Replace me as the top scholar? Go talk to my Marshal Grandpa!

The border of the Great Xia Dynasty.

The second defensive line of the restricted area.

The blood-red setting sun dyed the sky crimson, a fierce wind swept by, carrying sand and dust, and the air was filled with a heavy smell of blood.

"roar--!!"

Deafening roars echoed as a dark, surging tide of beasts poured out from the depths of the forbidden zone like a flood, relentlessly assaulting the steel-forged defenses.

"withstand!"

"We must not let a single beast cross the defensive line!"

The frontline commander roared hoarsely, his sword already stained red with beast blood.

"boom!"

A high-energy shell exploded in the horde of beasts, instantly tearing dozens of low-level alien beasts to pieces.

However, more beasts continued their charge, stepping over the corpses of their companions, their crimson eyes filled with madness.

The soldiers on the defensive line fought a bloody battle.

People fall every second, but the gaps are quickly filled by new soldiers.

Sudden--

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Three thunderous footsteps echoed from the depths of the forbidden zone, silencing the entire battlefield.

The faces of all the soldiers turned deathly pale instantly.

Three terrifying beasts, each as large as a mountain, slowly emerged from the restricted area.

"It's...it's a tyrant-level beast!" someone shouted, trembling.

A feeling of despair spread instantly.

These are overlord-level alien beasts, each possessing the power to destroy a large city!

"It's over..." The commander's hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

At that very moment—

"Buzz!"

An invisible wave swept across the entire battlefield, and all the strange beasts suddenly froze in their movements.

The wind stopped.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

"Tap...tap..."

Light footsteps came from behind the defensive line.

All the soldiers instinctively turned around.

An elderly man dressed in simple robes was walking slowly towards them.

His hair and beard were all white, and his face was weathered; he looked like an ordinary old farmer from the countryside.

But when the soldiers on the entire defensive line saw the old man's face, they instantly erupted in cheers!

"It's...it's Marshal Wang!"

"Great Xia Military God!"

The cheers erupted like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down.

The three overlord-level beasts revealed a human-like fear in their eyes the moment they saw the old man!

Without any hesitation, the three-headed beast turned and fled!

"Since you're here, don't leave."

The old man sighed softly and slowly raised his right hand.

"boom--!!"

The world changed color!

A beam of light suddenly flashed across the sky, as if it would split the entire world in two!

The three overlord-level beasts didn't even have time to scream before they were reduced to dust in the flash of the blade.

The aftershocks continued unabated, crashing deep into the restricted area and evaporating tens of thousands of ordinary beasts that were pouring out!

After the smoke and dust cleared.

A terrifying ravine, stretching for a kilometer and seemingly bottomless, appeared at the entrance to the restricted area.

The entire room fell silent!

The old man withdrew his hand as if he had only done a trivial matter.

The terrifying army of monsters retreated like a receding tide.

The surviving soldiers on the battlefield finally breathed a sigh of relief and then burst into thunderous cheers.

"We won! We won!"

"Thanks to the Marshal's intervention, otherwise we would all be dead here!"

A new recruit, covered in blood, leans on a broken longsword.

He gazed at the majestic figure in the void, his eyes filled with awe and admiration.

"That person... is he the legendary Marshal of the Great Xia?" he murmured to himself.

The veteran beside him grinned and patted him on the shoulder: "Kid, you're lucky. You saw Marshal Wang take action on your first battlefield experience."

The new recruit swallowed hard, still somewhat incredulous.

"Those were three overlord-level beasts, and they were wiped out with a single strike... Just how strong is the Marshal?"

The veteran's gaze was deep as he whispered, "The Marshal's strength has long surpassed the comprehension of ordinary people."

"It is said that in his youth, he single-handedly slashed through a million-strong alien army, earning him the titles of 'Great Xia War God' and 'Great Xia Military God'."

The recruits were filled with excitement and couldn't help but ask, "I heard that the Marshal comes from the Wang family, one of the four great families in the capital. Are his family members as powerful as he is?"

The veteran paused for a moment, then sighed and said, "The Marshal does indeed have a son named Wang Quan, whose talent is even more terrifying than the Marshal's when he was young."

"Wang Quan?" The recruit's eyes lit up. "Is he also very powerful?"

"More than impressive."

The veteran shook his head and smiled bitterly. "General Wang Quan was promoted to major general at the age of twenty-four. He was the youngest general in the military. He once led the 'Dawn Legion' to sweep across three otherworldly battlefields and was hailed as the 'future of Great Xia'."

The new recruit listened with fascination: "Where is he now? Is he fighting in some other world?"

The veteran's expression darkened, and he whispered, "He... he's already sacrificed himself."

"What?!"

The recruit was struck dumb, his eyes wide. "How is this possible? How could someone of that level of strength...?"

"Thirteen years ago, Major General Wang Quan led his army to fight in the 'Netherworld,' but was ambushed by a supreme alien powerhouse, and his entire army was wiped out."

The veteran's voice was heavy: "It is said that he still managed to kill three king-level experts on the other side before he died, and finally died from exhaustion."

The new recruits stood there, speechless for a long time.

The veteran took a deep breath and continued, "Wang Quan was the marshal's favorite son and his proudest heir. It's unbelievable that he died without even leaving an heir!"

"When the news reached Great Xia, the marshal locked himself in his room for three whole days and refused to see anyone."

"For those three days, the entire leadership of Great Xia was on tenterhooks, fearing that the old marshal would not be able to withstand the blow."

"After all, he was not only a pillar of the military, but also a source of faith for countless soldiers."

The recruit's eyes were slightly red, and he whispered, "The old marshal... must be in a lot of pain, right?"

The veteran nodded.

Even so, three days later, the marshal still donned his armor and went into battle to continue guarding the border restricted area.

He said, "The warriors of Great Xia can shed tears, but they cannot stop moving forward."

"But since then, the old marshal has rarely been seen smiling..."

Just as the new recruits were feeling saddened by the old marshal's fate, Wang Junba, who was in the distance, suddenly stopped.

"This...this is?!"

The old marshal was startled, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his aged face.

He slowly raised his trembling hands.

A dark golden bloodline mark appeared on his palm, radiating an unprecedented light.

"Hahaha! Good! Great!"

A sudden burst of laughter echoed throughout the battlefield.

All the soldiers looked in astonishment toward the source of the sound.

The usually dignified old marshal was now laughing heartily like a child, with tears of excitement glistening in his eyes.

"What's wrong with the old marshal?" The new recruits were dumbfounded.

The veteran looked bewildered: "I've followed the old marshal for twenty years and have never seen him so distraught..."

Wang Junba turned around abruptly, his beard trembling with excitement.

"The bloodline connection can't be wrong! My son, Wang Quan... he still has bloodlines alive!"

"Find it! Go find it for me!"

"Go immediately and bring my grandson back safe and sound!!!"