The Li family's in-laws are the Pig Demon King?

The Li Family gathered in the Ancestral Hall.

Everyone looked at Bai Rourou, who was showing her vulnerable, feminine side for the first time, with complex expressions.

"So, sister-in-law, you were an orphan from a young age, abandoned in the Silver Iron Forest, and raised by the Demon King of the Silver Iron Forest until you were 18, only then leaving to live among humans?"

Li Yaozu's voice was heavy. "No wonder you were ignorant about so many things; now we understand."

Li Yaotie hugged his wife with a pained heart. "It's alright, wifey. You didn't have to keep hiding these things. None of us would mind your background. Even if you had popped out of a rock, you'd still be my good wife."

"Say that again?"

Bai Rourou's eyes widened instantly.

However, Li Yaotie's words managed to calm her down. She knew well that many people harbored hostility toward demon beasts, which was why she had settled in Zhien Village only after seeing that the demon beasts and humans there lived in peace.

Yet, she had also feared that her background would make the Li Family unable to accept her, which was the reason she had long harbored feelings for the reckless, rough man Li Yaotie but had delayed agreeing to his courtship.

"Hahaha, I was a slave myself," Li Dalong laughed with heroic spirit.

"Daughter-in-law, I've spent more time interacting with demon beasts than I have with your father-in-law," Xu Cuihua also laughed.

"What kind of talk is that?"

Li Dalong wasn't happy about that.

In an instant, the Li Family members burst into laughter, and Bai Rourou broke into a smile through her tears.

Seeing this heartwarming scene in the game, Li Xiang felt happy in his heart as well.

This was what Bai Rourou had come to the Ancestral Hall to say. Li Xiang knew that the descendants he had cultivated were not pedantic people, so he had gathered them all together.

The result did not deviate from what he had expected.

As it turned out.

After the laughter died down, Li Dalong frowned. "If that's the case, the Demon King in the Silver Iron Forest can be considered our kin. Since that's so, we cannot sit idly by no matter what. Yaowen, tell us, why is the Lantian Wu Family crusading against the Demon King?"

Li Yaowen nodded slightly and recounted the situation in the Silver Iron Forest.

It turned out there were three towns near the Silver Iron Forest, and the families in these towns knew of the Demon King's existence.

However, due to years of severe drought, these families lacked resources, so they intensified their exploitation of the Silver Iron Forest. Gradually, they became increasingly excessive, hunting wantonly and destroying the environment, which finally enraged the Demon King.

Last year, the Demon King killed over a hundred members of the Wu Family who were mining for minerals.

The Lantian Wu Family took advantage of their ancestor's 200th birthday to invite the seven major families to join them in a crusade against the Silver Iron Forest, and the Li Family was among them.

"The seven families have already agreed to the crusade next year."

Li Yaowen's expression was grave. "Including our family. Sister-in-law, I hope you understand that I had to agree given the circumstances; otherwise, our shops in their towns would have no place to stand."

"I understand," Bai Rourou was a reasonable person.

"Then the most urgent matter now is how to resolve this."

Li Dalong shook his head. "Although our family's influence has grown well over the years, even if our ancestor agreed to intervene, we have no way to contend with the six major families. Daughter-in-law, focus on your pregnancy for now; let us figure out a way to handle this."

"Thank you all."

Bai Rourou's eyes turned red again. In the years she had been married into the Li Family, only now did she truly feel how kind her family was to her.

"This is going to be troublesome."

Watching the dialogue of the Li Family members in the game, Li Xiang rubbed his temples.

First, it was impossible for the Li Family to defeat the combined forces of six families.

Second, even if the Li Family helped the Demon King, if word got out, the Li Family would have no room to survive. It was likely that those high-and-mighty great sects would view the Li Family as traitors who aided the Demon Race in harming humanity.

One had to know that a Demon King was no longer just a simple demon beast!

Spirit beasts already possessed high intelligence, and a Demon King could speak human language and rule over a territory.

Immediately.

Li Xiang ordered the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python to head toward the Silver Iron Forest.

When he looked at the map again, the Silver Iron Forest had turned green!

"Does this mean the Demon King of the Silver Iron Forest also knew that Bai Rourou had married into the Li Family? That's why the Demon King didn't take action against the Li Family before. That guy had long been prepared for Bai Rourou to enter human society, and the Zhien Village built by the Li Family was undoubtedly the best place for her to settle down, allowing the Demon King to look after her."

Li Xiang raised an eyebrow.

Before long, the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python was already moving through the Silver Iron Forest. Li Xiang wasn't worried about its safety; green represented an ally!

Sure enough.

As the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python ventured deeper, Li Xiang saw many spirit beasts!

The nests of these spirit beasts were in the center of the Silver Iron Forest, in a valley, and they seemed to be serving the king within the valley.

Upon entering the valley.

A giant pig came into view, looking more like a mammoth!

Its entire body was covered in black fur, and one could only discern a few pig-like features from its bloated physique and snout. Its four legs were so sturdy that it made one wonder what kind of immense power would be required to knock it over. Its face was also covered in black fur, obscuring its features and making the massive creature look like a kind, elderly sage.

Only two sharp, thick tusks protruding from the corners of its mouth revealed the true edge of this Demon King.

[Mingtu Yinluo Boar]

[Demon King of the Silver Iron Forest, and the guardian of all birds, beasts, flowers, and trees within the Silver Iron Forest!]

"Little snake, I know you. You are the snake from the Beast Blood Fruit Tree. You were subdued by the Li Family of the human race, and now you bring humans into the Silver Iron Forest to hunt demon beasts."

The voice of this in-law of the Li Family was deep, thick, and aged.

"Hiss-sha~"

The Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python was clearly terrified of the Pig Demon King; it lowered its body, which was even larger than the boar's, in extreme panic.

"Do not be afraid. You have not committed excessive slaughter. Because of my warnings, you have managed to keep the Li Family outside the Silver Iron Forest in check, and for that, you have earned my gratitude."

Hearing the Pig Demon King's understanding, the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python finally relaxed.

Li Xiang watched the exchange between the snake and the pig.

In truth, he did not know what the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python was saying, but he could guess a thing or two from the Pig Demon King's words. He was also astonished by the Pig Demon King's intelligence; this was the first time he had ever seen such an existence as a Demon King.

Immediately after, Li Xiang communicated with the Pig Demon King through the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python.

He explained the matter of Bai Rourou marrying into the Li Family.

"I am already aware of this matter."

The Pig Demon King's black fur twitched, and Li Xiang always felt that this fellow was showing a smile. "Please thank the Li Family on my behalf. They have been very good to my daughter, and the cubs she has birthed are also very healthy. If possible, I hope my daughter can bring her mate and cubs to see me."

"Hiss-sha~"

The Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python nodded repeatedly.

Seeing that the Pig Demon King held the Li Family in high regard, Li Xiang no longer held back and spoke of the seven great families' plan to crusade against the Silver Iron Forest.

"Hmph! Greedy, selfish, and ungrateful humans!"

The Pig Demon King was furious. "What crusade? They challenge the bottom line of the Silver Iron Forest again and again, challenging my bottom line. Let them come; the Silver Iron Forest will be fully prepared!"

Li Xiang frowned. He continued to express, through the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python, the Li Family's idea that the demon beasts of the Silver Iron Forest should temporarily avoid the brunt of the attack.

But the Pig Demon King let out a long sigh.

"I thank the Li Family for their good intentions, but the Silver Iron Forest is not only a place for demon beasts to live; it is also the habitat for the trees and the pure land itself. Humans often say that one takes root where they land, and countless living things in this Silver Iron Forest have long since taken root here. Our lives are all interconnected with the Silver Iron Forest."

"Even during years of great drought, we have used our own vitality to maintain the life of the Silver Iron Forest. Now, if there is another great drought, everyone in the Silver Iron Forest will protect this land of millions of living things with their lives!"

Li Xiang also let out a long sigh.

When he let the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python return, his face was filled with a look of respect.

Li Xiang understood that this could not be persuaded. Just like the times the outside world invaded the Li Family, the Li Family would also fight to the death for their ancestral grounds.

It was not just a homeland; it was intertwined with the emotions poured into that land by generations of the family. It held the purest memories—the laughter, the joy, and the sorrow—that could never be abandoned.

"This matter must be helped!"

Li Xiang suddenly narrowed his eyes. Aside from the fact that the Pig Demon King was an in-law, he also saw the massive benefits within!

The Pig Demon King's favorability toward the Li Family was clearly very high.

If the Li Family helped the Pig Demon King overcome this crisis, it would be equivalent to the Li Family gaining the Pig Demon King as an ally.

At the same time.

The previous difficulty of being unable to enter the depths of the Silver Iron Forest to mine resources would be solved. The Silver Iron Forest would become the Li Family's backyard, and the environment of the Silver Iron Forest was even more suitable for the Li Family to cultivate demon beasts!

As for the risks involved?

"Hahaha, in all these years, when has our Li Family not faced risks?"

After informing the members of the Li Family of his plans through the Purple Thunder Heavenly Sun Python, Li Dalong said this with a loud laugh. "The ancestor is right. With so many benefits, how could our Li Family not help our in-laws?"

"Thank you, ancestor! Thank you, Father!"

Bai Rourou wept with joy.

In the days that followed, the Li Family busied themselves with the affairs of the Silver Iron Forest while simultaneously developing at a rapid pace.

Li Xiang was also contemplating a solution.

And that kid, Li Yaotie, surprised Li Xiang slightly after reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm.

[Your descendant Li Yaozu, after establishing the Black Blood Hall, has trained 50 Qi Refining cultivators!]

[After years of training, they have thoroughly mastered the Spear Forest Formation!]

The Spear Forest Formation.

That was the formation the Hu Family used when they attacked Tailin Town. They held long spears, used the spears to form a formation, and connected their true qi with one another, possessing immense lethality!

In one wave.

Nearly eighty percent of the Li Family's hundred-plus demon beasts were killed.

It was clear that the power of this spear formation was not to be underestimated!

And at this moment.

On the training grounds of Zhien Village, fifty young men clad in Black Iron Beast Blood Set armor, each equipped with a magical longbow, a quiver of arrows, a long spear on their back, and a saber at their waist, held their long spears and threw them in unison toward the distance.

"Whoosh!"

As the sound of air being pierced rang out, those long spears, imbued with true qi, wove a net formed of energy across the sky!

"Fifty men are already this powerful?"

Li Xiang looked at the ground, which had been riddled into a mesh-like pattern, and his mouth hung slightly agape. "If it were 500 men, or even 5,000, what would the Lantian Wu Family even be..."

Thinking of this, Li Xiang narrowed his eyes.

"The Lantian Wu Family, is it? You brought this upon yourselves!"

A bold idea suddenly took root in his mind; since he had already dominated Tianlin Town, dominating Lantian Town as well wouldn't really be a big deal.

If he could annex the entire Taiqing County, that would be even better.