Becoming the Demon Lord: Taming the Demon Queen Begins

Sky Sanctuary

There wasn't much Timothy needed to prepare for the trip to the Forbidden Lands.

He casually packed a few magical items and, with a smile, walked over to Sylvia. "Honey, while I'm gone, are you going to miss me all day long?"

"Miss you? Yeah, right!"

Sylvia snorted, pretending to be aloof. "Honestly, I can't wait for you to leave. Besides, the Forbidden Lands aren't that far away, and the treasure hunt shouldn't take too long. A few days at most…"

"Wow, didn't expect to be so unwanted."

Timothy shook his head dramatically, pretending to be hurt. "Fine, I'll just go then."

With a long sigh, he made a show of turning to leave.

But after just two steps, he felt a gentle tug on his wrist.

"Wait."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Sylvia's voice was soft, almost reluctant.

When Timothy looked back at her, she quickly averted her gaze, letting out a small huff. "Hmph, even though I don't think there's any real danger this time, you still need to be careful."

"And… here."

She handed him a small wooden box.

Timothy wasn't sure what was inside, but he could tell Sylvia was struggling to get the words out.

"Just… take it on the road. It'll help, you know, with your health."

It was clear she was embarrassed to say more.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Sylvia turned away quickly, her long hair flowing behind her. She tried to maintain her cold, distant demeanor, but in reality, she couldn't bear to look at Timothy any longer.

After all, giving him something like that was just too mortifying!

"What could it be?"

Timothy couldn't help but feel curious. What could possibly make Sylvia so flustered?

The moment he opened the box, it all came rushing back to him.

Inside was a single pill—the very same Dragon's Roar Virility Pill that Sylvia had confiscated from him a while ago.

Wow, I didn't realize my wife cared so much about my health. Find your next read at empire

Timothy couldn't help but smile to himself.

He appreciated the gesture, but…

He sighed deeply.

Sylvia probably didn't realize that, given her strength, one Dragon's Roar Virility Pill wasn't nearly enough to restore what he'd lost.

Glancing back at Sylvia, who was pretending not to look at him, her eyes darting nervously, Timothy finally took off, leaving Sky Sanctuary behind.

This trip to the Forbidden Lands wasn't just about the potential treasure related to the Sepulcher of the Sacred. It was also a chance to see if there was a Beast Monarch at the level of Ocean's Gate lurking within.

If there was…

Timothy cracked his knuckles, a dangerous smile spreading across his face.

Riding Azura through the skies, he could feel the difference in her power now that she had reached the Ocean's Gate level. She was far stronger than before.

Soaring through the air, Timothy marveled at how light and powerful his body felt. Azura, too, seemed thrilled with her newfound strength, flying faster than ever.

Thousands of miles of mountains and rivers passed by in the blink of an eye.

But this time, Timothy didn't take Azura directly into the Forbidden Lands.

The Desolate Wastes were hidden away, and if he wanted to sneak in and grab the treasure, he couldn't afford to draw too much attention.

So, to keep things low-key, Timothy tied Azura to a tree in a distant forest with a rope.

"I'm a dragon, not some cat or dog!" Azura's heartfelt cry echoed through the forest.

But her voice faded into the trees, and Timothy was already long gone.

After all, if she accidentally flew around and caused a scene, the Forbidden Lands would be thrown into complete chaos. So, tying her up with the Binding Immortal Rope seemed like the safest option.

...

Inside the Desolate Wastes

"Something feels off. Do you guys feel it too?"

"Yeah, I've noticed it. The atmosphere in the Forbidden Lands has been getting weirder these past few days. It's like something's lurking deep inside…"

"It's not just the deeper parts. I've been hearing strange beastly roars lately, too."

A group of middle-aged practitioners, who had teamed up for the journey, exchanged uneasy glances. Fear and hesitation were written all over their faces.

After thousands of years of exploration, most of the treasures in the Desolate Wastes had already been dug up. And since there weren't any particularly dangerous beasts left, this relatively weak Forbidden Land had become open to the public.

For a long time, only practitioners with limited strength—those too weak to venture into more dangerous secret realms—would come here to challenge the "easy mode."

It was a place where they could gain a bit of experience, maybe hunt some low-level desert beasts, and pick up a few low-tier magical items and materials.

They had been here several times and were familiar with the terrain, knowing there wasn't much danger.

But this time, things felt different.

Even though they hadn't ventured deep into the Forbidden Lands, the occasional beastly roars and the strange, oppressive atmosphere were enough to make their hearts race with fear.

"Why are you guys so scared?"

At that moment, a figure approached from the distance—it was Timothy, who had just arrived.

"Huh?"

The lead practitioner blinked in surprise, but quickly shook his head. It had been a long time since he'd seen someone so strikingly handsome. For a brief moment, he almost thought this newcomer was the legendary Timothy from Sky Sanctuary, known for his terrifying strength and talent.

But after a second thought, he dismissed the idea. This was the "easy mode" Forbidden Land, a place even the lowest-ranking disciples wouldn't bother with. There was no way someone like that would show up here.

After a moment of silence, the middle-aged practitioner sighed, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "Kid, don't make fun of us. It's not our fault we're weak."

"All of us here… we're just low-level practitioners with limited strength. We want to improve our cultivation and find some treasures, but most secret realms are way beyond our abilities."

"This Desolate Wastes is the only place, even though it's low-tier, where we can at least pick up some scraps."

"But today, we've been hearing beastly roars and feeling this oppressive energy. Even though we're weak, we've got a few strong talismans on hand. If it's just some ordinary beasts, we might be able to handle it. But if something's changed in the Forbidden Lands and a Beast Monarch shows up…"

He sighed deeply.

"If that happens, even with all our preparations, we'll probably end up dead here."

As he spoke, the middle-aged practitioner's face was filled with resignation.

For those at the bottom of the cultivation world, this constant fear of death was a heavy burden to bear.

And if a Beast Monarch really did appear, it wouldn't just be them. Even stronger practitioners from other sects would be scrambling to escape, with no guarantee they'd make it out alive.

A Beast Monarch in the Forbidden Lands was a terrifying prospect for anyone.

"Wait, did you say there might be a Beast Monarch here?"

But as soon as the man finished speaking, he noticed something strange about the young man in front of him. Instead of fear, Timothy seemed… excited. His eyes were practically glowing with anticipation, and his whole demeanor was brimming with energy.

'Is he… scared out of his mind?'

The middle-aged practitioner was stunned, unsure of what to make of Timothy's reaction.