Druid Fairy

Chapter 173 The National Ceremony
Sun Zheng charged ahead, wielding the [Breaking Qi Blade] and wearing the [Azure Spirit Armor], followed by fourteen equally equipped teammates. Like several unsheathed swords, they fiercely charged towards the Black Heart Ancestor!
The fifteen of them moved with steady steps and connected breaths, subtly forming a mysterious formation.

"A bunch of ants, how dare they lay a hand on me? They're asking for death!"

The ruthless patriarch saw that the newcomers were just a group of martial artists, and although they were well-equipped, he still didn't take them seriously.

With a sinister grin, he abandoned the now unruly [Hundred Ghosts Banner] and instead pulled a blood-red skull from his sleeve.

He spat out a mouthful of blood essence onto the skull, and two balls of green ghost fire instantly ignited in the skull's eye sockets, emitting a teeth-grinding "clucking" sound. It then grew to the size of a millstone and slammed into the Peach Blossom Guards.

"break!"

Facing this ferocious magical weapon, Sun Zheng showed no fear whatsoever, channeling all his vital energy into the longsword.

"Seven Stars, Tian Shu!"

He slashed out with his sword, and the fourteen team members behind him made the same move at the same time. The fifteen sword beams merged into one in mid-air, transforming into a several-meter-long cyan sword aura, carrying the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, and collided with the blood-red skull with a thunderous crash!

"boom!!!"

A deafening roar, followed by a blast of air!

The seemingly invincible blood-red skull was actually cleaved back by this strike, and the blood-red light on it dimmed somewhat.

Sun Zheng and the others retreated several hundred steps in unison to stabilize their formation!

"What?!" The ruthless old patriarch's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

how can that be!

A group of crude martial artists, relying on a combined attack formation, were actually able to withstand a single blow from a magical weapon?!

Little did he know that the Peach Blossom Guards, though appearing imposing, were actually suffering quite a bit. The force of the impact had caused their blood to surge, and their hands gripping their swords were somewhat numb.

"Brothers, hold on!" Sun Zheng roared through gritted teeth. "Today, it's either us or them!"

"kill!"

The fourteen team members roared in unison, their fear replaced by an indomitable fighting spirit.

They formed a battle formation again, their swords flashing in a continuous barrage. Under the cover of the main formation, they attacked relentlessly, like leeches clinging to a bone.

The ruthless patriarch was thoroughly enraged, unleashing a barrage of insidious and vicious spells.

In an instant, Peach Blossom Mountain was filled with the glint of swords, the howling of ghosts and wolves, and the incessant sounds of explosions.

One of the team members was slightly careless and was hit in the chest by a black aura. The runes on his Azure Spirit Armor flashed and absorbed most of the force. He spat out blood, but after swallowing a "Quick Healing Pill", he charged forward again with renewed vigor.

The more the ruthless patriarch fought, the more alarmed he became. These guys were practically unkillable cockroaches!
His equipment was as hard as a tortoise shell, and his attacks were exceptionally sharp. In addition, the elusive array next to him would occasionally strike him hard. His extraordinary cultivation was suppressed to the point that he could only unleash 70% or 80% of his full potential!
"You bastards! You bunch of ants have completely enraged me!"

After failing to break through for a long time, the ruthless patriarch finally lost his patience. A hint of madness and heartache flashed in his eyes. He slammed his storage bag and took out a talisman.

The talisman was entirely crimson, with a mysterious lightning talisman drawn on it in golden cinnabar, emanating a violent and destructive aura.

Second-tier low-grade talisman—【Gengjin Divine Thunder Talisman】!
This is his most treasured life-saving item, which he obtained by chance from an ancient cultivator's cave many years ago. Its power is enough to severely injure or even kill a cultivator who has just entered the Foundation Establishment stage!
"All of you, go to hell!"

The ruthless patriarch grinned maliciously and frantically poured the last of his magical power into the talisman!

"With this [Gengjin Divine Thunder Talisman] of mine, even a cultivator in the early Foundation Establishment stage would have to suffer a severe beating! You bunch of ignorant ants, to die under this talisman is a blessing you've accumulated over eight lifetimes!"

The ruthless patriarch appeared to be insane, his withered fingers gripping the talisman that exuded an aura of destruction.

The raging Geng metal power tore through the air, emitting a piercing shriek. Golden arcs of electricity leaped across the talisman, seemingly about to transform into a world-destroying thunder dragon, blasting everything in its path into dust.

Sun Zheng and the Peach Blossom Guards turned deathly pale instantly. A death crisis that made their souls tremble was like an invisible hand, tightly gripping their throats.

Faced with this absolute power, their Azure Spirit Armor and Breaking Qi Blade appeared pale and powerless.

"Am I... going to die here today?"

A deep sense of resentment welled up in Sun Zheng's heart. He subconsciously glanced back in the direction of the Li family mansion, his eyes filled with determination. "Even if I die, I will never let him take another step forward!"

Just at this critical moment, a calm and collected voice rang out behind the ruthless patriarch.

"If you're so eager to die, why didn't you say goodbye to your master?"

"who!?"

The ruthless old patriarch was startled and turned around abruptly.

Behind him, the solid bluestone ground seemed to flow like living water, and a figure was slowly "growing" out of the ground.

The newcomer was dressed in a simple blue robe, with delicate features, looking like a weak and helpless boy next door. However, his eyes were as deep as an ancient, icy pool, quietly watching him with a playful, cat-and-mouse expression.

It was Li Pingcan!
"Father!" Li Mengjin exclaimed from afar, he had never seen his father in such a state.

Li Pingcan ignored them. He flicked his finger, and more than a dozen bright red pills flew with perfect precision into the mouths of Sun Zheng and the others.

"This is the 'Blood Frenzy Pill,' which can temporarily stimulate your blood and qi potential, doubling your combat power within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

Sun Zheng and the others felt an explosive force burst forth within their bodies, instantly replenishing the energy and blood they had consumed in the fierce battle, making them even stronger than at their peak!

"Yes, sir!" the crowd roared in unison, their fighting spirit fervent.

"Playing tricks! Even if you've taken the pill, you lot are still..."

Before the Black Heart Ancestor could finish speaking, the ground beneath his feet suddenly collapsed, and several huge, sharp spikes made of rock burst forth from the ground without warning, like poisonous dragons emerging from their caves, aiming straight for his lower body!

【Heart of the Earth】in combination with 【Sculpting Clay】!
The ruthless patriarch was horrified.

He dodged the deadly sneak attack with a quick backbend.

Before he could even stand firm, Sun Zheng and the others pounced on him again like tigers descending a mountain.

Having consumed the "Bloodlust Pill," the Peach Blossom Guards were now all bloodshot, their blood surging, and they wielded their longswords with fierce power, each strike carrying an indomitable and ferocious momentum.

"Well done!"

The ruthless patriarch's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He knew that if he didn't deal with the man in blue in front of him today, he might really be in deep trouble.

He gritted his teeth, determined to activate the [Gengjin Divine Thunder Talisman] regardless of the consequences!
"Azure Dragon, why aren't you making a move?!" Li Pingcan shouted coldly.

"Roar!!!"

A dragon's roar, even more powerful and majestic than before, resounded throughout the heavens and earth!
A streak of cyan-gold light shot into the sky, circled in mid-air, and transformed into a ferocious dragon that was tens of feet long, with two horns on its head, five claws on its belly, and its body covered with cyan-gold scales!

The Azure Dragon's true form! Its lantern-sized golden vertical pupils coldly locked onto the Black Heart Ancestor, and its oppressive aura descended with a deafening roar, as if the sky were collapsing and the earth were sinking!

"Pfft!"

The ruthless patriarch felt as if his soul had been struck by an invisible giant hammer, and his legs went weak, causing him to kneel down uncontrollably!

The destructive aura of the [Gengjin Divine Thunder Talisman] in his hand instantly weakened due to the interruption of its magical power.

"dragon!?"

The ruthless patriarch was completely dumbfounded. He stared at the enormous creature circling in the sky, his face filled with the fear and despair of a mortal seeing a god.

What the hell is this place?

A prodigy who can control the earth, a group of drug-addicted guards, and now a dragon has appeared?!
He now seriously doubts whether he has stumbled into the gates of some ancient sect that has been hidden for thousands of years.

"Now, do you still think you can get away?"

Li Pingcan stepped forward slowly, and with each step he took, his aura grew stronger.

When the "Heaven and Earth Furnace Body Forging Technique" was pushed to its limit, a fierce and domineering power of blood and qi, like a blazing sun, burst forth from his body, making him appear like a war god descended to earth.

"Who...who exactly are you?!" The Black-Hearted Ancestor's voice trembled.

Li Pingcan was too lazy to waste words with the dead man. He stomped heavily on the ground and launched himself out like a cannonball, punching the Black Heart Ancestor in the face!
This punch contained no magical fluctuations whatsoever; it was simply pure, extreme physical power capable of tearing through the air!
The ruthless patriarch's pupils shrank suddenly. He wanted to hide, but the dragon's might from the sky pressed him firmly to the spot, rendering him unable to move.

He could only watch helplessly as the fist, which didn't look particularly thick, grew larger and larger in his field of vision.

"No!"

He let out a terrified, desperate scream.

…………

The night wind blew, stirring up the blood and wreckage scattered on the ground.

The battle is over.

The arrogant and ruthless patriarch couldn't even throw out his trump card, a second-tier talisman, before Li Pingcan shattered his protective aura with a single punch. In the end, Sun Zheng and the others rushed up and finished him off with a flurry of blows. He was so frustrated that his soul almost failed to coalesce before Li Pingcan used an evil-repelling talisman to suppress his resentment.

Li Pingcan approached the ruthless patriarch's unrecognizable corpse and began to "touch the body" with practiced ease.

"Tsk tsk, no wonder he's an old devil, he's got a lot of money."

He probed the dusty storage bag with his divine sense, and the smile on his face never stopped.

A massive amount of spirit stones were piled up like mountains, and all sorts of miscellaneous pills, magical artifacts, and talismans were crammed in to the brim.

A rough calculation shows that there are over a thousand mid-grade spirit stones alone!

This doesn't even include the valuable magical artifacts and materials.

This was a great deal! Not only did it test the villa's defenses, but it also brought in a huge wave of good news – a double blessing!

Besides these usual spoils, two things caught his special attention.

A yellowed animal hide map depicts the terrain at the border between Songling Prefecture and Yunzhou. In one corner of the map, three bloody characters are prominently marked in vermilion ink: Blood Maple Forest!

Next to the map, there was a note in small print: "The festival is approaching, and the dragon's energy is gathering. This is a golden opportunity. If you can obtain a drop of 'Blood Fruit' elixir, you may have a chance to establish your foundation!"

The other item was a few jade slips containing scattered information.

Li Pingcan probed into the jade slip with his divine sense, and found that it contained the "experiences" of the Black Heart Ancestor who had been robbing and plundering for many years, as well as some secrets he had heard from various sources.

The descriptions of "Blood Maple Forest" and "National Sacrifice Ceremony," though vague, reveal several key pieces of information: sacrifice, dragon vein, and life extension.

A chill rose from the bottom of my heart.

The cultivation level at the Qi Refining stage is ultimately insufficient.

If it weren't for their numerous methods and strong trump cards, the Li family might be the ones who have fallen here today.

Recalling the intelligence Li Mengze sent back from the capital, the secrets on the map of the Black Heart Ancestor and the jade slip, he quickly pieced them together in his mind.

The so-called "national sacrificial ceremony" is not a ritual for praying for national peace and prosperity at all.

It was a sacrifice that used the blood, flesh, and resentment of countless lives to irrigate and ripen a certain fruit!

War and disaster are merely their excuses and means to collect "fertilizer"!
The seemingly stable dragon vein fortune of the Great Yu Dynasty was maintained by devouring these strange objects called "Dragon Blood Fruit"!

"We must break through to the Foundation Establishment stage as soon as possible!"

This thought was stronger than ever before.

But right now, we need to finish things up properly.

The Azure Dragon's dragon form was concealed by illusion magic, so the Peach Blossom Guards and others could not perceive it. They only knew that someone had come to their aid, but they could not see it clearly.

Although no one died in this battle, almost everyone was injured. Three people were severely injured by the Black Heart Ancestor's magic weapon while protecting the formation. They were barely breathing and were on the verge of death.

"Huh...huh..."

Sun Zheng and the members of the Peach Blossom Guard leaned on their knives, panting heavily. The effects of the "Bloodlust Pill" were wearing off, and fatigue washed over them like a tide.

Li Pingcan walked up to the three seriously injured team members, his brows furrowed. Their injuries were too severe; ordinary medicine was no longer effective.

"Daddy!"

Just then, Li Mengyue, with her short legs, ran out of the tunnel, looking anxious.

She activated the "Moonlight Essence" pearl once again.

The holy moonlight enveloped the three seriously wounded soldiers, and its immense vitality, like the gentlest silk thread, forcibly pulled them back from the brink of death, stabilizing their life force that was about to dissipate.

After doing all this, Li Mengyue's face was deathly pale. She swayed for a moment, then collapsed into Li Pingcan's arms and fell into a deep sleep.

"Get a good night's sleep." Li Pingcan lovingly picked up his daughter.

After this battle, the Peach Blossom Guards felt an even stronger sense of belonging to the Li family.

They cherish the "Little Fairy Doctor" who saved their lives at critical moments, and her position in the family has become irreplaceable, even surpassing that of Li Mengze and Li Mengjin.

(End of this chapter)