The "Feeble" Ancestors

Clang!

The blade struck the Nether Tiger's fur, unexpectedly producing the sound of clashing metal.

Xiao Ruobai's heart chilled; this demonic beast's defense was much tougher than he had anticipated.

But he didn't hesitate in the slightest. Using the force of the rebound, he spun around, pressed his left hand against the tiger's back, and thrust his iron sword downward with his right hand, stabbing fiercely along the grain of its fur!

Roar—!

The Nether Tiger let out a shrill howl of pain, its massive body twisting violently as it tried to throw the human off its back.

Xiao Ruobai gripped the hilt tightly. Allowing the tiger's claws to carve bone-deep wounds into his back, he forcefully drove the iron blade three inches deeper until the tip touched the beast's inner core.

The moment his battle aura erupted along the blade, he abruptly let go of the sword and leaped backward, landing steadily on the ground.

The Nether Tiger staggered a few steps before its massive body crashed to the ground. It twitched a few times and then fell completely still.

Clutching his bleeding back, Xiao Ruobai looked at the demonic beast's corpse on the ground, his chest heaving violently.

He looked down at his hands, where the battle crests on his palms were still faintly glowing.

That strike just now had clearly relied on the War God Physique's precise control over strength, finding the gaps in the demonic beast's fur to break its defense.

More heavy footsteps echoed from deep within the dense forest. Evidently, other Violet Palace Realm demonic beasts had been alarmed.

Xiao Ruobai picked up the iron sword from the ground. His golden battle aura surged once more, and his gaze became even sharper than before.

He knew that the evolution of the War God Physique never relied on external objects. Every life-and-death battle with a strong enemy, every breakthrough of his own limits, was the best tempering.

With a flash of his silhouette, he took the initiative to charge into the deeper darkness. The gleam of the blade and the tiger's roar echoed through the forest once more. This time, the youth's battle cry was even more majestic than the beast's roar.

"This is what the War God Physique should look like," Gu Changge muttered to himself.

The current Xiao Ruobai was no longer the youth who only knew how to fight with brute force.

He had learned to move around and probe, to borrow momentum to break defenses.

Even more so, when heavily injured, he would erupt with a stronger battle intent, like a war blade repeatedly hammered in a raging fire, growing sharper with every tempering.

......

In the back mountains of the Azure Profound Sect, an invisible barrier rippled like water.

Xuanyangzi held a token and passed through the barrier. The scenery before his eyes suddenly changed.

The originally clear sky was replaced by thick gray clouds, and the air was filled with a mixture of ancient sandalwood and medicinal herbs.

In the center of the forbidden ground, five stone peaks shaped like an open palm rose from the ground. A white-haired elder sat cross-legged at the top of each peak.

The stone platforms beneath them were covered with cracks eroded by time, surrounded by long-extinguished bronze lamps.

As soon as Xuanyangzi stepped into the forbidden ground's barrier, he saw the five patriarchs sitting cross-legged on the stone platforms.

Each had hair and beard as white as snow, and their breathing was so faint it was almost inaudible, as if they would pass away with the wind in the very next second.

He lightened his footsteps and was about to step forward to pay his respects, but he saw that the patriarchs didn't even lift an eyelid, seemingly still in a deep slumber.

Little did he know, five imperceptible divine senses had already converged in mid-air, turning into voice transmissions that only they could understand.

"Tell me, is it really appropriate to hide this from Little Yangzi like this?"

The Third Patriarch's voice echoed in everyone's sea of consciousness, carrying a hint of hesitation.

He maintained his hunched posture, his withered fingers resting on his knees, looking no different from an ordinary old man with one foot in the grave.

The Fifth Patriarch's divine sense followed closely, carrying a trace of heartache.

"This child has broken his heart for the sect these past few years. Half of his hair has turned white from his diligent efforts. By hiding it from him, it feels like we are deceiving him."

When he spoke, not even the wrinkles at the corners of his mouth moved. To outsiders, it would seem as if he were still drowsy.

The Second Patriarch's divine sense drifted over slowly, carrying a bit of certainty: "In my opinion, it's better not to tell him."

"Why?"

The Fourth Patriarch's divine sense was full of doubt. He even coughed twice on purpose to make his posture appear even weaker.

The First Patriarch, who had been resting with his eyes closed, finally spoke. His divine sense carried an unquestionable authority.

"All of us are now in the King Realm, and I have even reached the peak of the King Realm. If Little Yangzi were to know about this, given his temperament, it's hard to guarantee he wouldn't get carried away."

He paused, the solemnity in his divine sense deepening: "If the disciples of the sect act arrogantly and invite disaster..."

The divine senses of the other four patriarchs instantly fell silent. After a long while, the Third Patriarch sighed softly, his divine sense carrying helplessness.

"Eldest Brother is right. Let's keep it hidden for now. It won't be too late to tell him when the sect's foundation is more stable."

The five divine senses quietly dispersed. The five patriarchs on the stone platforms still maintained the appearance of nearing the end of their lifespans, as if the previous exchange had never happened.

Seeing this, Xuanyangzi felt a pang of sorrow in his heart.

In order to support the Azure Profound Sect, the five patriarchs had participated in too many massive battles in the past, and now they were like lamps running out of oil.

He touched the jade box in his sleeve brought from the Purple Bamboo Peak, his nose stinging.

Inside it were the spirit tea and ten drops of Connate Spirit Marrow given by Gu Changge.

As for the Nine Revolution Golden Pill and the remaining Connate Spirit Marrow, Xuanyangzi wanted to try using them to cultivate more genius disciples for the sect.

"Disciple Xuanyang pays his respects to the patriarchs."

He bowed deeply, keeping his voice extremely soft, afraid of startling these weak old men.

"Cough... it's Little Yangzi..."

The First Patriarch slowly opened his eyes, his eyelids trembling like a candle in the wind.

"Today... how do you have the time to come see us old bones..."

Xuanyangzi's eyes grew hot with tears.

Look at this! Even his speech is intermittent!

He hurriedly took a few steps forward: "Patriarchs, please take care of your health. This disciple has already..."

The words suddenly stopped at the tip of his tongue. He looked at the weak appearance of the patriarchs. The words that had reached his lips—

that he had broken through to the peak of the King Realm, were swallowed back down.

If he announced the good news and the patriarchs got too excited and something bad happened to them, wouldn't he become a sinner of the sect?

"Already what?"

The Fifth Patriarch raised his hand weakly, moving so slowly as if he would fall apart at any moment.

Xuanyangzi took a deep breath and took out the jade box and tea canister.

"This disciple accidentally obtained some spirit tea and a few drops of spirit liquid. Junior Brother said it's some kind of Connate Spirit Marrow... I hope it can be of some slight help to the patriarchs."

The sound of overlapping coughs immediately rang out from the stone platforms.

In reality, they were secretly swallowing their saliva—anything produced by the Purple Bamboo Peak was definitely a top-tier treasure!

First Patriarch: "Cough, cough, cough... This... this is too precious..."

Second Patriarch: "We can't accept this... we can't..."

(Their divine senses were screaming madly: Accept it quickly! Accept it quickly!)

Third Patriarch waved his hand tremblingly: "We... we old men have lived long enough. Leave it for those in the sect who need it more..."

Inwardly, however, he was muttering: Why does this tea look like the legendary Dao Comprehension Tea? This makes no sense! Could it be that I'm really getting old and my eyes are blurring!

He quietly rubbed his eyes with his hand.

Seeing this, Xuanyangzi felt even more heartbroken. He dropped to his knees with a thud: "I beg the patriarchs to fulfill this disciple's filial piety!"

The five divine senses instantly exploded:

Good heavens! This child is bowing so deeply!

Hurry up and accept it, I think he's about to cry!

First Patriarch fought back his heartache and continued to act: "Since... since that is the case... Old Fifth... your body is the weakest... you go first..."

The Fifth Patriarch almost dropped his facade, but outwardly he still extended a trembling hand. "Then... this old man shall humbly accept it..."