If you were asked to identify an item, would you choose to extract magical powers?

To be honest, before coming in, Shen Bai had imagined many scenarios, but he never expected that the scene before him would be so strange.

As the clan leader of the desolate forbidden land, he should have an extremely noble status, but at this moment, he was chained up, and in such a dark and gloomy place.

This surprised Shen Bai.

He wasn't in a high position, nor was he imposing; instead, he looked like a pitiful prisoner. What exactly happened?
Moreover, since Xian Yue led him here, this clan leader must be absolutely without fault.

After Shen Bai asked this question, the clan leader sighed and said...

"I am here voluntarily, because if I were to leave, I fear the entire desolate forbidden land would be disturbed."

At this point, the clan leader's tone carried a hint of helplessness.

"Young friend, you don't need to worry."

"Over the years, I have long since grown accustomed to it. Even without freedom, it is not a problem. It is only a pity that I cannot show proper hospitality when my young friend comes."

Shen Bai shook his head and said, "That's not necessary, but what did the clan leader mean when he said there was no way?"

The clan chief smiled slightly: "Young friend, what do you think is the most important thing in this desolate forbidden land?"

Shen Bai fell into deep thought, his brows furrowed tightly.

When asked what the most important thing in this desolate forbidden land was, Shen Bai thought of many things.

For example, the strength of the desolate forbidden land, and the cultivation techniques scattered all over the place.

However, after carefully going through it in his mind, Shen Bai already had the answer in his heart.

Shen Bai looked up and said, "It's the aura of desolation."

The most formidable element in this desolate forbidden land is undoubtedly the aura of desolation.

Upon entering the desolate forbidden land, he was immediately overwhelmed by its aura.

Even though Shen Bai is now able to overcome adversity and defeat experts at the peak of the realm, he still feels helpless when faced with the desolate aura.

Only when Crescent Moon offered her assistance was Shen Bai able to move freely in this desolate atmosphere.

Therefore, this desolate atmosphere can also be considered a barrier to keep outsiders away.

After Shen Bai spoke, the clan leader nodded and said.

“That’s right, young friend. This desolate aura is actually the most important component of the desolate forbidden land.”

"Without this desolate aura, let alone the entire world, we wouldn't be able to withstand even the forbidden land of death. But this desolate aura didn't come out of thin air."

"He was born from my old body."

At this point, the clan leader's eyes showed a hint of nostalgia.

"Actually, before the Ten Forbidden Zones appeared, I was also a practitioner in this field. The desolate aura that I cultivated was about the great terror between life and death."

"It's a bit mysterious, and since you're not in this line of work, I won't go into details. All you need to know is that only in this way can I transfer the continuous stream of desolate energy within my body to the Desolate Forbidden Land."

"This is to ensure the safety of the desolate forbidden land."

Shen Bai pondered for a moment and said, "The clan leader's actions this time are truly astonishing. Future generations will surely be extremely grateful to the clan leader when they learn of this."

His tone carried a hint of emotion.

These words truly came from Shen Bai's heart.

If it were him, he would never have been able to endure this endless loneliness, being locked in this place for countless years.

But the clan leader in front of us did it.

In order to stabilize the desolate forbidden land, he was locked up here like a prisoner and has persisted for so long.

The clan chief shook his head and said, "It is truly an honor for this old man to receive such praise from you, young friend."

"I've been locked up here for so long, so this can be considered a reward."

"However, I do have something important to discuss with you today."

Shen Bai asked, "What's the matter?"

He knew that since the clan chief had summoned him, there must be something important to discuss, so he remained extremely curious about it.

The clan chief sighed, then looked up and said, "I can't hold on much longer. The long-term transmission of the aura of the desolate forbidden land has made my body as rotten as wood. I don't know how many more years I can hold on."

"Now, the situation has become unimaginably dangerous. I think it's time to have a decisive battle with this world."

Shen Bai narrowed his eyes and said, "That's true."

Today, the whole world is already in the midst of war, and people are displaced and suffering greatly from the ravages of war.

If we don't end it soon, we'll probably be unable to withstand the onslaught from heaven and earth.

Even with the existence of the Ice and Snow Forbidden Land and the Destruction Forbidden Land, it's still not a safe bet.

If things were going to be more prudent, they wouldn't have been forced into this situation.

The clan chief nodded and said, "However, before we engage in a decisive battle with heaven and earth, there are a few preliminary matters that need to be taken care of. Currently, the ten forbidden lands all have their own matters to attend to, and this matter may require your assistance."

Shen Bai asked, "What is it, clan leader? Speak frankly. The Ten Forbidden Lands have paid so much to fight against the heavens and earth. If it is something I can do, I will certainly do it without hesitation."

If this world were to descend, his golden finger, which is the will of all living beings, would inevitably be obliterated by the world.

The consequences of obliteration are obvious.

I'm afraid Shen Bai won't survive either.

There are still many people in this world he cares about, and of course he won't let them die.

The clan chief slowly raised his head and said, "First, we must eliminate the Chaotic Organization and the Forbidden Land of Death. They are the parasites of the entire world. If we don't eliminate them, they will become the sharpest claws of the world when it attacks, causing us too much trouble."

Shen Bai pondered for a moment and said, "If it is these kinds of things, then it is related to me. I will leave the desolate forbidden area soon and go to the border to see how to fight against the chaotic organization."

Shen Bai naturally agreed to this, since his feud with the chaotic organization had deepened to the point of no return.

Now is the time to completely eradicate it.

The clan chief continued, "Secondly, it is a path between life and death."

"I once heard Xian Yue say that your friend has taken control of the most important hub in the Path of Life and Death. If you can get him to absorb the entire river, you will be able to completely connect the Ten Forbidden Zones."

"The ten forbidden areas will be integrated into one, becoming the most important means of fighting against this world."

Shen Bai stroked his chin and said, "Zhou Qing is currently merging with the river; it's just a matter of time."

This prerequisite is also easy to solve, even easier than the first one; all that's needed is to give Zhou Qing enough time.

The clan chief then mentioned a third matter: "The third matter concerns another friend of yours, young friend."

Another friend?
Shen Bai frowned slightly after hearing this.

He didn't have many friends in this world. If there was another friend besides Zhou Qing, Shen Bai thought of someone.

"The clan leader means Qin Shuang, right?"

If there was another friend, it could only be Qin Shuang. Qin Shuang was no longer in Xuanjing City, but had gone to the border with the Dean and others, where she served as a scholar.

When Shen Bai went to the border, he was in a hurry to see the commander-in-chief and did not meet Qin Shuang.

Now that the clan chief has suddenly mentioned another friend of his, the only person he can think of is Qin Shuang.

The clan chief nodded and said, "That's right, it's Qin Shuang."

Shen Bai frowned.

"Qin Shuang is a condition before the final battle begins. What is that condition?"

He was a little curious.

He knew that Qin Shuang had an unimaginable talent for studying, but that talent was actually related to a plan the Chaotic Organization had made.

The chaotic organization transformed some members of their organization into talents through special means, hiding them among people in later generations.

If it happens unnoticed by people in later generations, it will gradually replace that person and eventually become a hidden agent in the human world.

Now, the hidden seed in Qin Shuang's body has long been removed by the dean, and all her talents have been incorporated into her own.

Their strength has improved rapidly.

Shen Bai felt that Qin Shuang's secrets should have been mostly revealed long ago.

Now that the clan chief has brought up this matter, he feels there's more to the story than just this one secret.

The clan chief raised his head, a hint of helplessness flashing across his aged face.

"Young friend, have you ever heard of forbidden areas for scholars?"

A forbidden zone for intellectuals?

Shen Bai stroked his chin and shook his head, saying, "I've never heard of it."

There are many forbidden places in this world, and most of them are mysterious and unpredictable. Of course, he had not heard of them all.

The clan chief explained, "The Forbidden Land for Scholars is one of the Ten Forbidden Lands. It is a place that scholars dream of visiting. It is full of literary energy and piled with all kinds of classics by scholars."

"Legend has it that any scholar who enters this place will emerge as a peerless master."

"One of the Ten Forbidden Zones?"

Shen Bai was slightly surprised and said, "If it's one of the Ten Forbidden Zones, what does it have to do with Qin Shuang?"

The clan chief sighed and said, "Although the Forbidden Land of Scholars is one of the Ten Forbidden Lands, it is already in complete chaos, and there is practically no living creature left inside."

There are no living creatures?

Shen Bai narrowed his eyes and said, "Why did this happen?"

If the forbidden area for scholars, one of the ten taboos, is unusually dilapidated, Shen Bai feels there must be a reason for it.

Now the chieftain of the desolate forbidden land is standing right in front of me, and he's talking to me about this matter again. He'll definitely tell me the reason.

He asked the question casually and then waited patiently.

Sure enough, after a few breaths, the clan chief finally organized his thoughts and slowly began to speak.

"The forbidden land for scholars has been damaged by the forbidden land for death, making it the only one of the ten forbidden lands that is incomplete."

"I want to repair the Forbidden Land of Scholars among the Ten Forbidden Lands before the final battle, so that the subsequent final battle will be more secure."

"As for the method of repair, it is closely related to your friend."

After a moment's thought, Shen Bai asked, "Clan leader, please be frank. How exactly can the forbidden area for scholars be restored, and what role does Qin Shuang need to play?"

"If I can do it, I will certainly pass on your message."

He had just explained everything he needed to say to the clan chief and finally understood the three conditions the clan chief had mentioned.

He also figured out the principle behind the condition related to emotional intelligence.

This means that the clan leader wants to use Qin Shuang to completely repair the forbidden area for scholars, thereby increasing the strength to fight the final battle.

This is also a good thing for Shen Bai, but he needs to figure out exactly how to repair it.

If it would harm Qin Shuang, Shen Bai felt that perhaps they should follow Qin Shuang's opinion.

As expected, after Shen Bai said those words, the clan leader stopped rambling and got straight to the point.

"Qin Shuang possesses an unimaginable talent for scholarship; her talent comes from the forbidden realm of literature."

"After the chaotic organization destroyed the forbidden area for scholars, they stole the best talents from the forbidden area and forced one of them to become a scholar."

"You should be well aware of the fact that this person will eventually be used to possess another body."

Shen Bai thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "I understand a little."

He knew about the possession, but he didn't know that Qin Shuang's talent actually came from the forbidden area for scholars.

Actually, if you think about it carefully, it makes sense.

That terrifying talent for scholarship was astonishing, even to the Dean and the Prime Minister.

If this terrifying talent for scholarship comes from the forbidden zone for scholars, one of the ten forbidden zones, then everything becomes clear.

Considering the actions of the Forbidden Land of Death, this explanation is indeed flawless.

After seeing Shen Bai nod, the clan chief continued, "There is only one way to save the Forbidden Land of Scholars: Qin Shuang must lead the world's top scholars into the Forbidden Land of Scholars to thoroughly comprehend its highest secret technique, the Scholar's Manual."

"If one can comprehend it, the forbidden area for scholars will surely be restored to its former state, and scholars may even be allowed to enter it to gain powerful strength, thereby increasing their resources to fight the final battle."

Shen Bai pondered for a moment and asked, "Is there any danger in doing this?"

He has figured out how to resolve the situation.

But the most important thing is how to solve the problem in a way that minimizes the danger.

The clan chief shook his head and said, "Young friend, to be honest, there is indeed danger."

"That place is already in ruins. If they cannot decipher the unparalleled classic of scholars, the 'Literati Chapter,' they will remain trapped in it forever, and even if this world is completely invaded, they will not be able to wake up."

"Completely addicted to it?"

Shen Bai fell into deep thought.

The clan chief remained silent, knowing that Shen Bai was deep in thought, and did not disturb him.

After a long while, Shen Bai finally raised his head and spoke.

"Clan leader, we need to discuss this matter with Qin Shuang. Whether or not to do it is entirely up to her."

“Of course it should be so,” the clan chief nodded.

"Young friend, since we've come this far, let me see you off now."

(End of this chapter)