As flames surged, the temperature within the great hall rose sharply.

"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!"

Accompanied by the piercing cries of a phoenix, the Empress wove her technique. Bathed in terrifying Divine Flame, the God Phoenix Feather completely separated from her body and sank into the unconscious Chu Chen.

Pfft!

Another mouthful of scarlet blood sprayed from her lips. Empress Lin Shuwang's aura withered drastically.

Her cultivation realm plummeted directly from the Eighth Heaven of the Great Saint realm.

Great Saint Seventh Heaven!

Great Saint Sixth Heaven!

Great Saint Fifth Heaven!

...

"Master!"

"Stop! Hurry and stop!!"

Zhang Ke'er screamed hoarsely. She struggled with all her might, desperate to rush forward and stop her Master from tearing the God Phoenix Feather from her own body...

Yet her figure remained firmly bound by terrifying spatial power, unable to move a single inch.

Even with her cultivation plummeting, the Empress was still a Great Saint powerhouse, let alone within the domain of this Divine Flame Emperor Palace.

"Chu Chen, this Empress does not like owing debts."

"Since I accepted your God Phoenix Essence Blood and listened to so much of your... this God Phoenix Feather shall serve as my repayment!"

Her realm had fallen from the Eighth Heaven to the Fourth Heaven of the Great Saint realm in a single breath-a full drop of four secret realms. The Empress's peerlessly beautiful profile was now etched with utter exhaustion, looking as though she might collapse at any moment:

"The God Phoenix Feather possesses the power to revive the dead, restore flesh to bone, and grant Nirvana rebirth. Whether you can reforge your path of cultivation will depend entirely on your own fortune!!"

She watched the God Phoenix Feather slowly submerge into Chu Chen's body. An ocean of life force erupted within him in an instant, beginning to reconstruct his physique bit by bit and heal his Dao Wound...

"Ke'er, announce to the outside world that your Master has entered death-secluded cultivation to break through to the Saint King realm. Do not let any flaws show."

Empress Lin Shuwang breathed a sigh of relief, only for a tidal wave of intense weakness and fatigue to sweep over her:

"Remember what your Master told you. Do not... do not make things difficult for him."

Offering her disciple Zhang Ke'er a faint smile, Empress Lin Shuwang waved her hand, shattering the void.

Taking a step forward, she vanished into the deepest hidden chamber of the Emperor Palace, her figure swallowed by vast swaths of scarlet flames...

"Master!"

"Master!!"

Watching her Master suffer consecutive drops in cultivation and be forced into Secluded Cultivation, Zhang Ke'er was both furious and heartbroken, her eyes turning red.

It was only when the shattered void re-formed and the spatial power binding her slowly dissipated that Zhang Ke'er regained her mobility.

"Hmph, you bad man! You stinky man!"

"It's all your fault! It's because of you that Master was forced into Secluded Cultivation."

Furious and exasperated, Zhang Ke'er rushed up to the unconscious Chu Chen and kicked him several times:

"Men really are like floods and savage beasts! All of them are villains!"

"Hmph! If anything happens to Master, I... this young lady will absolutely not let you off!"

After cursing him out, Zhang Ke'er finally vented a bit of her anger.

Looking at the still-unconscious Chu Chen, Zhang Ke'er pouted. Reluctantly, she bent down, hoisted him onto her back, pushed open the heavy palace doors, and trudged step by step toward her residence in the Purple Bamboo Forest.

...

Chu Chen felt as though he were dreaming.

A very, very warm dream.

This warmth rose from the very bottom of his heart, spreading to every corner of his body.

It was like a long-dry riverbed suddenly blessed by torrential rain. The cracked, barren earth, once devoid of life, was now surging with newfound vitality.

Clusters of lush green grass and vibrant flowers sprang from the soil. The rich life force drove away the desolation, reshaping a brand-new world.

Nourished by this formidable vitality, his shattered Meridians reconnected. His Dao Wound was completely healed. His once oil-exhausted body had completely transformed, truly living out a second life.

Chu Chen had not experienced this feeling in over three years.

"Whoosh, whoosh... Am I..."

Not knowing how long he had slept, Chu Chen suddenly jolted awake from his dream, sitting bolt upright on the bed.

As he surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings, he rubbed his throbbing head, trying to piece together his memories before losing consciousness.

He remembered coming to the Divine Flame Emperor Palace to see the Empress...

To confess his feelings to the Empress~

After confessing, he had been preparing to leave, only to be knocked out by a single slap from Empress Lin Shuwang.

I...

Rubbing his slightly bruised and swollen arm, Chu Chen winced in pain.

This Empress...

If she didn't accept the confession, fine, but did she have to strike so ruthlessly?!

Wait. Since she rejected his confession and knocked him out, then...

Then why put him on a bed? Why not just toss him out of the mountain gate?

He looked up and scanned the room. Red candles and silk curtains, fresh and elegant, with a faint, unknown fragrance lingering in the air...

This was clearly a young woman's boudoir. Why had he been brought here?

Chu Chen subconsciously looked down at his...

Luckily, his belt was still intact. If the Empress had taken advantage of his precarious state...

Then... then he wouldn't have to worry about food and drink for the rest of his life~

Thinking of this, Chu Chen actually felt a faint hint of disappointment.

"Hmph, since you're awake, get off my bed right now."

Before Chu Chen could ponder further, a willful, spoiled voice suddenly rang out from beyond the door.

Creak.

Following the sound, a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl in an emerald-green dress walked in with a stern face.

"You are?"

Chu Chen paused. Looking at Zhang Ke'er, whose delicate features resembled a porcelain doll, he felt a bit puzzled.

He was certain this was his first time meeting this girl, yet he could clearly feel her unfriendly, provocative gaze-a look that suggested she wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.

When had he offended her?!

"My name is Zhang Ke'er. I am the Saintess of the Divine Flame Emperor Palace and the sole beloved disciple of the Empress!"

Zhang Ke'er set down the bowl of plain congee and pickled vegetables she had brought in, crossed her arms, and muttered inwardly:

Mortals are such a bother, needing to consume these mundane grains to fill their stomachs. If it weren't for Master's sake, I would never have cooked for you...

Saintess!

Beloved disciple!

Zhang Ke'er!

Chu Chen froze for a moment, then instinctively stood up and cupped his hands in a bow to Zhang Ke'er, expressing his gratitude.

"Thank you, Saintess!"

Although Zhang Ke'er acted fierce, allowing him to sleep in her own boudoir and preparing plain congee and pickled vegetables in advance...

Such thoughtful actions clearly showed that this girl had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She spoke the harshest words but did the most heartwarming things.

Compared to the Ye family's hypocritical, honey-tongued white lotuses, someone like Zhang Ke'er actually made Chu Chen feel at ease.

"Hmph, don't think that thanking me means I... I'm not angry with you anymore."

Chu Chen's humble and polite demeanor left Zhang Ke'er stammering, suddenly unsure of what to do.

Under the influence of her Master's slogans-such as "Men are floods and savage beasts" and "We master and disciple shall remain single for ten thousand years"-Zhang Ke'er rarely interacted with the opposite sex, focusing solely on seeking the Great Dao.

Gurgle~ Gurgle~

Smelling the fragrant plain congee on the table, Chu Chen's stomach growled.

Chu Chen didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up the bowl and began to eat heartily, pairing the congee with the pickled vegetables.

He knew these were prepared specifically for him. After all, Zhang Ke'er was a powerhouse who had ignited her Divine Flame; she had long since abstained from mortal food.

"Where is your Master?"

"How did I end up in your... boudoir?"

"Your Empress doesn't plan to kill me, does she? If she did, you wouldn't have gone to the trouble of preparing this for me..."

Before Zhang Ke'er could speak, Chu Chen continued talking to himself between large gulps of congee:

"Forget it, none of that matters. Anyway, after I finish this bowl, I'll leave your Divine Flame Emperor Palace right away."

He was afflicted with a Dao Wound. His oil was exhausted and his lamp dry; he only had a few days left to live.

Although Empress Lin Shuwang was breathtakingly beautiful, a dying man like him shouldn't delay her any longer. Besides, Chu Chen wanted to use the final moments of his life to investigate his mother's whereabouts.

"What? You're leaving??"

Unexpectedly, upon hearing that Chu Chen wanted to leave, Zhang Ke'er angrily snatched the unfinished congee and pickled vegetables right out of his hands.

She looked like an enraged lioness, baring her fangs and brandishing her claws, ready to pounce at any moment.

"..."

Chu Chen was completely baffled. He reached out to take the bowl back, but Zhang Ke'er anticipated his move and dodged away.

"If I don't leave, what then? Should I stay for the New Year??"

Chu Chen still couldn't figure out why the Empress had knocked him out with a single palm strike. Weren't they having a pleasant conversation just moments before?

It seemed the saying "serving a ruler is like serving a tiger" was true.

Emperors were all moody and unpredictable.

If he didn't leave early, he wouldn't even know how he died.

"You... you shameless man!"

Zhang Ke'er was furious. She wanted to blurt out the truth, but remembered her Master's strict warning not to tell Chu Chen.

Left with no other choice, Zhang Ke'er raised her delicate hand. Wrapped in spiritual power, a letter and a token landed squarely in Chu Chen's palm.

"Hmph, this is what Master asked me to give you!"

Chu Chen immediately opened the letter. A line of elegant, small script entered his vision.

"When in doubt, ask the spring breeze. If the spring breeze is silent, follow your heart."

Chu Chen was slightly taken aback. The Empress was letting him choose.

After putting away the letter, he took out the token and examined it closely.

The token was forged from an unknown material, scalding hot to the touch, and contained an immensely majestic fire-attribute Spiritual Qi within.

The front of the token was engraved with four imposing characters: "Divine Flame Emperor Palace."

The back bore eight smaller characters: "Outer Disciple Trial Quota," each stroke carved deep into the surface.

Clearly, with this token, he could participate in the Divine Flame Emperor Palace's outer disciple trial. Once he passed the assessment, he would become an outer disciple and could legitimately remain in the palace.

Such a heavy favor from a beauty.

Chu Chen sighed softly. What a pity...

Under Zhang Ke'er's furious gaze, Chu Chen left the letter and token on the table, then turned and walked toward the door.

"You bastard, you're still leaving?!"

Seeing Chu Chen about to leave, an enraged Zhang Ke'er waved her hand, and terrifying spiritual power instantly sealed the door shut.

With his path blocked, Chu Chen did not panic. Instead, he smiled bitterly and spoke in a cold tone:

"What good would staying do? I only have a few days left to live. Staying would only..."

"I've never seen someone as stupid as you! Although Master forbade me from telling you, I simply can't hold it in anymore!"

"To save you, Master gave you the God Phoenix Feather-something she can only condense once in her entire lifetime! She used it to heal your Dao Wound and let you live a second life, but she herself was forced into Secluded Cultivation because of it!"

Though it meant defying her Master's orders, Zhang Ke'er couldn't bear to watch the two of them hurt each other, couldn't bear to see her Master bleed and weep in silence.

She really didn't understand how these people thought!

Was it so hard to just speak the truth?

Why hide and avoid it, causing endless misunderstandings, making things so dramatic and life-or-death? Did they think acting like that was heroic???

"..."

Zhang Ke'er's words struck Chu Chen's ears like rolling thunder. He instinctively swept his Divine Sense inward to examine his own body.

He was fine before he checked, but the moment he did, Chu Chen was utterly stunned.

His shattered Meridians were reconnected. His Dao Wound was completely healed. Even his blood and qi were exceptionally vigorous, several times-no, dozens of times stronger than before!!

Empress Lin Shuwang had...

The deepest, most guarded part of Chu Chen's heart was suddenly touched. A chaotic mix of emotions swirled within him, making his breathing quicken.

For the past three years, in the Ye family that had raised him, his cultivation resources had been successively plundered by his sisters and Ye Xuan. Even the maidservants who served him had walked all over him.

In the Ye family, he had suffered endless humiliation, living a life worse than a dog.

Yet his former mortal enemy, the demonic Empress Lin Shuwang, had sacrificed so much for him...

How ironic!

After blurting out the truth, Zhang Ke'er let out a long sigh of relief:

"Hmph, are you still leaving?"

Looking at Chu Chen's slightly reddened eyes, she suddenly felt that this man wasn't quite so detestable anymore.

Chu Chen took a deep breath. Suppressing his turbulent emotions, he blurted out:

"Leave! Of course I'm leaving!"

"Ah? I misjudged you!"

Chu Chen's answer caught Zhang Ke'er completely off guard, infuriating her all over again:

"You're just an ungrateful, heartless..."

Before Zhang Ke'er could finish her curse, Chu Chen snatched the letter and token from the table and pushed open the door:

"If I don't leave now, I'll miss your Divine Flame Emperor Palace's outer disciple assessment!!"

"..."