In his previous life, because of Jiu Youyue, they had targeted the Evil Consort first. Only after slaying her did they join forces with the Evergreen Holy Land to assault the Peacock Demon Palace and cut down the Peacock Heavenly Monarch as well.
Under the coercion of the Jialan Fairy, the Peacock Heavenly Monarch had burned a thousand years of his lifespan to unleash this profoundly eerie Forbidden Technique: Buddha Mother Womb Concealment. Using a drop of the Demon Domain Lord’s essence blood as the catalyst, he “birthed” the Sexless Person—an avatar of the Demon Domain Lord with the cultivation of an Eight-Star Mystic Saint. The entity was extraordinarily powerful and had nearly turned the tables on them.
At that time, the Evil Consort was already dead. Her consciousness had only just begun to reform and had yet to regain its sanity, so she knew nothing of these events.
Though the Evil Consort’s memories of her previous life were nearly complete, she had forgotten the eighty-one-day memory gap she possessed.
The Evil Consort had yet to realize this. Facing a pincer attack from an Eight-Star Mystic Saint and a Five-Star Mystic Saint, she retreated again and again despite wielding the Death City Core. All trace of her earlier dominance had vanished.
This couldn’t continue. The power of the Dead City was finite. Once depleted, it would take ages to accumulate again.
Without the Dead City’s power to bolster her, the Evil Consort could at best fight the Peacock Heavenly Monarch to a draw. How could she stand against the Sexless Person!?
“Evil Consort, you’re doomed! This Monarch will kill you!”
The Peacock Heavenly Monarch lurked in the shadows, his voice echoing from all directions to distract her.
In that instant of divided attention, the Sexless Person—this Eight-Star Mystic Saint—seized the opening and struck. The Demon Domain Lord’s signature mystic power coalesced into a colossal heavenly demon shadow, which unleashed a massive demonic palm.
With a single sweep, the heavens halted and space shattered. The technique’s might was staggering: the Great Shading Heaven Hand.
The Evil Consort immediately activated the Death City Core, summoning the Dead City’s defensive barrier to block the assault.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, eight of the nine barrier layers shattered instantly. Only the final one held back the invading demonic palm.
Such a deadlock was an invitation. The Peacock Heavenly Monarch struck again. His Natal Holy Plume appeared above the Evil Consort’s head and stabbed downward.
She could only activate the Death City Core once more, separating herself and the Peacock Plume into different spatial layers.
The Peacock Plume pierced through the spatial folds and plunged into the massive glassy bone shadow, shattering her dharma projection.
The backlash hit hard. The Evil Consort could no longer maintain her defenses. The final barrier exploded, and the space-annihilating force hurled her away. She stabilized only at the edge of the Floating Island, a trail of blood trickling from her mouth.
“Damn it… What the hell is going on? How can a Five-Star Mystic Saint birth an Eight-Star Mystic Saint using Mo Tianjue’s power!”
When the Demon Domain Lord had first arrived at the Dead City seeking alliance, the Evil Consort had clashed with him and failed to win. That was why, at the urging of the two Half-Saint Priests, she had agreed to cooperate.
That battle had left a deep impression. The Demon Domain Lord’s demon mystic power was utterly repulsive.
It was mystic power, yet it wielded effects on the divine soul—stirring heart demons, inducing corruption and loss of control. For the Evil God Clan, already burdened by the Mad Demon Factor, it was lethally dangerous.
Just as now, much of the Evil Consort’s inner rage and unease stemmed from the erosion of that demon mystic power. She refrained from using the Impure White Bones Contemplation to purge it, however. Her mystic power was running low, and she couldn’t afford to waste more on defense.
“What, not so arrogant anymore?” The white-haired, wrinkle-faced Peacock Heavenly Monarch appeared beside the Sexless Person. He gazed at the Evil Consort from afar. “Arrogant woman, you’ll pay for your hubris!”
The Evil Consort showed no weakness.
“This Palace wants to see just how much power this avatar of yours has left!”
“Heh, more than enough to kill you!”
“Then let’s find out!”
With that, the Evil Consort erupted with mystic power once more, summoning a white bone phantom.
The Peacock Heavenly Monarch struck unhurriedly to wear her down.
“Your strength can barely match mine at best. Now, with this ‘divine fetus’ formed from Lord Demon Lord’s essence blood, your defeat is certain… Stop struggling, Evil Consort! Hand over the Death City Core, and for Lord Demon Lord’s sake, this Monarch will spare your life.”
The Evil Consort clenched the Death City Core and made no reply.
She hadn’t expected the Peacock Heavenly Monarch to still have a last-resort forbidden technique hidden away.
—Could she… use the Heaven-Defying Technique again?
The Heaven-Defying Technique from the Evil God Defying Heaven Book was meant to be used only once in a lifetime. The price was a realm drop. Using it a second time would cost lifespan—or even instant death.
She had only just seized that child. She wanted to create more memories with him afterward, fully supplanting Chen Xi in his heart.
She would raise him to become emperor, then share heavenly fate with him and ascend to the pinnacle of the mystic heavens.
But if she fell here, he would…
At that thought, the Evil Consort’s resolve hardened.
—If yielding to heaven means doom, then she’ll defy heaven and strike down the exalted!
“You think you’ve won for sure, Kong Xuan? This Palace has forbidden techniques too—and far more powerful ones!”
“Heh, you’ve already used the Heaven-Defying Technique once. Using it again means certain death. What does this Monarch have to fear? At worst, mutual destruction—we all perish together!”
“At least this Palace will kill you first!”
“Who kills whom remains to be seen!”
“—Is that so? I think you, ragged peacock, are the dead one.”
A somewhat shy male voice abruptly cut into the exchange between the two Mystic Saints. Starlight flashed, and a sunny, cheerful young man appeared beside the Evil Consort. Who else could it be but Yan Zhen?
The Evil Consort tensed immediately and snapped,
“Yan’er, what are you doing here? Get far away, now!”
Yan Zhen turned to her with a smile.
“I’m here to help. I can’t just stand by and watch my Evil Consort Master get hurt.”
The Evil Consort’s heart stirred, leaving her momentarily dazed.
“Yan’er, you…”
Yan Zhen took her hand proactively and said earnestly,
“Evil Consort Master, let’s join forces and take down this old, ugly ragged peacock together.”
The Peacock Heavenly Monarch’s face darkened.
“Brat, courting death! This Monarch hasn’t settled accounts with you yet, and here you come delivering yourself. Then… die!”
As his words fell, space before Yan Zhen ripped open. A Peacock Plume radiating thick poison shot toward him at extreme speed, aiming to pierce his forehead.
“Yan’er!”
The Evil Consort’s heart leaped to her throat. Before she could intervene, the Peacock Plume halted before Yan Zhen, unable to advance an inch.
Blocking it was a card, spinning ceaselessly to dispel the Mystic Saint’s killing strike. The backlash turned into fierce winds that whipped Yan Zhen’s hair and robes into a frenzy.
“That’s—”
The Evil Consort’s heart jolted. Then she heard Yan Zhen say,
“System-chan, belt mode.”
【Acknowledged!】
Yan Zhen released the Evil Consort’s hand and stepped forward. He grasped at empty air, and the System transformed into the Card Box in his grasp. He pressed it against his dantian; belts extended from both sides, buckling securely around his waist.
“Transform.”
His Trump Card (Seventh Tier) shuddered violently, repelling the Peacock Plume before slotting itself into the Card Box.
Click.
The crystal at the Card Box’s center ignited. Flames erupted ferociously, shooting skyward like a heavenly spear. At the vault of heaven, they formed a swirling vortex of fire!
【Emperor Flame! Extreme Flame! Firepower Burst!】
【At this moment, the mystic path becomes the heavenly path. Heavenly Saint Yan Zhen, descend!】
The fiery pillar gradually dissipated, but the golden-silver armor on Yan Zhen’s body still blazed fiercely. Spatial ripples pulsed around him, and his aura reached an overwhelming peak.
Eight-Star Heavenly Saint!
Mystic power, the power of heaven and earth, spatial power, and the supreme imperial power of heavenly fate intertwined upon him. Saint might permeated the entire Dead City—even the Evil Consort felt a faint dread, memories flooding back of the time he had dominated her.
—It was him. The Flame Emperor!
