—Alternative solutions my ass! I’m just a puny Mystic Lord—how am I supposed to fight a Mystic Saint expert with my head? You thick-browed, big-eyed System-chan, are you betraying me too? Keep this up, and I’ll get mad!
【Ding! Go for it, host! Mwah~】
“…”
The system interface vanished. The sixth-tier trump card ejected automatically, returning to the system backpack. The transformation belt dissolved away.
Yan Zhen stood frozen, never imagining System-chan would backstab him like this. They’d been comrades across two lifetimes!
—You crappy system! What kind of love potion did the Evil Consort feed you? Helping her like this? You perverted System-chan, I’ve misjudged you!
The interface popped up again, this time with a single line:
【The system forever supports the host. Love you~】
Yan Zhen fumed, too angry for words.
—Love my ass! Hurry up and transform—that heaven’s mandate power is mine to use however I want!
【Host set the usage rules himself. The system is merely enforcing them.】
—Well, I’ve changed my mind now!
【Host, don’t be willful.】
—You little—
Just as Yan Zhen was losing it, the Evil Consort’s low, seductive voice rang out again, laced with mockery.
“What, no transformation after all, Flame Emperor? Weren’t you going to defeat this palace and rescue Jiu Youyue?”
Yan Zhen glared at the Evil Consort, suspicion dawning.
“You saw this coming?”
“Hmph.” She chuckled softly. “This palace knows every last detail about you. Not only am I a reincarnator, but I have memories of the future!”
“Memories of the future?”
Yan Zhen blinked. A future version of the Evil Consort—that sounded just like the evil black shadow he’d summoned.
—Hold on!
A spark of insight hit Yan Zhen. He suddenly recalled summoning future versions of the women to fight the Spirit Mountain Ancestor. Before vanishing, the evil black shadow had said:
“You’re dead meat, Flame Emperor. This time, it’s this palace’s turn for revenge!”
A wild theory formed in Yan Zhen’s mind: Had the Evil Consort been influenced by the evil black shadow—that is, her future self?
If future Evil Consort was his subordinate, didn’t that mean all his secrets were laid bare?
But why would his future self take such a rebellious woman as a follower? Had he lost his mind?
Yan Zhen was utterly baffled and at a total loss. He’d used “special trump card: accelerated synchronization” twice before, and no one else had gained future memories. Why her, of all people?
This was bad news!
“…”
Watching Yan Zhen’s flustered unease, the Evil Consort sneered inwardly.
She did have future memories, but only fragmented glimpses—mostly scenes of her own humiliation. That detestable Flame Emperor had treated her like a toy, ravishing her without mercy. Worse still, her future self hadn’t resisted a bit. She’d even teamed up with that wretch, Jialan, and Xing Chenxi to serve him devotedly. Absurd!
As the last direct descendant of an ancient evil god—the noble daughter of an evil god—she would never accept such a future!
Thankfully, those memories weren’t useless. They’d revealed how Yan Zhen’s many trump cards worked and what they did.
Like now: She harbored no killing intent toward him, nor did she torment him pointlessly or lay a harsh hand on Jiu Youyue. Thus, he couldn’t activate his trump card against her.
Of course, he still had special trump cards.
The Evil Consort spoke again.
“Out of options already, Flame Emperor? Don’t you have special trump cards left? Go on, use one. Let this palace see what it can do.”
—You stinking woman, acting all high and mighty! You think I can’t do anything to you?
Yan Zhen seethed with frustration and fury. His special trump cards had no usage limits, and he hadn’t touched a single one since advancing to Mystic Lord realm—they were all primed and ready!
As long as he used Accelerated Synchronization to summon all the women from the future, beating the Evil Consort senseless would be a piece of cake!
He might not be able to kill her outright, but he could beat her half to death and then have his Holy Lord Master seal her away. Let’s see if she’d still act so arrogant after that!
“System-chan, activate Duel Disk Mode!”
【Received】
Yan Zhen raised his left wrist, where a classic first-generation Duel Disk slowly materialized. He then precisely drew the Accelerated Synchronization card from his deck of one hundred and eight cards.
Just as he was about to slot it in, Yan Zhen suddenly thought of a problem and paused.
Accelerated Synchronization would summon the Evil Black Shadow too, right? What if that shadow—essentially the future Evil Consort—teamed up with the current one and turned against him?
Yan Zhen frowned, but after thinking it over, he relaxed.
The Beautiful Female Master, the Holy Lord Master, Cai Lian, Zi Ji, Xian’er, Yun Xiu, Long Ying, and the others were all at least as strong as the Evil Black Shadow. Even if she turned traitor, she couldn’t stir up much trouble.
With that, Yan Zhen decisively slotted the card.
“Activate Special Trump Card: Accelerated Synchronization! With the power of Extreme Flame: Boundless, summon my loyal followers from the distant future. Appear, my future companions!”
As his words rang out, the Duel Disk in his hand erupted with a dazzling radiance spanning ten thousand feet. A massive array formation appeared above Yan Zhen’s head, and at its center, a pitch-black portal ripped open.
Infinite darkness surged forth, gradually coalescing into a profoundly wicked and evil black silhouette. Her silver-gray eyes held no emotion, radiating the cold indifference of a aloof deity.
Yan Zhen blinked up at the Evil Black Shadow, utterly dumbfounded.
That was it? Just her alone? Where were the Beautiful Female Master, the Holy Lord Master, Cai Lian, Zi Ji, and the rest?
A bad premonition instantly gripped Yan Zhen’s heart.
The Evil Black Shadow gazed indifferently at the Evil Consort, who lounged arrogantly on the Skeleton Throne, and spoke in a cold voice.
“Don’t do anything unnecessary. This Palace didn’t tell you to capture him!”
The Evil Consort replied arrogantly.
“This Palace acts as This Palace pleases—no one needs to teach me! Besides, what right do you have to speak to me like that? This Palace will never accept that kind of future, and This Palace certainly won’t accept you!”
“Fool!” The Evil Black Shadow grew angry. “This is our one chance to turn things around, and you’re wasting This Palace’s efforts!”
“I don’t want it! If you had even a shred of shame, you wouldn’t interfere with This Palace!” The Evil Consort was equally displeased with her future self. “Go back to playing empress, and don’t show your face before This Palace again!”
Boom!
The entire White Bone Grotto-Heaven trembled. Countless bones bared their ferocious faces, as if eager to tear apart all enemies.
Yet the Evil Black Shadow remained unmoved. She looked at her counterpart with disappointment but said nothing more. Turning to Yan Zhen below, she saw his innocent expression and grew increasingly furious, tempted to go down and give him a beating. In the end, she merely snorted coldly and retreated into the black portal, vanishing from sight.
“…”
The atmosphere fell silent once more.
Yan Zhen stood there in a daze, completely numb.
His two ultimate trump cards—one he couldn’t use, and the other wasted completely. What the hell was this?
Was the Evil Consort the protagonist here? Did she just activate her protagonist halo to nullify all his moves? How else to explain this ridiculous turn of events?
Gazing up at the darkly beautiful woman on the throne, who eyed him with malicious intent, Yan Zhen said weakly.
“Um, Lady Evil Consort, I think my earlier proposal was pretty good. Marry Jiuyou off to me, and I’ll call you Mother-in-Law. Then we’ll all be one big happy family—how about it?”
