The Depths of the Forbidden Land

"Ding! The protagonist Lin Fan has successfully been converted into the Master's slave."

Qin Tian smiled indifferently. The first protagonist had fallen, confirming his potential as a villain.

As he gazed at Qingyao, who was still clinging tightly to him, Qin Tian knocked her out. He wasn't some lust-driven maniac—he only intended to use her for his plans.

Back when he gave her the pill to heal her injuries, he'd mixed in a secret ingredient from the Upper Realm. This special drug, when combined with another, would induce a powerful desire in the person who took it. The most remarkable effect, however, was that the person would believe that their actions were entirely of their own will, thinking it was their true instinct and inner desire.

"This protagonist is too weak. Just doing something trivial in front of him caused his Dao Heart to crumble." To Qin Tian, Lin Fan was one of the more fragile protagonists he had encountered.

"I wonder when the next protagonist will appear."

Having drained Lin Fan of his destiny and gained a considerable amount of destiny points, Qin Tian now had over seven thousand points in the system. He could buy plenty of things from the system store with that.

He found himself looking forward to the arrival of the next protagonist.

"As for you, I'll call you Yi Yi," Qin Tian said, glancing at the bear-like Sacred Spirit clinging adorably to him. This little creature, easily bribed with an ancient divine stone, had no idea how strong it would become when it matured.

"It seems you really did just hatch."

"Yiya ya, yiya ya," Yi Yi licked its stubby fingers, its eyes gleaming as it stared at Qin Tian, making cute noises.

"You want more?" Qin Tian chuckled. If it weren't for his wealth, most people would struggle to afford the resources to raise this gluttonous creature. It seemed like Yi Yi might run away if it didn't get more divine stones.

"So, you're just after my stones, huh?"

After gently adjusting Qingyao's head on his shoulder, Qin Tian reached into his storage ring and pulled out a pouch filled with ancient divine stones. Thanks to his status, he had plenty to spare.

"Yiya ya, yiya ya!" Yi Yi clutched its paws to its face as if embarrassed but still peeked at Qin Tian through its fingers. It seemed a bit ashamed yet eager for more divine stones.

"Yiya ya," Yi Yi said, pointing at the Sacred Blood Fruit in front of them and then back at Qin Tian.

"You want to give me that fruit?"

Qin Tian chuckled. This little creature was quite amusing.

"No need, you can have it."

The Sacred Blood Fruit didn't hold much appeal to Qin Tian, so there was no reason for him to take it.

Upon hearing that, Yi Yi's eyes lit up with joy. It had been reluctant to part with the fruit in the first place.

"Take him back," Qin Tian instructed Ling Jiao, gesturing to Lin Fan, who lay on the ground, barely alive.

After all, Qin Tian had spent a few thousand destiny points on him. He couldn't just let Lin Fan be devoured by some random beast in the forbidden land.

Besides, Lin Fan still carried the soul of Xuanling, which could prove useful to Qin Tian.

"Yes, Master," Ling Jiao responded obediently. Though puzzled by the order not to leave Lin Fan to the beasts, Ling Jiao followed Qin Tian's instructions without question.

With Qingyao in his arms, Qin Tian decided to take a casual stroll around the forbidden land. He was curious to see what this lower-realm forbidden zone had to offer.

...

"Cough, cough."

A disheveled figure crash-landed from the sky, their clothing torn and tattered beyond recognition.

"That was... a royal-grade medicine! A royal-grade medicine!"

The figure, panting heavily, spoke with excitement. Over the past few days, they had stumbled upon an unbelievable find—a golden, radiant herb surrounded by intense spiritual energy.

It was on the verge of becoming royal-grade medicine, and Ji Kong had nearly wept with joy at the sight. This was divine intervention. Fully matured royal-grade medicine was incredibly hard to capture, but a plant in the process of breaking through could be snatched during its moment of weakness, right after it survived its heavenly tribulation.

He had waited for that perfect moment but hadn't anticipated the arrival of so many forbidden beasts drawn by the medicine's aura, including a half-step emperor-level beast.

Even though Ji Kong was an old and experienced half-step human emperor, his weakened vitality and the suppression of his cultivation by the forbidden land had left him struggling. He could handle one half-step emperor beast, but the beasts in the forbidden land had an uncanny sensitivity to human auras.

Once they caught wind of his presence, they went berserk. Some didn't even bother with the royal-grade medicine and charged straight for him.

This was precisely why the Eastern Wasteland's forbidden land had such a fearsome reputation. The beasts within would stop at nothing to tear apart any human who dared venture into their territory, relentlessly pursuing them until they were killed.

"I have to survive," Ji Kong muttered, coughing up blood. The Great Zhou Dynasty was already on the verge of collapse, and without him, its chances of survival were even slimmer.

Ji Kong was one of the last remaining pillars of the dynasty. If he died, Great Zhou would face certain doom. Yet, if he didn't take this gamble, the dynasty was doomed to a slow death anyway.

"Human, you should not have come here."

A massive figure, the size of a mountain, loomed over Ji Kong. It was a colossal Giant Ape, one of the dominant beasts of the forbidden land, standing at half-step emperor level.

"Monkey, leave the human to me."

Not far from the giant ape, a massive serpent slithered forward, its head crowned with a sharp horn—an ancient serpent on the verge of transforming into a flood dragon.

The blood and flesh of a half-step human emperor would be an incredible tonic, boosting its chances of completing the transformation.

"Fine, but I get the majority of the royal-grade medicine," the Taishan Giant Ape agreed after some thought. It valued the medicine's potential for improvement more than the human's weakened flesh.

"That's acceptable," the serpent replied, seeing no reason to disagree.

Suddenly, an overwhelming aura descended upon the scene, its presence suffocating. A golden-winged roc appeared, its feathers gleaming with radiant light.

The sheer pressure of its aura immobilized Ji Kong, who felt despair welling up inside him. Even when he had been chased by the two half-step emperor beasts, he had not felt such overwhelming hopelessness.

This golden-winged roc was so powerful that he couldn't even move under its gaze. This could only mean one thing—the roc had surpassed his level.

This was a true emperor-level beast.

In the Qingyun Realm, the human emperor level was the highest rank, and an emperor-level beast was at the pinnacle of the food chain.

The golden-winged roc landed gracefully, not even sparing Ji Kong a glance. Instead, it turned toward the distance, its expression serious.

"Which esteemed elder is present? Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner; it seems I have overstepped my bounds."