The spatial ring is of tremendous help in combat; many powerful spells require materials to be cast. For example, just now, Yvonne Foster's puppet clone technique needed four fist-sized puppet dolls as materials, while the Root-Binding Technique required a plant seed. However, there’s a limit to what a person can carry—bringing too much would hinder movement. With a spatial ring, this problem is perfectly solved. In addition, hidden weapons like flying daggers and various daily necessities can also be stored inside. It can be said that it’s an essential item for any cultivator, whether at home or traveling, and Yvonne Foster had wanted one for a long time. Although both rings in hand were sealed with restrictions, for Yvonne Foster, who was very knowledgeable about runes and incantations due to his research into instant spellcasting, this was not a problem at all.

Putting the rings away, Yvonne Foster didn’t linger any longer and quickly used the Shadow Step technique to rush toward Maple Forest Town. Although the firelight over there had already disappeared, Yvonne Foster felt even more anxious. The earlier blaze, coupled with the wounded Taoist just now, made it very likely that Maple Forest Town had been attacked by enemies. Now, he could only hope that nothing had happened to his parents.

What Yvonne Foster didn’t know was that, not long after he turned away, the space beside the black-robed Taoist’s corpse suddenly twisted. Then, a handsome young man of about twenty, with a lazy smile on his face, appeared abruptly. The young man first shook his head at the corpse, then gave a meaningful smile in the direction of Yvonne Foster’s gradually receding figure. The terrifying thing was, with Yvonne Foster’s astonishing sixth sense, he was completely unaware.

※※※※

On the way back to the city, Yvonne Foster noticed that the defenses of Maple Forest Town were clearly much stricter than before. The closer he got to the city, the more patrols he encountered. Along the way, Yvonne Foster was stopped and questioned several times—something that had never happened before. Fortunately, his reputation as a cultivation fanatic was well known, and many people recognized him, so he wasn’t given too much trouble.

Regarding this kind of action, which was akin to locking the stable door after the horse had bolted, Yvonne Foster sneered inwardly and became even more certain that something major had happened in the town. However, even though he was mentally prepared, he was still shocked by the devastation when he entered the city. The entire eastern part of the city had been burned to the ground, with ruins and rubble everywhere. On some open spaces that hadn’t been touched by the fire, there were still many people who hadn’t received treatment, constantly wailing in pain. Fortunately, the Jiang family’s home in the west of the city was untouched, but he still didn’t know whether his parents had participated in the battle.

Anxious, he ignored the city’s ban on using Daoist arts without special circumstances and rushed home at full speed. Only when he saw his parents sitting safe and sound in the living room did he finally breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

At this moment, Emily Thompson was weeping bitterly. When she saw Yvonne Foster return unharmed, her tears instantly turned to laughter. She pulled her son into her arms and, tugging hard on his ear, demanded, “You little rascal, why are you only coming home now? Do you know how worried your mother was?”

“Ow! I just lost track of time while cultivating and came back a bit late, that’s all. Mom, let go, it hurts, it really hurts!” Yvonne Foster cried out in an exaggerated manner, but inside he felt an unusual warmth.

Emily Thompson, afraid of hurting her son’s ear, reluctantly let go. She then made Yvonne Foster turn around in place for a thorough inspection. After confirming that nothing was missing or injured, she pinched Yvonne Foster’s soft cheeks and said, “You have to come home earlier from now on, understand? By the way, did you run into any bad people on your way back?”

“Yeah, I ran into a bad guy with his face covered. He seemed to be at the Golden Core level.”

“What? What happened then?” Hearing her son’s deliberately innocent answer, even though they could see he was standing there safe and sound, both William Foster and Emily Thompson couldn’t help but feel their hearts race.

“I just killed him like this.” Yvonne Foster made a chopping gesture as if beheading someone.

William Foster shook his head helplessly, deciding not to pay attention to his son’s tall tales. A child killing a Golden Core expert? That was pure fantasy. Emily Thompson couldn’t help but laugh, tapping Yvonne Foster on the head and saying, “You! Always trying to make your mother happy. Lying and bragging at such a young age—what will you be like when you grow up?”

Yvonne Foster looked innocently at his parents, thinking, I’m not lying, you just don’t believe me.

After being happy for a while, Emily Thompson suddenly seemed to remember something, and her expression dimmed again. She hugged Yvonne Foster and began to weep softly.

“Dad, what’s wrong with Mom?” Yvonne Foster was a bit confused. He looked questioningly at William Foster, and only then did he notice two bloodstains on his father’s chest—clearly, he had participated in the battle earlier.

Seeing his son’s questioning gaze, William Foster answered with a heavy heart, “Your eldest uncle died in battle. And not just him—fourteen people from the Li family died this time.”

Yvonne Foster fell silent at these words, recalling the hearty man who used to poke his face with his beard when he was little. A faint sadness welled up in his heart.