He Yuzhu returns in Siheyuan

Unbeknownst to these human cultivators, deep within the Misty Forest, Long Tian leaned against an ancient tree. Its trunk was so thick it required three people to encircle it, its mottled bark bearing the marks of time. The rough texture rubbed against his back, yet did nothing to alleviate the pain in his chest. Several deep, bone-revealing wounds still bled, staining his dark dragon scales crimson. Each breath tugged at his lungs, bringing waves of dull pain. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, staining his clothes with dark lines. Yet, the sharpness in his eyes remained undiminished, like a hawk locking onto its prey, fixed intently on the direction of the forest's edge, as if he could pierce through the layers of mist to see the movements of the humans.

Beside him, Long Jiao was squatting on the ground, stroking a pure white fox. The fox was almost half a person's height, its bushy tail like an open umbrella, the tips of its fur gleaming with a faint silver light. It was originally the demon king of this forest, ruling over the spirits within a hundred miles. But now, in front of Long Jiao, it was as docile as a domesticated pet, affectionately rubbing its furry head against her wrist, letting out gentle whimpers, its amber eyes filled with awe.

"Is everything arranged?" Long Tian asked in a deep voice, his voice carrying the deep hum unique to the dragon race, as if thunder was rolling in his chest, causing the leaves around him to fall and accumulate in a thin layer at his feet.

“Yes,” Long Jiao nodded in response, her fingertips lightly tracing the fox’s smooth fur, the movement as gentle as brushing against flowing water, yet her tone carried an undeniable authority, “All the demons in the forest have gathered here. The wolf king of the Blue-Faced Wolf Clan has brought three hundred wolf riders to guard the Thorn Valley in the east; the bear clan of Black Wind Ridge has brought fifty strong men to block the Broken Stone Bridge in the west; and there are also snakes by the stream, coiled in the swamp in the south, their venom already prepared. From the entrance to here, they have set up three sentry posts, every step is under our watchful eyes.”

She paused, a ruthless glint in her eyes: "If those humans dare to come in again, I guarantee they won't leave alive. The wolves' claws can tear apart their magical artifacts, the bears' fists can smash their protective shields, and the snakes' venom can corrode their bones... In the end, not even ashes will be left."

It turned out that although Long Tian and Long Jiao had been injured in their previous battle, the innate aura of the dragon race remained undiminished. When the group of human cultivators stormed in, they happened to run into the demon race attracted by the dense dragon energy emanating from the two. These demons had lived in the Misty Forest for thousands of years and had long heard of the dragon race's prestige—they were beings above all demons, supreme rulers of the four seas and the Dragon Realm. Now, seeing two true dragons appear before their eyes, even if their aura was slightly weaker, their domineering presence was enough to make them submit. Long Tian took the opportunity to subdue these demons, and using the advantageous terrain of the Misty Forest, he laid a trap, waiting for the greedy humans to walk right into it.

From the depths of the white mist, several low roars of beasts echoed, varying in length, sometimes like wolf howls, sometimes like bear roars—the demon race relaying messages, informing them of the commotion on the outskirts. Long Tian looked up at the edge of the forest, a cold smile playing on his lips, a bloodthirsty glint in his golden vertical pupils—these human cultivators, coveting the power of the dragon race and greedy for the benefits of dragon essence, dared to follow him here. Since they've come, they won't leave alive.

He slowly straightened up, the wound on his chest tearing open with the movement, causing him to groan in pain, yet he still kept his spine upright. The dragon scales gleamed coldly in the mist, like the hardest armor.

“Tell them,” Long Tian’s voice surged with murderous intent, “that we need to leave no survivors.”

Long Jiao gently patted the snow fox's head, and the snow fox immediately understood, turning around and transforming into a white shadow as it darted into the mist. Soon, a clear fox cry came from afar, as if conveying a command.

The wind in the forest suddenly turned fierce, carrying the stench of blood and a demonic aura, weaving through the mist. This seemingly tranquil forest had become a predatory hunting ground, waiting for its prey to step into a deadly trap.

Looking at Long Jiao beside him, whose breathing was still somewhat disordered, Long Tian frowned slightly. The dragon mark on his forehead glowed faintly due to the fluctuations of spiritual energy. His tone was resolute and unquestionable: "We cannot linger here for too long. The spiritual energy here is mixed, and the human pursuers may turn back at any time. We must seize the time to recuperate, circulate our dragon essence to restore our spiritual energy, and once the wind outside calms down, we will immediately set off to return to the Dragon Clan's territory."

Long Jiao nodded, the cracks on her scales still stinging slightly, but she instantly understood her brother's thoughts—the demons they had temporarily taken in outside the cave were merely decoys to mislead them. The strongest of these creatures was only at the early stage of human transformation, not even having condensed a complete demon core; they were utterly insignificant to the dragons. When the humans came to search later, with these demons acting as lookouts and drawing their fire, the siblings could use the fog as cover to escape. There was no need to bring these weaklings back to the dragon clan, needlessly wasting the clan's already strained spiritual vein resources.

She turned to look at the demons surrounding the cave entrance, their eyes filled with awe, and her tone suddenly turned stern, carrying a hint of the arrogance inherent in dragons: "Listen up, all of you! Guard the cave entrance, set up your most proficient illusionary barrier, and under no circumstances let anyone in, not even a bird or a wisp of wind, understand?"

Upon hearing this, the demons' eyes gleamed with eager anticipation. They had long heard that the Dragon Clan's territory lay atop the Eye of the Four Seas, its spiritual energy so abundant it was almost tangible. A day of cultivation there was equivalent to a hundred days outside, allowing for rapid breakthroughs in cultivation bottlenecks and complete escape from human cultivators' pursuit, ensuring a peaceful life. This opportunity to curry favor with the Dragon Clan, perhaps even to be taken to that legendary holy land, was naturally something they couldn't ask for. They prostrated themselves on the ground, their voices filled with elation and respect: "We will obey the Immortal's orders! We will guard this place well, even at the cost of our lives, we will not let anyone approach even a step!" With that, they spontaneously dispersed, some setting up vine barriers at the forest's edge, others conjuring illusions from miasma, each standing guard with utmost vigilance—who didn't know that the Dragon Clan's domain was a coveted cultivation paradise for cultivators of the Three Realms? What was a little hardship compared to achieving their goal?

They knew in their hearts that although the Misty Forest they were currently in was protected by miasma and illusions, making it difficult for humans to break in, they themselves were like being trapped in an invisible cage. The toxins contained in the miasma would slowly erode their demonic power, and while the illusions could hinder enemies, they would also wear down their mental strength. Going out to gather information or find spiritual materials would be as difficult as ascending to heaven. Once they could enter the Dragon Clan's territory, all these troubles would be easily solved. Therefore, everyone was putting in their best effort, even holding their breath, for fear of making the slightest mistake and ruining this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.