Protect Our Patriarch

```

……

Eastern Line Defense Command.

Zhao Tingjian had never experienced such a thrilling and stressful life in his entire existence.

Since the war began, he hadn't closed his eyes for several consecutive days. Even though cultivators in the Lingxu Realm had tenacious vitality akin to non-humans, capable of going half a year or even a year without rest, the excessive toil and mental pressure still left his eyes bloodshot.

Reports of battles came in like snowflakes, and requests for aid echoed like a relentless spring thunder, never ceasing.

But what troubled Zhao Tingjian the most was the manpower.

The forces were utterly insufficient; supporting one route meant delaying another. Often, reinforcements were like guerrilla fighters, extinguishing one fire only to rush to the next rescue.

Now, not to mention the forces of the Eastern Line Defense, even the entire Immortal No. 3 Base's forces had been fully mobilized, leaving no resources to spare.

The only solace for Zhao Tingjian was that, under the call and dispatch of the Immortal Dynasty, the vast machinery of the Immortal Dynasty had begun to operate, with reservists and various volunteer forces already assembled and on their way to support the Eastern Line Defense. Unfortunately, the speed of transporting troops back and forth via the domain crossing boats was limited. Even though the Immortal Dynasty's response was extremely swift, it was still a case of distant water not quenching present thirst.

Moreover, if the human race could gather reserve forces, the demon race could naturally do the same. Without special circumstances, the Eastern Line Defense might become a massive meat grinder.

In the command center, after handling several tricky matters, Zhao Tingjian rubbed his temples and took a sip of refreshing immortal tea. Suddenly, he recalled something and asked the guard beside him, "What's the situation with Wang Yingxuan and the Seventh Corps now?"

The guard, Jiang Qingwen, only had the strength of the Divine Realm and was even more exhausted than him, but still managed to report, "Since the Seventh Corps sent a message saying they would take the initiative to attack, there's been no news at all."

"Those fools!" Zhao Tingjian angrily slammed the desk, instantly turning a thousand-year-old iron spiritual wood desk into powder under his palm.

Still unsatisfied, he continued to curse with a grim face, "It's one thing to fool around usually. I told her to hold the Shattered Stone Fortress, but she took it upon herself to attack. Now look, she's stuck in the enemy's formation with no news coming back."

After cursing several times, he finally felt a bit relieved and turned to Jiang Qingwen, "What about the troops we sent to rescue the Seventh Corps? When are they departing?"

"This..." Jiang Qingwen was taken aback, then hurriedly explained, "Because Miss Yingxuan repeatedly emphasized in her last letter not to send reinforcements to add to the chaos, and specifically forbade our people from stepping into the Shattered Stone Fortress. Therefore, I didn't specifically dispatch reinforcements... You know, our forces are severely lacking!"

"You fool!" Zhao Tingjian felt a surge of hot blood, almost unable to resist slapping Jiang Qingwen, "Just because Wang Yingxuan said no reinforcements, we don't send any? She's facing three demon lord vanguard corps, and our old rival, the Redstone Demon King's main army, is coming next! You're sending her to her death!"

Despite often scolding Wang Yingxuan, deep down, he still cared for her. Now seeing the situation going awry, he was getting anxious.

Jiang Qingwen felt utterly wronged, sighing, "Marshal... you have to trust Yingxuan. She's beaten you countless times in strategy games."

"Rubbish, games are just games. How can the brutal reality of the battlefield compare to games?" Zhao Tingjian cursed with a dark face, "No, no, at least send a Lingxu Realm cultivator to check the situation. If it really doesn't work, I'll go myself. We have to bring that girl back."

"Old Marshal Zhao, you absolutely can't go to the front lines!" Jiang Qingwen urgently advised, "You're the most familiar with all the arrangements in the Eastern Line Defense. Without you here, even Princess Suiyun might struggle."

He was speaking the truth.

The Eastern Line Defense was ultimately Zhao Tingjian's domain. Although Princess Suiyun led her troops to assist, and the Immortal Emperor was stationed here, they weren't as familiar with the situation as he was.

With the war in a stalemate and various outposts facing issues, the time for command responses was often very short. If unfamiliar with the situation, a misjudgment could have severe consequences.

Moreover, rushing to the front lines now was too dangerous. If a Lingxu Realm cultivator appeared on the front lines and was discovered, it could attract several demon kings to attack.

In terms of sheer numbers, the demon race had more experts than the human race.

Zhao Tingjian's expression changed several times before he finally made a decision, "Alright, invite the Immortal Sovereign's projection to help retrieve Wang Yingxuan from the front lines. After all, it's just a projection... Even if it falls in the enemy's hands, the loss to the Immortal Dynasty is relatively small."

"......"

Jiang Qingwen was dumbfounded.

When did Old Marshal Zhao become as rebellious as Wang Yingxuan? Using the Immortal Sovereign's projection as cannon fodder?

"What are you staring at?" Zhao Tingjian snorted, "Do you have any idea of Wang Yingxuan's potential and status? The Immortal Sovereign and Suiyun entrusted her to me because they valued my rich combat experience and wanted me to guide her. By the time I officially retire, Wang Yingxuan will have reached the Divine Realm, and she'll be qualified to be a deputy commander. If I delay retirement by another two hundred years, she could directly become the commander."

Having been on the outer region battlefield for so many years, how could he not see through this? It was an open secret, easily understood with a bit of thought.

In the current Immortal Dynasty, there were many Lingxu Realm experts, but those with strong command abilities were rare. Late Lingxu Realm experts capable of taking on major responsibilities were even rarer, barely enough to count on one hand.

A few years ago, when the Chaoyang King retired, the Immortal Dynasty suddenly lost a pillar, and the pressure immediately increased.

The situation at the Immortal No. 3 Base was still manageable, with Starshine True Monarch holding the line for a long time, and Princess Suiyun gradually gaining experience. But looking at the entire Immortal Dynasty defense area, the situation wasn't particularly good.

Moreover, with the demon race pressing step by step, the pressure was even greater. And the current pillars would eventually retire, so the Immortal Dynasty urgently needed fresh blood.

The Immortal Sovereign didn't say it outright, but it was clear that he had high hopes for Wang Yingxuan and intended to cultivate her vigorously. In the future, she might not only become the commander of the Eastern Line Defense but also take over as the commander of a major fortress.

Zhao Tingjian continued, "It's rare to have such a good talent; the Immortal Dynasty can't afford to lose her. I'm sure the Immortal Sovereign will agree. Besides, Yingxuan gave me a semi-immortal artifact... the Immortal Sovereign didn't..."

Alright.

Jiang Qingwen felt helpless, sensing that this last sentence was the main point.

Realizing further persuasion was futile, he hurried to invite the Immortal Sovereign's projection to "sacrifice."

……

While Zhao Tingjian worried about Wang Yingxuan, her team had already set off again.

But at the same time, she encountered trouble.

Earlier, she had absorbed some miscellaneous demon soldiers, which delayed her for a while, allowing the defeated soldiers of the Blood Eagle Lord to spread the news of his ambush and near-total annihilation.

Originally complacent, the Wild Bear Lord and Mighty Lord became extremely vigilant upon receiving the news.

After communicating, they quickly reached a consensus to gather together, preventing the Seventh Corps from ambushing and defeating them individually.

Once the two demon lord armies successfully joined forces, their overall strength surpassed the Seventh Corps by a significant margin. In a direct confrontation, the Seventh Corps would undoubtedly lose.

Moreover, they began executing a strategy of gradually pressuring the Shattered Stone Fortress, proceeding cautiously to avoid being caught off guard.

Undoubtedly, this was a very correct tactic.

Regardless of where the Seventh Corps was hiding, as long as they captured the undefended Shattered Stone Fortress, they could trap the Seventh Corps in the field.

By then, when the main demon army arrived, it would be like catching a turtle in a jar.

The two demon lord armies, proceeding cautiously, advanced for two days. During this time, Wang Yingxuan's forces remained almost invisible, with no news at all.

Two days later, the armies of the Wild Bear and Mighty Lords finally arrived beneath the Shattered Stone Fortress.

From a distance, a few soldiers stood sparsely on the fortress walls, flags fluttering in the wind.

However, when the first wave of probing attacks by the demon soldiers unfolded, the two demon lords finally discovered that the soldiers standing on the fortress walls were actually all dummies!

Feeling deceived, the two lords were furious, immediately launching their forces to easily "capture" the almost undefended Shattered Stone Fortress.

Having learned from their mistakes, the demon army knew that to deal with the cunning and unpredictable Seventh Corps, there was only one solution: not to be led by the nose.

No matter what plans Wang Yingxuan's hidden forces had, once the Shattered Stone Fortress was taken, no amount of tricks from the Seventh Corps would matter.

Delighted by their victory, the two lords immediately began to occupy the Shattered Stone Fortress.

They decided to adopt a defensive mode: first, using the Shattered Stone Fortress as a base to intercept human reinforcements, and second, to wait for the main army of the Redstone Demon King to arrive and capture the Seventh Corps.

By then, the two lords could not only share a large amount of loot and subsequent benefits but also indirectly avenge the Blood Eagle Lord.

The Blood Eagle Lord's concubines, territory, and laborers would continue to be enjoyed by them.

……

Meanwhile.

In a hidden corner of the Shattered Stone Fortress, a seemingly worn-out shield lay quietly.

After some disguise, it no longer had its original beautiful teardrop shape, appearing like a battered, abandoned shield that had seen countless battles. Even the demon laborers, who loved picking up scraps, showed no interest in it.

Because at this time, it was the demons' traditional "Day of Joy."

After breaking through human fortresses and bases, the demon leaders often allowed their soldiers to plunder and kill as a reward, requiring only ninety percent of the loot to be handed over.

Even keeping just ten percent was enough to drive the demon soldiers and commanders into a frenzy, as they looted everything of value in the Shattered Stone Fortress.

One group of demon soldiers even found the fortress's treasury, expending great effort to open it. Many more demons rushed over upon hearing the news, frantically looting the treasures inside.

However, after they cleared out the surface treasures, they discovered boxes of "Unstable Demon Crystals" hidden beneath.

These crystals, used to power demon crystal cannons, were well-known to the demon soldiers.

After a moment of realization, they finally sensed something was wrong and immediately screamed, running for their lives, creating chaos that their leaders couldn't control.

The chaos only worsened, eventually leading to demons trampling over each other.

At the same time, the "broken shield" that the demons had ignored began to move stealthily.

Seeing the chaos near the treasury, it immediately activated its mechanism without hesitation.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion erupted.

A terrifying energy shockwave soared into the sky, shattering the treasury into pieces, with debris flying everywhere.

Simultaneously, the "broken shield" took advantage of the shockwave to "whoosh" into the sky, letting out a series of triumphant laughs, "The shield 'Safety' greets the two lords on behalf of Miss Yingxuan, wahahaha~"

The laughter was filled with pride and provocation.

Accompanying the laughter was a series of continuous explosions.

Each explosion signified a detonation at a specific location.

Amidst the chain of explosions, terrifying energy shockwaves swept through, causing the ground to tremble violently, with walls and roofs collapsing, and clouds of dust rising into the sky.

The Shattered Stone Fortress, with its thousand-year history, was instantly reduced to ruins.

It turned out that before Wang Yingxuan took the initiative to attack, she had already set up this trap, calculating and burying Unstable Demon Crystals and some Divine Might Cannon shells at key points in the fortress.

With the chain explosions, the entire Shattered Stone Fortress collapsed.

In an instant, countless demon soldiers were injured or crushed to death.

Among them, most of those killed or crushed were ordinary demon soldiers, while the leaders and commanders, being powerful and resilient, suffered fewer casualties.

But what is an army?

If too many low-level soldiers die or are injured, what use are the leaders and commanders left behind?

"Damn it!"

"Curse it!"

The two demon lords were caught off guard, their ferocious faces turning extremely grim as they let out roars of frustration.

However, their response was met with a grand, heavy attack horn.

Amidst the horn's sound, the Seventh Corps suddenly appeared like divine soldiers descending, launching a full-scale assault on the remnants of the Wild Bear and Mighty demon lord armies from the ruins of the Shattered Stone Fortress!

This full-scale assault marked the end for the two demon lords.

As Wang Yingxuan's forces officially launched their operation, a series of battle reports began to flow continuously to Zhao Tingjian.

From his command center, his exclamations could be heard from time to time: "What? The front line reports that the two demon lords captured the Shattered Stone Fortress? Where's Wang Yingxuan, what's that girl doing?"

"What, what, what? The Shattered Stone Fortress was blown to smithereens? Oh my, what will we use to defend the Redstone Demon King Fortress now?"

"A great victory? What great victory? Wang Yingxuan successively defeated two, no, three demon lord armies, killing and capturing over six thousand demon soldiers, and the three demon lord armies were disbanded?"

"Good, good, good, as expected of someone I, the Grand Marshal, value. Wang Yingxuan truly lived up to my high expectations and training. Summon her back to see me; I want to hold a grand celebration banquet for her."

"What? She told me to stay put... she wants to take the initiative to attack the demon territory? Is that girl crazy? Quick, go invite the Immortal Sovereign's projection~~"

Similar events happened one after another.

Although Wang Yingxuan only achieved a local victory, it significantly boosted the morale of the Eastern Line Defense. She was like a stick stirring up trouble, moving back and forth across the Eastern Line Defense, causing chaos for the demons.

The dire war situation began to change due to Wang Yingxuan.

……

The war continued.

While Wang Yingxuan was making a name for herself on the front lines, other stories were unfolding.

Immortal No. 3 Base.

As one of the largest human bases, the Immortal No. 3 Base covered a vast area, and it wasn't just military forces stationed there. Occasionally, some merchant guilds from the Immortal Dynasty would temporarily stay.

Most of these merchant guilds were backed by super or first-class clans, arriving with loads of food and supplies. Once at the base, they would sell these goods to the base or individuals, earning substantial profits.

When leaving, they would be loaded with various demon domain specialties purchased from the base and individuals.

This back-and-forth trade yielded several times the profit.

The Immortal Dynasty was well aware of this situation. However, with scarce resources in the outer regions and high transportation costs, relying solely on the Immortal Dynasty's transport teams couldn't fully meet the demand. Often, they had to purchase some supplies from these merchant guilds.

Moreover, the Immortal Dynasty's supply shipments focused on meeting the basic living needs of the soldiers. Although the volume of supplies was large, the variety was relatively monotonous, and there were no luxury items. These merchant guilds, however, would transport some delicious, fun, and rare items, often selling at high prices in the outer regions.

In the harsh outer regions, the soldiers relied on these items to boost their spirits.

This situation had been going on for a long time, forming a unique and stable model.

At the rear of the base, a small area was designated for the merchant guilds to set up, humorously referred to as "Glory Street" by the soldiers.

Unlike the military camps, the atmosphere here was more relaxed, resembling a small market within the base rather than a station.

Within the "market," there were various merchant guilds' stations, with signs for purchasing supplies everywhere. In some bustling areas, there were even restaurants and tea houses, and occasionally storytellers would perform impromptu, discussing recent hot events in the Immortal and Demon Dynasties.

This was the most lively place within the base.

On the west side of Glory Street, among the many merchant guild stations, stood a building with colorful flags, towering above the rest.

Above the entrance of the building hung a golden sign with three dazzling characters: "Treasure Pavilion."

As the largest merchant guild organization in the human world, the Treasure Pavilion had stations in all major human bases. This building was the Treasure Pavilion's branch in the Immortal No. 3 Base.

Compared to other merchant guild stations, the Treasure Pavilion's branch was not only larger but also more luxuriously decorated, exuding a sense of reliability at first glance.

With years of accumulated reputation and strong supply capabilities, the Treasure Pavilion's business was usually the best.

However, recently, the chaos in the base had led to a decline in activity on Glory Street, and the Treasure Pavilion's customer flow naturally plummeted.

Nevertheless, due to an increase in official orders, the Treasure Pavilion's actual revenue remained largely unaffected.

On this day.

The Treasure Pavilion's clerks, bored and idle, leaned against the counter, chatting casually.

Initially, they discussed the front-line battles, who had mishaps in their defense, who had achieved military merits, but gradually, the conversation shifted to gossip.

"Have you heard?" Clerk A chuckled, his smile somewhat lewd, "Something interesting happened recently in our Immortal No. 3 Base."

"Are you talking about Miss Yingxuan's repeated military achievements?" Clerk B glanced at him suspiciously, then suddenly remembered something and asked.

"Miss Yingxuan's achievements are impressive, but they pale in comparison to this." Clerk A chuckled, "Have you heard of Wang Fugui?"

"Of course, we've heard of him." Many clerks nodded, "He's said to be the designated Mansion Master of Princess Chunnan's Mansion by the Immortal Emperor, the future husband of the Fourth Little Princess. Tsk tsk~ What a lucky and blessed guy."

"Hehe, I saw him shopping with Princess Zhaoyu some time ago, buying many treasures from our Treasure Pavilion to give to Princess Zhaoyu, seemingly trying to win her favor."

"What? Isn't Princess Zhaoyu the Little Princess of the Demon Dynasty? It's said she came to the Immortal No. 3 Base with the third prince of the Demon Dynasty to support us. The base even publicized the Demon Emperor's actions for the greater good."

"Could it be that Wang Fugui is two-timing, not only wanting to monopolize the Immortal Dynasty's little princess but also the Demon Dynasty's little princess? My goodness, is he even human?"

"Isn't he shameless? I heard his grandfather was like that, marrying two princesses at once. He's clearly following in his footsteps, surpassing him, and planning to marry two princesses at once!"

"I also heard that the Demon Emperor is involved in this. This time, Princess Zhaoyu was sent to meet Wang Fugui for a matchmaking."

"That's too scummy, too outrageous, right?" The clerks cursed Wang Fugui's scumminess, yet showed immense envy.

"Scummy as he may be, but who can blame him for being rich~ I heard someone say that last time, Princess Chunnan and Princess Zhaoyu had a fight, and Wang Fugui gave each of them an Immortal Spirit Stone, and they stopped fighting."

"My goodness, casually giving away Immortal Spirit Stones..."

"That's not all. I also heard Wang Fugui boasting that Immortal Spirit Stones are nothing; he even has Chaos Spirit Stones and an Immortal Grade Bloodline Improvement Liquid given by his family."

These Treasure Pavilion clerks, though only at the Celestial Realm, were well-informed due to their work, having seen many legendary treasures, even if they hadn't seen them, they knew about them.

However, what Wang Fugui boasted about were mythical treasures they had only heard of in legends!

"Chaos Spirit Stone? The one that equals a hundred Immortal Spirit Stones? Even True Immortals would drool over it, right?"

"You don't understand! That Immortal Grade Bloodline Improvement Liquid is even more amazing. It's said to be extremely rare even during the Shenwu period, a treasure that can defy fate and cultivate Heavenly Sons and Daughters."

"Chaos Spirit Stone is more powerful. It's said that True Immortals can cultivate rapidly with it... maybe even break through minor realms~ Isn't that better than that Immortal Improvement Liquid?"

Amidst their debate, they all marveled at Wang Fugui's "extravagance."

No wonder he could easily handle two-timing and settle disputes, with even the Immortal Emperor and Demon Emperor seemingly turning a blind eye. Truly a life to envy and resent~~

As they chatted enthusiastically, a cold female voice suddenly came from behind, "Aren't you all supposed to be working?"

Unnoticed, a woman in white had appeared behind them.

The woman appeared to be in her early thirties, her hair styled in a simple bun with a white jade hairpin, dressed simply.

Yet, she was not to be overlooked, exuding elegance and charm, especially with a hint of melancholy in her eyes, making her aura particularly unique, like a pure orchid blooming in a secluded valley, exuding a serene and immortal grace.

Seeing her, the clerks were startled, quickly composing themselves and respectfully greeting her, "Manager."

This woman was the manager of the Treasure Pavilion's branch in the Immortal No. 3 Base, Lady Shuanghua.

Despite her gentle appearance, she had reached the late Divine Realm, holding a significant position within the Treasure Pavilion. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been stationed at the Immortal No. 3 Base.

It was said that Lady Shuanghua had a partner in her early years, who went missing during a battle with the outer region demons. She applied to be stationed in the outer regions to search for him.

Over the years, Lady Shuanghua never gave up on finding her partner, often inquiring about him with other merchants or the base, and occasionally venturing into the demon domain herself, often disappearing for long periods.

This was no secret in the Immortal No. 3 Base, with many peers and senior cultivators admiring her devotion and taking good care of her.

Privately, the clerks believed that the manager's partner was likely no longer alive. After all, the outer region battlefield was ever-changing, and most missing cultivators were never found again.

Of course, they dared not voice such thoughts in front of Lady Shuanghua.

Caught slacking off by Lady Shuanghua, the clerks quickly scattered, rushing to busy themselves with work.

They dared not provoke Lady Shuanghua.

However, as they busied themselves, they failed to notice the fleeting glint of greed in the eyes of the respected Lady Shuanghua.

Her face remained calm, but her hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched unknowingly, her heart filled with cold laughter.

Oh, Wang's Clan, who would have thought you'd produce such a prodigal son. In that case, let me, Lady Shuanghua, collect some interest first~~

……

()

```