In the forest, Ning Yechen held Luo Hongye as he slowly plopped down from midair onto the ground.
The wooden house not far away was already embroiled in a fierce battle. Sword lights and black mist miasma filled the air wherever one looked.
This little girl, honestly...
Always thinking of sacrificing herself to protect her child...
Holding Luo Hongye in his arms, Ning Yechen stood up and pondered how to step in and deal with these clueless ants without being discovered.
As the former Demon Lord of the demon realm, he was the Immortal Realm's mortal enemy.
And Luo Ruying was from the Immortal Realm. If he acted openly and exposed his identity, her attitude toward him would inevitably change...
What worried him was that she might take the child and leave his side outright, so for now, he still had to avoid revealing his identity.
"Waaah... Daddy, can we not leave Mommy behind?"
"Yeye doesn't want to leave Mommy!"
Nestled in Ning Yechen's arms, Luo Hongye sobbed and pleaded with him, her large eyes red from crying.
"Be good, Yeye. Don't cry."
"Daddy promises you, your mommy will be fine."
"Daddy won't leave your mommy behind."
Ning Yechen's heart ached at the sight. He reached out to wipe the tears from Luo Hongye's little face, soothing her gently.
Yet an icy, chilling killing intent flashed through his eyes!
Making my daughter cry? Not one of these bastards will leave here alive!
"Is Daddy telling the truth...?"
Luo Hongye stopped crying and asked with a serious expression.
Ning Yechen smiled and nodded.
"Why would Daddy lie to Yeye?"
"Then Daddy, let's hurry and find Mommy."
Luo Hongye said impatiently.
The moment her words fell, a deep voice suddenly sounded from the forest ahead.
"Where are you two going~?"
Wu Kuang slowly emerged from the dim forest, watching Ning Yechen and Luo Hongye with a mocking expression.
His gaze was mainly fixed on Luo Hongye, and he bared a row of gleaming steel-like teeth.
"I knew that old fool Old Ghost wanted to secretly snatch all the credit!"
"Good thing I kept an eye out and followed him here in secret~"
"Such a prize, delivered without lifting a finger! Hahaha!"
Wu Kuang threw back his head and laughed excitedly. Then he stretched out his palm, looked coldly and disdainfully at Ning Yechen, and said:
"Kid, hand that child over obediently."
"I'll let you die quickly~"
Frightened, Luo Hongye shrank deeper into Ning Yechen's arms and looked up at him timidly.
It was as though she feared that Ning Yechen would truly abandon her and hand her over to this hulking bad man.
Seeing Luo Hongye's fear, Ning Yechen smiled faintly. He stroked the back of her head and whispered gently into her ear:
"Yeye, could you close your eyes and cover your ears for a moment?"
"Daddy will do some magic for Yeye~"
"Mm..."
Luo Hongye's big eyes were filled with confusion, but she obediently closed them and covered her ears with her tiny hands.
"What a good girl~"
Ning Yechen smiled. When he turned his gaze toward Wu Kuang, his expression instantly became incomparably cold, as though he were looking at a dead man.
For some reason, Wu Kuang felt a chill course through his entire body, and fear rose in his heart!
He did not even know how long it had been since he had last felt fear, yet a mortal with no cultivation had frightened him?!
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
His proud self-respect would never allow it!
He would grind the man before him to death!
"A mere ant dares look at me like that!"
"You're courting death!"
Wu Kuang bent his legs and shot forward, his figure turning into an afterimage. In an instant, he arrived before Ning Yechen, his heavy iron fist howling with blade-sharp fist wind as it struck at Ning Yechen's face!
That punch was enough to blast his head to pieces!
With a thunderous bang, the imagined sight of a bursting skull did not occur.
The unstoppable punch was effortlessly caught by a slender palm.
Wu Kuang stood frozen, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Though he had not used his full strength at all, that punch was still enough to split mountains and crack the earth. Yet this "mortal" before him had easily blocked it with one hand?!
This man was definitely no ordinary mortal!
Wu Kuang's face changed drastically. He realized that Ning Yechen was absolutely a cultivator who had concealed his strength, and that his cultivation was certainly no weaker than his own!
"Y-You, who exactly are you?!"
Wu Kuang tried to pull back his hand, only to discover that no matter how desperately he exerted himself, his fist remained clamped in Ning Yechen's grasp without moving an inch!
Ning Yechen's eyes brimmed with disdain and killing intent. Rather than answer Wu Kuang's question, he said lightly:
"I don't want my daughter to see anything bloody or cruel..."
"So you got off easy."
"You may disappear from this world now."
As soon as he spoke, a mass of pitch-black Black Flame suddenly surged from Ning Yechen's hand gripping Wu Kuang!
The Black Flame spread from Wu Kuang's arm across his entire body, swallowing him whole!
"AAAAAH!"
Wu Kuang's skin melted and his bones dissolved in an instant. His entire body liquefied, and he could not help letting out a heartrending scream!
The soul within his body was also scorched and twisted in agony by the Black Flame, until moments later, both body and soul were utterly annihilated!
Worried that Wu Kuang's screams would frighten Luo Hongye, Ning Yechen casually cast a soundproof barrier around Wu Kuang.
The whole process took only a few seconds. Wu Kuang vanished from the world just like that, without even ashes left behind.
When Ning Yechen released Luo Hongye's ears, she slowly opened her eyes and curiously looked around, but Wu Kuang was nowhere to be seen.
She could not help looking up and asking Ning Yechen curiously:
"Daddy, where did that big bad guy go?"
"Daddy did some magic and made the big bad guy disappear~"
Ning Yechen said with a smile.
At that, Luo Hongye's eyes instantly lit up, her large eyes brimming with admiration.
"Daddy is so amazing!"
"Yeye, can you not tell anyone else that Daddy can do magic that makes bad guys disappear?"
Ning Yechen crouched down, set Luo Hongye on the ground, and held her hand as he spoke.
"Can't I tell Mommy either?"
Tilting her head, Luo Hongye asked in confusion.
"Mm! Don't tell your mommy either."
Ning Yechen nodded.
This filled Luo Hongye's little face with puzzlement.
"Why can't I tell Mommy, Daddy?"
"Um... because Daddy wants to have a little secret with Yeye!"
"This is a little secret just between Daddy and Yeye. Little secrets can't be told to other people!"
An idea flashed through Ning Yechen's mind, and he came up with an excuse.
Upon hearing that, the confusion on Luo Hongye's face immediately vanished, replaced by a happy smile.
"A little secret between Daddy and Yeye~!"
"Yeye understands."
"Yeye won't tell Mommy or anyone else."
"Ah~ Our Yeye is such a good girl~"
Ning Yechen praised her as he rubbed Luo Hongye's cheeks.
Sure enough, children were so easy to coax~
"Yeye, be good and wait here for a moment."
"Daddy will go help your mommy beat up the bad guys and will be back very soon."
Ning Yechen led Luo Hongye beneath a tree and drew a barrier formation around her.
Luo Hongye nodded obediently, then worriedly said:
"Daddy, be careful when you fight the bad guys."
Ning Yechen gave a smile that was both supremely confident and reassuring.
"Don't worry, Yeye. No one in this world is a match for your daddy!"
Before you continue