I'm seventy years old this year, and you want me to have many children and much happiness?

Before the upper stone wall.

Two black-clad stewards who came from the Qinghe Sword Sect.

Gu Shunchang, Yuan Fei.

They have already arrived here.

It was all because of the thick fog on the river; otherwise, we would have arrived long ago.

If a thick fog rises, it's best not to go there.

Otherwise, even a third-rank official might not be able to guarantee survival.

"Hehe, I'm late."

Gu Shunchang cupped his hands and smiled, while also bowing to Liu Zhanqing.

Liu Zhanqing is the future sect leader.

He is only in his early twenties and already has a cultivation level of the second rank, making him unique in the entire Qinghe Sword Sect.

Such talent, coupled with the sect's resources.

It's already a foregone conclusion that he will become a fourth-rank master within twenty years.

Only when one reaches the fourth rank is one truly qualified to challenge for the title realm, and only then can one be considered a true figure.

Those three ranks are nothing more than small fry.

Liu Zhanqing nodded in response in a very aloof manner.

Because Liu Zhanqing knew his own talent, he omitted many things. He couldn't waste his time on other things, but if it was wasted on himself, it didn't matter.

"Not too late, not too late. We can break this formation today."

Shen Nian smiled slightly.

"Come, follow me into battle."

Shen Nian gave a low shout, then stepped forward.

Gu Shunchang and Yuan Fei didn't say much either.

This is precisely the purpose of their trip.

The three stepped into the formation, and Shen Nian also activated that formation.

A formation similar to the one Lu Xuan had experienced manifested at this moment.

However, if Lu Xuan were to observe from here, he would find that the formation on this level is relatively weak.

These fossilized beasts are only at the mid-stage of the third rank.

Unlike Lu Xuan, who started at the high-level third rank.

Shen Nian didn't understand formations, but in his mind, as long as everything in the formation was destroyed, the formation should be broken.

After Shen Nian and the other two joined forces to destroy these fossilized beasts.

But they were shocked to discover.

These fossilized creatures recovered rapidly.

And it unleashed even greater power.

Instantly promoted to the third rank, high level!

This immediately shocked Shen Nian and the others, and at the same time, they were somewhat flustered.

"Quickly...retreat!"

Shen Nian exclaimed in surprise and quickly led everyone back.

After leaving the formation's range, Shen Nian's expression turned extremely ugly.

His confidently stated method for breaking the formation proved utterly useless.

Unable to break through the formation in front of them.

Instead, it made the formation even stronger.

"Old age, how could it be like this!?"

Gu Shunchang asked.

Shen Nian shook his head, somewhat bewildered.

"I don't know either... Could it be... that we need to destroy the two transformations of this fossilized beast?"

Shen Nian guessed in his heart.

Break the two changes.

That means defeating the second, three-headed, high-ranking beast?

"Yes...that's how it should be."

"This formation seems to be quite difficult..."

"But that's fine too. The more difficult the formation, the more it proves the abundance of resources within these ruins!"

Shen Nian's eyes shone brightly.

He was the mastermind behind this operation.

Naturally, he hoped there would be many treasures and resources inside; otherwise, his trip would have been in vain.

Not only will you not get any benefits, you might even get scolded when you get back.

Therefore, Shen Nian could only pin his hopes on the present.

"Then let's try again."

Gu Shunchang didn't say much, and Yuan Fei nodded.

"Although these strange beasts have increased their strength to the high level of the third rank, they are not a great threat. As long as we break through their defenses, we can defeat them."

Yuan Fei was using a short sword.

Within the Qinghe Sword Sect, it is considered a relatively unpopular skill.

However, once Yuan Fei mastered it, its power was enormous.

If you were to receive a blow at close range, most people wouldn't be able to withstand it.

However, Yuan Fei's short sword was somewhat inadequate when facing the strange beasts.

Because of the beast's weakness, sometimes a single sword thrust may not trigger it.

If it were a person, it would be different.

A single thrust of the sword is essentially a clean piercing through.

After resting for a while, the three of them regrouped and started again.

At this moment, Lu Xuan also found a passage leading to the upper stone wall.

Hearing the commotion outside, Lu Xuan also found a crack and peered out to see what was happening.

When they discovered that it was Shen Nian and his two companions working together to break the formation, they realized that they were the ones who had been

However, Lu Xuan took a look.

These people are clearly incapable of breaking the formation.

Brute force alone will not work.

In the end, you'll only exhaust yourself.

Lu Xuan did not rush to show himself, but waited quietly to the side.

Once these people can no longer break the formation, they will naturally leave.

I'll take action then.

This way, there would be no need to clash with the Qinghe Sword Sect.

If we can reduce the number of enemies as much as possible, then we should reduce them as much as possible.

Otherwise, wherever you go, there will be rivers of blood.

They're not young anymore, yet they have so much energy to go around fighting and killing.

As people get older, they think more about how to resolve things with the least possible cost.

as predicted.

After the three of them went through countless hardships, they finally managed to defeat all three petrified monsters.

The formation was still in effect.

The rubble on the ground miraculously reformed into a new beast at that moment.

The petrified beast that had been re-formed had its cultivation level directly reach the fourth rank!

boom!

The power of a fourth-grade exotic beast was now released with a terrifying aura.

The three Shen Nian members, already exhausted and covered in wounds, stared wide-eyed.

His face was filled with disbelief.

A fourth-grade exotic beast!?

How can we fight this?!

"Get out of here!"

Shen Nian roared.

If we don't leave quickly, someone could die.

A fourth-grade beast can inflict severe damage on you with a single attack.

Of the three, Yuan Fei is the youngest and perhaps the only one who can hold on.

If they were to take a direct hit, they would likely suffer permanent damage, making the imperial examinations not worthwhile.

The three reached a consensus and quickly withdrew.

After the three of them retreated outside the formation.

The petrified beast returned to the stone wall.

That's clear: as long as you retreat, the formation will stop chasing you.

Otherwise, if you can't break the formation, you won't be able to get out, and you don't know how many times you'll die.

The three who escaped were all sweating profusely.

If it had been any later, I might have been seriously injured.

"Damn it, how could this formation be like this? There's even a fourth-grade exotic beast here!"

Shen Nian was completely baffled.

Liu Zhanqing, standing to the side, seemed to be deep in thought.

"Perhaps, this fourth-grade exotic beast is the final test."

"Things shouldn't happen more than three times."

"Only by defeating this fourth-grade beast can we consider the formation broken."

Liu Zhanqing said confidently.

They are very confident in their own speculation.

That sounds like the logic.

But Shen Nian and the other two were already exhausted.

The three people sitting on the ground were also doing their best to recover their strength.

"Everyone, I think the young sect leader is right."

"It seems that the fourth-grade petrifying beast is the final hurdle."

"No matter what, we have to give it a try."

"If we succeed, our gains will be immeasurable!"

Shen Nian continued.

Gu Shunchang and Yuan Fei exchanged a glance.

What else can they say in this situation?

I had no choice but to agree.

"No problem... For the sake of the sect, we will certainly do our utmost!"

"However, the pace of the battle needs to be arranged."

"Since we're going to fight to the very end, we need to develop a battle plan."

Gu Shunchang said in a deep voice.

Before, it was mostly just random shooting.

The coordination was not perfect enough, which is why there was uneven energy expenditure.

The intensity of the current battle can be described as extremely high.

First, deal with the three-headed, third-rank, middle-level strange beast.

Next, deal with the three-headed, high-ranking beast.

Finally, we must kill a fourth-grade, early-stage exotic beast!

The intensity is simply too great.

Most importantly, the three of them had already been through a round of exhaustion.

The three held a final discussion.

Finally, a preliminary plan has been completed.

That's roughly it.

Gu Shunchang and Shen Nian were responsible for the initial attrition and delaying the beast's movements, so that Yuan Fei could deliver the final blow and kill it.

When the last fourth-grade exotic beast appears.

Everyone used their strongest moves to achieve the final, decisive blockade!

After deciding on the battle plan, everyone went into a period of rest and recuperation.

One night passed.

Lu Xuan retreated underground early on.

They took out the lower part of the stone tablet of the Crossing Heaven True Technique and conducted some deductions.

How could those few straw mounds on the upper stone wall possibly break through the formation?

Even if we take a step back and say...

Even if these people really did kill that fourth-grade beast.

Before long, the fourth-grade beast will advance to the middle level of the fourth grade. No matter how many times you kill it, it will be useless. Without finding the correct way to break the formation, you will never be able to open that door.

Lu Xuan refined the spiritual energy fed back by the incense tree, and felt a sense of comfort in his body and mind.

"That's only five... What if there are ten, fifty... like the emperor, three thousand..."

Lu Xuanguang thought about it and felt that the future was bright.

"However, with so many wives, it would probably be necessary to build a palace."

With so many people, plus their families, that's a very large number.

Of course, getting married is one thing.

The real, substantial reward is the birth of offspring.

Each child is given a single innate destiny fruit.

If he had many descendants, these innate talents and life fruits alone would be enough to make Lu Xuan a Martial Saint!

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

Having rested overnight, Shen Nian and the others were now full of confidence, their faces showing a resolute expression.

We must take down this formation.

"Gentlemen, let us break through this formation to the death!"

Shen Nian rallied the group.

Gu Shunchang and Yuan Fei both nodded firmly.

Fifteen minutes later.

Liu Zhanqing saw that after the fourth-grade beast was destroyed, it was transformed back into a mid-fourth-grade beast with the cultivation level!

Even though Shen Nian and his two companions turned and fled.

They were all injured by the attack from that mid-level fourth-grade beast.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

The three of them were sent flying backwards, crashing heavily into the corner of the wall.

Shen Nian coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"How...how is this possible..."