I am destroying the protagonist in the fantasy world!

"Improve your strength?" Lei Yi repeated these four words, his brow furrowed. Indeed, in the face of absolute strength, any conspiracy or trickery is as vulnerable as a paper tiger.

"On Qingyun Peak, there's a sacred place for cultivation. Rumor has it that it's filled with abundant spiritual energy and contains a legacy left by ancient masters." Dongfang Liuli turned and looked at Lei Yi with a burning gaze. "As long as you can enter and seize the opportunity, you'll undoubtedly make a stunning debut. Then, Master Murong's tricks will be shattered."

Lei Yi's heart stirred, and a glimmer of hope ignited in his eyes. But he quickly calmed down and said, "But, is it so easy to enter a holy place for cultivation?"

"That's why I said this is our only chance." Dongfang Liuli walked to the table and spread out a map. "I've already found out. To enter the holy land, you need to pass through three checkpoints, and each one is extremely dangerous."

"No matter what, I'm going to give it a try!" Lei Yi's eyes were firm and his tone was full of determination.

The next day, Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli disguised themselves, avoided the eyes and ears of the city, and came to the foot of Qingyun Peak.

As soon as he stepped into Qingyun Peak, Lei Yi felt an invisible pressure coming, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"Be careful, there are powerful restrictions here. Once triggered, you will be attacked." Dongfang Liuli reminded in a low voice, and at the same time, he pinched his hands and a soft light enveloped the two of them.

They advanced cautiously, trying to avoid areas that flashed with danger. However, an accident still happened.

A seemingly ordinary stone slab suddenly burst into dazzling golden light the moment Lei Yi stepped on it, and a powerful force bounced him away.

"Lei Yi!" Dongfang Liuli exclaimed and hurried forward to catch him.

Lei Yi felt as if all the bones in his body were about to fall apart, his internal organs were churning, and a mouthful of blood rushed up his throat, which he swallowed back forcefully.

"I'm fine." He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, struggled to stand up, and looked at the stone slab with a serious look, "What a powerful restriction, I almost got caught."

Dongfang Liuli supported him, her brows furrowed. "It seems we have underestimated the dangers of this sacred training ground. We must be even more cautious from now on."

As they continued to go deeper, the scene before them became increasingly bizarre. Towering trees blocked out the sun, blocking out the sunlight. A thin layer of mist filled the air, making it difficult to see the direction.

"Wait..." Lei Yi suddenly stopped and looked around vigilantly, "I feel something is wrong."

"What's wrong?" Dongfang Liuli also noticed something strange, but he couldn't tell what was wrong.

Lei Yi didn't answer. Instead, he slowly drew the long sword from his waist, pointed the tip of the sword forward, and said in a deep voice, "Come out! Hiding in secret, what kind of hero are you?"

However, all he got in response was endless silence and increasingly thick fog...

The fog surged, as if alive, enveloping Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli. Lei Yi gripped his sword tightly, its blade reflecting a cold light, but he was unable to dispel the surrounding fog.

"Be careful!" Dongfang Liuli suddenly cried out, grabbing Lei Yi and dodging to the side. A sharp sword energy pierced through the air, brushing past their bodies and slicing through a bush.

"It's an illusion!" Lei Yi steadied his body and scanned the surroundings with his eyes as sharp as torches.

The scene before my eyes began to distort and change. The towering trees turned into monsters with bared fangs and claws. The ground cracked into bottomless abysses. Miserable wails echoed in my ears, as if I were in hell.

Dongfang Liuli's face was pale. She suppressed her inner fear and kept changing the magic spells in her hands. Rays of light flew out from her fingertips, trying to break this strange illusion.

However, the illusion array was unpredictable, and Dongfang Liuli's attacks were like a drop in the ocean, completely ineffective. Lei Yi also tried to break the array with brute force, but each attack failed, as if hitting cotton, with no impact point.

"This is not a solution. We will be trapped here and die!" Lei Yi said anxiously.

"I know." Dongfang Liuli took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. "This illusion array should have a core. As long as we find the core, we can break out of it."

The two stood back to back, vigilantly observing the changes around them, looking for clues to break the formation.

After an unknown amount of time, the scene suddenly changed, and they arrived at an empty square. In the center of the square stood a huge stone tablet, engraved with three powerful characters: Trial Platform.

"This is..." Lei Yi looked at the stone tablet in front of him and had a vague premonition in his heart.

"This is a test left by Hero Zhou." Dongfang Liuli looked at the words on the stone tablet and said slowly, "Legend has it that Hero Zhou set up numerous tests in this holy land of cultivation in order to select his successor. Only those who pass the tests can obtain his inheritance."

As soon as he finished speaking, the stone tablet suddenly shone brightly, and an illusory figure slowly walked out of it. The figure was wearing a green robe and had a gaunt face. It was exactly the appearance of Hero Zhou.

"If you want to enter the sacred place of cultivation, you must pass my test." Zhou Daxia's voice echoed like a bell in the square. "There are three levels of test, each more dangerous than the last. Do you have the confidence?"

"We are willing to accept the test!" Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli looked at each other and said in unison.

Hero Zhou nodded and waved his hand. Three light gates suddenly appeared in the square. On each light gate was written a big word: Strength, Wisdom, and Courage.

"The first level tests your strength; the second level tests your wisdom; the third level tests your courage." Zhou Daxia's voice sounded again, "You can choose which level to challenge first, but you only have one chance. If you fail, you will be teleported out of the holy land and will never be allowed to enter again."

Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli looked at the three light gates in front of them and fell into deep thought.

"Which level should we challenge first?" Lei Yi turned to look at Dongfang Liuli, but found that her face was pale and her forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat.

"What's wrong with you?" Lei Yi's heart tightened and he hurried forward to support her.

Dongfang Liuli shook her head and said with all her might, "I'm fine, it's just..."

Before she could finish her words, her body went limp and she fainted in Lei Yi's arms.

"Liuli!" Lei Yi shouted anxiously. He reached out to check her breath and found that she was still breathing. He felt a little relieved.

He raised his head and looked firmly at the three light gates before him. He took a deep breath and made a decision: "I will challenge the barrier of strength first!"

Lei Yi picked up Dongfang Liuli and gently placed her on a stone platform at the edge of the square. After confirming that she was merely exhausted and not seriously injured, he resolutely turned and walked towards the light door with the word "power" written on it, stepping through without hesitation.

Inside the gate of light lay a desolate desert, its crimson sand gleaming scorchingly under the blazing sun. As soon as he entered, Lei Yi felt a heavy pressure surge from all directions, as if threatening to crush him.

"Is this the test of strength?" Lei Yi gritted his teeth and took a difficult step forward under tremendous pressure.

The desert wasn't completely empty. Huge rock monsters emerged from the sand, swinging their heavy fists at Lei Yi. Lei Yi didn't dare to be careless, and the long sword in his hand transformed into streams of light, engaging in a fierce battle with the rock monsters.

Although these behemoths were slow, they were incredibly powerful, each strike carrying the force of a tsunami. Lei Yi used his agility to maneuver around them, searching for their weaknesses.

The battle lasted for a long time, and Lei Yi gradually lost his strength. At this moment, his feet slipped and he stepped into a quicksand trap.

"Not good!" Lei Yi was shocked and wanted to pull himself away but it was too late and his body sank rapidly.

At the critical moment, he inserted his sword into the sand, using the force to stabilize his body, and at the same time mobilized all his energy to try to break free from the quicksand.

However, at this moment, a mysterious force surged out from the depths of the quicksand, instantly sealing his meridians and making him unable to move at all.

"What the hell is this thing!" Lei Yi was horrified and struggled desperately, but to no avail.

Just as he was about to be swallowed by the quicksand, a flash of white light appeared, and Dongfang Liuli appeared beside him. The magic formula in her hand changed, and rays of light shot into the quicksand, trying to stop its flow.

"Don't waste your energy! This quicksand trap is connected to the holy land, you can't break it!" Lei Yi said hurriedly, "Let's go and find another way to break it!"

Dongfang Liuli shook her head and said firmly, "I'm not leaving! If you want to leave, let's leave together!"

She ignored Lei Yi's dissuasion and continuously injected her own true energy into his body, wanting to help him break through the blockade.

"Silly girl, why are you doing this..." Lei Yi looked at the pale-faced Dongfang Liuli, his heart filled with emotion and worry.

Although Dongfang Liuli's Qi was pure, it was still a drop in the bucket compared to the Holy Land. At this moment, heavy footsteps were heard in the distance, accompanied by a deafening roar.

"Oh no! It's the Holy Land Guardian!" Lei Yi's face changed drastically. "Liuli, hurry up! I'll hold it back!"

However, it was too late. A giant ape, several times larger than the rock beast, fell from the sky and stood in front of Dongfang Liuli. Its blood-red eyes stared at her, full of murderous intent.

Dongfang Liuli gritted her teeth, unsheathed her sword, and charged towards the giant ape...

Lei Yi's eyes were bloodshot, but he could only watch this scene happen, his heart filled with powerlessness and despair: "Liuli, don't..."

Dongfang Liuli moved like lightning, the longsword in her hand transforming into a flurry of sword flowers as she frantically fended off the giant ape's attacks. However, the vast disparity in strength put her in peril under the giant ape's furious onslaught. Every collision sent her blood surging and her palms numbing.

"Roar!" the giant ape roared, its massive fist lashing out at Dongfang Liuli with a powerful gust of wind. She dodged the blow by leaning sideways, but was swept away by the gust of wind. She flew out like a kite with a broken string, landing heavily on the sand.

"Liuli!" Lei Yi's eyes were bloodshot as he struggled frantically, trying to break free from the restraints. However, the mysterious power was like a maggot on his tarsal bone, holding him tightly, leaving him unable to move.

As he watched the giant ape approach Dongfang Liuli, Lei Yi felt a surge of despair and helplessness. Was he going to die here today?

At this moment, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him. He remembered a secret technique he had read about in ancient books—the Blood Burning Technique! This technique could burn one's own blood and essence, exchanging it for a brief moment of transcendental power. However, this technique was extremely risky. Failure could result in the loss of all cultivation at best, or even death at worst!

"Let's fight!" A look of determination flashed across Lei Yi's eyes. Rather than sit and wait for death, it would be better to give it a try! He took a deep breath and began to circulate his Qi, preparing to unleash the Blood Burning Technique.

However, at this moment, he felt a powerful suction coming from deep within the quicksand. This suction seemed to come from ancient times, with a terrifying force that made people's hearts tremble. It instantly drained all the true energy in his body, and even his consciousness began to become blurred.

"No!" Lei Yi was horrified. He wanted to stop this from happening, but he was powerless. He could only watch helplessly as his body sank into the quicksand bit by bit, his consciousness gradually fading into darkness...

Just as Lei Yi was about to be swallowed by the quicksand, an old voice suddenly rang in his ears: "Huh? There is actually someone who can trigger this ancient restriction. How bizarre..."

Then, Lei Yi felt the force that bound him suddenly disappear. He suddenly opened his eyes and found himself in an unfamiliar place.

It was a dark cave, its stone walls dotted with fluorescent dots, emitting a faint glow. In the center of the cave, a white-haired old man sat cross-legged, looking at him with a smile.

"You are..." Lei Yi struggled to stand up and looked at the old man warily.

"I am Zhou Tong, the guardian of this holy land." The old man smiled slightly. "Young man, you are quite good. You were able to trigger the ancient restriction. It seems that you have a connection with this holy land."

Lei Yi was filled with doubts. Who was this old man? Why was he here? And where was Dongfang Liuli?

"Senior, may I ask..."

Before Lei Yi could finish, Zhou Tong waved his hand, pointed to a path deep in the cave, and said, "Child, if you want to know the answer, follow me."

Lei Yi hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to follow. He knew he had no way out...