Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

The second wave of ancestral fire collided with the Nine-Tailed Fox Shield, and the scene of the city's protective water mirror pressing the flames towards the child was broadcast throughout the northern city.

More and more martial artists gathered outside the North Post Station. During the shoving, a woman holding a child was knocked down. The child hit the stone steps on the forehead, and blood flowed down his brow bone.

Jiang Yining pushed open the courtyard gate, and the demonic vines swept over the city defense spears, pulling the mother and child into the courtyard. After sealing the wounds with wood energy, they were then sent behind Chu Ling Shuang.

"I will go into battle to save my daughter, and I will also deal with the fire on the city walls." Jiang Yining stood inside the threshold. "Those who bring the elderly and children should retreat to the third street. Stay on the fire to watch the show. If you get burned, no one will protect you."

The woman holding the child covered the toddler's forehead: "If she wanted to use us as a shield, she wouldn't have needed to open the door at all."

Some sheathed their weapons, while others remained staring at the water mirror: "The Pei family only needs a piece of divine wood; handing it over will save the entire city. Why are they dragging their feet?"

Jiang Yining looked up at the water mirror: "I can bring the divine wood into the formation, but does Pei Henian dare to release one of the fire chains binding the child first?"

The projection did not respond, and the nine fire chains remained attached above the array.

Chu Ling Shuang placed the heavy hammer across the street corner: "Those with children should head south. Those who have taken the Blood-Draining Pill should retreat with the pharmacist. Anyone who tries to sneak into the North Post Station during the chaos, I'll make them kneel down first."

Pei Henian's voice came from the water mirror protecting the city: "Jiang Yining can only bring a section of the main branch of the divine tree into the formation. If the Buddha's breath, the green wood energy and the Pei family's ancestral blood accompany her, the fire chain will be detonated."

Pei Yunji pressed the inner ancestral seal close to the water mirror projection, and three layers of spirit-stripping chains emerged from the flames: "He wants the third ancestral root. The outer layer tests the Pei clan's ancestral blood, the middle layer tests the vitality of the divine tree, and the innermost layer tests the aura of the ancestral root. Only if you pass all three layers will the spirit-stripping array allow you to approach April."

Lou Xiaotian stood guard beside the underground green wood vein: "Without the green wood aura and the blood of the Pei family ancestors, the fake branch cannot fool the first two levels."

Jiang Yining closed the courtyard gate: "He forbade the three forces from entering the formation with me, but he didn't say that we couldn't hide them in the fake branches beforehand."

She pulled a wisp of dark red blood from the Blood Seal; it was Elder Pei Henian's blood left behind when she devoured the Ancestral Hall.

The purple-gold demonic vine wrapped around the bloodline, weaving it into a hollow root bone: "The elder's blood is responsible for deceiving the first level."

Pei Yunji sent out a wisp of inner seal energy, pressing it into a thin film along the outer side of the root bone: "The inner seal can only maintain two verifications; the third time, it will reveal signs of decay."

"Close enough to the center of the formation."

Lou Xiaotian picked up his gun and walked to the wooden table: "The middle level needs to check for signs of life. The gun contains the aura of green wood, which can be used to create branches and veins, but it can't fool Pei Henian's personal investigation."

Fan Chenxin stood guard at the door, holding the Buddha Lamp of Inquiry: "The Buddha Lamp can protect her sea of ​​consciousness, preventing the Buddha's breath from entering the false root and from touching the ancestral fire array."

Jiang Yining looked at Lou Xiaotian: "How much of the old Green Wood essence is still in the Life-Protecting Blood Pact?"

Lou Xiaotian pressed the green vine on his chest: "When the wooden coffin was sealed, three strands were left: one to protect the heart, one to maintain the life bridge, and one to sink into the outer ring."

"Will removing a strand from the outer ring damage your foundation?"

"It will only temporarily darken the Bridge of Fate."

Jiang Yining pressed the magic vine against his chest: "Don't give him any more."

Lou Xiaotian looked down at her hand: "Every time you say that, it's as if I'm about to die on your back at any moment."

"You have a criminal record."

"I'll listen to you this time."

The demonic vines probed into the outer ring along the life-protecting blood pact. Lou Xiaotian did not activate his source energy, but only opened up an existing path of green wood energy.

A wisp of warm woody breath entered the pseudoroot along the tip of the vine, and fine veins grew from the hollow root bone, with two young purple-gold leaves unfolding at the root tip.

Lou Xiaotian's breathing hitched, and he pressed his palm against the edge of the wooden table: "Have you had enough rest?"

"That's enough." Jiang Yining severed the outer ring of the life bridge and sealed the remaining two strands of green wood energy back into his heart. "The first layer recognizes the Pei family blood, the second layer recognizes the green wood life force, and the outer divine wood vine bark is responsible for deceiving the third layer."

Pei Yunji tapped the center of the dummy root with his sword sheath: "Why is it empty inside?"

"When Pei Henian swallowed the false root, the spirit fire would first be poured into the empty shell, and the thin vines connecting the false branches would then send the fire path back."

Lou Xiaotian looked at the artificial branch in her hand: "What if it were burned down on the spot in the center of the formation?"

"The thin vine can hold out for three breaths; three breaths is enough for you to cut off the outer fire path."

Jiang Yining carefully put away the fake root, but Lou Xiaotian didn't back down: "Do you still stand by what you said earlier?"

Which sentence?

"Let's talk things out separately after the crisis is over."

Jiang Yining pressed the green vines that had surfaced on his chest back down: "After you save April, you can ask as long as you want."

Lou Xiaotian's throat moved slightly: "Okay, I'll wait for her to come back."

The Buddha Lamp of Inquiry flickered twice, but Fan Chenxin did not urge it. Instead, he tightened the old prayer beads on the lamp handle again: "The array is shrinking, and the third round of ancestral fire has less than twenty breaths left."

Jiang Yining turned and walked out of the inner room: "Chu Ling Shuang, go up the city wall and evacuate the people on the Water Mirror Fire Road first."

"Pei Yunji followed the blood of the elders underground to find the entrance; the inner seal was only responsible for finding the way."

"Lou Xiaotian guards the outer veins of the Azure Wood, and the blood pact protecting his life forbids him from entering the formation."

"Fan Chenxin used the Buddhist lamp to chase after the mother and daughter's blood vines. I knocked on the lamp wick three times, and you severed the outer layer of the array."

Fan Chenxin placed the Heart-Questioning Buddha Lamp outside her heart, and the white flame transformed into a thin lotus, protecting her sea of ​​consciousness: "The Shared Karma Lotus Pact only activates when I harm others due to selfish desires. I will guard the lamp and not touch anyone in the formation."

Jiang Yining pressed down on the lamp: "What you need to do is pick me and April up."

"I've got it."

Lou Xiaotian plunged the Overlord Spear into the eye of the Green Wood Array in the ground, a small patch of blood seeping from the newly healed wound on his shoulder: "The existing Green Wood Qi is enough to seal the way, I won't burn my source."

Pei Yunji's inner seal aura sank into the fire line, probing towards the city center along the only still-operating ancestral fire path: "The entrance is on the west side of the city's protective water mirror. The fire gate opens once every six breaths, allowing only one person to pass at a time."

Jiang Yining pushed open the gate of the North Inn, holding a vibrant purple-gold artificial branch in her hands.

The warriors on the street stepped aside, and the city's protective water mirror turned towards her palm.

"The main branch of the sacred tree has been brought; let's open the fire gate first."

Pei Henian's projection raised its hand, and a dark red portal rose from the center of the street: "Enter alone, and if you dare to let any aura follow you, the third round of ancestral fire will fall."

Taking advantage of the crowd's retreat, Chu Ling Shuang climbed onto the city wall and used her heavy hammer to press down on the main formation of the Water Mirror. Han Que glanced at her and finally pushed the formation diagram of the eight fire-sealed paths in front of her.

Pei Yunji pressed down on the heated inner seal: "The Fire Gate is the true path, and there is another layer of blood pact verification behind the gate."

Jiang Yining drew the true third ancestral root deep into her dantian, covering the purple-gold vine connecting the false branch with her sleeve.

The Buddha Lamp of Inquiry relayed Jiang Siyue's fifth strike, leaving only a thin layer of the Nine-Tailed Fox Shield.

She stepped through the fire gate.

The dark red flames closed up, and the streets and the North Post Station disappeared from behind.

In the center of the array, Jiang Siyue huddled on the stone platform, holding the injured Fire Spirit Falcon, while the third round of Ancestral Fire hovered above her head.

As soon as Jiang Yining took a step, two blood chains buried under the stone platform rose up at the same time. One chain gripped the child's ankle, while the other crossed over the false root and wrapped around her still-healing right hand.

Pei Henian's projection fell from above the fire well: "Branches can be faked, but the blood pact between mother and daughter cannot be deceived."