Demon Refining Gourd

Grace shook her head. "Believe it or not! But Dexter, I advise you to respectfully let me out, or... take a guess—would His Highness the Crown Prince pickle you in wine?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince? Which Crown Prince?"

"Naturally, the Crown Prince of the Dragon Clan," Grace replied. "Didn't your master, Princess Luminia, tell you what my relationship is with His Highness?"

Dexter's face changed again.

Grace knew she had guessed right again.

He was a Phoenix Clan operative.

In the Phoenix Clan, the only one so desperate to kill her was Princess Luminia. Who else could it be?

"Stop trying to scare me!" Dexter retorted. "Even if you are someone to His Highness, there's no way he'd know you entered the Demon Refining Gourd!"

Grace glanced at the little cutie in her sanctum and smiled. "Are you sure about that?"

Just as Grace was about to be sucked in, Evan Xiao arrived in a flash of light.

Originally, Evan Xiao still had a chance to grab hold of Grace.

But the Demon Refining Gourd was too powerful—he feared that if he pulled too hard, it would tear her in half.

Whoever the Demon Refining Gourd decided to suck in, only that person could enter.

Evan Xiao wanted to follow her in, but he couldn't.

In that split second, he dove into Grace's sanctum and was brought along inside.

"His Highness is inside drinking and chatting!" Dexter said. "I'll control the pace and let it slowly refine you. Enjoy your stay in the gourd, you nasty girl!"

With that, his figure began to fade.

Grace stepped forward, trying to grab him, but caught nothing.

It was just a phantom.

Once Dexter left, Evan Xiao finally emerged from the sanctum.

"Evan Xiao, why didn't you come out just now? If he'd seen you, he would've let us go for sure!" Grace asked curiously.

Evan Xiao glanced at the surrounding walls, frowning. "He won't let us out."

"He's that bold?"

"If he wasn't, would he have dared to snatch you in the temple?" Evan Xiao replied. "The Demon Refining Gourd is a top-grade celestial artifact. They say even the Divine Clan can't escape once inside. If I show myself, not only will he speed up refining you, but his master might take the chance to get rid of me too."

Grace bit her lip. "So what do we do now?"

"I'll go take a look." Evan Xiao flew up to the pitch-black hole above.

Grace felt the room shake twice.

Then she saw him return, looking grim.

"Well?" Grace asked.

"There's a Grand Array above. It's a dead end," Evan Xiao said.

No sooner had Evan Xiao spoken than the lights on the walls began to glow.

Strange runes were carved into the walls, and golden energy flowed through them.

Suddenly, Grace felt the Yuan Force in her spirit core leaking out uncontrollably.

"Evan Xiao..." Grace grabbed his sleeve.

"What's wrong?" Evan Xiao noticed her voice sounded off.

"Dexter activated the Refining Spell Array inside," Grace said. "My Yuan Force is being drained!"

"Try entering your sanctum," Evan Xiao said, frowning.

Grace's soul slipped into her sanctum, but it was useless.

Her body remained outside—the Demon Refining Gourd was draining the Yuan Force from her physical form.

Evan Xiao wrapped her in his divine power, drew runes with dragon blood, and formed a barrier to shield them both.

But the Demon Refining Gourd was truly extraordinary—none of it worked. Her Yuan Force kept pouring out.

Grace felt that if this kept up, she'd be dead within half a day...