Apotheosis

Jean's eyes glinted dangerously as she began to assess the weight of the situation.

Even though her strength was comparable to Flamine's, it was unwise to fight Flamine openly within the Phoenix Palace.

In any case, she was cautious enough not to do anything foolish. Moreover, Flamine said that Zen held a greater importance in the Oneness Sky Palace than they did.

If Zen was truly significant to the palace, she wouldn't want to further complicate things. Otherwise, her position in the Phoenix Palace would be at stake. Once Eastern Emperor Taiyi punished her, she would be demoted from her current position.

Meanwhile, Flamine merely stood there waiting calmly, with a charming smile etched on her face.

In actuality, she had set this trap up. The only thing she had to do now was wait for Jean to take the bait and walk into it.

The tension in the area was almost palpable. Even the direct descendants felt their hearts pounding against their ribs.

It was not that big of a deal for the disciples of the Oneness Sky Palace to fight in the Phoenix Palace.

However, it would be a serious matter if the two wives of the emperor fought there. Moreover, both of them held high positions.

Zen and the others remained quiet while assessing the current scenario. He surmised that Flamine was confident enough to challenge Jean on the spot.

Boom!

All of a sudden, they heard a melodious chime coming from the depths of the Phoenix Palace. It rang all throughout the entire palace.

Flamine, Jean, and the direct descendants turned their heads toward the direction of the chime.

Afterwards, they heard a loud booming voice. It was such a magnificent sound that resonated from the depths of the Phoenix Palace.

"Zen, come here and meet Eastern Emperor Taiyi."

The entirety of the Phoenix Palace heard the voice clearly.

"He is awake!" Flamine wasn't able to hide her surprise.

Eastern Emperor Taiyi had been cultivating in solitude for such a long time. This worried the other people in the Phoenix Palace.

Jean also showed a flash of surprise on her face. Eastern Emperor Taiyi finally woke up. But instead of summoning someone from their palace, the first person he wanted to see was Zen?

"With all due respect, Lady Flamine, who do you mean?" Zen asked courteously.

Flamine responded with a smile and said, "It's Eastern Emperor Taiyi. Make haste. He already summoned you. I'll escort you there."

"You'll be showing me the way?" Zen exchanged looks with Nelly, Lavender and Laquisha. One thing was for certain. They were all dumbfounded.

Jean was extremely narrow-minded. What would happen if she got mad at the girls after he left with Flamine? After all, they wouldn't be able to resist clashing with a strong warrior like her.

Nonetheless, Flamine perfectly understood what worried Zen. She casually said, "There is no need to worry. This is the Phoenix Palace. Even though some of the people here might be unreasonab

theless, some of Eastern Emperor Taiyi's wives, specifically Jean, had tried many times to compete for the empress throne. However, she was rejected by Eastern Emperor Taiyi every time.

Flamine continued to explain this to Zen while they walked into the depths of the Phoenix Palace.

As soon as they stopped walking, an exquisite three-story pavilion came into sight. Compared to the magnificent halls he saw while walking inside the Phoenix Palace, this seemed a bit simpler.

"You can go inside now, Zen." Flamine stopped walking as soon as they reached the pavilion. Her escort duty to Zen had been fulfilled.

"I'm going in alone?" Zen was taken aback. He thought Flamine would accompany him inside as well.

Flamine nodded in response. "He only summoned you. Hence, you have to enter by yourself."

Zen looked at the simple door of the pavilion. Promptly, he stepped forward.

The pavilion was indeed small but the interior design was very elegant. As soon as he stepped inside it, a faint fragrance greeted his nose. He couldn't quite place what the fragrance was. Nevertheless, it somehow made him feel peaceful.

A thin veil covered the main hall of the pavilion. It was such a delicate fabric yet it concealed whatever it had behind it.

As Zen walked closer to it, the veil curtains automatically opened and moved toward the sides.

He saw a simple yet ancient-looking screen bearing an illustration of an exquisitely huge bell standing in the middle of the main hall. This bell looked exactly the same as the Bell of Eastern Emperor that Chance had activated with his blood.

"Zen?"

A middle-aged man clothed in a grey robe came out from the side of the screen.

This man wore a purple and gold crown upon his head. He had a square face, his eyes looked as sharp as hawk's, and his facial expression was serious. It commanded a magnificent presence. He was the great Eastern Emperor Taiyi.

"Yes." Zen cupped his hands together and bowed to him.