The two Divine Monarchs were frustrated. They hadn’t expected the Seven-Colored Demon Empress to see through their plan at this critical juncture. Yes, that had indeed been their plan. But now, they didn’t dare act on it. The Undying Phoenix was a despicable person.
The Crownless God Monarch said awkwardly, "Senior, please don’t misunderstand. How could we possibly do such a thing!"
"That’s hard to say!" the Undying Phoenix retorted with disdain. As far as she was concerned, the Divine Race had always been the most despicable and detestable group in the entire Divine Domain. For the sake of profit, they were capable of anything.
While they spoke, the Seven-Colored Demon Empress was secretly preparing her escape.
The Crownless God Monarch quickly added, "Since this is our first time cooperating, it’s only natural for you to be wary of us, Senior. How about this? We’ll be the ones to kill her. That way, you can rest assured!"
The Undying Phoenix nodded. "Fine, I accept your proposal. Go ahead. Just don’t kill the boy. As for her, do as you please!"
Then, the two Divine Monarchs began to walk step-by-step toward the Seven-Colored Demon Empress, who looked panicked.
She glared at the Undying Phoenix and declared, "The next time we meet, I won’t hold back! It will be a fight to the death!"
"Next time?" the Undying Phoenix sneered. "You will never have a next time!"
The words had barely left her mouth when a tide of auspicious purple qi swept in from the east, flooding the entire space. The endless purple qi swirled around them, stunning all three.
"Attack now!" the Undying Phoenix commanded.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t find any sign of the Seven-Colored Demon Empress within the swirling purple mist. By the time it dissipated, Ye Fan and the Seven-Colored Demon Empress were gone from the hall.
"Senior, what should we do now?" the Crownless God Monarch asked.
"Don’t worry," the Undying Phoenix said. "There must be a secret passage here, but they won’t escape. I’ve already set up an Array around Demon Mountain! They’re hopelessly trapped. As soon as they trigger the Array, I can appear instantly and slay them!"
The two Divine Monarchs sighed in relief at her words, but they were inwardly furious. If not for the Undying Phoenix’s constant suspicion, they would have succeeded long ago, and the pair never would have escaped. Still, what was done was done. They weren’t afraid, as they had many ways to deal with the Undying Phoenix. For now, however, she was still useful to them. Their ability to withstand the Evil You Ancestor’s assault depended on her.
Ye Fan opened his eyes weakly, finding himself in an extraordinarily beautiful Demon Palace enveloped in purple.
Is this Heaven? Am I dead? he murmured to himself.
"You’re not dead," the Seven-Colored Demon Empress said. "This is our escape route. This is the deepest part of Demon Mountain, a secret I discovered myself. The Undying Phoenix doesn’t know about it. However, it can only hold for half a month at most. She will surely discover this place quickly. Even though it’s protected by a Demon Clan Array, it will only take her a few days to break through if she’s determined."
"This place feels extraordinary," Ye Fan said. "It must be the grand creation of your Demon Clan’s ancestors."
"That’s right," the Seven-Colored Demon Empress explained. "This is the secluded cultivation ground of the Demon Clan Leader. Only the successive leaders of the Demon Clan know of this secret place. The Undying Phoenix is unaware of it because she has never earned the clan’s recognition to hold the title of Demon Clan Leader."
Ye Fan nodded in understanding. "Your former master is too ruthless. With the Demon Clan in her hands, its demise will only be hastened."
"She is no longer my master," the Seven-Colored Demon Empress said, her voice filled with guilt. "I’m sorry. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been so gravely injured."
"For you, it was all worth it," Ye Fan said with a faint smile.
"You’re still making jokes at a time like this!" she laughed. Her smile was radiant, but it was cut short as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Ye Fan’s expression turned to fear. "Are you alright?"
Though incredibly weak himself, he could sense her life force, even her very spirit, fading.
"I can still hold on," she said weakly.
"Surviving a great disaster is a sign of good fortune to come," Ye Fan said, trying to reassure her and himself. "Even though we’re in trouble, I believe we can escape this."
"Mm," she murmured, choosing to believe him.
Ye Fan quickly checked his condition and was shocked by what he found. His essence and his Spiritual Spring had both sustained heavy damage. Thankfully, the self-healing ability of his Ancestor Realm Bloodline had kept him alive; without it, he would have already perished. Even so, the situation was far from optimistic. A full recovery would take years.
Only the Evil You Ancestor can save us now. Otherwise, once this place is breached, it’s all over.
"Can we really hold out here for half a month?" Ye Fan asked.
"I’m not certain," she replied, "but I believe we can."
"That’s good. The Evil You Ancestor should be able to get here in ten days at most," Ye Fan said reassuringly. In truth, he had no idea if the ancestor would even come. The Evil You Ancestor was in a deep slumber, leaving too many things to chance.
The Seven-Colored Demon Empress lay in Ye Fan’s embrace, feeling a deep sense of contentment. Perhaps this was what she had always wanted. She had completely accepted him.
「The next day.」
Ye Fan and the Seven-Colored Demon Empress began to focus on their recovery. Sadly, with his current abilities, Ye Fan could only stabilize his injuries to prevent them from worsening. True recovery was another matter entirely and would require numerous rare and powerful materials.
Throughout this time, the Seven-Colored Demon Empress cared for him tirelessly. Ye Fan, focused on his own condition, failed to notice that she was growing weaker with each passing day. She concealed her decline so perfectly that he remained oblivious.
「Three days later.」
Ye Fan had finally stabilized his condition, preventing his injuries from erupting. On this very day, however, both he and the Empress frowned grimly. The Undying Phoenix had found them.
Standing above their sanctuary, her voice dripped with cold malice. "So, you wretched pair have been hiding deep within Demon Mountain. Did you really think you could escape my grasp? You are far too naive. I will show you the meaning of true despair!"
She gathered her most potent essence and unleashed a devastating blast. It exploded above them, yet the two remained completely unscathed. As the Undying Phoenix prepared to strike again, she was shocked to find her own attack rebounding toward her. She dodged just in time; otherwise, the force would have sliced her in two.
"What a powerful Array," she sneered. "But it can’t stop me. I will shatter this bothersome Array within five days!"
The Undying Phoenix began plotting how to break the Array.
Ye Fan breathed a sigh of relief.
Five days. That should be enough time. Evil You Ancestor, please hurry! Otherwise, all of this will be for nothing!
Just then, the Seven-Colored Demon Empress suddenly went limp and collapsed into his arms. A large amount of blood spilled from her lips. It was clear she couldn’t hold on any longer.
"Don’t scare me, darling!" Ye Fan pleaded urgently. "You can’t fall asleep!"
"I’m so tired," she spoke feebly. "I want to rest."
"No, you can’t rest!" Ye Fan said anxiously.
He desperately poured his power into her body in a frantic attempt to save her, but tragically, she did not awaken.