From the fake emperor to the concubine

Zheng Yi nodded: "That's right. I'm currently at the Nascent Soul stage, and to break through to the Body Integration stage, I need to cultivate here for a while."

"The Integration Realm," Bai Ling'er's eyes revealed longing. That was a realm that countless cultivators dreamed of. She herself was only at the early stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, still a long way from the Integration Realm.

The two chatted for a few more minutes, then Zheng Yi suddenly asked, "By the way, you said those two demonic cultivators chased you for three days and three nights. Did they have accomplices in the secret realm?"

Bai Ling'er's expression changed: "That's right! Black Impermanence belongs to the 'Blood Fiend Alliance,' a small demonic cultivation organization. They have a dozen or so members in the Time Realm, specializing in murder and robbery. I accidentally offended them before, which is why I'm being hunted down."

Zheng Yi frowned: "A dozen people? What are their cultivation levels?"

“Most of them are at the early or middle stages of the Nascent Soul realm, but their leader, the Blood Fiend Ancestor, is said to be at the peak of the late Nascent Soul realm, only one step away from the Integration realm,” Bai Ling’er said worriedly. “With Black Impermanence dead, the Blood Fiend Ancestor will definitely not let this go. They will find this place soon.”

Zheng Yi pondered for a moment and said, "Then let's leave here first. We'll find a safer place to talk again once I've fully recovered."

Bai Ling'er nodded: "I'll listen to you, senior."

Just as they were about to set off, several powerful auras suddenly approached from afar. Someone was rapidly approaching, and there was more than one.

Zheng Yi and Bai Ling'er exchanged a glance, both seeing the wariness in each other's eyes.

"They arrived so quickly?" Zheng Yi said in a low voice.

Bai Ling'er's face turned pale: "It's the Blood Fiend Alliance! They're here!"

The auras in the distance were getting closer and closer, there were at least seven or eight of them, and each one was quite powerful. Zheng Yi could sense that some of them were even stronger than him.

"Let's go!" Zheng Yi made a quick decision, pulling Bai Ling'er along as they flew in the opposite direction.

Although he was confident he could handle a few early or mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, facing an attack from seven or eight demonic cultivators, some of whom might be late-stage Nascent Soul experts, would be suicidal. Moreover, his injuries hadn't fully healed, leaving him with only 70% of his fighting strength. Bai Ling'er's injuries were also severe, leaving her with very little combat power.

The two transformed into streaks of light, weaving through the valley. As Zheng Yi flew, he deployed several deceptive auras in an attempt to disrupt their pursuit.

"Senior Zheng, their tracking methods are very sophisticated," Bai Ling'er said anxiously. "Before Hei Wuchang died, his soul must have transmitted a message, and the Blood Fiend Alliance will soon be able to locate us."

Zheng Yi frowned: "Then let's try to stall for time. This Time Realm is vast; it won't be easy for them to catch up with us."

He took out several talismans and casually tossed them out. The talismans transformed into several barriers of spiritual light, which were set up along their escape route. Although these barriers wouldn't hold off the pursuers for long, they would at least provide some obstruction.

The two flew swiftly, traversing several mountain peaks and valleys. The terrain of the Time Realm was extremely complex, filled with strange peaks and rocks, and shrouded in mist. This, however, was advantageous for the two who were trying to escape.

After flying for about an hour, Zheng Yi suddenly stopped. He scanned his surroundings with his divine sense and, after confirming that he had temporarily shaken off his pursuers, breathed a sigh of relief.

“We’re safe for now,” he said, “but we can’t stay here any longer; they’ll be catching up again soon.”

Bai Ling'er also stopped, panting heavily. Her injuries hadn't healed yet, and the high-intensity flight had left her almost exhausted.

“Senior Zheng, running away like this isn’t a solution,” Bai Ling’er wiped the sweat from her brow. “The Blood Fiend Alliance will definitely relentlessly pursue us. We need to think of a way to either shake them off completely or find a place to hold our ground.”

Zheng Yi pondered for a moment: "Holding our ground is impossible. In our current state, we can't defeat them. The only way is to improve our strength as quickly as possible."

"Increase strength?" Bai Ling'er was taken aback, then her eyes lit up. "That's right! I remember now!"

She seemed to have thought of something and excitedly said, "Senior Zheng, I know a place where there's a secret treasure that can rapidly increase one's cultivation level!"

Zheng Yi's eyes sharpened: "What secret treasure?"

“Time Dew,” Bai Ling’er said in a low voice, “is a unique treasure found only in the Time Realm. Legend has it that every thousand years, Time Dew condenses in the core area of ​​the realm. This substance contains concentrated power of time and the essence of heaven and earth; consuming it can allow cultivators to increase their cultivation level in a very short time, and may even give them a chance to break through realm bottlenecks.”

Zheng Yi's heart skipped a beat. He had come to the Time Realm precisely to seek an opportunity for a breakthrough. If such a treasure truly existed, it would be a godsend for him.

"Are you sure you have this?" he asked.

Bai Ling'er nodded: "I once obtained an ancient map by chance, which recorded the approximate location of the Time Dew. I originally planned to search for it when I was stronger, but given the current situation..."

She paused, then looked earnestly at Zheng Yi: "Senior Zheng saved my life, and I'm willing to share this news with you. If we can find the Time Dew, we can split it equally."

Zheng Yi was surprised by Bai Ling'er's generosity. The Time Dew, a priceless treasure, was enough to drive countless cultivators mad. Her willingness to share showed she was a grateful person.

“Alright,” Zheng Yi nodded. “Then let’s go find the Dew of Time. But this thing is so precious, it probably won’t be easy to obtain, right?”

Bai Ling'er's expression was grave: "That's right. According to the map, the location of the Time Dew is guarded by powerful demonic beasts. Moreover, that place itself is very dangerous, filled with spatial rifts and temporal turbulence. One wrong move and you're doomed."

"Fortune favors the bold," Zheng Yi said calmly. "Rather than being hunted by the Blood Fiend Alliance, we might as well take a gamble. Besides, what we need most right now is time. If we can obtain the Dew of Time and quickly increase our strength, we won't have to fear them then."

Bai Ling'er took out a jade slip and probed it with her divine sense. After a moment, she pointed ahead and said, "According to the map, the Time Dew should be in the northwest of the secret realm, about three thousand miles from here. There is a Time Tower there, and the top of the tower is where the Time Dew gathers."

"The Tower of Time," Zheng Yi murmured. "Let's go, there's no time to lose."

Having determined their direction, the two set off again. This time, they were much more cautious, not only wary of the Blood Fiend Alliance's pursuit but also vigilant against other dangers within the secret realm.

Along the way, they passed through many strange landscapes. In some places, time flowed extremely fast, as if the stars were shifting; in others, time almost stood still, even the wind was still. In still others, space was distorted into bizarre shapes, and one could easily get lost in them if not careful.

As Bai Ling'er walked, she explained, "The Time Realm is a small world created by ancient powerful beings, and its laws of spacetime differ from the outside world. The deeper you go into the core of the realm, the more pronounced this phenomenon becomes. The area where the Tower of Time is located is the most chaotic place in the entire realm in terms of spacetime."

Zheng Yi listened attentively, secretly taking notes. He had to be extra careful in matters involving the laws of space and time. Although Nascent Soul cultivators were powerful, they were but a drop in the ocean before the power of space and time.

After flying for about two hours, a thick fog suddenly appeared ahead. The fog was grayish-white, like a viscous liquid, and flowed slowly. Within the fog, some distorted shadows could be vaguely seen. "This is a time fog," Bai Ling'er said warily. "It's filled with temporal turbulence; it's easy to lose your way once you go in. Moreover, there are some time-distorted demonic beasts in the fog; it's extremely dangerous."

Zheng Yi probed the mist with his divine sense and immediately felt a strange power. His divine sense seemed to slow down drastically within the mist, as if it were sinking into a quagmire.

"Is there a way to get through?" he asked.

Bai Ling'er took out a silver compass from her storage bag: "This is a spacetime compass, which can help us find the right direction in the mist of time. However, this compass can only be used three times; it will be useless after that."

She activated the compass, and the needle began to spin, eventually pointing in a direction through the mist.

"Stay close to me," Bai Ling'er said, taking the lead as she flew into the mist.

Zheng Yi followed closely behind. Upon entering the mist, he felt a profound discomfort. The flow of time around him became extremely chaotic, sometimes as fast as lightning, sometimes as slow as a snail. His body felt as if it were being pulled by an invisible force, each step consuming a tremendous amount of spiritual energy.

Even more eerie were the strange sounds that occasionally emanated from the mist: the cries of infants, the sighs of old people, and unidentified whispers. These sounds seemed to come from different points in time, sending chills down one's spine.

"Don't be swayed by these sounds," Bai Ling'er cautioned. "These are illusions created by the turbulence of time."

The two proceeded cautiously, constantly adjusting their direction with the compass needle. After walking for about half an hour, the fog finally began to thin.

Just as they were about to emerge from the fog, a dark shadow suddenly pounced out of the fog, opening its blood-red maw to bite Zheng Yi.

Zheng Yi reacted extremely quickly, dodging the attack with a swift movement. The dark figure missed its target, landing on the ground and revealing its true form.

It was a demonic beast resembling a wolf, but its body was semi-transparent, as if it might disappear at any moment. Its eyes gleamed with an eerie light, and its body emanated strong fluctuations of temporal power.

"A Time-Traveling Wolves!" Bai Ling'er exclaimed. "These demonic beasts have been distorted by the power of time, making them several times stronger than ordinary demonic beasts!"

The Time Wolf pounced again, its speed astonishing. Its figure flickered constantly in the mist, as if teleporting, making it impossible to defend against.

Zheng Yi dared not be careless and activated the Starfall Sword Formation. Thirty-six flying swords formed a sword net, completely blocking the Dark Wolf's attack routes.

Ding-ding-ding-ding——

The flying sword collided with the ghost wolf's claws, producing a crisp metallic sound. At this moment, although the ghost wolf's body was semi-transparent, its hardness was no less than that of metal.

Bai Ling'er also summoned her Xuanbing Sword, attacking from the side. The icy blue sword light flashed, and Youlang, caught off guard, was grazed on the hind leg by the sword energy. Strangely, however, no blood flowed from the wound; instead, ripples of time distortion appeared, and the injury healed in the blink of an eye.

“This thing is protected by the power of time, so it’s very difficult for ordinary attacks to really hurt it!” Bai Ling’er said.

Zheng Yi's eyes sharpened; he knew they had to act quickly. Lingering in this time fog for too long would not benefit them.

He formed hand seals, and his spiritual energy surged wildly around him. A burst of azure light erupted from his body, even dispelling some of the surrounding mist of time.

"Aoki Domain!"

This is a divine ability that only cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage can unleash—a domain. Within the domain's range, the caster is the master, able to suppress the enemy's strength and enhance their own combat power.

The Azure Wood Domain expanded, enveloping an area of ​​several dozen feet in dense life force. The Time Wolf suddenly felt a powerful suppressive force, and its speed and strength decreased significantly.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zheng Yi activated the Starfall Sword Formation and unleashed a full-force attack. The thirty-six flying swords merged into one, transforming into dazzling starlight, and pierced towards the head of the Ghost Wolf.

This sword strike was as fast as lightning and unstoppable. Shi Jian Youlang tried to dodge, but under the suppression of the domain, his movements were a beat too slow.

puff--

The starlight sword pierced through the ghost wolf's head, shattering its demon core. The ghost wolf let out a mournful howl as its body began to disintegrate, eventually turning into specks of starlight that vanished into the mist.

"Let's go!" Zheng Yi withdrew his domain and quickly pulled Bai Ling'er out of the time mist.

After emerging from the fog, the two breathed a sigh of relief. But before they could rest, the scent of pursuers could be heard in the distance again.

"Damn it, the Blood Fiend Alliance people are really fast!" Bai Ling'er gritted her teeth.

Without wasting words, Zheng Yi continued flying forward. His spiritual power had been significantly depleted by the Time Mist, and he needed to find the Time Dew as soon as possible.

After flying for another hour, a tall tower finally appeared ahead.

The tower was entirely silver-white, about a hundred feet tall, and was made of an unknown material, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura. Its surface was covered with intricate runes, which shimmered with a faint light, as brilliant as stars.

Most strangely, the flow of time around the entire tower is extremely chaotic. In some places, time flows rapidly, while in others it almost stands still. Twisted spatial cracks are faintly visible in the air, like shattered mirrors.

"This is it," Bai Ling'er said, pointing to the top of the tower. "The Time Dew should be condensing at the top of the tower."

Zheng Yi carefully observed the tower, his brows furrowed. He could sense that this tower was no ordinary structure. The restrictions on the tower were extremely powerful, and a powerful aura of a demonic beast lurked around it.

"Be careful, there's a monster." He whispered a warning.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a deafening roar resounded. The ground trembled violently, and a gigantic monster emerged from behind the tower.

It was a giant ape over ten zhang tall, its entire body covered in silvery-white fur, exactly the same color as the tower. Its eyes, like two silver moons, radiated wisdom. Most striking was the single silver vertical eye on its forehead, within which the light of time seemed to flow. (End of Chapter)