> "I just wanted to loosen some soil—who the hell hid a ruin entrance underground?!"
— Lin Zhou, Ranked #1 Accidental Activator of the Empire's Ten Forbidden Zones
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[1] Morning Mishap
Morning light pierced through the mist, spilling into the backyard of Bi Qing Herb Shop.
Yawning, Lin Zhou walked in, chewing on half a red bean cake Xiao Li had secretly given him last night.
He wore the coarse work uniform issued by the shop, the fraying "Bi Qing" logo barely hanging on his sleeve—looking every bit the ordinary laborer.
And he was perfectly happy with that.
> No one bowed to him.
No one slipped spirit pills into his pockets.
No one called him "Your Excellency" every three seconds.
Perfect.
"Bro!" Xiao Li ran over, grinning. "Today's work is easy—just loosen up that patch of soil in the corner."
"I'm good at that." Lin Zhou rolled up his sleeves and took the hoe.
"This one right here." Xiao Li pointed at a small patch of fresh soil. "It came in yesterday, smells a bit odd—probably has old alchemy waste buried in it."
Lin Zhou nodded, took a deep breath, and swung the hoe down—
CLANG!
A metallic ring echoed from the dirt.
"…Huh?" Lin Zhou raised a brow. "There's metal in the soil?"
He pushed the dirt aside, revealing a bronze-patinated slab carved with intricate patterns. In the ring of symbols at the center, only one character stood out—
> "Seal"
Xiao Li's voice cracked. "Bro… did you just dig up something really bad?"
Lin Zhou looked utterly innocent. "I was just loosening the soil."
---
[2] Herb Shop · Emergency Lockdown
The shopkeeper's face went pale and he called the authorities on the spot.
Within minutes, patrol squads surrounded the entire street and raised a spiritual barrier.
> "This is Forbidden Seal Site No. 7—inside the capital?!"
"Lin Zhou? Wait—that Lin Zhou?!"
"Everyone back thirty zhang! Hurry! Don't go near that soil!"
The enforcement cultivators saw Lin Zhou squatting on the slab, eating his red bean cake, and their faces turned alternating shades of pale and green.
---
[3] Monitoring Hall · Alert Escalation
The observation mirror shook violently, energy fluctuations spiking out of control.
"Report! Lin Zhou has made direct contact with the sealed ruin!"
"Fluctuation index at 3.9! Triggering quasi-catastrophe-level alert!"
Someone turned sharply. "Do we call for Lady Li?!"
---
[4] Nine Heavens · Star Array
Li Xinglan slowly opened her eyes, a cold gleam flashing between her brows.
"…So he moved after all."
She raised her hand, summoning a star-forged spear, and took one step forward—
Space shattered like falling snowflakes.
> She descended—into the capital.
---
[5] Sealing Site
Lin Zhou was still studying the carvings on the slab.
"'Seal'? Is that referring to the red bean cake or the soil?"
The enforcement cultivators stood frozen, unsure whether to tell him to get up or run first.
A flash of white light landed.
"Star Judgment Officer—Lady Li has arrived!"
Li Xinglan, clad in silver-white battle robes, spear in hand, said coldly:
"You've touched a forbidden seal."
Lin Zhou stood, dusting off his pants. "I was just loosening the soil—"
"You triggered the leyline glyphs."
"That's because you buried it too shallow…"
"You're disrupting the capital's spiritual energy field."
"I didn't do anything!"
Li Xinglan's gaze was icy.
"Then explain why this slab is reacting to you."
The inspectors lifted the slab. The central glyph was faintly glowing—on the verge of awakening.
Lin Zhou said seriously, "I have no idea, I just sat on it to eat a cake."
---
[6] Xiao Li · Full Aggro
"Are you people crazy?!" Xiao Li exploded. "My bro sits on a rock and you all freak out like this? If you knew he slept on meteorite iron last night—would you blow up the Empire?!"
Li Xinglan narrowed her eyes.
The inspectors sucked in a sharp breath. "He slept on meteorite iron?!"
Xiao Li added, "I even used it as a cooking lid—what's the big deal?!"
Lin Zhou tugged on his sleeve. "Stop talking, bro. Their faces are twitching."
For the first time, Li Xinglan's gaze showed hesitation. She had never met someone she couldn't see through—until now.
---
[7] Observation Mirror · Second Alert
"Three leyline sectors in the capital resonating simultaneously—all pointing to Lin Zhou's ruin site!"
"The ancient ruin is activating on its own!"
"Should we use force suppression?!"
Li Xinglan spoke in a low voice: "And if… we can't suppress it?"
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[8] Ruin's Light Awakens
The slab suddenly shot out a blue beam of light, enveloping Lin Zhou.
He was lifted into the air, shouting, "I'm not trying to cultivate! Put me down!!"
Li Xinglan gritted her teeth. "Activate Absolute Law Protocol! Seal it completely!"
However—the light abruptly vanished.
Lin Zhou landed steadily.
The ruin fell silent.
"I told you I wouldn't activate it."
Everyone was speechless.
Li Xinglan sheathed her spear, the corner of her mouth twitching.
For the first time in her life—she wanted to curse.
---
[9] Underground Abyss
Beneath the capital, in the deepest forgotten depths,
an ancient existence slowly opened its eyes.
Sensing a familiar aura, it smiled faintly:
> "…You've finally returned."