The great caravan of the Ning Clan, migrating as one, traveled through the southern fields under the gentle steps of March.

Spring was in full bloom.

Vast expanses of rapeseed flowers were in full blossom, their golden petals shimmering in the breeze like a golden glow on a sea of green, filling the air with hope.

The caravan rumbled onward.

A middle-aged man dismounted his steed and hurriedly climbed into one of the mechanized carriages in the caravan.

He pushed the door open in haste.

"Madam, look at this!" he exclaimed, presenting a pill as if it were a treasure.

His wife, heavily pregnant with a large belly, was lying in bed, resting with her eyes closed.

The carriage windows were shut, and the man channeled spiritual energy to illuminate a spirit lamp hanging from the ceiling.

Under the soft glow, his wife opened her eyes and looked at the pill. It was clear and crystalline, like a bead of glazed glass, emitting a faint golden glow.

She sniffed the air gently, catching the refreshing fragrance of the pill. The scent was reminiscent of a forest after rain, calming her spirit and clearing her mind.

Surprised, she said, "This is an Early Wisdom Pill, an exceptional elixir. Where did you get it?"

The man grinned. "Didn't I help that Iron-Fist Monk once? Since he follows the Buddhist path and values karma, he insisted on repaying me.

"I told him that my wife was about to give birth and asked if he could bless my son's future cultivation in some way."

His wife's joy turned to concern. "Husband, you could have used this opportunity to request the monk's aid to heal your injuries!"

"At the very least, you could have asked for a lotus seed from the Buddhist Compassion Platform, which would have improved your cultivation aptitude!"

The man shook his head and sighed. "I've thought it over.

"My old injuries flare up and cause me pain, but they won't kill me. At most, they'll make me miserable for a few days. Even if I healed completely, my combat strength wouldn't significantly improve.

"Even if I obtained a lotus seed, my cultivation aptitude would only rise from mid-tier to upper-mid-tier. At my age, breaking through my bottleneck is impossible with such an improvement."

He knelt beside his wife, gently placing a hand on her swollen belly. "Considering all this, I decided it was better to leave this chance for our child instead!"

"The main ingredient of the Early Wisdom Pill is a fragment of the Bodhi Tree's root of enlightenment, after all."

His wife sighed deeply but eventually nodded, acknowledging his decision.

"Here, take the pill," he said, standing up and offering it to her. "I'll help you absorb it with my spiritual energy."

The wife swallowed the pill, and its gentle medicinal power flowed into the unborn child within her womb.

The Early Wisdom Pill was renowned for enhancing mental clarity, cultivating spiritual awareness, nourishing the soul, and fostering intellect.

Once the process was complete, the man beamed with joy. "Wonderful! With this pill, our child will develop extraordinary intellect early on. Who knows? Maybe he's already listening to and remembering everything we say!"

His wife chuckled. "You dream too much."

"Even if he could remember every word we say, he wouldn't understand their meaning.

"Besides, his meridians aren't fully developed yet. If he starts cultivating prematurely, it might do more harm than good."

The man grinned sheepishly. "Of course, I know that. I was just joking."

Taking his wife's hand, he added, "Ah, only after becoming a parent does one realize the depth of a parent's love for their child.

"Our child isn't even born yet, and I can't help but worry about his future."

"I just hope he'll have great cultivation potential—ideally higher than mine. I don't want him to end up like me."

His wife shook her head. "If he doesn't have cultivation potential, will I love him any less?"

"No," the man replied firmly. "No matter what, he is our child, our flesh and blood."

"I hope he has some aptitude for cultivation, but not too much."

"How many times have we seen or heard of prodigious children meeting untimely deaths?"

"I just want him to live a peaceful and safe life."

As they were speaking, a sudden alarm rang out.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" someone shouted loudly.

The couple's expressions changed drastically.

The middle-aged man quickly instructed his wife to stay calm and still, then stepped outside.

The moment he emerged, the world around him transformed. Icy winds howled, sharp as countless blades, cutting through everything in their path.

"We've fallen into a grand array!" the man exclaimed, angered yet trying to remain calm. He immediately channeled his spiritual energy into his magical tools for protection. Inside the carriage, his wife activated various defensive runes, causing the vehicle's protective power to surge.

"Who dares?" roared the Ning Clan's patriarch as he ascended into the air, exuding an imposing aura.

The attackers remained silent, focusing on manipulating the icy formation to unleash its next attack.

Fist-sized hailstones rained down like a storm, covering the sky.

The Ning Clan caravan began to suffer casualties.

The patriarch laughed coldly. "Ha! Do you think I don't know who you are, even if you hide in the shadows?"

"Frost Marquis, Absolute Ice Hermit—how patient of you to wait until we crossed into the southern border of the Nan Dou( Southern Bean) Kingdom to strike."

Exposed, Hanshuang Marquis and Absolute Ice Hermit revealed themselves.

Frost Marquis spoke first"Old Ning, when you left my Beifeng(Northern wind )Kingdom and brought your entire clan to pledge allegiance to the Nan Dou Kingdom, you should have anticipated this moment."

The patriarch retorted angrily, "I made my intentions clear to your king and even left behind treasures to reach an agreement. Your Beifeng royal family is breaking its promise. After this battle, I will make this betrayal known to all!"

Absolute Ice Hermit sneered. "Which is why I'm here. Rest assured, after this battle, the only rumor that will spread is that Absolute Ice Hermit acted alone to settle a personal vendetta."

A fierce battle erupted.

Already outnumbered, the Ning Clan's patriarch struggled to protect his clan while fighting off the attackers. He soon found himself at a disadvantage.

Sensing imminent danger, the patriarch detonated a magical artifact, temporarily blasting open a pathway through the array.

"Run!!" he roared.

In the chaos, the Ning Clan Young Master took charge, guiding as many clansmen as possible through the opening to escape.

Meanwhile, packs of snow wolves formed from ice and snow gave relentless pursuit, slaughtering those who lagged behind.

The pathway began to shrink, leaving more than half the Ning Clan still trapped within the array.

"Don't push! Stay calm!" people shouted as panic turned into chaos.

The snow wolves descended upon the crowd, creating a scene of blood and carnage.

In the confusion, the Ning Clan's young master and two others squeezed into the middle-aged couple's mechanized carriage.

"Ning Zhong, my brother!" the clan young master, Ning Xiaoren, greeted the middle-aged man in a panic. "The pathway is closing—please lend us your carriage!"

However, the carriage, burdened by the additional passengers and damaged by the icy onslaught, began to slow down and fall behind.

It became clear they wouldn't make it through in time.

The clan young master's two attendants turned to Ning Zhong. "Brother Ning Zhong, you're in the Foundation Establishment stage like us. Please step out and join us in holding off the enemy!"

His wife cried out in alarm, "Zhong-ge, don't go!"

Ning Zhong furrowed his brow, his years of battle experience allowing him to assess the dire situation with clarity. "If I don't go out and hold them back, none of us will make it!"

He turned sharply to glare at the clan young master, his eyes fierce.

Ning Xiaoren shivered under his gaze and quickly raised his hand in an oath. "Brother Ning Zhong, rest assured. If we survive, I swear on my life to protect your wife and child and to do everything in my power to support your son's path in cultivation!"

Ning Zhong cast one last, heart-wrenching glance at his wife.

She was already crying, her face red with tears.

"Take good care of our child!"

Gritting his teeth, Ning Zhong made his decision. He leapt off the carriage, accompanied by the two attendants, to face the pursuing snow wolves.

The wolves howled menacingly as the mechanized carriage, staggering and damaged, passed through the shrinking pathway and disappeared into the opening.