As Lan An stepped out of the Time Acceleration Array, a fragrant breeze rushed into his arms.
"Jerk, you got such a bargain, you big dummy… jerk, jerk!" Bai Lian Hua pounded his chest, sobbing. Her large, luminous eyes brimmed with tears, unsure how to face him.
In this era, a capable man having multiple women was common, but for a pure, radiant girl like her, sharing a man with her mother was hard to accept. The revelation of the rift between her father, the White Sand Emperor, and her mother further shook her. She needed an outlet for her turmoil.
Lan An glanced at Hua Qing Zhu, who nodded with a gentle smile. She had told Bai Lian Hua everything: that Bai Lian Hua wasn't born directly from Bai Sa, the Hua Clan's oppression by the Bai Clan, and the circumstances leading to her bond with Lan An—nothing was hidden.
Seeing him let her vent with punches and scratches, Bai Lian Hua finally stopped, sobbing softly in his embrace.
He was the one who colored her dull life, igniting her first love and giving her days of joy. Yet, he was also the man who became her mother's, revealing her father's ugly side.
Hua Qing Zhu had shown her the Recording Jade's footage, where Bai Sa attempted to ambush and cripple her mother. It pierced Bai Lian Hua's heart like a blade.
Pain—searing, sky-shattering pain. She never imagined the father she revered could be so vile.
"Good little princess, why so fierce like a kitten?" Lan An teased, fondly ruffling her short, platinum hair, matching her mother's.
"Brother Lan An, Mother has only you in this life. Don't ever betray her!" Bai Lian Hua wiped her tear-streaked face, glaring defiantly. She knew her mother's heart; if Lan An hurt her, it would freeze forever.
Hua Qing Zhu's heart swelled with love and gratitude at her daughter's words.
Lan An nodded solemnly. "Having Qing Zhu is a blessing of eight lifetimes. How could I betray her?"
"We'll pinky swear on it!" Bai Lian Hua insisted, raising her chubby little finger with a huff.
Laughing, Lan An hooked his pinky with hers.
Hua Qing Zhu smiled warmly at the sight.
As Bai Lian Hua tried to pull away, Lan An caught her slender waist, grinning. "I won't betray Qing Zhu, nor my adorable little princess."
"W-Who's yours to betray or not?" Bai Lian Hua stammered, blushing, squirming in his arms.
"I don't care. Even if you don't want me, I won't betray you," he declared domineeringly.
"Hmph!" She turned away, refusing to look at him.
Chuckling, Lan An reached out, pulling Hua Qing Zhu's curvaceous figure into his other arm.
He hadn't expected Bai Lian Hua to accept the truth so gracefully. Hua Qing Zhu must have worked hard to persuade her.
Savoring the touch of this exquisite mother-daughter pair—one mature and alluring, the other pure and lovely, their platinum hair one long, one short—Lan An's heart swelled with pride. This life was worth living.
In the cultivation world, a mother and daughter sharing a man wasn't unheard of, provided he was powerful enough to silence gossip. The Bai Clan emperors, marrying Hua Clan geniuses and producing heirs with mixed bloodlines who later intermarried, were accepted. Lan An's bond with Hua Qing Zhu and Bai Lian Hua was, by comparison, unremarkable.
Kissing each on the cheek, he grinned. "Tomorrow, I'll claim the Earth Battle Grand Assembly's championship. Will you cheer for me?"
"I'll be there, but only to watch the other fights!" Bai Lian Hua huffed, her heart still settling.
"I'll watch from the shadows, guarding against any threats," Hua Qing Zhu said, her eyes icy, recalling how the Second Elder and Bai Zhi nearly acted last time if she hadn't intervened.
"Brother, promise me… no matter what, spare Father's life," Bai Lian Hua pleaded softly. She knew a clash was inevitable, and her position tore at her heart.
Lan An and Hua Qing Zhu exchanged glances, sighing before nodding. They had to consider her feelings, and the outcome of any battle was uncertain.
Ping An City
Since Liu Shi Qin, the Liu Clan's matriarch, entered the Holy Spirit Academy and ranked on the Holy Spirit List, the Liu Clan's prestige soared, becoming Ping An City's top family.
From top to bottom, the clan brimmed with pride. With resources and techniques from the Gao and Yue Clans, plus a significant portion left by Lan An from the Qing Yun Sect, they trained diligently, progressing at breakneck speed.
Their strongest elder broke through to Nascent Soul Perfect Stage, others reached Nascent Soul, and many young talents emerged.
Among them, the star was Liu Meng Meng.
At barely thirteen, she reached Golden Core Early Stage, a talent surpassing some Eighth-Grade power prodigies. She was Ping An City's precious gem, coveted by countless young suitors vowing to win her hand.
Yet, Liu Meng Meng was far from happy.
Dressed in a teal skirt, her hair in braids, she sat pensively in a pavilion amidst a lotus pond. Her bare, snowy feet dangled in the water, her delicate hand propped her chin, her rosy cheeks puffed in a sulky pout.
"Jerks… Brother Lan An and Sister Shi Qin haven't visited me since entering the Academy. They've forgotten Meng Meng!" she grumbled, brimming with grievance and longing.
The Liu Clan children nearby flattered her endlessly, but without parents, Meng Meng poured most of her time into cultivation, the rest spent missing Lan An and her sisters.
"Hmph, if you don't want Meng Meng, I'll find you! Just wait, I'll enter the Holy Spirit Academy!" she declared, waving her tiny fist with determination.
"Ke ke, bold words, little girl. Too bad, as a Liu Clan member, you'll never get the chance!" a sinister voice cackled.
From the void, two black-robed figures emerged.
"Who's there?" Liu Meng Meng gasped, reacting swiftly. Her small hand gathered Water Spiritual Power, the pond's water surging to her will, forming a watery fist. She shouted, "True Sea Art – Raging Sea Fist!"
The True Sea Art was a gift from Brother Lan An, and she'd never slacked in its practice.
The fist struck a black-robed figure's chest, making him grunt, slightly numb.
"Not bad. A Golden Core Early Stage making a Void Refinement Early Stage feel pain? We've found a treasure!" the struck figure laughed. A mere Golden Core causing him discomfort was extraordinary.
Seeing her attack fail, Liu Meng Meng's face grew solemn. Undeterred, she shouted, "True Sea Art – Great Sea Wrath!"
Two water columns rose, forming small whirlwinds that surged toward the figures.
Her face paled; the technique drained her Golden Core's spiritual power heavily.
"Ke ke, playtime's over!" a figure sneered, casually punching forward.
To Meng Meng's horror, her Great Sea Wrath shattered into countless droplets.
"Too strong!" she whispered, terrified.
As a figure reached to seize her, shouts rang out.
"Stop!"
The Liu Clan elders arrived, glaring warily at the intruders. Since Liu Shi Qin's rise, no one dared touch the Liu Clan, lest they offend the Holy Spirit Academy. Yet, two dared to act, shocking them.
"Ke ke, perfect timing. Let's kill them all to save trouble," a black-robed figure cackled, forming countless icy shards and hurling them at the elders.
The destructive ice overwhelmed the elders' desperate resistance. Before Void Refinement Stage, Nascent Soul cultivators were like ants.
Spurt.
The elders flew back, spitting blood, gravely injured.
"Don't kill them yet. Torture and humiliate them first!" a figure sneered.
"Ke ke, when that brat Lan An learns the Liu Clan was wiped out because of him, how will he feel?" the other laughed maniacally, voice dripping with hatred.
"So, you're rats cornered by Brother Lan An, venting on our Liu Clan?" Liu Meng Meng laughed, fearless and scornful.
"Shut up, brat!" The figures roared, enraged, clearly struck at a sore spot.
"Pfft, Meng Meng despises cowards like you. Face Brother Lan An if you dare! He'll beat you into barking dogs!" she taunted, hands on hips, her childish voice sharp.
"Die!" The mention of Lan An drove them mad, their killing intent tangible.
They unleashed devastating attacks, aiming to obliterate her.
Boom, boom, boom.
Space collapsed. Meng Meng, too weak to resist, stared blankly as death neared.
"Brother Lan An, in the next life, I'll be your sister again…" Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks as she closed her eyes.
"NO!" the Liu Clan wailed in despair.
"Ke ke, die!" the figures laughed, reveling in their cruelty.
But their laughter faltered.
A shadowy figure appeared before Meng Meng, effortlessly dispersing their attacks with a wave.
Meng Meng, unharmed, opened her eyes, gazing at the most stunning silhouette she'd ever seen.
"So fragrant…" she murmured, entranced.
The figure chuckled, amused by the girl's cheekiness.
"Who are you? Do you know what you're meddling in?" the black-robed figures demanded, wary. Neutralizing their attacks so easily wasn't ordinary.
"The Lan Clan grows more beastly by the day, not even sparing the weak Liu Clan," the shadow said hoarsely, gender unclear, voice laced with suppressed fury.
"The Lan Clan? They're from the Lan Clan?" The Liu Clan glared hatefully at the figures.
"Who are you?" the black-robed figures pressed, eyes narrowing. Recognizing their identity instantly meant this wasn't a nobody.
"You're not worthy to know," the shadow replied coolly. Emerald eyes flashed, and with a flick of their sleeve, two green wisps shot toward the figures.
"Danger! Ice Mysterious Armor!" The figures' hair stood on end. They summoned defensive techniques, Ice Spiritual Power forming armor around them.
Yet, the green wisps easily pierced through.
"AAAAAAAA!"
Before the Liu Clan's stunned eyes, the figures collapsed, screaming as if from the depths of the Nine Nether Hell, their wails echoing through Ping An City.
"Kill me… please, kill me!" they begged, tearing at their clothes, revealing a horrifying sight.
Their bodies swelled with oozing sores, resembling grotesque toads.
Rip, rip, rip.
An unbearable itch, like billions of ants gnawing their flesh and souls, drove them mad. They clawed their skin, peeling it off, exposing bone, desperate to ease the torment.
But the poison seeped into their marrow and souls, layering itch upon itch.
"DEATH… I WANT DEATH!"
In the end, they snapped their own bones, tore off their flesh, and ripped out their tendons, blood pooling. Yet, the itching persisted.
"AAAA…"
When they finally died, only their terror-filled eyes remained, their bodies reduced to minced flesh by their own hands.
Silence gripped the scene. The shadow watched impassively, like a still autumn lake, devoid of pity or satisfaction.
"Urk."
A Liu Clan member retched, triggering a chain reaction of vomiting. The gruesome spectacle was too much.
Only Liu Meng Meng remained unfazed, clapping gleefully. These villains meant to kill her; their wretched deaths were deserved.
"Thank you, big sister!" she chirped, fearlessly hugging the shadow's leg.
The shadow inwardly praised her boldness.
At the Holy Spirit Academy, Wu San Niang withdrew her gaze from the Liu Clan. She'd meant to watch over them for her little disciple but found someone else had acted.
"Poison? Intriguing," she murmured.