, I just want to have a little less homework."

On this trip out to fight monsters, she still had to do homework during her leisure and rest time. As a young dragon not yet grown, the burden on her shoulders was too heavy.

"No way!"

Before Wang Shouzhe could speak, Liu Ruolan shot him a sideways glance, making him swallow the "okay" that was about to leave his lips.

She pulled Wang Lilong aside and began to nag, "Long'er, compensation is compensation, but it can't be mixed with your studies. I originally didn't want you to come along this time, fearing it would delay your education. If it weren't for your father insisting on being overly cautious... sigh, men really do get more timid with age..."

Her nagging made Wang Lilong's head droop, the whole dragon becoming listless, and even Wang Shouzhe couldn't escape being included in the scolding.

Father and daughter exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

Fortunately, the matter was finally smoothed over, and the little tempers of the two "beasts" were suppressed.

As they spoke, the gate of the Shenwu Army's new recruit camp slowly opened. A group of people walked in, looking around curiously.

Not far from the entrance, Wang Shouzhe and the others saw two giant puppets standing guard on either side of the gate.

These puppets were only slightly shorter than the gate, with most of their bodies made of metal, embedded with a gray crystal in some key areas. Complex inscriptions and mysterious patterns were carved on their surfaces, giving them a majestic appearance.

"Puppets?"

Wang Shouzhe's eyes lit up.

These were puppets from the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, and they looked quite formidable, definitely high-grade. If he could take them all back, the Wang Clan's foundation would significantly increase.

He was about to take a closer look when suddenly, the eyes of the two puppets lit up with a ghostly blue light.

Immediately, a terrifying pressure rose from the two puppets, as deep and vast as the sea, heavy and imposing.

These two puppets were actually at the Divine Realm level!

Moreover, even after a hundred thousand years, they could still operate!

Wang Shouzhe's heart tightened, and he quietly retracted his foot that was about to step forward.

However, the two puppets did nothing, merely lowering their heads in unison, their ghostly blue "gaze" sweeping over Wang Shouzhe and the others before quickly retracting.

Soon, even the terrifying pressure from the puppets dissipated, and they returned to their statue-like, motionless state, likely continuing their slumber.

Wang Shouzhe estimated that the role of these two Divine Realm puppets was probably to guard the gate and deter, preventing any suspicious individuals from infiltrating the new recruit camp.

Forget it, forget it~ It seems that taking these two puppets back is out of the question. The third plan won't work, so for now, they could only follow the rules of the new recruit camp.

Even Fire Fox Chi Wei and Wang Lilong, who were ready to explode earlier, shrank back obediently, fortunately persuaded in time. Otherwise, if they really tore down the camp, they wouldn't gain any advantage.

Afterward.

Guided by the Spirit Artifact, Wang Shouzhe and his group quickly entered the central area of the new recruit camp along the main road.

Even with the protection of formations, the passage of a hundred thousand years had inevitably caused irreversible damage to this military camp.

The main road, which should have been wide and clean, was overgrown with weeds. On either side of the main road, the remnants of items long since weathered and decayed beyond recognition were scattered everywhere. Even the grand and imposing buildings, protected by formations and seemingly important, appeared old and worn, filled with the marks of time.

Fortunately, as the core of this new recruit camp, the Spirit Artifact seemed capable of controlling all the still-functioning instruments and machinery within the camp, and they still seemed to be operating well.

"This is the new recruit accommodation area, dining area, and training area. Over there is the family visitation area, as well as the family children's play area and daycare area," the Spirit Artifact introduced while complaining, "What's wrong with the puppet maintenance department? The cleaning puppets have been broken for so long, and no one has come to fix them. I've applied several hundred times already."

The cleaning puppets the Spirit Artifact referred to were those lying broken by the roadside, some already weathered on the outside, while others were still covered in dust.

Wang Shouzhe's eyes scanned around, looking for anything valuable or useful.

As the clan leader of the Wang Clan, he bore the heavy responsibility of nurturing generations of clan members, and the resources needed by the family were vast.

Especially with so many prodigies and great prodigies at home, eagerly awaiting resources, Wang Shouzhe's pressure was imaginable.

And the Shenwu Royal Dynasty was known for its advancement and wealth. In such an undeveloped relic dungeon, anything taken out could be valuable. Even if it was just trash...

While Wang Shouzhe was calculating.

Wang Anye perked up at the Spirit Artifact's words, "Adorable Spirit Artifact sister, what fun things are there in the family children's playground?"

Despite his young age, he had already begun to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the family's rise, but he was still a child after all.

What child doesn't like to play? Even grown men like to "play."

"Little brother, you're so handsome and sweet-talking. There are many fun things in the playground, and I'll introduce them to you one by one later," the Spirit Artifact obviously had a good impression of Wang Anye, even her tone changed, "But you have to tell sister, have you been studying and cultivating well? His Majesty the Holy Emperor said that studying and cultivating are duties every citizen of the dynasty should fulfill."

At the mention of studying and cultivating, Wang Anye perked up, "Spirit Artifact sister, I have a prodigy B-grade bloodline... oh, that's high-grade B-grade. I've just awakened two high-level bloodlines, and my cultivation reached the fourth level of the Qi Refining Realm last year, and I even comprehended the sword intent—Boundless Sea in just one stick of incense!"

At only eleven years old, Wang Anye's achievements were already remarkable.

Among his peers in the family, only Wang Yingxuan could potentially match him in the future. Therefore, Wang Anye spoke with a bit of pride.

"Your bloodline is decent, and your comprehension is top-notch," the Spirit Artifact said happily, "With your bloodline aptitude, if you use a dose of the Intermediate Bloodline Improvement Elixir, you could directly break through to a mid-grade B-level bloodline. In the future, you could become a captain leading an army, and if you work hard and achieve merits, you might even become a general. If you don't want to join the military, you could become a prominent figure guarding a region. You're truly a promising child."

"Intermediate Bloodline Improvement Elixir?" Wang Anye was taken aback, "I've only heard of the Primary Bloodline Improvement Elixir, but I haven't used it."

"What? How could you not have used the Primary Bloodline Improvement Elixir?" The Spirit Artifact was suddenly a bit agitated, "What are the adults in your family doing? How can they not even buy you the most basic bloodline improvement elixir? If you accidentally break through to the Lingtai Realm, wouldn't that waste your potential?"

"Spirit Artifact sister, where can I buy it?" Wang Anye looked innocent, though he wanted to buy it, he'd heard it was much more effective than the Xisui Dan, "Do you sell it here?"

"Sister is the Spirit Artifact of the new recruit camp, not a pharmacy Spirit Artifact," the Spirit Artifact pointed out, "If you want to buy it, as long as your identity is fine, you can buy it at any pharmacy. Intermediate ones are harder to buy, requiring approval and assessment, and they're not cheap."

Wang Shouzhe listened on the side, feeling a bit dizzy.

What do you mean you can buy it at any pharmacy?

The Primary Bloodline Improvement Elixir he always considered a treasure was actually something you could buy on the street!

He had suspected that this kind of primary improvement elixir might have been more common during the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, otherwise, it wouldn't have been given away after passing the second level at the recruitment point.

But he never imagined that during the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, this thing was as readily available as anti-inflammatory medicine!

The Shenwu Royal Dynasty at its peak was truly terrifying, far beyond the current Han Yue Immortal Dynasty.

"But Spirit Artifact sister, our family can't afford the primary improvement elixir," Wang Anye continued his great-grandfather's strategy of feigning poverty and said pitifully, "There's no way, our family is too poor."

"..." The Spirit Artifact thought for a moment, then gave Wang Shouzhe a hard look, "Look at you, it's one thing to be poor yourself, but you're dragging down the child's development. No wonder the whole family has to take the recruitment route meant for commoners. I knew it, families with real heritage enlist through internal special recruitment channels, not through recruitment points."

Wang Shouzhe took a deep breath, holding back the urge to retort.

It had been decades since anyone dared to say "you're poor" to his face, and now being scolded made his face flush. Clearly, it was the Shenwu Royal Dynasty's absurdity, not his fault!

Alright, alright~ he admitted, compared to the Shenwu Royal Dynasty, the Wang Clan was indeed poor. On this point, he had no argument.

"Moreover, with this child's bloodline aptitude, if you really can't afford it, you can apply for a loan from the government," the Spirit Artifact continued to criticize Wang Shouzhe, "Forget it, forget it, it's pointless talking to you. Here, I have an extra Primary Bloodline Improvement Elixir, I'll give it to you."

As soon as the Spirit Artifact finished speaking, a light flashed, and a "Primary Bloodline Improvement Elixir" fell into Wang Anye's hands.

Wang Anye was momentarily stunned, then gratefully bowed, "Thank you, adorable and beautiful Spirit Artifact sister."

"Such a polite child," the Spirit Artifact praised.

Is this really happening?

The Wang Clan members, including Wang Shouzhe, were all a bit dumbfounded. Wang Anye just acted a bit cute and cried poor to the Spirit Artifact, and he got a Primary Bloodline Improvement Elixir.

This item wasn't abundant in the "Recruitment Point No. 37" back then, and over the years, it had long been emptied.

Even though everyone speculated that there should be more in the Shenwu Army's new recruit camp, they didn't expect to get one as soon as they arrived.

Wang Shouzhe gave his nephew Wang Zongchang a look, and Wang Zongchang immediately understood, saying to the Spirit Artifact, "Spirit Artifact sister, I see those cleaning puppets are beyond repair. Why not let me help you throw them out of the camp and sell them for a little money, so they don't bother you?"

"No, even if they're trash, they're still the property of the Shenwu Army. They have to go through the proper process to be scrapped and then handled by a specialized military agency," the Spirit Artifact sternly refused, "You're an adult, and you're asking me for trash to sell for money? Shame on you..."

Wang Zongchang's face burned with embarrassment, but fortunately, his face was dark, so it didn't show. He immediately retreated behind Wang Shouzhe.

Wang Shouzhe also breathed a sigh of relief.

Luckily, he didn't speak up himself, or he would have been scolded too. The Spirit Artifact seemed to have a poor attitude towards adults but was quite caring towards children.

With this thought.

Wang Shouzhe's gaze fell on Anye.

Wang Anye felt a bit bitter.

As the young clan leader of the Wang Clan, he had to bear the hopes of the entire clan on his small shoulders, it was really tough for him.

For the sake of the family's future, he had to form alliances with the little princess, act as a babysitter for delinquent girls, break formations, find mentors, and now even play the role of a beggar to get things...

"Beautiful, adorable, and gentle Spirit Artifact sister," Wang Anye skillfully flashed a smile.

His smile was charming, like the morning sun, full of vitality.

"There are many children in Anye's family who don't have bloodline improvement elixirs. Could you give me one of those broken cleaning puppets to sell for some money?"

"Sigh, such a pitiful child, your family is too poor. Technically, I can't. But the great Holy Emperor once said that every child of the dynasty is like his own child and should be cared for," the Spirit Artifact thought for a moment and said, "Giving it for free would obviously violate the rules, so how about this, I'll give you some simple arithmetic problems suitable for a child your age, and if you solve them correctly, I'll give it to you as a reward."

"Thank you, sister."

Wang Anye smiled with great confidence.

Got it! I, the Seventh Young Master, am indeed clever. Arithmetic problems are even stronger than the sword intent I comprehended in one stick of incense.

The Wang Clan members exchanged glances.

Is this really happening?

If Anye properly wins over the Spirit Artifact sister, acting cute daily, could he empty this new recruit camp?

Under the guidance of the Spirit Artifact, everyone entered the new recruit dining hall.

After so many years of disuse, the dining hall was a bit dirty and messy.

Everyone worked together, spraying water and sweeping, and in no time, the new recruit dining hall was cleaned up.

To commend them for their contribution to the camp, they each received a little contribution value as a surprise.

Who knew what this little contribution value could be exchanged for? Seventh-grade treasure pills? Divine Spirit Artifacts? Rare spiritual seeds? Purple Mansion puppets?

Heh, it's impossible to even think about it.

However, Wang Shouzhe was eyeing the dining hall's tables and chairs. Although they were very old, it was clear they were made of excellent materials.

He didn't know what kind of spiritual wood these tables and chairs were made of, but even after ten thousand years, they hadn't rotted. If he took them back and refurbished them, dismantling them could yield quite a bit of rare wood.

However, he had just arrived at the camp and needed to familiarize himself slowly, so he temporarily suppressed his urge to take everything back, planning to assess the situation later.

Afterward.

Everyone gathered to watch Wang Anye's exam.

The Spirit Artifact sister was indeed very considerate of Anye, giving only three questions in total. According to her, any child with normal intelligence who had attended basic education could easily solve them.

Wang Anye confidently began to solve them, and then... he was dumbfounded. What on earth were these questions?

Wang Shouzhe glanced at them and immediately started to sweat.

These questions weren't simple, their difficulty was akin to elementary school math Olympiad problems from his previous life. Unless someone was naturally a genius, it would be hard to solve even one without professional training.

And although the Wang Clan School taught arithmetic, the children Anye's age only learned basic arithmetic, involving simple operations and basic application problems.

If Wang Shouzhe himself were to attempt them, he'd probably be stumped too.

The Shenwu Royal Dynasty was too extreme. Such difficult questions were claimed to be "easily solvable by any child with normal intelligence who had attended basic education"? The children of the Shenwu Royal Dynasty were so competitive?

Sure enough, after two sticks of incense, Wang Anye got all three questions wrong, his head drooping.

He had thought he was a top student, but after the test, he turned out to be a poor student. This realization was a big blow to his confidence.

Seeing his great-grandson so dejected was a first for Wang Shouzhe, and he couldn't help but smile.

It was rare to see this child suffer a setback, and it was good for his growth.

Sure enough, the Spirit Artifact began to scold, "You're laughing? How dare you laugh? As a father, how can you be so irresponsible? Anye is a smart child, and he did so poorly on this little test. You, as a parent, bear all the responsibility."

"I'm his great-grandfather..." Wang Shouzhe's face burned with embarrassment, it had been many years since anyone dared to scold him like this. He cautiously retorted.

"Great-grandfather? You must have married early, you're only ninety, right? You're still a child yourself, how can you teach Anye well?" the Spirit Artifact said angrily, "Forget it, forget it, I can't be bothered with you. While you're in the camp for training, I'll personally tutor Anye."

"Little Anye, I'm telling you, you must study hard. If you do well, you can take any of those broken puppets, they're worthless anyway."

"Thank you, Spirit Artifact sister."

The Wang Clan members were completely speechless.

Is there really such a good deal? Originally, it was just one reward, but now, as long as Anye, the "poor student," studies hard, he can have whatever he wants?

These broken puppets might be trash to the camp, but they were treasures to the Wang Clan. If they could piece them together, they might be able to create a few complete puppets.

Although they were just cleaning puppets, given the Shenwu Royal Dynasty's usual standards, they probably weren't too weak.

They might not reach Purple Mansion Realm strength, but they should at least have Celestial Realm strength, right? If not, they could be dismantled to study their principles.

In this way, the Wang Clan could gain a bit more foundation.

Wang Shouzhe glanced at Wang Anye with a peculiar look.

Could this kid, with his luck, sweep this camp clean? Even taking the Spirit Artifact sister home?

Fortunately, Wang Shouzhe was always rational, knowing that taking advantage had to be done slowly. If they pushed too hard and angered the Spirit Artifact sister, it would be a big problem.

The situation was clear now, apart from this adorable and kind-hearted Spirit Artifact sister, there were no other living beings in this new recruit camp.

As long as they took their time, this place would eventually belong to the Wang Clan.

Afterward, under the guidance of the Spirit Artifact, everyone reported in, organized their dorms, and settled in for a stable stay.

The next day.

The Spirit Artifact gathered everyone in a huge arena-like square. Compared to the small square at the recruitment point, this place was dozens of times larger!

"Everyone, due to the absence of instructors, the new instructors I applied for have not yet arrived. Therefore, according to the management regulations, I will serve as your temporary instructor," the Spirit Artifact said seriously, "Reserve elite Wang Shouzhe, step forward, you will now undergo the first enlistment test. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready."

With Wang Shouzhe's caution, he had anticipated this scene and was naturally prepared.

Then, a light flashed in the arena, and a Lingtai Realm demon puppet appeared, clawing and roaring as it charged at Wang Shouzhe.

"Uh..."

Wang Shouzhe twitched his lips, not even bothering to move.

A vine shot up from the ground, binding the demon puppet tightly. No matter how it struggled and roared, it was futile.

"Spirit Artifact sister, I'm already at the Celestial Realm, why is the enlistment test still a Lingtai Realm demon puppet?" Wang Shouzhe asked.

At the same time, he couldn't help but mutter in his heart, was there no creativity? Who designed such a dull test mechanism?

"This test was personally designed by His Majesty the Holy Emperor, do you have any objections?" the Spirit Artifact huffed, "New recruits normally enlist without delay for more than three years. But you, you delayed for a full sixty-four years."

"Can't there be something more challenging?" Wang Shouzhe probed.

"Of course not, the enlistment and graduation tests are both designed by His Majesty the Holy Emperor, and no one can alter them," the Spirit Artifact explained, "Reserve elite Wang Shouzhe, congratulations on passing the enlistment test, you are awarded three vials of Primary Cultivation Aid Elixir for use in the Lingtai Realm. If you need more, you'll have to complete various tasks to earn more military merits."

A light flashed, and three vials of elixir appeared in Wang Shouzhe's hand.

Although the name sounded low-end, Wang Shouzhe knew it must be good stuff.

Before he could study it.

The Spirit Artifact continued, "Official recruit Wang Shouzhe, congratulations on completing the training subjects of the [Shenwu Army No. 5 New Recruit Training Camp]. Please complete the graduation test within a year. If you achieve good results in the graduation test, you can receive a recommendation letter for the [Intermediate and Advanced Officer Training Academy]."

Another relic dungeon?

Wang Shouzhe was taken aback, then realized something was off, "Wait, I just enlisted and I'm graduating? Shouldn't I complete a few trial tasks and get some rewards?"

This was something he hadn't anticipated. Starting and ending so quickly was too strange, and if he got kicked out of the camp, he couldn't take advantage of it anymore.

"There are two conditions for graduation test eligibility: one, being in the new recruit training camp for thirty years, regardless of realm, you must take the graduation test. Two, reaching the Celestial Realm, regardless of age, you must take the graduation test within a year," the Spirit Artifact answered meticulously.

"Are there rewards for the graduation test?" Wang Shouzhe's interest was piqued.

"The rewards for the graduation test depend on how many levels you pass, the further you go, the richer the rewards," the Spirit Artifact explained seriously, "Additionally, if your graduation test results break the historical record of the [Shenwu Army No. 5 New Recruit Training Camp] and become the top, you'll receive an extra rare item as a reward."

"If you achieve the top total score across fifteen [Shenwu Army New Recruit Training Camps], you'll receive an additional rare reward."

Wang Shouzhe pondered seriously, "How many times can I take the test?"

"One chance."

"If I take first place and someone later breaks my record, will my reward be revoked?" Wang Shouzhe asked again.

"Of course not, each time a record is broken, a separate reward is given."

"Spirit Artifact sister, you just said that as long as you reach the Celestial Realm, regardless of whether you've been in the camp for thirty years, you must take the graduation test within a year? What if I miss the time?"

"Qualification for the test is canceled."

"Is there a time limit between breaking records?"

"No."

Then, Wang Shouzhe asked a series of questions, almost causing the Spirit Artifact sister to crash.

Once he understood everything, he solemnly instructed Wang Zongchang, "Zongchang, find a way to notify Liyue and Zong'an, make sure they arrive here within three months."

"Yes, Fourth Uncle," Wang Zongchang bowed.

"Tell Zong'an to bring the [Longevity Tree], and say I have a big plan to execute here," Wang Shouzhe said with utmost seriousness.

He silently added in his heart, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take advantage of the Shenwu Royal Dynasty. Missing it would be a crime worthy of divine retribution.

……