Chapter 35: A Determined Resolve Shakes the Heavens!

Night was so thick it could not be pierced, like a huge black cloth that tightly covered all of Luo Bay County.

Deep within the Wang Family Old Residence, beside a long‑abandoned well, a stone slab at the well's mouth had been silently shifted, leaving a slit.

The smell of damp earth mixed with sweat rose, and immediately a figure, covered in mud and barely recognizable as human, crawled out using hands and feet.

It was Wang Mingyuan!

He gasped heavily, his lungs burning with pain; days and nights of hiding and the cramped tunnel crawl just now had nearly drained all his strength.

But he could not attend to that, not even having time to wipe the mud from his face; stumbling, he nearly lunged toward the upright figure beneath the old locust tree.

"Grandpa!" the hoarse voice, tinged with sobs and utter exhaustion, called.

Wang Shan spun around sharply, seeing his grandson who had become almost a mud‑monkey, his heart suddenly tightened.

Wang Mingyuan lunged to Wang Shan's side, his knees giving way as he was about to kneel, but Wang Shan caught him with one hand.

"Get up quickly! Where's the item?" Wang Shan's voice trembled slightly.

Wang Mingyuan, trembling, reached into his soaking, mud‑soaked chest and pulled out an object tightly wrapped in oilcloth.

Fresh soil still clung to the oilcloth's exterior, showing how carefully he had protected it.

"Grandpa! Brother… brother had Qian Bo risk his life to bring this!" He raised both hands high, handing the oilcloth bundle to Wang Shan as if it were a priceless treasure.

Wang Shan extended his slightly trembling hand and took the heavy oilcloth bundle.

The weight in his hand was slight, but through the thick oilcloth a indescribable aura passed— not a Spiritual Energy Fluctuation, but a vast, upright, warm feeling, like the fiercest winter sun, instantly piercing the lingering gloom and fatigue that had shrouded his mind for days.

He felt his spirit instantly invigorated, as if after trudging through a filthy mire for a long time he suddenly inhaled the purest, freshest air.

【7】 He carefully peeled back the oilcloth layer by layer.

He carefully, layer by layer, untied the oilcloth.

Inside the oilcloth was a neatly stacked sheet of pale‑gold talisman paper.

When the talisman paper fully unfolded, an even more majestic, pure aura rushed toward him!

It was not a dazzling light, but a warm yet supremely dignified "Qi," as if countless sages were softly chanting the ultimate truths of heaven and earth; the sound was faint yet clearly resonated deep within Wang Shan's soul.

On the Talisman's surface, pale‑golden radiance flowed slowly like water, outlining mysterious, righteousness‑filled runes.

Just looking at it evoked awe, as if all darkness and filth had nowhere to hide before this Talisman and would be instantly purified.

"Great! Great item! This is definitely a great item!" Wang Shan couldn't help shouting low, his voice brimming with uncontrollable excitement.

This aura… this ultimate, pure Righteous Qi!

No doubt! It's definitely a weapon to counter Wan Hong's old‑dog's Yin‑evil technique!

He immediately thought of Wan Hong's famed Black Fiend Claw, that poisonous, domineering claw art, the epitome of filth and evil.

And this Talisman before him was literally a tailor‑made nemesis for it!

He carefully turned the Talisman over.

On the back, indeed, there was a line of extremely fine yet forceful small characters.

He recognized the handwriting! It was the Vice Dean of Heavenly Confucian Academy's own hand!

Though the script was small, the content was clear: This is the Righteous Qi Talisman, forged by the academy's great scholars with great effort, channeling heaven‑and‑earth's righteous Qi, designed to break all worldly Yin‑evil scheming, its power vast yet can be activated only once—use with caution.

"Vice Dean's own hand… single‑use…" Wang Shan muttered, and the last sliver of doubt vanished from his mind.

Xuan Qing! My good grandson! You truly… truly gave grandpa a tremendous surprise!

This affection, this gratitude, is too heavy.

Holding the heavy Righteous Qi Talisman, Wang Shan felt his confidence unprecedentedly solid!

The earlier plan relied on the strengthened Misty Spirit Gathering Array to stall time, buying a chance to exchange for the Obstacle‑Breaking Pill, allowing him to breakthrough to the eighth stage of Body Refining, then duel Wan Hong to the death.

Although hopeful, the risk was still too great, with too many variables.

What if… what if the breakthrough fails?

What if… the Array is broken prematurely?

Now, it's different!

The reinforced Array is the first layer of insurance—it can hold!

The Obstacle‑Breaking Pill is within reach, the breakthrough imminent; this is the second layer of insurance—it can work!

And this Righteous Qi Talisman is a killer move specifically against Wan Hong himself! It's the third, and the most crucial, layer of insurance!

As long as the timing is right, once this Talisman is deployed, even if it cannot kill Wan Hong on the spot, it will certainly cripple him, rendering his prized Black Fiend Claw completely ineffective!

Three layers of insurance!

Wang Shan could almost picture Wan Hong's old‑dog face, terrified to the brink under the Righteous Qi!

"Ha ha ha…" Wang Shan couldn't help but want to laugh, but he forced it down, his chest heaving violently a few times.

Cannot be careless, absolutely cannot be careless!

He did not keep this final trump card for himself.

When the great battle begins, he will inevitably be the main attacker, confronting Wan Hong head‑on; at that moment the situation will shift rapidly, requiring intense focus, and he may not have the optimal timing or energy to activate this Talisman.

He must hand it to someone absolutely reliable who can precisely seize the battle opportunity!

His gaze fell on his eldest son Wang Zhize, who had been silently guarding beside him.

"Zhize, come here." Wang Shan's voice returned to calm, yet carried an unquestionable solemnity.

Wang Zhize stepped forward immediately: "Dad."

Wang Shan carefully handed the Righteous Qi Talisman to Wang Zhize.

"Take it."

Wang Zhize extended both hands, respectfully receiving the Talisman.

The moment he took it, he also felt that boundless, unmatched power, his complexion flickering slightly.

"Dad, this is…"

"This Talisman is called the Righteous Qi Talisman," Wang Shan lowered his voice, saying each word deliberately, "it was sent back by Xuan Qing at great personal risk, its power immense, designed to counter Yin‑evil techniques, especially Wan Hong's old‑dog Black Fiend Claw!"

Wang Zhize's pupils narrowed, and his breathing grew a bit more rapid.

Wang Shan continued, "When the all‑out assault begins, you don't need to worry about anything else—just keep a dead‑eye on Wan Hong! Wait for the right moment; you must wait until he uses Black Fiend Claw, and specifically the instant its power is amplified to the peak, when the evil qi is most intense—"

He paused, then deepened his tone: "Give it all you've got and hurl this Talisman at him! Remember, the chance comes only once! Once! Understand?"

Wang Zhize clenched the Talisman tightly in his hand, and the golden light along the edge of the talisman paper seemed to illuminate his face.

He, of course, understood his father's intention!

This is not merely a Talisman; it is the hope his elder brother risked his life to send back, his father's absolute trust in him, and moreover… a shield to protect his father at the crucial moment!

In that life‑or‑death clash of a Body Refining Ninth Layer Peak master, his father must confront the enemy head‑on; even a momentary distraction could mean an irretrievable calamity.

The task of throwing the Talisman may seem simple, but in truth it concerns the entire situation!

It must be fast, accurate, and ruthless!

More importantly, you must draw Wan Hong's attention in that instant— even if only for a split second, it can create an opening for his father!

"Father!" Wang Zhize jerked his head up, the fatigue and anxiety on his face replaced by resolve. "Rest assured! Your child… your child will stake this very life and, at the crucial moment, slam this Talisman onto that old dog's face!"

His voice was not loud, yet it rang out with weight.

He carefully concealed the Righteous Qi Talisman close to his body, placing it where it could be drawn out most easily.

Time slipped by second by second.

The attacks outside the courtyard had, at some point, ceased.

The four Body Refining seventh‑ and eighth‑layer masters of the Wan Family clearly needed time to recover the Spiritual Power they had expended, preparing for the upcoming all‑out assault.

Yet this brief calm made the oppressive feeling in the air grow heavier, like the suffocating stillness before a storm.

The mountain rain is about to fall, and the wind fills the building!

Wang Shan knew that the final moment was about to arrive.

He scanned the courtyard.

All the Wang Family Descendants who could still lift a weapon, young and old, had gathered beneath the old locust tree and at the defensive nodes along the courtyard walls.

On their faces were tension, fatigue, fear, but more than anything a fierce, death‑defying resolve born of being driven to the brink.

Wang Shan stepped before the crowd; his voice was not loud, yet it reached each person's ears clearly.

"Everyone is assembled," Wang Shan said slowly, without any rousing rhetoric or vague promises.

He simply stated the facts calmly: "Wan Hong's all‑out assault is about to begin. He wants us dead, wants the Wang Family to be cut off forever."

He paused, giving everyone a moment to absorb this harsh reality.

Then he continued, "But we are not lambs awaiting slaughter. We have a sturdy Array, we have trump cards against the enemy, and more importantly, we have the resolve to fight to the death!"

His voice rose slightly: "I know that in this battle some of us may fall, the blood may run dry."

"As long as even one of us remains standing, as long as this old house still stands, the Wang Family remains!"

"Look behind you!" Wang Shan pointed toward the Inner Academy, "There, your wives, children, elders, and the young; there are your parents and brothers! They are waiting for us to protect them!"

"No retreat possible! No need to retreat any longer!"

"For our families! For the Wang Family's lineage! For our own survival!"

Wang Shan suddenly drew the long sword at his waist, its blade flashing a cold glint in the night.

"Follow me—fight to the death!"

"Fight to the death!"

"Fight to the death!!"

The long‑suppressed emotions finally erupted at this moment!

The Wang Family Descendants, regardless of cultivation level, gender, or age, raised their swords, long spears, and even sharpened wooden sticks!

Low, resolute roars echoed throughout the Wang Family Courtyard.

In those roars were fearlessness of death, anger toward the enemy, and a tragic grandeur of defending the home and fighting to the last drop of blood!

The air seemed ignited, suffused with a fierce and resolute aura.

Everyone knew this could very well be the final battle of their lives.

But no one flinched!

For family, for survival!

Just as the fighting spirit boiled within the Wang Family Courtyard and everyone embraced a death‑ready mindset.

Beyond the Array, a hundred meters away.

Wan Hong, seated cross‑legged on the ground, slowly opened his eyes.

After a brief breath‑regulation, the Spiritual Power he had spent was fully restored, and his essence, qi, and spirit reached an unprecedented peak.

Two cold rays, like the fangs of poisonous snakes, suddenly shot toward the brightly lit Wang Family Courtyard.

He could clearly feel the sudden surge of desperate, death‑defying momentum inside.

"Ha, a final struggle?" Wan Hong's mouth curled into a cruel smile.

A dying, struggling mouse may squeak loudly, but it cannot change the fate of being caught by a cat!

He rose slowly, the terrifying pressure of a Body Refining Ninth Layer Peak spreading outward like an invisible tide, causing the surrounding Wang Family Descendants and guest nobles to involuntarily hold their breath.

He raised his hand, pointing toward the Wang Family Courtyard, his voice icy and bone‑piercing, filled with undeniable murderous intent.

"The time has come!"

"Everyone, follow me—"

Wan Hong's voice rose sharply, turning into a thunderous roar: "Kill! Flatten the Wang Family! Leave no chicken or dog alive!"