I tricked you into thinking you had the makings of an emperor, but you actually did it?

Somewhere in the forbidden zone, an ancient path of trials loomed faintly in the dim light.

The path of trials predates the formation of the forbidden zone.

Legend has it that the moon was originally a training ground for the Heavenly Court, and these trial paths were used to train the heavenly soldiers and generals.

At this moment, this path of trials, due to its forbidden nature, has already borne the erosion of countless ages.

The air was thick with the smell of dampness and decay.

In a dark corner, there was a pile of rubble and dust.

An unremarkable human skeleton lies among them, its bones covered in mottled cracks and rust, but its presence stands out starkly in this deathly silence.

Suddenly, a figure burst in, bringing with it an incongruous aura of vitality.

It was Shen Ming, his gaze sweeping indifferently over everything around him, as if the oppressive and gloomy atmosphere had no effect on him.

His arrival was like igniting some long-dormant spark.

A faint, yet chilling, blue light suddenly shone from the depths of the skull's eye sockets, like the gaze of an abyss.

"Finally, finally, more living people have arrived."

The skeleton let out a dry, low laugh, and the blue light in its eye sockets flickered faintly, as if it was trying to recall something, but was interrupted by an ancient force.

After a moment, it gave up on pointless thinking, its eyes filled only with indifference and calculation.

"This is the only chance." The skeleton only remembered one vague rule.

The only way to leave this path of trials and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation is to find a substitute and transfer one's shackles to another person.

It stood up stiffly, its bones making a grating sound, like an ancient machine being restarted.

Shen Ming noticed his approach, turned around, and frowned.

"Forbidden creatures?!"

While others were running away at the sight of the forbidden creature, a hint of excitement flashed in Shen Ming's eyes.

But soon he discovered that the skeleton was not the one he was looking for; it did not possess that forbidden power.

Most importantly, the skeleton suggests that communication is possible.

Forbidden beings cannot communicate.

"Like you, I ventured deep into the forbidden zone of life, hoping to pass this trial, but I died at the last hurdle and am now trapped here forever."

The skeleton said, "Please help me get rid of this, and I will tell you how to pass the first few levels."

Shen Ming became interested. He didn't know that this was the Trial Road, because it was no longer visible and there were no restrictions on cultivation levels.

Even if you successfully complete the challenge, there seems to be no reward.

"You will be rewarded for overcoming the challenge; it will benefit you immensely."

Despite losing his memory, the skeleton discovered that he had the ability to read people's minds and could see what Shen Ming was thinking.

"Jian Li, what do you think?" Shen Ming was actually quite interested, but he still asked for the sword spirit's opinion.

In this forbidden zone of life, everything that seems beneficial to oneself is seen as a trap!

Jian Li thought of a saying that circulated during the time of the Moon Emperor.

This is the ironclad rule of the forbidden zone of life.

Therefore, the words of a skeleton cannot be trusted.

"I think I can try it."

However, Jian Li also wanted to use a third party to see where Shen Ming's limits were.

"Let's begin then," Shen Ming said.

"That's wonderful! If I can escape, I will always remember your kindness." The skeleton tried to appear excited, and in fact, he was indeed excited.

The skeleton came to Shen Ming and led him through the trial path to a forest of stone tablets.

Some are covered with dense runes, while others have long since weathered away, leaving only blurry outlines.

"These stone tablets will reflect primordial runes based on the challenger; only by deciphering them can one pass," the skeleton said.

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Shen Ming actually felt a stone tablet emitting a scorching aura.

Upon closer inspection with the Eye of Truth, a golden rune was visible on it.

“I can teach you the immortal scriptures that decipher primordial runes.”

The skeleton was positive and spoke with particular certainty.

Its eyes gleamed with a chilling blue light, yet also held a hint of anticipation.

It turns out that the path of trials had already been distorted by the forbidden zone.

Anyone who deciphers the original runes will be attacked by terrifying lightning; he almost died from the lightning tribulation back then.

As long as Shen Ming also becomes a dead person, the skeleton will be able to be freed and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation.

“No need, I’ll use the method of deciphering the original runes.” Shen Ming glanced calmly at the stone tablet, seemingly unconcerned about the danger.

He slowly reached out, his fingertips lightly touching the surface of the stone tablet, gently brushing over the weathered runes.

Instantly, lightning flashed within the stone tablet, the runes regained their ancient divine radiance, and the entire space was bathed in a layer of eerie blue light.

"The Primal Rune of Lightning!" The skeleton, still feigning composure, whispered, "Read it quickly. Once you read it aloud, the rune will reveal its true meaning."

Shen Ming circulated the Primordial Immortal Scripture and read the rune.

Suddenly, the runes on the stone tablet flickered violently, and lightning transformed into streaks of tribulation lightning, surging wildly out of the stone tablet.

However, the terrifying lightning turned its spearhead and shot straight at the skeleton, giving it no chance to dodge, and cleaved its body into pieces.

"What's going on?" Shen Ming was startled himself.

However, this original lightning rune did indeed strengthen his Thunderous Immortal Heart.

At this moment, the skeleton on the ground quickly reformed and returned to its original state.

He is a prisoner here; death is not liberation.

"No need to thank me, I'll take the damage for you. Anyway, I'm immortal here." Facing Shen Ming's puzzled gaze, the skeleton tried to remain calm.

After saying this, the skeleton was quite pleased with himself, thinking that he must have been a person of great wisdom to be able to come up with a reason so quickly.

As for why the lightning struck him, it can only be attributed to the fact that the Trial Path had been neglected for many years.

But it's okay, there will be plenty of opportunities in the later levels.

Continuing forward, the stone slabs beneath my feet have long been smoothed by time, becoming smooth and cold.

At the end, a pool of dark red spring water can be vaguely seen.

The spring water gleamed with an eerie light, and as it flowed, it emitted a pungent, fishy stench, as if it harbored some unspeakable danger.

Beside the pool were three bronze cups.

“Using the correct cup to fill the pool is like drinking a sip of celestial water. If you use the wrong one, you will die instantly from poisoning. I will teach you a magical eye technique that will allow you to discern the differences between bronze cups,” the skeleton said.

Shen Ming was skeptical, so he used the pupil technique he had been taught to look at it once, and then used the Eye of Truth to look at it again.

The cup in the very center faintly emitted a golden glow.

Now, Shen Ming began to believe the skeleton.

The skeleton was pleased with himself; he had taught the correct method of identification, but within the forbidden zone, the five elements were reversed on the path of trials.

Using the correct cup could actually lead to poisoning and death.

Then Shen Ming took the cup from the center, filled it to the blood-red pool, and put it in his mouth without saying a word.

The skeleton was overjoyed.

The next second, Shen Ming's body radiated a dazzling divine light.

That's because of the Celestial Pool!