My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

The night was like a thick, unyielding ink, pressing heavily over this ancient border town.

It is tens of thousands of miles away from the Luo family mansion.

Deep beneath the ancient city lies a dark underground palace shrouded in layers of protective arrays.

This place is perpetually shrouded in darkness, and the air is thick with a nauseating stench of decay and decay.

In the center of the underground palace was an evil array drawn with scarlet blood.

At the core of the formation, a gaunt old man sat cross-legged.

He no longer looks like a human being.

In the deep-set eye sockets, only two eerie green will-o'-the-wisps remained, like candles flickering in the wind.

The shriveled skin clung tightly to the bones, and most of the body had even taken on a strange, grayish-white, petrified state.

This is the ancestor of the Zhao family who has lived for over a thousand years.

It was also the last trump card that allowed the Zhao family to establish itself in this small world.

"Cough cough..."

The old man coughed violently, and with each cough, black, foul-smelling blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.

His lifespan has completely run out.

Without extraordinary good fortune, he would at most survive until midnight tonight, after which he would turn into a handful of dust.

"Useless...a bunch of good-for-nothings who're more trouble than they're worth!"

From the old man's leaky throat, he squeezed out a hoarse and unpleasant curse, like that of a night owl.

"I've been planning this for a full ten years!"

"We finally waited until that girl Luo Qingyi left home, and we finally managed to severely injure her guards!"

"You're telling me the person was kidnapped? And that spirit egg containing phoenix blood has fallen into someone else's hands?!"

Below the underground palace.

The Zhao family patriarch, along with several core elders, knelt on the cold stone slab like quails.

Everyone was trembling, their backs already soaked with cold sweat.

"Ancestor, please calm down! There are just too many variables!"

The head of the Zhao family buried his head deep in the ground, his voice shrill and filled with fear.

"The news that our spies risked their lives to bring back indicates that the ones who disrupted our plans were a mysterious young man of unknown origin and a little girl of about five years old."

"Their cultivation is unfathomable. Our elite bandits didn't even have to make a single move before their dantian was completely destroyed!"

"Right now, those two are staying at the Luo family's Cherry Blossom Courtyard. The phoenix spirit egg that can prolong your life, Ancestor, is in that little girl's hands!"

"A five-year-old girl?"

A fierce light, filled with extreme resentment, suddenly erupted from the Zhao family patriarch's eerie green eyes.

He knows his physical condition all too well.

Once he falls, the Zhao family, having lost its top combat power, will immediately be attacked by the Luo family and other covetous families around them.

Within three days, the Zhao family will be uprooted, with the male members enslaved and the female members reduced to prostitution.

This is the final moment of life and death.

There is no way out!

"Since outright robbery won't work, we'll have to resort to covert methods."

The Zhao family patriarch flicked his withered fingers.

With a "click".

An ancient ring, entirely black and covered with strange cracks, rolled down in front of the Zhao family patriarch.

Upon seeing the ring, the Zhao family patriarch gasped.

"Ancestor, this...this is that ancient relic, the Shadow Ring?!"

"good."

The old ancestor was panting heavily, his voice filled with hysterical madness.

"Select the most elite and loyal warriors in the clan, and have them wear it!"

"Once activated, this item can completely distort the workings of heaven. Not only can it perfectly shield the perception of all defensive formations, but even the divine sense of a Nascent Soul stage expert will be unable to detect the wearer's presence!"

"But the price is..."

The old ancestor paused, his tone chilling and biting.

"The wearer's consciousness and all spiritual power will also be sealed at the same time. Before the ring is removed, he will be reduced to a completely mortal."

The Zhao family patriarch held up the Shadow Ring with trembling hands, a ruthless determination flashing in his eyes.

"Rest assured, Ancestor!"

"Even as a mortal, the hand-to-hand combat skills of my Zhao family's elite assassins are enough to silently snap a little girl's neck!"

Half an incense stick later.

A top assassin of the Zhao family, codenamed "Shadow One," knelt in the center of the underground palace.

He accepted the Shadow Ring expressionlessly and put it on the index finger of his left hand without hesitation.

"Buzz—"

There was no earth-shattering burst of spiritual energy.

The moment the ring was put on, the surging true essence within Yingyi's body, which originally belonged to the late stage of the Golden Core realm, seemed to be instantly swallowed up by a bottomless black hole.

His consciousness was forcibly locked deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, and could no longer be released even a fraction of its power.

Not only that.

In the sight of the Zhao family patriarch and others, Yingyi was clearly kneeling there, but if you closed your eyes, you couldn't sense the presence of a living person there at all.

Even his heartbeat, breathing, and the heat emanating from his body were perfectly erased by this ancient ring.

He became a "ghost" that existed outside the laws of the world.

"Go."

The Zhao family patriarch's gaze turned cold as he issued his final, death order.

"Infiltrate the Luo family's Cherry Blossom Courtyard."

"Avoid that mysterious youth, and at all costs, cut off that little girl's head and bring back the phoenix spirit egg!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Shadow One's voice was completely flat, like a machine devoid of emotion.

He stood up, turned around, and disappeared into the vast night.

at the same time.

Inside the Luo family mansion, in the Cherry Blossom Courtyard.

This place is a completely different scene, without any of the cruel fighting and killing in the cultivation world.

Yes, but it was top-quality food that made Jizi so happy she almost fainted.

"Wow! This crystal osmanthus honey syrup is so delicious!"

Si Zi sat on a large, soft couch, holding a delicate white jade bowl in her two small hands.

The little girl tilted her head back and gulped down the sweet soup.

The crystal-clear honeydew, carrying a rich osmanthus fragrance, flowed down my throat and into my stomach, leaving me feeling warm and cozy.

"Drink slowly, there's still plenty left in the pot."

Luo Qingyi, dressed in a light gauze dress, knelt beside a low table.

She looked at Sizi with doting eyes, occasionally wiping the soup from the corners of the little girl's mouth with a handkerchief.

The look in his eyes was even more affectionate than when he looked at his own sister.

And right in the center of the low table.

On the table is a specially made baking pan carved from millennia-old volcanic rock.

On the baking tray, several evenly sliced ​​Wagyu beef short ribs sizzled enticingly under the heat of the grill.

The rich fat dripped down the meat's texture onto the volcanic rock, instantly releasing an irresistible aroma that made you want to swallow your tongue.

"Slurp..."

Fatty Si, who had been squatting at the corner of the table, stared intently at the few pieces of ribs.

Saliva dripped down his orange fur.

It couldn't resist stretching out its chubby paw, wanting to grab a piece and try it out.

"Snapped!"

Sizi reacted quickly and slapped Fatty Si's paw.

"Fourth brother! Can't you behave like a man? The meat isn't even cooked yet!"

The little girl puffed out her cheeks and glared at her vice-leader with fierce possessiveness.

"Meow..."

Fatty whimpered and could only obediently retract his paws, continuing to stare longingly at the baking pan.

Watching the amusing interaction between the person and the cat, Luo Qingyi couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

She picked up a specially made silver tongs and skillfully flipped the roasted meat.

"Almost done, just sprinkle on some more spices from the Western Regions, and it'll be ready to eat soon."

Luo Qingyi carefully placed the golden-brown, crispy, and tender beef ribs into Sizi's small plate.

They even thoughtfully removed the bones from her bones.

Sizi cheered and grabbed a piece of beef with his hand, stuffing it into his mouth and chewing it heartily.

"Mmm! It's so delicious!"