The Truth Known by the White Army, Gu Yan's Corruption of the Forbidden Land

Three days later.

In a lush forest.

"Tuanzi, how is Bai Jun? Will he be okay?"

"Don't worry, Sister Rou, your little boyfriend is fine. He’ll wake up soon. Thankfully, that dark cloud hasn’t polluted this last sanctuary yet, or else your little boyfriend might not have made it."

"L-little boyfriend? Tuanzi, stop talking nonsense! I saved Bai Jun only because we were once comrades."

"Oh, come on. Everyone knows you two were childhood sweethearts. If not for that incident back then, you probably would’ve—"

"Shh! Both of you, quiet. The handsome guy seems to be waking up."

"Fine, fine. Let’s go. Sister Rou, hurry up. That dark cloud might drift over any minute. We’ll head back first and wait for you."

"Alright."

The noisy voices reached Bai Jun’s ears.

He opened his eyes groggily.

Where... am I?

Blurred images gradually sharpened.

Bai Jun found himself lying on unfamiliar grass, surrounded by a strange landscape.

The sky was an unnatural shade of purple, with clouds dyed as if by magic, drifting slowly overhead.

He sat up and looked around, realizing he was in a vast forest—but one unlike any he had ever seen.

The trees had twisted, bizarre trunks, their leaves gleaming like metal, some even emitting a faint glow.

The air carried a peculiar fragrance, both fresh and eerie.

Strange sounds echoed through the forest—some like distant waterfalls, others like the whispers of unseen creatures.

This place feels familiar... Have I been here before?

Bai Jun tried to stand but found his body unusually heavy, as if weighed down by an invisible force.

Just as he attempted to channel his qi—

"Wait! You’re still injured. Don’t use your qi yet."

The voice struck Bai Jun like a bolt of lightning.

His body stiffened. He whipped his head around—and froze.

The figure before him was nothing like the Jiang Rou he remembered.

Yet, despite the shock, he couldn’t stop himself from whispering, "Jiang... Jiang Rou?"

The being in front of him was bizarre beyond belief.

Her upper body was wrapped in pristine white feathers, with a pair of snowy wings sprouting from her back, shimmering under the violet sky.

Her lower half revealed avian talons.

Though her face remained beautiful, her eyes now held the slitted pupils of a beast.

"Are you... really Jiang Rou?"

His voice trembled, rough with disbelief.

The Jiang Rou he remembered was gentle yet resilient—nothing like this half-human, half-bird creature.

At his words, a flicker of emotion passed through her eyes.

She stepped closer, her wings rustling softly with each movement.

"Bai Jun, it’s me."

Her voice was still gentle, but now carried an ethereal quality, as if echoing from afar.

Jiang Rou brushed a hand over her wings, her gaze distant. "After we parted in the Third Forbidden Zone, I survived... but this was the price."

The Third Forbidden Zone!

Bai Jun’s pupils constricted.

Now he understood why this place felt so familiar.

This was the same forbidden land they had once explored together.

He and Jiang Rou had grown up side by side, and he had secretly admired her.

Back then, he had planned to confess his feelings after their mission.

But then the demonic beasts ambushed them, and in the brutal battle that followed, Jiang Rou had fallen.

Or so he thought.

Yet here she was—alive.

A thousand questions burned in his mind, but Jiang Rou shook her head, a bitter smile on her lips.

"I know you have many questions."

"But... Bai Jun, the truth is too cruel. It will shatter everything you believe in."

Bai Jun’s expression twisted with urgency. He tried to stand again, but the oppressive force of this place pinned him down.

Helpless, he could only stare at her, his voice hoarse.

"Jiang Rou, tell me. I can handle it. Just tell me."

"Is this related to the Warrior Department’s [Anti-Demon Weapon] experiments?"

He already had his suspicions.

Jiang Rou’s survival and her current form...

It had to be connected to the human modifications.

After all, every [Anti-Demon Warrior] capable of wielding silver qi had undergone those experiments.

Seeing that Bai Jun had pieced together some of the truth over the years, Jiang Rou wasn’t surprised.

She sighed softly, her smile tinged with sorrow.

"You’re right. The Department implanted countless qi circuits in our bodies, all converging at the [Silver Core] in our brows."

"But... we were deceived. That so-called Silver Core? It’s actually an artificial demon core—repurposed from the remains of powerful demons and implanted into us."

"During the battle in the Forbidden Zone, I thought I would die. But unexpectedly, my core resonated with the land, triggering a mutation. The Silver Core fused with my body, transforming me into... this."

"Half-human, half-demon."

"Over the years, I’ve come to accept it. I live peacefully now... but I couldn’t resist watching over you from the shadows."

"Until recently, when the Night King nearly killed you... I had to intervene."

"Bai Jun, leave. This place is dangerous."

"The power of darkness has already invaded this Forbidden Zone. It’s a force..."

Jiang Rou’s face paled.

"...that even I find terrifying. As if it seeks to consume all living things."

No sooner had she spoken than—

BOOM!

A mass of pitch-black clouds rolled in from the distance.

Jiang Rou’s expression turned ashen. She grabbed Bai Jun, her wings flaring.

"No! That power has reached us!"

Before Bai Jun could react, she yanked him into another dimension.

What in the world is happening to the Forbidden Zone...?

......

BOOM!

The dark clouds blotted out the sky, their deafening roar shaking the heavens.

CRASH!

Countless black projectiles rained down from the clouds—

Not lightning.

But... they were pitch-black hands!!

The black hands plunged into the earth, forming eerie dark pillars that connected to the ominous clouds above.

Wherever these hands pierced the ground, the surrounding land, plants, and even living creatures withered and disintegrated in an instant.

What no one knew was this—

Above the clouds,

a figure loomed.

Clad in an ink-black robe, his face was shrouded by a sinister, obscuring force.

Tendrils of dark mist coiled around him, amplifying the unsettling aura he exuded.

"Three days have passed..."

"The Third Forbidden Zone is nearly fully infiltrated."

The robed figure was none other than Gu Yan!

Seated atop the clouds, he channeled countless hands—composed of claw cells and the power of night—that descended from the sky and pierced the earth below.

The energy of this forbidden zone was slowly being unraveled by him.

His eyes slowly opened, revealing faint, flickering black sigils at the center of his pupils.

Sensing the essence of this place, Gu Yan murmured to himself, "The power of life... So this is the nature of the Third Forbidden Zone. Its ruler, the 'Tree King,' grants endless rejuvenation to all living beings within its domain."

"Under its protection, any creature that dies here can be revived."

If he could absorb this forbidden zone's power and merge it with his existing abilities...

Then, even if he were killed—utterly annihilated—

as long as his soul remained intact, he could reconstruct his body!

The only variable would be the time required.

With this thought,

his gaze shifted toward a colossal tree that seemed to stretch into the heavens.

Just a little more... Once the erosion was complete, he would be able to devour the tree!

In the meantime, he might as well check on the state of the Ancient Martial World.

Closing his eyes, he willed his consciousness outward.

Somewhere in the Ancient Martial World—

Caw—!

Caw——!

A black raven soared across the sky.

Through its eyes, everything it witnessed flooded into Gu Yan's mind.

In essence, this raven had become his avatar.

A faint smirk curled his lips.

Hmph... A perfect way to pass the time.