Standing in front of Chen Zhenlong were the remained of the ruined palace of the Wu Zhen Yi royal family.

  The once majestic palace, a symbol of the city's ruling family and the residence that housed some of the most powerful experts of their time, now lay in complete ruin. Aside from collapsed walls, a few standing columns, and thick vegetation that had overtaken the entire territory, there was almost no sign that this place had once sheltered royalty.

  Even though the Wu Zhen Yi ruins were only a two-month journey from Glory City, not many experts from Glory City dared to venture into the outside world merely to visit the ruins.

  The reasons are, in terms of the dangers one would encounter along the way, the Wu Zhen Yi ruins undoubtedly lay at the end of one of the most perilous trails in the outside world.

  But despite that, a few of Glory City's Demon Spiritualist ancestors in the past had tried their luck. And braved the treacherous route to Wu Zhen Yi ruins in hopes of obtaining its treasures.

  that might improve the strength of Glory City and increase its chances of survival.

  Based on the records left behind by the ancestors who searched for the treasures of Wu Zhen Yi ruins, there was said to be little remained left.

  The reason for that.

  Just like Glory City, the earliest surviving people, had already excavated most of the treasures within the Wu Zhen Yi ruins. What remained were little more than dust, dirt, and empty treasure halls.

  Yet somehow, despite the ancestors' claims that nothing of value was left behind, Xue Hui was one hundred percent certain that the treasure they came for was still here.

  It's probably buried somewhere beneath this place, Chen Zhenlong thought, tightening his grip on the shovel in his hand.

  He had already dug an entire tunnel just to reach this place.

  Digging a little more did not bother him in the slightest.

  Once they secured the treasure, Xue Hui would finally have the means to purge the poison from his daughter's body.

  "Lord Patriarch."

  Hearing his title, Chen Zhenlong turned his gaze toward the boy, Xue Hui gently tapped the Fuzhuang box hanging on his back, signaling for him to take it from the boy's back.

  Nodding, Chen Zhenlong removed the Fuzhuang Box from Xue Hui's back and secured it onto his own. Freed from the weight, Xue Hui stepped forward toward the palace ruins.

  Chen Zhenlong's gaze followed the boy, observing his every movement as Xue Hui retrieved several items from his interspatial ring.

  "Lord Patriarch, you and Linlin stay here while I head over there to draw an inscription array around that area." Xue Hui pointed toward the space encircled by the remaining standing columns, which Chen Zhenlong assumed had once been the site of the palace throne or perhaps some kind of altar.

  "Keep your guard up, Lord Patriarch, while I work. Although this territory is surrounded by the Crimson-Soaked Lily Hills, there are still demon beasts lurking everywhere. If you sense anything, alert me immediately and find a place to hide. If a battle breaks out here, it will attract even more demon beasts to this area."

  Chen Zhenlong nodded. If the treasure was buried somewhere here, drawing attention to the ruins would only make the search more difficult.

  "Hui-Hui, I'm curious. What exactly are we looking for? You haven't told us what it is." From his shoulder, Chen Zhenlong heard the soft, curious voice of his daughter.

  He himself was equally curious about the kind of treasure they were seeking.

  "Really? I thought I already told you what treasure we came here for," Xue Hui said with a laugh.

  "No, you didn't! You always answer vaguely every time I ask you," Chen Linlin retorted, clearly annoyed at how Xue Hui constantly tried to be mysterious whenever he answered her questions.

  "Okay, okay, my bad." He quickly apologized, then pointed toward the direction of the columns. "Over there lies an ancient treasure passed down by the Sacred Empire to their descendants hundreds of thousands of years ago."

  Both Chen Zhenlong and Chen Linlin look at the area that the boy pointed at.

  "Those descendants continued passing it on from generation to generation, until it eventually fell into the hands of the Wu Zhen Yi royal family."

  The father and daughter duo looked at the columns, stunned that such a treasure could be hidden in plain sight, untouched for so long.

  "That treasure is called the Ten Whiskers Water-Attribute Needles. They are needles crafted from the whiskers of a Legend-rank Pure Water Dragon demon beast." Xue Hui chuckled when he saw Chen Linlin's eyes widen in wonder.

  "It's an extremely rare treasure."

  Xue Hui withdrew a blank scroll from his interspatial ring and, with swift, practiced strokes of his brush, began to sketch the Pure Water Dragon demon beast. In only a few lines, he flawlessly captured its majestic form, then handed the finished portrait to Chen Linlin.

  "The Pure Water Dragon demon beast is notoriously known for destroying its own body when its life is about to end. It does this out of pride, unwilling to let anyone obtain its pure water-attribute body and use it as a tool."

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Both Chen Zhenlong and Chen Linlin were astonished by this information. They stared at the portrait of the demon beast, somehow sensing its majestic aura. Neither of them had ever known that such a demon beast existed.

  "Those needles are actually an acupuncture set."

  Hearing his words, the father and daughter looked at Xue Hui, both thinking the same thing.

  "And those needles are what we're going to use to cure Linlin's illness. Since they possess pure water attributes, they can cleanse the illness flowing through Linlin's meridians and life veins."

  The meaning behind Xue Hui's words was very clear to Chen Zhenlong. He understood the severity of Chen Linlin's condition better than anyone.

  Only he and Xue Hui knew the truth about the poisoning. The two of them had agreed that telling Chen Linlin about the real cause of her condition would only worsen her mental state.

  Especially the thought that someone wanted her dead.

  With that in mind, they decided to keep her in the dark for now, at least until she was fully healed.

  As for Chen Zhenlong's wives, although they had been told about Xue Hui being a disciple of a super expert, only Chen Zhenlong knew that Xue Hui was some kind of time traveler.

  This was to prevent the two women from worrying excessively or panicking about the possible destruction of Glory City in the future.

  It was also the same reason they had not revealed the truth about Chen Linlin's poisoning.

  Chen Zhenlong was one hundred percent certain that if his wives ever found out, the two mothers would erupt in fury and turn the entire Glory City upside down just to hunt down the culprit behind their daughter's suffering.

  Both Xue Hui and Chen Zhenlong knew that acting rashly would be a bad idea.

  The only way to catch the culprit was to investigate in silence, letting them believe they were safe so they would lower their guard.

  "Really? That's great! If that happens, I'll be able to walk again?!" Chen Linlin asked excitedly, her small body bouncing inside the Fuzhuang Box.

  "Of course," Xue Hui said with a gentle smile. "You'll be able to walk, to run, to leap and dance—whatever your heart desires. No illness will ever stand in your way again."

  Hearing that, Chen Linlin could no longer contain her excitement. Her small body trembled with anticipation.

  Although Chen Zhenlong maintained his composure, he could not suppress the growing hope in his heart.

  "Be careful out there, Xiao Hui."

  Xue Hui nodded as he watched the father and daughter move to a more concealed spot, far enough away to observe him from a distance.

  Once they were hidden, Xue Hui began laying down the inscription patterns around the area of the ruined palace.

  Occasionally, he would pause to clear away debris and vegetation that obstructed the paths of the inscription array.

  After setting the inscription array around the entire ruined palace, he climbed each of the remaining columns, placing additional inscription patterns and the talismans he had prepared beforehand.

  Overall, the entire process took at least an hour to complete. Fortunately, no demon beasts appeared during that time.

  "Lord Patriarch, whatever happens, do not approach this area. Once I activate the inscription array, it will undoubtedly attract all the demon beasts in this region."

  Xue Hui spoke through voice transmission, using the communication soul technique of the Divine Family.

  Chen Zhenlong was about to respond, but Xue Hui continued before he could.

  "Just stay hidden. I have a method to deal with them."

  Sighing in defeat, Chen Zhenlong reluctantly agreed. He knew that Xue Hui always had a plan prepared.

  "Alright. Just be careful."

  Receiving Chen Zhenlong's affirmation in his mind, Xue Hui nodded and began the process.

  Standing at the very center of the inscription array, Xue Hui stretched both arms forward, his palms open. The array around him released a soft hum as light slowly illuminated the ruins. The glow spread across the shattered palace until it shone so brightly that nearby birds fled, escaping the blinding radiance.

  The entire area of the Wu Zhen Yi palace ruins began to tremble. The sounds of rubble collapsing and crashing onto the ground echoed outward, attracting the keen ears of demon beasts throughout the region and drawing their attention toward the source of the commotion.

  The moment they did, ten beams of light shot into the sky, piercing through the clouds above. What followed was an earth-shaking roar as demon beasts bellowed across the territory of the Wu Zhen Yi ruins.

  "No… freaking… way," Chen Zhenlong muttered under his breath as he stared at the pillars of light.

  He was a smart man. The instant the surfaces of the columns began to shine with unfamiliar runes, he immediately concluded that the Ten Whiskers Water-Attribute Needles were hidden within them.

  'No wonder no one found the treasure until now. No one would suspect it was concealed inside those decrepit columns,' Chen Zhenlong thought, his eyes fixed on the boy standing at the center of the commotion.

  It didn't take long after the lights and tremors shattered the silence for the sound of rapid, heavy footsteps to echo from all directions.

  Based on the enraged roars accompanying them, it wasn't hard to guess what was coming.

  Like a raging storm, the demon beasts tore through trees and tall vegetation, flattening everything in their path. Soon, at least a hundred demon beasts surrounded the entire palace ruins.

  "Father!?" Chen Linlin called out worriedly, staring at the terrifying scene unfolding before them.

  Chen Zhenlong quickly took out the Demon Concealing Lamp—a treasure Xue Hui had retrieved from the Divine Family's treasury.

  A treasure once thought to be useless, as no one had been able to activate it or discover its purpose.

  After obtaining the item, Xue Hui had taken the time to repair the lamp. Once it was restored, he handed it to Chen Zhenlong and explained its function.

  It turned out that by lighting its wick, the lamp would emit a soft hum. Soon after, a smoke-like veil with intricate patterns swirling within it would emerge. The smoke would then expand like a balloon, enveloping the person holding the lamp and concealing their presence from the keen senses of demon beasts.

  It was such a useful tool—once dismissed as worthless. Fortunately, Xue Hui had managed to obtain and repair it.

  Unfortunately, it had limited use. The special tallow required as fuel for the Demon Concealing Lamp was extremely difficult to find.

  The tallow currently inside the lamp could last at most two weeks of continuous use. Once it ran out, the Demon Concealing Lamp would become useless until they found a replacement.

  Under the veil of the Demon Concealing Lamp, combined with their well-hidden position, the two of them had little to worry about being detected by the demon beasts.

  Unlike the boy standing at the center of the palace ruins.

  Chen Zhenlong and Chen Linlin watched anxiously as Xue Hui remained at the heart of the commotion, drawing more and more demon beasts as time passed.

  "Father, Hui-Hui will be in danger! We need to get him out of there and run!"

  Hearing his daughter's anxious plea, Chen Zhenlong himself was tempted to rush forward and drag the boy to safety.

  But with the inscription array already activated around the palace ruins, he did not dare charge in recklessly.

  Without knowing the exact nature of the array Xue Hui had just activated, intervening might only cause more trouble for the boy.

  Combined with Xue Hui's earlier warning—that he must remain hidden no matter what—it became clear to Chen Zhenlong that the boy had anticipated everything from the very moment he began activating the array.

  As the only person, aside from Xue Hui's so-called mysterious master, who knew the full truth about Xue Hui's time-traveling secret, Chen Zhenlong was fully aware that the boy was far more mentally mature than his childish appearance suggested.

  It was evident in the way he carried himself—with a composure and steadiness no seven-year-old child should possess.

  Not to mention his seemingly endless knowledge about the world around him.

  Chen Zhenlong was at least confident that the boy knew what he was doing. His only concern was whether everything was proceeding smoothly according to Xue Hui's plan.

  "He'll be okay. Xiao Hui always knows what to do."

  He wasn't lying just to soothe his daughter's worries. The boy truly was a treasure trove of knowledge.

  All the columns within the inscription array began releasing a stream of cold frost that flowed down their surfaces and spread across the ground, covering the entire area within the array. It formed a water domain—blue frost and mist swirling thickly in the air.

  Chen Zhenlong could even feel the extreme cold creeping into his body, despite their hiding spot being some distance away from the palace ruins.

  One by one, the demon beasts gathered in front of Xue Hui. Bronze-rank, Silver-rank, and even Gold-rank demon beasts surrounded him.

  Then Chen Zhenlong's heart skipped a beat when he sensed the aura of one particular beast.

  A massive figure slowly emerged from the rear of the gathered horde. As it advanced, the other demon beasts instinctively moved aside, creating a path for it upon sensing its overwhelming presence.

  "Black Gold-rank demon beast…" Chen Zhenlong gritted his teeth. That creature would not be an easy opponent—even for him.

  Inside the inscription array, Xue Hui slowly opened his eyes. What greeted him was a vast number of demon beasts encircling him. The largest among them—presumably the leader of this territory—stood just outside the boundaries of the inscription array, glaring at him with undisguised fury.

  "One-Star Black Gold-rank… a Leather-Arm Ape. What a hassle."

  With a wave of his hand, six colorful spheres appeared before him, rotating around his body like moons orbiting their world.

  With another swing of his arms, the glow of each column intensified. A thicker, colder frost mist burst forth, engulfing the entire palace ruins and transforming it into a hellish frozen domain.

  "Come on! You all came here to feast on me, right? What are you waiting for? Afraid of a little chill!?"

  Provoked by the small human's taunt, the Leather-Arm Ape released an earth-shaking roar, causing the surrounding frost to swirl violently.

  It slammed its massive arms onto the ground, cracking and caving it in from the sheer force of its strength. The demon beasts around the leather arm ape responded with furious roars before charging toward Xue Hui in unison.

  End of Chapter 18