The Demon King is back, leading adorable kids on an adventure around the world!

The next morning, Luo Tian led everyone away into the sky.

Ye Qianxue had received the message in advance and was already waiting at the mountain gate.

She was dressed in plain clothes, with the Ice Soul Sword hanging at her waist.

The wind blew her hair up and down, but she stood there motionless, like a tree standing quietly by the roadside.

Li Mengmeng also stood to the side, twirling a foxtail grass in her hand.

Seeing Luo Tian emerge from the spatial passage, he raised his hand in greeting:

"Master, you're back."

"Um."

Luo Tian stopped at the entrance and glanced at the scene inside the mountain gate.

Forty-nine outer disciples were practicing their fist techniques in the training ground. Their movements were neat and their demeanor was composed, much more orderly than when they left last time.

There were a few new faces on the sidelines. Their skill level wasn't high, but their posture was solid, and they were clearly trained.

Spirit herbs are growing well in the spirit field next to the martial arts arena, their leaves gleaming with a glossy green light.

The crane perched on the roof, one leg tucked into its feathers, as if dozing off. The Azure-feathered Eagle was not there; it must have gone out.

Everything outside the gate was operating normally, without any neglect or slackness.

Luo Tian stood there for a while before looking away.

Ye Qianxue walked slightly ahead of him, speaking as she went:

"Everything is fine in the sect. Most of the spiritual herbs we brought back from the secret realm and the pills we refined were distributed to the disciples, and they worked very well."

Two disciples have already reached the threshold of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and they should be able to break through soon.

Zhao Jianhua has recently broken through to the late Foundation Establishment stage and is much more diligent than before. He practices in the training ground before dawn every day without needing to be urged.

Luo Tian nodded: "Where is he?"

"I bought supplies in the town at the foot of the mountain and didn't get back until evening," Ye Qianxue replied.

Luo Tian didn't ask any further questions. He walked into the council hall and sat down in the main seat.

Ye Qianxue and Li Mengmeng sat down on either side of the window, where sunlight streamed in at an angle, casting a warm glow on the floor.

He began to recount the history of the Bodhidharma Temple, the sweeping monk, the Void-Breaking Stone, the ancient powerful beings who had already left, and the fact that "there are people from beyond the realm watching Earth."

After he finished speaking, the hall was quiet for a while.

Ye Qianxue spoke first: "What do you mean by 'someone from beyond the realm is watching Earth'?"

"Every epoch, someone will be sent to harvest it once. The sweeping monk didn't explain exactly what they harvest, but I guess it's something like spiritual energy, spiritual veins, or cultivators."

The Earth's spiritual energy has been depleted intermittently so many times, and it's not entirely due to that formation.

Li Mengmeng was silent for a moment: "After we break the seal and the spiritual energy recovers, will they send someone over?"

"They will definitely come, but not so soon. The formation has been broken, and the enemy will need time to react."

After listening, Ye Qianxue didn't ask any further questions. She lowered her head, thought for a moment, and said:

"What preparations does the sect need to make?"

"Focus on your training and improve your strength as much as you can."

I left a few cultivation manuals for the Grand Elder, and I'll leave one for you and Mengmeng as well.

In addition, keep extra communication tokens on hand to maintain constant contact.

Luo Tian paused, his gaze falling on Ye Qianxue and Li Mengmeng, his tone a little heavier than before:

"You two should also intensify your cultivation in the near future. After the spiritual energy recovers, the concentration of spiritual energy in the world will surge, which will be the best time to break through."

Qianxue, your Ice and Fire Phoenix Body has stabilized. You can try to break through to the Void Refinement stage.

Mengmeng, your foundation isn't as strong as Qianxue's, but you have a solid foundation. Playing it safe is the best approach.

Ye Qianxue sat up straighter: "This disciple understands."

Li Mengmeng nodded: "I will work harder to polish it."

"One's resolve to follow the Dao must be unwavering."

Luo Tian glanced at Li Mengmeng and warned her:

"Don't rush things. Refining emptiness is a hurdle, but when you reach the right state of mind, things will naturally fall into place."

Li Mengmeng paused for a moment, then said, "This disciple has remembered."

After the conversation, Luo Tian took a walk around the sect.

He first went to the library to take a look, and found that there were more jade slips on the bookshelves than last time.

Some of it was collected by the disciples from outside, and some was compiled and copied by Zhao Jianhua.

He looked through it, found nothing special, and put it back.

When the new faces on the training ground saw him approaching, they became so nervous that their posture stiffened, and one of them almost tripped over his own foot.

He waved to them to continue practicing, then turned and left.

The spiritual herbs in the spiritual field are growing well, with full leaves and thick roots, indicating that the spiritual veins underground have shown signs of recovery.

He squatted down to take a look, reached out and flicked a leaf, then stood up and walked back.

The base of the sect-protecting formation was partially exposed at the corner of the wall. He squatted down to examine the direction of the formation patterns, confirmed that there was no wear and tear, and then covered the stone slab again.

Zhao Jianhua returned in the evening, carrying a bag of supplies on his shoulder and several bundles of medicinal herbs in his other hand. His dusty robes were covered with dirt from the mountain road.

As he entered the mountain gate, the first thing he saw was Luo Tian standing in the courtyard.

He paused for a moment, put down his things, quickly walked over, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Sect Master."

Luo Tian glanced at him and saw that Zhao Jianhua's cultivation had indeed improved a lot, and his complexion was also more radiant than before.

The shrewdness of a businessman had faded considerably, replaced by the steadiness of a martial artist.

"Come a little closer." Luo Tian's expression didn't change much.

Zhao Jianhua looked up at him, but before he could speak, Luo Tian had already handed him a pill.

Zhao Jianhua subconsciously reached out and took it. Looking down, he saw a pale blue pill lying in his palm, its surface smooth with faint lines flowing around it.

He recognized it—a Breakthrough Pill, the same kind that Luo Tian had given to Ye Qianxue and Li Mengmeng.

His lips moved: "Sect Master, I..."

"Talent can be made up for later, but the determination to become stronger and the unwavering belief are what determine how far you can go."

Luo Tian stared at him, his tone very stern.

"Take the pill, and I'll watch you form your core!"

Zhao Jianhua took a deep breath and sat down cross-legged on the open ground in the courtyard.

He put the pill in his mouth, closed his eyes, and began to circulate his internal energy.

People watched from a distance, and no one went forward to disturb them.

The medicinal power of the Breakthrough Pill dissolved in his body, spiritual energy washed through his meridians, and the vortex in his dantian began to rotate faster.

His face flushed red and then turned white, his forehead was covered in layers of sweat, and the muscles under his robes were taut.

This process lasted for nearly an hour. During that time, he felt as if he was being torn apart by a force, his body trembled slightly, and the stone slabs under his knees were soaked with sweat.

At the last moment, he suddenly froze, and then a surge of energy burst forth from his body, breaking through the bottleneck and spreading outwards.

Zhao Jianhua opened his eyes, exhaled stale air, and his expression gradually relaxed.

Immediately afterwards, the sky darkened, dark clouds gathered, and thunder rumbled from afar, deep and heavy.

He looked up, wiped the sweat from his brow, and stood up: "Let's go!"

He walked to the center of the training ground and stood there with his back straight.

When the first bolt of lightning struck, he didn't dodge; instead, he raised his hand to meet it, his palm glowing.

The second and third bolts fell in succession, but he stood firm amidst the lightning, never bending under their weight.

Until the ninth bolt of lightning dissipated, the sky cleared, and a golden light descended and enveloped him.

He succeeded in achieving the Golden Core, even though it was a Nine Heavens Tribulation.

His current strength is many times greater than when he was the auction house president.

My past self probably couldn't even catch a finger in front of my present self.

Cultivating immortality and martial arts are fundamentally different; one is like the vast ocean of stars, while the other is like a frog in a well looking at the sky. They cannot be compared.

Zhao Jianhua stood in the center of the training ground, looked down at his hands, clenched his fist and then relaxed it, then turned around and knelt down in Luo Tian's direction to pay his respects.

Luo Tian stood under the eaves without saying a word, only nodding.

After night had completely fallen, Luo Tian stood alone at the mountain gate.

He took out a piece of broken stone and held it in his hand. The dark stone surface was slightly cool and shimmered with a very faint light under the moonlight.

He held it for a moment, then put it back into his sleeve.

Ye Qianxue walked up from behind: "Master, are we leaving tomorrow?"

"Okay." Luo Tian didn't turn around. "Go and break that formation."

"Is everything ready?"

"We have enough Void-Breaking Stones. We'll deal with the rest after the formation is broken."

Ye Qianxue stood beside him, following his gaze to the distant mountain ridgeline shrouded in night:

"What about beyond that realm..."

"A reaction is something for later; let's take it one step at a time."

Ye Qianxue didn't ask any more questions, stood there for a while, then turned and left.

Luo Tian stood there for a moment longer before putting the stone into his storage ring.

He's going to break the seal hidden deep underground tomorrow.

Nobody knows what will happen after the item is taken out.

The night wind swept through the mountains, ruffling the hem of his robe and carrying a hint of coolness.

"Whether it's more good fortune or more trouble, we'll find out tomorrow. I can't wait!"

Luo Tian muttered to himself, looked up at the distant horizon, and revealed a meaningful smile.