183: Red-haired Empress

The sky above Fentian City, which had briefly calmed after Jun Bufan's retreat, was instantly overtaken by an even more searing and violent pressure.

It was the true aura of a monarch, one that stood above all living beings.

"Roar—!"

Nine Soul-shaking dragon roars erupted simultaneously, instantly tearing through the sky that had been obscured by crimson clouds. Nine flame flood dragons, each over a hundred zhang long and wreathed in dark red Hellfire, slowly emerged from the Void Realm, pulling a floating palace made entirely of Scarlet Essence Saint Gold—a structure so magnificent it bordered on the ostentatious.

Around the palace, countless fire essences transformed into birds circling it. Sparks of fire rain actually began to fall from the sky—a phenomenon formed by the condensation of extremely high-purity fire elemental energy.

"The Divine Fire Palace... it's the procession of the Divine Fire Palace Master!"

Outside Tiangong Workshop, the observing Cultivators collapsed to their knees like wheat being harvested. Even the remnants of those usually arrogant female Sword Cultivators lowered their heads in trepidation, not daring to look directly at the palace.

Iron Heart Orchid's face turned pale. Although she had already submitted to Lin Chen, the bone-deep reverence for the true ruler of the Second Heaven—the Palace Master of the [Divine Fire Palace]—made her instinctively grip the corner of Lin Chen's clothes.

"Master... it's Zhurong Zhuyan. She is the will of Crimson Bright and Yang Heaven, the fiercest fire in this world."

Lin Chen remained standing with his hands behind his back. Amidst the high temperatures that could cause a normal True Immortal's Physical Body to spontaneously combust, his black robes fluttered loudly, but his gaze only grew deeper.

The vermilion curtains of the palace were slightly lifted. What first entered everyone's sight was a long, rounded, and shapely leg shimmering with a healthy bronze divine radiance. The lines of the leg were perfect—neither too thick nor too thin. On her jade-like foot was a delicate red-gold bell that emitted a crisp chime with her every movement.

The curtains were pulled back completely, revealing the woman reclining on a soft couch.

She had a head of red hair as hot as lava, draped wildly over her fragrant shoulders. On her exquisite face, flame-red lips curled slightly, exuding a sense of lazy dominance that suggested she held the world in her hands. She wore only a simple piece of dark red light armor that barely covered her ample chest. Large areas of her waist and shoulders were exposed, every inch of skin radiating a wild charm that would drive men mad and make women feel inferior.

Zhurong Zhuyan, the red-haired Empress of Crimson Bright and Yang Heaven.

Her eyes, burning with golden-red flames, slowly swept over the ruins before finally fixing on Lin Chen.

"So it was you who killed my messenger in the Lower Realm and just now snapped the Flying Sword of that waste from the Sword Washing Pool?" Zhuyan's voice was slightly raspy, yet so magnetic it made one's Soul tremble. "Hmm... looking at you up close, you're even more handsome than the portrait in the message talisman. No wonder you could slaughter my messenger like a dog."

As she spoke, an invisible soundwave mixed with imperial pressure caused the surrounding buildings to creak under the strain.

Lin Chen looked up, meeting the Empress's gaze directly, a provocative smile on his lips. "The messenger was too weak, and the Sword Cultivator was too frail. I have a habit of not being able to stand trash loitering in front of me, so I disposed of them conveniently."

"Arrogant."

Zhuyan gave a light chuckle. There was no killing intent in her laughter; instead, it held a thick sense of interest. She flicked her jade-white finger, and a translucent flame with the faint silhouette of a roaring dragon and tiger inside—the [Samadhi True Fire]—drifted unhurriedly toward Lin Chen.

The flame looked light, but every Artifact Refiner present turned pale. That was a Dao fire capable of incinerating the Divine Soul of a True Immortal; it was the ultimate power of the Second Heaven.

Su Qingge's expression shifted as her silver divine pupils were about to activate, and Iron Heart Orchid even took a step forward, wanting to block it.

"Don't move."

Lin Chen gently pushed the two women aside. The moment the Samadhi True Fire reached him, he didn't dodge; instead, he did something that turned the entire crowd to stone.

He opened his mouth, took a deep breath, and actually... swallowed that True Fire, which was capable of burning mountains and boiling seas.

*Gulp.*

Lin Chen's Adam's apple bobbed as the flicker of fire descended down his esophagus into his Dantian. A moment later, a flash of dark golden light pulsed around him. He then opened his mouth and let out a long burp, a wisp of faint white smoke drifting from the corner of his mouth.

"The heat was decent, but the flavor of this Samadhi True Fire is a bit light. It's not as potent as the 'dry wood and fierce fire' of the one at my home." Lin Chen patted his stomach and looked at the Empress on the couch with a playful gaze. "Got any more? Give me a few more to satisfy my craving."

The entire area fell into a deathly silence.

The nine flame flood dragons growled uneasily, and the maids of the Divine Fire Palace were so shocked that the fans in their hands dropped to the ground.

Zhuyan was stunned. Then, a fit of wild and heroic laughter erupted from the palace.

"Hahaha! Interesting! Truly interesting!"

She laughed so hard she trembled, the Peaks restrained by her light armor surging violently as if they might break through. Her long, beautiful legs crossed on the couch as she looked at Lin Chen—no longer with scrutiny, but with the greed of a hunter who had spotted top-tier prey.

"I have presided over this Crimson Bright and Yang Heaven for three thousand years, and this is the first time I've seen a man who dares to swallow my Origin True Fire. Lin Chen, you have successfully caught my attention."

Zhuyan flicked her finger, and a streak of crimson light flew toward Lin Chen.

"Take this invitation. In three days, at the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, I will leave a seat for you at the 'Zhurong Platform' at the highest point of the Divine Fire Palace." Her eyes shimmered with a hint of dangerous temptation. "If you dare not to come, or if your performance isn't outstanding enough... I will burn your little lover's Tiangong Workshop to the ground. Furthermore, I'll lock your delicate little maids in the Fentian Prison to suffer the torment of those fierce fires day and night."

"As for you... I will personally refine you into a fire essence statue that can only watch but cannot move, and place you in my bedchamber to admire every day."

The nine-dragon palace set off again. Along with Zhuyan's domineering laughter, the fire clouds gathered once more, and the miraculous procession vanished into the depths of the Void Realm in an instant.

Lin Chen caught the burning crimson token. Looking at the two characters "Zhuyan" carved upon it, his gaze grew even more heated.

"Master... that is the Empress's personal token. She... she has her eyes on you." Iron Heart Orchid walked to Lin Chen's side, her eyes filled with both worry and a strange sense of rivalry that only a woman could feel.

Lin Chen casually tucked the token into his robes. He then pulled Iron Heart Orchid's sweat-slicked bronze body into his arms and gave her rounded buttock a heavy slap.

"What are you afraid of? This Empress has a lot of fire in her. It just so happens... that it's time for me to take out my specialized 'fire extinguisher' to get some sun."

...Night fell inside the inner chamber of Tiangong Workshop.

Because of the pressure brought by Zhuyan during the day, Iron Heart Orchid was exceptionally clingy. Her personality, usually decisive and vigorous, became as fierce as a volcanic eruption once she fell into the throes of passion.

"Master... we leave for the Divine Fire Palace tomorrow... Qinglan is afraid..."

She knelt naked before Lin Chen, her black hair cascading down her back, partially veiling her seductive curves. From years of smithing, her body possessed an incredible flexibility and sense of power; even while kneeling, her firm abdominal muscles and straight, long legs radiated a maddening charm.

"Afraid of what? Afraid I'll be stolen by that woman?" Lin Chen sat on the edge of the Black Iron couch and tilted her chin up.

"Qinglan just feels that... she hasn't been 'refined through' by Master yet." She murmured, her bronze cheeks flushed with an intoxicating red. Her hands, calloused yet extremely sensitive, trembled as they covered Lin Chen's knees.

Lin Chen chuckled and suddenly exerted force, pinning the tall Grandmaster Artifact Refiner directly onto the cold Black Iron workbench.

"Ah—! Master... I'm going to be melted again..."

In that cramped and heated room, Iron Heart Orchid pushed her incredible physical stamina to its limit. She was like a vine clinging to a giant tree.

"Master... everything of Qinglan's... belongs to Master..."

At the height of the Peak, Lin Chen looked down at the woman he had completely tamed. His eyes held no pity, only the dominance of one who controlled everything.

His journey had never been about this tiny Fentian City.

During these three days, he would not only completely "refine" Iron Heart Orchid but also upgrade Su Qingge's Eye of Delusion Breaking once more. For his next target was the main seat of the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly—the high and mighty red-haired Empress!

[Volume Objective Established: Crush the arrogance of the Sword Washing Pool, conquer the dominance of the Divine Fire Palace!] [Current Progress: Zhurong Zhuyan (Favorability: 15% — Interest from the strong)!] [System Hint: Detected Second Heaven hidden resource 'Ten Thousand Year Crucible'. It is recommended to seize it during the assembly to evolve Su Qingge's Ethereal Holy Physique!]