My Host Only Marries the Strong

Three days later, Echo accompanied Seraphine to the academy for the trial.

Today, Seraphine wore a crimson dress that blazed like fire, embroidered with golden and silver threads forming clusters of flowers in brocade patterns. She looked magnificent and alluring—like a blooming peony in full splendor.

Her phoenix crown gleamed, her skin was like congealed cream, her eyes like black lacquer, and her rouge-tinted lips seemed to hold a freshly fished red pearl from deep waters.

A lazy smile curved her lips as she occasionally nodded to acknowledge the people who approached to greet her.

“There are one hundred fifty-two more people in class today than usual,” Echo reported.

Seraphine was in an excellent mood, casually swishing her weapon. “Mm.”

Siyi approached at that moment, taking Seraphine’s hand to examine her nail dye. She smiled, “Palace Lord, your nail color is exceptionally even this time. Fellow Daoist Xi has steady hands with a sword—perfect for applying nail dye for the Palace Lord.”

Listen to what she’s saying.

Seraphine looked at Siyi with satisfaction, lifting her hand to admire her fingernails with a small “tsk” of approval.

She muttered, “These past three days, I’ve spent an hour each day teaching her calligraphy. Once she masters proper penmanship, she’ll be able to add decorative line patterns to this red base. Otherwise, it would be too plain.”

Plain?

Echo leaned over to look and said sincerely, “Seraphine, I could use spiritual energy to paint designs for you.” Let me draw you a cute little Error!

But Seraphine immediately hid her hands behind her back, glancing at Echo. “What’s the fun in that?”

Right, right—Seraphine likes things that are fun.

Echo quickly said, “I’ll practice hard!”

“I’ll be waiting.” Seraphine said meaningfully, giving Echo a long look before taking up her whip and walking toward the center of the training grounds.

The other disciples who’d passed the trials had already assembled, with spectating students standing around the perimeter.

Siyi said quietly, “The Palace Lord stands out remarkably among these people.”

Echo immediately nodded upon hearing this. “Seraphine is definitely the most beautiful.”

“……” Siyi’s eyes showed a flash of surprise as she looked at Echo, speaking in gentle tones. “What I meant was, the academy disciples mostly wear white robes—it seems to be an unspoken tradition. The Palace Lord in her vermillion red naturally draws attention among them.”

She looked up at the gathering. The academy disciples were carefully selected young cultivators from across the Five Continents. Having purged themselves of mortal impurities, each was refined and transcendent.

Among the assembled disciples, the women were gorgeous and the men extraordinarily handsome. Of the two selected female participants, besides Seraphine, there was also Shi Yingyue, the saintess of Red Lotus Sect—equally a stunning beauty of national caliber.

However…… Siyi smiled slightly, thinking she was admittedly biased. She felt that while countless people in the world wore red, none could match Seraphine’s radiant confidence and spirited demeanor.

As for white robes—Siyi glanced sideways at Echo, thinking that Fellow Daoist Xi in her blue-green attire, with her immortal grace and jade-like beauty, was matchless under heaven, outshining all the white-robed figures without competition.

One warm, one cool—truly a match made by heaven.

Siyi’s fingers played with a jade stone in her sleeve as she waited for Master Mingyan to arrive and open the Flame Array. Once the ten disciples entered, she said to Echo, “Each master at Insight Academy Palace holds a token that can open the Insight Academy Secret Realm.”

“However, the ten masters set different tests. The master of the academy I joined holds assessments twice yearly, and the top scorer can enter the Insight Academy Secret Realm to cultivate for half a year.”

“Everyone came here hoping to witness Master Mingyan’s Flame Array.”

“Oh!” Echo nodded cooperatively.

Siyi chuckled softly. “I know Fellow Daoist Xi isn’t particularly interested in these matters. Actually, I have something here that might interest you.”

Echo quickly said, “Actually, I’m very interested in watching Seraphine navigate the Flame Array.”

Siyi smiled without responding, taking out a book from her storage ring and handing it to Echo. The cover depicted a phoenix tree with a woman sitting beneath it, cradling a phoenix in her arms. The phoenix’s tail feathers trailed on the ground, concealing a blood-stained sword.

The book was titled: Sword Seeks Phoenix—Immortal Realm Chronicles of Love and Vengeance.

Echo: “?”

“Should I give this to Seraphine? Okay.” Echo said, reaching for the book.

Siyi quickly interrupted, “No no, this book is just for you to read.”

Just for me? Echo nodded and activated her scanning function, flipping rapidly through the pages.

“I’ve finished reading it.” Echo handed the book back to Siyi. “Thank you.”

Siyi’s turn: “?”

She held the book with a mixture of tears and laughter. “Please, Fellow Daoist Xi, read it more carefully.”

“Okay, okay. I’ve memorized it—I’ll read through this story of Xi Ling Immortal and Phoenix Girl again when I get back.” Echo gave Siyi a thumbs up.

Siyi paused for a long moment, then looked pityingly toward Seraphine, who stood with hands at her sides in the distance. She thought: I see now, Palace Lord. It’s not that you haven’t been trying hard—it’s that this mountain is very high. No small feat indeed!

“Fellow Daoist Xi, if you find this story decent, I have two more volumes about their reincarnated lives. Shall I find them for you when we return?” Siyi persisted.

Echo nodded. “Sure.”

Seeing that Echo smiled and agreed to everything cheerfully, Siyi said nothing more. Overdoing it would be counterproductive—let Fellow Daoist Xi return home to savor and contemplate slowly.

At the center of the training ground, Master Mingyan tossed out a pagoda. This pagoda was a supreme-grade artifact, its entire body burning with fierce flames. Even standing dozens of meters away, they could feel the scorching heat.

Master Mingyan announced: “Foundation Establishment enters the first floor, Golden Core the second, Nascent Soul the third, Soul Transformation the fourth. The first student to pass through the Flame Array will enter the Insight Academy Secret Realm for cultivation. Time is precious—go quickly.”

Her personality was as fiery as flame itself. She waved her hand with authority, telling everyone not to waste time.

Seraphine turned back for a quick glance at Echo. Echo’s eyes lit up as she immediately raised Nine Heavens and her jade flute, waving them enthusiastically.

Go for it!

Go Seraphine!

Seraphine smiled warmly and transformed into flowing light, flying into the tower.

After all ten entered the Flame Array, Master Mingyan cast out a water mirror. Within it appeared the ten disciples positioned at different locations.

The Insight Academy Palace masters never hoarded their teaching methods, enlarging the water mirror for the two hundred-plus students to see. “These are the top ten from this month’s tournament battles in my academy. You should carefully observe their response methods and consider how you would act if you were in their position.”

“Yes!”

Seraphine stood on a stone platform without moving rashly, surveying her surroundings.

From outside the tower, it hadn’t seemed like much, but once inside she realized this space was incredibly vast.

Beyond the stone platforms, lava churned and bubbled. Several stone platforms floated in the lava, burned to a bright red color by the molten rock.

Additionally, mechanisms constantly moved in all directions, spitting flames so fierce and scorching that they made it difficult to keep one’s eyes open.

Seeing that Seraphine had remained stationary for quite some time, a beast-headed mechanism’s eyes glowed as it suddenly spat flames directly at her.

Seraphine’s gaze turned cold. She lightly tapped her toes to dodge the flames, her dress hem fluttering as she danced above the fire like a phoenix spreading its wings. Echo watched intently.

She absolutely loved how Seraphine looked when fighting. It was different from her usual arrogance. When Seraphinefought, her eyes held a cruelty she herself hadn’t discovered. All her battles were cold and detached, never dragging things out—always aiming for the killing blow.

The mechanisms were layered densely, and even a brush with the flames would be agony beyond death. Ten cultivators moved through the firelight, but the Flame Array seemed to be more than just a simple obstacle course.

When Seraphine’s toes touched a stone platform, her brow moved slightly. With a resonant “clang,” a phantom fire phoenix appeared, wrapping around her as she leaped into the air, avoiding the massive jaws that suddenly erupted from the lava.

A giant beast made of lava opened its mouth and roared—

“ROAAAAR!”

The cultivators who’d been holding their breath while watching the water mirror were simultaneously startled into a cold sweat by the sudden bellow behind them. They turned in panic to see the silver-haired, blue-robed Xi Lingren sweep over them with a cold expression, saying calmly, “Everyone, please focus.”

“……Yes.”

Everyone wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads, looking with lingering fear toward where she pointed. There they saw Echo holding Nine Heavens, which she shoved into the mouth of a suddenly appearing Fire Rock Dragon, preventing it from closing its jaws.

“Creak creak creak.” Error shook her head and wagged her tail, her large green eyes looking pleadingly at Echo.

Sorry, Orb. Forgive me.

Echo glanced at Error’s back and saw Pine Child sitting on her head, Xue Mengtao riding on her back, and Water Dragon’s Hymn perched behind them.

Oh, Water Dragon’s Hymn came too?

Echo pulled Nine Heavens from the Fire Rock Dragon’s mouth and said to the floating Water Dragon’s Hymn, “No fighting today. I want to watch Seraphine fight.”

“Fine.” Water Dragon’s Hymn nodded, looking at the humans in the water mirror with some interest.

All ten cultivators who’d entered the Flame Array encountered this fire dragon, drawing their weapons to battle it. The fire dragon’s cultivation was somewhat higher than the entering cultivators, and being a same-attribute battle, it came down to who was stronger.

Amid the screen full of firelight, that golden-red phoenix bird captured everyone’s attention. With resonant cries, wherever the crimson whip fell, the phoenix dove straight down, piercing through the fire dragon’s long belly.

Among the watching cultivators, some cried out in surprise, others clapped and sighed in admiration. But amid all the praise, only Echo frowned.

Error transformed into human form, cupping her face in her hands and squishing it. She’d just approached Echo and hadn’t even spoken when a sword was thrust into her arms. Echo said, “Disgusting. Please wash Nine Heavens clean.”

You’re the one who shoved it into my mouth, yet you’re the one being disgusted! Error widened her eyes, holding Nine Heavens as she crouched next to Pine Child. “Master, could you cry a little? I need to wash this sword.”

Pine Child’s eyes immediately reddened with anger. “Insolent speech! You’re forbidden from eating tomorrow!”

What a cruel punishment! Error held the sword, watching her master chase and whip the fire dragon in the water mirror. Her mood improved considerably as she went to find stream water to bathe Nine Heavens.

The red-eyed Pine Child finally walked over to Echo. The ground beneath its feet sprouted tree roots, lifting it up. Pine Child stood with hands behind its back, looking at the several people in the water mirror, immediately noticing the phoenix.

“Hmm, this person seems familiar,” Pine Child said.

Echo replied, “That’s Seraphine.” The target of my system’s affection.

Pine Child tilted its head thoughtfully. “Yunong Velka?”

Siyi said quietly, “Reporting to Master, Yunong Velka is our Palace Lord’s mother.”

Palace Lord?

Pine Child’s eyes showed some confusion.

“Has Master ever seen our former Palace Lord?” Siyi asked.

Echo said, “She mentioned Yunong Velka.”

Pine Child thought for a moment. “I had just taken human form then—only caught a glimpse.” It pointed at Seraphine in the water mirror. “Like her.”

Siyi couldn’t help but smile. “Mother and daughter share the same bloodline—naturally they’re alike.”

Pine Child nodded, watching Seraphine in the water mirror with curiosity.

After their conversation ended, Xue Mengtao approached Siyi, leaning close to whisper in her ear, “Master, after class ended today, Senior Sister Lanzhi hurried to find Master An. I left a bit late and happened to overhear them saying things like ‘anomaly in Central Continent’ and ‘urgent situation.’ I wonder what incident occurred.”

Siyi nodded with an unchanged expression, reaching out to straighten Mengtao’s clothes. She said warmly, “Even after entering Insight Academy Palace, you mustn’t relax. You chose the Sword Hall, which has the most students—you need to intensify your cultivation.”

“Yes, Master.” Xue Mengtao nodded.

Soon after, Error returned happily with the sword, followed by a white-robed, ethereally beautiful woman carrying a scroll—it was Lanzhi.

Error tossed Nine Heavens to Echo. “Someone’s looking for you.”

Echo found it difficult to tear her eyes away from the water mirror, so she simply tilted her head and perked up her ears: Please speak, please speak.

Lanzhi smiled gently. “Fellow Daoist Xi, do you have time? Could we speak privately?”

If she was asking like that, Echo kept her eyes on Seraphine, watching her manipulate the fire phoenix to shatter the fire dragon, and said straightforwardly, “No time!”

Nearby, Siyi raised her hand to touch her hairpin, exchanging glances with Xue Mengtao.

Having been flatly refused by Echo, Lanzhi showed no anger. She glanced at the water mirror. “Historically among disciples, the shortest time to clear the Flame Array was six hours, which would last until evening. Fellow Daoist Xi, shall I come find you again in the evening?”

If it’s in the evening…… Echo quickly shook her head, saying very earnestly, “I won’t have time then either.”

I have a meeting!

It’s a matter concerning the fate of the system!

Unless it’s something related to Seraphine, please postpone all other requests.

Thank you, thank you.

[Author’s Note]:

Lanzhi: The world is ending!

Echo: Minor issue, minor issue.

I’ve got my priorities straight—the world can end later. Seraphine is currently fighting a giant fire dragon. Want to see how the world-ending crisis is handled—or, more accurately, how it’s completely ignored? Sneak a peek 20 chapters ahead at Pxtreon➡️LoveisLove520.