From the fake emperor to the concubine

"Time-Space Sword Technique - Ultimate Secret - Time-Space Annihilation!"

Zheng Yi unleashed all his power and slashed out with his sword.

This sword strike was the strongest attack he could currently unleash. The sword light contained destructive spacetime power, causing space to collapse wherever it passed.

The sword light struck the Mist Soul Wolf in the neck.

This time, they finally broke through!
“Ah—”

The Mist Soul Wolf let out a painful howl. A deep wound had been slashed across its neck, and blood gushed out.

But this attack did not kill it.

The Mist Soul Wolf was enraged. It no longer held back, pouncing madly at Zheng Yi, each strike carrying a deadly threat.

Zheng Yi's situation has become even more dangerous. That attack just now almost exhausted his spiritual power, and now he can only barely dodge, with no power to retaliate.

"Damn it. If this keeps up..."

Just when he was about to give up, the Mist Soul Wolf's movements suddenly slowed down.

A trickle of black blood seeped from the wound on its neck. That black blood contained a dense power of spacetime, which was corroding its body.

"The aftereffects of the spacetime annihilation have kicked in!" Zheng Yi's eyes lit up.

Spacetime Annihilation is not only a deadly attack, but it also leaves a seed of spacetime power within the enemy's body. This seed will continuously erode the enemy's body, making the injuries worse and worse.

The Mist Soul Wolf clearly realized this as well. It began frantically shaking its head, trying to expel the spacetime power within its body. But that power had already seeped into its flesh and blood, and was impossible to remove.

"Chance!"

Zheng Yi struggled to support himself and raised his longsword once more.

Although he had very little spiritual power left, he could end the battle if he could deliver one more fatal blow to the Mist Soul Wolf.

"Time-Space Sword Technique - Slash!"

He channeled his last bit of spiritual power into the sword and slashed at the Mist Soul Wolf's neck.

The Mist Soul Wolf tried to dodge, but its movements had become sluggish due to the erosion of spacetime power.

The sword flashed.

The head of the Mist Soul Wolf flew into the sky, its body crashing to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

"It's a success," Zheng Yi smiled weakly, then his body went limp and he knelt down.

"Master!" Zheng Bowen and the others rushed over and helped him up.

"I'm fine, I'm just exhausted," Zheng Yi said breathlessly. "Let me find a place to rest."

“Okay, let’s find a place right away,” Zheng Bowen said.

They carried Zheng Yi and searched for a place to rest in the woods.

The Enchanted Forest was filled with towering ancient trees and thick fog, making it difficult to find a safe place. They walked for about half an hour before finally discovering a cave at the foot of a mountain.

The cave wasn't large, and its entrance was hidden by vines, making it quite inconspicuous. However, the interior was spacious enough to accommodate seven or eight people. Moreover, the cave was dry and warm, and there was no trace of demonic beasts, making it clearly an excellent hiding place.

"This will do," Zheng Hongzhi said. "This cave is well-hidden and should be quite safe."

The group helped Zheng Yi into the cave and made him sit down against the stone wall.

Zheng Yi closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing. His spiritual energy was almost exhausted, and his internal organs had also suffered serious injuries. He needed to rest and recuperate to recover.

Liu Ruyan stayed by his side and said softly, "Fellow Daoist Zheng, please rest. We'll take turns keeping watch and won't let anything disturb you."

Zheng Yi nodded slightly without saying anything.

Occasionally, the howls of monstrous beasts echoed from outside the cave, sending chills down one's spine. However, none of the beasts seemed to approach the cave, whether due to some special aura or simply coincidence, it was unclear.

Zheng Bowen and the others took turns keeping watch at night, alert to any movement around them.

Zheng Yi, on the other hand, was immersed in cultivation, slowly recovering his spiritual power.

Time passed little by little.

After an unknown amount of time, Zheng Yi suddenly opened his eyes.

He sensed a strange aura within the cave. The aura was very faint, almost imperceptible, but his perception was sharp enough that he still managed to detect it.

"This is."

Zheng Yi followed the scent and found that it came from deep within the cave.

It turned out that the cave was deeper than they had imagined; behind their resting place, there was another passage leading even deeper into the cave.

"Fellow Daoist Zheng, what's wrong?" Liu Ruyan noticed his unusual behavior and asked softly.

“There’s something deep inside the cave,” Zheng Yi said. “I’ll go take a look.”

“I’ll go with you,” Liu Ruyan said.

Zheng Yi thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. Although he had recovered somewhat, he was far from being at his peak. In case of danger, it was always better to have more people with him.

The two walked deeper into the passage.

The passage was narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. The stone walls on both sides were covered with moss, and the air was filled with a damp smell.

After walking for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the passage suddenly became wider.

They arrived at a huge underground space.

This space was several tens of feet in diameter, its ceiling inlaid with countless luminous minerals, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime. In the very center of the space stood a naturally formed stone platform. On the platform lay an object.

It was a jade pendant.

The jade pendant is entirely emerald green, radiating a warm glow. Intricate patterns are carved on it, faintly revealing a powerful force within.

“This is…” Zheng Yi stepped forward and examined the jade pendant carefully.

Just as he approached the jade pendant, it suddenly emitted a dazzling light.

The light entered Zheng Yi's brow, and a surge of information flooded into his mind.

Zheng Yi froze on the spot, a look of shock on his face.

"Fellow Daoist Zheng, what's wrong?" Liu Ruyan asked worriedly.

After a long while, Zheng Yi finally came to his senses. He looked at the jade pendant, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.

"This jade pendant is a legacy left by a predecessor," he said slowly. "That predecessor left behind a message. He said that this jade pendant is called the 'Primordial Jade Pendant,' an extremely precious treasure. Only a destined person can obtain it."

"A destined person?" Liu Ruyan asked curiously.

"He said that those who can come to this underground space are destined," Zheng Yi said. "This jade pendant contains his life's cultivation insights and a special technique. Whoever obtains it will surely make great progress in their cultivation."

"That's wonderful!" Liu Ruyan exclaimed happily. "Fellow Daoist Zheng, this is your lucky break!"

Zheng Yi nodded and put the jade pendant into his pocket. He could feel that the power contained within the jade pendant was extremely strong. If he could comprehend the cultivation technique within, his strength would definitely improve by leaps and bounds.

But now is not the time to examine the jade pendant. He must first heal his injuries and then leave the Bewitching Forest.

“Let’s go back,” Zheng Yi said. “We can study this jade pendant after we’re out of the Bewitching Forest.”

The two returned along the same route.

Back at his resting place, Zheng Yi closed his eyes again to regulate his breathing. But this time, he held the jade pendant in his hand. A gentle power emanated from the pendant, slowly seeping into his body and accelerating the recovery of his injuries.

The night passed.

When Zheng Yi opened his eyes again, it was already dawn.

His injuries had healed by about 70-80%, and his spiritual power had also recovered by more than half. Although he was not yet at his peak, it was enough to deal with ordinary dangers.

"Master, you're awake?" Zheng Bowen rushed over to greet him when he saw that he had woken up.

"Okay." Zheng Yi stood up and stretched his limbs. "Let's pack up and continue our journey."

"Master, your injury..." Zheng Hongzhi said with some concern.

“It’s alright,” Zheng Yi said. “I’ve almost recovered. Besides, we can’t stay here any longer. Although I killed that Mist Soul Wolf, its companions could come looking for us at any time. We must leave the Bewitching Forest as soon as possible.”

Everyone nodded and began packing their belongings.

Just then, Zheng Yi suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, I found a treasure deep inside the cave last night." He took out the Hunyuan Jade Pendant from his robes and showed it to everyone. "This jade pendant contains the legacy of a senior, which is very helpful for cultivation."

"The Primordial Jade Pendant?" Zheng Hongzhi examined it closely, a look of surprise in his eyes. "Isn't this the legendary jade pendant?"

"Do you know about this jade pendant?" Zheng Yi asked.

“I’ve seen related records in ancient books,” Zheng Hongzhi said. “It is said that in ancient times, there was a powerful being named Hunyuan Zhenren, whose cultivation was boundless and who eventually ascended to the immortal realm. Before he left, he sealed all his knowledge in a jade pendant, leaving it to a destined person. That jade pendant is called the Hunyuan Jade Pendant.”

"Ascension to the Immortal Realm?" Zheng Yi was shocked.

Those who can ascend to the Immortal Realm are at least peak experts in the late Mahayana stage. The legacy left behind by such figures is of immeasurable value.

“I’m just guessing; I’m not sure if it’s the same thing,” Zheng Hongzhi said. “But in any case, this jade pendant is definitely an extraordinary treasure. It’s an incredible stroke of luck for the family head to obtain it.”

Zheng Yi nodded and put the jade pendant away.

He doesn't have time to study the inheritance in the jade pendant yet; he can slowly comprehend it after leaving the Bewitching Forest.

The group left the cave and stepped back into the Enchanted Forest.

The fog remained thick, and visibility was still very low. But Zheng Yi noticed that his perception of space seemed to have become more acute.

Is this the function of the Hunyuan Jade Pendant?

He tried to use the laws of spacetime to sense the changes in the surrounding space. Sure enough, those spatial distortions that were previously elusive became clearly visible.

“Stay close to me,” Zheng Yi said. “I can see the patterns of spatial distortion now. As long as we avoid those distortion points, we can find the right direction.”

Everyone was overjoyed and quickly followed.

Led by Zheng Yi, they traversed the labyrinthine forest. This time, they didn't get lost, but steadily moved forward.

Along the way, they encountered several more demonic beasts, but Zheng Yi easily killed them all. Those beasts were far weaker than the Mist Soul Wolves and were no match for Zheng Yi.

After walking for most of the day, the fog ahead finally began to thin out.

"Almost there!" Zheng Yi's spirits lifted. "Just a little further on, and we'll be out!"

The group quickened their pace and ran towards the direction where the fog thinned.

Finally, they broke out of the Bewitching Forest.

Once out of the woods, the view suddenly opened up before us.

A vast plain unfolded before them. At the edge of the plain was a huge curtain of light, emitting a faint blue glow.

"That's the void passage between the two domains!" Zheng Hongzhi exclaimed excitedly. "By passing through that light barrier, we can enter the Tianyuan Domain!"

Zheng Yi and his group walked towards the light screen.

The closer one gets, the more enormous the light barrier appears. It stands hundreds of feet tall, its width seemingly endless, like a barrier separating heaven and earth. Pale blue light flows across the surface of the light barrier, and countless runes can be vaguely seen moving within it, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.

"This is the Domain Gate?" Zheng Bowen gazed up at the light barrier, his eyes filled with shock. "Such powerful energy. This light barrier is probably not something that could be set up by human power."

“That’s right,” Zheng Hongzhi nodded. “It is said that the domain gates were formed naturally in ancient times, connecting different domains. No one knows how they came to be, only that they have existed for countless ages.”

Zheng Yi carefully sensed the power contained within the light screen, secretly marveling at it. The spatial laws contained within this light screen were extremely subtle; even with his understanding of the laws of spacetime, he could only grasp the surface of them.

“Let’s go, once we pass through, we’ll reach the Tianyuan Domain,” Zheng Yi said.

He stepped forward, ready to walk directly through the light curtain.

But just then, a cold shout suddenly rang out.

"stop!"

Zheng Yi paused and looked up.

Before the light screen, more than a dozen figures appeared out of nowhere. These people were dressed in uniform black outfits with a golden "镇" (zhen, meaning "suppress") embroidered on their backs. They exuded powerful auras, with the weakest among them being at the late Nascent Soul stage. The two leading figures had even reached the early Integration stage.

"Who are you people?" Zheng Yi asked in a deep voice.

"We are from the Town Guard," the middle-aged man at the head said coldly. "We are ordered to guard the Town Gate and check those coming and going. You must show your credentials to pass through."

“Township Commandery? Token?” Zheng Yi frowned.

He had never heard of these things before.

Liu Ruyan stepped forward and explained in a low voice, "The Domain Suppression Division is the official institution of the Tianyuan Domain, specifically responsible for managing the various domain gates. To travel from one domain to another, you must possess a pass issued by the Domain Suppression Division. Without a pass, you cannot pass through the domain gate."

"So complicated?" Zheng Bowen complained. "How come we've never heard of this before?"

“Because the Xuan Tian Domain is too remote,” Liu Ruyan said with a wry smile. “This is the outermost domain gate of the Xuan Tian Domain, and very few people pass through it. I only read about it in ancient books; I never imagined that someone would actually guard it.”

Zheng Yi understood. It seemed that passing through the domain gate would require some twists and turns.

"Excuse me, how do I obtain this pass?" he asked the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man sized Zheng Yi up and down, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes.

"The pass token needs to be applied for at a branch of the Town Administration Bureau. The nearest branch is in Cloud City; you can go there to apply."

Yunxiao City?
Zheng Yi's expression changed slightly. He had just wiped out the Ning family in Yunxiao City; going back now would be like walking into a trap. Although he wasn't afraid of the remaining forces of the Ning family, there was no need to create unnecessary trouble.

"Is there no other way?" Zheng Yi asked.

“No,” the middle-aged man said coldly. “These are the rules of the Town Domain Division. Without a pass token, no one can pass through the domain gate.” (End of Chapter)