Bai Hua Blossom Sect, Saintess Ceremony
"Challenging the Third Saintess?"
The crowd buzzed with confusion. By age, Yan Hong Lian outstripped Yan Ruo Xue by a few years, her cultivation nearing Late Nascent Soul, while Yan Ruo Xue lingered at Early Nascent Soul.
Among the Saintesses, only Su Mei could match Hong Lian's prowess. Why not challenge her?
Yan Ruo Xue's willow brows furrowed, her heart clouded with doubt. Yet, with the challenge issued, she couldn't refuse.
Her delicate shoes tapped the ground, her graceful form landing on the arena.
"Sect Master!" Yan Ruo Lan glanced at Su Yan, worry etched on her face, fearing her disciple's disadvantage.
"Observe," Su Yan replied softly, her tone devoid of emotion.
Yan Hong Lian appraised Yan Ruo Xue, then addressed the crowd, her crimson lips parting: "Fear not, I won't bully your Saintess. I'll suppress my cultivation to Early Nascent Soul, matching hers."
Her words eased the tension, revealing her sense of fairness.
"Lady Yan, please," Yan Ruo Xue said, unshaken. Though confident in fighting above her level, she knew Yan Clan's techniques and skills surpassed hers. She dared not underestimate Hong Lian.
Hong Lian didn't strike immediately, studying Yan Ruo Xue's refined face. Abruptly, she transmitted: "The time isn't right."
"What?" Yan Ruo Xue frowned, puzzled.
"I mean Lan Yu. Now's not the time to move against him," Hong Lian clarified slowly.
"What are you saying?" Yan Ruo Xue's heart jolted, her eyes flashing with turmoil.
"I know you seek justice for him, but striking Lan Yu now is unwise," Hong Lian pressed.
Yan Ruo Xue trembled, speechless, her heart roiling.
"I've watched you," Hong Lian continued. "You seem calm, but your eyes betray hatred when they fall on Lan Yu."
"I, too, yearn to avenge him, but now's not the moment. It'll spiral beyond our control."
Yan Ruo Xue drew a deep breath, quelling the tempest within. Seeing Lan Yu had indeed stoked her vengeful fury, carefully masked.
She'd planned to challenge him, demanding he suppress his strength, banking on his pride as Lan Clan's genius to accept, giving her a chance to exact revenge for him.
But…
"Who are you? What's your tie to him?" Yan Ruo Xue's transmitted voice quivered, a faint guess dawning.
"Hee, I should call you elder sister," Hong Lian giggled, her tone laced with jealousy.
"Damn it, so soon? He's snared an Eighth-Grade clan's princess!" Yan Ruo Xue fumed, love and hate mingling, her cheeks flushing at the thought of that man.
"You'd better get used to it. He's no gentleman. Jealousy alone might exhaust us," Hong Lian sighed, a touch of camaraderie in her voice.
"Hmph, besides you, who else does he have?" Yan Ruo Xue's tone chilled.
"Hee, that's our secret. Why tell you?" Hong Lian teased, though inwardly uneasy. She and her sister loving the same man was a delicate matter, especially before a rival.
"What are they doing?"
"Why aren't they fighting?"
The crowd gaped, baffled by the two beauties staring at each other, unaware of their transmitted exchange.
On the phoenix throne, Su Yan's serene eyes flickered with intrigue. She'd cultivated a secret art to eavesdrop on transmissions, a skill known to none.
The women's dialogue reached her delicate ears, piquing the Bai Hua Immortal's curiosity about this "him" who inspired such fierce devotion and rivalry.
Glancing at Lan Yu, Su Yan fell into thought.
Below, the arena's air thickened. The women, done talking, set "him" aside, their eyes blazing with battle intent.
"Let's fight. I'll see what the first woman he loved can do," Hong Lian taunted, her crimson lips curling.
"I await your prowess, Yan Clan's Great Princess," Ruo Xue shot back.
"Fight!" they cried in unison.
Hong Lian's hands ignited, Blazing Flames roaring, heating the air.
"Blazing Flame Palm!"
A fiery palm print surged, unrelenting, though her cultivation was curbed to Mid Nascent Soul.
"Ten Thousand Earths Guard the Bloom!"
Yan Ruo Xue calmly wove seals, her slender fingers dancing. Earth elements enveloped her, shielding her like a blooming flower.
Sizzle!
Flames met earth, hissing. The Blazing Flames' superior grade scorched the earth shield, but their power waned.
"Hmph," Yan Ruo Xue huffed, irked by Hong Lian's tie to him, swiftly summoning more earth energy to tangle with her flames.
"Not enough," Hong Lian smirked, condensing her flames into a long whip, lashing at Yan Ruo Xue.
"Dream on!" Yan Ruo Xue's face hardened, her footwork shifting, evading the whip's flurry with graceful movement.
Techniques clashed, their forms weaving through the air, trading blows on the ground, each concealing their true strength.
Yan Ruo Xue withheld her second root, Mysterious Water.
Hong Lian hid something fiercer—Violet Heart Void-Burning Flame, a Strange Fire.
Though rivals, they weren't fools. With outsiders watching, including his enemy, they guarded their trump cards.
They could vie, bloom brilliantly—but only for him.
"Boring," Yan Die Qing yawned, her sharp eyes catching their restrained performance, meant to deceive.
"They're afraid he'll be angry," she pouted, guessing.
Keen observers nodded, sighing. They'd hoped to probe the women's depths, but their restraint elevated their esteem.
High talent wasn't fearsome; talent paired with cunning was.
The duel ended in a draw. Yan Ruo Xue gazed deeply at Hong Lian, then smiled, a hundred flowers blooming, enchanting countless youths.
"Another rival stings, but knowing he's safe suffices. Thank you."
Her gentle words carried gratitude. Though Lan An had sworn he'd be fine, his teleportation left her anxious, uncertain of his fate.
"Hee, if he knew we met, he'd fret himself sick," Hong Lian giggled, imagining Lan An's flustered face.
Yan Ruo Xue smiled softly, suppressing her longing, leaving the arena. Hong Lian's warning cooled her impulsive vendetta against Lan Yu, revealing her naivety.
Nodding, Hong Lian gracefully returned to her seat.
Within the Spirit Blossom Orb
Lan An, oblivious to his harem's near combustion, donned his robes, gazing at Ji Bing, serene beneath a blanket veiling her perfect form.
Turning to Bai Su Mei, he smiled. "Shall we leave?"
She shook her head, her eyes tender. "I wish to seclude myself to master the Heart Unity Sword Art."
"Alright. If you're bored, reach me through our bond." Lan An nodded, kissing her forehead gently, then vanished.
Watching him go, Bai Su Mei clenched her fists, vowing strength. She'd never forget their humiliation at the Auction House, oppressed by Xue Chang and Fan Kong's superior power, forced to endure.
"I swear, any who harm my master will suffer," she gritted, grasping the Star-Silver Twin Swords and Heart Unity Sword Art, entering seclusion.
Lan An paused at the lakeside pavilion, hesitating.
"Come in already," a melodious voice, like a tranquil stream, called.
Steeling himself, Lan An entered.
Qin Meng Ying gazed at the lake, her stunning back radiating allure.
As he sat, her voice, tinged with teasing, spoke: "Here to say goodbye?"
"I…" Lan An faltered. Once mere friends, parting was easy, but their deepened bond made words heavy.
Stepping forward, he embraced her soft form, inhaling her fragrant hair.
Qin Meng Ying trembled, allowing his touch, shaking her head with a smile. "If you won't bid me farewell, I'll bid you."
"What do you mean?" Lan An asked, puzzled.
"I'm leaving Ling Wu City. It's not my place. Meeting you was enough," she whispered.
"Your plans?" she asked, concerned.
"I'll head to the continent's heart, training as I go, until Sacred Lotus Academy's enrollment," Lan An said, his path clear.
"Not bad. Without city teleportation arrays, a year's travel to the center is perfect training," Qin Meng Ying praised. The vast distance, with its diverse terrains and factions, would hone him.
They fell silent, embracing, savoring the rare moment.
"You haven't worn the Dreamheart Robes I gave you," Lan An noted after a while.
"Next time we meet, I'll wear them for you," she promised softly.
"When? Where do I find you?" Lan An tightened his hold, feeling her warmth.
"A secret. You'll know soon," she teased, smiling.
"I trust you," Lan An grinned. A Void Refinement cultivator's word was enough.
"Next time, I'll surprise you." She turned, her delicate hands caressing his face, noting his growing handsomeness, his aura enhanced by Dragon Qi.
Gazing at his plain face, Lan An's eyes softened, leaning to kiss her.
"Mmm," Qin Meng Ying moaned, her tongue meeting his.
Parting, they smiled at the glistening thread connecting their lips.
"Take this." She tossed him a stone.
Seeing his confusion, she explained, "It seals my full-power strike, enough to gravely wound a Mid Void Refinement cultivator if ambushed."
Lan An accepted it without hesitation, a lifesaving treasure too valuable to refuse.
"Go now," she waved, shooing him.
Would Lan An obey?
He claimed her lips again, boldly kneading her full breasts.
Qin Meng Ying melted, a trickle of warmth stirring below.
"Hmph," she huffed, her Void Refinement will snapping back. "Didn't you boast you'd surpass me? Yet you're taking liberties."
Lan An withdrew, sheepish, vowing earnestly, "I'll keep my word. When I do, I'll make you my little wife."
"Leave. I'm packing," she shooed again.
This time, Lan An didn't linger. With much to do, Ling Wu City's comfort ill-suited his ambition to dominate the continent.
Watching his retreating figure, Qin Meng Ying's heart surged with longing for their next meeting.
Lan An found Chen Jiang carousing in the inn's hall.
"Young Master, you called?" Chen Jiang set down his wine, alert.
"I'm leaving the city. Your plans?" Lan An patted his shoulder.
"Sob, I've aged parents here, or I'd follow you to death," Chen Jiang wailed.
"Take this. Care for them well. You're sharp, so I'm not worried." Lan An handed him a pouch of spirit stones, avoiding a teary farewell, and left the inn.
Chen Jiang bowed respectfully.
"Young Master An!"
A voice halted Lan An. Three figures approached.
Li Clan's cousins and a refined youth with green hair.
"Where are you headed? May we travel together if it's on our path?" Li Lin spoke first.
"I didn't properly greet you last time—my oversight. Who are you?" Lan An asked, wary. The green-haired youth, young yet Nascent Soul, raised his guard.
"We're from Li Clan, near Ling Wu City. This is our cousin's senior brother," Li Lin explained swiftly.
Li Zhu Luan, as before, stole glances at Lan An, blushing when he met her gaze, her veiled cheeks flushing. Young Master An seemed more dashing, his aura captivating.
The green-haired youth bowed courteously. "Greetings, Brother An. I'm Muo Hao."