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"I heard the Bao Clan of Emei Archipelago is one of the Eighth-grade families under Duo Bao Pavilion's banner, led by a Late Void Refinement powerhouse. From what Bao Li displayed earlier, he's likely their young master," Shui Niang Qing explained to Lan An.
Lan An nodded. Duo Bao Pavilion, one of the most terrifying powers on the planet, naturally had numerous vassal factions.
A faction spanning the heavens, with branches everywhere and unmatched wealth, why did no one dare rob them? Simple: their strength was overwhelming. Only fools would provoke them.
The Bao Clan, a mere vassal, rivaled an Eighth-grade Power. Who knew how many forces Duo Bao Pavilion hid?
Fortunately, Duo Bao Pavilion focused on commerce, uninterested in factional conflicts. Otherwise, the planet's balance would shift dramatically.
Putting the Bao Clan aside, the two stood above the vast sea.
"Zhang Yu dwell deep beneath the ocean, a thousand li west of Emei Archipelago, right where we are. To hunt them, we must dive," Shui Niang Qing said calmly. "Moreover, you're targeting Fifth-order Zhang Yu, which can transform and possess high intelligence. They're tough to handle in the open sea."
"With a Void Refiner like you assisting, why fear a Fifth-order beast?" Lan An shrugged, grinning cheekily.
"Hmph." Shui Niang Qing snorted, about to dive when he grabbed her hand.
"What now?" She glanced at him with her beautiful eyes.
"Tada!" Lan An, acting mysterious, produced a deep blue pearl.
"Oh, a Water-Repelling Pearl. How did you get this?" Shui Niang Qing raised an eyebrow. The pearl allowed cultivators to move underwater without expending spiritual energy to shield themselves a rare item in Lan Zhou Continent.
"A little lass gave it to me," Lan An said with a smile. The pearl was a gift from Liu Meng Meng after a stone-cutting session.
Shui Niang Qing shook her head, exasperated. Why did everything about this man involve women?
But with the Water-Repelling Pearl, hunting Zhang Yu would be much easier.
Holding the pearl, Lan An grasped Shui Niang Qing's hand and descended into the sea.
The pearl glowed faintly, parting the water around them, forming a five-meter-wide circle free of seawater.
Standing within, they felt as if on land, watching the water walled off by an invisible barrier utterly fascinating.
"Die!"
Before they could marvel at the pearl's effect, a venomous roar erupted. A Mid Void Refinement aura surged, and a palm strike, collapsing the void, aimed at Lan An.
"Who's there?" Shui Niang Qing shouted in cold fury. Her Thunder Spear materialized, crackling with lightning as she thrust it toward the palm.
Crack
The palm shattered, and the ambusher faltered. Shui Niang Qing had concealed her cultivation, and their descent from the sky, not through a void rift, hid her Void Refinement status.
Lan An's face darkened. An assassination attempt in such a remote place who was behind it?
The attacker, seething with hatred for Lan An, didn't retreat despite Shui Niang Qing's interference. Confident in his Mid Void Refinement strength, he emerged, wordlessly wielding a blade surging with Wind spiritual energy, slashing at them.
A black-robed figure, his face masked, wore high-grade robes that even Lan An couldn't see through, explaining his stealthy approach.
"Courting death? Thunder Spear Ten Forms!" Shui Niang Qing, seeing the lethal intent, moved her spear swiftly, blurring into afterimages as she struck.
"Hmph." The figure snorted coldly. His Wind Blade conjured a tornado in the sea, shattering space and roaring toward them.
His mastery of Wind spiritual energy was terrifying.
"Sea's Wrath!" Shui Niang Qing called out, her Strange Water merging with the ocean, forming a colossal tsunami.
Her Thunder Spear infused lightning into the wave, amplifying the devastating move.
The tsunami clashed with the tornado.
The sea roared, the void fractured, and Lan An was blasted back.
Shui Niang Qing's face grew grim. The black-robed man summoned a whirlwind shield, protecting himself with minimal damage.
His strength surpassed even Hei Sha's. Who was this?
The man's heart sank, his face tense. He hadn't expected such a formidable woman beside the youth.
Staring at Shui Niang Qing, he recognized her, exclaiming, "Fairy Water Spirit?"
"Hmph, what thief are you? I don't fight nameless nobodies!" Shui Niang Qing said disdainfully.
The man stayed silent, glaring at Lan An with venomous envy, jealous of the beauties always surrounding him.
"What're you staring at?" Lan An taunted, mentally guessing the man's identity. Why such hatred?
"Little beast, only hiding behind women? Dare to fight me one-on-one?" The man gnashed his teeth.
He planned to retreat, knowing a prolonged fight against Fairy Water Spirit was unwinnable.
"Haha, an old geezer bullying a Nascent Soul youth? If you've got guts, suppress your realm to Nascent Soul—I'll behead you in one move!" Lan An laughed mockingly.
"You…" The man fumed, aware he couldn't match Lan An at the same level.
"Too scared? Then I'll let my wife handle you. What can you do?" Lan An roared with laughter, showing no mercy to an assassin.
"Wait for me… I'll return!" The man spat a venomous threat, preparing to tear the void and flee.
"Ling Bo Twin Palms!"
Two delicate hands pierced the void, striking with Water and Ice spiritual energy.
Ji Ya, disguised as Shui Niang Qing with Lan An's Faceless Mask, appeared.
Shui Niang Qing's excitement surged. Fighting alongside a powerhouse like Ji Ya thrilled her. Gripping her Thunder Spear, she charged the black-robed man with overwhelming force.
"How is this possible?" The man nearly wet himself in panic, seeing another "Shui Niang Qing" as if hallucinating.
"Idiot, I said I'd have my wife beat you, but I never said just one wife!" Lan An cackled shamelessly.
"Wind-Breaking Sky Cannon!"
Unwilling to surrender, the man roared, crossing his arms. Wind spiritual energy condensed into a destructive orb, like a cannonball.
He hurled it at Ji Ya with all his might.
"Ling Bo Micro Steps…"
Ji Ya moved gracefully, her divine footwork flickering in and out, effortlessly dodging the cannon.
Ling Bo Micro Steps, rivaling Lan An's Shadow Charm Steps, was peerless.
Boom
The Wind Cannon struck the sea, raising towering waves. Lan An used Speed Shift to evade.
"Damn, that footwork's too eerie!" The man shouted in shock.
"Die!" Shui Niang Qing struck from behind, her Thunder Spear unstoppable, aiming for his heart.
"Wind Phoenix Shield!" The man, rich in treasures, summoned a massive shield, swirling with countless whirlwinds, ready to deflect any attack.
Clang, clang, clang
Shui Niang Qing's spear struck the shield, unable to pierce it, only pushing the man back dozens of steps. The shield's energy nearly depleted, he retracted it.
"Ice-Water Barrier!" Ji Ya, lofty as a celestial, formed seals with her hands.
A barrier of Ice and Water trapped the man inside.
Boom, boom
He slashed at the barrier with his Wind Blade, but to no avail.
"Sea's Wrath!" Shui Niang Qing, seeing her foe trapped, summoned another tsunami.
Ji Ya didn't hold back, unleashing Ling Bo Heaven-Imprisoning Hand.
Lan An seized the chance to pile on, condensing his strongest Spirit Fusion Palm.
Three devastating techniques converged, sealing the man's fate in darkness.
"Damn you, you forced me!" The man roared in hatred. Facing death, even Heaven-grade techniques wouldn't save him. He popped a pill into his mouth.
His body swelled, shattering the Ice-Water Barrier.
Transforming into a red giant, his veins bulging like tree trunks, his power neared Peak Void Refinement.
"Berserk Pill? It boosts strength briefly but requires ten years to recover," Jin Ni explained.
Ji Ya and Shui Niang Qing recognized the pill, launching their attacks to kill him.
Lan An, knowing retreat was impossible, unleashed his Spirit Fusion Palm.
Boom, boom, boom
Space collapsed. Sea's Wrath, Ling Bo Heaven-Imprisoning Hand, and Spirit Fusion Palm struck the giant with lethal intent.
"Wind-Storm Sweeping Clouds!"
A hoarse voice rasped from the giant. The sky darkened, clouds swirling violently.
His massive hands stirred space, shattering his own Wind Blade.
A tempest surged, dragging the sea with it.
Lan An's eyes narrowed. He'd seen many Wind techniques, but this was the mightiest.
The storm's scope was vast, blanketing the sky. Countless sea creatures were pulverized into blood, unaware of the chaos.
The three attacks collided with Wind-Storm Sweeping Clouds.
Silence.
No sound of impact, as senses were momentarily sealed.
Blood trickled from Lan An's ears as he fled into the Spirit Realm Pearl.
Wise enough to know his cultivation couldn't withstand the shockwaves, he'd suffer severe injuries or death.
Only Void Refiners like Ji Ya and Shui Niang Qing could endure.
After a few breaths, he emerged.
His eyes twitched.
The serene sea was gone.
Blood from slain sea creatures stained the waters red. Tsunamis still rippled from lingering shockwaves.
Ji Ya and Shui Niang Qing lay pale on the sea's surface.
"Ya Er, Qing Er…" Lan An's heart bled, rushing to them, cradling them in his arms.
He sank to the sea, distraught.
He cherished them like treasures. Seeing them hurt, how could he not ache?
Who knew the black-robed man's full arsenal was so terrifying?
"Cough, cough… I'm fine, just minor internal injuries," Ji Ya smiled to reassure him.
"I'm… also okay. I'll recover with some rest," Shui Niang Qing said weakly.
Lan An's eyes reddened. He kissed their faces repeatedly, murmuring, "I'm too weak, too useless… you suffered for me."
"Fool, you've cultivated mere years, while we've trained for centuries. How can you compare?" Ji Ya stroked his cheek tenderly.
Their contract let her feel his self-blame.
Lan An shook his head silently, feeding them Healing Pills to stabilize their injuries. Healing Pills couldn't fully mend Void Refinement battle wounds.
Carrying them to the black-robed man's mangled body, floating pathetically on the sea, his flesh torn, bones exposed.
"Who is he? Astonishing artifacts, Heaven-grade techniques, sophisticated concealment, and a Berserk Pill—his identity isn't simple," Ji Ya murmured weakly.
Shui Niang Qing looked on curiously.
"Let's unmask him and find out," Lan An said, ripping off the man's mask and deftly pocketing his storage ring.
A middle-aged man, once handsome, glared with twisted, pale hatred, his appearance now grotesque.
"Who are you?" Lan An demanded coldly.
"Pfft, little beast… heaven favors you, always surrounded by stunning women!" The man spat venomously.
"What's that to you? If you're so great, find wives like mine!" Lan An sneered. This man saw only half the truth.
Sure, Lan An was protected by his wives, but what he sacrificed for them? Only they knew.
Outsiders envied his luck, but who among men could match what he gave for them?
Ji Ya and Shui Niang Qing shared his thoughts, looking at the man with disdain.
A Mid Void Refiner, jealous of Lan An over women?
"Hmph, I don't care how many women you have. But Bai Mian is my goddess, and you dare entangle with her? I'd devour your flesh and blood!" The man rasped.
"Meng Ying?" Lan An muttered, then sneered. "So it's you? A teacher of Saint Spirit Academy, ambushing a new student? No wonder Meng Ying never spared you a glance."
Lan An recalled the man—a teacher present at Saint Spirit Academy's opening ceremony.
Obsessed with Qin Meng Ying, he'd lurked in the Western Sea to assassinate Lan An.
Since Lan An's Western Sea mission wasn't secret at the academy, a teacher could easily investigate.
"Truly, a beauty brings calamity. If Meng Ying knew, I wonder how she'd feel," Lan An sighed, shaking his head.
"Don't say her name!" The man roared venomously. "A playboy like you isn't worthy of Bai Mian!"
"Idiot, I've long been entwined with Meng Ying. You're chasing pipe dreams!" Lan An snapped, stomping the man's face.
"No… you're lying… what's so great about you? Why would Bai Mian choose you?" The man raved, questioning frantically.
"Want to know why? Because I don't care about looks, loving her even when she's disguised as an ugly woman. Because I gave her Thunder-Fire Mysterious Art, Beauty-Preserving Pill, even Strange Fire. What are you to compete with me?" Lan An asked with a cold smile.
Ji Ya and Shui Niang Qing started, exchanging glances. His disregard for appearances touched them deeply.
The man's eyes widened with each word, his injuries flaring under the shock, his heart veins snapping, killing him.
"Soul Seize!"
Lan An's eyes glowed, absorbing the Mid Void Refiner's soul, invigorating his soul power. Breaking through to Nascent Soul Peak Soul Cultivation was near.
"Let's go home!"
Under Shui Niang Qing's astonished gaze, the three vanished.