Within the Spirit Realm Pearl…
Even with her lofty status and experience as a Body Unity Mid-Stage powerhouse, Hua Qing Zhu couldn't help but gape, stunned by the marvels before her.
"Artifact Refiners? Array Masters? Alchemists? Such extraordinary auras, a Qingluan egg, the Mermaid Clan's song, high-grade architectural treasures, and time-accelerating arrays?"
Her sharp eyes swiftly discerned the wonders within the Spirit Realm Pearl. Yet, this only deepened her shock, her heart roiling like a stormy sea.
Heavens, what kind of force was this? In wealth and talent, even Ninth-Grade powers would struggle to compare.
"Well? This is the headquarters of my harem. You're now a member," Lan An declared, puffing his chest proudly. Eliciting such a reaction from a powerhouse like her was an achievement.
Hua Qing Zhu nodded, her eyes blazing with battle intent as she gazed at him. When his harem fully matured, no force on the Viet Dragon Star could halt his rise. She vowed to be his right hand, aiding his ascent to supremacy.
"Give me a hundred years in the Spirit Realm Pearl, and I'm certain I'll break through to Tribulation Stage," she proclaimed, her voice brimming with pride and confidence, fueled by the dense spiritual energy and the faint, empowering song of Hai You Qing.
A hundred years to reach Tribulation Stage was astounding. Even Body Unity Perfect Stage cultivators dared not claim such certainty. Yet, with the perfect Extreme Ice Heavenly Art and the unparalleled cultivation haven of the Spirit Realm Pearl, Hua Qing Zhu's confidence was unshakable. Failure would make her no better than the mediocre.
Lan An nodded approvingly. His harem now boasted a Body Unity Stage member—a monumental milestone.
"Little Nam, who's this woman? She looks fierce," a playful voice chirped.
They turned to see Bai Lian Hua approaching gleefully, hand-in-hand with Nangong Yuan and Kun Ming Yue.
Kun Ming Yue, like a shy child, hid behind Bai Lian Hua, warily eyeing Hua Qing Zhu. Her instincts, honed as a powerhouse, sensed Hua Qing Zhu as the only potential threat here.
At nearly six feet tall, with long, alluring legs and a mature, curvaceous figure, Kun Ming Yue's attempt to hide behind the petite Bai Lian Hua was comical, making Lan An chuckle.
"A Seventh-Grade Late Stage beast?" Hua Qing Zhu's eyes narrowed, stunned that Lan An harbored such a formidable creature within the Spirit Realm Pearl.
"Don't glare at me like that," Kun Ming Yue pouted, her stunning face evoking pity.
"Mother, be gentle. Don't scare Sister Yue," Bai Lian Hua scolded, pulling Kun Ming Yue into a comforting embrace while shooting Hua Qing Zhu a playful glare.
Even Hua Qing Zhu, with her icy demeanor, was baffled. What was happening? Her daughter was consoling a beast stronger than herself?
The Good Charm was indeed miraculous. With a few soothing words from Bai Lian Hua, Kun Ming Yue relaxed, no longer wary of Hua Qing Zhu.
Lan An, half-laughing, half-sighing, explained Kun Ming Yue's mental impairment from a flawed cultivation technique.
"I see," Hua Qing Zhu nodded, her gaze softening with empathy. A technique was a cultivator's foundation; she understood the gravity. Kun Ming Yue was fortunate to avoid qi deviation.
"So, Mother, why are you in the Spirit Realm Pearl? You and Brother Lan An seem close," Bai Lian Hua teased, her rosy lips curving, devoid of suspicion.
Lan An and Hua Qing Zhu exchanged glances. Bai Lian Hua's innocent beauty made hiding the truth feel like a sin.
"Little Hua, I need to speak with you privately," Hua Qing Zhu said, steeling herself with a deep breath, resolved to reveal the truth.
"Is it okay?" Lan An sent telepathically, unease creeping in. He feared hurting Bai Lian Hua's tender heart.
"Trust Little Hua to understand," she replied, confident in her daughter's empathy.
Noticing Hua Qing Zhu's solemnity, Bai Lian Hua's smile faded. She grasped her mother's hand gently. "Mother, what's troubling you?"
"Let's settle their residences first," Lan An coughed, leading the women toward the Palace Tree.
Nangong Yuan, sensing the delicate situation, tactfully pulled Kun Ming Yue away. "Let's find Ling Long to play with. The tree's no fun."
"Right, let them climb trees!" Kun Ming Yue nodded eagerly, following Nangong Yuan to the Crystal Palace.
"Is that her palace?" Hua Qing Zhu asked coolly, eyeing the majestic Yue Qi Palace on the third tier.
"Yes, that's Yue Qi's, though she's back with the Yan Clan now," Lan An replied with a smile.
At over five hundred years old, Hua Qing Zhu wasn't on the Golden List, yet he sensed her competitive streak with Yan Yue Qi.
"I'll take the one opposite," she said, pointing to a palace on the Palace Tree's canopy, shrouded in frost, directly facing Yue Qi Palace.
Lan An's lips twitched, but he agreed.
"Call it Zhu Nan Palace. Sounds fitting," she said, her red lips curling, mimicking Yan Yue Qi's naming style.
Lan An grinned, sensing their similar temperaments. They'd be a formidable duo on the battlefield, crushing foes.
Bai Lian Hua instinctively tightened her grip on Lan An's hand, sensing the deepening bond between him and her mother.
He gave her a reassuring smile, handing Hua Qing Zhu the teleportation token for Zhu Nan Palace and explaining its use.
Descending to the second tier, Bai Lian Hua chose a palace cloaked in white clouds beside Yuan Palace, naming it Bai Hua Palace.
Only a few palaces remained on the second tier, while the first tier's forty-eight stood untouched. Their scenic views and grandeur paled compared to the upper tiers, so Lan An reserved them for others, not his beloved women.
"I need to speak with Little Hua alone. Go entertain the others by the sea," Hua Qing Zhu sent telepathically, anticipating a lengthy mother-daughter talk.
Lan An, torn between worry and anticipation, nodded. "Let me know if anything happens."
He soared off.
"Mother, whatever it is, I won't blame you," Bai Lian Hua said wisely, clutching her hand. Since childhood, she'd sensed the discord between her mother and the Emperor, hidden behind their public facade.
The truth was near.
Hua Qing Zhu nodded, leading her daughter into Bai Hua Palace.
Watching them disappear behind the doors, Lan An suppressed his urge to eavesdrop, respecting their privacy.
"Hmph, serves you right, you philanderer, eating the sweetest sugarcane and taking the whole patch," a melodious voice teased.
Lan An smiled wryly, examining the exquisite ring. The voice belonged to his master, Tuo Qing Xuan's soul.
"Can't blame me. The men of this world are fools, failing to cherish treasures like these women," he quipped.
"Sounds like you're from another world," Tuo Qing Xuan scoffed.
"You're not wrong," he thought, but remained silent, knowing she wouldn't believe him.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, recalling something vital.
With a thought, he appeared beside a peculiar coffin, half-stone, half-ice, etched with intricate runes—the Soul Stabilizing Coffin, acquired at Linh Vu City's first auction, a relic from the Blank Epochs unearthed by the Treasure Pavilion.
Jin Ni had said exploring it required Void Refinement Stage soul cultivation, but with the Immortal Genesis Scripture's unique soul power, Lan An, at Soul Transformation Late Stage, could try.
Jin Ni's petite form appeared on his shoulder, equally curious about its secrets.
Taking a deep breath, Lan An placed his hands on the coffin's lid, focusing his will.
The Soul Lotus in his dantian spun rapidly, soul power surging. Mysterious scriptures glowed within his soul.
Soul power poured into the lid, probing its secrets.
"Still not enough?" he muttered, as the coffin remained inert. Channeling all his soul power, he pressed on, sweat soaking him, his soul aching.
Finally, a reaction.
Buzz, buzz.
The lid trembled, ancient runes glowing with solemn, sacred light. His hands stuck to the coffin, unable to pull free.
To his horror, the coffin devoured his soul power like a bottomless abyss, trapping him.
Clang, clang.
As his soul power drained completely, he collapsed, exhausted. The runes converged on the lid, forming sacred, enigmatic text.
Enduring his body's weakness, Lan An read the inscription:
Nine Heavens, Ten Earths
Sole Sovereign of Souls
Great Tribulation Descends
Soul Stabilization Transcends
Murmuring the words, he felt his Soul Lotus quiver, as if revering its king. Even his soul, etched with the Immortal Genesis Scripture's taboo runes, resonated with approval—an astonishing feat.
"Nine Heavens, Ten Earths? Sole Sovereign of Souls—soul cultivation or the soul itself? Great Tribulation? What's that? Soul Stabilization—referring to the coffin?"
Repeating the text, he sought meaning, but it remained elusive.
Then, a change.
The text shot from the lid into his forehead at terrifying speed.
"No!"
Instinctively, he tried to resist, but couldn't. Even the Soul Lotus remained passive, offering no defense.
Agony seared his mind as he writhed. A domineering message forced its way into his memory:
"To open the Soul Stabilizer, become a Soul Emperor!"
A majestic voice, as if ruling the world, echoed in his mind before fading.
"Soul Emperor?" Lan An was dazed, then shocked to find a flood of information in his mind, akin to a system's inheritance jade.
"Emperor Soul Scripture, one of the Soul Clan's two supreme scriptures…"
Ecstasy surged. He'd gained a profound soul cultivation technique, its rank unclear but immensely advanced, beyond his current ability to fully practice.
The Immortal Genesis Scripture covered soul, body, and spiritual cultivation, aiding soul refinement and healing others' souls. Yet, the Emperor Soul Scripture promised terrifying power, containing twelve supreme Soul Techniques—the Twelve Emperor Soul Arts.
Their potential thrilled him. His current soul techniques were limited to Soul Burst Technique and Soul Shackles.
"Even in the Immortal Realm, the Emperor Soul Scripture is a rare treasure, enough to provoke Immortal Kings or higher to fight for it. To think the Ancient Era produced such a profound technique," Jin Ni said gravely.
Lan An shivered, unable to resist. He soared into the Time Acceleration Array, entering seclusion to study it.
The Soul Stabilizing Coffin remained sealed, but acquiring the Emperor Soul Scripture was a massive gain.
Time flowed slowly.
As the Earth Battle Grand Assembly's next round neared, Lan An opened his eyes.
On his forehead, a faint ancient soul-shaped character—"Emperor"—flickered. With a thought, it vanished, undetectable even to Tribulation Stage cultivators. He smirked, commanding the System, "Display my information!"
"Ding, host information displayed," the System's mechanical voice replied.
A screen appeared:
Host: Lan An
Soul Cultivation: Soul Transformation Late Stage
Body Cultivation: Fifth Revolution Late Stage
Spiritual Cultivation: Fifth Cauldron Late Stage (Soul Transformation Late Stage)
Techniques: Immortal Genesis Scripture, Dragon Fairy Sacred Scripture, Emperor Soul Scripture, Heavy Fire Sword Art, Heavenly Monarch Spear Art
Soul Techniques: Soul Burst Technique, Soul Shackles
Body Techniques: Gentleman's Demon-Slaying Fist
Martial Techniques: Spirit Fusion Palm, Desolate Universe Suppression Seal, Star-Piercing Finger, Star-Plucking Hand, Star-Burst Fist, Cross Heavenly Flame, Overturning Rivers and Seas, Nether Flame Annihilates Mountains, Sea Suppression Palm, Desert Fury, Mother Earth's Embrace, Great Earth Glacier, Thunder Lotus Shadowless
Secret Arts: Heavenly Emperor Triple Transformation
Movement Arts: Charming Shadow Carefree Steps, Fire Law Ten Thousand Miles
Treasures: Spirit Realm Pearl, White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye, Big Dipper Bow, Jiao King Spear, Heavy Sword, Motionless Bell, Sea Harp Flute, Blood Iron War Boots, Thousand Faces Mask
Bloodline: Mortal
Physique: Mortal
Satisfied, Lan An noted the Thousand Faces Mask, an upgrade from the Faceless Mask, concealing his identity from Tribulation Stage and below. His Stealth Cloak and Breath Concealment Robe were destroyed by the Third and Fourth Elders during his palace infiltration. He'd need replacements.
Stretching, his eyes gleamed like lightning, his aura soaring.
"Ancient Ferocious Prison Earth, I'm coming!"