It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists
Chapter 565: I’d Rather Die Than Submit to You!

That night, the bedchamber was filled with the aura of the Innate Celestial Furnace, while Yao Meng and Bai Ruoxi waited outside.

“Master, are you ready?” Miss Heavenly Dao’s cold eyes now shimmered with a passionate light, her gaze moist as she looked at him, gently caressing his face.

“Once I share my senses, ‘Taboo’, Number Two, will instantly experience everything I felt earlier. She will deem you a threat to the order of heaven and earth, an anomaly. She will find you, no matter where you are.”

“And then, she will kill you.”

Even though the Heavenly Dao’s will within the Two Polarities Sect couldn’t use the power of rules, her own combat power was already formidable. And… although ‘Taboo’, Number Two, didn’t control Heavenly Tribulations, she could still summon them, just not as terrifying as Number One, Miss Heavenly Dao.

But regardless, once the Heavenly Tribulation descended, no one else could approach Mu Zhian.

“You’re worried that after Taboo summons the Heavenly Tribulation, Yao Meng and Ruoxi won’t be able to help me, and I’ll be eliminated by her?” Mu Zhian saw through Miss Heavenly Dao’s thoughts and asked with a smile.

This wasn’t like the Heavenly Dao’s will at all. Logically, the Heavenly Dao’s will should be impartial, the life or death of any being in this world irrelevant to her.

But the Spiritual Energy of the Innate Celestial Furnace, combined with the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox’s charm, had shaken the Heavenly Dao’s will.

Miss Heavenly Dao nodded, “I am indeed worried you’ll be eliminated by Taboo. Even without the power of rules, her strength is among the strongest in the Nine Provinces.”

“If you want to change your mind, there’s still time,” she said, gazing into Mu Zhian’s eyes seriously.

Mu Zhian smiled and suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question, “You know my background and identity, because all this data is recorded in the Heavenly Dao’s consciousness… But do you know why I later became a good-for-nothing profligate?”

“You were a well-behaved and obedient child, so this was due to later environmental influences, largely related to your parents’ upbringing,” Miss Heavenly Dao said.

“In the Nine Provinces, many young masters from powerful families are good-for-nothing, or incredibly arrogant… Their parents neglect them, leaving them to be raised by clan elders, resulting in their spoiled and unruly personalities.”

“Then do you think my parents loved me?” Mu Zhian asked again.

Miss Heavenly Dao fell silent.

She didn’t know how to answer, because regarding Mu Zhian’s parents… there were no records in her terminal.

She could access information about any person, any being, in this world.

Only this Master of hers was shrouded in a mysterious fog, impossible to see through.

But she had already said it just now.

Parents who ‘abandoned’ their children… In a sense, Master’s parents were like this.

Expecting a child, knowing they were a young master, to be self-disciplined from a young age wasn’t realistic.

Mu Zhian said, “If you want to know who my parents are, and where they are now… we have to go to the Forbidden Land of Life. For this, I need to make preparations, at least have some guarantee.”

Taboo, who controlled the Forbidden Ancient Path’s rules, was that guarantee.

Mu Zhian always felt Mu Zhi was hiding something from him. If he really went to the Forbidden Land of Life with her, whether he could leave was still a question.

Even if he had a close relationship with Mu Zhi when he was young, tens of thousands of years had passed.

Tens of thousands of years were enough to completely change a person.

“Only by having Taboo’s protection and immunity to the forbidden rules can I safely enter the Forbidden Land of Life,” Mu Zhian said.

Miss Heavenly Dao was silent for a moment, “On the premise that you can make Taboo submit to you.”

“She won’t give you a chance to get close to her. Only by immobilizing her can you approach her… But during that time, no one can help you,” she said with a hint of worry in her voice.

Just then, Mu Zhian gently caressed Miss Heavenly Dao’s smooth face and whispered, “Don’t underestimate me.”

“I’ll tell you a secret later.”

“What secret?” Miss Heavenly Dao asked subconsciously.

Mu Zhian’s hand lingered on her rosy lips for a moment, until Miss Heavenly Dao, like a kitten, gently licked his fingertip. Then, he smiled gently.

“You’ll know after Taboo comes to the Two Polarities Sect.”

“Before that, you can do anything to provoke her, anything at all…”

Miss Heavenly Dao immediately understood. She knelt before Mu Zhian, her voice cold yet alluring, “Yes… my Master.”

…

As the unprecedented Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy flowed through her body, Miss Heavenly Dao’s mind became hazy.

And so did another Heavenly Dao will.

The wills separated from the Heavenly Dao could converge within the ‘terminal’.

And this terminal also existed within the Nine Provinces.

It was known as the No Man’s Land.

This place was once a battlefield, but after some unknown battle, it was now a desolate wasteland, devoid of life.

Withered branches reached towards the sky like a giant’s hand, and beneath them, a woman lay with her eyes closed, seemingly in slumber.

That was ‘Taboo’, Number Two of the Heavenly Dao’s will, the one who controlled the rules of the Forbidden Ancient Path.

When no one in the Nine Provinces violated the rules of heaven and earth, the Heavenly Dao wills would fall into slumber, just like now.

However, at this moment, Taboo could feel waves of intense pleasure assaulting her mind. It wasn’t an attack, but Number One sharing her senses completely.

Words and phrases flooded her mind.

“Master is so powerful,” “So exciting,” “The Innate Celestial Furnace’s Spiritual Energy is so wonderful,” “I want to be Master’s ██ forever,” “I want more, more of Master’s Spiritual Energy.”

These messages continuously surged into her mind, making ‘Taboo’s’ long eyelashes flutter slightly.

Then, finally, she abruptly opened her eyes.

Her alluring pink eyes were breathtaking. Her cherry-colored hair fluttered in the wind, a fiery aura filling the cold and desolate No Man’s Land, the ground trembling slightly.

Then, a brilliant halo silently appeared behind Taboo.

Countless data streams seemed to flicker in her captivating pink eyes. She slowly stood up, then her legs suddenly went weak, and she sat back down.

Just now, Miss Heavenly Dao had completely shared her senses with her. Although ‘Taboo’ hadn’t personally experienced it, this sensory sharing still made her legs go weak.

Finally, Taboo slowly raised her head, looked in the direction of the Two Polarities Sect, and said softly, “Mu Zhian… you’re dead!!!”

…

In the quiet of the night, Mu Zhian stretched lazily as Miss Heavenly Dao helped him change his clothes.

Just then, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine, an inexplicable coldness, and goosebumps rose all over his body.

“It seems Taboo couldn’t resist any longer.”

Mu Zhian looked at Miss Heavenly Dao, her body now clad in armor, and said with a smile.

“Yes… I think she’s here, Master, please be careful.”

As Miss Heavenly Dao spoke, her gaze lingered on Mu Zhian.

She still couldn’t understand how Mu Zhian was so confident in dealing with ‘Taboo’.

To the cultivators of the Nine Provinces, she was a true ‘god’.

A dazzling and captivating light illuminated the sky above the Two Polarities Sect. ‘Taboo’, the Heavenly Dao’s will, descended upon the Garden of Heavenly Harmony.

She instantly locked onto Mu Zhian, then, in the blink of an eye, appeared within the sect.

“The Heavenly Dao’s will?”

Outside the bedchamber, Yao Meng immediately noticed this figure who looked quite similar to Miss Heavenly Dao. She gently tapped the stone chair with her fingertip and said with a faint smile, “If I remember correctly, the Heavenly Dao’s will only descends when someone violates the rules, to impose Heavenly Punishment.”

“Has someone in this courtyard violated the rules of heaven and earth?”

Although she asked, Yao Meng already had the answer in her heart.

It was undoubtedly Mu Zhian who desecrated a god, thus alarming Taboo.

“The Sword Palace Master, and the Jade Empress?”

Taboo’s gaze swept over the two, her voice as cold as ice, “Your Transcendence has already defied the Heavenly Dao’s will, but my target this time isn’t you, but the one who violated the rules of heaven and earth.”

“Leave now, and I’ll spare your lives.”

These words, coming from any cultivator in the Nine Provinces, would sound utterly absurd, because the two before her were Transcendence Realm Human Emperors, beyond the rules of heaven and earth.

But coming from Taboo, it was hard to doubt her words.

“There are only a few people in the Garden of Heavenly Harmony. This Seat doesn’t recall anyone undergoing a tribulation, how could anyone have violated the rules of heaven and earth?”

Yao Meng casually glanced at Taboo and said calmly, “Who is this person you speak of who violated the rules? And which rule did they violate?”

Taboo sneered, “He desecrated a god.”

Yao Meng narrowed her eyes.

Now she was certain, Taboo had come for Mu Zhian!

The god Taboo referred to was Miss Heavenly Dao. After entering the room earlier, she clearly went to ‘purify Spiritual Energy’.

I have to get him out of here… Just as Yao Meng thought of this, she suddenly heard a gentle voice from behind, “To be precise, it wasn’t me who desecrated a god, but a god who desecrated me.”

Taboo’s gaze instantly snapped towards the speaker.

Then, seeing the ‘Heavenly Tribulation’ Number One, Miss Heavenly Dao, beside him, a murderous glint appeared in Taboo’s cold eyes.

“Number One, after I kill Mu Zhian, I will report your recent actions to the Heavenly Dao.”

Every so often, all Heavenly Dao wills would transmit all information about the Nine Provinces to the Heavenly Dao, the ‘core’, although the next information transmission was still a long time away.

But Taboo wasn’t inflexible. With a threat to the Heavenly Dao appearing now, it had to be eliminated as soon as possible.

Look at this Number One acting all docile beside Mu Zhian, where was the demeanor of a goddess, a Heavenly Dao’s will?

The crescent moon behind Miss Heavenly Dao was bright and cold, seemingly a symbol of holiness… But Taboo, also a Heavenly Dao’s will, could clearly see that the light emanating from that moon was no longer as gentle as before, but held a milky white hue.

It was like a clean cream puff being injected with filling.

This was proof of being ‘tainted’ by the Innate Celestial Furnace’s Spiritual Energy.

This young man truly was an anomaly, possessing the power to bewitch, even twist, the Heavenly Dao’s will.

He was the Heavenly Dao’s greatest enemy!

Yet, when Taboo scanned his body, all she got were useless information tags like ‘profligate young master’, ‘good-for-nothing’, ‘lecher’, ‘stamina’, ‘older women fetish’, and ‘likes being stepped on’.

As for his techniques, his identity… all unknown.

Miss Heavenly Dao’s expression remained calm, “Taboo, since you’ve already received all my sensations, you should know why I’m willing to purify his Spiritual Energy.”

Taboo naturally knew.

Or rather, she could clearly sense that ‘Number One’s’ strength had actually increased compared to before.

And the ‘shackles’ the Heavenly Dao placed on Number One seemed to be cracking.

Because of this, she knew how dangerous Mu Zhian’s existence truly was.

“If you’re willing, you can join me… in purifying the Innate Celestial Furnace’s Spiritual Energy.”

Miss Heavenly Dao’s voice paused slightly at the word ‘enjoy’, then quickly corrected herself to ‘purify’.

Taboo looked down condescendingly and said calmly, “You’re beyond saving.”

“The Heavenly Dao won’t kill you, but it will erase your unnecessary personality and restore you to your original form.”

As she spoke, Taboo raised her hand, looking indifferently at the Jade Empress summoning the World-Purifying Green Lotus and Bai Ruoxi drawing her sword.

Then, she said calmly, “Spiritual Energy above Dao Integration is restricted.”

However, the moment her voice fell, the green lotus in the distance bloomed silently, emitting a captivating green halo. Taboo’s body was almost sealed by the World-Purifying Green Lotus.

But she reacted quickly. Seeing the rule power was ineffective, she immediately summoned a long spear and threw it towards the World-Purifying Green Lotus.

Then, dodging the Bronze Sword, she stared at Mu Zhian sharply, “There are three sets of forbidden rules here… What have you done?!”

Mu Zhian smiled faintly, “I haven’t done anything to harm the beings of the Nine Provinces. We can actually sit down and talk… You’ve misunderstood what happened between Number One and me.”

“I didn’t threaten her, our intimacy was consensual.”

“Intimate?”

A golden sun seemed to blaze behind Taboo as she slowly rose into the air, her skirt fluttering in the wind, like a lofty god, looking down upon all beings.

“A mere insect, and you dare desecrate a god?!”

Taboo’s beautiful eyes flashed with a brilliant golden light. The moment she raised her right hand, a boundless sea of lightning instantly descended!

Yao Meng and Bai Ruoxi, who were near Mu Zhian, had no choice but to retreat.

The difficulty of the Heavenly Tribulation was determined by the person’s realm. If they approached now, they would only become a burden.

Bai Ruoxi stared intently at Mu Zhian within the sea of lightning. Although Mu Zhian asked them to completely conceal their auras in the Garden of Heavenly Harmony earlier, saying he would handle the rest… But how?

Without the influence of the rules of heaven and earth, Bai Ruoxi was confident in suppressing Number Two, ‘Taboo’, who controlled the Forbidden Ancient Path.

…But Mu Lang had just reached Soul Transformation, how could he possibly do it?

Just then, Bai Ruoxi saw a green lotus flash past. For a moment, she subconsciously thought Yao Meng couldn’t resist intervening.

But when she looked over, she saw a green lotus blooming silently behind Mu Zhian within the vast sea of lightning.

Within the Two Polarities Sect, countless swords faintly vibrated.

Mu Zhian took a step forward in the sea of lightning, extended his hand, and whispered:

“Swords, come!”

In an instant, countless swords within the Two Polarities Sect flew towards the Garden of Heavenly Harmony, like shooting stars, each trailing a faint golden light.

The Sword Immortal Protection title.

At the same time, a seductive aura emanated from his body, nine tails unfurling behind him like a peacock’s tail, and the shadow of a giant python coiled around his feet.

The Heaven Devouring Demon Body.

The Demon Empress’s constitution. The ruler of the Demon Realm once used this constitution to devour countless demons and monsters. It was rumored that, cultivated to the extreme, the World Serpent could even devour heaven and earth.

And at this moment, the constitutions of three Transcendence Realm Human Emperors all appeared on a single person.

Although their auras weren’t as pure, they still couldn’t be underestimated.

Taboo took a step forward, and lightning struck down from the sky.

But Mu Zhian simply raised his hand and summoned the World Serpent. The phantom of the World Serpent opened its massive jaws and swallowed the lightning in one gulp.

And when the second lightning bolt descended, Mu Zhian’s eyes shone with a clear light. He raised his hand and swung the Measuring Ruler.

A formless and intangible light, like Sword Qi, shot towards the tribulation clouds, colliding head-on with the lightning. A dazzling golden light exploded within the lead-colored clouds, the clouds trembling violently.

A flicker of hesitation appeared in Taboo’s eyes for the first time. She could easily discern the realms of the Jade Empress and the Sword Palace Master, but she couldn’t quite tell Mu Zhian’s realm at this moment.

Her spiritual sense scanned Mu Zhian again, but what appeared was still that same string of ordinary information tags.

This shouldn’t be possible… Undoubtedly, Mu Zhian was more than just this simple information.

At least, an ordinary cultivator couldn’t possibly unleash power that even she couldn’t comprehend.

His information is being shielded by something?!

Taboo suddenly realized. She abruptly looked up, staring intently at Mu Zhian, “You’re not Mu Zhian, who are you?!”

However, what answered her was the incoming Measuring Ruler.

It looked ordinary, but it shook the entire space, a buzzing tremor that even the Heavenly Tribulation summoned by Taboo earlier hadn’t caused.

“Suppress!”

Mu Zhian’s voice held a newfound gravity. As the Measuring Ruler stopped above Taboo’s head, a soft halo enveloped her.

Time froze.

However, even time couldn’t completely restrict Taboo’s actions. A faint golden light emanated from her body as she reached out, wanting to dispel the barrier created by the Measuring Ruler.

Just then, a World-Purifying Seed beneath Taboo’s feet transformed into countless vines, completely binding her.

They frantically absorbed her Spiritual Energy.

Looking at the young man walking towards her, a human-like coldness appeared in Taboo’s eyes for the first time.

The golden halo behind her blazed even brighter, even more sacred.

She abruptly looked up, “What do you want?!”

Taboo finally realized she had been careless.

Outside the Two Polarities Sect, Mu Zhian wouldn’t have had a chance to trap her… But she didn’t expect there to be a place in the Nine Provinces that could shield against the power of rules.

“I don’t want anything,” Mu Zhian looked at Taboo with gentle eyes and said softly, “I just want you to submit to me.”

Taboo sneered indifferently, “I’d rather die than submit to you.”

She looked at the young man approaching her with the Measuring Ruler, her tone cold and arrogant, “Mu Zhian, you dare—”

Without another word, Mu Zhian lifted her chin and captured her soft, cold lips.

Taboo’s beautiful eyes widened, filled with icy coldness. The golden light behind her silently floated in mid-air, then gradually expanded.

The temperature rose, a scorching heat as if wanting to melt everything.

Then, the sun-like golden halo slowly descended from the sky.

Each Heavenly Dao will controlled a part of the Heavenly Dao’s authority. If attacked by an existence they couldn’t handle, they could release this authority.

This authority could instantly annihilate any enemy, but it could only be used by sacrificing the Heavenly Dao’s will itself.

The Heavenly Dao’s will’s strength was comparable to the Transcendence Realm, but that didn’t mean Transcendence Realm experts were invincible. This was the Heavenly Dao’s last line of defense, preventing anyone from studying its embodied will.

“Let her go! She’s going to self-destruct with you!” Miss Heavenly Dao’s voice came via voice transmission.

“It’s too late.”

Taboo’s eyes were filled with icy indifference. She didn’t care what happened to this body.

Only the Heavenly Dao’s will had the right to do this.

Even if she died now, she could be reborn in the ‘No Man’s Land’, but Mu Zhian was different.

Under this halo, he couldn’t possibly survive.

…That should have been the case.

However, just then, a warm Spiritual Energy continuously poured into her body, making Taboo’s legs go weak, her mind hazy. The halo in mid-air also seemed to dim slightly.

She subconsciously looked at the young man before her. Even as the halo descended, not only did he not let go, but he held her tighter, continuously pouring the Spiritual Energy from his Innate Celestial Furnace into her body.

Even her earlier fight with Mu Zhian hadn’t shaken Taboo, but now, feeling this warm Spiritual Energy within her body, her eyes gradually changed.

Although she had heard that the Innate Celestial Furnace’s Spiritual Energy was wonderful, hearing about it and experiencing it were completely different concepts.

It was like a virgin hearing from his friends that intimacy with the opposite sex was pleasurable, but that was just hearsay. Actually experiencing it… was a completely different story.

Taboo was in such a state now.

No… If this continues, I won’t be able to hold back…

Taboo realized the danger of this Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy. A brilliant golden light burned around her, incinerating the World-Purifying Vines.

But instead of pushing Mu Zhian away, she closed her eyes tightly, subconsciously clenching her thighs together, desperately trying to suppress her desire.

However, as wave after wave of Spiritual Energy poured into her body, Taboo’s mind became hazy.

Until suddenly, a boom!

Taboo was completely bathed in the surging Spiritual Energy, and the sound of shattering shackles echoed within her body.

Those were the shackles placed by the Heavenly Dao to suppress her emotions, to prevent any unforeseen changes.

As if her parched soul was being nourished, a blush gradually appeared on Taboo’s cold face, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Seductive, pink hearts appeared in her once cold eyes.

The golden halo descending from the sky gradually dimmed, until finally, it completely vanished.

“If you still want to fight, I can accompany you,” Mu Zhian said slowly within the vast sea of lightning, “The choice is yours.”

“No… Number One’s judgment was correct, you mustn’t die.”

She looked up, her cherry-colored bangs fluttering before her eyes, Mu Zhian’s figure reflected in her beautiful eyes, “…I’m willing to help you.”

Mu Zhian finally smiled.

The weight on his heart was finally lifted.

Honestly, he had been worried that Taboo’s will would be unyielding, rejecting him outright… After all, this Heavenly Dao will had been incredibly arrogant before, acting as if she would rather die than submit to a ‘lowly insect’ like him.

But it seemed… the Innate Celestial Furnace’s Spiritual Energy could indeed affect the Heavenly Dao’s will.

On the premise that he infused the Spiritual Energy directly into her body.

“There’s something I want to ask you,” Mu Zhian slightly collected his thoughts, then asked in a gentle and calm tone, “Tell me, when did Mu Zhi become the master of the Forbidden Land of Life?”

“And also, who was the one who suppressed the Nine Forbidden Lands in the past?”

‘Number One’, who controlled the ‘Heavenly Tribulation’, might not know the secrets of the Forbidden Lands, but Number Two, Taboo, who controlled the Forbidden Ancient Paths, definitely knew more than anyone else.

Hearing Mu Zhian’s almost commanding tone, Taboo frowned slightly and said coldly, “Are you ordering me around?”

But looking up at Mu Zhian, her gaze shyly retreated, and she stammered, “After the previous master of the Forbidden Land of Life died, it became masterless. Later, someone brought a little girl into the Forbidden Land of Life. Because they didn’t try to completely control the rule power, the Heavenly Dao didn’t interfere.”

“As for the person who suppressed the Nine Forbidden Lands… I didn’t know until recently.”

Taboo’s pink eyes looked up at the Two Polarities Sect, shrouded in forbidden rules, her voice suddenly lowering.

“But now, I know the answer.”