【Special Trump Cards are for the host to decide.】
—Then why give me this one?
【This is the result of the system’s extensive calculations.】
—I bet you just wanted something naughty.
【Ding! Friendly reminder: The system doesn’t do naughty. Please don’t have strange ideas about the system, host.】
“…”
【Does the host have any other questions?】
—Nope. Scram.
【Goodbye, host. Mwah~】
“…”
This System-chan was getting thicker-skinned by the day. Utterly unbearable.
Yan Zhen pursed his lips.
With the Water Symbol done, next came forging the sword embryo—shaping his spiritual power into a small hammer to forge the Gold-Silver Fire.
But he wasn’t hammering the flames themselves, only the fire seed at its core, to mold its form.
In the future, summoning the Gold-Silver Fire would directly call forth the Flame Sword, with the flames merely incidental.
“Zhen’er, when forging the sword embryo, you must infuse it with the power of the Water, Fire, and Wind Symbols—Fire as the core, Wind as support, and Water to stabilize the form.”
“Oh, got it.”
“Forging the Gold-Silver Fire is a long process. Don’t rush it—take your time. Along the way, your spiritual power and talisman mastery will grow, making it excellent training. It will also help suppress the side effects of the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Flame.”
“I understand, Master.”
Chen Xi flipped her jade-like hand, summoning a small, brilliantly colorful blue cauldron into her palm. She smiled.
“This is the natal weapon I forged from Gold-Silver Fire: the Star Palace Cauldron. It’s inscribed with the power of the twelve star palaces—quite formidable whether for combat or pill refining.”
Yan Zhen examined it curiously from every angle. His first impression was opulence, like a slice of glittering starry sky had been cut out and embedded on its surface. His second was power! The cauldron faintly emanated a heart-palpitating pressure; staring at it too long brought a scorching sensation, as if one were immersed in a sea of fire.
He remembered the story mentioning that his beautiful master had used this Star Palace Cauldron to refine a Mystic Venerable alive!
“…Forging this Star Palace Cauldron took your master nearly ten years. If I advance to the Saint Realm, it could evolve into a saintly artifact—Zhen’er, have you noticed anything particular?”
“Particular? You mean the star palace patterns on it? They don’t look carved.”
“Exactly. They form naturally during forging. The better the patterns, the higher the quality. Their formation depends on your materials and techniques—that’s ‘Artifact Forging’ in the Technique Refining Path.”
Yan Zhen nodded thoughtfully.
Chen Xi smiled faintly.
“That’s all for now. Your master will demonstrate once, so watch closely, Zhen’er.”
For the next few days, Yan Zhen forged the Gold-Silver Fire in the Fire Refining Starry Sky, shaping the sword embryo.
When tired, he would pause, sit in meditation, and accelerate his spiritual power recovery.
His beautiful master was quite strict during guidance, sparing no detail—very different from her usual gentle demeanor.
Five days later, the sword embryo finally took shape. Though still rough, the power it exuded far surpassed what Condense Fire into Sword could achieve.
Yan Zhen swung it experimentally a few times and found it perfectly attuned, like a natural extension of his body.
The advantage of a “natal weapon” was precisely this—no need for adaptation; it synced at one hundred percent from the start.
Yan Zhen was thrilled. This was his first true weapon, one he would use all the way to the end.
He wanted to refine it further, but concern for the outside world nagged at him, so he left the Fire Refining Starry Sky.
Sure enough, things had gone south.
In those five days, the Western Fortress and Northern Fortress had fallen one after another. The Sand Scorpion Army had assembled and was marching from all directions toward the City of Water. At the latest, they would besiege the city in three days.
This outcome matched their predictions perfectly. One could say the Myriad Snake Queen’s Line-Releasing Plan was proceeding very smoothly. Yet those below could no longer sit still.
It was not just the Eight Serpent Generals and the various nobles and ministers. Even the soldiers and civilians who had been relocated began voicing complaints.
Why not fight? Why hand over territory to the enemy? Where had the Sovereign Lady’s iron-blooded dominance gone? Now they were being bullied right at their doorstep, yet there was still no counterattack?
Finally, someone could no longer hold back and ventured into the depths of the Divine Hall…
This matter inevitably alarmed the Three Serpent God Priests.
In the City of Water, royal authority and divine authority complemented each other. In terms of status, the Sovereign Lady reigned supreme, known as the “Daughter of the Serpent God.” But in terms of seniority, no one surpassed the Three Serpent God Priests—not even the Sovereign Lady dared to slight them.
When Yan Zhen arrived at the main hall, he happened to see the Myriad Snake Queen locked in confrontation with the three old crones.
In the script, his first encounter with them came later during the marriage proposal. This was much earlier, though their appearances remained unchanged, still radiating that air of pulling rank with their age.
Evidently, the Myriad Snake Queen had already confessed her plan, yet she still faced fierce opposition from her subordinates.
Sending her alone into the sand scorpions’ lair, borrowing the power of the Great Crimson Heaven Flame to achieve Bloodline Evolution—it sounded simple enough. But the risks were enormous.
First, the Great Crimson Heaven Flame clashed violently with the yin-cold constitutions of snake descendants. Using its power to complete a bloodline evolution carried an abysmally low success rate. One misstep, and she would die.
Second, if the Red Sand Scorpion Lord sensed something amiss and led his main force back in time, the Myriad Snake Queen would be dead without a doubt.
They even suspected this was the Myriad Snake Queen deliberately sacrificing herself to preserve the City of Water.
The Myriad Snake Queen spoke coldly.
“This Queen has said it: this is the only way to save the City of Water. Dead-end defense through brute force is utterly useless!”
“Then we cannot let the Sovereign venture into such danger.” The High Priestess at the forefront shot back. “Even if the City of Water falls, you must not die. Don’t you understand that, She Ji? Anyone can take risks—anyone but you!”
A being like her, whose Snake God Bloodline had nearly reverted to its ancestral state and who could truly be called the “Daughter of the Serpent God,” was exceedingly rare.
If the Myriad Snake Queen died before producing heirs, the City of Water might survive for a time—but it would soon decline.
The Snake God Bloodline was the key to sustaining this oasis.
Once it was lost, the oasis would likely be swallowed by the yellow sands, and the City of Water would cease to exist.
The Myriad Snake Queen naturally understood her own importance, which was why she had been so reluctant to reveal it. She had never imagined that pack of traitors would summon these three old bats. Outrageous!
She shot a fierce glare at the Eight Serpent Generals kneeling silently to the side. Spotting Ye Mei among them only fueled her rage further.
—Yun Xiu was still here. What a disgrace to this Queen!
“This Queen guarantees it: I will successfully evolve my bloodline and return to crush the Red Sand Scorpion Lord. You need only hold the City of Water for ten days. There is no better plan!”
“Guarantee it with what? Your life? Hmph!”
“—I’ll guarantee it for her.”
Yan Zhen flashed into the hall in a series of blurs, trailing paths of Starlight that dazzled the eye with their brilliant hues.
