The Snake God Maiden couldn’t figure it out. How had the Evil Consort become Lord Yan Zhen’s master? And why had the Evil Consort also been reborn? Wasn’t this a privilege reserved only for those closest to Lord Yan Zhen? Could it be that she…
This possibility shocked the Snake God Maiden even more. Seeing the calm expressions on Sister Cai Lian’s face, along with those of the Star Saint Lord and Jialan Senior, only made her more convinced of her guess.
So it wasn’t a case of abandoning the dark for the light—it was throwing herself right into his arms. But why had it turned into a master-disciple relationship? Wouldn’t being more direct have been better? Didn’t the Star Saint Lord and Jialan Senior mind?
Though her mind buzzed with questions, the Snake God Maiden didn’t dare ask any more.
The Snake God Clan experts standing behind her were also surprised to hear the words “Evil Consort.” After all, she was the only direct descendant of a divine spirit in the current era.
Looking at Chen Xi again, they found her somewhat familiar—like that fleeting female Flame Saint from back then, the heaven-defying genius proficient in every art of spellcraft and refinement.
As for the Jialan Fairy, there was no need to elaborate. As one of the Contemporary Seven Saints, her reputation thundered across even the Eighth Continent.
Three Mystic Saint experts, each boasting strength, fame, and beauty— all serving as masters to this one young man?
What incredible fortune!
One old granny among them, her hair tied into snake braids and clutching a snake staff, stepped forward and said, “Your Highness the God Maiden, why not introduce these esteemed guests? That way, we can get to know them too.”
Only then did the Snake God Maiden snap back to reality. She hurriedly introduced them one by one.
The three beautiful masters needed no introduction. She focused mainly on the other four.
The Evil Consort’s secondary body, Sister Jiu Youyue;
The Myriad Snake Queen of the City of Water, Sister Cai Lian, who was also a descendant of the Snake God;
And the first Emperor in the history of the Mystic Heaven Continent—the future Flame Emperor, Lord Yan Zhen!
Of course, there was also the Flame Princess.
“Lord Yan Zhen, this is the foremost of our Snake God Clan’s Eight Snake Saint Lords, the Flower Snake Saint Lord.”
Yan Zhen knew this well enough. He nodded and cupped his hands. “This junior Yan Zhen pays respects to the Flower Snake Saint Lord.”
“Just call me Flower Snake Granny.” The Flower Snake Saint Lord smiled. “Before you arrived, Qing’er kept telling us all about you—nothing but praise. Now that I’ve laid eyes on you, I see you’re as handsome and extraordinary as she said.”
Yan Zhen smiled. “Flower Snake Granny, you flatter me. It’s all thanks to my masters’ superb guidance.”
The three beautiful masters felt a swell of pride upon hearing this—especially Chen Xi. Her precious disciple usually meant “master” just for her. Jialan and the Evil Consort were called Saint Lord Master and Evil Consort Master, respectively. It wasn’t the same.
“For three Mystic Saints to jointly teach one disciple is truly astonishing. It speaks volumes about your potential, young friend,” Flower Snake Granny said leisurely. “But then, a disciple with the makings of an emperor? Even I wouldn’t be able to resist taking you under my wing.”
Yan Zhen wasn’t sure how to respond, so he just smiled and let it pass.
“Let’s head into the clan grounds first. Esteemed guests, this way please.”
The Snake God Maiden gestured as well. “Lord Yan Zhen, follow Qing’er.”
Flanked by escorts on both sides, the group passed grandly through the restraint seal at the main gate and formally entered the Snake God Clan’s territory. They flew straight to Spirit Snake Island before plunging into the “Snake Cave.”
It was called a snake cave, but it was actually a compressed space much like Dead Metropolis God Mountain—vast on the inside, with palaces of every style rising tall. Lighting fixtures dotted the cavern ceiling everywhere.
Once they reached the grand hall, everyone took their seats.
The Flower Snake Saint Lord spoke kindly. “The Clan Lord is in secluded cultivation and won’t emerge for a while. She instructed us to host you properly. I hope you won’t take offense.”
Yan Zhen glanced at the Snake God Maiden. Her eyes flickered with unease, her face troubled. He understood at once.
The Snake God Clan hadn’t fully bought into all this yet. They’d held something back. He’d need to do something to convince these sly snakes to commit fully and place their bets on him.
Cai Lian, Jiu Youyue, and the three beautiful masters had thought of the same thing. They weren’t surprised at all—that was just how the Snake God Clan operated.
Compared to the bold Dragon God Clan and the haughty Phoenix God Clan, the Snake God Clan was by far the most low-key. They always played it safe, making almost no bold moves.
This was largely because the clan had fallen into steep decline. Among the Eight Snake Saint Lords, four were mere Half-Saints, while the other four were Mystic Saints—and aside from the leading Flower Snake Saint Lord, a Five-Star Mystic Saint, the remaining three were only Two-Star Mystic Saints.
By contrast, the Dragon God Clan boasted “Five Dragons,” and the Phoenix God Clan had “Five Phoenixes”—all bona fide Mystic Saints with high star ratings, far outclassing the Snake God Clan’s “Eight Snakes.”
That was why they stayed so low-key, their actions even more cautious.
Compared to Yan Zhen’s nebulous, uncertain path to Emperor, they cared far more about whether Cai Lian truly possessed a Snake God Bloodline reaching 95% concentration.
As Cai Lian’s husband, Yan Zhen spoke up proactively. “Flower Snake Saint Lord, we’ve come this time for two major matters to discuss.”
The Flower Snake Saint Lord didn’t deem Yan Zhen’s status insufficient. She replied calmly, “Speak freely, young friend Yan Zhen.”
“The first matter is to let Cai Lian return to her ancestral roots. I trust her bloodline power won’t disappoint anyone in the Snake God Clan.”
The clan’s higher-ups grew breathless with excitement. They stared at Cai Lian like she was a priceless treasure—a 95% Snake God Bloodline, identical to their own Your Highness the God Maiden!
When the Snake God Maiden had awakened her 95% Snake God Bloodline back then, the whole clan had gone wild with joy. Now another one had appeared—heaven’s blessing indeed!
If these two could grow smoothly, the Snake God Clan would gain two new Mystic Saints in at most a decade. Give it another ten years, and advancing to high-star Mystic Saints would be a sure thing!
Flower Snake Granny could hardly contain herself. “Any member of our Snake God Clan naturally belongs here. Though the Bloodline Awakening Ritual is still some time away this year, we could advance it for Cai Lian’s sake. It’s not impossible.”
Yan Zhen felt a bit speechless inwardly. Note that two-faced attitude, you old hag.
In his previous life, Cai Lian had endured no small share of sneers upon her return. She’d slapped those scornful faces hard in the end, but it still rankled.
Snide remarks aimed at him? Fine—his mindset was somewhat laid-back, like a Buddhist. But insults toward those close to him? That made him angry.
“Very good, then.”
“…Let Yan’er join the awakening ritual as well,” Cai Lian suddenly interjected. “She has Snake God Bloodline too—it’s just hidden for now. Her bloodline concentration is no less than mine. If we don’t awaken it now, there won’t be another chance later.”
Because a certain someone’s domineering Flame Emperor bloodline was currently concealing it—but later, it would outright suppress it.
The Snake God Maiden nodded vigorously. “I almost forgot about Little Yan’er. What do you say, Flower Snake Granny?”
The Flower Snake Saint Lord’s aged eyes gleamed. Another 95%? And a complete novice who hadn’t even begun cultivating—that meant she could take on a disciple!
The thought flashed through her mind, but she quickly composed herself, her face once more the picture of kindly benevolence. “Of course, no objection here. The more prodigies our clan has, the better. Hehe.”
Yan Zhen continued, “Beyond that, there’s a second matter. I believe Qing’er has already told you: to confront the Demon Domain, we must unite the Nine Great God Clans and the Seven Great Sacred Lands. That way, we can minimize casualties to the greatest extent. Otherwise, should the great war erupt, some god clan or sacred land might face annihilation. I don’t think anyone wants to see that ending.”
