Chapter 25: The Enchanted Forest

"I will announce Yilian as the heir to the throne in the near future," the Emperor replied after a moment of contemplation.

As a ruler, his priority was national interest; as long as he secured Kunlun as an ally, other nations or factions would have to think twice before making any moves against the Chongming Kingdom.

With the matter settled, Qin Tian prepared to set off for the God-Hidden Forest. Upon hearing the news, Ming Yilian gifted him the finest carriage from the imperial palace to spare them the trouble of traveling on their own. The carriage was pulled by a demonic king beast and was exceptionally comfortable and grand, so Qin Tian accepted it. Naturally indolent, he was more than happy to be able to lie down while traveling.

However, they were intercepted by a group of people just as they left the palace gates. Leading them was the Second Prince, accompanied by a man clad in armor. Qin Tian and An Miaoling stepped out, casting cold glares at the prince.

The Second Prince pointed at Qin Tian and said, "Uncle, they are the ones who beat me, and he even claimed to be my great-grandfather!"

The armored man did not rush to attack, instead asking, "Who are you? Why have you laid hands on our prince? If you cannot provide a satisfactory explanation, I am afraid I cannot let you leave."

Before Qin Tian could respond, An Miaoling drew her sword. In an instant, the aura of her blade permeated the air. Sensing the power of her sword intent, the armored man was stunned.

"A little lesson is enough," Qin Tian said indifferently, turning to walk back into the carriage.

An Miaoling swung her Ice-Glass Sword with a flick of her wrist, and a flash of sword light swept across the scene.

*Swish!*

The armored man’s arm was severed instantly. Clutching his shoulder in agony, he finally realized who stood before him. In all his intelligence reports, only one person possessed such youth, beauty, and immense power: the recently renowned An Miaoling of the Eastern Continent, hailed as the strongest under the Saint Realm. Only someone of her caliber could leave a triple-cultivator of the Creation Realm like him completely helpless.

The Second Prince, terrified, quickly knelt and begged for mercy. An Miaoling cast a look of disdain at him before returning to the carriage. The carriage then continued its journey toward the God-Hidden Forest.

Inside the carriage, Qin Tian said, "I’m going to rest for a while, master." He lay down, resting his head on An Miaoling’s soft lap. The sensation was so pleasant that he couldn't help but shift around, rubbing his head against her. Breathing in the girl’s faint fragrance, he felt intoxicated.

An Miaoling, however, was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. A sheltered young maiden—and a former Empress—she found the intimacy of Qin Tian’s movements incredibly embarrassing.

"Master, please stop moving, or just move your head away," she finally murmured, unable to endure it any longer.

"How about I let you lie down, and you can move however you like?"

"Hmph! You wish!"

When night fell and the sky darkened, An Miaoling felt a wandering hand on her waist. Startled, she grabbed it, a surge of icy energy radiating from her. Sensing her anger, Qin Tian sat up immediately. After a while, when her frustration had subsided, Qin Tian spoke: "It’s actually quite nice to go out for a ride in a carriage like this occasionally. Don't just think about cultivation every day; it’s too boring."

An Miaoling hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. She longed for such a life, but she could not afford it. She lived in fear—fear that her enemies would track her down and kill both her and her master. Sometimes she even had nightmares of enemies finding her and watching her master die while trying to protect her.

Noticing her troubled expression, Qin Tian asked, "What's wrong?"

An Miaoling shook her head, indicating it was nothing. In truth, Qin Tian had noticed her moods were sometimes off—at times she was impatient with her training, seeking quick results, and at other times she seemed inexplicably anxious. Though these instances were rare, they were present.

Qin Tian took her delicate hand and said, "If something is bothering you, tell me. You must trust me; we will face it together."

An Miaoling thought for a long time before deciding to open her heart. She felt her master had a right to know, and if he chose to leave her after hearing the truth, she would accept it. After all, it was her own karma.

"I am a reincarnator," she began. "In my past life, I was the Heartless Empress." She watched Qin Tian’s expression carefully as she spoke. Sensing her gaze, Qin Tian quickly feigned surprise.

An Miaoling continued, "In my past life, I joined forces with the Great Emperor Kunyuan, Ancestor Wuxu, and Ancestor Xueyu—three experts at the third level of the Emperor Realm—to explore a restricted zone of life. After we reached the depths, they ambushed me, forcing me into a formation they had prepared in advance. They used the formation to refine me alive, solely to claim my Imperial Weapon." Her eyes were filled with hatred as she spoke.

Once she calmed down, she added, "In this life, I look exactly the same as I did in my past life. Even if I don't seek revenge, they will surely target me if they find me."

Qin Tian finally understood. He could feel the deep-seated hatred in her eyes. "This debt must be repaid. I will help you," he said, pulling her into his arms to give her a sense of security.

Moved, An Miaoling’s eyes welled up with tears. She felt lucky to have lived with Qin Tian for all these years. She rested her head against his chest, basking in the protection he provided. After a long while, she shyly pulled away.

Qin Tian asked, puzzled, "Is a low-grade Imperial Weapon really that important? Are they not even at the third level of the Emperor Realm?"

"Imperial Weapons are possessed only by the elite among Emperors," she explained. "Many large factions have multiple Emperors, but only one Imperial Weapon. They are rare because the Nine Provinces lack the materials to craft them. More importantly, we lack the artisans capable of forging them."

Qin Tian realized how fortunate he was to have his System. He mused, *If the System ever teaches me how to forge an Imperial Weapon, wouldn't I be rich?*

The next day, they arrived at the outskirts of the God-Hidden Forest. As it was a forbidden zone filled with danger, they could not continue by carriage. Qin Tian told the demonic king to find a place to hide while he and An Miaoling proceeded on foot.

Once inside, Qin Tian flew high into the sky to survey the terrain, but all he could see was an endless expanse of forest. The area was far too vast, making the search for the Holy Spirit Fruit a daunting task. With time running out, Qin Tian gave An Miaoling some instructions, and they split up to search.

Qin Tian, having reached the Saint Realm, remained in the air, while An Miaoling searched through the dense undergrowth. The God-Hidden Forest was a notorious forbidden zone in the Eastern Continent, and countless cultivators had entered over the years, with over ninety percent never returning.

An Miaoling made her way deep into the forest, encountering several attacks along the way from demonic beasts and sentient flora. If not for her powerful Ice-Glass Sword, even with her strength at the second level of the Creation Realm, it would have been difficult to survive.

After half a day of searching and several failed check-ins with Qin Tian, they had yet to find any trace of the Holy Spirit Fruit.