Protect Our Chief

The architectural complex, based on blue, black, and white, sprawled across an expansive area, with a grand and majestic style. Pines and cypresses are planted all around the complex, dense and verdant, exuding an aura of solemnity and reverence.

Wisps of incense smoke drift among the trees.

Due to years of incense burning and worship, even the air in this place seems to be imbued with a lingering sandalwood aroma. Walking through the pine and cypress forest evokes an inexplicable sense of heaviness, making even the voice subconsciously soften.

Wang Shouzhe followed behind Ancestor Yinda and others, crossed through the pine forest, passed the towering archway, and arrived at the interior of the ancestral hall.

The layout inside the ancestral hall was not complex either.

Upon entering, after walking a short distance, they reached the main hall. Inside the main hall was an homage to the first ancestor of the Daqian Wang Family, Ancestor Dingxuan.

Within the hall stood a life-sized statue of Ancestor Dingxuan.

It was a dignified, imposing elder, clad in battle armor, wielding a long sword, exuding an aura of majesty and dominance.

The craftsmanship of those who made the statue was also quite outstanding. With some unknown technique, they vividly captured the imposing presence of Ancestor Dingxuan, the aura of having been tempered through countless battles, and even the pressure of a Divine Skill Ancestor.

At first glance, it almost seemed like a real person.

Looking at the statue of Ancestor Dingxuan, Wang Shouzhe felt an inexplicable closeness. This was no surprise, for this elder was indeed the pioneer ancestor of the Wang Family, and despite his advanced age, he remained incredibly handsome.

After worshipping Ancestor Dingxuan, Wang Shouzhe followed Ancestor Yinda to the two side halls behind the main hall.

The left side hall housed the Meritorious Deeds Tablets.

Each tablet within the hall represented an ancestor of the Daqian Wang Family who had made exceptional contributions to Daqian or the Wang Race throughout the ages. Most of these Meritorious Deeds Tablets belong to ancestors of the Divine Power Realm, while only a few are of the Purple Mansion Realm—those who had exceptional talents in certain aspects.

Led by Ancestor Yinda, Wang Shouzhe offered incense to each Meritorious Deeds Tablet, before quickly arriving at the right side hall.

The right side hall houses the tablets of the direct lineage of the Daqian Wang Family.

As soon as Wang Shouzhe entered, he was greeted by a dense array of tablets facing the entrance, instantly filling his heart with solemnity.

When people speak of thousand-year noble families, or families spanning several thousand years, it often feels abstract and unreal. It’s only in moments like these, facing the dense rows of tablets, that one truly feels the weight and antiquity of history.

The overwhelming pressure does not just come from the visual aspect, but more so from an emotional shock.

Because Wang Shouzhe knew that each of these tablets represents the passing of an ancestral family member.

And these in front of him were merely a drop in the ocean of the thousands of years of Daqian Wang Family’s history.

The Daqian Wang Family’s heritage spanned over seven thousand years, and even just the direct lineage amounts to an alarming number. Consequently, only those of the Celestial Human Realm and Purple Mansion Realm qualify for a tablet in the side hall, while others who haven’t reached the Celestial Human Realm are only named on the family tree tablets by the side.

Under Ancestor Yinda’s guidance, Wang Shouzhe followed the proper rituals to pay respects to the direct lineage, and then proceeded to the rear hall of the ancestral hall.

The rear hall houses the tablets of the Daqian Wang Family’s direct veins and various branches and collateral lines.

In this area, the number of tablets increased dramatically, with one or two halls not able to contain them, hence they were divided into dozens of smaller side halls.

Indeed, in any noble family, the number of those from the direct vein far exceeds the direct lineage, and over seven thousand years, the accumulated numbers are staggering to even think about.

Moreover, among these side halls, a small portion belongs to branches of the Wang Family that have separated, like the Southern Desert Wang Family, Longzhou Wang Family, and Celestial Mansion Wang Family, each of which has its own side hall here.

And now, beside the Longzhou Wang Family’s side hall, a new side hall has emerged. Its owner is the Changning Wang Family, inside which are honored Ancestor Zhou Xuan and the generations of ancestors of the Changning Wang Family, with the bottom row belonging to the Ding Generation, prominently featuring Wang Dingyue.

As for the plaques of the Shou Generation, they are not needed for the time being, because the brothers of the Shou Generation of the Changning Wang Family are still living well, with even the eldest, Wang Shouxin, having already advanced to the Spirit Platform Realm. No one is expected to "advance" to a plaque for a while...

The establishment of the side hall in the ancestral hall also symbolizes the formal kinship relationship between the Changning Wang Family and the Daqian Wang Family, truly forming the same family and ancestors in the literal sense.

However, this sacrificial ceremony was not done with great fanfare by Wang Shouzhe.

Instead, it was overseen by the clan elders, Ancestor Longyan and Ancestor Xiaohan, along with the appearance of Wang Shouxin and Shouyong of the Shou Generation.

Furthermore, there was Wang Zongchang and Wang Zongyao of the Zong Generation, as well as Wang Shizhao and Shihao of the Shi Generation. Representing the An Generation was Wang Anye, along with Wang Lilong, Wang Yingxuan, and a small seedling separated from Lixian.

All these individuals discreetly yet solemnly completed the inaugural sacrificial ceremony.

Following this, the topic turned to obtaining the inheritance of the "Profound Ice Phoenix Suffering Technique" from the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion.

The transmission of this True Skill also took place within the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion.

At the rear right of the ancestral hall sits a small icy mountain about a square mile in size, beneath which lies a small top-grade Profound Ice Spiritual Vein, the very True Skill Inheritance Land established by Ancestor Dingxuan personally.