The armor dissipated, and Yan Zhen’s aura dropped back to the Seven-Star Mystic Venerable stage. The Extreme Emperor Sword pinning down the Star God Clan’s old clan leader vanished along with it.
However, the old clan leader had long since been run through by that tyrannical sword qi and scorching heat, his five viscera and six bowels along with his Eight Extraordinary Meridians all shattered. He teetered on the brink of death.
He glared at Yan Zhen and Chen Xi with unyielding resentment, unable to fathom how a mere Seven-Star Mystic Venerable could command the Heaven’s Mandate Power—and grow so terrifyingly strong.
“You’ve won, but don’t dream of laying hands on the Star God Authority. That’s not something the likes of you can touch!”
Chen Xi remained unmoved. “The Star God Clan having a clan leader like you is truly a colossal misfortune,” she said coolly.
The old clan leader scoffed disdainfully. “This old man’s contributions to the Star God Clan could fill a whole book. What right do you—a traitorous spawn of the clan—have to judge my merits and deeds?”
“You crave power more than the Star God Clan itself,” Chen Xi said bluntly. “Whether in the past or the present, every policy and directive you’ve pushed has served only to preserve your rule, even if it meant the clan’s decline.”
The favoritism shown to high-grade bloodlines and the shackles placed on low-grade ones had been designed to prevent the rise of any Heaven’s Proud Son who could challenge from below during the clan’s fragile recovery—like Chen Xi herself.
As a result, the Star God Clan’s revival lagged far behind the other god clans. Were it not for their renown as masters of Technique Refining, with other god clans occasionally begging for their pills and artifacts, the rest would have long since come to kick them while they were down.
“Spare me your demonic delusions,” the old clan leader shot back stubbornly. “Everything this old man has done was for the Star God Clan!”
Chen Xi pressed on. “Even without us showing up, in another decade or century, the Star God Clan would have erupted into civil war—the main lineage pitted against branch families and outer kin, tearing one another apart. The proof stands right there: the Fifth Star Lord and the Fifth Faction he’s rallied. Surely you’ve sensed it brewing, old clan leader?”
The old clan leader’s face went rigid. “How do you know about this?”
Chen Xi’s expression stayed cold. “I know everything—including how to operate the Star God Artifact and where the Star God Authority lies hidden. Rest easy on your way out, old clan leader. The Star God Clan will be better off without you.”
Those words struck like a dagger to the heart. The old clan leader’s breathing grew ragged, and he exploded into curses. “No matter my faults, it’s not for the likes of you—a traitorous wretch—to pass judgment! Dare to touch the Star God Authority, and when the Star Gods revive, they will never forgive you!”
Chen Xi flipped her jade hand over, igniting a blaze of Starlight Glazed Fire in her palm. “The Star Gods passed long ago, waiting for you beneath the nine springs. Tread carefully—they won’t forgive the one who reduced their clan to this sorry state.”
Rage consumed the old clan leader. He opened his mouth for more venom, but Chen Xi flung the Starlight Glazed Fire onto him.
Whoosh.
The gorgeous multicolored flames swallowed him whole, reducing him to ash in a heartbeat. The remnants scattered on the wind.
Once a Nine Star Great Saint, now a Seven-Star Mystic Saint who had led the Star God Clan twice over, he perished without even a full corpse—utterly scattered to the winds.
A chill settled over the Star God Clan members.
With the clan leader dead, the Four Holy Star Lords and their Seven Mansions Star Officials sealed away, who could they turn to now?
Chen Xi spoke again. “Come out, Fifth Star Lord. I know you’re here.”
The Fifth Star Lord was the Star God Clan’s hidden ace, blending into the shadows on ordinary days, unknown to most of the clan. Yet his strength surpassed even the Four Holy Star Lords, second only to the old clan leader.
Knowing the jig was up, he stepped forward from the crowd. His aura surged from Supreme rank to the One-Star Mystic Saint Realm, shocking those who knew him.
In truth, he was still holding back—his real power lay at the Four-Star Mystic Saint Realm. He was a crafty one, through and through.
“You even know about me and the Fifth Faction,” he said. “That’s unexpected.”
Chen Xi offered no explanation. Instead, she laid out her orders. “You’ll serve as acting clan leader of the Star God Clan from here on. Sweep away the rot and restore its former glory. The Star God Artifact stays with you, but the Star God Authority is beyond your reach for now—I’ll hold onto it temporarily.”
The Fifth Star Lord froze. He hadn’t expected this. With her bold “return,” he’d assumed Chen Xi aimed to seize control herself. Instead, she was handing him the reins as proxy.
“Why?”
“I harbor no deep ties to the Star God Clan anymore,” Chen Xi replied evenly. “Its fate—for good or ill—rests in your hands. The Dragon Phoenix Snake alliance and the Heavenly God Clan have united against the Demon Domain. The Star God Clan must join them to survive.”
The revelation stunned the Fifth Star Lord, but Chen Xi gave no further details, leaving him to dig them up himself.
Come to think of it, the Star God Clan’s intelligence network had fallen woefully behind in recent years. They’d been the very last to learn when Chen Xi rose to fame as the Flame Saint.
“And them?” The Fifth Star Lord glanced at the Four Holy Star Lords and the Twenty-Eight Mansions Star Officials.
Chen Xi’s face remained impassive. “Strip their titles and start them from nothing. Soon, I’ll implant Slave Seals in them. Let them atone in the war against the Demon Domain. Any further disloyalty, and I’ll refine them into puppets.”
The Fifth Star Lord nodded in agreement. These pampered “nobles” had lounged in luxury long enough. Time they contributed something real—and tasted the struggles of the clan’s lowly ranks.
“Clean up here,” Chen Xi said. Then she led Yan Zhen, the Evil Consort, and the Jialan Fairy back to her old family home.
A plain little hut tucked in a remote corner of the Main Clan Star. Years had worn it dilapidated.
The sparse furnishings inside lay in chaotic ruin, unmistakably vandalized.
No need to guess—the work of Star Slave.
Yan Zhen seethed with anger, vowing silently not to let that wretched woman off easy.
“It’s fine, Zhen’er,” Chen Xi soothed, ruffling her precious disciple’s hair. With a flick of her wide sleeve, she cleared the wreckage, then pulled a fresh set of table, chairs, bed, and cabinets from her storage ring to replace them.
“Even two lifetimes in, I can’t recreate how it once was,” she murmured. “Not that there’s much to miss.”
Orphaned young, she’d toiled in silence, dreaming of her breakthrough moment. But no matter her brilliance, the nobles had dismissed her.
Expectations shattered into disappointments, time and again, until hope died entirely. Only then did Chen Xi abandon the festering clan to carve her path alone.
The present felt far more precious than the past ever had.
Night had deepened.
The four gathered around the square table. Chen Xi brewed tea and poured a cup for each, savoring the quiet peace in the battle’s wake.
“Evil Consort, Jialan—you two stay here. Zhen’er and I are off to fetch the Star God Authority.”
The Evil Consort shot Chen Xi a sidelong glance but held her tongue.
The Jialan Fairy inclined her head. “Go on. We’ll wait here. Be cautious—traces of Star God will linger in the Star God Authority.”
Chen Xi knew as much. Taking her precious disciple’s hand, she slipped into a space portal and vanished.
The Evil Consort gave a soft huff. “Something’s up, plain as day. Yan’er fought like a demon for her—she must be over the moon.”
The Jialan Fairy’s lips quirked. “Jealous, Evil Consort?”
The Evil Consort shot her a glare—as if to say, “If you can’t keep quiet, then don’t speak”—and ignored her.
