"Lu Ren, with your strength, we'll be much safer heading into the central region!" Nethernight Imperial Daughter said.
"Is the central region that dangerous?" Lu Ren asked curiously.
"The central region is the Fourth Layer of the Ancient Forbidden Zone. It's filled with extraordinary opportunities, but countless dangers come with them. They say there are many Ninth-Rank Undying Battle Souls inside!" Nethernight Imperial Daughter replied.
"With my current strength, I wouldn't need to fear even being surrounded by Ninth-Rank Undying Battle Souls!" Lu Ren said with a nod.
Most people slipped into the central region in secret, but Lu Ren had no need to.
"Let's go!"
Lu Ren dimmed the glow of his Battle Marks and set off toward the central region with Nethernight Imperial Daughter.
"Lu Ren, I'll hide inside you!"
Nethernight Imperial Daughter's body flickered. She turned into a strange shadow and flowed into Lu Ren's body.
At once, Lu Ren felt an unusual power within him.
"The methods of your Strange Dao really are uncanny!" Lu Ren exclaimed.
"That's why we can only keep ourselves hidden. In the eyes of cultivators of other Daos, we don't belong on the grand stage!" Nethernight Imperial Daughter said.
"Who cares whether they think you belong on some grand stage? People should live for themselves!"
With that, Lu Ren picked up speed and streaked into the distance.
The Ancient Forbidden Zone was a world in ruins.
Buildings, mountains, cities—hardly anything remained intact.
Evidently, the collapse of the Divine Dao Origin had shattered the entire world. Its Divine Dao experts had either died or fled.
"There are still quite a few cultivators around here. Never mind them!"
Lu Ren raced south.
A year later!
As Lu Ren flew past a great mountain, he spotted a cave residence halfway up its slope.
The