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

"The three of us are really amazing."

Seeing the master of the restricted area retreat, Shen Ming sighed.

"The three of us?" Jian Li asked, puzzled.

"You, me, and the Galactic Emperor."

Shen Ming was still not satisfied. The river-suppressing stone tablet transformed back into starlight and returned to his body, while the dazzling starry river disappeared.

The forbidden zone returned to calm, and the forbidden creatures from before were nowhere to be seen.

Shen Ming also spotted a black dagger not far away.

It is very short, with a straight spine and a smooth curve in the blade. Most notably, the blade is jet black.

Pure darkness, where not even light could penetrate.

"Who litters anymore? If nobody wants it, I'll pick it up."

Shen Ming tossed it into his storage bag, and from the rabbit hole not far away, came a sigh of relief.

"Do you think we can fight the Lord of the Forbidden Zone like we did just now in the future? After all, the River-Suppressing Stone Tablet has always been on me," Shen Ming asked.

Of course! Jian Li wanted to blurt it out, to make Shen Ming believe it without a doubt.

However, Jian Li immediately noticed that Shen Ming's words, which seemed to be an inquiry, were actually an attempt to verify his conjecture.

If you give a firm and unequivocal answer, it might backfire.

"What do you think?" Jian Li asked in return.

"The Heavenly Canopy Set—I can't activate these four treasures, so I guess I need to master the Heavenly Canopy Great Technique. The River-Suppressing Stele is like a trump card, used to deal with the situation just now," Shen Ming said, offering his guess.

Jian Li was glad she hadn't spoken too quickly.

Shen Ming is not a three-year-old child; he can't believe everything he's told. He has his own ideas.

"Judging from what I just saw, that's correct. The River-Suppressing Stele is indeed suppressing these creatures from the forbidden zone," Jian Li said.

"Then won't I really be able to do whatever I want in the restricted area from now on?" Shen Ming's eyes lit up, his tone full of excitement.

This question seems to be asking a question, but it's different from what I just asked.

“That’s right, until you fully absorb and refine the power of the River-Suppressing Stone Tablet and reach that level yourself!” Jian Li said confidently.

"I knew it!"

As expected, Shen Ming was absolutely certain that Jian Li did not sense any targeting from the Heavenly Dao.

Shen Ming was also pleased that the River-Suppressing Stele was equivalent to the Great Emperor's succession.

With it inside the body, one's future achievements will be no less than those of an emperor.

Although Shen Ming had always aspired to become an emperor, this tangible gain and achievement caused his Dao heart to surge.

After that, Shen Ming was about to leave this trial path and head to the Moon Emperor's forbidden land.

Just as I stepped out of the trial path, a familiar, crisp sound rang out, and a shattered skeleton chased after me from behind.

"Wait for me, Your Majesty!" the skeleton cried.

"You really are immortal," Shen Ming exclaimed in surprise.

Just now, the skeleton rushed towards the Lord of the Forbidden Zone, and vanished in an instant. I thought it had long since disappeared.

"Death is my release, My Lord Immortal King. Please reopen the cycle of reincarnation," the skeleton said.

"What did you call me?" Shen Ming asked, puzzled.

"Lord Immortal King."

"He probably saw you fighting the Lord of the Forbidden Zone and mistakenly thought you were the reincarnation of a Celestial King," Jian Li said.

“I am not a Celestial King, nor did I initiate the path of reincarnation,” Shen Ming explained.

No, it is you! I clearly saw the Path of Reincarnation open just now! The skeleton thought to itself.

Most importantly, you're not a Celestial King, how could you possibly drive away the Lord of the Forbidden Zone?!

The path to trial was sealed off by forbidden zones for an entire era.

The river-suppressing stone tablet is more symbolic; even if it truly contains immense power, it still needs time to recover.

Even if he were to recover to his peak, the Galactic Emperor would still have been defeated by the Lord of the Forbidden Zone.

The only explanation I could give was Shen Ming's own strength.

The skeleton dared not disobey Shen Ming, nor dared to speak its mind, but instead tried to figure out the meaning behind Shen Ming's words.

That's right, the reincarnation of the Celestial King hasn't fully awakened yet. If the secrets of heaven were revealed, it might directly attract enemies from his previous life.

“Yes, yes, you’re not the Celestial King,” the skeleton said.

"I can't help you much with the path of reincarnation," Shen Ming said.

"Yeah."

The skeleton nodded no matter what he said.

But as Shen Ming walked forward, he followed silently behind.

Faced with Shen Ming's questioning gaze, the skeleton said helplessly, "My lord, you have completed the Path of Trial, and I should have entered the cycle of reincarnation, but it was disrupted by the Lord of the Forbidden Zone. I have nowhere to go, so please let me become your follower."

"Ok?"

Shen Ming hadn't thought about this issue; the main problem was that the other party was a skeleton, and it would be a bit scary to take him out.

"He was at least at the Longevity Realm in his lifetime, and now he can also exert the strength of the Divine Realm."

Jian Li also intended for the skeleton to follow along.

A lie needs to be built up, which means it needs more information channels to make Shen Ming believe it.

The skeleton didn't know Shen Ming's abilities, and might be able to cooperate with him to achieve his goal.

"Most importantly, Shen Ming believes that skeletons are immortal. If a skeleton knows Shen Ming's abilities and deliberately deceives him, even if Heaven punishes it, will the skeleton die?"

Jian Li couldn't help but think of it.

Just as she finished thinking, Jian Li felt another pang of fear, a silent warning from the Heavenly Dao.

Whether or not a skeleton exists, you will definitely die.

Jian Li suddenly felt like crying. Countless cultivators spend their entire lives trying to establish a connection with the Heavenly Dao, but all to no avail.

Now that I've become a key target of Heaven's attention, they don't even spare my innermost thoughts.

This honor is unparalleled throughout history.

"In this sense, the Way of Heaven is more like a mother coaxing her child to sleep, preventing the child from waking up."

Jian Li couldn't help but wonder what would happen if she woke up.

Once again, Jian Li sensed the will of Heaven.

It wasn't just a warning; it also conveyed a sense of dread and fear.

Would Heaven be afraid?!

Jian Li quickly dismissed the thought and dared not think about it any further.

Shen Ming had no idea that his sword spirit was going through such a complicated mental process.

He certainly wanted a subordinate in the realm of gods; it would be prestigious to bring one along.

The question is, can I control myself?

"I don't want to get stabbed in the back," Shen Ming thought with a serious expression.

What is the Celestial King thinking? Is he wondering if it's even worth bothering with someone as insignificant as me? Stop talking nonsense, say something already!

Seeing Shen Ming's serious expression, the skeleton felt uneasy.

Unfortunately, he had amnesia and didn't know what to say to move Shen Ming.

"With me here, there's no need to worry about what he might do."

Jian Li knew what Shen Ming was thinking and told him not to worry.

"Well."

Shen Ming stopped hesitating and agreed to let the skeleton follow him.

The skeleton was overjoyed, and the blue flames in its eye sockets flickered wildly.

Even if one does not enter the cycle of reincarnation, being able to follow a Celestial King will lead to great achievements in the future.

"My lord, I cannot remember my past life, please bestow a name upon me." The skeleton spoke with a devout tone and a respectful attitude.

"Let's talk about it later." Shen Ming felt a headache coming on; he wasn't very good at naming things.

The skeleton was taken aback, then realized that it had been too greedy, asking the Immortal King for a name before it had accomplished anything!