The Flame Emperor from his previous life had clearly been a towering hero of a man, yet after that woman Chen Xi was reborn, she had actually raised her own disciple into such a… such a depraved state, all for her selfish desires. It was utterly outrageous!
The Evil Consort felt utterly uncomfortable under Yan Zhen’s burning gaze. She itched to punch him twice to blacken both his eyes, then scold him harshly—but she couldn’t do that. Otherwise, all her previous efforts would go to waste.
She quickly racked her brains and opted to bluff once more.
The Evil Consort deliberately revealed a hint of frailty and said softly, “This Palace is on my monthly flow and feeling a bit unwell. Yan’er, don’t… make things difficult for This Palace.”
Sure enough, the moment Yan Zhen heard that his Evil Consort Master was unwell, he immediately cast aside thoughts of “hungry” and “food,” asking with concern, “Evil Consort Master, are you alright? I… I won’t eat.”
The Evil Consort blinked and ventured, “This Palace has no major issues, but for this period, I can’t… feed you. Yan’er, you won’t blame This Palace for that, will you?”
Yan Zhen shook his head vigorously. “I’m just craving it with my mouth. If Evil Consort Master is unwell, it’s fine not to eat.”
Hearing this, the Evil Consort secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She held out the carved cloud pastry in her hand toward Yan Zhen’s mouth once more. “Though I can’t feed you that, I can still feed you this. Here, Yan’er, ah—”
Yan Zhen obediently accepted the feeding from the Evil Consort and devoured the entire box of pastries. The six Extreme Flames within him refined them simultaneously, fully replenishing his Five-Star Mystic Lord level of Mystic Power—and even overflowing, igniting flames of various colors across his body!
Thus, Yan Zhen once again requested a sparring match with his Evil Consort Master.
But the Evil Consort had no mind for battle at the moment. She summoned a giant skeleton at the Nine-Star Mystic Ancestor Realm to duel Yan Zhen in her stead. Surprisingly, the two traded blows evenly.
Setting everything else aside, the Flame Emperor’s cultivation talent was indeed extraordinary. He had unique insights into controlling and wielding Extreme Flames, as if he were born to command fire.
The Evil Consort still clearly remembered how, in his previous life when Yan Zhen was merely an Eight-Turn Half-Saint, he had dared to team up with that wretch Jiuyou to ambush her, a Seven-Star Mystic Saint—and had nearly caused her to stumble.
He knew the abilities of all 108 Extreme Flames like the back of his hand. Moreover, he knew how to combine, fuse, and coordinate them, deriving all sorts of bizarre offensive and defensive techniques that were endlessly frustrating to face!
Yet when an opponent tore through those flashy disguises and thought victory was in hand, they would witness the unparalleled, pure violence of Yan Zhen and the Extreme Flames themselves!
After her death in the previous life, the Evil Consort’s lingering Origin Source had remained at his side, bearing witness to all his battles. She knew better than anyone just how formidable the Flame Emperor was—which was why, upon her rebirth, she had conceived the idea of “replacing Chen Xi and turning the enemy into her disciple.”
—However, that Flame Emperor had now become a “uselessly cute little boy” who was either hungry or lustful. While she had deliberately muddled his growth to some extent, the greatest blame lay with that woman, Xing Chenxi!
At this thought, the Evil Consort gnashed her teeth, her fists clenching hard.
—Curse that Chen Xi for putting her in such a passive position!
She had muddled through this time, but what about next?
Yan Zhen still had the Taiyin Primordial Fire to fuse. Once she seized the Fire Refining Starry Sky, that boy would demand dual cultivation to refine the flames with her. Would she have to find another excuse to refuse then?
Even more troublesome than dual cultivation for refining flames was the daily feeding routine.
He wouldn’t eat proper meals when hungry, nor take pills—instead, he insisted on that. She couldn’t keep claiming to be unwell or skipping cultivation sessions with him, could she?
Without accompanying him in cultivation, how could she foster his dependence?
Without satisfying his demands, how could she make him obedient?
It had been less than five days since she tampered with the Flame Emperor’s memories. The new ones hadn’t fully fused with his Sea of Consciousness yet—this was the critical period. She absolutely could not reveal any flaws, or it would all be for naught!
—But did that mean she truly had to dual cultivate with him and feed him to satiety?
The Evil Consort fell into deep conflict.
She looked up at the battle overhead and watched as Yan Zhen repeatedly drove back the giant skeleton with ferocious valor. Only in combat could she glimpse the shadow of the previous life’s Flame Emperor.
They fought for an entire day. At last, the giant skeleton shattered into fragments under the onslaught of Extreme Flames and fists.
“Finally, that felt good.” Yan Zhen descended before the Evil Consort amid brilliant starlight, grinning as he said, “Evil Consort Master, I’m a bit tired. Can we head back to rest? I kind of miss Eldest Senior Sister.”
The Evil Consort was about to agree, but that final sentence made her heart skip a beat. She grew uneasy.
None of the Flame Emperor’s demands were being met here. With his current personality, he would surely act spoiled toward Jiuyou—and she would undoubtedly indulge him without question.
In comparison, the closeness would become starkly clear. The Flame Emperor would obviously favor that wretch, rendering all her efforts pointless!
—No, she couldn’t let them meet. At least for this period, the Flame Emperor could only grow close to her!
“I forgot to tell you, Yan’er,” the Evil Consort bluffed again. “After Jiuyou recovered from her injuries, she went out for some fresh air. She’s not in the palace right now.”
“Is that so?” Yan Zhen blinked in surprise. “Eldest Senior Sister went out alone?”
“Mm, she probably won’t be back for a couple of days. Yan’er, no need for you to go over there.”
“Oh, then I’ll just head back to my own Demonic Flame Palace and sleep—see you later, Evil Consort Master~”
The Evil Consort’s delicate brows furrowed. After hesitating repeatedly, she still called out to stop Yan Zhen. “Wait, Yan’er!”
Yan Zhen turned back, blinking his big, sparkling eyes in puzzlement.
“This Palace will escort you back,” the Evil Consort said warmly. “Staying cooped up in the White Bone Grotto-Heaven is stifling. This Palace could use a stroll outside as well.”
“Sure!” Yan Zhen was thrilled. He affectionately linked arms with the Evil Consort, pressing half his body against hers. “I’ll walk with you, Evil Consort Master.”
The Evil Consort’s graceful form stiffened. She felt Yan Zhen’s hand pressing right against the side of her breast—whether by accident or design, she couldn’t tell!
She gritted her teeth inwardly and endured it, her expression calm as she opened a space portal and led the way outward.
The two appeared outside the Demonic Flame Palace, then strolled leisurely inside.
“Yan’er, are you getting used to living in this newly built Demonic Flame Palace?”
To avoid Yan Zhen sensing anything off about the unfamiliar surroundings, the Evil Consort had specially added the backstory of it being a “newly constructed palace.”
“It’s alright. It feels much bigger than before. With just me living here, it’s a bit empty.”
“Would you like This Palace to assign you some Yin Servants?”
The Yin Servants were ghostly attendants—classic floating spirits, colloquially known as spooks—that handled miscellaneous tasks throughout the divine palace.
All Yin Servants came from the Evil Consort’s own hand and served as her eyes and ears.
“No need. There are enough Yin Servants in the palace already. What I meant was… it would be nice if I could live with Eldest Senior Sister.”
Jiuyou again?! The Evil Consort frowned, irritation bubbling within her. “Yan’er, be honest. Do you want to marry Jiuyou?”
Yan Zhen scratched his cheek bashfully. “Can I?”
“Not for the time being,” the Evil Consort refused outright. “Yan’er, your focus right now should be on cultivation. At least reach the Mystic Venerable Realm before considering romance. Besides, Jiuyou isn’t going anywhere—why the rush?”
“You’re right…”
Yan Zhen trailed off, but it was clear he hadn’t given up.
The Evil Consort grew even more anxious. This trajectory didn’t look favorable for her!
—She had to do something.
