Qin Tian gripped Bai Tian's shoulder, staring at Lan An as if memorizing his face.
Having comprehended Sword Intent, he was invincible among peers, yet this youth neutralized it, leaving him no room to shine. How could he not feel frustrated?
"Where do you think you're going?"
Lan An sneered, raising the Motionless Bell and ringing it fiercely at the two.
Ding Ding Ding!
Yan Yue Qi didn't hold back, unleashing a ferocious Flame-Thunder Golden Crow Strike.
Ji Ya and Ji Bing showed no mercy, deploying their strongest techniques.
The combined assault of the four shattered layers of space.
Splurt!
Qin Tian couldn't withstand the Motionless Bell's aura and the three attacks, spitting blood. Bai Tian, in his grasp, had long fainted.
"Farewell!"
A shimmering talisman appeared in Qin Tian's hand. Without hesitation, he crushed it before the attacks could land.
"Great Teleportation Talisman!" Jin'er exclaimed.
The Great Teleportation Talisman could transport multiple people over vast distances, unlike the limited Small Teleportation Talisman.
A spatial vortex swallowed Qin Tian and Bai Tian, then sealed shut.
"Phew…" Yan Yue Qi and the sisters bent over, gasping. Prolonged combat had nearly drained their Spiritual Energy.
"Damn it, if we were at full strength, Qin Tian wouldn't have escaped!" Ji Bing said unwillingly.
"You all did excellently!" Lan An helped his three wives stand, gently wiping sweat from their faces with his sleeve.
"Husband, letting Bai Tian escape… he'll seek revenge someday!" Ji Ya said gravely. They'd been injured by the Fourth Elder's self-detonation, or Qin Tian wouldn't have prevailed so easily.
"Hmph, just a defeated dog. Wherever he shows up, we'll crush him!" Yan Yue Qi said haughtily.
Lan An smiled, nodding, "Yue Qi's right. A loser will always be a loser, no matter how many times he returns!"
As the Vice-Principal's disciple, Qin Tian naturally had many tricks. A Great Teleportation Talisman didn't surprise Lan An.
If Qin Tian lacked such means, that would be strange.
"They drove off Qin Tian. This will surely dent his reputation!" Wu Ji mused.
A Golden List top-five figure, defeated by four weaker opponents—two not even on the list—was somewhat humiliating.
"Luo Luo's too intriguing, countering even Sword Intent…" Tian Ye Yao licked her lips, her esteem for Lan An rising.
"The new Golden List should be updated soon. If they were at full strength, Qin Tian wouldn't have fared so well," Cheng Bi said, scribbling in her notebook, assessing the Harem's overall strength and upcoming rankings.
"I sense Lan An didn't go all out against the Mysterious Emperor Academy, or there's some hidden reason," Lei Huan said suddenly.
"Huh? Why say that?" The four women were surprised. Lei Huan's intuition, as a ninja, was often sharp.
"Young Miss and sisters, remember how Lan An whispered to General White Dog, making someone ready to sacrifice himself surrender his Origin Soul to Lan An's control?" Lei Huan said seriously.
"Indeed…" The four nodded. As spectators, they saw more clearly than the combatants.
General White Dog had been willing to die for Bai Lie and Bai Yang, yet abruptly submitted his Origin Soul to Lan An—a peculiar shift.
"I think Lan An has a special ability we don't know. Why didn't he use it on Qin Tian? Is there a limitation?" Lei Huan wondered.
"…"
The four fell silent, unable to guess.
"Fascinating. Dao Dao will uncover all of Luo Luo's secrets…" Tian Ye Yao giggled seductively, her ample chest quivering under her golden armor.
Lan An was unaware Lei Huan had spotted a flaw. Indeed, using a soul technique to ambush Qin Tian could've gravely injured him, allowing Bai Tian's death.
But that would've been too overt, risking exposure of his Soul Cultivator identity to the world. Such a trump card had to remain secret. Only his kin and subordinates knew he was a Soul Cultivator—others couldn't.
His gaze locked onto the Third Elder, crushed by Yan Ruo Xue, and the White Sand Emperor, lying like a dead dog.
Both had seen him use the Eight Desolate Heavenly Flame and knew he was a Soul Cultivator from his prior infiltration of the Scenic Land.
The White Sand Emperor, now Hua Qing Zhu's slave, couldn't leak secrets.
Only the Third Elder remained. He hadn't connected the dots yet, but he had to die first!
"You all rest inside. I'll handle the killing!" Lan An told the three women.
Yan Yue Qi and the sisters exchanged glances, knowing they couldn't fight further, nodding and entering the Spirit Realm Pearl.
Lan An appeared in the sky, speeding toward Yan Ruo Xue, laughing,
"Darling wife, let's finish him!"
"Couldn't ask for more…" Yan Ruo Xue smiled brightly, her Earth and Water attacks surging fiercely.
Lan An used Speed Shift, appearing behind the Third Elder, unleashing a Star-Burst Fist.
"Dual Earth King Seals!" The Third Elder roared, knowing death loomed. Ignoring his wounds, he turned from Yan Ruo Xue's attack, hurling two massive seals at Lan An.
"Not good, husband, dodge!" Yan Ruo Xue cried.
The Third Elder, an Integration cultivator, was too much for Lan An to face head-on.
"Peerless Under Heaven!" Lan An activated his strongest state, throwing another Star-Burst Fist to test his limits.
BOOM!
The Earth King Seals clashed with the Star-Burst Fist, exploding mid-air. Lan An flew back, spitting blood.
"Integration… truly tough!" Lan An wiped blood from his mouth, Nirvana Spirit Water healing his fractured arm bones.
His Body Cultivation had grown, or his arms would've shattered.
Splurt!
Yan Ruo Xue seized the chance, punching through the Third Elder's back, piercing his chest, leaving a gaping hole.
Enduring pain, the Third Elder turned to sand, escaping her.
From prior events, he knew self-detonation wouldn't take them down. He wanted a glorious death.
"Darling, can you create a water pool mid-air?" Lan An asked Yan Ruo Xue with a smile. Her Water Desolate Battle Canon should manage it.
"No problem, but I've only reached the first layer. It won't be very strong!" Yan Ruo Xue replied gently.
"Use it now. Your husband has a gift!" Lan An winked, grinning.
"Hmph, acting mysterious!" Yan Ruo Xue huffed playfully, her eyes turning serious.
Her hair turned sea-blue, a tattoo-like painting on her flawless back glowing.
Forming rapid seals, she spread her arms, lips parting,
"Water Marsh Kingdom!"
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Before the crowd's bulging eyes, boundless Water Spiritual Energy surged, forming a vast watery domain mid-air, a majestic sight. Yan Ruo Xue paled, the move draining her Spiritual Energy heavily, its power still weak.
Per the Water Desolate Battle Canon, only at the second layer would Water Marsh Kingdom show true might. Now, it was just a water domain.
But if Lan An wanted it, she wouldn't refuse.
"What the hell?" The Third Elder, standing on the vast water, sensed no danger but stayed wary.
"Haha, well done!" Lan An praised Yan Ruo Xue, pulling a jade-green chain from his storage ring.
The chain's appearance stirred the sea, shaking space.
The Sea-Binding Chain, a top Spirit-Grade treasure from the Ninth-Grade Sea Palace, once used by Hai He to trap Lan An in Sea Continent, only escaped with the Poison Human's aid.
The chain required a water-rich environment, hence Lan An's request for Water Marsh Kingdom. Without a word, the Sea-Binding Chain plunged into the water, hiding within.
A sense of unease gripped the Third Elder, urging him to flee.
Countless chains shot from the water, ensnaring him like a net.
"Damn it, Earth-Splitting Finger!" The Third Elder roared, unleashing fierce finger strikes, shattering dozens of chains.
But the chains were endless, binding his limbs, wrapping him like a rice dumpling, dragging him underwater.
"Remarkable treasure…" The crowd gasped, realizing why Lan An had Yan Ruo Xue use the technique.
"Husband's amazing…" Yan Ruo Xue gave Lan An a thumbs-up. She'd struggled with the Third Elder, but Lan An resolved it swiftly.
"Haha, the Sea-Binding Chain is yours. Like it?" Lan An hugged her waist, grinning smugly.
"Anything you give, I love…" Yan Ruo Xue smiled sweetly, her hand forming a palm strike to crush the Third Elder's head.
"I don't need your send-off!"
The Third Elder's body swelled, exploding, shattering the chains. The Sea-Binding Chain returned to Lan An. He swiftly grabbed Yan Ruo Xue, using Speed Shift to dodge the blast.
The Integration-level explosion shattered the Water Marsh Kingdom into countless droplets, forming a rainbow—a dazzling yet tragic scene.
"Damn it, these old fools don't give me a chance to seize their souls!" Lan An cursed inwardly. The elders, brainwashed by the White Sand Dynasty, self-detonated when captured.
"Hahaha, it's over… all lost… Your Harem is strong, but my grandson escaped. One day, he'll return to reclaim everything!"
The Supreme Emperor laughed maniacally, the White Jade Seal smashing Bai Suo Mai's massive form, peeling scales, blood staining her jade-like body.
Hua Jue, panting, sat on the ground, weakened by the Strength-Boosting Pill's backlash, leaving Bai Suo Mai alone against the Supreme Emperor.
Hua Qing Zhu had already returned to the Palace Tree via her token.
"Ruo Xue, can you aid Suo Mai?" Lan An asked, holding Yan Ruo Xue's hand.
"I…" Splurt! Yan Ruo Xue began, then coughed blood, fragments of organs within.
"Ruo Xue!" Lan An, alarmed, caught his wife. Her rapid power surge had strained her body.
"Not a backlash… Her body couldn't handle the prolonged strain. Rest will restore her," Jin'er reassured.
Lan An sighed in relief, kissing Yan Ruo Xue's lips gently, saying softly, "Leave the rest to me. Rest inside!"
Yan Ruo Xue nodded, closing her eyes, letting Lan An send her into the Spirit Realm Pearl.
The White Sand Dynasty's forces were down to the Second Elder, Bai Zhi, the Supreme Emperor, and Yu Mu.
ROAR!
A terrifying sound erupted from underground.
A colossal beast appeared mid-air, a proud, beautiful girl on its shoulder, her face pale with exhaustion.
Who else but Hua Yu Feng and the Ancient Ferocious Prison Earth?
"The battle's over!" Many spectators thought.
"White Sand turtles, taste my fist!"
The Ancient Ferocious Prison Earth tossed Hua Yu Feng to Lan An, who leapt to catch her in his arms.
Hua Yu Feng's face was bloodless, clearly drained from breaking the seal.
"Hard work, darling!" Lan An caressed her delicate cheek, speaking tenderly.
"Repaying a bit of my debt to you…" Hua Yu Feng said haughtily, turning away, avoiding his gaze.
"Nonsense, you owe me nothing. I did it willingly. If anything, I owe you a lifetime!" Lan An said earnestly, tightening his embrace.
Feeling each other's warmth, Hua Yu Feng trembled, saying, "I'm tired and need rest!"
"Alright, your husband has a reward for you after this!" Lan An shamelessly kissed her cheek, tucking her into the Spirit Realm Pearl as her eyes widened.
Seeing the Ancient Ferocious Prison Earth charge furiously, the Supreme Emperor knew his end was near. He roared to the Second Elder and the Yu Clan,
"Flee with all your might! I'll hold them off. In the future, fully support Crown Prince Bai Tian to return, avenge, and reclaim the Dynasty!"