"I don’t care about that!"

Zuo Xian pouted and muttered.

"Alright, Xiaoxian, you need to listen to Uncle."

"But Uncle, you’re so strong. Doesn’t our clan have any say at all?"

Another tall young man with a round, harmless-looking face, Zuo Xi, asked.

"My strength is only enough to hold our own in a small corner. This baptism ceremony is incredibly important. The Celestial Demons have been reviving over the years, and recently, they’ve clashed with us Spirit Guardians repeatedly. A chaotic era is upon us. For this ceremony, almost every notable Guardian Spirit Race in the entire Donghua Spirit Guardian world will be sending someone. They’re not just coming to observe, or to exchange pointers. They’re coming to discuss the grand strategy for dealing with the Celestial Demons in the future."

"The Moon Race, the Xuan Clan, the Qi Clan... With so many Spirit Level experts present, what room is there for us to speak?"

"What’s more, I’ve heard it won’t just be them this time. The one from the Gua Race is supposedly coming as well and bringing some uninvited guests. So, it’s hard to say what the situation will be like."

Zuo Pu said in a low voice.

"The one from the Gua Race? You mean someone from the Donghua Official? Is the Donghua Official going to interfere in this grand event?"

Zuo Xi said, frowning.

"It’s highly likely. After all, the current situation is unique. I doubt those guys from the government will just sit back and wait for disaster to strike."

Zuo Pu said.

"Actually... I don’t think cooperating with the government would be such a bad idea. In this day and age, relying on the power of us Spirit Guardians alone feels a little insufficient."

Zuo Xi said, shaking his head.

"That’s not for us to decide. There’s a crucial rule in the teachings of our clans: we must not get involved with secular power. For one, if we were to participate in worldly affairs with our power, it could have an unimaginable impact. Tainted by the secular world, many would stray from their original purpose, causing the power we wield to spiral out of control."

"On the other hand, the secular world is full of ordinary people, and their desires are as vast as the sea. How many of them can resist the temptation of a Celestial Demon? A single misstep could easily lead to betrayal and disastrous consequences. This is especially true for those in power. Is there a single one who doesn’t fear our strength? They just want to use us, or even eradicate us, because to them, we are a destabilizing factor."

Zuo Pu said with a sigh.

"I, for one, think the secular world has been doing quite well lately. The abilities of an S Class Martial Arts Family don’t seem any weaker than Spirit Level, do they? And some of the experts who’ve emerged recently don’t seem any worse than our Bloodline Users. Plus, look at their attitude toward Celestial Demons. It doesn’t seem like they’re on the same side. But you all, you’re always talking about saving humanity, yet I never see you do anything tangible."

"Look, no matter how great our ancestors were, they couldn’t have predicted the world would change this much. Maybe our ancestral teachings are just outdated."

Zuo Xian said with a sneer.

"Don’t speak nonsense! That’s utterly treasonous!"

"Ordinary people are still just ordinary people. So what if they’re an S Class Martial Arts Family? So what if their power is immense? They have limits. And as ordinary people, they’re consumed by desire. They could fall to the temptation of a Celestial Demon at any moment. Only we Spirit Guardians, who can never be assimilated by Celestial Demons, are truly reliable."

"Besides, the power of a Martial Artist is too simple and crude. How can it compare to us Spirit Guardians? For a simple example, do you think any Martial Artist who hasn’t broken through to Spirit Level could possibly contend with me?"

Zuo Pu scolded.

"But there are so few Spirit Guardians! There are billions of ordinary people in the world. Even if only one in ten thousand became a Martial Artist, they could drown you just by spitting."

Zuo Xian retorted, pursing her lips.

"Is that any way to speak to your father?"

Zuo Pu’s eyes widened. Unable to win an argument against the sharp-tongued Zuo Xian, he could only fall back on his authority as her elder.

"I’m just telling the truth."

"Well, you’re not allowed to tell the truth!"

"..."

The father and daughter argued for a while, neither willing to back down. In the end, they just fell silent.

"Don’t think I don’t know why you’re siding with the Martial Artists," Zuo Xi whispered to Zuo Xian. "It’s because you joined the Zhou Clan fan club. You’re just a fangirl."

"So what if I’m a fangirl? The guy is handsome and powerful. Should I be fawning over your pudgy face instead?"

Zuo Xian sneered.

"I..."

Zuo Xi opened his mouth, his face flushing beet-red.

Zuo Pu overheard their exchange and couldn’t help but rub the bridge of his nose. ’She’s my daughter... my own flesh and blood...’ he chanted silently in his mind.

"Alright, whatever you’re thinking, just keep a low profile when the time comes. Don’t cause trouble for the clan..."

Zuo Pu said with a sigh. But before he could finish, he heard his daughter muttering, "I wonder if Principal Zhou will be there. I’d love to get his autograph and a picture..."

A vein bulged on Zuo Pu’s forehead.

"Don’t even think about it! This Zhou Yuanjue person... he’s been hyped up to be some kind of God by the internet and the official media. The youngest Saint Awakening in history, all those stories about him single-handedly turning the tide... I think it’s all massively exaggerated. The Donghua media is an expert at this. Especially during times like these, they engage in deification. They need to create a role model to stabilize public morale, and he’s probably just the one they propped up!"

"That’s why the media is making such a big deal out of him, building all this hype. If his combat record is to be believed, his strength would have to be at the Celestial Level. A Celestial Level master under the age of thirty, and an ordinary person at that? How is that possible? Any expert can tell at a glance that something is fishy."

"This baptism ceremony is too important. The ones sent by the Donghua Sect will definitely be seasoned veterans. A young man like him won’t get a chance..."

Zuo Pu said dismissively. Suddenly, his expression froze.

"Wait!" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

He stopped in his tracks, his eyes locked on something ahead.

Zuo Xian and Zuo Xi both followed his gaze.

There stood a behemoth, nearly four meters tall.

It had a coat of silvery-white fur like moonlight, an incredibly muscular build, and powerful limbs.

It was a giant ape.

The great ape stood silently amidst the mountain forest. Its massive head was tilted slightly upward as if gazing at the sky, a glint of intelligence in its eyes.

"What is that?"

Zuo Xi gaped.

"An old ape from Longyue Valley. It’s a unique species, born under the constant shroud of Moonlight Power. It can understand people, even recognize simple words. Though it can’t use Bloodline or Qi, its physique is terrifying. It’s the Mountain Guardian Beast of Longyue Valley. They say it has lived for over a hundred years, and its status in Longyue Valley is second only to the three clan elders. Why would it be here?"

Zuo Pu said, bewildered.

"It’s not here to welcome us, is it?"

Zuo Xian asked curiously.

"Nonsense. We don’t command that kind of respect. The sky..."

Zuo Pu shook his head. He followed the White Ape’s gaze, looking up through the mottled leaves toward the heavens.

WHIRRRRR!!

The sound of rotor blades grew louder, coming from a distance. He could clearly see the shape of a helicopter in the sky growing more distinct.

’A helicopter?! How could a helicopter fly all the way out here?! It should have been forced to turn back long ago. The magnetic field near Longyue Valley is too chaotic.’

A strong gust of wind washed over them as the helicopter finally hovered several dozen meters in the air.

Then, five figures leaped down from the helicopter.

The old ape of Longyue Valley wasn’t waiting for them. It was waiting for the five people in that helicopter!