"Bastard!"

Li Mu really wanted to kill him, but he was a Spirit Cultivator; once he made a move, he would definitely be exposed.

He could only soften his tone a little and say, "If you charge at the Human Race now, are you trying to get the Stone Race wiped out?"

"Even if I, the old ancestor, step out to deal with Nineteen, the Human Race has Arrays boosting them. They can erupt with eighth‑layer strength—who can handle that?"

"You?"

"Pig‑brain!"

"But... I’m not afraid of dying!"

Even so, Shi Jun still wanted to charge over and kill.

Li Mu’s head was really aching; if he had a choice, he truly looked down on these simple‑minded Stone Race people. They were just single‑track idiots, totally impervious to reason.

He was at least a seventh‑layer Dao Realm expert, yet his brains were worse than Human Race children.

"Enough, there’s no need to say more about this!"

Li Mu couldn’t be bothered with him anymore, then turned his gaze to the others. "From today on, all resources of the Stone Race are to be given first to those above the sixth layer of Dao Realm. No matter what surname—so long as they are above the sixth layer, they get priority."

"What?"

The entire great hall immediately erupted in an uproar.

The people of the three great surnames were all stunned, unable to believe these words had come from the Great Ancestor’s mouth.

All along, ninety percent of the Stone Race’s resources had been used by the Royal Family.

People of the three great surnames were numerous, and they had many experts, but they only got ten percent.

Yet they didn’t dare voice the slightest objection, because the three Great Ancestors were too strong—they didn’t dare! 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

As for these Stone Race of the Royal Family, they were even more unable to believe it.

"Great Ancestor, this is..."

A member of the Royal Family opened his mouth to object, but before he could finish, he was directly crushed to the ground by Li Mu’s terrifying pressure, unable to move.

Mere fourth‑layer Dao Realm; even if his Martial Cultivation wasn’t good, suppressing him was no problem.

"Shut up!"

"No one may raise any objection. If there is a next time—kill!"

The word "kill" kept echoing through the great hall.

It scared those of the Royal Family so much they no longer dared utter a sound.

As for the three great surnames, they naturally wouldn’t speak up; this matter was clearly to their advantage.

"Alright, that’s settled!"

"The Great Ancestor is going into seclusion to heal. From today on, all major affairs of the Stone Race—Shi Jun, you discuss them with the three great surnames."

...

Outside the great hall!

Everyone was dumbfounded—the Royal Family, and the three great surnames as well!

But no one dared disobey the Great Ancestor’s order.

"Let’s go!"

Shi Jun was seething inside as he led the Royal Family out of the royal city.

As for the people of the three great surnames—

"Let’s go, we’ll talk after we get back."

The one who spoke was the Old Ancestor of the Zhang surname. He felt something was wrong, very wrong!

But he couldn’t put his finger on what exactly was wrong!

For the Great Ancestor to give such an order was just too bizarre.

"Wait a bit!"

"Let the Royal Family go first. Don’t let a conflict break out later."

"Mm."

In the great hall, Li Mu’s face was bleak at this moment. For the sake of the Stone Race, his Li Family had paid too heavy a price.

Now, besides him, there was only one sixth‑layer Dao Realm, and his talent was average, and a collateral branch at that.

It was precisely for this reason that he hadn’t been offered up in sacrifice.

As for the remaining direct line, they were too weak.

"Sigh!"

...

In the Human Race’s main camp.

"Well? Want to go out with this old man or not?"

Liu Sheng looked at Wu Jin.

But Wu Jin turned his gaze to Wu Guang.

"Think it over yourself. You’re not young anymore. You’ve been following your father all this time. This Stone Cave may be dangerous, but it’s relatively simple. Outside, people’s hearts are complicated—your father has told you this. So in the end, how you choose... you think it through yourself."

Honestly speaking, he wanted to keep Wu Jin by his side.

After all, he was getting old, and just as he’d said, Wu Jin had lived in the Stone Cave all his life, with a simple mind; when something happened, he just killed, straightforward and brutal.

In the Stone Cave, that worked. Outside... that was just courting death!

"Go out."

Chen Xuan patted Wu Jin on the shoulder. "The Stone Cave is safe, but it’s too small. You have pretty good talent—you shouldn’t be confined here. Outside is dangerous, but it’s exciting too!"

"A man only lives once; you have to go through some things to be worthy of yourself."

Wu Jin looked at Wu Guang and slowly closed his eyes.

"I’ll go out!"

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes, his expression firm.

This was his choice!

The Stone Cave was good, but he had ambition too. He didn’t want to live forever under his father’s wings.

All these years, there had been gossip. Even though he pretended not to hear it, deep down it still left a knot in his heart.

So he wanted to go out, in large part to prove that he didn’t rely on his father—that he, Wu Jin, had fought his way to his current position on his own strength.

Wu Guang’s mouth opened slightly, but the words at his lips were swallowed back down.

"Hoo—"

He let out a long breath. "Good."

He nodded heavily.

The child had grown up and had his own ideas. As a father, even though he wanted to keep him close—at least here in the Stone Cave, with him around, he could protect him.

But... forget it.

He took a step forward.

At this moment he suddenly realized that this step was especially heavy, as if some invisible force was holding him down.

Although Wu Jin was right in front of him, he felt as if this single step took a very long time.

He pulled him into a tight hug, his rough big hand rubbing his head. "Out there, listen more to the Chief Eunuch. Before you do anything, ask the Chief Eunuch!"

"And find a few more women, give the Wu Family a bunch of little brats. Your father’s demands aren’t high—at least ten or eight. The more the better anyway."

The sudden change in tone left Wu Jin dumbfounded.

"Dad."

He called out helplessly. He’d just been in the middle of the sorrow of parting, and suddenly his father hit him with this.

Besides, he really had no interest in women.

He had never gone to those brothels. In his view, women... only delayed his Cultivation.

"Hahaha... that’s more like it. Have more kids. With talent like yours, not having children is a waste!"

Liu Sheng also burst out laughing at this moment.

"Anyway, once you’re out, that’s how it has to be. If you stayed in the Stone Cave, your dad wouldn’t push you."

"I’m going out!"

Wu Jin blurted it out. The more they said it like this, the more he wanted to leave.

As for women... hmph, once he’s out, his father can’t control him anyway.

"Don’t worry, this old man will keep an eye out for him when we get back to the Imperial City. If he takes a fancy to some family’s young lady, this old man will go propose a marriage for him."

With the Chief Eunuch of the Ritual Department personally proposing, there wasn’t a single family in the Imperial City that could refuse.

"Then I’ll have to thank you, Chief Eunuch."

Wu Guang bowed slightly to Liu Sheng, smiling as he expressed his thanks.

"Parents’ hearts are the same the world over."

Watching this scene, Chen Xuan couldn’t help sighing in his heart.

Though Wu Guang held a high position, raising his son alone as both father and mother hadn’t been easy.

The next morning at dawn!

A carriage rolled out of the outer city of the Stone Cave. Wu Guang stood in the middle of the city gate, watching. Even after the carriage disappeared from his sight, he still didn’t move.

A long time passed!

"A fledgling hawk still has to fly out on its own to truly grow up."

He suddenly spoke.

It was his way of comforting himself!