It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists
Chapter 514: A Single Encounter with the Jade Empress, A Lifetime of Mistakes

Two Polarities Peak.

Lan Mulian approached the courtyard and respectfully addressed the woman sitting beneath the pavilion, playing Go against herself to pass the time.

“Has he left?” Shang Yanfei asked softly, without looking up.

Lan Mulian hummed in affirmation. “Junior Brother learned that Senior Spirit Dragon wishes to transcend and might need the Flower of the Great Dao, so he’s already gone to the Forbidden Zone with the Princess of Cloud Province.”

“Many are still unaware of the rules of the Eastern Continent’s Forbidden Land. For the Princess to willingly take your Junior Brother to the Forbidden Zone without knowing the rules, it seems she has deep feelings for him.”

Shang Yanfei paused her hand, a gentle smile gracing her lips. “But knowing your Junior Brother, he probably won’t let her enter the Forbidden Zone with him.”

“The Forbidden Land is unlike any other place. Even Dao Integration Realm experts risk falling there. After all, those are rules set by the Heavenly Dao itself.”

The path of cultivation was one of defying the heavens, but even at its peak, one was still human.

And humans should hold reverence for the heavens.

Lan Mulian opened her red lips slightly, a hesitant look on her face, as if wanting to say something.

“Do you want to ask why I’m not letting you leave Two Polarities Peak, not letting you accompany your Junior Brother to the Forbidden Zone?” Shang Yanfei asked.

A flicker of unease crossed Lan Mulian’s cool, beautiful eyes. “I just feel that he’s a disciple of the Two Polarities Sect, after all, and he’s helped me a lot in the past. This is my chance to repay him…”

“He’s already at the peak of Nascent Soul Realm. Although he still needs some time to stabilize and adapt to this realm, with his current strength, there’s no need to worry about sneak attacks or anything.”

Shang Yanfei paused, then looked at Lan Mulian with a smile, “You’ve almost completely comprehended the inheritance Lan Shihuai left you, haven’t you?”

A surprised look appeared on Lan Mulian’s face, seemingly not expecting her Master to know this without even leaving her peak.

Even the Lan Clan members, and even the Lan Clan Leader, didn’t know that Lan Shihuai had completely passed on her inheritance to her.

“With your talent, and the mark Lan Shihuai left within your body, reaching Soul Transformation after five cycles of Nascent Soul is only a matter of time. But you seem a bit lost these days, is there something troubling you?” Shang Yanfei asked.

Lan Mulian hesitated, then said, “The Heavenly Dao is currently ailing, but most cultivators in the Nine Provinces choose the Heavenly Dao for their Dao Comprehension… This disciple is wondering, even after five cycles of Nascent Soul, what should I choose for Soul Transformation?”

“You don’t need to choose anything,” Shang Yanfei said calmly.

Lan Mulian looked at Shang Yanfei in surprise, “Master, what do you mean?”

Shang Yanfei looked at Lan Mulian and said with a smile, “Who told you that you have to choose one of the three Daos of Heaven, Earth, and Human to comprehend the Dao?”

…

Eastern Continent, Forbidden Zone.

This was the Forbidden Land of the Eastern Continent, where the rules of heaven and earth were completely different from the outside world. Most cultivators who rashly entered died from curses.

But if one knew the rules of the Forbidden Zone, it wasn’t impossible to find some heavenly materials and earthly treasures, or even rare magical beasts, and leave alive.

Most of the heavenly materials and earthly treasures in the Forbidden Zone weren’t found in the outside world, so they could often fetch very high prices at auction houses.

And such prices were enough to save ordinary cultivators twenty or thirty years of hard work.

Therefore, there were always some cultivators who, for the sake of ‘striking gold’, risked entering the Forbidden Zone to capture rare magical beasts or find some treasures.

Now, with the great change in the rules of heaven and earth, and the arrival of the golden age, the Soul Transformation Realm was no longer an insurmountable height.

The resources needed to reach Soul Transformation Realm far exceeded people’s imagination. Some rogue cultivators, without the backing of powerful families, could only place their hopes on dangerous places like the Forbidden Zone.

And those with powerful families backing them usually wouldn’t risk entering the Forbidden Land.

After all, they could use the resources provided by their families to brute-force their way to Soul Transformation Realm.

In an era without Transcendence or widespread Dao Integration, Soul Transformation Realm sages were the most powerful cultivators.

The Princess tore open a spatial rift and brought Mu Zhian into the outer area of the Forbidden Zone.

Looking ahead, they could vaguely see a lush green meadow within the Forbidden Zone, towering ancient trees rising from the ground, their branches and leaves emerald green, emitting a faint rosy light, and fiery red flowers swaying in the wind, seductive and alluring.

The vegetation here seemed beautiful, but who knew how many cultivators’ bones lay buried beneath.

“Your Highness, this is far enough. I can walk the rest of the way myself,” Mu Zhian stopped and said softly, looking at the beautiful woman beside him.

The Princess frowned slightly, “Let me escort you inside. The Forbidden Zone does have rules against cultivators above Soul Transformation Realm entering, but if I’m willing, I can temporarily ignore these rules.”

Mu Zhian slowly shook his head, “No need, there’s no need for you to risk entering with me… My strength is within the rules, I won’t be in danger within the Forbidden Zone.”

“Besides, you’ve been out for so long, the Great Peng Emperor might be worried,” Mu Zhian continued.

The Princess rolled her eyes at the young man and said faintly, “If he was worried about me, he wouldn’t be hoping I would leave Cloud Province for a few days so he could regain control.”

Hearing this, Mu Zhian seemed to realize something and said, “You don’t care about power in Cloud Province at all?”

“As long as Cloud Province remains stable and peaceful, it doesn’t matter who holds power,” the Princess shook her head gently.

“Then have you ever thought about what the Great Peng Emperor will do after gaining control of Cloud Province?” Mu Zhian asked.

The Princess’s eyes flickered, seemingly recalling some past events.

In the past, for the sake of Immortal Medicine, the Great Peng Emperor sent many teams to their deaths to explore the detailed rules of the Forbidden Land of Life, thus losing many of Cloud Province’s pillars…

Now that the Great Peng Emperor had obtained Immortal Medicine, would he send people to their deaths again to explore all the rules of the Forbidden Land of Life?

Seeing the Princess lost in thought, Mu Zhian couldn’t help but look at her.

It had to be said, this woman was truly beautiful. She was currently wearing a veil again, her light silver-white dress outlining her mature and alluring figure, like a ripe peach.

Beneath her skirt, a pair of thin, holy white stockings covered her long, voluptuous, and snow-white legs, and she wore embroidered flat shoes, beautiful and captivating.

Mu Zhian used to think he liked girls his own age, then he thought ‘junior sisters’ were nice, then a single encounter with the Jade Empress led to a lifetime of mistakes… He changed his preference to older women.

But now, he also found this mature and alluring married woman quite appealing…

Although people often said they liked black silk, white silk, milfs, lolis, and had various other fetishes like foot control, face control, and leg control, in the end, they were all just horndogs.

Mu Zhian couldn’t resist reaching out and lifting the Princess’s veil, revealing a round, beautiful, charming, and mature face.

The Princess snapped out of her thoughts, saw Mu Zhian’s intense gaze, seemed to know what he was thinking, and rolled her eyes at him, “Why are you always thinking about doing bad things?”

“It’s not that I’m always thinking about doing bad things, it’s just that seeing Your Highness makes me unable to resist,” Mu Zhian held the Princess’s hand and said softly.

A blush quickly spread across the Princess’s face.

“What were you just thinking about?” Mu Zhian asked curiously.

The Princess said softly, “I think you’re right. It was indeed me being too easygoing in the past. The Great Peng Emperor is wholeheartedly focused on cultivation, completely disregarding the lives of Cloud Province… If I were in control, perhaps it would be better for Cloud Province.”

Mu Zhian didn’t say anything more.

He only offered his thoughts, but the final decision was up to the Princess.

“And also, if I were in control of Cloud Province, it would be much more pleasant spending time with you in the future,” the Princess suddenly added.

Mu Zhian hesitated, “What does that have to do with me?”

The Princess suddenly stood on tiptoes, bringing her sexy, rosy lips close to Mu Zhian’s, but didn’t kiss him. She just glanced at him seductively and whispered, “If I’m in control, then when we have our secret rendezvous in the palace, we won’t have to worry about being discovered, right?”

“We can do whatever we like in the imperial gardens, the pavilions, even in the place where I review memorials…”

The Princess’s sweet fragrance filled Mu Zhian’s senses, intoxicating him.

“Wouldn’t that be very pleasant?” she asked softly.

Mu Zhian gazed at her seductive eyes, her playful expression, and almost couldn’t resist suppressing her right there and then.

But ultimately, he restrained himself.

This was, after all, outside… He didn’t want to do anything strange with the Princess in public yet.

Most importantly, what if they ran into Sister Lingxuan near the edge of the Forbidden Zone…?

Then Mu Zhian might never leave the Forbidden Zone after entering…

The little girl already had some yandere tendencies. If she saw something she shouldn’t, she might just use the Desolate Time Lock and throw Mu Zhian into the basement.

Hiss… Thinking about it, this trip to the Forbidden Zone seems quite dangerous?

Mu Zhian thought.

“What are you spacing out about?” the Princess’s gentle voice sounded.

Mu Zhian came back to his senses. Looking at the woman’s charming and alluring face, and remembering her identity as the Great Peng Emperor’s wife, his heart stirred. He lowered his head, gently kissed the Princess’s sexy red lips, and said softly, “Nothing.”

“Wait for me, Your Highness.”

The Princess finally agreed to Mu Zhian’s persuasion and temporarily left the Forbidden Zone.

Just as Mu Zhian said, the Forbidden Zone was too dangerous. Before reaching Transcendence, entering such a place risked death, there was no need to take that risk.

And Mu Zhian was also worried that if Ye Lingxuan saw the Princess… it would be difficult to explain.

As the Princess said, it was more enjoyable for them to keep their relationship a secret.

…

The Eastern Continent’s Forbidden Zone was vast, beyond imagination.

Before the rules of heaven and earth changed, a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator entered and ended up lost for three whole days. On the fourth night, he happened to receive guidance from an expert within the Forbidden Zone and narrowly escaped danger.

Since then, various legends about the Forbidden Zone had circulated in the Eastern Continent.

Last time Mu Zhian came, Ye Lingxuan was with him, so they could quickly find the core area of the Forbidden Zone.

But this time, traveling alone, he could only rely on his memory to find the path to the depths of the Forbidden Zone.

If he could travel through the void, Mu Zhian felt he could find the path, but he couldn’t do that.

One of the Forbidden Zone’s rules: Void travel forbidden.

This rule was probably established to prevent those with ill intentions from directly entering the depths of the Forbidden Zone using void travel.

Along the way, Mu Zhian found four Aurora Crystals. In the outside world, a single Aurora Crystal the size of a fingernail could be exchanged for at least five hundred thousand spirit stones.

No wonder so many cultivators risked exploring the Forbidden Zone despite its dangers. The temptation was too great.

Just finding a single Aurora Crystal in the Forbidden Zone was enough for a carefree life for the next twenty years.

But Mu Zhian felt something was strange. Logically, with the Aurora Crystals lying in such a conspicuous place, why hadn’t they been picked up after so long?

Night fell unknowingly.

More than three hundred kilometers south of the Forbidden Zone, a group of people sat around a bonfire, chatting and laughing. The occasional crackling sound of sparks lit up the cold night.

A pot hung over the bonfire, filled with simmering fish soup.

The night wind in the Forbidden Zone was strong, but mysterious golden talismans shielded both sides of the bonfire, protecting the small campsite from the cold wind.

A woman in a pale gold dress sat by the bonfire, hugging her knees. Her long hair was tied up with a black and gold hairpin, her snow-white legs faintly visible beneath her skirt. She watched the orange-red flames flicker in the night, seemingly deep in thought.

“Your Highness, we’ve been flying along the edge of the Forbidden Zone on our swords for nearly three hundred kilometers, but we still can’t see the end… Perhaps the elixir of immortality His Majesty mentioned is just a rumor. If we still can’t find it in two days, let’s return to the palace,” an elderly man with a white beard said softly beside her.

The old man’s name was Zhu Cheng. He was sent to the Forbidden Zone to search for the elixir of immortality under the decree of the Great Qian Dynasty’s old emperor.

Besides two who were children of court officials, the rest of the people around the bonfire were guest elders and attendants of the dynasty, sixteen people in total, including Princess Yongning.

Along the way, six had died, including two Nascent Soul Realm guest elders who were the main force of the team.

They were all unaware of the Forbidden Zone’s rules and died mysteriously from curses.

“Mister Zhu Cheng has always taken care of me since I was young. In Yongning’s heart, you’ve always been like family. Although this is Father’s decree, the Crown Prince also doesn’t want you to remain in the palace, so he secretly pulled some strings. No matter what, I can’t let you and the others go alone.”

Even in the wilderness, Princess Yongning’s demeanor remained elegant. She said seriously, “If we can’t find the elixir of immortality, and Father blames us, I will plead for you all, so just do your best.”

“Your Highness…”

At this moment, many in the team looked at the eldest princess with gratitude.

After Imperial Advisor Gu Buxing’s downfall, the old emperor’s health had been declining day by day. Everyone knew that the Great Qian Dynasty was nearing a change of emperors.

Although the Crown Prince had been chosen, rumors spread that the old emperor was reconsidering his choice. These people being sent to search for the elixir of immortality was actually a power struggle within the imperial palace.

Some of them supported the Second Prince, others the Fourth Prince. This time, they were secretly set up by the Crown Prince’s faction and sent to this dangerous Forbidden Zone.

Even if they managed to leave the Forbidden Zone alive, without finding the elixir of immortality, they would still be punished.

But with the eldest princess here… the punishment would be lessened.

A frail young girl beside Yongning said, “There are actually many heavenly materials and earthly treasures within the Forbidden Zone. They might not grant immortality, but they can extend one’s lifespan.”

“Just finding any one of them is enough to return to the palace.”

Princess Yongning thought for a moment, then chuckled softly, “Miss Lin, you seem so frail, but you’re quite resourceful. If the Crown Prince knew Father could live for another twenty or thirty years, he would probably despair.”

In this cultivation world, some nobles in the imperial palace cultivated to extend their lifespans, more or less. The Crown Prince was currently thirty-six years old. In another twenty or thirty years…tsk tsk, whether he could ascend the throne was still a question.

Hearing this, Zhu Cheng couldn’t help but sigh, “It’s fortunate to have Miss Lin with us on this trip, otherwise, who knows how many more of us would have died.”

This frail young girl was Lin Keyu, the Holy Maiden who returned to Xuanyin Temple after the Ascension Tournament.

They encountered this Holy Maiden on their way. According to her, Xuanyin Temple had always had some cooperation with the Forbidden Zone, so she knew some of its rules.

She also entered the Forbidden Zone this time for training and to search for something.

Lin Keyu smiled charmingly and said softly, “It was just a small effort, there’s no need to thank me.”

After saying that, she looked at the bonfire, her thoughts seemingly drifting far away in the night.

Princess Yongning looked at Lin Keyu. The young girl’s face was as fair and flawless as ice crystal, one hand hugging her knees, the other supporting her cheek, as if deep in thought.

“Miss Lin seems to be lost in thought often along the way. Could it be that you’re thinking of your sweetheart?” Princess Yongning suddenly asked with a smile.

Lin Keyu snapped out of it and quickly shook her head: “I don’t have a sweetheart.”

Princess Yongning smiled without speaking.

Lin Keyu had unintentionally mentioned Mu Zhian several times along the way. With the eldest princess’s intelligence, she naturally noticed something.

“Careful, someone’s coming.”

Just then, Zhu Cheng suddenly said in a low voice. He heard footsteps approaching from the distance.

Everyone reacted quickly, immediately hiding behind the towering ancient trees and concealing their auras.

At the same time, his spiritual sense instantly locked onto the newcomer.

Lin Keyu also looked over. She was calmer than everyone else. Her Xuanyin Body made her physically frail since childhood, but this constitution also made her unrivaled among her peers. As long as the person appearing before her wasn’t at Soul Transformation Realm, she was confident in escaping.

“Sorry everyone, I don’t mean to intrude, I’m just passing through.”

A figure slowly walked out from the shadows in the distance. The young man wore a raven-black robe, a black mist seemingly swirling around him, making it difficult to see his form clearly.

That was a Southern Wilderness secret technique.

He glanced at everyone and said with a smile, “It’s not easy to find a safe campsite in the Forbidden Zone at night, mind if I share this place?”

As he spoke, he took out a jade box from his storage ring and tossed it to Princess Yongning: “If it’s inconvenient, then forget it. A small token of goodwill as a greeting gift, please accept it.”

The person who appeared here was naturally Mu Zhian. He sensed Lin Keyu and Princess Yongning’s auras when he approached. The reason he didn’t reveal himself immediately was that he sensed something unusual about this group.

The eldest princess of the Great Qian Dynasty appearing in such a dangerous place as the Forbidden Zone was strange in itself.

And his Innate Spiritual Body sensed a faint killing intent from two people in this group. It was best to observe the situation for now.

Yongning looked at Mu Zhian doubtfully and opened the jade box.

Zhu Cheng’s face immediately showed a look of surprise: “An Aurora Crystal?!”

He knew the value of Aurora Crystals. He didn’t expect this young man to be so generous, giving such a valuable item to someone he just met.

Zhu Cheng quickly calmed down, pointed at a vacant area some distance away, and said, “If Young Friend doesn’t mind, you can rest there. We’ll be responsible for your safety tonight. You can stay if there’s no problem.”

He could sense the other party’s strength was only average, so it didn’t matter if this young man stayed here for the night.

“Thank you, Senior.”

Mu Zhian cupped his hands, then went to the vacant area to rest alone.

Meanwhile, Princess Yongning looked at the young man’s back, then at the jade box in her hand, and said softly, “This young man must be either rich or noble, and he seems quite handsome.”

Lin Keyu stared at Mu Zhian’s back for a long time, then asked, “How does Princess Yongning know he’s rich or noble? He hasn’t even shown his face yet.”

“Being able to give someone an Aurora Crystal upon first meeting, only descendants of those Ancient Families can do that, right?”

Princess Yongning chuckled softly, “Mister Zhu Cheng has a sharp eye for people. He must have guessed this and decided to do him a favor.”

“As for his appearance…”

She thought for a moment and said, “Although I can’t see clearly, one’s aura doesn’t lie… I think he should be quite handsome.”

Lin Keyu glanced at the always elegant eldest princess: “Could it be that Your Highness is interested?”

Princess Yongning gently shook her head, gave the young girl a meaningful look, and said with a smile, “I just saw you staring at him, so I mentioned it.”

“Miss Lin, do you know him?” Princess Yongning asked casually.

Lin Keyu shook her head: “I don’t know him.”

She paused, then smiled weakly and said softly, “And I already have someone I like.”

But as she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on the young man.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with resentment.