176: Zhao Yuan: I am really wronged!

Deep underground in the Forbidden Ground of the famous Zhao Family territory, outside the Capital of the Xia Dynasty, Yang City.

Zhao Yuan knelt before the Immortal Cave's entrance, his face pale, healing his injuries while awaiting the Old Ancestor's awakening.

“Click, click, click…”

The heavy Vajra Crystal Stone door slowly opened, revealing a white-haired Elder seated on a lotus wood Dharma seat.

A circle of white light slowly illuminated his body, sacred and dignified, and his tightly closed eyes slowly opened, with countless stars flowing through his pupils, as if a world was contained within them. A faint life-force pressure spontaneously spread, forming an extremely powerful Wood-element Domain. Various exotic flowers and plants grew in the surrounding Void Realm, looking extraordinarily flourishing.

Zhao Shoucheng sighed, casting a Spell to heal his grandson's injuries: “Come in.”

Zhao Yuan was immensely grateful, kowtowing and prostrating: “Thank you, Old Ancestor.”

Zhao Yuan's face regained its color, and he quickly got up, walked in swiftly, and knelt again before the Old Ancestor, awaiting his inquiry.

A look of affection flashed in Zhao Shoucheng's eyes. He rested his hands on his knees, his voice gentle yet full of vigor: “I'm relieved to see you safe and sound. Tell me, what did you encounter?”

Since the founding of the Dynasty, Zhao Shoucheng had been in seclusion Cultivating. Today, he suddenly felt his descendants in his Bloodline urgently calling out, which caused him to awaken from his slumber and summon the suffering descendant, Zhao Yuan.

Zhao Yuan's expression softened as he respectfully replied: “To answer Old Ancestor, I was ordered to suppress the Wei Family's rebellion, and on the way, I encountered an ambush by a Fifth Order Cultivator. He released hundreds of thousands of Sixth Order Shattered Amulets to bombard me. I had no choice but to use the Protection Talismanic Incantation you bestowed upon me, but it was shattered by the opponent.

This matter is very strange. Your junior was weakened to Sixth Order combat strength by the opponent's curse, unable to defeat them, and thus had to sacrifice my spatial ring in exchange for a chance to survive.

Afterward, your junior flew to a nearby city and immediately used the official teleportation array to return home, thus preserving my life.”

Zhao Shoucheng pondered for a moment: “Indeed, it's strange. Let me retrieve something from the River of Time and Space.”

Zhao Shoucheng extended his palm, which became ethereal, delving into a constantly undulating silver-white river, from which he retrieved the shattered Ninth Order Protection Talismanic Incantation.

Zhao Shoucheng carefully examined the corrosive power on the Ninth Order Protection Talismanic Incantation, and couldn't help but praise and exclaim: “What a Divine Artifact! It actually weakened the Protection Talismanic Incantation's Spell resistance to such an extent.

It's a pity. You must have put all your effort into strengthening the Protection Talismanic Incantation's defense, resulting in half the effort for double the result. Instead, you suffered a backlash from the magical power, losing the chance to resist.

If you had decisively abandoned the Protection Talismanic Incantation and promptly set up multiple layers of defense, the opponent's minor Dao technique would likely not have been able to break through your defenses.”

With just one glance, Zhao Shoucheng deduced the scene at that time.

Having experienced many major battles, Zhao Shoucheng was experienced and knew how to deal with such situations.

Even if the opponent had a Divine Artifact by his side, his cultivation and foundation were ultimately far inferior.

If he had fought flexibly, the opponent would certainly not have been able to defeat his grandson in a short time.

His grandson was simply too superstitious about the Protection Talismanic Incantation he had given him.

Zhao Yuan looked at the Old Ancestor awkwardly: “Your junior did not know that the opponent was using a Divine Artifact… Your junior only glanced down for a moment, hesitated for an instant, and was then suddenly attacked. There was hardly any time to react.”

Who would have thought that merely glancing at a Fifth Order Cultivator would result in being bombed so badly that even his own mother would barely recognize him?

This was like walking on the street, idly glancing at a passing child, and suddenly eight hundred burly men appeared and pinned him to the ground for a beating.

This was truly outrageous.

Zhao Shoucheng chuckled at his grandson's embarrassment, casually throwing the broken Protection Talismanic Incantation back into the River of Time: “I can't blame you. It's hard for anyone to react quickly to such a strange incident.

You were indeed very unlucky.”

Zhao Yuan's face flushed red, feeling his old face completely lost. His toes dug hard into the ground, creating five small holes.

Zhao Shoucheng looked at him speechlessly: “Stop digging. You're about to dig out a palace from my ground.

Tell me the full story. For the opponent to use such a Divine Artifact, the interests involved in this matter must be substantial.”

Zhao Yuan dared not hide anything. After careful consideration, he began to recount the events from the beginning:

“This matter is likely related to the rumored Stick Figure Great Power from Mountain State.

Initially, in Liang City, in the northern part of Mountain State, the Wei Family was secretly researching the Mechanical Clan, fantasizing about their Old Ancestor Cyber Ascension or Mechanical Ascension to extend his life, and they also researched many inhumane gene enhancement technologies.

However, during a certain project's Blood Rage Servant transport, the low-level escorts embezzled project funds, reducing the armed transport helicopter to an armed escort vehicle.

It is suspected that the Stick Figure Great Power sensed this and dispatched a First Order Cultivator who called himself a Violent Justice envoy, who then killed both the corrupt escorts and the Blood Rage Servants.”

Zhao Shoucheng stroked his beard, his eyes calm: “Evidence?”

Zhao Yuan respectfully replied: “It is suspected that he used a Time Spell to trap the opponent in Reincarnation, allowing that First Order Cultivator to hone himself to the extreme, and then kill the escorts and the gene-experimented Blood Rage Servants.”

Zhao Shoucheng's expression froze, and his hand stroking his beard paused slightly: “Using a Time Spell to fight a low-level Cultivator?”

What's the difference between that and using a nuclear bomb to swat a mosquito?

Zhao Yuan replied awkwardly: “Old Ancestor, it is indeed so. Afterward, this Stick Figure Great Power was very displeased with the actions of our corporation's Liang City Branch. He repeatedly sent his low-level Cultivators to trouble the Branch corporation, and eventually even caused the entire Branch corporation to collapse, and also killed one of our Zhao Family's descendants.”

Zhao Shoucheng frowned: “Displeased about what?”

Zhao Yuan swallowed: “Gene enhancement research, Mechanical Clan dissection, Medicinal Pill and medicinal material monopoly…”

Zhao Shoucheng sighed: “Just say it directly. Don't beat around the bush.”

Zhao Yuan lowered his head awkwardly: “They engaged in a lot of illegal research to profit, and through their monopolistic position, they persecuted many people. The Stick Figure Great Power was probably extremely displeased about this, which is why he secretly intervened to suppress the Liang City Branch corporation.”

Zhao Yuan didn't even dare to defend them for what they had done.

Zhao Shoucheng looked at his grandson, his expression slightly serious: “You didn't send anyone to disgrace me, did you?”

This matter was so shameful. If his grandson were to further disgrace him.

He wouldn't even wait for the Stick Figure Great Power to act; he would first beat these unfilial descendants himself.

Zhao Yuan quickly shook his head: “No, no. After learning about this, we accepted the Stick Figure Great Power's punishment and handed over all the Medicinal Pill interests in Liang City to him, no longer interfering.”

Zhao Shoucheng frowned: “And then?”

Zhao Yuan helplessly continued to report: “Afterward, the Stick Figure Great Power intervened again, instigating the Wei Family to betray us. In Qing City, the core area of Mountain State, a crucial lifeline, our Branch corporation, which we painstakingly built, was also forced to disband.

Old Ancestor, I admit the Branch corporation was at fault, but if the Qing City Branch corporation is dismantled, what we lose will be the interests of an entire State.”

Giving up one city to appease a Great Power is acceptable.

Giving up an entire State to appease a Great Power, that sacrifice is too great.

Zhao Shoucheng looked at him as if he were an idiot: “A Great Power is backing them, and the Clan Chief sent you, a small nobody, to negotiate?

And he only sent you alone? How much horse piss got into his brain?

Can't he choose someone with a brain to be the Clan Chief?”

Zhao Yuan wanted to cry but had no tears: “I only knew that the Wei Family betrayed us, and the local factions in Qing City united to dismantle our corporation. How was I supposed to know that the Stick Figure Great Power was backing them?

I only found out that the Stick Figure Great Power was backing them after I got beaten.

Old Ancestor, he's not honorable! He operates in the shadows! He didn't stand in the open!

If he had stood in the open and asked for shares and honorary Elder status, the Clan Chief wouldn't have dared to send me alone!”

If he had known that the Stick Figure Great Power was backing them, this task wouldn't have fallen to him alone no matter what!

I am truly wronged!

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Second update for gifts!