From the fake emperor to the concubine

Zheng Yi nodded, took out the map from his pocket, and looked at it.

"According to the map, the entrance to the Eastern Wilderness is about thirty miles ahead," he said. "There's a thick fog at the entrance; beyond that fog lies the Eastern Wilderness."

"Dense fog?" Tieshan scratched his head. "Is there still fog in the Eastern Wilderness?"

"It's said that the Eastern Wilderness is shrouded in dense fog year-round," Zheng Yi said. "This fog is unique to the Eastern Wilderness; ordinary people who enter it will lose their way and find no way out."

"Then what do we do?" Zheng Bowen asked.

“I have a way.” Zheng Yi took out several jade talismans from his Sumeru Bracelet and distributed them to everyone. “These are ‘mind-stabilizing talismans’ that I refined earlier. They can keep people alert in thick fog and prevent them from getting lost. Each of you should take one, just in case.”

The group took the jade talisman and carefully put it away.

They continued onward, and after about another hour, a thick fog appeared ahead.

The thick fog stretched out before them like a white wall, its end nowhere in sight. The fog churned and billowed, carrying a faint sobbing sound, as if something terrifying lurked within.

"What a thick fog." Tieshan swallowed hard. "Is there any danger in this fog?"

“It’s always better to be careful,” Zheng Yi said. “Everyone, put the calming talismans on your foreheads, stay close to me, and don’t get separated.”

Everyone did as instructed and placed the jade talisman between their eyebrows.

Zheng Yi walked at the front and was the first to step into the thick fog.

The thick fog instantly enveloped him, blurring his vision. All around him was a white mist, and he couldn't see anything clearly.

However, with the blessing of the mind-stabilizing talisman, his consciousness was not affected and he was still able to perceive the surrounding situation.

“Keep up,” he whispered.

Footsteps sounded behind them, and the group filed in.

The group walked through the thick fog, which grew denser and denser, reducing visibility. Eventually, even people close at hand could only be seen as blurry outlines.

"This fog is so thick," Tieshan muttered. "We can barely see anything."

"Don't talk, just focus on walking," Wind Chime said coldly.

The group continued onward, and after walking for an unknown amount of time, the fog ahead gradually thinned.

After walking for a while, the group finally passed through the thick fog and arrived at the territory of the Eastern Wilderness.

The sight before them stunned everyone.

This was a desolate wilderness, covered with withered yellow weeds and jagged rocks. The sky was overcast, the sun hidden, only a dim light visible. A musty, damp smell filled the air, making it feel extremely oppressive.

In the distance, one can vaguely see black mountain ranges, like lurking giant beasts, exuding a dangerous aura.

"This is the Eastern Wilderness?" Zheng Bowen looked around, a solemn expression on his face. "It's indeed completely different from the Tianyuan Domain."

"The spiritual energy here is so thin," Su Wanqing frowned. "It's several levels worse than the Tianyuan Domain."

"The Eastern Wilderness was originally a barren land," Zheng Yi said. "Most of the spiritual energy here has been absorbed by demonic beasts and restrictions, which is why it's so thin."

He took out the map and examined it carefully.

“According to the map, this is the outer edge of the Eastern Wilderness, where the danger level is relatively low,” he said. “Let’s explore here first, familiarize ourselves with the environment, and then gradually venture deeper.”

"Okay." Everyone nodded.

The group began exploring the outer areas of the Eastern Wilderness.

Although this area is barren, it is not entirely devoid of life. Occasionally, traces of spiritual herbs can be seen among the withered weeds. Sometimes, fragments of ore can also be found in the crevices of strange rocks.

"There are magical herbs here!" Zheng Bowen suddenly shouted.

The group went over and saw a small purple plant growing next to a large rock. The plant was only the size of a palm, with leaves that shimmered with a faint purple light and emitted a delicate fragrance.

“This is Purple Heart Grass,” Su Wanqing identified. “It’s a precious spiritual herb that can be used to refine healing pills.”

“We picked them,” Zheng Yi said.

Zheng Bowen carefully uprooted the purple heart grass and put it into his storage bag.

Continuing onward, the group discovered several more spiritual herbs and some ores. Although none of them were particularly valuable, each one added up to a considerable sum.

"The Eastern Wilderness truly holds treasures," Tieshan said happily. "No wonder the Lu family wanted to control Qingyun City; it turns out they were after its resources."

“This is just the outer area,” Zheng Yi said. “The truly valuable things are deep inside. We’re just testing the waters now; let’s not be too greedy.”

“Boss Dark Night is right,” Tie Shan nodded.

Just then, Feng Ling suddenly stopped and her expression changed.

“Something’s wrong,” she whispered.

Everyone immediately became alert and drew their weapons.

"What's going on?" Zheng Yi asked.

"There's the aura of demonic beasts ahead," Wind Chime said. "And not just one, it seems like a whole group."

Zheng Yi extended his divine sense and indeed sensed a group of demonic beasts moving about three hundred feet ahead.

There were about twenty or thirty of those demonic beasts. They were not large in size, but there were many of them, and their auras were all between the Golden Core stage and the Nascent Soul stage.

“They’re a pack of black wolf demons,” Zheng Yi said. “There are quite a few of them, but they’re not very strong. It’s a good opportunity for everyone to practice.”

"A black wolf demon?" Tie Shan's eyes lit up. "Isn't that the same as the black wolf demon in the Black Forest outside Qingyun City?"

"More or less, but the black wolf demons of the Eastern Wilderness might be even more ferocious," Zheng Yi said. "Everyone, be careful and don't let your guard down."

"Understood." Everyone nodded.

Zheng Yi led the group of black wolf demons to approach quietly.

After passing through a patch of withered grass, they saw what lay ahead.

It was a pack of giant black wolves, several times larger than ordinary wolves, with jet-black fur and eyes that gleamed with an eerie green light. They were surrounding the corpse of a demonic beast, tearing at it with their jaws and letting out low growls.

“These are them,” Zheng Yi said in a low voice. “Tieshan, Bowen, and Tianxing, the three of you attack from the front. Fengling and Wanqing, the two of you flank from the sides. Chen Feng, you cover the rear. If any wolves try to escape, stop them. I'll provide support from the sidelines. If there's any danger, I'll intervene.”

"Understood," the group replied in hushed tones.

"Move!" Zheng Yi gave the order.

Tieshan was the first to rush out. He was a burly man, and when he ran, he was like a wild bull, carrying a tremendous impact.

"Ha!" he shouted, throwing a punch at the nearest black wolf demon.

The black wolf demon was eating and had no defenses. It was hit on the head by Tieshan's fist and died on the spot.

The remaining black wolf demons were startled and raised their heads, rushing towards Tieshan.

Zheng Bowen and Xiao Tianxing also rushed forward and fought against the Black Wolf Demon.

Feng Ling and Su Wanqing flanked the fleeing black wolf demons, attacking them from the side. Chen Feng stayed behind, intercepting any that managed to escape.

In an instant, the battlefield was filled with the sounds of battle and the flying of blood and flesh.

Zheng Yi stood aside, observing coldly, ready to make a move at any moment.

But he found that his men performed exceptionally well. Tieshan possessed immense strength, capable of killing a black wolf demon with a single punch or kick. Zheng Bowen and Xiao Tianxing cooperated seamlessly, covering for each other and forcing the black wolf demons into a retreating frenzy. Fengling was agile and ruthless, specifically targeting the black wolf demons' vital points. Su Wanqing's fire-based techniques were incredibly powerful; a single palm strike could incinerate several black wolf demons.

"Not bad." Zheng Yi nodded in satisfaction.

In about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the entire pack of black wolf demons was wiped out.

"That was great!" Tieshan clapped his hands, a smile of excitement on his face. "These black wolf demons are too weak; they're no match for us."

"Don't be too happy yet," Zheng Yi said. "These are just the monsters on the outskirts of the Eastern Wilderness; they're not very strong. The deeper we go, the more powerful the monsters become."

"That's perfect!" Tieshan rubbed his hands together, eager to fight. "I love battling powerful monsters."

Zheng Yi shook his head, too lazy to say anything more to him.

"Retrieve the monster cores," he ordered. "These cores may not be of high quality, but they add up over time and will still be a source of income."

The group began to work, taking out the black wolf demon's crystal cores one by one.

Monster cores are the essence condensed within a monster's body, containing pure spiritual power. They can be used for alchemy, weapon crafting, and setting up formations, and have a wide range of applications.

Although this group of black wolf demons was not very strong, they had a considerable number of crystal cores, more than twenty in total.

"A good haul," Zheng Bowen said. "These crystal cores can fetch at least tens of thousands of spirit stones."

"Only tens of thousands of spirit stones? That's too little," Tieshan said dismissively. "We need to find more powerful demonic beasts to obtain better crystal cores."

"Take it slow," Zheng Yi said. "Let's get used to the outside first, and then slowly go deeper."

The group continued their journey, exploring the outer areas of the Eastern Wilderness.

Along the way, they encountered several more groups of demonic beasts, including black wolf demons, fire crow demons, and stone-armored beasts. These demonic beasts were not very strong, at most at the Nascent Soul stage, and posed no real challenge to the group.

However, Zheng Yi did not let everyone down their guard. Every time they encountered a monster, he would make them take it seriously and treat it as a real combat training exercise.

"Battle cannot rely solely on brute force," he told the crowd. "You must learn to observe the enemy's weaknesses, learn to cooperate, and learn to protect yourself in battle. These experiences are more important than killing any number of monsters."

Everyone agreed wholeheartedly, taking each battle seriously and striving to improve their combat skills.

And so, the group explored the outer areas of the Eastern Wilderness for three days.

Over the past three days, they have killed hundreds of demonic beasts and collected a large number of crystal cores and spiritual herbs. At the same time, everyone's combat experience has greatly improved, and their teamwork has become much more seamless.

"Everyone did a great job," Zheng Yi said during their evening rest. "Tomorrow, we can try to go a little deeper and explore the middle layer of the Eastern Wilderness."

"Great!" Tieshan exclaimed excitedly. "The monsters on the outer perimeter are too weak; fighting them isn't exciting at all."

“The demonic beasts in the middle layer are not weak,” Feng Ling said. “From what I understand, the lowest level of demonic beasts in the middle layer is the Integration Realm, and some may even reach the Great Ascension Realm. We must be careful.”

"Don't worry, with Boss Dark Night here, we're not afraid of any monsters." Tie Shan patted his chest.

Zheng Yi shook his head. "Don't rely on me too much. If we encounter danger, I might not be able to take care of everyone. You all need to learn to protect yourselves."

“Boss Dark Night is right.” Tie Shan’s smile faded, and he nodded seriously.

On the morning of the fourth day, the group packed their belongings and began their journey towards the middle layer of the Eastern Wilderness.

The deeper you go, the harsher the environment becomes.

The sky grew even darker, and the air was thick with the smell of sulfur and decay. The weeds on the ground thinned out, replaced by patches of black, scorched earth and jagged rocks.

Occasionally, huge skeletons would appear on the ground, some belonging to demonic beasts, others resembling human remains. These skeletons lay there silently, telling the story of the fierce battles that had once taken place here.

"This place is so desolate," Su Wanqing frowned. "There's not a single sign of life."

"The monsters in the middle layer are very powerful; weak creatures simply cannot survive there," Zheng Yi said. "Everyone, be careful and don't make too much noise, lest you alert those monsters."

Everyone nodded and slowed their pace.

After walking for about two hours, a sudden tremor came from ahead.

The tremors grew stronger and stronger, as if something enormous was approaching.

"Something's coming!" Feng Ling's expression changed.

Everyone immediately became alert and drew their weapons.

Rumble.
The tremors grew closer, and the ground began to shake.

Then, a huge monster emerged from behind a small hill in front of them.

It was a giant stone-armored serpent, tens of meters long, its entire body covered in hard stone armor, its scales reflecting a cold light. Its head was the size of a millstone, and its eyes, like two blood-red lanterns, emitted a ferocious light.

"A demonic beast in the late stage of the Integration Realm!" Feng Ling's expression changed drastically.

"Everyone, scatter!" Zheng Yi shouted.

The crowd immediately scattered and hid in all directions.

The giant stone-armored python had clearly spotted them. With a roar, it charged towards the group with its massive body.

It was extremely fast, its massive body whipping up a gust of wind, leaving a deep trench in the ground wherever it passed.

"Damn it!" Tieshan cursed and threw a punch at the giant python.

boom!
His fist slammed into the giant python, producing a loud clang of metal striking metal. But the python only paused slightly, suffering no harm whatsoever.

"Its defense is too strong!" Tieshan's expression changed.

The giant python swung its tail, sweeping it horizontally towards Tieshan.

Tieshan tried to dodge, but the giant python was too fast, and he had no time to react.

At this critical moment, a dark figure flashed by and pulled Tieshan away.

It's Zheng Yi.

"You all step back first, I'll handle this monster," Zheng Yi said.

"Dark Night Boss" Tieshan wanted to say something more.

"Listen to me!" Zheng Yi shouted.

Tieshan gritted his teeth and retreated to the back.

Zheng Yi turned to face the giant python, and the spiritual energy within his body began to surge.

The aura of a late-stage Mahayana realm cultivator erupted from him, like a giant dragon awakening, contending with the aura of a giant python.

"Come on," he said calmly. (End of Chapter)