"All elders of the various nations, heed my command! Protect the Protector of the Nation!"
The Great Elder's voice was icy, filled with a resolve to face death. At this juncture, how could he possibly retreat?
Numerous elders nodded in unison, unleashing their formidable auras. Even if they were to perish, they would not falter.
"Truly, they know not the immensity of heaven or earth!"
The Black and White Impermanence shook their heads. With a mere stomp of their feet, an invisible wave surged forth. Before the elders could react, they were violently flung backward, utterly outmatched.
Witnessing this scene, Lu Fan fell into deeper despair. Although the elders had been empowered by the nation's destiny, their strength had only been temporarily boosted. How could they achieve any significant advancement in such a short time?
"Eliminate them all to prevent future trouble!"
The White Impermanence spoke, his eyes glinting with coldness. As members of the Phantom Hall, they would never tolerate such defiance.
The Black Impermanence did not hesitate. However, just as they were about to strike, two beams of sword light surged towards him, appearing incredibly sharp.
With a wave of his hand, the Black Impermanence unleashed a palm strike. Jian Shisan and Jian Jiu were sent flying, no match for him.
"Young Master, Young Master, are you alright!" Jian Jiu struggled to his feet and approached Ye Shisan.
Ye Shisan's face was ashen, his breath faint. Any slight impact could prove fatal.
Looking at their injured forms, Lu Fan was filled with despair. In the face of truly powerful experts, they were insignificant, like mere ants.
"If anything happens to the Young Master, the Ye Clan will not let this go!" Jian Jiu declared. "The clan elders are already rushing here. They will make you pay!"
"What a joke! If there were truly powerful individuals coming, they would have arrived long ago. Why wait until now!"
The Black Impermanence laughed, his expression laced with disdain. However, in that instant, his face contorted in alarm: "Not good, it's a Saint's aura!"
"A Saint's aura?"
The White Impermanence's face paled with panic. They were merely Half-Saints. If a true Battle Saint were to appear, the two of them would be utterly incapable of resisting.
"Could it be a Ye Clan expert?"
Hei Yu spoke, his eyes filled with worry. If it were truly a Ye Clan expert, they would not dare to act rashly. If Ye Shisan were to die, they would have nowhere to escape.
"Let's go, this place is not safe!"
The White Impermanence exclaimed, his form transforming into a gust of wind, like a mouse spotting a cat. He was acutely aware of the immense power of a Saint. Any carelessness would spell their doom.
The Black Impermanence and Hei Yu did not linger, quickly fleeing the scene. Being locked onto by a Saint's aura was a terrifying prospect, and they had no desire to become fallen souls.
Seeing the Phantom Hall members depart, Lu Fan and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. Though severely injured, they could still recover to their peak with proper care.
Elder Ye San arrived late, looking at everyone with a face full of guilt. "I was eating a bowl of noodles at a noodle shop, and it turned into this situation. It's all my fault!"
"At a time like this, Third Elder still has the mood to eat noodles!"
Ye Shisan chuckled bitterly, unable to move. Several of his bones were broken, and his complexion was extremely pale.
"Young Master, are you alright?" Elder Ye San asked. "They are too arrogant, showing such disregard and disrespect for our Ye Clan!"
"I am fine, naturally!"
Ye Shisan stated directly, "It's just a few broken bones. When we return to the Ye Clan, I will inform my father that these injuries were caused by Third Elder eating noodles!"
"That won't do, that absolutely won't do!"
Elder Ye San quickly said, "Young Master, rest assured, I will not let your injuries be in vain. I will surely kill those individuals from the Phantom Hall and bring justice to you!"
"If I do not see the heads of the Black and White Impermanence within three days, I will inform my father!"
Ye Shisan said coldly, "Third Elder, your actions are far too careless."
Third Elder looked embarrassed, unsure of what to do. "Since the Young Master has given me a strict command, I will certainly follow your words and take the heads of the Black and White Impermanence within three days!"
Ye Shisan nodded, showing no politeness. If Elder Ye San had not arrived late, they would not have been so severely injured, nor would they have ended up in this predicament.
"Jian Jiu, take the Young Master back to the Ye Clan for healing!"
Elder Ye San instructed, "I will now go and pursue the Black and White Impermanence. I want to see just where they got the audacity to be so disrespectful to the Young Master!"
Jian Jiu nodded slightly, his face filled with awkwardness. The Black and White Impermanence and their group had already fled. It would not be easy to find them again.
After Ye Shisan and the others departed, Ye Shisan looked at Lu Fan. "It seems I cannot spend this New Year with you all. I am seriously injured, and only the miraculous elixirs of the Ye Clan can help me recover!"
"It's alright!"
Lu Fan stated directly, "As long as you can recover quickly. After all, we cannot forget the deep hatred from today's bloodshed. We will seek retribution in the future!"
"Indeed, we will seek retribution in the future!" Long Yi nodded, his dissatisfaction evident.
Although the Black and White Impermanence were powerful, given enough time, surpassing them would not be difficult.
After Ye Shisan and the others left, Lu Fan and the rest sat cross-legged and meditated for a while before slowly standing up. However, they were all severely injured, appearing quite weak, as were the elders of the Dragon Dynasty.
"Great Elder, as the Chief Elder, you should consider your actions carefully!"
Lu Fan turned and said, "If it weren't for the Ye Clan experts arriving today, wouldn't we have all perished here? At that time, where would the Dragon Dynasty stand?"
"This..."
The Great Elder's face was embarrassed, but he did not know how to respond. However, he had never regretted his actions, even if Lu Fan blamed him.
"Your Majesty, we also bear responsibility for this matter!"
Third Elder spoke, "After all, the situation was urgent, and more importantly, as the ruler of the dynasty, nothing must happen to Your Majesty."
"From the very beginning of the Dragon Dynasty's establishment, I stated that I am merely the acting Protector of the Nation!"
Lu Fan's expression was indifferent. "Once a suitable person is found, I can be replaced."
"Within the dynasty, there can be no one but the Protector of the Nation!"
All the elders knelt and clasped their fists, their expressions solemn.
"Why are you doing this!" Lu Fan frowned. "It's not like I'm abdicating. Get up quickly!"
The elders exchanged glances before finally rising. As long as Lu Fan did not relinquish his position as Protector of the Nation, they would follow him forever. Moreover, within the Dragon Kingdom, who else besides Lu Fan could bear the title of Protector of the Nation?
In the perilous situation of today, they had no regrets. As long as they could follow in Lu Fan's footsteps, it was enough.