What a Sin [Monthly Passes, Investments Wanted]

"A Match Made Across a Thousand Miles, binding successful—binding fifty percent successful. The Red Luan Law thread has split. Prioritized binding in progress: the Heavenly Jade Saintess of the Desolate Forbidden Land, Xiao Nannan, the Red Dust Dao Fruit of the Ruthless Empress, and Yan Ruyu, descendant of the Azure Emperor."

"Hiss, what the hell did you do, you damn system?"

Hearing the system notification, Jiang Ming's scalp went numb. Why had the binding succeeded, then stalled for a moment before becoming only half successful? Who had it tried to bind?

Hadn't it said the finest woman in this region was Yan Ruyu?

But what had happened?

What a sin!

In truth, Jiang Ming had a bold idea. Perhaps—

That trash system reward wanted to bind the sleeping Ruthless Empress within the Desolate Forbidden Land. It required at least a four-and-a-half-star reward.

What kind of mess was this now?

He did want to live off a woman, but unfortunately, he had never had the chance!

Following the principle of proximity, as if deliberately disgusting him, it had bound the Heavenly Jade Saintess, a Desolate Slave. Damn system, what was the use of binding an extra woman like that? Did it think Jiang Ming was so desperate that he would marry any woman he saw and make her his wife?

That was seriously criminal!

Its attempt to bind the Empress's Dao body, which was transforming toward a Red Dust Immortal, had not fully succeeded. It immediately made a tactical detour, shifted targets, and set its sights on Xiao Nannan.

Did it know this was a crime?

Yan Ruyu withdrew her slender jade finger and looked curiously at the Long-Armed Demon Ape Jiang Ming had transformed into with her glistening eyes. She did not care who had killed that man. It was only the Qixia Sect. Perhaps it had once been glorious, but it was no longer worth fearing.

Yan Ruyu was undoubtedly a peerless beauty, rare in this world. She looked to be around sixteen years old. Her hair was like three thousand streams of the Milky Way, black and glossy, gathered into a soaring cloud bun. Her long eyelashes curved naturally, while her bright eyes were moist and clear, seeming to hold a misty rain within them, like a limpid spring.

She possessed jade-like bones and skin fairer than snow. With an Azure Lotus as her soul, her red lips parted slightly, revealing crystalline teeth that gleamed with a heart-stirring luster. "Long-Armed Demon Ape."

This was the first thing Yan Ruyu said. Based on a few vague fragments of memory, she recognized the true identity of the Demon Ape Jiang Ming had transformed into.

That was precisely why she was so shocked.

In this era, the appearance of a pure-blooded Long-Armed Demon Ape within the Demon Race was like the appearance of a Sacred Body among humans.

"You can all leave. Go back and tell the people of your Qixia Sect that I, the Long-Armed Demon Ape, killed him. If you want revenge, come find me."

Jiang Ming glanced at the remaining beast riders, who had been scared out of their wits, and spoke coldly.

As for this one-horned horse—

"Can you give it to me? It is a descendant of a Unicorn. It is still young, just a child."

Yan Ruyu glanced at the one-horned horse and spoke again. Her swan-like neck was noble and aloof, her collarbones hidden from view, yet she remained flawlessly beautiful. Delicate features, peerless looks, graceful curves—every inch of her matched a man's ideal beauty. Anyone who saw her would feel that she was beautiful beyond compare.

Jiang Ming finally began to properly appraise Yan Ruyu, the woman whose Demon Emperor's Armament he had initially coveted, and whom the system had accidentally bound after its stunt failed.

Her immaculate, pure essence alone, like an orchid blooming in an empty valley, made her seem otherworldly, like an immortal fairy untouched by mortal life. She could fulfill every fantasy people had of a celestial maiden.

Combined with a face that could shame the moon and put flowers to blush, make fish sink and geese fall, she was enough to make countless beauties in the world feel inferior and newly envious. It was as if all the world's beauty had been bestowed upon her. What an unfair stroke of Fortune.

Wouldn't a single glance at her make all ordinary women and beautiful things in the world pale into insignificance?

This was truly:

A smile over her shoulder brought forth a hundred charms; the beauties of the six palaces lost all color.

In fact, she did not even need to smile or look back.

"Fine."

It was only a one-horned horse. Other than killing it for meat, he had no use for it.

Hearing this, the one-horned horse immediately ran to Yan Ruyu's side in a fawning manner. Its instincts told it that it had nearly died just now.

"Let us part here. If fate wills it, we will meet again."

After some thought, Jiang Ming still felt that now was not the time to have much contact with Yan Ruyu. A gentleman's friendship was as light as water. That was what he should do. Once Yan Ruyu obtained the Demon Emperor's Armament, that weapon could suppress her Fate Pattern and prevent Jiang Ming from bringing about her death.

It was still too dangerous. If his Fate Pattern caused such a moving and perfect young woman to die, would that not be another sin?

With that, Jiang Ming did not hesitate any longer. He took a step forward and used Shrinking the Earth to an Inch. His figure rapidly vanished across the vast ruins at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"What an incredible movement technique."

The golden-winged young woman could not help exclaiming in amazement. She had wanted to say it long ago. She had thought that, with the enhancement of his Xun Wind power, his speed was already astonishing, even faster than a Lightning Bird. She had not expected to be so thoroughly shaken today.

"That is the innate divine ability of the primordial ferocious beast, the Long-Armed Demon Ape: Shrinking the Earth to an Inch."

Yan Ruyu's expression remained calm as she watched Jiang Ming's departing figure, though faint ripples stirred in her heart. Why did she feel as if she would meet this Long-Armed Demon Ape again? She was very curious about his origins and past.

For some reason, she felt a favorable impression of this Long-Armed Demon Ape.

"What is the difference between primordial ferocious beasts and Huang Ancient ferocious beasts?"

The golden-winged young woman immediately asked again with curiosity.

"By the Huang Ancient era, the figures of many powerful ferocious beasts could no longer be seen. They could only be considered descendant bloodlines of ferocious beasts. The difference is enormous."

"During the primordial era, many powerful ferocious beasts formed their own lineages and became known as the Primordial Royal Clans, or even the Primordial Imperial Clans."

Every word Yan Ruyu spoke sounded like heavenly music, clear and pleasant, stirring the heart.

Many of her memories were extremely vague. A portion of them came from the inheritance the Azure Emperor had left her.

In truth, she had only awakened from the ruin's secret realm fifteen years ago.

Within her memories were also scattered and hazy fragments. In that era, there had been Long-Armed Demon Apes, Six-Eared Demon Apes, Spirit Stone Apes, and Zhu Yan.

"Let us leave this place first. We need to hide in the secret realm for a while. The few of you should avoid appearing outside in the future. The opening of the Azure Emperor's tomb is not far off. All sorts of heretics and grave robbers have appeared within the ruins."

Yan Ruyu spoke again in a cool tone.

"Yes, Your Highness."

The golden-winged young woman, the burly horned man, and the Lightning Bird answered in unison.

Today had truly been full of twists and turns. If Yan Ruyu had not arrived in time, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

"I forgot to loot the bodies. Yeah, I really forgot."

"As a cold and ruthless primordial ferocious beast, the Long-Armed Demon Ape, wouldn't looting corpses be terribly damaging to my image?"

"But being poor is even less impressive. A poor ghost is scarier than an actual ghost."

Only after fleeing two thousand miles in one breath did Jiang Ming remember. An intense struggle began within him. Jiang Ming's thoughts from this life clashed fiercely with those of Jiang Ming from Shushan, neither willing to yield. In the end, Earthling Jiang Ming's way of thinking utterly crushed the others.

That was right. How could someone as poor as Jiang Ming not loot corpses?

He could no longer rely on the system. He had to become self-reliant.

"The system rewarded me with a huge chunk of Light Stone. Once I break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, my Life-Bound Sword can evolve into a dharma treasure."

Earthling Jiang Ming's thinking gained the upper hand again. Sigh, the thoughts of Shushan Jiang Ming and Jiang Ming from Shrouding the Heavens were simply too naïve.

They did not understand the "law of irresistible appeal" at all. Pride and worries could not solve any problems. Only by having no shame, eating when it was time to eat, drinking when it was time to drink, using what should be used, quietly accumulating strength, and becoming stronger could one get closer to the truth.

For now, the system seemed omnipotent.

But once Jiang Ming became an Immortal Emperor, sacrificed the Dao, it would no longer be so omnipotent. Right?