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

Life in the valley returned to that tense yet tranquil state.

Luo Tian still sits by the well every day, slowly chewing walnuts, but he spends longer and longer periods of time concentrating with his eyes closed.

The refined dark gold crystal in his palm was strung on a thin hemp rope and hung at his waist. With his slight movements, it occasionally bumped against the stone steps, making a soft knocking sound.

The voice was ordinary, yet it seemed to carry a rhythm that suppressed all evil.

On this day, the sun shone brightly, but it carried the dry heat unique to the desert.

Instead of sitting by the window to contemplate things as usual, Niannian surprisingly came to the open space in the courtyard.

She took a deep breath and drew the Morning Dew Sword with a clang.

The sword's silver-white blade appeared exceptionally cold and aloof against the backdrop of that icy blue luster.

She didn't immediately start wielding her sword; instead, she flipped her palm and took out the Seven-Colored Illusion Orchid.

The seedling floated in the palm of the hand, its seven-colored rays swirling and reflecting the icy blue of the sword.

Nian Nian closed her eyes, and the Chaos Nine-Leaf Lotus slowly rotated, trying to carefully guide the wisp of refined reincarnation energy from the orchid towards the Morning Dew Sword.

This process is extremely slow and extremely dangerous.

With each shift of breath, the Morning Dew Sword would emit a faint hum, its blade trembling as if resisting, yet also yearning.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Niannian's forehead, her little face was tense, and she was completely focused.

Xiao Xiao sat cross-legged not far away, her emerald green spiritual light always ready. If her spiritual power got out of control, she would immediately use the essence of the Tree of Life to protect her meridians.

Nannan leaned against a pillar, the crimson flames dancing on her fingertips, ready to burn away any possible cold backlash.

Qianqian's figure was translucent in the sunlight, her illusion network fully activated, blocking out all external interference.

Qiqi held the pottery jar tightly, looking at it nervously, barely daring to breathe.

"Buzz..."

The Morning Dew Sword trembled violently, and a drop of bright red blood seeped from its tip!

That wasn't Nian Nian's blood, but rather a release of the sword spirit's own essence after being stimulated!

The moment the blood droplet appeared, the icy blue luster on the sword suddenly intensified, colliding fiercely with the seven-colored light, producing a hissing sound, as if water and fire were incompatible!

"Hold on!" Luo Tian didn't open his eyes, but his calm voice clearly reached Nian Nian's ears.

"A sword has its own nature, and an orchid has its own soul. The Morning Dew Sword is born in extreme cold, and the Seven-Colored Illusion Heart Orchid contains the cycle of reincarnation. They are inherently incompatible, and forcibly fusing them will only result in mutual destruction."

You must use chaos as a bridge and sword intent as a guide to find the 'point' where water and fire merge, rather than suppressing it with brute force.

Niannian bit her lower lip, obediently suppressing her thoughts of forcibly merging with him.

She stopped trying to infuse the sword with the aura of reincarnation and instead focused her attention on the Chaos Nine-Leaf Lotus.

The first leaf shone with a faint light, and a Daoist aura that encompassed all things spread out, simultaneously enveloping and harmonizing the icy coldness of the sword and the cyclical energy of the orchid.

Gradually, the sounds of collision subsided.

The drop of sword spirit blood stopped its restlessness and instead flowed along the sword, eventually stopping at the junction of the guard and the blade, where it slowly seeped in.

The colorful glow no longer resisted the icy blue, but instead flowed like a gentle stream, following the path of the drop of blood, gradually merging into the sword.

The hum of the Morning Dew Sword became deep and melodious, and a faint yet real seven-colored light began to appear in the icy blue luster of the sword.

"Click..."

A very faint, crisp sound came from inside the sword.

It wasn't a shattering sound, but rather a sound similar to "enlightenment."

At this moment, the sword energy of the Morning Dew Sword seemed to become more refined and restrained, while also carrying an indescribable sense of the cycle of life and death.

Niannian let out a long sigh of relief, her little face a little pale, but her eyes were full of joy.

She could sense that a faint but real connection had been established between the Morning Dew Sword and the Seven-Colored Illusion Orchid.

Although it's still a long way from a true "unity of sword and orchid," this step has finally been taken.

Just then, Little Gold, who had been sitting cross-legged on the courtyard wall, suddenly opened its dragon eyes.

He abruptly stood up, his dragon-like might erupting without restraint, and roared fiercely towards the southern horizon:

"What kind of scoundrel are you, sneaking around like that! Get out here, Grandpa Jin!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a gray streak of light suddenly stopped in the southern sky, revealing the figure of a cultivator in a gray robe with a blurred face.

The cultivator had a cold aura and his cultivation level was around the mid-stage of the Integration Realm, far inferior to the previous zombie elder.

However, he carried a sinister aura similar to that of the "true chess piece" that Xiao Jin had sensed in the Ten Thousand Corpse Cave, only a hundred times weaker.

"Dragon... Dragon Lord, please calm your anger!"

The gray-robed cultivator, separated by a hundred miles, bowed respectfully, his voice trembling.

"I am the Left Protector of the Yin Sha Sect. I have come on the orders of the Sect Leader to present a 'calling card' to Lord Luo Tian!"

As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve, and a gray-black talisman shot towards the valley like an arrow.

When the talisman reached the hundred-mile boundary, it did not force its way through, but hovered outside, surrounded by yin energy, vaguely outlining a distorted character "煞" (sha).

"The Yin Sha Sect?" Xiao Jin sneered. "Never heard of it. What kind of nobodies dare to send an invitation?"

But he did not destroy the talisman immediately; instead, he turned to look at Luo Tian.

Luo Tian slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the hovering talisman, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips:

"Jin Wuming is indeed good at using others to do his dirty work. This Yin Sha Sect is probably one of the many hidden pawns he has planted in this world."

Now that the old zombie is dead, and the Shadow Slave's message has failed, he's sent a lackey out to test my reaction with this so-called "invitation letter," and incidentally... muddy the waters.

He did not get up, but simply flicked his finger.

"laugh!"

An invisible sword aura pierced precisely through the hovering talisman.

The talisman did not explode; instead, it quickly charred and curled up like a piece of burning paper, eventually turning into a wisp of smoke and dissipating.

But within that wisp of smoke, a fragmented, deliberately distorted, chilling statement remained:

"Three days later... at midnight... Crane City... at the altar... awaiting your arrival..."

As soon as the words were spoken, the gray-robed cultivator felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He turned around and transformed into a streak of light, fleeing in panic without looking back, fearing that if he was even a step too slow, he would be killed by Little Gold.

"Master, shall we pursue them?" Little Gold asked menacingly.

"No need," Luo Tian said calmly.

"Letting him go back to report is exactly what Jin Wuming wanted."

This "visiting letter" was less of a provocation and more of a bait, a test.

He wanted to lure me to the Crane City altar to see if I was truly as the rumors suggested, suppressed by the Heavenly Dao and unable to move, or... if he had other intentions.

He stood up, walked into the courtyard, and looked at the wisp of smoke that had not yet dissipated on the southern horizon. A sharp, all-knowing glint flashed in his eyes:

"At midnight three days from now... Crane City Altar... Ha, Jin Wuming, you certainly know how to pick a location."

That altar is said to be the site of an ancient passage to the underworld, filled with the aura of reincarnation, making it perfect for wandering ghosts like you.

He paused, turned to look at Niannian, and seeing that she had sheathed her sword and the Seven-Colored Illusionary Heart Orchid had been safely retrieved, he nodded.

"Niannian, how does it feel to have your gladiolus and sword orchids begin to merge?"

"Dad, the sword has become heavier, and... more 'alive'."

Nian Nian carefully sensed the changes in the Morning Dew Sword.

"It seems to be able to 'breathe' on its own now, and there's a slightly cold feeling in its breath."

"That's the influence of the cycle of reincarnation; you need to adapt carefully and not rush into it."

Luo Tian gave instructions, then glanced at everyone.

"Three days later, at midnight, at the altar in Crane City."

Since Jin Wuming has set up this event, it would seem cowardly of me not to attend.

Xiao Jin, you stay here and protect the Fang family and Niannian.

Nannan, Xiaoxiao, Qianqian, and Qiqi, come with me.

"Yes, Master!" the divine beasts replied solemnly.

Luo Tian sat back down by the well, picked up a walnut, and slowly cracked it open.

Three days is neither a long nor a short time; it's enough for him to make some preparations, and also enough for Jin Wuming to set up his self-righteous killing trap at the Crane City altar.

The wind in the valley whipped up the sand and gravel on the ground, which then struck the crooked wooden door with a monotonous crackling sound.

A conspiracy targeting Luo Tian has begun.

Luo Tian, ​​however, calmly chewed on his walnuts, his eyes deep, as if he had already seen through the ugliness and conspiracy hidden beneath the altar.