The Solar Essence Flame had been subdued by Yan Zhen, and the remaining flames, cut off from their power source, were no longer so unyielding.
The two stewards from Rain God Peak, joined by eight elite disciples from Upper Peak, worked together to summon a massive downpour. Within a single day, they had extinguished the blaze.
As for the beast tide, they still couldn’t hold it back. So the South Ridge City Lord, after evacuating all the city’s residents, followed Your Highness the Holy Son’s orders. He proactively opened the central gate, allowing some mystic beasts to stream through the main street toward the front gate. There, they fell into the array formation that the Snow Spirit Peak Fifth Elder and the others had prepared in advance, freezing into ice sculptures one after another.
Meanwhile, infiltrators from the Demon Domain lurking in the shadows tried to sabotage the protection array, hoping to let South Ridge City fall under the beast tide’s trampling. But no sooner had they shown their faces than the people from Thunder God Peak nabbed them. When they tried to flee, the folks from Mist Lord Peak cut them off. Caught in this pincer attack from both open and covert forces, the infiltrators couldn’t even self-destruct. They were forced to either fight to the death or surrender.
With the descent of this heavenly fire, Jialan Holy Land had not only issued an early warning but also dispatched aid in time. In the end, they saved South Ridge City, earning the eternal gratitude of its people.
Yet the Holy Land’s personnel weren’t in high spirits. Their Holy Son Your Highness had been gravely wounded in his battle against the Beast Venerable—and then ambushed by the Heavenly Gu Elder!
Among them, the Bing Tang Chief and the Snow Spirit Peak Fifth Elder felt the heaviest weight. They knew Your Highness the Holy Son wasn’t merely gravely wounded. He had… sacrificed himself!
Even Cai Lian, Yi Xian’er, and Long Ying were starting to grow uneasy.
They had agreed to reconnect once things settled down. But after sending their messages, they received no reply from Yan Zhen.
The three women returned to their previous courtyard and gathered in Yan Zhen’s room. They sat in a half-circle around the table, waiting silently.
It wasn’t until deep into the night that their messaging talismans remained utterly still.
Long Ying furrowed her little brows and mumbled, “Yan Zhen Zhen still hasn’t messaged back. Is he lost in the Demon Woman Sister’s tender embrace?”
She sprawled lazily across the table, propping her chin on her arms. Suddenly, she felt a poke at her chest. She sat up straight, curiously patting her flat chest, then reached into her bosom and pulled out a very familiar crystal pendant. She froze, her cute little face twisting in confusion.
“Isn’t this Yan Zhen Zhen’s?”
Cai Lian and Yi Xian’er, who had been quite composed until then, both paled at the sight of the crystal pendant.
“The Fire Refining Starry Sky!? How did it end up on you, Long Ying?”
The Loli Dragon Girl scratched her head. “I don’t know. It wasn’t there before. Weird.”
Yi Xian’er said coldly, “Yan Zhen must have slipped it onto your neck secretly…”
Long Ying grew even more puzzled. “Why, though? Without the Fire Refining Starry Sky, how could Yan Zhen Zhen subdue the Solar Essence Flame?”
“He holds four kinds of extreme flames that utterly overpower the Solar Essence Flame. Subduing it wouldn’t be hard for him… The issue is, the Fire Refining Starry Sky is his greatest treasure. Master Chen Xi is in closed-door cultivation inside it. He wouldn’t do this for no reason. He… he might really be in trouble.”
“That leaves just one possibility.”
Cai Lian and Yi Xian’er exchanged a glance, sharing an unprecedented tacit understanding.
“Jiuyou!”
Long Ying blinked, taking a moment to process it. Then she clapped her little hands over her face, shocked. “The Demon Woman Sister kidnapped Yan Zhen Zhen!?”
“It’s probably not Jiuyou herself!”
“I remember one of the Evil Consort’s three secondary bodies is the Faceless Woman, who’s a master of disguise… No, it’s more likely the Evil Consort in person. She’s figured out Jiuyou’s betrayal!”
Yi Xian’er shot to her feet.
“Yan Zhen must have sensed it, so he handed the Fire Refining Starry Sky to you ahead of time, planning to face the Evil Consort alone and rescue Jiuyou!”
Cai Lian couldn’t sit still either. She clenched her fists, her voice icy. “How could he be so reckless… Even if he wants to save Jiuyou, he should have discussed it with everyone!”
Long Ying finally grasped the situation: Yan Zhen Zhen hadn’t been kidnapped by the Demon Woman Sister. It was the Evil Consort who had taken him!
In her previous life, she had joined the campaign against the Evil Consort. That woman, clad all in black—the polar opposite of Master Jialan—was a nightmare of strength, ruthless and merciless.
If Yan Zhen Zhen fell into that woman’s hands—
Long Ying didn’t dare imagine it. She blurted out in a panic, “We have to go save Yan Zhen Zhen! Quick, quick!”
Cai Lian hurriedly held her back. “Calm down first, Long Ying. Even if we go, we can’t match the Evil Consort. We’d only drag Yan Zhen down.”
“B-but Yan Zhen Zhen, he… he…”
“Yan Zhen still has the transformation belt and the duel disk. He can put up a fight against the Evil Consort. The situation isn’t that dire yet.”
Hearing this, Long Ying blinked and settled down a bit.
Yi Xian’er reminded them, “Let’s hear what Master Chen Xi says first. She must know Yan Zhen’s plan.”
Long Ying’s eyes lit up. She immediately shouted at the Fire Refining Starry Sky, “Master Chen Xi! Master Chen Xi, can you hear me?”
After just two calls, spatial fluctuations emanated from the Fire Refining Starry Sky, sucking all three women inside.
In a flash, they found themselves atop the altar, face-to-face with the stunning beauty in white hair and a black skirt.
“Master Chen Xi!” Long Ying was the first to dash over. “Do you know where Yan Zhen Zhen is?”
Master Chen Xi let out a deep sigh. “Zhen’er didn’t consult with me. It was his decision alone. By now, he’s likely been captured by the Evil Consort and dragged into the Dead City.”
The three women’s faces drained of color. Even Master Chen Xi hadn’t been told? Had Yan Zhen gone to rescue Jiuyou with a resolve to die?
“That idiot!” Panic churned in Cai Lian’s heart. “Even to save someone, he can’t just— Yan’er was only just born. Couldn’t he think of her a little more?”
“Yan Zhen wouldn’t throw his life away without a plan,” Yi Xian’er said with a frown. “Master Chen Xi, what should we do?”
“Indeed, Zhen’er wouldn’t charge to his death recklessly. He must have thought of a way to deal with the Evil Consort and rescue Jiuyou, which is why he acted. He should be fine for the short term.” Master Chen Xi’s tone sounded like she was trying to convince herself. “Return to the Holy Land at once. Master Jialan must know by now. Follow her lead—we might need to launch an early assault on Dead City.”
The three women nodded and withdrew.
Alone on the altar now, Master Chen Xi lowered her gaze to the flame ring on her left ring finger.
“You fool. Why didn’t you discuss it with your master? Were you afraid I’d stop you? You’re always so obedient, but at the critical moment, you disobey. When you get back, just see how your master deals with you!”
Master Chen Xi took a deep breath and tilted her head toward the endless void. Threads of cold intent flickered in her blue, glass-like eyes.
“Don’t think you can do whatever you want to Zhen’er just because I can’t get out, Evil Consort!”
Her stunning figure slowly faded away, leaving the altar empty.
At the same moment, Yan Zhen, who had lain unconscious for so long, slowly opened his eyes. What reflected in them was a blood-red sky…
