[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-beyond-the-passage-of-time":3,"chapter-beyond-the-passage-of-time-beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-12":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Beyond the Passage of Time",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2344452,4583,"Chapter 12: The Taboos of the Forbidden Zone","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-12",12,"\u003Cp>Facing the provocation of the Blood Shadow, the murderous intent in Luan Ya’s eyes grew stronger as she looked toward the Lei team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lei team’s expression remained as usual, and he spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cross.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Cross did not say a word, directly picked up his bow, and in an instant, pulled it open to fire an arrow toward the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speed was so fast that it stirred up a sharp whistling sound; the arrow was like a bolt of lightning, piercing the eagle circling in the sky in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood bloomed in the firmament, and the eagle let out a shrill, miserable cry before falling, landing with a thud on the ground between the two teams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, one person in the Blood Shadow team shook violently, spat out a mouthful of blood, and his face turned pale in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was his eagle; unlike the dog raised by Luan Ya, this eagle was controlled by his own spiritual energy, and under the backlash, he had suffered heavy injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others in the Blood Shadow team were filled with murderous intent, but they were stopped by the Blood Shadow captain. He slowly stood up from the dog's corpse, not looking at Luan Ya, but staring at the Lei team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lei team also looked at him with cold eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two stared at each other for a long time, each letting out a cold snort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's go.\" The Lei team spoke in a low voice and walked forward, with Luan Ya and the others following behind, Xu Qing among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt the deep hostility between the two teams, so he turned his head to scan the people of the Blood Shadow team, seeing that they were waiting for Ma Si and Fatty Shan, but unfortunately, those two would never appear again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing remained silent, withdrew his gaze, and followed the Lei team and the others, gradually leaving the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forbidden zone seemed not far from the camp, but in reality, walking there still took some distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After their group walked for more than half an hour, they finally saw that pitch-black jungle from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking from the outside, this forbidden zone jungle was boundless, and it was unknown how far it stretched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was currently midday, and the sunlight was intense, but inside the forbidden zone jungle, it seemed to be a different world from the outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From afar, one could see that in the sky at the end of the jungle, storms seemed to be gathering, and streaks of visible lightning flashed within, giving the entire forbidden zone a sense of mystery and danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing looked at all of this and followed silently. No one in the Lei Ting team spoke on the way, but as they got closer to the forbidden zone, Xu Qing keenly noticed that everyone’s muscles began to tighten gradually, and he did the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until the feeling of stepping into a cold, gloomy world emerged over Xu Qing’s entire body, and as all the warmth on him was instantly cleared away, he entered the forbidden zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if everything he had seen in the normal world was cleared away along with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The familiar bone-chilling cold awakened his memories of the blood rain in the ruined city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he took a deep breath, his vigilance deep in his heart intensifying, and he instinctively gripped his iron skewer tightly, just as he had in the ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference was that the city had broken walls and ruins, while here...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trees were twisted like the shadows of ghosts, the mud was withered and rotten like the soil of the Yellow Springs, and the branches and leaves spread out like claws covering the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the people of the Lei Ting team were clearly very familiar with this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They carried their weapons, and the path they took was clearly one they walked often; every step had details. In some places that looked perfectly normal, they would jump over them, while in other places that looked dangerous, they would step right through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other areas, they would bypass them for no reason, and in this way, they avoided some dangerous locations along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing followed behind, paying close attention and remembering everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he also discovered some strange things; it was not the Lei team leading the way the entire time. Sometimes it was Man Gui, sometimes it was Luan Ya, taking turns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the group’s pace was not fast, it was considered safe along the way, aside from hearing the roars of some fierce beasts from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when there were some poisonous insects, they did not approach after Luan Ya lit a stick of incense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until they had walked for about an hour, they, who had not spoken a word the entire time, stopped beside a patch of mud and breathed a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing noticed Luan Ya take out some medicinal powder and sprinkle it into the mud. Soon, a group of poisonous insects crawled out, appearing aggressive, but her expression remained as usual. With a wave of her hand, she took out another kind of powder and scattered it; the insects became agitated and soon scattered, and the mud calmed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After doing this, everyone crouched down and skillfully scooped up the mud to smear over their bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you remember the details on the road?\" The Lei team asked while smearing his body, signaling Xu Qing to do the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing nodded and, without hesitation, scooped up the mud and began to smear it on himself. At the same time, his gaze swept over Luan Ya; he felt that she seemed to know something about poison arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The places we jumped over were because the leaves were severely withered but intact, which means no fierce beasts have walked there, so it represents the unknown.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The areas we stepped directly into were because there was beast excrement on the ground, and the biological instinct is to choose safe areas to excrete, so it means there are no excessive dangers or man-eating mud pits.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for the areas we bypassed, it is because of Man Gui’s nose. His nose is sensitive and can smell the scent of dangerous exotic beasts. You will learn many things on this journey; remember as much as you can.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Xu Qing looked at Man Gui, who also turned his head and bared his teeth in a smile at Xu Qing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for this mud, it is a place containing night lizard skin damage that our team discovered many years ago. Smearing it on our bodies not only masks our scent but also has a certain deterrent effect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahead is the direction we are going, and if you go north, that is the Poison Dragon Pool. Because of the different terrain, the forbidden zone jungle has been spontaneously divided into several areas by scavengers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Poison Dragon Pool is one of them, but we are not going there this time.\" While the Lei team spoke, he had already finished smearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing had already finished by now. As he stood up, Cross, who walked past him—though he had questioned Xu Qing’s following yesterday—spoke with a cold face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Keep an eye on your alienation points. The exotic matter in the forbidden zone is dense; you must be careful at all times. Once it exceeds the limit and alienation occurs, no one can save you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing nodded; he had already noticed this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could feel that the concentration of exotic matter in this forbidden zone was extremely high, but it was much weaker than at the peak of the city ruins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that he had accumulated quite a bit of exotic matter himself, so even if he wasn't cultivating right now, just by breathing, the alienation points on his arms began to ache faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he took out a white pill and placed it in his mouth, not swallowing it, but holding it to let it melt slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, everyone had finished smearing, and they looked at each other before continuing forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike the previous part of the journey, their speed was slower for the road ahead, and everyone had their weapons in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing scanned their weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Man Gui had a refined steel shield and a mace, the Lei team had gauntlets, Cross had a longbow, and Luan Ya had taken out a serrated dagger that shimmered with a cold light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days ago, when Xu Qing went out to keep an eye on Fatty Shan, he had also gained other things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because his hearing was sharp, he had overheard many conversations between scavengers and learned a lot of information he hadn't known before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, regarding weapons, he now knew they were divided into magic treasures, talisman treasures, and heavy treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, magic treasures belonged to legendary items and were quite rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was rumored that every magic treasure contained varying degrees of exotic matter pollution, which would increase with use and was extremely difficult to clear, so they were basically considered non-renewable resources. Coupled with their immense power, they were naturally exceptionally precious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, a special type of existence known as \"treasure keepers\" was born; they were often raised from childhood to use their bodies to dilute the exotic matter of magic treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lei team had mentioned this before as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides magic treasures, there were talisman treasures and heavy treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The former, talisman treasures, were also rare, but compared to magic treasures, they were still something one could hope for. As for the latter, heavy treasures, they were common.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were often crafted from special materials and were weapons that ordinary people could use as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing felt that his iron skewer might be a heavy treasure, and what these people held in their hands was clearly of this type.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed slowly, and Xu Qing followed the Lei Ting team, gradually going further and further into the forbidden zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They encountered some minor troubles along the way, but most were handled by Man Gui alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally, when they encountered stronger fierce beasts, Cross’s bow would fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Luan Ya’s actions, they were mainly based on techniques; she seemed capable of some kind of deterrence, causing the incoming fierce beasts to pause and become clumsy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, Xu Qing also acted once, grabbing a poisonous snake that shot at them from behind and crushing it directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dealing with these, and discovering that Xu Qing had been able to keep up from beginning to end without making any rookie mistakes, the look Cross gave Xu Qing had less scrutiny, and he even imparted some experience to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kid, this forbidden zone looks dangerous, but for those of us who have been struggling here, it is basically safe as long as we don't encounter three situations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You must remember these three situations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The first is strange exotic beasts from the depths of the forbidden zone coming to the outer areas. This situation is not very common, and the range we operate in is actually just the outer edge of the forbidden zone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But once you encounter them, it is extremely dangerous, because we only understand the habits and abilities of the outer beasts, while the forbidden zone is too large, and the beasts inside are diverse with all sorts of abilities. A single moment of carelessness means death.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The second is singing.\" Speaking of this, Cross’s face showed apprehension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is a saying circulating in this forbidden zone; it is said that singing will appear here, and those who hear the singing rarely survive. However, I have never heard the singing; the only one among us who has heard it is the Lei team.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing looked at the Lei team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lei team didn't speak, just looked up at the depths of the forbidden zone, a hint of complexity in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me talk about the third one,\" Luan Ya, who was to the side, smiled and glanced at Xu Qing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kid, the third danger here is very common, and that is the fog.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once the fog appears, it’s like being blinded; you are bound to get lost. Moreover, the fog usually lasts for a long time. Once you lose your way here and cannot get out in time, being trapped in the forbidden zone, your own exotic matter will naturally increase with the corrosion of the exotic matter, and this often represents the arrival of death.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But there are two ways to resolve it: one is fire, and the other is those who are born with or have cultivated powerful spiritual power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The former treats the symptoms but not the root cause. Although fire can disperse the fog in a small area and restore vision, the fog is eerie and fire is hard to sustain. As for the latter, one or two might appear in the camp every few decades, and these people usually leave quickly for better development.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is a fourth danger, and that is encountering an ambush with malicious intent from hostile parties,\" Man Gui, who was leading the way, said dully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luan Ya was just about to speak, but at that moment, the Lei team, who was looking into the distance of the forbidden zone, suddenly changed his expression and gave a low shout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Quiet!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Cross drew his bow, a ghostly light appeared in Luan Ya’s eyes, Man Gui’s body swelled, and the hair on Xu Qing’s body stood up instantly. A strong sense of threat suddenly came from the pitch-black jungle in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, streaks of ghostly light appeared in the darkness; they were pairs of eyes, cold and icy, staring at the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with the appearance of these eyes, giant wolves covered in black scales, the size of water buffaloes, slowly walked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking around, there were at least dozens of them, and in the distance, there seemed to be even more; there were likely no fewer than hundreds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And every wolf emitted a spiritual energy fluctuation that reached about the second level, causing Man Gui and the others to change color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Black-scaled wolf pack!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They usually only live at the boundary between the depths and the outer edge of the forbidden zone, not in this area. How could they have run here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cross’s pupils contracted, and Luan Ya’s face was also somewhat pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because they knew very well that although a single black-scaled wolf was nothing, such a number would be a severe test for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most important thing was that the exotic matter in the forbidden zone was dense. Once the spiritual energy in the body was consumed too much, one could only absorb external spiritual energy to replenish it. But in the midst of battle, there was inevitably no time to separate the exotic matter, and in that case, the exotic matter in the body would accumulate extremely quickly, and the risk of alienation would increase infinitely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qing’s breathing also became slightly rapid; the pressure from the wolf pack was immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You all retreat first, I will come to hold them off for a moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While everyone’s minds were shaken, Lei Ting spoke in a deep voice and slowly walked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of spiritual energy, at least twice as strong as that of a cross, erupted from his body as Lei Ting moved forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those wolves also paused their steps, one after another fixing their gaze upon Lei Ting.\u003C\u002Fp>",2610,"2026-06-21T00:45:15.441Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","54cf1938eaddfb79b0b8d0f7bd0880b8579673c1d1d3cb60d7805cb7c3ff41dd","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-13","beyond-the-passage-of-time-chapter-11",998,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbeyond-the-passage-of-time-cover.jpg"]