Yan Zhen felt like he’d been thoroughly topped.
To be precise, it was Yan Zhen in his child form who felt that way—topped by four wicked women, no less.
Sure, he didn’t mind the Evil Consort Master’s doting affection or Jiu Youyue’s playful teasing, but what was the deal with the Infant Spirit and the Faceless Woman?
One loli and one total perv—who could handle that?
That said, when he lay nestled in the Evil Consort Master’s arms, Yan Zhen transformed into a ferocious little wolf dog.
The Evil Consort Master relished it completely. She could clearly sense Yan Zhen’s infatuation with her, and the faint unease in her heart vanished like smoke in the wind.
Once everything had settled, Yan Zhen lay sideways in the Evil Consort Master’s embrace, playing the role of a perfect little baby.
Jiu Youyue watched from the side with a strange look in her eyes. She couldn’t help wondering if Little Zhen Zhen acted this way with Master Chen Xi and Master Jialan too.
On that note, though she’d been forced into it at first, she’d gotten hooked on the teasing midway through. She had no idea if Little Zhen Zhen would hold it against her later.
Feeling a twinge of guilt, theess secretly hoped Little Zhen Zhen would forget all about it once he was full and satisfied.
The next day, the Evil Consort Master shooed Jiu Youyue, the Infant Spirit, and the Faceless Woman away. After reverting to his original form, Yan Zhen stayed to keep her company for two more days, pampering her until she was beaming with joy. Only then did he return to the Jialan Holy Land.
By a stroke of luck, Cai Lian, Zi Ji, Long Ying, and Qing Ling had all emerged from seclusion. Yan Zhen chatted with them for a bit before heading to the Glazed Grotto-Heaven to pay his respects to the beautiful master.
“It looks like you’ve successfully cultivated Gangsha Unity, my dear Zhen,” Master Chen Xi said. “Your physical body has reached the Perfect Mortal Body stage. Next up is the Lightning Tribulation Body Bath. Remember, the lightning tribulation isn’t a death sentence—it’s infused with primal vitality. To truly pass it, you must seize that thread of life amid the ordeal. Brute-forcing it won’t cut it.”
Yan Zhen nodded to show he understood. The script from his previous life had mentioned it, and the Saint Lord Master had explained it too.
Master Chen Xi smiled faintly.
“Leave the body refining to Jialan. She’s far more skilled in that art than I am. Right now, Zhen, your divine soul is the only thing lagging behind your Mystic power and physique. Come learn the Technique Refining Art from me.”
Thanks to the Nirvana Fruit, Yan Zhen’s divine soul had already advanced to the Eighth-Tier True Middle Mystic stage. But it was still a long way from the Divine Soul Mystic Realm.
A True Realm divine soul reflected one’s own self, granting clarity of the inner world. A Mystic Realm divine soul peered into the laws of heaven and earth, unveiling the essence of all things. The True Middle Mystic stage bridged them—a gradual shift from within to without.
But it still wasn’t enough.
Just like body refining, advancing to the Divine Soul Mystic Realm required two more phases:
Comprehending the Mystic.
Transforming the Mystic.
…
In short, Yan Zhen got back to drawing talismans.
The Ancestral Symbol Scripture encompassed the Nine Great Talisman Patterns. So far, he’d outlined the patterns for fire, wind, water, lightning, earth, rain, and metal—seven in total. With his divine soul now at the eighth tier, True Middle Mystic, it was time for the eighth.
Yan Zhen chose the “Cloud Talisman,” symbolizing ethereality and freedom. It would make his divine soul techniques even more elusive and transcendent, allowing his divine soul incarnation greater liberty.
However, the Cloud Talisman was arguably the hardest of the nine to master. As he drew it, the thing literally leaped off the paper—physically—and Yan Zhen could only stare in stunned disbelief.
The script from his previous life had described it, but seeing it firsthand left him slack-jawed.
No surprise there—it embodied ethereality and freedom a bit too well.
Master Chen Xi chuckled softly.
“Just drawing it isn’t enough. You have to trap it to count as true success.”
Yan Zhen’s lips twitched, but drawing on his previous life’s experience, he quickly found the trick: he first drew a Wind Talisman, then outlined the Cloud Talisman inside it.
The moment it was complete, the Cloud Talisman tried to bolt. Yan Zhen immediately activated the Wind Talisman, merging the two.
—Wind and cloud, complementing each other perfectly.
Once captured, he integrated it into his sea of consciousness, turning it into a veil of clouds over his divine soul, shrouding it in haze.
Now, even a Divine Soul Mystic Realm expert would struggle to invade his sea of consciousness.
Only the final Wood Talisman stood between him and completion of the Ancestral Symbol Scripture.
The Wood Talisman required visualizing a heavenly spirit root. In his previous life, Yan Zhen had visualized the Mirrage Tree, gaining illusion arts. This time, he aimed for the Phoenix God Clan’s Phoenix Perch Blood Wutong—perhaps it would grant even greater power.
Like rebirth through fire.
That said, even after drawing all nine, he still needed to gather nine sources of primal power to unlock their true might.
Nine talismans aligned with nine sources, then fused into one: the Ancestral Symbol of heaven and earth—the Divine Authority of the Ancestral God!
—Eh, best not to get ahead of himself.
After finishing the Cloud Talisman, Yan Zhen began studying the Technique Refining Art under the beautiful master’s guidance. A full month later, he finally emerged.
By then, his physique, divine soul, and Mystic power had all stabilized, free of any instability.
With his Eighth-Grade Supreme Realm cultivation at All Eight Realms Extreme, Tongxuan Divine Soul, and Perfect Mortal Body, he could now contend with a Half-Saint powerhouse even without the Extreme Flame!
For the short term, Yan Zhen couldn’t push his personal cultivation any further. But there was something else he could upgrade: his Great Extreme Tyrant Sword!
The Great Extreme Tyrant Sword had already incorporated Yin Yang Light Dark, along with water and wind—six attributes in total. It still needed earth and fire to reach completion: Yellow Flame and Crimson Flame.
Crimson Flame only appears in areas rich in fire essence. In his previous life, Yan Zhen had encountered it while taking Yi Xian’er to the Thousand-Mile Evil Abyss in the Crimson Yang Continent to address her baleful body issue. As for Yellow Flame, it resembled a diluted version of the Rootless Earth Spirit Fire, both originating underground. He had obtained it from a hidden agent in the Demon Domain within the Yellow Turban Continent back then. If absolutely necessary, a sub-flame of the Rootless Earth Spirit Fire might serve as a substitute.
Yi Xian’er was now walking the Gangsha Unity path, so the Thousand-Li Evil Abyss was off the table. And the Demon Domain Hidden Agent in Yellow Turban Continent—a mere Mystic Lord Realm pawn—posed its own headaches.
Yan Zhen mulled it over and decided to put upgrading the Flame Sword on hold for now. Better to head to Evergreen Continent first.
It had been so long since they’d parted. He wondered how his master and disciple were faring—whether they’d secured the Sword Saint Inheritance and entered the Evergreen Holy Land.
They were reincarnators too, wise to the dangers ahead, but Yun Xiu’s straightforward nature left her vulnerable to the intricacies of sect politics.
As Yan Zhen pondered, a voice transmission came from the Saint Lord Master: elders from the Heavenly God Clan, Dragon God Clan, and Snake God Clan had arrived.
Yan Zhen jolted, then remembered their planned betrothal ceremony with Cai Lian, Zi Ji, and Long Ying. With no progress after so long, they must have come to check in.
—Oh crap.
Yan Zhen hurried to the side hall of Jialan Peak, where a banquet was still underway. His father-in-law Zi Tianjun, the Myriad Dragon King and Jade Dragon Consort, the Scarlet Python King and Flower Snake Elder had all shown up. Zi Xunyi, Cai Lian, Yan Yan, Long Ying, and Qing Ling were there hosting them.
Even Yan Zhen felt the pressure of the occasion, a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
“Greetings, Saint Lord Master… greetings to the three clan leaders.”
Jialan Fairy said warmly, “You’ve arrived, Yan’er. Sit by my side.”
Yan Zhen obediently took the seat next to the Saint Lord Master, pouring her wine with proper decorum—a picture-perfect disciple.
The Scarlet Python King narrowed her serpentine eyes at Yan Zhen, surprise in her voice. “It’s been less than three months, and Holy Son Yan Zhen has already advanced from the Seven-Star Mystic Venerable Realm to the Eighth-Grade Supreme Realm?”
The other god clan elders took note of Yan Zhen’s terrifying progress too, their brows furrowing. Even they found the speed abnormal.
Nirvana Fruit could accelerate Supreme Realm breakthroughs, but usually over years—not nearly completing the realm in three months. That was downright ridiculous.
Yan Zhen gave a bashful smile. “Just luck. Thanks to the guidance of my three masters.”
