Yan Zhen was quite familiar with this Sea Dragon Pearl.
In the script from his previous life, he had used the Rootless Earth Spirit Fire to draw upon Earth Power, helping Yu Shizun resolve the issue of the pearl growing weaker the more she refined it. Later, after he refined the Azure Sea Tide Birth Fire, ranked eleventh on the Extreme Flame List, he had used that peculiar water-attribute Extreme Flame to assist Yu Shizun in elevating the Sea Dragon Pearl to the level of a Quasi-Saint Artifact.
With a Quasi-Saint Artifact at her side, Yu Shizun was no longer suppressed by Snow Supreme. In fact, the moment she completed the refinement, she couldn’t wait to challenge Snow Supreme to a fight—and she came out slightly ahead.
Come to think of it, Yu Shizun was actually kind of cute.
Yan Zhen stood quietly behind Yu Shizun, observing her technique as she refined her Natal Artifact.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, Yan Zhen found himself unable to withstand the aura emanating from the Sea Dragon Pearl any longer. Not wanting to circulate his energy to resist it and risk disturbing her refinement, he withdrew from the tree hollow to wait outside.
Only when the commotion had fully subsided did Yan Zhen re-enter.
Yu Shizun stood by the water’s edge, her jade hand virtually cradling the Sea Dragon Pearl as radiant light flowed across its surface. Her bright eyes above the veil betrayed a hint of dissatisfaction—clearly, the refinement hadn’t gone as well as she’d hoped.
Yan Zhen smiled faintly.
“It’s because Yu Shizun pursued such pure, untainted water that she stripped away the essence it should have retained, losing the true meaning of the ‘sea.’ No wonder its power couldn’t be elevated, no matter how she refined it.”
Yu Shizun turned her head, curiosity flickering in her beautiful eyes.
“You could tell?”
“Just a little,” Yan Zhen replied. “Yu Shizun, your Supreme Artifact is called the Sea Dragon Pearl, right? It seals a Sea Dragon Soul and an ocean eye within. The sea isn’t quite the same as rain. As the saying goes, ‘The sea embraces all rivers; only with tolerance comes greatness.’ The sea’s essence lies in encompassing everything—there’s no such thing in the world as a purely flawless azure ocean.”
“. . . So what should I do?”
It almost sounded like Yu Shizun was sulking a bit.
Yan Zhen blinked, then flipped his palm over. A strand of hazy qi gathered in his hand, giving off a sensation of Mystic thickness and weight.
This was Earth Power—or more precisely, the mystic power that had precipitated deep underground. It counted as an earth attribute, but it differed from ordinary earth mystic power. It was a force closer to the source, one that typically only high-realm earth-attribute Mystic Cultivators could draw from the land.
As for Yan Zhen, he was naturally borrowing the convenience of the Rootless Earth Spirit Fire.
“During the refinement, infuse a bit of this Earth Power to balance it,” he suggested. “Water and earth fuse exceptionally well, and even the ocean needs the land to bear it. If Yu Shizun trusts me, give it a try.”
Yu Shizun stared at the strand of Earth Power in Yan Zhen’s hand for a long time before slowly speaking.
“What if it fails?”
After all, this was her Natal Artifact—she couldn’t afford to treat it lightly.
Though it wasn’t the most polite response, Yan Zhen inexplicably found it amusing. Yu Shizun was actually getting cold feet.
He blinked, putting on an innocent expression.
“If it fails, then once I grow stronger, I’ll get you a new one, Yu Shizun.”
Yu Shizun said softly, “There’s a water-attribute Extreme Flame in the world called the Azure Sea Tide Birth Fire, ranked eleventh on the Extreme Flame List. Not only can it engulf everything, but it can also condense an ocean eye. . . . Once you refine that Extreme Flame, come with me to the Azure Sky Bihai Sea to form an ocean eye and fuse it into the pearl, evolving it.”
The Azure Sky Bihai Sea was the vast ocean between Jialan Continent and Evergreen Continent. True to its name, it was stunningly beautiful. In the script from his previous life, Yan Zhen—as the Jialan Holy Son—had passed through it once on his way to Evergreen Holy Land to discuss the joint Demon Extermination Operation. The script described it in vivid detail.
“Of course,” Yan Zhen said with a laugh. “Helping Yu Shizun is my duty!”
Only then did Yu Shizun sit back down cross-legged, facing Yan Zhen directly. She exhaled the Sea Dragon Pearl and began refining it anew.
Yan Zhen focused his spiritual sense on the pearl, seizing the right moments to inject strand after strand of Earth Power.
A half-day later, Yu Shizun finally halted the refinement. Fixing her gaze on it, she saw that the Sea Dragon Soul, previously indistinct within the pearl, now took on a visible form to the naked eye. It swam ceaselessly inside.
“I see.”
Yu Shizun now understood why the Earth Power wouldn’t taint the pearl’s purity. She had been overly fixated on her Natal Artifact before, which had led her astray.
“Thank you, Yan Zhen.”
“It was no trouble at all,” Yan Zhen replied nonchalantly. “I still owe you thanks for what happened yesterday, Yu Shizun.”
At those words, Yu Shizun’s expression grew solemn.
“Xue Wuqing is no real threat. The problem is Spirit Mountain Ancestor. . . . We should consult Lady Chen Xi. Only if she steps in can we possibly resolve this.”
Yan Zhen nodded. Yu Shizun naturally leaned into his embrace, and the two of them vanished into the Fire Refining Starry Sky.
Chen Xi had been waiting for them for some time. She spoke first with concern.
“You’re not hurt, are you, Zhen’er?”
Yan Zhen replied immediately, “Just a minor injury—it’s already healed. Master needn’t worry.”
“Good, as long as you’re safe. . . . You did the right thing, Zhen’er. Reason with those who will listen to reason, but for those who won’t, there’s no need for words—just strike to defend yourself. Especially since She Ji is in her pregnancy; as her husband, it’s your duty to protect her.”
“Thank you, Master. I understand.”
“I’ll handle this trouble for you, Zhen’er,” Chen Xi said. “If that old coot from Spirit Mountain doesn’t know better, we’ll beat sense into him until he does. I’m sure Jialan will give me this much face.”
Jialan—that is, the Jialan Saint Lord, also known as Jialan Fairy—was one of the Mystic Heaven Seven Saints of this era, with cultivation at the Five-Star Mystic Saint realm. She and Chen Xi were old acquaintances.
After Chen Xi left the Eighth Continent, she had crossed paths with Jialan Fairy by chance and, due to her fame as the Flame Saint, been invited to serve as a guest elder in Jialan Holy Land.
Later, Chen Xi had drawn the Evil Consort’s attention with her Starlight Glazed Fire, suffered a sneak attack, and fled gravely wounded—only to be forced to merge into the Fire Refining Starry Sky and become its World Spirit to survive.
That had also made it impossible for Jialan Fairy to divine Chen Xi’s fate, leading her to believe her friend had perished. In the years since, Jialan Fairy had remained in seclusion, cultivating while secretly planning a massive Demon Extermination Operation to slay the Evil Consort and avenge her.
All of this was detailed in the script.
Jialan Fairy could be considered half a master to Yan Zhen as well.
By the rules of the Holy Land, the Saint Son had to take the Saint Lord as his master and receive top-tier training, only able to inherit the position after reaching Half-Saint at least.
But Yan Zhen already had his Beautiful Female Master, so he hadn’t formally apprenticed under her. He only occasionally received guidance from Jialan Fairy, hence “half a master.”
After he achieved emperorship, among those he brought from Mystic Heaven Continent to the Main World was this half-master of his.
The problem was that Jialan Fairy had a rather rigid personality and stubbornly stuck to principles. Yan Zhen’s recent killing of Ling Jun had indeed violated the Holy Land’s rules. Even if his Beautiful Female Master intervened, Jialan Fairy might not let him off easily.
If she locked him in a dark little cell for a decade or two, that would be a real headache. He still needed to head to the Eighth Continent, marry his Zi Ji Wife, deal with the Evil Consort, and save his Demoness Wife. He had to grow stronger quickly—there was no time to waste shut away.
Thus, for the time being, Yan Zhen had mentally placed Jialan Fairy in the adversarial camp as well, reserving his Trump Card (Tier 5) to deal with her if needed.
As for Spirit Mountain Ancestor’s faction, he still had his Overdrive Card Set, Social Death Deck, and Special Trump Card: Accelerated Synchronization. If used wisely, they should suffice.
Of course, this didn’t mean he intended to overthrow Jialan Holy Land—just to ensure he remained undefeated.
