Forbidden Area? Just Brought a Ladder and Went In!

The Moon Gazing Continent is vast beyond measure.

The forces of the Human Race and the Demon Race stand in opposition.

Among the Human Race, there are over a dozen kingdoms, large and small.

The Human Race and the Demon Race are the two most powerful factions on the Moon Gazing Continent.

Yet, above both the Human Race and the Demon Race exists something far more terrifying.

It is not a race, but the legendary Four Forbidden Zones and One Absolute Territory.

The Four Great Forbidden Areas are all extremely eerie and fraught with danger.

Even a Demon Emperor would not dare to step recklessly into them, lest they face the peril of death and annihilation.

Among them, the Absolute Territory is even more fearsome, known as Heaven's End.

Even an Emperor who enters will face Ten Deaths Without Life.

Dangerous as they are, anyone who enters the Four Forbidden Zones and One Absolute Territory and manages to come out alive will reap immense rewards.

In the Four Great Forbidden Areas, spiritual herbs blanket the ground, and heavenly treasures are countless.

Rumor has it that within Heaven's End stands an Ascension Platform—if one ascends it, they can ascend to the legendary Immortal Realm.

As for the Xuanyuan Forbidden Area, it is a renowned forbidden zone, located within the Nanqian Kingdom, less than a thousand li from the Southern Qian Imperial City.

Unlike other forbidden areas, the Xuanyuan Forbidden Area is said to have formed from the tomb of a supreme being.

Its outer perimeter is layered with supreme restrictions, such that even a King-level expert cannot enter.

Now, Qi Yuan claims he has been grinding monsters inside the Xuanyuan Forbidden Area all this time?

How is that possible!

At first, Jin Li thought Qi Yuan was joking.

Still, she asked cautiously, "You're not serious, are you?"

"Why would I lie to you? I was waiting to invite you to team up. Running a dungeon solo is way too boring."

Jin Li still found it hard to believe.

"The Xuanyuan Forbidden Area has plenty of monsters. It took me over half a year of solo grinding to clear them all out. Exhausting."

Jin Li was stunned.

The monsters in the Xuanyuan Forbidden Area weren't just plentiful.

They were also incredibly strong.

The Moon Gazing Continent had drifted through ten thousand years, producing geniuses in every era, yet not a single age had ever conquered any forbidden area.

To slaughter through the Xuanyuan Forbidden Area—what kind of strength would that take?

Even a Supreme Emperor probably couldn't do it.

"Then what's your cultivation level? Are you a King?" Jin Li asked carefully.

"A King? What's that?

Right now, I'm level 82."

"Level 82?" Jin Li was puzzled.

But she knew that Qi Yuan always spoke oddly.

For instance, he once said he wanted to take a spaceship to see the stars in the sky, but was afraid there'd be no oxygen and he'd die on a star.

How distant are the stars?

According to ancient records, the world has the Human Realm, the Immortal Realm, and countless others.

And every world shares the same starry sky.

Rumor has it that those stars are all reflections cast by great powers across the heavens—not real.

Ascending to a star is nothing but delusion.

Qi Yuan saying strange things was the most normal thing in the world.

She thought for a moment and asked, "How strong are the monsters in the Xuanyuan Forbidden Area?"

"The strongest in the Xuanyuan Forbidden Area is a Mad Pen.

It's especially sneaky—it loves turning into a pen at night and ambushing people without any martial honor.

It got so bad that every time I logged off to idle, I had to dig a hole and bury myself.

It's... barely over level seventy."

"Mad Pen? Level seventy?" Jin Li pondered.

If what Qi Yuan said was true, then level seventy should correspond to the rank of a King, or even a Supreme Emperor.

And in the entire Nanqian Kingdom, the number of Kings could be counted on one hand—just two or three.

"I heard there are restrictions outside the Xuanyuan Forbidden Area, and even a King can't break in," Jin Li said.

"Xuanyuan Forbidden Area is easy to enter—just like going to a movie theater. Carry a ladder, walk right in, and the beasts inside won't attack you," Qi Yuan said. "I've already cleared the Xuanyuan Forbidden Area dungeon."

"Alright, that's enough for now. I'm at the Attire Forbidden Area. We'll talk next time."

With that, Qi Yuan cut the communication.

Jin Li, who was bathing, felt a pang of loss at his words.

Their exchange had been rushed, with little said between them.

"From the Xuanyuan Forbidden Area to the Attire Forbidden Area... a hundred thousand miles apart..."

How could he have crossed that distance in such a short time?

Even a Supreme Emperor couldn't manage that.

In the image forming in Jin Li's mind, Qi Yuan grew hazy again, veiled in mystery.

"Qi Yuan, what kind of person are you, really?"

Jin Li cupped a handful of water, letting it slide down her fair, fragrant shoulder. Her melancholy dissipated like the water, too.

Did it matter what kind of person Qi Yuan was?

At the very least, they were good pen pals, friends who had never met.

After her bath, Jin Li dressed herself neatly.

She disliked being attended by palace maids—who knew if any of them were spies planted by Grand Chancellor Sima Ting?

She returned to Phoenix Luan Hall and sat upright on the Glazed Imperial Throne, where a thick stack of memorials awaited.

As night deepened, she picked up a memorial and began to review it.

Now and then, her delicate brows furrowed as she wrote something with her slender fingers.

"The southern front is critical—the War Elephant Race has joined the battle too..."

"In three days, the Southern Feng Kingdom's crown prince will arrive at the capital?"

Jin Li pressed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

The Nanqian Kingdom of today was like a slab of fat, coveted by all.

The Southern Feng Kingdom's crown prince was coming—Jin Li knew all too well what he was after.

She stared at the memorials, her head throbbing with worry.

She thought of Qi Yuan. Only when chatting with him could she shed her identity and the burdens of her position.

Of course, she also understood that since she enjoyed silk and fine food and had become the Empress of Nanqian, she had to shoulder the responsibility for its people.

"Someone go to the library and bring me all the records on the Xuanyuan Forbidden Area," Jin Li ordered, thinking of something, and instructed the attendant beside her.

"As you command." The attendant withdrew, and Jin Li continued reviewing the memorials.

The Great General's Mansion, located on Blue Robe Alley, had once been a place of unmatched glory when the Great General was alive, bustling with visitors.

Now, it was as quiet as a deserted gate.

Yet today, an uninvited guest had arrived at the mansion.

The man was broad-shouldered, seven feet tall, with a thick beard. What drew the most attention was a slight hollow in the center of his forehead.

He was the Grand Chancellor of Nanqian, Sima Ting!

Looking at the Great General's widow, he said slowly, "Madam Qin, is your injury serious?"

Aunt Qin glared at Sima Ting, fury blazing in her eyes. "Sima Ting!"

She shouted, her face growing even paler.

She knew all too well who was responsible for her injuries.

And yet Sima Ting dared to show his face here.

Sima Ting didn't take offense. Calmly, he said, "Madam Qin, the situation is already settled. Why do you still cling to your delusions?

What future is there in following that girl?"

"How dare you show disrespect to the Empress!" Aunt Qin fumed.

If she hadn't been ambushed and gravely wounded, with her top-tier King-level strength, Sima Ting wouldn't dare speak to her like this.

Sima Ting glanced at Aunt Qin, a flicker of disdain in his eyes. "A mere woman. If not for me, what qualifications did she have to sit in that high seat?

On the day of her coronation, she tripped on flat ground—that was a sign from heaven that she was unworthy of the position.

And in the ten years she's ruled Nanqian, with internal strife and external threats, if not for me, the kingdom would have long ceased to be.

She no longer has the right to remain on that throne."

Hearing this, Aunt Qin felt both rage and sorrow.

She had watched Jin Li grow up.

Jin Li had tried her hardest, but unfortunately, she could never master the art of imperial politics, never manipulate the court officials like pawns.

She wasn't an empress skilled in the craft of rule, but she was certainly a good ruler who worked diligently for her people.

Sometimes, Aunt Qin even thought that if Jin Li hadn't become Empress, but remained an ordinary princess, how wonderful that would be.

But alas, since she held the imperial seal, she could not retreat, could not stop fighting.

Not fighting meant death!