The Evil Consort suspected that her ears had played tricks on her, but she quickly pieced it together. She had overwritten Chen Xi in Yan Zhen’s memories, which meant that everything Chen Xi had done for him now fell squarely on her shoulders.
She racked her brain for a moment, then stared in shock as the realization hit her. That shameless woman Chen Xi had apparently refined the Extreme Flames for the Flame Emperor through dual cultivation.
And since Chen Xi was still the World Spirit of the Fire Refining Starry Sky, she possessed the ability to suppress Extreme Flames. Dual cultivation allowed the Flame Emperor to refine them with almost no backlash or risk.
—Damn it! In her carelessness, she’d overlooked changing that detail!
After all, each advancement required refining just one Extreme Flame, totaling only five sessions of dual cultivation. Compared to the nearly three years the master and disciple had spent together, those five times were hardly noteworthy—just routine indulgences in their forbidden master-disciple romance.
The Evil Consort panicked a little, her mind racing as she scrambled for a way to handle the situation.
“Evil Consort Master?”
Snapping back to reality, the Evil Consort coughed twice and explained,
“Yan’er, you now harbor five Extreme Flames, four of which far surpass the Solar Essence Flame in quality and rank. Even without This Palace’s help, you could suppress and refine it with ease.”
Yan Zhen blinked, finding it a bit odd himself, though his memories clearly showed otherwise.
“But Evil Consort Master said that to ensure success, dual cultivation was the best way. Why suffer unnecessary hardship or take needless risks?”
The Evil Consort inwardly cursed Chen Xi, that foolish woman, for spoiling her disciple so rotten, but she kept her tone casual.
“Yan’er, you’ve grown stronger. You don’t need to rely on This Palace for everything.”
Yan Zhen fell silent, the spark visibly fading from his eyes. After a long moment, he mumbled pitifully,
“Have I done something wrong to upset Evil Consort Master? Is that why you won’t help me?”
The Evil Consort couldn’t stand it anymore. How could the mighty Flame Emperor have such a fragile psyche, wilting like a delicate girl? She hadn’t even raised her voice!
But then she remembered: to foster deeper dependence, she had deliberately muddled his sense of growth, leaving his mindset at that of a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old boy.
Teenagers that age were emotionally volatile—impulsive, reckless, and prone to heartbreak. They were a real headache for any elder.
The Evil Consort furrowed her brow, at a loss. She’d never raised a child. Her three secondary bodies might pass as daughters, but she’d always treated them like tools.
Did she really have to follow Chen Xi’s example and help him refine the Solar Essence Flame through dual cultivation?
—No, impossible! This Palace would never stoop to such a sacrifice!
Yet if she didn’t stick to his memories, what if he sensed something off?
If the Flame Emperor regained his recollections, all her efforts would go up in smoke!
Torn, the Evil Consort finally resorted to the classic excuse:
“This Palace… This Palace is on her monthly cycle right now. No dual cultivation.”
Her monthly cycle? Yan Zhen froze, then asked,
“But doesn’t Evil Consort Master practice Slaying Red Dragon?”
Slaying Red Dragon meant severing one’s cycle—a practice most female cultivators adopted after the Third Realm to aid cultivation.
Men had a counterpart: Severing White Tiger, which preserved their Primal Yang from leaking away, equally beneficial for practice.
The Evil Consort flushed with embarrassment and irritation but forced herself to stay patient.
“The Evil God Clan’s physiology differs from that of the Human Race.”
Yan Zhen nodded as if he half-understood. No wonder Evil Consort Master was reluctant.
If there was bleeding down there, what choice was there? They couldn’t very well battle through it bloodied.
“I understand. Then… shall I come back another day?”
An anger vein throbbed on the Evil Consort’s forehead.
—Damnable Flame Emperor! Are you that eager for dual cultivation? How did that idiot Chen Xi spoil a former emperor into this? Outrageous!
Fuming inside, she couldn’t let it show, bottling it up until her ample chest felt ready to burst.
But anger aside, the problem needed solving.
“No need. This Palace has a secret treasure that can substitute for dual cultivation.”
“A secret treasure?”
With a light leap, the Evil Consort landed atop the White Bone Dao Platform and sat cross-legged across from Yan Zhen. From her storage ring, she produced a black-and-white Taiji Ball.
“This is called the Joyous Union Pearl. Inject your mystic powers into it, and it will spawn Yin-Yang Fish to mimic our body fusion dual cultivation.”
So magical? Yan Zhen eyed it curiously. Worried he might spot the trick, the Evil Consort hurried him along.
“Come now, Yan’er. Get into position and channel your mystic power into it alongside This Palace.”
Yan Zhen straightened up and circulated the Emperor Flame Technique, pouring his Huoyi Mystic Power—refined from five Extreme Flames—into the Joyous Union Pearl. Seeing this, the Evil Consort infused her own Death Mystic Force.
The Joyous Union Pearl erupted in brilliant light, from which a pair of Yin-Yang Fish leaped out, swirling and entwining as they ascended.
In truth, this wasn’t a “Joyous Union Pearl” at all, but a “Taiji Thunder.” When opposing forces were injected, the Yin-Yang Fish would fuse them into Twin Mystic Power—stronger than before. One merely hurled it at an enemy and detonated it. A one-use consumable.
In plain terms, a bomb.
The Evil Consort had kept it merely as a curio, but now it proved useful.
Damnable Flame Emperor. Refining the Solar Essence Flame took no effort at all, yet he insisted on dual cultivation with her. Time to fool him!
Yan Zhen bought it completely, sensing nothing amiss. After summoning his four higher-ranked Extreme Flames, he called forth the Solar Essence Flame.
No sooner had the Solar Essence Flame emerged than four burly heavies loomed over it. It shriveled into a quivering ball and meekly let Yan Zhen refine it.
The whole process took just a day and night—far quicker than his other Extreme Flames.
Once finished, Yan Zhen’s cultivation rocketed from One-Star Mystic Lord to Nine-Star Mystic Lord. He suppressed it, then let it surge again, stabilizing at Five-Star Mystic Lord.
Feeling the vastly mightier power coursing through him, Yan Zhen brimmed with excitement and said to the Evil Consort,
“Evil Consort Master, let’s spar! I want to test my strength.”
The Evil Consort narrowed her beautiful eyes. Perfect—a chance to vent her earlier frustration. She agreed at once.
“Go all out, Yan’er. This Palace will only defend, not attack.”
Yan Zhen summoned his Six Paths Extreme Flames, transforming into a fiend of fire, and unleashed Starry Sky Dance as he charged at the Evil Consort.
A sly curve tugged at her lips as she met him with one hand.
Half an hour later, Yan Zhen plummeted from the sky, crashing to the ground and gasping for breath, drenched in sweat.
The Evil Consort descended gracefully beside him, gazing down with satisfaction. Her mood much improved, she didn’t hesitate to praise him.
“Not bad for This Palace’s disciple. You’ve already adapted to your new realm so quickly.”
Yan Zhen shot her a resentful look.
“Evil Consort Master didn’t hold back at all. I couldn’t even land a hit. No fun.”
The Evil Consort felt a touch smug.
“Never underestimate any opponent. That’s This Palace’s creed.”
Yan Zhen pouted, about to retort, when his stomach growled loudly, killing his mood.
The Evil Consort heard it clearly and asked gently,
“Are you hungry, Yan’er?”
Yan Zhen scratched his cheek shyly, his gaze instinctively dropping to the taut, lofty swell of her bosom. He swallowed hard.
