It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists
Chapter 538: Ye Lingxuan: Forbidden Zone Empress Mode p1

The Forbidden Ancient Path. It was the core inheritance of the Forbidden Zone, the foundation upon which all its rules operated.

After today’s hunting event, the Grand Elder collected the demon crystals from the candidates and infused them into a piece of jade.

After a period of silence, a long, white jade staircase materialized before them, like a mirage.

Each step seemed to contain a different Dao Rhyme, a wondrous sight.

This staircase was also known as the Forbidden Ancient Path.

No one knew where it led.

But all the clan members knew that the Forbidden Ancient Path was the key to inheriting the Forbidden Zone’s rules.

It only manifested during the selection of the Forbidden Zone Lord.

And the first to ascend this Forbidden Ancient Path was the victor of the hunting event, Ye Lingxuan.

At this moment, the young woman in the purple dress had an incredibly calm expression, her magnificent gown accentuating her slender figure.

Under the gazes of the clan members, she took a shallow breath.

She had waited for this day for far too long.

Now, not only her mother, but she could even sense that her father, currently in seclusion, was also watching her from somewhere.

And also, Brother Mu…

Speaking of which, where did Brother Mu go?

The young woman suddenly realized she couldn’t find Mu Zhian anywhere.

“Didn’t Brother Mu come with you?” Ye Lingxuan spotted the Reincarnated Empress among the crowd and transmitted her voice.

The woman was silent for a moment, then replied via voice transmission, “It’s better for the Master to complete this final trial first.”

Ye Lingxuan frowned slightly. For some reason, a bad feeling arose in her heart, and she instinctively wanted to take out the Desolate Time Lock to check on Mu Zhian’s current whereabouts.

The Reincarnated Empress said with a flat expression, “Miss, don’t be distracted by irrelevant matters now. You’ve finally reached this day, are you planning to give up midway?”

“After you complete the trial, I will tell you everything.”

Hearing this, Ye Lingxuan could only put away the Desolate Time Lock, a guess forming in her mind.

If she remembered correctly, Brother Mu went to that celestial palace earlier, where the Jade Empress, Bai Ruoxi, and Sister Mengrou were… Logically, with all three of them there, they shouldn’t do anything to Brother Mu.

But the Reincarnated Empress’s complex expression just now seemed to suggest something…

But it didn’t matter.

After this final trial of the Forbidden Zone and she gained control of its rules, she would have the power to compete for the cake!

Ye Lingxuan collected her thoughts and took her first step onto the staircase.

The first step, initially ordinary, lit up with a golden light, as if ignited, a brilliant golden glow erupting, dazzling and bright.

This Forbidden Ancient Path led to the power of rules. At this moment, countless Forbidden Zone clan members wanted to know how far their young lady could go.

She smoothly stepped onto the second step.

Then the third, the fourth…

Without any obstacles, Ye Lingxuan ascended the steps as if climbing an ordinary staircase, easily reaching the tenth step.

Boom…

A long-awaited rumbling sound echoed through the Forbidden Zone, an ancient, immortal melody reverberating, shaking the void.

The Forbidden Zone’s rules had alerted the Heavenly Dao. This seemingly sentient being seemed to have sensed the ongoing power shift within the Forbidden Zone.

At this moment, countless clan members and elders were alarmed, their gazes fixed on the young woman’s figure.

Not only Ye Lingxuan could ascend this Forbidden Ancient Path, any clan disciple who met the criteria for candidacy could try.

However, most disciples reached their limit at the tenth step. The Forbidden Ancient Path rejected them if they tried to go further.

If they took another step forward after being rejected, their physical bodies would shatter, and even their spiritual senses might be damaged.

After all, not everyone could control the Forbidden Zone’s rules.

Even the previous Forbidden Zone Lord only reached the fourteenth step.

And the current Forbidden Zone Lord reached the sixteenth!

Within the celestial palace, Mu Zhian looked towards the Forbidden Ancient Path in the distance and exclaimed, “The Forbidden Zone’s rules are connected to this staircase. The higher one climbs, the more rules they can control… How far do you think Sister Lingxuan can go?”

Yao Meng had come to Mu Zhian’s side at some point. She also looked up. Dense Spiritual Energy emanated from the Forbidden Ancient Path, a hazy immortal aura seemingly dyeing the woman’s black hair a pale gold, giving her an ethereal, transcendent air.

“The Reincarnated Empress is practically the previous Forbidden Zone Lord, but even she only reached the seventeenth step. Ye Lingxuan… will probably be the same.”

As Bai Ruoxi spoke, she glanced at the young man, knowing he must have sensed the ‘danger’ and was deliberately changing the subject.

But she wasn’t the first to reveal the truth. Instead, she said, “Some people used to say that the Forbidden Ancient Paths of the Nine Forbidden Lands are the closest paths to the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, the higher one climbs, the closer they are to the Heavenly Dao, and the more rule power they can control.”

“Those with the Innate Spiritual Body are innately favored by heaven and earth, which is why the Forbidden Zone has been using it as the criteria for selecting Holy Maidens and Holy Sons all these years.”

“I think, with Sister Lingxuan’s perfect Innate Spiritual Body, perhaps she can even surpass the previous Reincarnated Empress and reach the eighteenth step.”

Mu Zhian appeared thoughtful, inwardly relieved.

His back was drenched in cold sweat.

From the moment he entered this celestial palace, Mu Zhian had realized that the fish in his pond probably knew about what happened between him and the Heavenly Dao’s will that night.

The reason no one exposed him was probably because they didn’t want to give the others an advantage.

After all, they were only suspicious, not certain.

Whoever spoke up first, if it turned out that Mu Zhian had nothing to do with the Heavenly Dao’s will, that person would immediately be criticized by the other two for not trusting their Dao Companion…

Therefore, a delicate balance had formed between the three.

They say a triangle is the most stable shape, the ancients were truly wise…

Just then, Ye Qian stepped forward and gently wiped the sweat from Mu Zhian’s forehead with a handkerchief, asking with concern, “Brother Mu, why are you sweating so much? Did something happen when you went to the outer area of the Forbidden Zone with Sister?”

Qian’er, are you trying to kill me?!

A little voice screamed in Mu Zhian’s mind. He had a very bad feeling.

With three people present, the situation was still delicately balanced.

But Ye Qian’s appearance had completely disrupted it.

Sure enough, hearing this, Yao Meng’s beautiful green eyes studied the young man, and she couldn’t help but chuckle softly, “Indeed… Husband, why are you sweating so much?”

Her eyes held genuine concern as she thoughtfully wiped the sweat from Mu Zhian’s forehead with a handkerchief.

“Young Master is a Soul Transformation cultivator, you wouldn’t sweat like an ordinary person unless you’ve done something wrong,” Wei Mengrou added, twisting the knife.

Bai Ruoxi’s eyes were gentle with concern, “Mu Lang, are you alright?”

Mu Zhian’s heart was racing, but he maintained a warm smile on his face, “I’m fine… I was just a bit worried about Sister Lingxuan.”

If it were intimacy with just any woman, Mu Zhian wouldn’t be so worried about being exposed.

After all, everyone present knew he was a lecher, and there was a tacit understanding between them.

However, that person was the Heavenly Dao, the aggregate consciousness of all living beings in the Nine Provinces!

The Heavenly Dao had secretly targeted him more than once in the past.

And now he had gotten entangled with the Heavenly Dao’s will’s embodiment…

But Mu Zhian had no choice. His Soul Transformation Heavenly Tribulation was about to fail, and the only solution he could think of was to try and corrupt the Heavenly Dao’s will with his Innate Celestial Furnace.

He ultimately succeeded… but the Heavenly Dao’s will became attached to him.

It was all out of necessity… Mu Zhian sighed inwardly. If there were other options, he wouldn’t have sold his body.

He couldn’t just let his fishpond fight against the Heavenly Dao’s will, could he? He was a pacifist, fighting and killing wasn’t good. He would be heartbroken if anyone got hurt.

Therefore, he could only betray his fish and offer himself.

Boom…

Fortunately, at this moment, a deafening rumble echoed through the Forbidden Zone, the twilight sky instantly darkening, drawing everyone’s attention.

Ye Lingxuan reached the seventeenth step and stopped.

She couldn’t go any further!

Even the Forbidden Zone’s most perfect Innate Spiritual Body could only reach the seventeenth step. She couldn’t move even a fraction of an inch closer!

This was the limit of the Forbidden Zone’s rules. Not just the Eastern Continent’s Forbidden Zone, but the ancient beings of all the Forbidden Lands could also only control about ninety percent of their respective Forbidden Land’s rules.

Most of the ancient beings were said to have reached between the thirteenth and seventeenth steps.

Because any higher, the Heavenly Dao wouldn’t allow it.

The rules of the Nine Forbidden Lands were actually variations of the rules of heaven and earth, but they were still connected to the Heavenly Dao.

The Heavenly Dao was merciless. No one in this world could get close to it.

Mu Zhian looked up.

Ye Lingxuan currently stood on the seventeenth step. She tried several times to lift her foot and step onto the eighteenth, but she couldn’t get any closer.

To outsiders, it seemed like she was simply climbing an ordinary staircase, but for Ye Lingxuan, the Forbidden Ancient Path’s rule power was pressing down on her like a tsunami, filled with the Heavenly Dao’s aura, making it difficult to breathe, her spiritual sense almost collapsing.

At this moment, not only Ye Lingxuan, but even the clan elders and disciples below the Forbidden Ancient Path could sense the incredibly sacred aura of the Heavenly Dao.

Although the Heavenly Dao’s aura was gentle, it made them involuntarily want to kneel.

Even Yao Meng and the others in the celestial palace couldn’t help but frown slightly.

Although they were beyond the rules of heaven and earth, even Transcendence Realm experts felt this terrifying pressure.

Only one person present was an exception.

Mu Zhian.

He didn’t know whether it was because of his earlier intimacy with the Heavenly Dao’s will or something else, but while everyone else felt the pressure, Mu Zhian didn’t feel anything.

He found that the Forbidden Ancient Path didn’t reject him, but felt innately close.

But everyone had been suspecting a connection between him and the Heavenly Dao’s will… If he went to the Forbidden Ancient Path now, it would practically confirm their suspicions.

And after that, he might be thrown into the little black room for ‘interrogation’…

Mu Zhian silently looked up at the Forbidden Ancient Path.

At this moment, the entire path emitted a brilliant golden light, as sacred as the dazzling sun, painting Ye Lingxuan’s purple dress in a captivating golden hue.

Her hair fluttered in the wind. She tried several times to lift her foot and move closer, but each time, she put it back down.

Another step forward, and her spiritual sense might completely collapse.

“So this is the Heavenly Dao. It doesn’t want anyone to approach it, yet it sets up a trial to flaunt its fairness and impartiality,” Bai Ruoxi looked up at this scene, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

“The Heavenly Dao’s authority cannot be violated. It naturally wouldn’t allow any being in this world to approach it. I now have reason to believe that the nine Forbidden Lands of the Nine Provinces might truly be the Heavenly Dao’s doing,” Yao Meng said faintly.

Wei Mengrou also looked up, a hint of regret in her eyes.

Judging from the current situation, if someone reached the twentieth step, the Forbidden Zone’s rules would no longer be under the Heavenly Dao’s control.

However, the Heavenly Dao didn’t intend to let things escape its control from the very beginning.

No one in this world could approach it, let alone be its equal.

Otherwise, Ye Lingxuan might create history, making the Eastern Continent’s Forbidden Zone a true sanctuary.

Just as Wei Mengrou thought of this, she seemed to notice something and looked at Mu Zhian, whose cauldron was quietly circulating.

“Where are you going?” she asked subconsciously.

Yao Meng and Bai Ruoxi’s gazes also turned to him.

Ye Qian also stared at the young man and hesitated, “Brother Mu…?”

Mu Zhian smiled, “I’ll be right back.”

…

At this moment, a commotion spread through the Forbidden Zone.

Many talented young cultivators frowned slightly, staring at the Holy Maiden on the white jade staircase.

Although the other candidates hadn’t ascended the Forbidden Ancient Path yet, almost everyone in the Forbidden Zone had tacitly agreed that the furthest anyone could reach was the step Ye Lingxuan reached.

And now, even this Holy Maiden had stopped on the seventeenth step, unable to go any further.

This meant that even this Holy Maiden could only control about ninety percent of the Forbidden Zone’s rules.

“Even the young lady can’t reach the twentieth step, it seems the rumors are true,” a clan member sighed softly.

A rumor had been circulating in the Forbidden Zone that the end of this ancient path was the Heavenly Dao, and the Heavenly Dao wouldn’t allow anything in this world to escape its control.

Reaching the twentieth step meant the Forbidden Zone’s rules would completely escape the Heavenly Dao’s control, becoming independent.

This was something the three Daos of Heaven, Earth, and Human wouldn’t allow.

“Even the young lady can only reach the seventeenth step, no further… This is probably predetermined by the Heavenly Dao from the very beginning.”

A clan elder sighed softly. Although he had already anticipated this outcome before this final trial of the Forbidden Zone even began, he still couldn’t help but feel somewhat disappointed.

The Heavenly Dao couldn’t be defied. Even someone with the Innate Spiritual Body, naturally close to Spiritual Energy, couldn’t reach the twentieth step and control all the Forbidden Zone’s rule power.

At this moment, countless gazes were fixed on the Forbidden Ancient Path, and on Ye Lingxuan, who had been standing on the seventeenth step for a long time, sweat beading on her forehead.

She clearly sensed the gazes of the clan members and elders below. Disappointment filled the eyes of those who had held high expectations for her.

It wasn’t disappointment in her, but despair towards this ancient path.

Even the most perfect Innate Spiritual Body couldn’t reach the end of the Forbidden Ancient Path, then who could?

At the back of the crowd, a man with a cold and stern expression, dressed in black robes, stood quietly, gazing at his daughter.

Ye Lingxuan looked at her father below the Forbidden Ancient Path, seemingly seeing trust in his eyes.

For some reason, an unprecedented power surged within Ye Lingxuan. The Spiritual Energy in the Forbidden Zone was instantly absorbed by her, the impure energy refined and transformed into power within her cauldron.

She took another step forward.

The eighteenth step!

The theoretical limit of this Forbidden Ancient Path!

Sweat dripped from the young woman’s forehead, her entire body seemingly exhausted as she sat down on the steps, a strand of hair clinging to her delicate face.

At this moment, she could feel the entire Forbidden Zone within her grasp. With just a flick of her finger, she could control everything within.

She could revive withered trees and make lush ancient trees decay with just a thought.

This was the power of rules.

“Young lady, you’ve done your best… Come back.”

“Indeed… The eighteenth step, you’ve already surpassed everyone’s record in the Forbidden Zone, that’s enough.”

Someone initiated, and then, one after another, the clan members’ voices echoed. Everyone knew their Holy Maiden had done her best. Although only two steps remained, it was as difficult as ascending to heaven, impossible to achieve.