Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao Chapter 1566 - 89: Challenge to the Evil Empress

The Empress snorted coldly, but offered no retort and ceased her sarcastic remarks.

Hou Chen's eyes immediately turned crimson, with tears welling but not falling.

"Father, I will continue to impart the inheritance to you. This time, you should grasp it without any issues."

Hou Chen choked, his voice trembling as he spoke.

Zhou Yan waved his hand, stating, "Chen Chen, you no longer need to teach me. Your previous instruction was excellent. After absorbing the Origin, I've regained many lost memories, making this inheritance less challenging."

"However, I cannot continue cultivating here; I must learn and fight on the battlefield."

Zhou Yan declared with seriousness.

Hou Chen hesitated briefly before replying, "In that case, Father, there's something I need to tell you."

"Proceed."

Zhou Yan gazed at Hou Chen, already having an inkling of what his son was about to reveal.

"The Emperor Soul Clan excels in the true Soul Path. The Evil Empress of the Emperor Soul Clan has, at present, devoured and merged with my mother, Bi Shui Fairy's soul. Bi Shui Fairy is now the Evil Empress, a being among the Ten Thousand Immortals and Buddhas, and a primary adversary of our Human Clan."

"Father, your mission is to slay and refine Bi Shui Fairy using the Soul-devouring Technique of the Ancient Evil Dragon."

"My mother, Bi Shui Fairy, can no longer be saved. She abandoned me, abandoned you, and abandoned herself."

Hou Chen spoke with palpable pain.

Zhou Yan's heart was filled with solemnity, yet his outward expression remained largely unchanged.

"I am already aware of this. Mother Empress, come here."

Zhou Yan said, suddenly directing his sharp gaze towards the Mother Empress.

At this moment, Zhou Yan's eyes were exceptionally icy and piercing.

The Mother Empress's body quivered, and she instinctively took a few steps back in panic, stammering, "Zhou Yan, I... I have to leave now. We can discuss this another time!"

"Leave? And where do you think you're going? I, Zhou Yan, administer rewards and punishments with fairness. You cannot simply depart from this matter!"

"If you attempt to leave, I shall refine and consume every branch of the Life Ancient Tree belonging to your Emperor Ancient Clan. I will obliterate you first!"

Zhou Yan's tone was utterly tyrannical and fierce. His ferocious and stern demeanor had gradually surfaced as his memories returned and restored.

He appeared to be transforming, evolving into a truly formidable sovereign.

Even the proud Mother Empress felt a profound chill, protesting, "Zhou Yan, don't push things too far!"

"Get over here!"

Zhou Yan commanded with a chilling shout, akin to a thunderclap that struck the Mother Empress, causing her entire frame to tremble, rendering her incapable of resistance.

The Mother Empress silently moved forward, positioning herself beside Zhou Yan.

Extending his hand, Zhou Yan forcefully ripped away the mask concealing the Mother Empress's face.

In that instant, an extraordinarily beautiful and astonishingly stunning visage was revealed to all present.

Upon witnessing this countenance, not only Jiang Yuning but also Gu Xi were overcome with surprise and disbelief.

The Mother Empress's face was strikingly pale, yet her beauty was intensely captivating.

"Shall I address you as Wan Nishang? Or perhaps Li Xinyu?"

Zhou Yan taunted coldly.

The Mother Empress's face instantly drained of color, and her body began to tremble slightly.

"The Immortal Bone Blood Embryo, you truly possess a remarkable scheme!"

Zhou Yan declared, delivering a resounding slap.

"Slap—"

A dull thud echoed as a vivid red, five-fingered imprint materialized on the Mother Empress's cheek, causing her face to swell instantly.

"This is retribution for your past deeds, for the sake of Feng Lingqing and Hou Chen."

"And now."

Zhou Yan gently caressed the Mother Empress's face, using the power of the Nirvana Origin to erase all the marks, then stated, "Consider this compensation."

"Wrong is wrong, and right is right. Had it not been for your meddling, the Soul Burying Starfield would not have devolved into its current state."

"You distorted space-time, flipped black into white, altered the very heavens and earth, and repeatedly exploited the Life Ancient Tree to extract my memories, attempting to truly awaken me from this True Void. Do you genuinely believe I was unaware of your machinations?"

"Initially, you were dispatched by the Emperor Soul Clan to the Human Clan, tasked with deceiving Hou Yi's Saint Spirit, much like Feng Zishuang and Zhou Lingyi were manipulated to ensnare me!"

Zhou Yan articulated with chilling finality.

His tone had shifted from inquiry to declarative statement!

The Mother Empress remained silent, solely observing Zhou Yan. Her eyes conveyed a depth of hatred, intertwined with an inexplicable, complex emotion.

Zhou Yan's resolve remained, yet he could only let out a sigh. "Hou Yi's Saint Spirit accompanied you through three lifetimes, enduring the cycle of rebirth. What were you contemplating? Do you even know where he has vanished to now?"

"I was oblivious before, but now I am aware. Do you grasp the reason you could perceive the Magic Cube of Life beyond your Domain? It is due to Hou Yi's Saint Spirit's ceaseless efforts! He has been expending all his Origin to forge a connection between all things in existence, shielding this realm from your limitations."

"You would never comprehend, nor would you even consider it. You are truly devoid of all sentiment!"

"However, on the rare occasions you display emotion, it appears utterly preposterous and profoundly lamentable, do you fathom this?"

Zhou Yan's reprimand was delivered with a harsh tone, akin to a stern lecture to a child.

Astonishingly, the formidable Mother Empress offered no resistance, passively accepting Zhou Yan's castigation.

Even Gu Xi and Mu Qingyan found the unfolding scene unbearable to witness.

Yet, at this very juncture, Zhou Yan's inflection softened slightly.

Then, he carefully replaced the mask upon the Mother Empress's visage, once more concealing her pallid, exquisite countenance.

"Mother Empress, you ought to return and diligently oversee my Sacrificial Heaven Ancient City. I will not tolerate any mishaps befalling them!"

"As for myself, I shall venture forth to confront and vanquish the Evil Empress."

"Evil Empress."

The repetition of the name 'Evil Empress' produced a wave of bitterness within Zhou Yan's heart.

He had never anticipated that, in retrospect, his initial affection had not been directed towards Zhou Lingyi, Feng Zishuang, or any other woman, but rather towards Bi Shui Fairy.

His profound love for Bi Shui Fairy served as the very genesis of love, predating any other romantic entanglement.

Consequently, Hou Chen emerged from this pure love, existing and subsequently being replicated.

In truth, the purported encounter between Bi Shui Fairy and himself did not transpire later within the Heavenly Court, but had already occurred much earlier. The subsequent event was merely a duplication, a mere echo in Fate's grand design.

Ergo, Hou Chen's existence preceded Yanyan's.

This explained Hou Chen's return to the Time Source point, with the intention of eliminating his past self.

Despite the ultimate success of this self-annihilation, he was still nurtured, which fundamentally contributed to Hou Chen's various innate imperfections.

Reflecting upon this intricate web of events, Zhou Yan couldn't help but exhale a deep, mournful sigh.

Whether in the mortal realm or the existence of a Holy Spirit, the most agonizing ordeal is undoubtedly when one's beloved is compelled to engage in a battle to the death.

Regardless of the victor, the ultimate outcome is destined to be steeped in profound sorrow.

Furthermore, the Mother Empress's complete ignorance of the world beyond the confines of the Magic Cube rendered the situation even more dire and terrifying.

Zhou Yan sighed once more and declared, "Mother Empress, you need harbor no concerns. Accompany me, and I shall assist you in locating your beloved. While I struck you, I firmly believe you comprehend the underlying reasons far better than I do, and you acknowledge that this chastisement was truly warranted!"

"As for all other pending matters, you may confidently entrust them to my sole discretion henceforth."

"With my current might, even the Evil Emperor would merely stand on equal footing in terms of combat prowess."

"The Evil Empress... must perish."

Zhou Yan uttered these words, a fleeting shadow of pain surfacing in his eyes.

However, he adeptly concealed this brief flicker of anguish.

Turning away without a word of farewell to anyone present, he immediately caused myriad singularities to spontaneously manifest across the heavens and earth. Their constituent particles coalesced, ultimately forming a void reminiscent of the Reincarnation Ancient Land.

Within this newly formed void, Zhou Yan projected his likeness and fixed his gaze inward with icy intensity, proclaiming directly, "Bi Shui Fairy, Zhou Yan issues a formal challenge to battle!"

His voice resonated like a celestial thunderclap; as it reverberated, the very fabric of the Reincarnation Ancient Land commenced to quake violently, as if an avalanche of calamitous Destruction rules was imminent.

"You have finally awakened? Excellent, truly excellent. I have long anticipated this very moment!"

A voice, emanating from the depths of the Reincarnation Ancient Land, cool, haughty, and utterly devoid of warmth, echoed forth.

This voice belonged to Bi Shui Fairy, yet its chilling familiarity sent shivers down one's spine.