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"Impossible… impossible!"
"A monster… this man is a monster. No human can be this powerful!"
"Strange Flames… two Strange Flames… heavens, am I dreaming?"
"Kill… kill with all we've got! If he lives, we're doomed!"
Whispers of terror rippled through the Black Sharks, their bloodthirsty faces now etched with shock. Hardened pirates, who lived on the edge of a blade, never imagined they'd wear such expressions.
All caused by a youth barely twenty, the mental impact overwhelming.
On the other battlefront, Shui Niang Qing stared, stunned. Though prepared for Lan An's three Strange Flames, his display—without even unleashing his full power—shattered her comprehension.
Her brother, Shui Mo Er, had once raved about Lan An's battle with Hei Ao, praising how he crushed a higher-realm foe with awe-struck fervor. Back then, Shui Niang Qing thought Lan An merely a standout genius, as she too could defeat foes above her level.
But now, witnessing Lan An dominate the battlefield, clad in peerless gear, mounted on a majestic Purple Thunder beast, wielding devastating techniques…
Fire Phoenix, reigning over the skies.
Earth Bear, unmatched in might.
Wood Turtle, steadfast as a mountain.
His offense, defense, and destruction were staggering, rendering thousands of battle-hardened pirates helpless.
The Golden Crow, guarding him, incinerated all attacks nearing his body.
Shui Niang Qing realized that against Hei Ao, Lan An had used less than a tenth of his strength.
If Shui Mo Er were here, he'd likely be kneeling in utter submission.
Her heart trembled, her lips murmuring, "This man… he has such a side, so different from his usual shamelessness."
"Which is the real him?" The Water Dragon Immortal Fairy's curiosity for this man deepened.
Across the battlefield, Hei Sha's face twisted grotesquely. Lan An's havoc—thousands of pirates reduced to ash, nearly ten warships destroyed—made his heart bleed.
This battle's losses exceeded centuries of their plunder.
"Die!" Rage overwhelmed reason. Hei Sha abandoned his desire to claim Shui Niang Qing's body, intent on killing her swiftly to end the chaos.
"Sandstorm Crush!"
His roar unleashed a torrent of Earth Elements and island sand, converging on his axe.
A massive sandstorm formed around the blade, capable of shredding all in its path.
Before this terrifying storm, Shui Niang Qing and Hei Sha seemed insignificant.
Yet Hei Sha wielded it effortlessly, swinging with lethal intent toward Shui Niang Qing.
The Void Refiner's power collapsed the void.
Shui Niang Qing's expression grew grave. Sandstorm Crush, Hei Sha's famed Earth-grade Supreme Technique, had once buried over ten warships of a rival pirate band.
The storm swept away trees, bearing down on her.
"Wrath of the Sea!"
Her enchanting shout rang out. Verdant Strange Water surged, forming a towering wave, ten thousand zhang high, behind her.
The Lan Hong Sect, once an Eighth-grade power, still held numerous Earth-grade techniques despite losing its Heaven-grade ones.
Wrath of the Sea was an Earth-grade Supreme Technique.
Like a sea goddess, Shui Niang Qing gripped her Thunder Spear, standing atop the divine wave, facing the oncoming sandstorm.
As Hei Sha's ferocious gaze burned, she acted.
Her spear rose skyward, a bolt of lightning striking it, channeling into the wave below.
Lightning met water, erupting fiercely.
In an instant, the wave became a sea of thunder, crashing down on the sandstorm.
Boom!
The island, shaped like a shark's maw, quaked violently. Pirate strongholds collapsed.
The ground split into a bottomless chasm, revealing underground streams.
At the collision's core, space shattered, forming a vortex with ferocious suction, ready to devour all nearby.
Lan An and Little Lion, forced back by the spiritual shockwave, hovered midair, watching the chaos below.
Countless weaker pirates perished, not even fragments remaining.
Earth Bear vanished, Wood Turtle faded to a faint shadow, but Fire Phoenix soared, unaffected.
"Like bulls clashing, the flies die. Void Refiners… still so mighty," Lan An muttered, his face solemn.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Eight hall masters and nearly thirty surviving Nascent Soul pirates surrounded him, their gazes vicious.
"Fight!" Lan An grinned, brandishing his Flood Dragon King Spear, its two Strange Flames blazing as he charged.
The hall masters exchanged grim looks, roaring as they attacked together.
The Nascent Soul pirates, knowing they couldn't match him directly, stayed back, launching sneak attacks.
Lan An fought offensively and defensively, the Golden Crow shrieking with noble might.
For a moment, the battle reignited.
Spurt!
After the clash, Hei Sha's body was hurled back, his robes tattered, revealing a cracked Earth-grade armor. Blood sprayed from his mouth, his face ashen.
Shui Niang Qing fared little better, kneeling on one leg, her smoky-gray hair disheveled, her spear propping her up. Strange Water spread, rapidly healing her wounds.
She touched the flawless Exquisite Treasure Robe, glancing at the war god-like figure in the sky, her eyes sparkling with joy.
The previous day…
"This is the Exquisite Treasure Robe, only Earth-grade Supreme, but it'll protect you. You look stunning in normal clothes, but I don't want others seeing your exquisite skin in battle," Lan An said, leaning on the ship's railing, pressing the robe into Shui Niang Qing's hand.
"Hmph, who cares for it? This body isn't yours!" she huffed proudly, though her heart softened. An Earth-grade Supreme item, given so casually.
"Who says it's not mine? I even know how many moles you have," Lan An teased.
"You… rogue…" Shui Niang Qing's cheeks flushed, raising her hand to slap him.
Catch
He grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his arms.
Kiss
His warm lips pressed her forehead, his voice sincere. "Take it. I'd regret even a glimpse of your ankle exposed."
Back in the present, Shui Niang Qing smiled, caressing the robe that had shielded her from the clash's force.
"Strange Water is truly remarkable!" Hei Sha wiped blood from his lips, sneering inwardly.
A mid-stage Void Refiner, he only matched an early-stage one due to her Strange Water and lightning. Without either, she'd falter.
Their techniques were of equal grade.
"Shui Niang Qing, who broke your seals?" Hei Sha demanded, struggling to his feet.
The plan was flawless. With Shui Niang Qing and Shui Mo Er dead, the Lan Hong Sect would collapse, easily subdued.
Dong Ming Zhe, using the Sealing Talisman, had his men record it with an Image Jade, confirming both Shui Niang Qing and Lan An were fully sealed, without error.
Hei Sha's overconfidence led to the Sharks' current ruin.
Why else would he fight Shui Niang Qing in his own lair? He wasn't foolish enough to risk it otherwise.
The perfect plan unraveled when the Sealing Talisman failed, a thorn in Hei Sha's heart. Without answers, he couldn't rest.
"Fool!" Shui Niang Qing spat, raising her spear, lightning surging as she charged.
Her recovery outpaced Hei Sha's.
"Damn you!" Hei Sha roared, gripping his axe, lunging desperately.
"When will you act? The Black Sharks we built are crumbling!" he screamed inwardly to an unseen presence.
In the skies…
"Sweeping Thousand Armies!" Lan An laughed, gripping his Flood Dragon King Spear, sweeping forward with heroic valor.
Little Lion matched him, unleashing Purple Thunder at a late-stage Divine Transformation hall master.
The hall masters' faces darkened, combining forces to block.
Each of Lan An's strikes required their collective effort to counter.
The Flood Dragon King Spear, a Heaven-grade artifact, would shatter their weapons in a solo clash.
Mounted on Little Lion, striking from above, Lan An's Piercing Weakness vision made each blow lethal. An early-stage Divine Transformation hall master, careless, had an arm crushed, howling in agony.
Dozens of Nascent Soul pirates attacked from all sides, but their ranged strikes burned to ash by the Golden Crow Void Flame before reaching Lan An.
Offense and defense seamless, Lan An dominated.
"How does he have such spiritual power? Even a genius should be drained!" a hall master, parrying a blow with his greatsword, flew back, roaring in frustration.
"No human… he's not human. Even top geniuses from the Sea Palace or Water Heaven Sect can't compare!" another bellowed, unwilling.
The Sea Palace and Water Heaven Sect, Ninth-grade powers of Lan Zhou Continent.
"Two Strange Flames… is he from the Fire Radiance Sect?" a knowledgeable hall master gritted out.
Only the Fire Radiance Sect's unique methods could wield two Strange Flames.
"Damn it! The Fire Radiance Sect is in the Yellow Sand Continent, furthest from Lan Zhou. Why come here?" another, aware of the sect's fame, cursed.
Lan An's onslaught overwhelmed them. No matter their techniques, the Golden Crow Void Flame incinerated all.
Top five on the Strange Flame Ranking, its protection and destruction were unmatched.
Only Heaven or Spirit-grade techniques might hinder Lan An, but these pirates wielded only Earth-grade at best.
A Seventh-grade power couldn't stop Lan An's advance. His true foes were Eighth and Ninth-grade powers.
"Branch missions are never tough!" Lan An sneered, sweeping his spear with one hand, firing Star-Piercing Finger with the other, using Golden Crow Void Flame. It pierced an early-stage Divine Transformation hall master's head, then five Nascent Soul pirates, before dissipating.
"Heaven-grade Technique?" the pirates roared in panic.
Their nightmare was just beginning.
"Star-Plucking Hand!"
A colossal flaming purple hand formed in the sky, burning space itself, crashing toward a mid-stage Divine Transformation hall master.
"Help me!" the hall master screamed, pale with fear.
But a Heaven-grade Technique fueled by Strange Flame daunted all.
These pirates, selfish and cruel, prioritized personal gain. Why sacrifice for a peer?
With no aid, the hall master roared, "Sea Vortex Fist!"
Water Spiritual Power gathered in his fist, striking with all his might.
Sizzle
Sea Vortex Fist evaporated under the Strange Flame. Star-Plucking Hand, like it could seize the stars, crushed down.
"No!"
A wretched scream echoed from within, the hall master reduced to ash.
Another hall master fell.
"Die!" A late-stage Divine Transformation hall master struck from behind, his face ghastly, his long saber slashing.
"Futile!" Lan An sneered. With his White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye's Thousand-Mile Vision, sneaking up was laughable.
Even Di Sha's Le Wen Lian failed. A mere pirate?
"Gentleman's Demon-Slaying Fist!"
Channeling his full strength, Lan An spun, unleashing a punch.
The air exploded with its force.
Boom!
The sneak attacker's organs ruptured. Gritting his teeth, he stabbed at Lan An.
He succeeded.
But despair followed.
Clang
The Blood Slaughter Armor, impregnable, blocked the blow effortlessly.
Only a Void Refiner could breach it.
Roar!
Little Lion, enraged at the sneak attack, chased the reeling pirate, its razor claws, clad in lightning, tearing him apart.
Rip
His body split, his Nascent Soul fleeing, only to be shredded by Little Lion's lightning.
Gulp
Gasps echoed. In moments, three more Divine Transformation hall masters fell, four including Hei Bao.
Hall masters, second only to the leader, were untouchable to most. Now, five were dead.
The urge to flee spread. The sole peak Divine Transformation hall master, teeth clenched, used a movement technique, fleeing skyward.
He was terrified.
But Lan An swapped his spear for the Big Dipper Bow.
The sky darkened, seven Big Dipper stars shining behind him, five glowing brightly.
The bowstring pulled taut.
Golden Crow Void Flame formed the arrow.
It shot forth.
Spurt
The peak Divine Transformation hall master felt death's embrace. The arrow pierced his head, burning him to nothing like dry leaves.
Dead.
The sky fell silent, countless terrified eyes fixed on the youth, a question gnawing at them.
"Does his spiritual power ever run dry?"
Another would tire after one Heaven-grade technique, but Lan An seemed an inexhaustible machine, defying all understanding.
Despair gripped the pirates' hearts.
Lan An sneered coldly. Unlike the Qing Yun Sect, where he spared most disciples, these vile Black Sharks deserved no mercy.
He raised the Big Dipper Bow, aiming at another hall master.
Suddenly…
A rift tore open behind him.
A hand, radiating Void Refinement might, shattered space, lunging for his head.
Lan An, unfazed, fired another arrow.
Whoosh
The arrow streaked through the air.
The terrifying hand neared his skull…