Capital City.

Deep within the Lin Family Forbidden Grounds.

Di Xuanji stepped onto the cobblestone path in the bamboo forest, strolling toward its depths at an unhurried pace. From deep within the forest, the roar of a dragon could be faintly heard. It was a deep and ethereal sound that shook one's soul.

The cool morning breeze lifted Di Xuanji's soft, white gauze dress, her waist-long hair flowing along with it. The transparent, cicada-wing-thin stockings that snugly wrapped her long, beautiful legs would appear and disappear as her hem lifted, creating a mysterious and hazy allure. Her delicate, pretty high heels clicked on the quaint cobblestone path. Each step carried a rhythm, as if a fairy were dancing gracefully, yet it also resembled a pure spirit that had inadvertently wandered into a dark forest, seeming hurried and panicked.

The further she went, the slower her pace became.

It wasn't just her pace that slowed; the falling leaves, the swaying branches, and even her hair and dress lifted by the breeze began to move more slowly. It was as if time itself had been frozen in this place.

"Is this the essence of the 'Leisurely Fish and Dragon Dance'? To think it can even affect time. It seems you've made quite some progress over the years."

The corners of Di Xuanji's mouth lifted slightly as she suddenly radiated a powerful imperial presence, instantly neutralizing the ineffable and mysterious time freeze. Her steps returned to their normal pace, and she continued toward the depths of the bamboo forest.

This small bamboo forest took her a full half hour to traverse before she finally reached her destination.

Ahead was a wooden hut. In front of it, a handsome, bare-chested middle-aged man in camouflage pants was sweating profusely as he did push-ups.

The handsome middle-aged man was named Lin Jianlong. Having had the good fortune to see a dragon as a child, he had named himself "Jianlong," which meant "seeing the dragon."

Though his talents were mediocre, his perseverance was extraordinary. Having embarked on the Martial Way for more than two hundred and sixty years, he had outlasted generations of legendary figures and now stood firmly as number two on Hua Country's Heaven Rank.

"Nine thousand, nine hundred and fifty-five, nine thousand, nine hundred and fifty-six..."

Di Xuanji stopped and silently observed Lin Jianlong, her expression thoughtful.

Lin Jianlong was aware someone had arrived and even knew it was the Empress, but he seemed not to care. For him, at this moment, nothing was more important than training his body and strengthening his physique.

After a short while, once he had completed ten thousand push-ups, Lin Jianlong stood and faced Di Xuanji, then suddenly dropped to one knee.

"This general, Lin Jianlong, greets Your Majesty!"

"Rise."

Di Xuanji looked at Lin Jianlong's solid muscles, reminded of the words Lu Nianjiao had once said, as well as the moments she had spent with him over the years. If not for Lin Jianlong's wholehearted support back then, she would never have secured her throne so smoothly. However, she knew she didn't actually need to offer him anything. With just one word from her, Lin Jianlong would go through fire and water.

"Long Shuai, it's time for you to return to the ranks. The Ghost Tiger Corps needs your leadership."

Lin Jianlong fell silent for a moment before asking, "Who are we fighting?"

"The Holy Boi Religion."

Lin Jianlong asked again, "Is this a power that threatens our nation and people, or a personal enemy of yours?"

Di Xuanji replied, "You can judge for yourself."

Lin Jianlong met her gaze. "If they invade Hua Country's territory and bully its people, there is no need for judgment. I will slay them! I, Lin Jianlong, do not believe in demons or devils, nor in gods or emperors. I believe only in my country and its people!"

As he spoke, his brows suddenly furrowed as if he had discovered something. He stared intently at Di Xuanji and asked, "Your Imperial Qi is weak, and your Dragon Vein is damaged... You've lost your virginity?"

Di Xuanji's face remained expressionless. "This is my private affair."

"Who was it?" Lin Jianlong pressed, his voice trembling.

Di Xuanji suddenly smiled. "Do you care so much?"

Lin Jianlong took a deep breath and turned to walk back into the hut.

"So be it. In the end, this land isn't defended by you, one woman, alone. Every citizen of our nation bears this responsibility. When we, the descendants of the dragon, unite as one, that is the true Imperial Dragon Destiny!"

"Your Majesty, I wish you happiness. I hope he treats you well."

"..."

「Kun's Tomb.」

Following Tuof's guidance, Luo Xiu spent a full day and easily found the entrance to the Shanhai Territory.

"Sir, this crevice is the fissure connecting Kun's Tomb to the Shanhai Territory," Tuof's voice resonated in Luo Xiu's mind. "It took me a long time to find it back in the day. But if possible, I truly wish you wouldn't go in."

Luo Xiu naturally understood what Tuof meant. He had heard from him before that the Shanhai Territory was extremely dangerous. That world, existing on Earth yet isolated from it, was a remnant of Earth's prehistoric civilization. Many powerful beings lived there.

We've already come this far; it's pointless to talk about that now.

Luo Xiu steeled his heart and was the first to squeeze into the crevice. Seeing this, Su Shenyun hurriedly followed.

The crevice was extremely narrow, barely allowing one person to pass through at a time. It was dark, stuffy, and filled with bats, creating not only a sense of oppression but also a fear of the unknown.

They crawled for over an hour. Luckily, they encountered no dangers along the way.

When Luo Xiu finally crawled out of the crevice and took a breath of fresh air, he found himself on the face of a cliff, where many protruding boulders offered footing.

Standing on a large rock, Luo Xiu gazed at the endless expanse of rolling green mountains before him. Countless crags and ravines teemed with peril, their depths shrouded in white mist, making it feel as if he had stepped into an immortal realm. Yet for some reason, Luo Xiu felt a sense of familiarity here. It was as if he had been here before, or perhaps it had appeared in his dreams.

"Is this the Shanhai Territory? It's beautiful."

At that moment, Su Shenyun's voice came from behind, interrupting his train of thought. Luo Xiu turned to see her taking photos with her phone.

Not long after, Chi Sha, Dou Dou, and Mu Xueyan scrambled out of the fissure, all looking rather disheveled. After crawling through a crevice full of bat droppings for over an hour, it was impossible not to.

"Tuof, which way do we go now?" Luo Xiu asked in his mind.

The Shanhai Territory was certainly worth a proper tour, but right now, Luo Xiu only wanted to find Ai Hongye at the bottom of the sea. He didn't want to waste any time.

"Hmm... Let me think. It has been over a thousand years, after all, so the environment has changed. However, I still remember the general layout and approximate directions."

Luo Xiu said, "Let's find a place to rest first."

Afterward, the group descended the cliff and entered the dense forest at the base of the mountain. Giant trees reached for the sky, and Exotic Beasts roamed the forest. Luo Xiu was intrigued, as he had never seen many of the plants and animals before.

Just as Luo Xiu was about to pick a spot to pitch their tents, a loud crash echoed from the cliff above, followed by the piercing screech of some beast.

Tuof realized what was happening and urged urgently, "Sir, we need to go! Now! It's that monstrous bird! This is its territory!"

However, just then, three figures dropped from the cliff, landing in front of Luo Xiu's group.

Luo Xiu looked up and immediately saw Xia Chan, but he noticed there were only three of them. Xia Chan, Xue Xiao, and Yang Zhilu were there, but Yingxiao was missing.

For a moment, Luo Xiu was confused. They had clearly evaded their Divine Sense detection earlier, so how could they have followed them?

The disheveled Xia Chan looked extremely grim. She spoke to Luo Xiu with a sense of urgency, "That creature above is very strong. If we don't work together, we'll all die here today!"

Luo Xiu was instantly furious. He cursed, "Did you fucking lead it here on purpose?"

"..."

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