My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

In the dimly lit, abandoned mansion, the atmosphere instantly plummeted to freezing point.

The dappled moonlight leaked down the dilapidated roof and spilled onto the messy ground.

The night wind swept through the hall, carrying a strong musty smell and a faint stench of blood.

Dozens of eyes, gleaming with greed and ferocity, gleamed eerily in the shadows, like a pack of wolves waiting for their chance to strike.

"Cough...Ptooey!"

In the silence, a husky voice suddenly rang out.

The burly man in black who had his lumbar spine broken by Si Zi's "cushioning weapon" was actually still alive.

He stubbornly held on to his last breath.

His hands were digging into the muddy paving stones, his fingernails were turned outwards and bleeding.

He slowly got up.

He spat out a mouthful of black blood mixed with pieces of internal organs.

His face, already covered in scars, was now contorted with pain, making him look like a demon.

"You little bastard, how dare you step on me!"

The burly man let out a broken, beast-like roar.

He pulled out a large, ghost-headed dagger from somewhere.

The blade gleamed with a chilling, eerie blue light, clearly indicating it was coated with a deadly poison that would kill instantly upon drawing blood.

He dragged his broken body.

His legs were dragged behind him in a twisted posture.

Driven by a bloodthirsty ferocity, it recklessly pounced on Si Zi's petite figure!

The broadsword slashed down fiercely.

The wind howled, carrying a chilling killing intent, and swirled up the withered leaves on the ground.

The ox shrank its neck in fright.

Two small hands gripped Li Chen's clothes tightly, and she subconsciously closed her eyes.

The anticipated danger did not materialize.

Li Chen didn't even lift his eyelids.

The wind blew through his hair.

He didn't even turn around; he simply swung his hand casually behind his back.

"Snapped!"

A sharp, teeth-grinding slap.

The explosion suddenly resounded in the empty, abandoned house, even shaking the dust off the roof beams.

The burly man wielding a large knife, his face contorted in a ferocious expression, abruptly stopped.

It was like being struck head-on by an invisible, massive hammer.

His imposing figure abruptly stopped in mid-air.

Then, it flew backward at ten times the speed it had come from, like a cannonball being fired.

"Boom!"

A tremendous impact force poured out.

The century-old tree, as thick as two people could hug, collapsed with a loud cracking sound as it could no longer bear the weight.

Wood chips flew everywhere.

The burly man didn't even have time to let out a half-scream.

He slid to the ground like a lump of mud without its bones, completely losing consciousness.

The smoke and dust gradually subsided.

Li Chen casually brushed off non-existent dust from his sleeves.

He slowly turned around.

His deep gaze calmly swept over the thugs hiding in the shadows.

His tone was cold and devoid of any warmth.

"What kind of gang are you involved in?"

"Starting with threats of violence right off the bat, how arrogant!"

The voice just fell.

From the surrounding shadows, there was no sign of retreat; instead, chilling laughter echoed.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Torches were lit one after another.

The orange-red firelight illuminated the dilapidated house.

Dozens of thugs dressed in identical black outfits no longer hid.

They emerged from behind the broken wall.

He leaped up from the ruins.

Even on the roof beams, ghostly figures began to fall.

They held various magical artifacts that emitted spiritual energy.

They pressed on relentlessly.

This formed an impenetrable encirclement, trapping Li Chen and Si Zi firmly in the center.

Li Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.

His divine sense swept across the area casually like ripples on water, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

This group of seemingly thugs and hooligans were no ordinary bandits.

Among them, even the weakest cultivator was at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

And those leaders standing at the very front.

His blood and qi surged, surging with the powerful spiritual pressure belonging to the Golden Core stage!

I just randomly picked an abandoned, dilapidated house to stay in.

How could they possibly stumble upon a criminal gang composed of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators?

What kind of absurd little world is this?

"Kid, not bad."

The crowd slowly parted to make way.

A one-eyed man slowly walked out, dragging a long sword that gleamed coldly.

The sword tip scraped against the stone slab, making a harsh, screeching sound.

He exuded the spiritual energy fluctuations of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, radiating an imposing aura.

He is clearly the leader of this group.

The one-eyed man sized Li Chen up and down, his gaze blatant.

Then, he turned his gaze to the exquisitely beautiful and adorable Sizi.

In that single remaining eye, a fierce, greedy light instantly erupted.

"She's dressed so cleanly, and has such delicate skin."

"Looks like they're some young master and young lady from a powerful cultivation family, out sightseeing and enjoying themselves?"

The one-eyed man licked his dry lips.

A hoarse, unpleasant laugh escaped its throat, like that of a night owl.

"Today, the brothers are really lucky."

The thugs around them joined in the boisterous laughter.

The firelight illuminated their distorted faces.

The way they looked at Li Chen and his sister was no longer like looking at living people.

Instead, they were looking at two top-grade spirit stones that could walk.

"Sixteenth Brother, their laughter is awful."

Sizi hid behind Li Chen, peeking out half of its fluffy little head.

The little girl was a bit nervous, and she gripped her hands even tighter.

But being a Tang Dynasty princess who had seen many grand occasions, she was not frightened into tears by the scene.

She blinked her big eyes, full of confusion.

"Are they trying to steal our snacks?"

Listening to my younger sister's innocent childish voice.

The coldness in Li Chen's eyes faded slightly, replaced by a gentle look.

"It's not about stealing snacks."

He raised his hand and gently touched his sister's round bun.

His tone was casual, as if he were talking about the night.

"They're courting death."

This statement was like a spark falling into a pile of dry wood.

This thoroughly enraged the surrounding thugs.

"Looking for death? Hahaha! What a big mouth!"

The one-eyed man's expression suddenly turned cold, revealing his murderous intent.

He suddenly raised the long sword in his hand, pointing it directly at Li Chen's brow.

"No one dares to talk to us like that on my turf!"

His eyes widened in anger, and he roared fiercely.

"Since you won't listen to reason, brothers, let's go!"

"Sever the tendons in the man's hands and feet, thus crippling his cultivation!"

"Capture that little girl alive and unharmed!"

"Use them to pay the ransom, and it'll be enough for us brothers to live a life of luxury for years to come!"

"kill!"

The deafening shouts of battle pierced through the rooftops.

Dozens of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stage thugs roared in unison, their spiritual power instantly surging out of control.

Multicolored magical light intertwined to form a magnificent yet deadly giant net.

It instantly illuminated the entire night sky.

Flying swords, giant blades, fireballs, wind blades.

Various magical artifacts, accompanied by ear-piercing whistling sounds, descended mercilessly upon Li Chen and Si Zi like a violent storm!

The spiritual energy is raging.

A murderous intent surged, as if it would tear this space apart completely.

It seemed that the brother and sister, who were not moving, were about to be torn to pieces by the overwhelming magic.

however.

Li Chen remained standing quietly in place.

He did not draw his sword.

He didn't even form any defensive spells.

Faced with overwhelming killing intent, he simply raised his head slowly.

A startling change occurred deep within those once calm and indifferent eyes.

It was as if an ancient dragon, which had been sleeping for millions of years, was slowly opening its eyes in the abyss.

Disdainful of all living beings, indifferent to all things.

He sighed softly.

The sound wasn't loud, but it eerily drowned out the deafening explosions of the spells.

"They're so warm and hospitable as soon as we arrived."

"It seems I have to teach you a lesson for your stubbornness."

This light, whispered sentence fell as it was spoken.

The wind suddenly stopped.

Li Chen slightly raised his right hand, palm down.

Suddenly, facing the void.

Press it hard!