With a twist of space, the Evil Consort—clad in a sheer black silk nightgown—appeared in the vast starry sky, cradling her treacherous pawn Yan Zhen in her arms. All around them burned celestial bodies, some blazing fiercely, others glowing dimly.
The celestial bodies of the Fire Refining Starry Sky were not arranged in chaotic disarray. Instead, they followed the rankings of the Extreme Flame List from highest to lowest, radiating outward from the Array Disk Plaza at the center—the site where the Extreme Flame: Boundless was summoned.
Each celestial body traced its own orbital path, with cycles varying in length, much like an entire star system.
At that moment, the Evil Consort and Yan Zhen stood atop the celestial body wreathed in Gold-Silver Fire. Besides them were two graceful figures: one with white hair and a flowing white dress, resembling a holy mother; the other with white hair and black robes, like an exiled immortal.
The two women blocked the Evil Consort’s path, one on either side.
Chen Xi’s expression was icy cold.
“Long time no see, Evil Consort. I trust you’ve been well.”
The Evil Consort’s gaze was utterly indifferent.
“Jialan… Chen Xi… You dare infiltrate this place!”
“I told you I’d return,” the Jialan Fairy replied, her face devoid of joy or sorrow. “Release Yan’er at once and surrender! Chen Xi and I have sealed the Fire Refining Starry Sky. You have nowhere to run.”
The Evil Consort gripped Yan Zhen’s hand tightly, her sharp eyes darting back and forth between Chen Xi and the Jialan Fairy.
The Fire Refining Starry Sky was a Cave Heaven World forged by the Ancient Seven Saints. In terms of quality, no powerhouse in the current era could surpass it with their own.
In her previous life, the Evil Consort had been ignorant of its might and suffered a crushing defeat because of it. Reborn and ever vigilant, she had still fallen for their scheme.
Steadying her breathing, the Evil Consort let out a cold chuckle.
“A Nine Turns Half-Saint with an incomplete body and a Lotus Root Incarnation with incomplete power—you think this is enough to ambush This Palace? How naive.”
Even with a formidable foe before her and her own condition far from ideal, the Evil Consort refused to show the slightest weakness on her lips.
“It’s more than enough to deal with you right now!” Chen Xi shot back. “This is the heart of the Fire Refining Starry Sky. Forget you—even the Demon Domain Lord might not escape unscathed!”
“Don’t try to intimidate This Palace,” the Evil Consort replied calmly. “The Fire Refining Starry Sky is indeed powerful, but only when all nine Saint Dao Extreme Flames are gathered. In its current state, it’s far from a top-tier saint artifact! Our battle will shake it to its core, and once the fluctuations leak out, Granny Meng will come rushing. With her striking from outside and This Palace from within, breaking your seal will be child’s play. The ones who should surrender are you two!”
“You won’t see reason until the coffin is nailed shut,” said the Jialan Fairy, her face impassive. “In that case, let’s settle this with our skills.”
“Come at This Palace together if you dare,” the Evil Consort taunted. With that, she released Yan Zhen’s hand. “Yan’er, stay back for now… Once This Palace deals with these two, I’ll come find you. Be careful on your own.”
Before Yan Zhen could respond, she shoved him away. Wrapped in Death Mystic Force, he hurtled uncontrollably toward the altar.
Neither Chen Xi nor the Jialan Fairy moved to intercept him. Still, hearing the Evil Consort call out to Yan’er with such intimacy left a sour taste in their hearts—especially for the Jialan Fairy. “Yan’er” was supposed to be her exclusive endearment!
“You don’t get to call him Yan’er, Evil Consort.”
The Jialan Fairy unleashed a heaven-shaking Saint Might. Her pure white Spirit Mystic Force, tinged with gold, transformed into a vast white ocean that nearly drowned half the Gold-Silver Star.
“Getting jealous already?” The Evil Consort erupted with her own Mystic Power—a pitch-black Death Mystic Force that coiled into a towering black spiral pillar. “Yan’er belongs to This Palace now. We owe our victory over the Peacock Heavenly Monarch entirely to his trump card. Let me show you just how he fights for This Palace.”
Chen Xi’s body shimmered with radiant, multicolored Star Mystic Power dotted with starlight, rendering her breathtakingly beautiful. Behind her, illusory celestial bodies materialized one after another, her aura utterly terrifying.
It was spiritual power, not Mystic Power.
The Evil Consort’s words failed to faze her. Instead, Chen Xi secretly mocked the foolish woman in her heart—the one who hadn’t even realized she’d been duped. But then her thoughts turned to her precious disciple’s recent odd behavior. Clearly, the Evil Consort had gotten to him, and frustration welled up within her.
Even so, Chen Xi held back from revealing that Yan Zhen had regained his memories. She struck first.
“Enough talk. Today, we’ll seal you away in this place forever, you venomous wretch!”
As her words rang out, massive stars of spiritual power hurtled from behind her, one after another. Each embodied a different attribute and blazed with the Nine Great Talisman Patterns from the Ancestral Symbol Scripture.
Nine stars linked in a chain, enveloping the Evil Consort.
—Saint Soul Technique: Star Ring Nine Bans!
Almost simultaneously, the Jialan Fairy made her move. Her Spirit Mystic Force coalesced into a Pure White Lotus, ablaze with colorless flames.
This was the Mystic technique she had comprehended alongside Yan Zhen in their previous life: the Buddha’s Fury Sacred Lotus. The roaring colorless flames embodied the Buddha’s wrath, a purifying blaze to cleanse the world!
The white lotus drifted forward silently, tracing an arcane path. In an instant, it closed in on the Evil Consort.
For all her bravado, the Evil Consort wasted no time. Her surging Death Mystic Force summoned a Giant Skeleton to shield her. With a shift in her mudras, the skeleton rapidly grew fluorescent flesh and blood, morphing into a red-eyed female ghost with disheveled black hair. At first glance, it was hideous; upon closer inspection, it was a vision of unearthly beauty.
“Ten Rakshasa Maidens: Ghost Mother Fetal Robe!”
Her mudras halted. The ever-shifting ghost spread its arms wide, enfolding the Evil Consort in protection, its vast black sleeves forming an impenetrable barrier against the onslaught from both sides.
Boom!
The three Saint Mystic Techniques collided with cataclysmic force. The entire Fire Refining Starry Sky trembled, stars shedding flames of varying brightness in its wake.
Atop the altar, Cai Lian, Yi Xian’er, Long Ying, and Yan Yan stood guard by the stone bed. They gazed toward the source of the commotion. Though they couldn’t see a thing, the overwhelming Saint Might pressed down on them like a physical weight. Yan Yan and Long Ying huddled together in fear, clutching each other tightly.
Whoosh.
A streak of black light flashed past, depositing Yan Zhen safely onto the altar before slowly dissipating.
The four women rushed over at once.
“Little Zhen Zhen, are you alright?”
Yan Zhen shook his head wordlessly and tilted his gaze toward the invisible distance. A heavy weight settled in his chest, making it hard to breathe.
He knew full well the Evil Consort stood no chance.
Setting aside her poor condition and the two-against-one odds, the mere fact that she’d been lured into the Fire Refining Starry Sky imposed severe restrictions on her.
Battles between Mystic Saints came down to whose Cave Heaven World prevailed. Once inside an opponent’s domain, defeat was all but assured.
Punching through from within? That required absolute dominance in power—something utterly impossible under normal circumstances.
Thus, Yan Zhen’s deception had played a pivotal role.
With a quiet sigh, he turned to the four women.
“I’ll go guard the pendant and handle Granny Meng if she shows up. You all keep an eye on Jiuyou.”
