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

After Luo Tian's invisible boundary fell, the heavenly secrets of the hundred-mile valley instantly became chaotic.

To outsiders, this place appears to be just an ordinary desert, impenetrable even to divine sense.

Inside the Fang family courtyard, the wind still whipped sand and gravel against the wooden door, but the suffocating sense of oppression vanished without a trace after Luo Tian withdrew his imperial might.

He sat back down by the well, slowly and deliberately cracking walnuts, as if the scene that had just shocked the cultivators had never happened.

But the coldness and wariness deep in his eyes never faded.

"Dad, what are 'chess pieces'?"

Niannian squatted down next to Luo Tian, ​​blinking her big eyes.

She could sense that the Seven-Colored Illusionary Heart Orchid in her storage ring had been touched by the Emperor's might just now.

The wisp of fused gray light seemed to be active for a moment, but it quickly subsided, as if suppressed by some kind of rule.

"The spies that Jin Wuming planted in the cultivation world."

Luo Tian popped a walnut kernel into his mouth, his tone indifferent.

"His true form cannot come over; it is blocked by the rules of Heaven."

My distraction was too weak; I just crushed it again.

Therefore, he could only use the 'chess pieces' he had already left in this world to test the waters, or... cause trouble.

He looked up, gazing towards Crane City, his gaze seemingly piercing through a hundred-mile boundary:

"That chess piece is at most at the peak of the Earth Immortal realm, just like us, suppressed by the Heavenly Dao."

But its advantage lies in its deep concealment, and its methods may be even more insidious.

After all, it's easier to defend against a rat biting you from its hole than one rushing out to fight.

"Peak Earth Immortal?"

Xiao Jin immediately perked up, jumped off the well platform, and stretched his wrists.

"That's great! I was afraid his real body would come over and slap me to death."

Since we're all on the same level, who's afraid of who? If his pawn dares to come near, I'll scratch it to pieces with my dragon claw!

"Don't be careless."

Luo Nannan leaned against the pillar and spoke softly, her small hand unconsciously stroking the metal plaque in her arms.

The metal plaque was cold, yet it subtly resonated with the earth's veins, seemingly warning of something.

"A chess piece... may not necessarily be a person, it could be a treasure, or... a formation."

She looked at Luo Tian: "Boundaries can block detection, but they cannot block the causal connections that already exist. That wisp of reincarnation is that connection."

Luo Tian glanced approvingly at Nannan and nodded, saying:

"Nannan is right. Since Jin Wuming is willing to reincarnate on and off that spiritual root, he couldn't possibly be doing it just to track it down."

That trigger is likely also an 'anchor point,' allowing his pieces to exert influence on us across boundaries, such as... curses or poisons.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Xiao suddenly let out a soft "Eh".

She was squatting in the corner of the courtyard, her palms pressed against the ground, and emerald green light seeped into the earth like flowing water, probing the condition of the Fang family's earth veins.

At this moment, her brows furrowed slightly:

"Dad, something's wrong with the earth's veins."

The flow of spiritual energy was 30% slower than before, and... it carried a very faint, chilling sense of stagnation, as if... it was being slowly blocked by something.

"They've arrived as expected."

Luo Tian was not surprised; instead, a hint of coldness appeared on his face.

"Instead of taking direct action, they're targeting the earth's veins... This pawn is quite cautious, which is consistent with Jin Wuming's style."

He stood up, walked into the courtyard, and his feet trembled slightly.

A powerful yet restrained spiritual energy at the peak of the Earth Immortal realm rippled down his feet and silently entered the ground, instantly covering the entire Fang family territory.

In his perception, the earth's spiritual energy was flowing as usual.

However, on the "pipeline" through which spiritual energy flows, there is a layer of almost imperceptible gray sticky substance, like oil, which is slowly eroding and blocking the earth's veins.

This gray substance carried a faint trace of the aura of reincarnation.

It seeped in from the outside, following the causal connections left by the Seven-Colored Illusion Orchid, and attached itself to the earth's veins.

It doesn't attack people, it only blocks the earth's veins, making it extremely insidious.

If it were a Mahayana cultivator, it would probably take a hundred years to discover it. By the time it was discovered, the earth veins would have been destroyed, and the Fang family would have collapsed without a fight.

"Xiaoxiao, use the essence of your Life Tree to purify the earth's veins."

Remember, only purify, do not try to expel that gray substance. It is tainted by karma; forcibly expelling it will backfire on Nian Nian.

Luo Tian gave the order in a deep voice.

"Yes, Dad."

Xiao Xiao nodded slightly, sat down cross-legged, and a phantom image flashed behind him, revealing a miniature yet lifelike emerald green divine tree.

A powerful yet gentle flow of wood-elemental energy surged forth, carefully enveloping the earth's veins, like the finest scalpel, peeling away and purifying the gray, sticky substance bit by bit.

The process is slow, but the effects are remarkable; the feeling of blockage in the earth's veins is reduced at a visible rate.

"Xiao Jin, protect Xiao Xiao. Slap any insects that dare to get close away."

Luo Tian continued.

"Yes, sir!"

Xiao Jin grinned, his dragon might restrained, yet he stood guard beside Xiao Xiao like a guardian deity.

"Nannan, you have the sharpest senses. Keep your eyes on the source of that gray substance and see which direction it seeps in from, and whether there is any other accompanying malice."

Luo Tian looked at his daughter.

Nannan nodded, closed her eyes to sense, and the crimson-gold divine fire flashed and disappeared at her fingertips. She pointed to the west side of the valley:

"Over there, the strongest smell, and... a very faint smell of blood, not human blood, but... the smell of corpse oil."

"Corpse oil?" Niannian wrinkled her little nose.

"How disgusting! Jin Wuming's pawn is a tool for playing with corpses?"

"Very likely." Luo Tian's eyes turned slightly cold.

"Among the heretical paths in the cultivation world, there are quite a few who raise corpses and refine souls."

Jin Wuming's true form follows the path of reincarnation, which is originally the same as the path of corpses.

This chess piece is probably an old zombie, or... a powerful zombie king controlled by him.

He paused, then looked at Niannian:

"Niannian, you take Qiqi and Qianqian and guard the inner side of the boundary, especially near the well platform."

If the zombie wants to completely sever the Fang family's foundation, it will likely attack the spirit well directly.

"Give me the Morning Dew Sword, and I'll temporarily seal the well to prevent it from poisoning it."

Nian Nian obediently handed over the Morning Dew Sword.

Luo Tian took it, flicked his finger, and a stream of spiritual power at the peak of the Earth Immortal level was injected into the sword.

The Morning Dew Sword emitted a clear and melodious sword cry, transforming into a streak of silver light that hovered steadily three feet above the well opening, like a well cover.

Layer upon layer of swords descended, sealing the wellhead completely.

After doing all this, Luo Tiancai sat back down by the well, picked up a new walnut, and slowly cracked it open.

He appeared relaxed, as if he had everything under control, but his aura had already merged with the entire hundred-mile boundary.

If that "chess piece" dares to make any move, it will surely be met with his thunderous strike.

Meanwhile, in the western wilderness, a hundred miles away from the border, beneath a hidden rocky hill.

An old man, dressed in a tattered gray robe and with skin as bluish-gray as a zombie, was sitting cross-legged on the ground.

Before him lay a mirror made of unknown white bones, its surface blurry, vaguely reflecting the scene inside the Fang family courtyard, but extremely distorted.

The old man muttered incantations, and wisps of gray energy emanated from the mirror, seeping into the Fang family's earth veins along some invisible causal line.

Suddenly, the old man froze. The silver sword shadow blocking the well in the mirror seemed to sense his prying eyes.

Suddenly, a sharp sword intent pierced through the mirror and rebounded!

"puff!"

The old man suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood poisoned by corpses, his face instantly turning ashen, and the mirror cracked open with a "crack".

He looked in the direction of the Fang family's house in horror, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"The sword intent of a peak Earth Immortal... and that power of rules that suppresses heaven and earth..."

How could Luo Tian be so powerful?

As expected of the Great Emperor of War... Fortunately, I only had a wisp of my corpse spirit descend, so the loss was not significant..."

The old man whispered, his figure beginning to become ethereal, clearly preparing to abandon this clone and sever the connection.

He dared not test the waters any further. Luo Tian's counterattack was too sharp; a single sword intent almost destroyed his painstakingly crafted corpse.

However, just as his clone was about to dissipate, a clear, cold voice rang out.

Like a chilling wind from the deepest abyss, it precisely penetrated his sea of ​​consciousness, following that thread of cause and effect:

"Since you're here, leave something behind before you go."

For example... the coordinates of your physical body in the cultivation world.

The owner of the voice was Luo Tian. He did not pursue, but from a distance of a hundred miles, he forcibly used an extremely sophisticated soul-searching technique with his peak Earth Immortal cultivation!

Of course, the target is not this clone, but to trace back along the faint but existing connection between the clone and the main body!

"what!"

On the wasteland, the gray-haired old man let out a mournful howl, his clone trembled violently, and countless chaotic fragments of memory were forcibly extracted.

The next moment, the clone exploded into ashes with a loud "boom".

Inside the Fang family courtyard, Luo Tian slowly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.

"Crane City... underground... the Hollow of Ten Thousand Corpses... so this is the lair of your 'chess piece'."

He muttered something under his breath, picked up another walnut, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Very good, now that we've found their hideout, it's time to wipe them out."

He looked towards the western horizon, where the sun was setting and night was approaching.

But for some things hidden in the shadows, the real night has only just begun.