Chapter 57: No Time to Explain

"I am a disciple of the Tanyuan Sect in the Boundless Sea Realm! If you kill me, you will surely die!"

Gathering his remaining strength, Shen Ma spoke with a bitter tone.

Hearing this, the Demon Lord only laughed even more heartily.

"Hahaha! Who do you think you are talking to?"

"The sects and factions destroyed by this Lord number in the hundreds, if not a thousand. Even Immortal Emperors have had to kneel and beg me for mercy, only to be carved to pieces by my thousand cuts!"

"A mere Tanyuan Sect? You think you can intimidate this Lord?!"

As his words fell, a miserable wail issued from beneath the Demon Lord's feet.

His foot was embedded in the beast's abdomen, trampling upon his viscera and grinding them down mercilessly.

The more agonizingly Shen Ma screamed, the more ferocious the smile on the Demon Lord's face became.

"You! Even if I die, I will not let you go!"

Struggling to keep his eyes open, Shen Ma poured all his remaining spiritual power into cultivating his foundational technique, the *Chart of a Thousand Miles*.

The scenes within his field of vision gradually dissipated along with his fading spiritual power.

"What a pity. This Lord loves watching prey struggle."

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have lived this long."

Shaking his head, the Demon Lord sighed with mild regret.

Just as he was about to carve off a piece of flesh to taste, his raised hand suddenly froze mid-air.

"Such a massive horde of fierce beasts... What is going on?"

The Demon Lord sensed a terrifying and extraordinary power approaching.

This was not the presence of just a single beast, but an entire horde!

Among them, there were clearly beasts possessing the cultivation of the eighth-rank Great Demon realm!

Feeling this overwhelming power, the Demon Lord's eyes widened in growing astonishment.

"Are they... heading straight for home?!"

"Could it be the Hundred Beasts Sect, or perhaps..."

"Forget it! That brat Jiang Xuan hasn't returned yet. If those little ones die here, where will this Lord put his face?"

With that thought, the Demon Lord flicked his divine sense, transforming his storage ring into a massive, yawning black hole.

He swept up his hand, and Shen Ma's gigantic carcass was sucked entirely into the void.

Without delay, the Demon Lord hurried back in the direction of their home.

At the exact same time.

The Empress tossed a rabbit demon into her storage ring, and a radiant, exquisite smile immediately blossomed across her face.

"This is already the eleventh fierce beast. It is still only the hour of Shen; if I capture a few more, how could that red-haired brute ever compare?"

"Relying solely on myself, why would I ever need that brat?"

With confidence shining in her eyes, the Empress looked out into the distance.

Her white robes fluttered in the wind as she gracefully stepped forward.

Yet she had not flown far before she came to an abrupt halt, her eyes filled with extreme terror!

"This direction is unmistakably correct! It leads straight to our home!"

"So many people? They must be disciples dispatched by the sect! This is bad!"

There was still time. After assessing the situation, the Empress instantly vanished from where she stood.

With so many fierce beasts swarming in together, the Empress knew they had only one option left: run!

The array left behind by Jiang Xuan was far from sufficient. Even if it could hold out for a little while, they could not afford to remain sitting ducks waiting to be slaughtered!

The Empress accelerated continuously, the solemn expression on her delicate face growing heavier by the second.

Back at home, the younger disciples had spent the better part of the day sparring and were completely exhausted, lying sprawled across the living room in every direction.

Despite their fatigue, the results of their practice were remarkably fruitful.

Without exception, Xiao Cui and the others had all grasped the stances of their cultivation techniques; it was merely a matter of familiarity and mastery.

The purpose of these combat stances was to enable one's attacks to unleash far more powerful and profound forces.

Brawling with bare hands was useful only during their childhood beast stage, when victories relied mostly on innate talent and physical constitution.

However, once they reached the Great Demon realm and entered the Boundless Domain, fighting without proper techniques would place them at a severe disadvantage.

"Why aren't they back yet? It's getting so late, I've even had a nap."

Glutton's voice echoed through the living room.

He stood up, walked over to the sofa, plopped down, crossed his legs, and stared longingly out the window.

Though he had eaten meat that morning, the intense cultivation and sparring from afternoon till evening had practically worked him to the bone. Without meat, Glutton simply could not bear it.

Qiao'er lit an oil lamp, casting a dim yet serviceable glow.

Outside, the moonlight and starlight combined to keep the house from feeling too dark.

"What are you rushing for? The later they return, the more meat they'll bring back. Are you a fool?"

Qiao'er teased him playfully before lying back down on the floor and closing her eyes.

"Shall we assign the rooms now? Tomorrow morning we can build some beds and tables, and get some quilts too."

"Xiao Cui is right. When Big Brother comes back, we must give him a warm and cozy home!"

Skinny climbed up, full of energy, stretched lazily, and walked toward the door.

Shengzi and Fatty followed closely behind. After a good sleep, their vigor had returned, and they were even planning to resume their cultivation.

On the path of Dao, if one does not advance, one retreats; every single second must be contested.

"Xiao Mei, do you want to practice with me again? I still feel like my swordsmanship is lacking something."

"If Big Brother could bring me a good sword when he returns, perhaps my sword forms would become much more powerful."

Seeing Xiao Mei sit up, Xiao Cui issued an invitation.

"Mm, I also feel my techniques lack a bit of refinement. Let's go practice some more."

"Count me in too! Glutton, stop waiting around and practice properly; you'll have plenty to eat later!"

"With Empress Sister and Demon Lord Brother's strength, capturing a few fierce beasts is just child's play, right?"

In the beast-filled world of the Boundless Domain, the vast majority of fierce beasts belonged to some faction.

Either they were part of a sect, members of their own clan, or affiliated with some other organization.

To be a rogue cultivator was an extremely perilous existence.

At the slightest misstep, one would end up as food in the belly of another beast.

Because of this, rogue beasts who wandered about lived in constant fear day after day, leaving them little time for cultivation and resulting in lower realms of power.

With the Empress and the Demon Lord out hunting, Lan Bao had no doubt they would return with a bountiful harvest.

"That logic makes sense, but you need a full stomach to have the strength to cultivate!"

"You guys go practice; I'll wait right here for them to..."

Suddenly, dust and sand swirled wildly outside the window!

Two figures—one black, one white—descended simultaneously into the protective array.

The younger disciples all turned their gazes toward the newcomers in unison, confusion written across their faces.

The arrivals were none other than the Demon Lord and the Empress.

The two locked eyes, and each saw an expression of panic mirrored in the other's face.

"It seems you felt it too!"

"Indeed, and there are two separate factions! It could be the Hundred Beasts Sect and the Overlord Sect!"

The Empress's voice was cold, low, and laced with utmost solemnity.

"Hmph, what comes will always come. Weren't we already expecting this?"

"Right now, we must leave this place immediately!"

The Demon Lord let out a cold snort and looked toward Xiao Cui and the others.

"Xiao Cui, open your storage ring! Toss the house inside! Put all your belongings into the Empress's ring!"

"Wait, what is going on? Could the Hundred Beasts Sect and the Overlord Sect be coming to kill us?"

"You guessed right; they are almost here!"

"There's no time to explain! If we don't leave now, we will have only one outcome: death!"