It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists
Chapter 537: Ye Lingxuan Undergoes the Forbidden Zone Trial

“Roar…”

The low growl of a Forbidden Demonic Beast echoed through the Forbidden Zone. It resembled a giant wolf, its eyes blood red, a black aura emanating from its body as it roared.

Mu Zhian looked up, observing the imposing beast, which seemed to have lost its mind.

The Forbidden Zone’s rules seemed to affect the creatures within to a certain extent. Along the way, he even saw flowers, trees, and even heavenly materials and earthly treasures seemingly influenced by the power of the rules, greatly enhanced and imbued with sentience.

Even the plants in the Forbidden Zone were affected, yet the Forbidden Zone’s clan members weren’t… It was quite interesting, when he thought about it.

“A Skyhowl Wolf. In the Forbidden Zone, it’s a Heaven-rank demonic beast… Bringing back its demon crystal will basically end this hunting competition.”

Ye Lingxuan looked at the demonic beast with a hint of surprise and delight in her eyes. She raised a fingertip, and a golden chain shot out from her sleeve, transforming into a golden streak of light, enveloping the Skyhowl Wolf from all directions.

The struggling beast froze, time standing still.

The lock of the Desolate Time Lock reached for the faint blue demon crystal on the Skyhowl Wolf’s forehead. The next moment, the demon crystal was in the young woman’s hand.

“Is one Heaven-rank demonic beast enough? If you need more, I can take you to other places to find some,” Mu Zhian offered.

“The other candidates can’t possibly find another Heaven-rank demonic beast like the Skyhowl Wolf. Even if they did, they wouldn’t be able to take its demon crystal, unless they send a large number of cultivators to subdue it,” Ye Lingxuan said confidently. “A demonic beast’s demon crystal is practically its ‘reverse scale’ (reverse scale – a sensitive spot, touching which would enrage a dragon). If it weren’t for the Desolate Time Lock, even Brother Mu might not be able to obtain it.”

Although these demonic beasts had lost their minds, they still had a basic survival instinct. Once they sensed someone trying to take their ‘core’, they would enter a frenzied state.

If a forbidden demonic beast, no weaker than the peak of Nascent Soul Realm, went berserk… even a newly ascended Soul Transformation cultivator could only avoid it.

Mu Zhian nodded slightly, “Then let’s head back. It’s been almost three hours since we came out. The other candidates’ teams should be preparing to return as well.”

Ye Lingxuan first hummed in agreement, then looked at the young man with a thoughtful expression.

She was still curious about how Brother Mu found the Skyhowl Wolf, and judging by his words just now… it seemed he could locate not only the Skyhowl Wolf, but also other Heaven-rank demonic beasts?

This was quite intriguing…

“By the way, Brother Mu, be careful. I sensed a spiritual sense lock onto you just now. Although it was only for a moment, you should still be careful,” Ye Lingxuan suddenly transmitted her voice.

Although her realm was slightly lower than Mu Zhian’s, after inheriting the Reincarnated Empress’s legacy, her cultivation had been rapidly improving, her perception becoming astonishing. And the spiritual sense that locked onto Mu Zhian hadn’t bothered concealing itself, so she immediately sensed it.

Mu Zhian couldn’t help but smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”

Although he said that, this was the Forbidden Zone, where the power of rules was different from the outside world.

And Wei Mengrou, Yao Meng, and Gong Lianyue were all here, along with Sister Ye and the Reincarnated Empress… Who in this world could threaten him in the Forbidden Zone?

Moreover, he possessed the Innate Celestial Furnace. Even if a being from the Forbidden Lands targeted him, it wouldn’t be to kill him.

Rather than someone wanting to harm him, Mu Zhian felt it was more likely Yao Meng or someone else worried about him, checking on him with their spiritual sense.

“Let’s head back,” Mu Zhian held Ye Lingxuan’s hand naturally and smiled.

The young woman’s face flushed slightly as she lowered her head and obediently agreed.

Looking at her obedient and well-behaved demeanor, Mu Zhian’s mood brightened, and he said with a smile, “The Charm Immortal Flower’s effects should have worn off by now, right?”

Ye Lingxuan boarded the palanquin, feigning composure, and said, “Mmm-hmm… well, that kind of thing doesn’t really affect me anyway. I was just playing along with Brother Mu.”

Hearing this, Mu Zhian couldn’t help but tease her, leaning close and whispering, “It seemed like you were the one who suggested playing that little game, though?”

A deeper blush colored Ye Lingxuan’s pretty face.

“Speaking of which, if you inherit the position of Forbidden Zone Empress, will the Forbidden Zone Lord pass on the authority over the Forbidden Zone’s rules to you?” Mu Zhian suddenly asked curiously.

Ye Lingxuan put on a serious face to maintain her elegant image, “How much authority I can inherit is ultimately determined by my own talent, not my father. That’s why he uses this method to choose a successor, instead of directly choosing me.”

“I see…”

Mu Zhian thought for a moment, then suddenly said, “Then after inheriting the authority over the rules, you can rewrite the Forbidden Zone’s rules as you please? Like, writing that dual cultivation won’t result in pregnancy, can the power of the rules really achieve that?”

Ye Lingxuan glared at him, embarrassed and annoyed, “What are you talking about, Brother Mu?!”

“I just remembered that when we were together before, you seemed to use some methods to avoid… accidents, so I was curious,” Mu Zhian said with a smile.

“That’s because I’m not ready to have children yet. After all, Brother Mu and I aren’t even married. It’s not that I dislike that kind of thing…”

The young woman’s face flushed crimson, and she looked flustered, her beautiful eyes misting over, “Could it be that Brother Mu wants to have a child with me?”

“Huh?”

Mu Zhian rubbed his forehead, “I just wanted to know the extent of the ‘rules’, whether they can truly defy logic. As for having children… I’m not mentally prepared for that yet.”

Ye Lingxuan glanced at the young man, seeing his helpless expression. The shyness on her face faded slightly, replaced by a cunning glint in her eyes. She leaned close to Mu Zhian’s ear and whispered, “Then if I really do get pregnant with Brother Mu’s child, will you marry me?”

This time, it was Mu Zhian’s turn to be flustered, and he hesitated, “How about we talk about the rules first?”

Ye Lingxuan: “No, tell me first~”

Mu Zhian raised an eyebrow and sighed, “Fine, if there really is an ‘accident’, then there’s nothing that can be done… But it’s best not to rush things.”

Ye Lingxuan’s eyes flickered, seemingly deep in thought.

Seeing this, Mu Zhian couldn’t help but say, “If you really have such thoughts…”

Ye Lingxuan frowned slightly, displeased, “What? Does Brother Mu not want to be intimate with me anymore?”

“That’s not it, I wouldn’t be willing to give up on my Sister Lingxuan, but I’ll use a different method next time,” Mu Zhian said.

Ye Lingxuan snorted softly and threatened, “If I want to, Brother Mu can’t stop me.”

As long as she rewrote the Forbidden Zone’s rules during dual cultivation, having a child would be easy.

“That’s not necessarily true. Who said the sacred Spiritual Energy exchange ritual has to be done in the usual way? We can try other methods.”

Mu Zhian leaned close to the young woman’s ear and whispered something.

Ye Lingxuan’s body instantly stiffened. The young woman, in the prime of her youth and innocence, had never heard of such strange practices. Her delicate face quickly flushed crimson, and she subconsciously gripped her skirt, her beautiful eyes misting over, sparkling in the twilight.

Ha, Sister Lingxuan is still too young. If the big sharks in the fishpond heard this, they might even agree with interest.

After all, Yao Meng had played along with him in the Jade Pool Holy Land before.

There was more than one way to reach the destination.

“Just kidding, my Sister Lingxuan is truly easily flustered.”

Mu Zhian wrapped his arm around the young woman’s slender waist, glanced out the window, and said, “We’re almost there, it’s time to get off.”

Ye Lingxuan seemed to snap out of her daze, realizing they were almost back in the Forbidden Zone.

She looked at Mu Zhian reluctantly, then closed her eyes slightly.

After a while, the palanquin stopped, and Ye Lingxuan opened her eyes again.

Her usual elegant demeanor returned, her magnificent purple eyes calm in the setting sun’s afterglow, and she said, “Let’s go.”

…

The hunting competition started quickly and ended even faster than people expected.

Although many had believed that their Forbidden Zone Holy Maiden would win the competition, they didn’t expect her to find a top-tier demonic beast like the ‘Skyhowl Wolf’ in less than two hours, and even obtain its demon crystal with such ease.

After a moment of silence, the disciples on the surrounding mountain peaks, seeing Ye Lingxuan stepping out of the palanquin, holding a palm-sized green demon crystal, erupted in hushed discussions.

“As expected of the one who broke the Forbidden Zone’s physique test record, not only finding a Heaven-rank demonic beast, but also obtaining its demon crystal in such a short time. I would believe it even if you said the young lady was the previous Forbidden Zone Lord…”

“Indeed, both her talent and beauty are top-notch, and she’s not as arrogant as other chosen ones. If she takes over the Forbidden Zone in the future, perhaps things will change…”

“And the young lady seems to have the same upright character as the Clan Lord, truly reassuring.”

Ye Siyu, the Forbidden Zone Lord’s younger sister, stood among the crowd, listening to the Forbidden Zone disciples’ conversations, a nonchalant smile on her face.

Upright character?

If her brother-in-law was upright, he wouldn’t have offended so many factions in the Eastern Continent.

As for Lingxuan… perhaps her character was indeed upright.

However, she was quite the player.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have the scent of Charm Immortal Flowers on her today.

Ye Siyu looked meaningfully at Ye Lingxuan, who was walking towards them.

“With Young Master Mu’s assistance, the Holy Maiden’s future achievements might even surpass the current Clan Lord’s.”

“Indeed, I heard that dual cultivating with an Innate Celestial Furnace has unimaginable effects… A Soul Transformation Realm Innate Celestial Furnace, I wonder how much of a boost it provides.”

A pair of twin sisters in the crowd exchanged glances, both their eyes filled with complex emotions and envy.

They were the Second Elder’s granddaughters, Ye Qing and Ye Xue. Initially, they also questioned Ye Lingxuan’s judgment, a sentiment shared by most in the Forbidden Zone at the time.

After all, according to rumors in the Forbidden Zone, this imperial daughter was the most promising genius, capable of transcending through her own power, so the Forbidden Zone clan members believed that no chosen one in the Nine Provinces was worthy of her.

However, after that Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation, everyone dismissed this notion.

So-called geniuses, they had seen countless in the Forbidden Zone.

But someone who could support a genius, even silently infusing her with Spiritual Energy and helping her evolve… that was rare.

In a sense, Mu Zhian was also a kind of genius, but compared to his own talent, his ability to support others was even more dazzling.

So dazzling that it even captivated many female disciples in the Forbidden Zone. When the two appeared, their gazes were all fixed on Mu Zhian.

Many clan elders who supported Ye Lingxuan also noticed their arrival. Seeing the Skyhowl Wolf demon crystal in Ye Lingxuan’s hand, they nodded inwardly.

After today, even the radical faction in the Forbidden Zone, advocating for expanding the rules, could only submit to the young lady.

These Forbidden Zone disciples might not have a clear understanding of Forbidden Demonic Beasts, but these elders, having been in the Forbidden Zone for so long, naturally knew how rare a Heaven-rank Forbidden Demonic Beast was.

Even if they gathered intel and prepared in advance, they might not be able to find such a beast, let alone capture it in such a short time.

However, this was probably also thanks to the young man beside their young lady.

They knew very well that although the Innate Spiritual Body’s perception was astonishing, even if the young lady possessed the most perfect Innate Spiritual Body, it would be impossible for her to find a Heaven-rank Forbidden Demonic Beast in such a short time.

Especially on the day of the hunting event, those Heaven-rank demonic beasts with a sliver of reason would actively hide themselves.

This competition seemed like the young lady’s solo performance, but it was also a testament to Mu Zhian’s talent.

The two were truly a perfect match.

Many elders in the Forbidden Zone looked at Mu Zhian with approval.

The only flaw was that he was already married to the Jade Empress… However, that was ultimately just an ‘act’, it didn’t count.

Mu Zhian and Ye Lingxuan arrived before the elders and cupped their hands, “Elders, what follows are your internal matters. I won’t intrude any further.”

Humble, gentle, without a hint of arrogance.

This was the current impression the elders had of Mu Zhian.

The Grand Elder at the head smiled and nodded, “Young Friend Mu, please feel free to treat the Forbidden Zone as your second home, there’s no need to be so polite. After all, you’re someone the Holy Maiden trusts.”

Hearing this, many elders looked at the Grand Elder in surprise.

His address for Mu Zhian, and even his words, indicated his approval of Mu Zhian.

One must know, this Grand Elder never interfered in any matters of the Forbidden Zone in the past.

His words now meant he was truly on Ye Lingxuan’s side.

With this, there was probably no suspense in this competition for the position of Forbidden Zone Lord…

“Brother Mu, I’ll come find you later,” Ye Lingxuan transmitted her voice.

Mu Zhian nodded slightly, then cupped his hands towards everyone, and was about to head towards the celestial palace floating in mid-air not far away.

“Young Friend Mu, the Jade Empress, that senior from the Sword Palace, the Reincarnated Empress, and others are all there now. Be careful if you go,” an elder kindly reminded him.

To the cultivators of the Nine Provinces, the Jade Empress was Mu Zhian’s Dao Companion.

But to the higher-ups of the Eastern Continent, they knew very well that the marriage between Mu Zhian and the Jade Empress was just an act.

With several great powers present in that celestial palace, he was worried that Mu Zhian would disturb them and incur their displeasure, hence his kind reminder.

“Rest assured, Elder, I know my limits, I won’t disturb those seniors,” Mu Zhian said with a smile.

Since accompanying Ye Lingxuan to the outer area of the Forbidden Zone today, he had been worried about whether the big sharks in his fishpond would fight amongst themselves… But there hadn’t been any commotion from that pavilion so far, so it seemed there was no problem.

Thinking of this, Mu Zhian gave Ye Lingxuan one last look, then turned into a streak of light, flying towards the celestial palace.

Ye Lingxuan gazed at Mu Zhian’s departing figure, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

For some reason, although the Reincarnated Empress was in that celestial palace, a bad feeling still lingered in the young girl’s heart.

…

The moment Mu Zhian arrived at the pavilion, he saw a scene that, to him, was quite miraculous.

What a harmonious and friendly scene. The breathtaking fairy in a green dress sat at the tea table, her wide sleeves fluttering, a teacup in her hand, her snow-white, slender legs hidden beneath her green gauze skirt, the soft sound of fabric against skin carried by the gentle breeze.

And not far from her, Bai Ruoxi, looking gentle and lovely, twirled a strand of hair between her fingers. She wore a white palace dress, revealing her round, white shoulders and delicate collarbone, made even more alluring by her flowing hair.

Her dress strained against her ample bosom.

And not far behind the two, the maid with flowing hair leaned against the corner. She wore a yellow dress, her slender, fair legs faintly visible beneath the skirt, round and supple, exuding a cold, don’t-disturb-me aura.

Ye Qian sat obediently beside Yao Meng, her eyes lighting up slightly upon seeing Mu Zhian.

But remembering Master’s instructions, she quickly restrained herself.

They’re actually getting along so harmoniously…?

Mu Zhian was stunned.

Then, he felt a sense of relief.

Although he didn’t know what happened, wasn’t this the scene he had always dreamed of?

Harmony in the fishpond was more important than anything!

Just as Mu Zhian was about to greet them, a golden light faintly appeared in the distance, seemingly piercing through heaven and earth.

Then, a brilliant light illuminated the depths of the Forbidden Zone. Looking out from the celestial palace, steps seemed to appear, emitting an aura of boundless immortality, all kinds of wondrous phenomena appearing before their eyes.

The Reincarnated Empress looked up and murmured softly, “The Forbidden Zone Lord’s final trial has begun.”

She stood up and said, “I’ll go check on the young lady.”

Mu Zhian pondered for a moment and said, “I’ll go with you.”

The Reincarnated Empress glanced at the young man with an expressionless face and said flatly, “You probably can’t come with me.”

Mu Zhian looked at her suspiciously, “Are you underestimating me? Although I went to the outer area of the Forbidden Zone with Sister Lingxuan today, I didn’t expend much Spiritual Energy. Besides, this trial is related to how much authority over the Forbidden Zone’s rules she can obtain, I should naturally go and see…”

“That’s not what I meant…”

The Reincarnated Empress silently glanced behind Mu Zhian, not speaking.

Mu Zhian was stunned. He slowly turned his head and looked behind him.

Then, his heart skipped a beat.

Only then did he realize that although the atmosphere seemed very harmonious,

something…

felt off.