Adrian lowered his head, the guilt and self-blame on his face deepening by several shades.
Alex was silent for a moment before speaking in a deep voice. "Adrian, go immediately and notify Cedric, and have him thoroughly inspect the Clan Protection Grand Formation. The Heaven, Earth, and Human sub-formations must remain fully activated at all times."
"Then, go find Tobias. Have him select four hundred sharp and capable disciples, divided into teams of fifty, to patrol the four directional entrances of the Holy Land in day and night shifts, east, west, south, and north."
"Every suspicious individual is to be strictly interrogated."
Adrian was dumbfounded. "Saint Lord, why is this necessary?"
"The Hale family is very likely about to face an unprecedented catastrophe." Alex narrowed his eyes, his tone heavy as stone.
"If we do not make foolproof preparations in advance, I am afraid the entire Hale family will find it hard to escape this fated tribulation."
Hearing these words, Adrian’s expression shifted, and an intense wave of unease surged through his heart.
The Saint Lord was usually calm and composed, brimming with absolute confidence, even in the most severe situations, he could single-handedly turn the tide.
For him to act so contrary to his usual demeanor and say such words, this was absolutely not alarmist talk.
Coming from the Saint Lord’s mouth, it meant only one thing, the Hale family had truly reached a critical juncture of life and death, with imminent peril at hand.
Adrian dared not delay in the slightest.
With no time to dwell on past mistakes, he obediently hurried off to deliver the orders.
Alex did not return to the Divine Blade Sect, choosing instead to remain in the Hale family Holy Land.
Returning to the Saint Lord’s Hall, he sat upon his throne, gazing at the vast expanse of stars and moon outside the window, and could not help but mutter softly to himself.
"I have racked my brains and exhausted all my painstaking efforts to finally secure such a great situation and forge the Hale family into the powerful family it is today."
"The heavens cannot be this unfair, can they? Just because I lack the protagonist’s halo, must they be so cruel to me?"
Suddenly, a strange rustling of wind reached his ears.
Alex narrowed his eyes and shouted sharply, "Who is it?!"
He saw Elara walking in from outside, carrying a silver tray. On the tray rested a small porcelain bowl, emitting warm, soothing steam.
"Saint Lord, you returned so late in the middle of the night. Why did you not let me know?" Elara placed the bowl by Alex’s hand, concern clear in her voice.
"The weather has been cold lately, so I specially simmered soup for the Saint Lord. It can dispel the cold and nourish your yang energy."
Alex picked up the spoon, scooped some soup, took a sip, and smiled. "Elara, your craftsmanship is becoming more and more refined."
"Hmm? Wait, that is not right."
"I just returned and have not notified anyone. How did you get the news so quickly and prepare the soup in advance?"
Elara smiled shyly. "Saint Lord, actually... I make a little soup every single night."
"Because the Saint Lord’s whereabouts are always uncertain, coming and going without a shadow. You might be a thousand miles away one moment, and back in the Holy Land the next."
"To ensure that no matter when the Saint Lord returns, you can always have a hot bowl of soup to drink, I make a small pot every night."
"Today, the Saint Lord finally got to drink it!"
Looking at the excitement on Elara’s face, seeing her genuine and heartfelt joy, Alex could not help but feel a ripple of emotion in his heart, and he silently made a firm resolution.
The Hale family, to him, was no longer just a faction, nor merely a stepping stone to becoming a Saint.
It was his home, the origin of his very existence, and the irreplaceable sanctuary of his soul.
No matter who it was, if anyone wanted to destroy the Hale family, Alex would fight them to the bitter end.
Even if he proved his Dao, became a Saint, and ascended to the Immortal Realm, he would absolutely never abandon or disregard the Hale family.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
Over these three days, the entire Hale family entered a state of high alert. Cedric ordered the Clan Protection Grand Formation activated, channeling its power to the maximum to ensure full defenses at all times.
Tobias selected four hundred elite disciples to guard the four directional entrances in rotating shifts, day and night, interrogating all suspicious individuals.
Under the combined efforts of the great elders, the entire Hale family Holy Land became like an iron barrel fortress, impregnable and flawless.
On this evening, Alex was observing the cultivation of several outstanding younger-generation disciples under Tobias, offering guidance from the sidelines.
Lucas suddenly rushed over, excitement written all over his face. "Saint Lord, we caught a guy of unknown origin!"
"This guy looks completely shady, shifty-eyed like a rat and sharp-chinned like an ape! His movements were extremely suspicious, so we took him down on the spot!"
"After we took him down, he actually boasted shamelessly, claiming to be the Saint Lord of a Hale branch family!" Lucas’s voice dripped with indignation.
"I directly escorted that madman over to hand him to the Saint Lord!"
"Oh?" Alex raised an eyebrow with deep interest.
"I did not expect there to be a madman who dares to impersonate someone from our Hale family."
"Bring him over, let me take a look."
"Understood!" Lucas cupped his fists, then turned and waved his hand.
"Come on, bring him up!"
Two young disciples escorted a middle-aged man bound securely with iron chains, walking over from a distance.
This middle-aged man looked to be around thirty or forty years old, and he truly appeared exactly as Lucas described.
Shifty-eyed like a rat and sharp-chinned like an ape, his small eyes darted around with a sneaky glint, his face was covered in pockmarks, and his frame was short, thin, and withered.
No matter where he was placed, he would be a remarkably unremarkable individual who could not stand out in a crowd.
Looking down at him from above, Alex said flatly, "Who are you, and why are you impersonating a member of my Hale family?"