From the fake emperor to the concubine

He stood up, his divine sense surging out like a tide to investigate the situation outside. Soon, his expression turned serious.

About a hundred feet outside the cave, a gigantic demonic beast was pacing about. The beast was a full ten feet long, its entire body covered in dark golden scales, each scale shimmering with a metallic sheen. Its head resembled that of a tiger or leopard, with three sharp horns, and a pair of scarlet eyes that gleamed with a bloodthirsty light. Its four thick claws, sharp as scimitars, carved deep grooves into the ground.

"Dark Gold Triangular Beast," Zheng Yi said in a low voice, inwardly groaning.

The Dark Gold Triangular Beast is one of the most ferocious monsters in the Time Realm, known for its violent nature and strong territorial instincts. Even more troublesome is its immense strength; an adult Dark Gold Triangular Beast possesses combat power comparable to a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Judging from the oppressive aura emanating from this one, it has likely reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, only a step away from the Integration Realm.

Although Zheng Yi himself was also at the Nascent Soul stage, he was only at the mid-stage. He was far inferior in terms of cultivation level, not to mention the terrifying physical defense and ferocious attack power of the Dark Gold Triangular Beast.

He had originally thought that the cave was well-hidden and, with the array set up, it shouldn't be discovered by any demonic beasts. He never expected to encounter such a formidable foe in just a few days.

Roar--

The dark golden triangular beast roared again, its massive body charging towards the cave. It had clearly sensed the presence of a cultivator and intended to drive the intruder out of its territory or kill it outright.

Rumbling--

The thunderous footsteps of the demonic beasts roared like war drums, causing rocks to tumble down the mountainside. Zheng Yi's first defensive formation was instantly activated, and a semi-transparent light screen rose from the ground, enveloping the cave.

Without hesitation, the dark golden triangular beast slammed down with its claws. The claws collided with the light barrier, unleashing blinding sparks. The defensive array trembled violently, but remained relatively sturdy and did not immediately shatter.

However, Zheng Yi was not happy. He could sense that this formation could only withstand a few attacks from the demonic beast at most. With the power of the Dark Gold Triangular Beast, it wouldn't be long before it completely destroyed the formation.

"It seems there's no way to avoid it." Zheng Yi took a deep breath, and his spiritual energy began to surge. Since a battle was unavoidable, he had no choice but to fight with all his might.

With a wave of his hand, dozens of streams of light flew out from his sleeves, transforming into spiritual swords that hovered in front of him. These were his natal flying swords, the "Starfall Sword Formation," consisting of thirty-six swords, each a powerful magical artifact.

At the same time, a layer of azure spiritual light appeared on his body; it was his protective divine power, the "Azure Wood Longevity Shield." This divine power was formed from wood-attribute spiritual energy, possessing extremely strong defensive capabilities and also having a continuous regeneration effect.

After making preparations, Zheng Yi flashed out of the cave. Rather than letting the demonic beasts destroy the formation and the cave, it was better to take the initiative and at least gain some control.

Upon seeing Zheng Yi appear, the Dark Gold Triangular Beast's eyes gleamed with even greater ferocity. It opened its blood-red maw, unleashing a torrent of blazing golden flames that swept towards Zheng Yi like a flood.

This golden flame is no ordinary flame, but rather the innate divine power of the Dark Gold Triangle Beast. Its temperature is extremely high, and it is said that it can even melt gold and iron instantly.

Zheng Yi dared not be careless. He changed his hand seals, and thirty-six Starfall Swords instantly formed a sword array, spinning and dancing in front of him. The sword energy crisscrossed and collided with the golden flames, emitting a piercing shriek.

boom--

A tremendous explosion echoed through the valley, stirring up spiritual energy and whipping up a fierce wind. Zheng Yi was jolted back several steps, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. He had already sustained minor injuries from just one exchange.

Seeing its first attack fail, the Dark Gold Triangular Beast mustered all its strength, its massive body crashing down like a small mountain. Its speed was astonishing; in the blink of an eye, it reached Zheng Yi, its three horns gleaming with a dark gold light, aiming fiercely for Zheng Yi's vitals.

Zheng Yi's pupils contracted, knowing he couldn't withstand this attack head-on. He dodged to the side like a ghost, simultaneously activating the Starfall Sword Formation, sending thirty-six flying swords hurtling towards the demonic beast's vitals like meteors.

Ding-ding-ding-ding——

The flying sword struck the scales of the dark gold triangular beast, producing a metallic clanging sound. The scales were incredibly hard; the flying sword couldn't penetrate them, leaving only shallow white marks.

Zheng Yi's heart sank. He knew the Dark Gold Triangle Beast had amazing defense, but he hadn't expected it to be this strong. Even a full-force attack from a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator couldn't break through its scales.

The dark golden triangular beast missed its first attack, then turned and slammed down with its claw. This claw strike was even more powerful, the wind howling as it tore several cracks in the air.

Zheng Yi had no choice but to grit his teeth and activate the Azure Wood Longevity Shield to defend himself. The azure spiritual light collided with the dark golden claw shadow, producing a deafening roar.

puff--

Zheng Yi was knocked back again, this time more than ten feet away. The Azure Wood Longevity Shield on his body dimmed a bit, and there was even more blood at the corner of his mouth.

He knew he couldn't continue this passive defense. He had to find the monster's weakness and deliver a fatal blow, otherwise he would eventually be worn down and killed.

A Nascent Soul cultivator's divine sense is extremely powerful. Zheng Yi's divine sense, like an invisible tentacle, continuously probed the Dark Gold Triangular Beast's body, searching for weaknesses. Finally, he discovered that the scales on the beast's abdomen were relatively thin, and there was a slight indentation in one area, which should be its weak point.

found it!
A glint flashed in Zheng Yi's eyes. He feigned weakness and retreated. The dark golden triangular beast, thinking it had seized an opportunity, roared and chased after him, opening its blood-red maw to swallow Zheng Yi whole.

At this critical moment, Zheng Yi suddenly turned around, his spiritual power surging wildly. He formed hand seals, and the thirty-six flying swords of the Starfall Sword Formation merged into one, transforming into a dazzling starlight, piercing the monster's vulnerable abdomen from a tricky angle.

This sword strike concentrated all of his spiritual power; it was a true all-out attack.

Roar--

The dark gold triangular beast sensed the danger and tried to dodge, but it was too late. The starlight sword beam accurately pierced its abdomen, finally breaking through its scales and embedding itself into its flesh.

The Dark Gold Triangular Beast roared in agony, its massive body tumbling across the ground, its tail whipping wildly, shattering the surrounding trees and rocks. Its blood, as hot as magma, gushed from its wounds, corroding deep pits into the ground.

Zheng Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although this attack hadn't killed the demon beast, it had at least severely injured it. Just as he was preparing to press his advantage and deliver the final blow, a sudden change occurred. The three horns of the dark golden triangular beast suddenly erupted with dazzling light, and a terrifying pressure surged from its body. It had actually triggered some kind of forbidden secret technique at the critical moment of life and death, forcibly enhancing its strength.

not good!

Zheng Yi's expression changed drastically. He could sense that the demonic beast's aura was rising wildly, breaking through from the peak of the Nascent Soul stage to the half-step Integration stage in the blink of an eye. Although this advancement was temporary and had huge aftereffects, the Dark Gold Triangular Beast's strength had now far surpassed Zheng Yi's.

Roar--

The dark gold triangular beast's eyes were bloodshot, and it had completely entered a berserk state. Ignoring its wounded abdomen, it pounced on Zheng Yi again. This time, its speed and power were more than twice as strong as before.

Zheng Yi only felt a blur before his eyes, and the enormous claw was already slamming down in front of him. He tried his best to activate the Azure Wood Longevity Shield to defend himself, but the protective magic was as fragile as paper in front of the rampaging demon beast.

boom--

The Green Wood Longevity Shield shattered instantly, and Zheng Yi was sent flying by a claw, tracing an arc through the air before crashing heavily into a mountain wall a hundred feet away. The impact created a human-shaped crater in the mountain wall, sending debris flying everywhere.

puff--

Zheng Yi coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face ashen. His internal organs were severely damaged, as if they had shifted out of place. If it weren't for the powerful physique of a Nascent Soul cultivator, this attack would likely have killed him.

The dark golden triangular beast clearly wasn't going to let him go, charging forward again, each step causing the ground to tremble. It wanted to tear the human who had injured it to shreds.

Despite the excruciating pain, Zheng Yi took out a blood-red pill from his storage bag and swallowed it without hesitation. This was a "Exploding Yuan Pill," which could unleash full potential in a short period of time, causing one's cultivation to surge by a small realm. However, the price was extreme weakness afterward, and it might even damage one's very essence.

But he couldn't worry about that now. If he didn't take the elixir, he would die here today.

The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, unleashing a surge of intense energy within him. Zheng Yi's aura began to rise, and in the blink of an eye, he broke through from the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm to the late-stage. Although his injuries were not fully healed, he had at least regained some of his combat strength.

"You think you can kill me? Not so easy!" Zheng Yi roared, activating the Starfall Sword Formation once more. This time, the thirty-six flying swords were no longer combined, but dispersed, piercing towards the Dark Gold Triangle Beast from all directions.

At the same time, he formed hand seals and unleashed a powerful divine ability – "Heavenly Wood Cage".

Rumbling--

The ground suddenly cracked open, and dozens of thick vines shot out from underground, coiling around the dark gold triangular beast like giant pythons. These vines were not ordinary plants, but were formed from wood-attribute spiritual energy, making them incredibly tough and also highly poisonous.

The dark golden triangular beast was entangled by vines and struggled to break free, but the vines tightened their grip. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Starfall Sword Formation attacked its abdominal wound with all its might, sword energy crisscrossing and blood and flesh flying everywhere.

However, the berserk Dark Gold Triangular Beast possessed immense strength, and after struggling for only a few breaths, it snapped all the vines. It charged at Zheng Yi again, its three horns brimming with terrifying energy, clearly preparing to unleash some powerful divine ability.

Zheng Yi knew he couldn't take it head-on. He gritted his teeth, took out a golden talisman from his pocket, and activated it without hesitation.

This is a "Ten Thousand Mile Travel Talisman," crafted by a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. It allows the user to instantly travel thousands of miles. Zheng Yi originally intended to save it for escaping, but he didn't expect to need it so soon.

With a flash of golden light, Zheng Yi's figure vanished from the spot. The next moment, the Dark Gold Triangular Beast's attack missed its target, crashing into the open ground and creating a crater tens of feet deep.

Zheng Yi appeared in a valley a dozen miles away. He stumbled forward, panting heavily with each step. The effects of the Explosive Yuan Pill were beginning to wear off, and a wave of weakness washed over him. Worse still, he could feel that his inner strength had been damaged, and he probably wouldn't be able to recover in the short term.

"We must find a new hiding place as soon as possible," Zheng Yi gritted his teeth and persisted. He knew the Dark Gold Triangle Beast wouldn't let him go. Although the Thousand-Mile Travel Talisman allowed him to escape temporarily, the secret realm was only so big, and the monsters would find him sooner or later. Moreover, he was now seriously injured and had no strength left to fight.

He dragged his heavy steps, searching through the valley. The Time Realm was vast, containing not only the dark golden triangular beast but also other dangerous monsters and restrictions. He needed to find a sufficiently secluded and easily defensible place to heal his wounds in peace.

After walking for about an hour, Zheng Yi finally discovered an even more secluded cave at the foot of a cliff. The entrance to the cave was very small, only allowing one person to pass through at a time, but the interior was a completely different world. Deep inside the cave was a clear spring, the water containing a rich spiritual energy that was very helpful for healing injuries.

More importantly, this cave is located within a natural maze. It's difficult to find without careful exploration. Even the dark gold triangular beast would have had to exert considerable effort to locate it.

Zheng Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He laboriously crawled into the cave and sat cross-legged by the spring. The most important thing now was to heal his injuries; only by restoring his strength could he continue to survive in this secret realm.

He took out several bottles of healing pills from his storage bag and swallowed them in one gulp. The pills transformed into a cool energy that circulated within his body, repairing his damaged meridians and internal organs.

At the same time, he began to circulate his cultivation technique, absorbing the spiritual energy from the spring water. This spring water was indeed extraordinary; its spiritual energy was extremely pure, and it also carried a trace of life force, making it remarkably effective for healing injuries.

Zheng Yi closed his eyes, focusing entirely on healing and cultivation. In his dantian, spiritual energy slowly rotated, gradually repairing his damaged essence.

The cave was filled with spiritual energy, and a clear spring flowed gently, making a pleasant sound. Zheng Yi sat cross-legged by the spring, his body enveloped in a faint blue light. This was the Azure Wood Longevity Shield operating on its own, providing protection during his healing process.

Several more days passed. According to the time flow of the Time Realm, only about half a day had probably passed in the outside world. Zheng Yi's injuries had mostly recovered. Although the damage to his Origin Power would take longer to fully heal, he had at least regained 70% of his combat strength.

He slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air. This breath, like a sharp arrow, struck the cave wall, creating a small hole about an inch deep. Every breath of a Nascent Soul cultivator contained immense power.

"Finally, it's stabilized," Zheng Yi muttered to himself, checking his internal condition. His meridians had been mostly repaired, and although the spiritual energy in his dantian hadn't fully recovered to its peak, it was about 80%. Most importantly, during the healing process, he gained some new insights into the Great Dao of Wood Attribute.

Every cloud has a silver lining. This serious injury, though perilous, has given him a deeper understanding of life and death. This understanding may one day become the catalyst for his breakthrough to the Integration Realm. (End of Chapter)