"Bai Su Mei's aura is so powerful…" Yan Ruo Xue murmured, her lips parting slightly. Though Bai Su Mei emitted no overt pressure, a faint oppression still weighed on her.
"How could it not be? She's successfully broken through to the Early Seventh Transformation," Dan Meng Ji said in a low voice. Since Bai Su Mei had also refined the Great White Star-Swallowing Snake Bloodline, Dan Meng Ji wasn't too shaken this time.
But her calm didn't mean the other women weren't stunned. Hearing "Early Seventh Transformation," they widened their eyes and swallowed hard.
They had received powerful, tailored techniques from Lan An, trained in the extraordinary Spirit Realm Pearl, and been aided by the mystical songs of the Mermaid Clan, believing they'd made great strides. Yet, compared to bloodline refinement, their progress paled significantly.
Bai Su Mei ignored it all, her pure, fragrant body nestled into Lan An's embrace, greedily breathing in his scent.
"You've worked hard…" Lan An held his treasure tightly. She was one of the first women to follow him, never once apart, their bond unspoken but profound.
Bai Su Mei gently shook her head, clinging to her entire world, unwilling to break this moment of happiness.
The women smiled at the pair. Though slightly disheartened by Bai Su Mei's vast lead, they couldn't deny this was great news for the harem.
"Though she's perfectly transformed into a true Great White Star-Swallowing Snake, the energy in her bloodline is still immense. Bai Su Mei has only absorbed a small fraction, like Yan Ruo Xue," Jin Ni said softly, assessing Bai Su Mei's form.
Lan An nodded, puzzled. "Su Mei can suppress the bloodline's power without dual cultivation with me?"
The Water Desolation Bloodline required his Taboo Aura to seal it, so he was baffled that a divine beast bloodline like the Great White Star-Swallowing Snake was so docile.
"Because Bai Su Mei is a descendant of the Great White Star-Swallowing Snake, her ancestral bloodline naturally won't resist her. Instead, it actively regulates its power to avoid harming her foundation. As long as she absorbs it gradually, her cultivation will keep rising," Jin Ni explained with a sigh.
Lan An nodded joyfully. His Su Mei was truly blessed!
The other women, however, might not have it so easy when refining bloodlines, as they were human, not divine beast descendants.
"Master, from now on, Su Mei will protect you!" Bai Su Mei raised her head, pressing her soft, rosy lips to his.
Lan An's heart melted, returning her deep, affectionate kiss.
At that moment, the music within the Spirit Realm Pearl ceased. A mature, enchanting figure emerged from the Crystal Sphere, stepping gracefully onto the white sand shore like a sea sprite.
She was a captivating woman with flowing purple hair, exuding allure. Her voluptuous figure surpassed even Mu Zi Yin's, adorned only by two seashell pieces, her lips fiery, eyes like the night sky, and skin glistening with sea droplets, radiating irresistible charm.
"Aunt Qing!" Hai Ling Long cheered, bounding to the shore and leaping into the woman's arms.
"Hai You Qing has emerged from seclusion, her soul cultivation reaching Late Spirit Transformation…" Lan An parted from Bai Su Mei's soft lips, gazing at the woman stepping from the Elysium Sea.
During her seclusion, Hai You Qing had cultivated the Sea God Pure Sound Technique, tirelessly singing to aid the entire harem's training with her Seven Seas Mysterious Zither. Her contribution was immense, and every member owed her gratitude.
"She's truly beautiful…" Mu Zi Yin couldn't help but praise, noting Hai You Qing's mature charm surpassed her own.
The women nodded. Only Hai You Qing, Hai Ling Long, and Little Lion possessed the captivating, Western beauty distinct from their Eastern elegance. Of course, according to their husband, there was still Ai Xin, yet to be met.
"Hmph, I'm pretty too…" Kun Ming Yue pouted, flaunting her ample chest, swaying it before the annoyed gazes of Yan Die Qing and Li Zhu Luan.
This cow, mocking their smaller figures, wasn't she?
Hai You Qing fondly stroked Hai Ling Long's golden hair, her eyes shifting to Lan An and the women, a touch of shyness in her gaze. Though she knew they were his, the Mermaid Clan's wariness of humans made her feel uneasy.
Lan An and the women approached the shore. Hai Ling Long tactfully stepped aside, giving her aunt space with her husband.
"My treasure, you've worked hard…" Lan An stepped forward, gazing at Hai You Qing tenderly before pulling her mature form into his embrace.
Hai You Qing trembled, unaccustomed to such attention before others, burying her face in his chest to hide.
"Sister You Qing, right? Thank you so much for your help," Yan Ruo Xue said, smiling warmly with the others.
"Thank you, Sister You Qing!" the women chimed sweetly, fostering a sense of closeness.
Hai You Qing, unused to the spotlight, shook her head gently. "It's the incredible Sea God Pure Sound Technique my husband gave me. I didn't do much…"
"Hmph, this guy's only good for his wealth and his Duo Bao Pavilion. He can't match your divine singing," Yan Hong Lian teased, shooting Lan An a seductive glance.
"Exactly!" the women agreed, giggling behind their hands.
The atmosphere lightened, and Hai You Qing relaxed, shedding her shyness to join Hai Ling Long in bonding with the others.
Seeing his wives harmonize, Lan An was overjoyed, even if they occasionally made him their shared target, to which he could only grin foolishly.
"Satisfied now?" a soft hand grasped his, voice teasing.
It was Tuo Qing Xuan, who'd come to the Elysium Sea with him, knowing his longing for mermaids. With two in the harem, his joy was understandable.
Lan An wrapped an arm around her slender waist, pulling the spirited woman close, inhaling the faint scent of elixirs from her Heavenly Wood Cauldron, and grumbled playfully,
"Qing Xuan hasn't let me touch her yet. How could I be satisfied?"
"Tch, shameless!" Tuo Qing Xuan scolded, swatting his shoulder, cheeks flushed, before seriously handing him seven Ascension Spirit Pills. "These are the Ascension Spirit Pills I just refined. Keep them for when you need them."
Lan An's heart warmed. His efforts to nurture this wife weren't in vain. He accepted the glossy pills, brimming with potent energy.
"The Ascension Spirit Pill is a Mid Heaven-Grade elixir, boosting any cultivator below Peak Integration by one minor realm upon consumption. The higher the user's strength, the shorter the effect and the worse the side effects," Tuo Qing Xuan explained, her knowledge from the Dan Clan shining through.
Lan An's eyes gleamed, gazing at her beautiful face.
"Having a pill-refining wife is amazing. These would fetch a fortune at any Duo Bao Pavilion auction!"
"Flatterer!" Tuo Qing Xuan glared, though her heart sweetened.
Elixirs in the Lucky Shop were rare, aside from Youth Preservation Pills. With Tuo Qing Xuan by his side, that was no longer an issue.
"Do you still have the spirit-replenishing and Healing Pills I gave you?" Tuo Qing Xuan asked, producing several large jade bottles filled with elixirs she'd refined in seclusion, her Blazing Star Cauldron humming softly.
"I still have plenty. Distribute these to the others," Lan An waved, his Shadow Cloak rustling lightly.
Tuo Qing Xuan nodded, sharing the elixirs with the women, her Seven Orifices Exquisite Heart attuned to their needs.
Once Dan Meng Ji recovers, the harem would have a master-disciple alchemy duo with the Dan Clan's legacy—something to look forward to!
"What are you standing there for? Get over here!" Wan Rong called, glaring as he watched them from afar, her Heavenly Charm Voice carrying a playful edge.
Lan An laughed, diving into the center of his wives, enveloped by their fragrance and warmth, an indescribable bliss, his White Horse Battle Robe gleaming faintly.
"We didn't call you to lounge!" Ji Ya rolled her eyes, her Ice Moon Night Wind Sutra aura sharp. "What's the deal with Bai Lian Hua and Hua Qing Zhu? What's the harem's next move? Can we wipe out the Lan Clan first?"
"Sister Ya's right," Yan Ruo Xue nodded eagerly, her Water Desolation Bloodline pulsing. "The harem's nearly complete. With Mei Er Palace stirring, Sister Suo Mei hasn't emerged yet, but we need to act!"
The women agreed, their Nine Yin Heavenly Physique and other powers humming. Their long seclusion was to help their husband take revenge on the Lan Clan. Now, they awaited his command, ready to unleash techniques like Bamboo Leaf Soft Palm and Star Wander Step.
Lan An was about to explain when two palaces on the Palace Tree trembled, their Spirit Gathering Array amplifying the energy.
The women sensed it, looking up. Before Meng Ying Palace, a stunning figure appeared, ethereal and ghostly—none other than Qin Meng Ying, her White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye glinting.
The other disturbance came from the third tier, leaving the women baffled.
"When did someone occupy the third tier?" they wondered in unison, their Soul Nurturing Lotus pendants glowing faintly.
"Ah!"
As Qi Nan Palace opened, Yan Hong Lian and Yan Die Qing shrieked as if seeing a ghost, rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
The other women were dazed, captivated by the newcomer's presence.
The peerless Yan Yue Qi, her Three-Legged Golden Crow Bloodline radiating faintly.
Wan Rong, already in the know, smirked at Lan An, curious how he'd handle this, her Phantom Charm Wander Step poised.
"Mother… why is Mother on the Palace Tree?" Yan Hong Lian and Yan Die Qing exchanged glances, a wild thought dawning, their eyes flashing toward Lan An.
What could Lan An say? He shot them a reassuring look, stepping forward to greet his two wives first, his Piercing Weakness Vision catching their emotions.
"Mother? That's the Yan Clan Leader?" The women were stunned, even Hua Yu Feng's pride wavering before Yan Yue Qi's aura, her Eight Gates Escape Armor shimmering.
Seeing Lan An's unease, Qin Meng Ying floated down like a fairy, glancing at him slyly, her Soul Shackle technique ready.
"What? Not welcoming me?"
"I've missed you all too much!" Lan An swiftly pulled both women into his arms, under the shocked gazes of the others, his Heaven-Shattering Gauntlets glinting.
They knew about him and Qin Meng Ying, but the Yan Clan Leader… this was…
Yan Yue Qi said nothing, gazing at her daughters with joy, clearly pleased with their remarkable progress, her worries about the Yan Clan fading, her Golden Crow Void Flame subdued.
"Quite the harem you've built, haven't you?" Qin Meng Ying teased, pinching his waist hard, glaring at the array of beauties, her Ice Earth Falling Petal Palm aura subtle.
Lan An gave a wry smile, but before he could respond, a trembling voice rang out.
"We demand an explanation!"
Yan Hong Lian's face paled, and Yan Die Qing's eyes brimmed with tears, feeling betrayed by the two closest to them, their Primordial Purple Wood Butterfly Bloodline trembling.
The sisters, delicate as flowers, had never looked so vulnerable.
Lan An's heart softened. Qin Meng Ying fell silent, ceasing her teasing. The women didn't know what to do, inwardly cursing their husband for his indiscretion. His intimacy with Yan Yue Qi was obvious even to a fool. His audacity was outrageous, even with his Tearless Mask!
"Calm down. I believe Little An and the Yan Clan Leader have their reasons," Liu Shi Qin said, comforting the sisters, her Ice Seal Slaughter aura gentle.
"We're family. Let's talk openly," Yan Yue Qi said, stepping from Lan An's embrace with the air of a strong matriarch, her Fire Law Ten Thousand Miles ready.
"Let me explain!" Lan An said, taking her hand tenderly, his Starfall Step poised.
"No, I will!" Yan Yue Qi shook her head, pulling Yan Hong Lian and Yan Die Qing into her arms.
The sisters felt their mother's familiar warmth, their hearts calming.
Lan An stepped closer, gesturing for the women to sit, his Spirit Earth Cauldron humming softly.
Yan Yue Qi swept her gaze over them, shaken by Yan Ruo Xue and Bai Su Mei's progress but remaining composed. Her lips parted, her voice clear and steady, recounting as if confiding.
"I once entered a political marriage for the Yan Clan Leader's position…"
The women held their breath, listening to Yan Yue Qi's tale.
Yan Hong Lian and Yan Die Qing trembled, learning their birth wasn't natural and their supposed father was killed by their mother.
Ji Ya and the others were shocked to hear Yan Yue Qi infiltrated the Dark Origin Continent to save Lan An, leading to their bond, sealed by the Dragon Immortal Sacred Canon.
From start to finish, Yan Yue Qi held nothing back, revealing how the Yan Clan betrayed her, and she chose love, joining the harem.
"From today, the Yan Clan Leader is dead. Only Yan Yue Qi of the harem remains. I hope we'll be true sisters!" Yan Yue Qi declared to the women.
"Keng! Mission Conquer the Mother-in-Law completed. Reward: One Martial Technique Summon and one Bloodline Summon!" a mechanical voice rang in Lan An's ears, his Fame Points surging.
Lan An had no time to celebrate, his heart burning with rage at the Yan Clan elders' betrayal and the Lan Clan's interference, their Black Sand Heart Sutra a looming threat.
The women looked at Yan Yue Qi with complex emotions—admiration, disbelief, reverence, and a touch of pity, their Image Recording Jades capturing the moment.
How hard was it for a woman to carry such secrets for years?
Yan Hong Lian and Yan Die Qing sobbed uncontrollably, clinging to their mother as if to merge with her, their Great Sun Divine Body subdued.
"You silly girls, still crying at your age!" Yan Yue Qi kissed their foreheads tenderly, her strong facade giving way to a mother's love.
After a long while, Yan Hong Lian and Yan Die Qing left her embrace, smiling brightly at Lan An.
"Thank you, husband! Thank you for standing by our mother, sparing her a lifetime of bearing it alone."
In that moment, the sisters held no resentment, only heartfelt gratitude. Without him, their mother would have faced eternal solitude, her secrets unshared. That pain would have been unbearable. Several women sniffled, quietly wiping tears, their Breath Concealment Talismans glowing softly.
"Thank you? Having you all is my blessing!" Lan An laughed, nearly tearing up himself, his Eight Desolations Heavenly Flame simmering.
Many women exchanged glances, seeing parts of themselves in Yan Yue Qi's story. Without their husband, their fates would have been bleak. Especially Yan Ruo Xue—if she hadn't met him, she'd be a corpse by now, her Water Kirin Bloodline dormant.
It was as if fate had bound them together.
Dan Meng Ji, silent within the ring, wondered if she could reject Lan An's affection if he revived her with the Nirvana Spirit Water. The thought was hazy.
The atmosphere grew quiet until Yan Yue Qi looked to Lan An, her Earth Sovereign's Collapse Fist aura steady.
"Alright, the harem should make its move. Shall we destroy the White Sand Dynasty?"