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

The Moon Emperor slowly extended a pale, slender hand, and with a gentle wave, a long, jet-black hair flew up from behind her, dancing gracefully in the void like black flowing water.

Her long hair was as black as ink, with a faint, cold sheen, and a strange, ethereal quality.

Her long hair slowly wrapped around Shen Ming's right hand, eventually coiling around his ring finger.

In an instant, Shen Ming felt a chill on his fingertips, as if he were being infected by some kind of bone-chilling aura.

However, this chill also contained a complex warmth, like a sense of trust.

The two didn't exchange many words, but Shen Ming knew what it meant.

Find Panhuang, light this hair, and you can summon the Moon Emperor.

Having done all this, the Moon Emperor closed his eyes again and remained motionless.

When Jian Li arrived, she had a thousand words to say, but she hasn't uttered a single one yet, because the Moon Emperor no longer recognizes the Great Luo Sword.

This is a good thing. Back then, the Moon Emperor used the Benming Sword to help Pan Huang and Chang Xi break through the encirclement.

If they had known that the Great Luo Sword would later turn into a fire poker, they would have been filled with boundless hatred.

"Let's go."

The purpose of this trip has been achieved: to uncover the long-buried truth.

The gates of the Moon Temple have no restrictions and can be easily opened from the inside.

Just as Shen Ming walked out, the stone statue that had led the way descended from the sky.

"Who let you out!" the stone statue said in a deep voice.

"Meng Ping?"

This time, Shen Ming called him by his name directly.

The stone statues have no visible faces; their heads are covered by helmets. Only the eyes below reveal a palpable sense of panic, culminating in a blazing, cold light.

He's been here so long that he's long forgotten who he is.

But Shen Ming's shout brought him back to his senses.

“It’s better to die fighting than to be forever trapped here and unable to escape,” Shen Ming said.

"We will fight to the death, and I will live forever."

Meng Ping said, "With all the heavens and myriad realms as my companions, this is the path to liberation!"

The voice revealed madness, ferocity, and malice.

Unlike the Moon Emperor's hatred, Meng Ping's hatred was malicious.

Why did I have to end up like this?! Heaven is unjust! Then I'll take everyone down with me!

I don't know if it's people like this who become slaves, or if becoming a slave turns them into this.

They are the tools that forbidden beings use to pollute the world.

"Let's start with you!"

Meng Ping suddenly launched an attack, his spear whirling around, its blade striking Shen Ming like a storm, each strike carrying earth-shattering power, making the air hum.

Shen Ming remained calm, raised his hand and clenched it, causing the River-Suppressing Stone Tablet to appear. A faint golden light flowed from his body, clashing head-on with the powerful attack.

A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth, and the stone statue was forced back several steps, with stone chips falling all around it.

"marshal?!"

Meng Ping was somewhat dazed. Before he surrendered, he was one of the Heavenly Generals, following Tian Peng.

"This is impossible! The Tianpeng lineage has been severed!"

Meng Ping couldn't accept it, especially since the person in front of him had received Tianpeng's inheritance.

Why should he?!

Enraged, Meng Ping slammed his halberd into the ground, and a beam of light burst forth from the tip, enveloping the entire palace area and locking onto Shen Ming.

Shen Ming's gaze turned slightly cold. With the help of the stone tablet, the Tianpeng Seal floated above his head, and the flowing runes formed a protective barrier, blocking the stone statue's killing move.

With a single step, his figure transformed into a bolt of lightning, and the Heavenly Ruler swept out, striking Meng Ping precisely in the chest.

It sent its massive body flying several meters away, crashing into the stone pillars of the palace and kicking up clouds of dust.

"town!"

Shen Ming said in a deep voice, and the Tianpeng Mantra appeared in his palm, turning into golden runes that soared into the air and condensed into a vast power that rushed straight towards Meng Ping.

Mengping resisted with all its might, but its movements began to slow down, and the light on its body gradually dimmed.

A final, defiant glimmer of light ignited in his empty eyes.

Suddenly, Meng Ping burst into a shrill laugh.

"You have received the inheritance of Tianpeng! Our lord will not let you leave!"

Meng Ping slowly raised his arm, and a strange power surged from his palm. It was a summons connecting him to the core of the forbidden zone, a plea for help from the lord of the forbidden zone.

"My lord, descend!" Meng Ping's deep voice echoed in the palace, as if filled with awe and supplication.

However, all that responded to it was deathly silence.

The summoning power released by Meng Ping dissipated without a trace, and there was no reaction.

A faint, indifferent smile appeared on Shen Ming's lips.

Meng Ping was still unwilling to give up, and once again waved his palm to release an even more intense power, trying to awaken the supreme being deep in the forbidden zone once more.

This time, that familiar crack appeared in the sky.

It is a harbinger of the arrival of the Lord of the Forbidden Zone.

“My lord…” Meng Pinggang shouted excitedly.

"Get out!" A panicked shout came from the crack.

The next moment, the crack disappeared, and the darkness deep within the forbidden zone remained silent, without any further ripples.

"It seems you've abandoned your lord." Shen Ming's tone was indifferent, but his steps became even more firm. With the divine ruler in his hand, golden light flowed, and his aura pressed down like a mountain, causing Meng Ping to pause in his movements.

"Why?!"

Meng Ping didn't understand, and stone chips fell down in a flurry.

Back then, before the forbidden zone was even formed, the master of the forbidden zone defeated Tianpeng.

Now that this restricted area is under lockdown, there's no reason why the Lord of the Restricted Area shouldn't show up.

Could it be because of the current emperor?!

"With people like you existing, the Dark Abyss will never disappear."

Shen Ming knew what had happened in the past, and he was filled with indifference and disdain for it.

The Heavenly Bell suddenly rose into the air, radiating a vast and powerful aura. Its sound was like thunder, resounding throughout the heavens.

That unparalleled power transformed into a torrent, completely extinguishing Meng Ping's brilliance and leaving it powerless to resist.

Meng Ping slowly knelt down on the ground, his cracked body swaying precariously like a weathered sculpture.

In the end, Shen Ming did not let him be completely destroyed, but kept him kneeling, facing the direction of the Moon Goddess Palace.

Having accomplished all this, Shen Ming returned to the teleportation array, intending to destroy it.

Making any big commotion in the restricted area will attract the attention of someone you can't afford to offend.

Shen Ming didn't need to worry about that; he believed the Lord of the Forbidden Zone wouldn't care.

The Moon Goddess is used to exacerbate the Moon Emperor's madness, gradually luring him out of control.

"It's a bit of a waste to destroy it like this. Let's leave it here. You can still come in from the outside and be teleported back to the Nine Realms later."

Jian Li suggested, "Don't forget, you're still a fugitive from the Divine Court. You won't be able to board the ship to the other shore if you go back."

After meeting the Moon Emperor, Jian Li continued to function as a sword spirit.

After thinking about it carefully, Shen Ming realized that this was indeed the case.

He's the one in charge of the Panyue Dynasty now, and there won't be a Moon Emperor sent to him.

Although the golden light rendered the teleportation array unusable, according to the Antarctic Immortal, the golden moon could not exist forever.

Once the moon returns to normal, this teleportation array will be activated.

Moreover, this restricted area is completely off-limits to outsiders; it belongs solely to him.

"Alright, let's go to the Quasi-God Assembly now, or I'll be in the God Realm soon."