Ye Fan weakly said, "Release these villagers. They are innocent, and what’s more, they are subjects of your Flame Valley. Is this how Flame Valley treats its own people?"

"Excellent. We were just looking for a sacrifice, and you alone are worth an entire group. HAHAHA! Men, take him away!"

"Yes!"

Ye Fan was led away by the group of martial cultivators.

The villagers shivered with fear. They seemed to be out of danger, but the elder knew their lives had been exchanged for Ye Fan’s.

Ye Fan was taken into the Flame Tower, feeling utterly weak. I’ve already decided. Once the sacrificial ritual begins, I’ll enter the demonic state. It’s dangerous, but it’s a measure I’m forced to take.

"Lock him up!"

He was locked in a cage where several other people were also imprisoned. Looking at their despondent faces, Ye Fan noticed they all bore the mark of the Divine Continent Sword.

Ye Fan asked them, "Can any of you contact the leader of Sword Coming, Senior Zhan Xiong?"

The men were lifeless and didn’t respond, much to Ye Fan’s disappointment. Clearly, they had lost all will to fight.

However, it wasn’t long before the cell door opened and a man walked in. It was the Valley Master of Flame Valley.

He grabbed Ye Fan’s chin. "With you, our plan is complete. HAHAHA!"

"What exactly are you trying to do?" Ye Fan asked coldly.

"You’ll soon find out! To think you’d walk right into your own death... Still, I have you to thank for that, boy!"

He ordered his men to take Ye Fan to the darkest area of the Flame Tower. The place was bitterly cold, permeated by a bone-chilling aura. The surrounding torchlight flickered weakly, casting an uneasy glow. Before him stood an ice coffin, transparent and crystal clear.

This must be the place where they worship that demon, Ye Fan thought, his senses on high alert.

As he stood before the transparent coffin, he was unable to see what lay inside. Just then, the Flame Valley Master made his move. He sliced open Ye Fan’s wrist, and blood instantly gushed from the wound. It flowed onto the ice coffin before seeping inside. The method alone sent a chill down Ye Fan’s spine.

As his blood continued to pour out, Ye Fan knew it was time to act. If I don’t do something now, once the demon in this coffin is released, it won’t just be a disaster for this small world, but for the entire world.

Just as he was preparing to enter his demonic state, cracks appeared on the ice coffin. In the blink of an eye, it shattered.

"What is this?" Ye Fan stared in shock.

Beside him, the Flame Valley Master exclaimed in surprise, "Such potent blood! It directly revived the Witch!"

At that moment, a figure emerged from the melting ice. As the frost cleared, Ye Fan saw that it was a woman—a woman with a commanding presence.

Ye Fan nearly screamed, for no other reason than that this woman was identical to Su Qingxue. She was a perfect copy, without a single flaw. Su Qingxue had a beauty mark on her face, and this woman had an identical one in the exact same spot.

How can there be two identical people? And why does this woman radiate such heavy Evil Qi?

Suddenly, the woman’s eyes snapped open.

"We welcome the Witch!" The Flame Valley Master immediately dropped to his knees.

However, the woman floated up as lightly as drifting snow, grabbed the Valley Master by the neck, and flung him away. He slammed against the wall, reeling in agony, yet he wasn’t angry. On the contrary, his face was filled with anticipation.

The woman then approached the weakened Ye Fan and reached out her hand. Instantly, Ye Fan felt himself being lifted by a powerful aura, floating toward her.

He mustered his last ounce of strength and struck out, but it was all for nothing. The woman gently caught his hand, and in that instant, all his power dissolved.

She bit into his neck.

"AH!"

Ye Fan felt his blood being swiftly drained into her mouth, his life slipping away.

Suddenly, the woman pulled her mouth away from his neck. "Your blood... it has a fatal allure," she said. "I need your blood!"

"Witch, he is our prisoner! You can drink his blood whenever you wish!" the Flame Valley Master said respectfully.

The woman turned to him and asked, "Who are you?"

"Mo Girl, I am Gongsun Chou, the thirteenth-generation descendant of the Gongsun Ancestor!" the Flame Valley Master declared his name.

The woman’s brow furrowed slightly in thought, as if she recognized the name. "Is Gongsun Hentian well?"

"Reporting to the Witch, the Ancestor passed away fifteen hundred years ago. He left behind a will stating that we, his descendants, must awaken the Witch, no matter the cost!" Gongsun Chou explained.

A shudder wracked the woman’s body. "How long have I slept?"

"For two thousand years," Gongsun Chou replied.

"It is rare to see such loyalty from the Gongsun Family. To think that after so many years, you still haven’t given up on awakening me," the woman said.

"It is our duty as the Gongsun Family. Witch, your awakening makes everything we’ve sacrificed worthwhile!" Gongsun Chou said reverently.

Though weak, Ye Fan understood that Gongsun Chou and the entire Flame Valley served this woman. What is this woman’s background, that she could inspire the Gongsun Family to strive tirelessly to save her for a thousand years?

"You may leave for now," the woman said. "I have just awoken. I need to recollect my sealed memories."

"Yes!" Gongsun Chou obeyed. Just as he reached the door, he turned back and asked respectfully, "Witch, what should we do with this boy? Shall I take him away?"

"That won’t be necessary," the woman replied.

"Yes!"

Gongsun Chou departed, elated. For Flame Valley, a millennium of effort had all been for this day, and now it had finally arrived. How could he not be overjoyed? This was the happiest day of Gongsun Chou’s life—Flame Valley’s thousand-year plan was finally realized.

The woman looked calmly at Ye Fan. "You are gravely injured."

"You wicked old witch! Do you have any idea how many people died for your awakening? You’re utterly irredeemable!" Ye Fan snarled. Flame Valley has striven for a thousand years to achieve this plan. One can only imagine how many people have died for it. This woman might be stunningly beautiful, but in my eyes, she is nothing but a heinous Female Demon.

"Even if what you say is true," the woman responded, "what does that have to do with me?"

"How can it not have anything to do with you? They all died for you!" Ye Fan shouted.

"They died for me. Was it not worth it?" the woman asked again.

Ye Fan was rendered speechless. The combination of his severe injuries and excessive blood loss was too much, and he fell into unconsciousness.

When he came to, he saw the woman standing outside the room.

Ye Fan weakly pushed himself up. He realized this two-thousand-year-old woman was impossible to reason with. Moreover, she looked exactly like Su Qingxue. Could there be some connection between them? He then recalled Su Qingxue mentioning that a woman who looked just like her was calling out to her from her subconscious. At this thought, a chill of dread ran down his spine. He couldn’t bear the thought of Su Qingxue becoming this Female Demon.