Chapter 135: The Second Map Fragment

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"Hand over all your Tokens, or die!"

Lan An coldly addressed the crowd, his fury ignited. Their designs on Su Mei already soured his view, and their audacious attack sealed their fate.

In the Secret Realm, combat was fair; seizing Tokens from the weak was lawful. He felt no guilt.

The cultivators snapped back, eyeing Tong Cong struggling to rise, pain etched on his face. Many showed wary respect.

"Brothers, we number dozens fear him? Strike together, see what he can do!" Tong Congs eyes blazed with rage. Knowing he was outmatched alone, he banked on their numbers.

Whoosh…

Before the crowd could react, a sound rang out. Lan An's form vanished again.

His target: Tong Cong.

"Not good Wind Veil Protection Art!" Tống Congs hair stood on end, but he wasn't ordinary, swiftly deploying a defensive technique.

Countless Wind spiritual energies swirled, forming a vortex shielding his body.

The vortex spun dizzyingly, poised to shred any attack nearing.

This technique resembled Lan An's Eight Trigrams Revolving Palm, but under the White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye's piercing gaze, Lan An spotted weak points in the thinnest winds, sneering, "Piercing Star Finger!"

As his voice fell, Lan An raised his hand, Water spiritual energy condensing fiercely at his middle and ring fingers.

A single thrust shot forth, rending the air.

Rip…

The finger strike, swift beyond measure, rippled space, as if piercing stars.

Splurt…

Piercing Star Finger tore through Tong Cong vortex like paper, brutally piercing his thigh, shredding flesh to reveal shattered white bone.

Unrelenting, it streaked on, felling several unlucky cultivators behind him before dissipating.

Silence…

An eerie, absolute silence.

Inside and outside the Secret Realm, all fell hushed, gripped by terror.

Faces contorted in horror.

A finger that could pierce stars was no trifling matter.

"This is at least a Low Heaven-Grade technique!" Seventh Elder said gravely.

"No, precisely a Mid Heaven-Grade technique!" the Chief Enforcer Elder nodded firmly, his Spirit Integration vision unerring.

The crowd gasped. Heaven-Grade techniques were lifelong dreams for many, cherished as sect treasures, immensely potent.

This prodigy wielded one.

Compared to techniques summoning Earth Bear or Fire Phoenix, Piercing Star Finger was deadlier.

Summoned beasts couldn't ambush or kill swiftly; fast foes could flee.

But Piercing Star Finger was inescapable, its speed and suddenness perfect for assassinations if enemies were unprepared.

Lan An, pleased with his strike, nodded approvingly.

Piercing Star Finger, one of two techniques bought from the Lucky Shop long ago, was reserved for critical moments.

Its allure lay in its multi-element versatility, usable with any spiritual energy. He'd used Mysterious Water.

If he used Variant Fire…

"I'll say it once more: Tokens or death!" Lan An's voice thundered, another finger strike forming.

Seeing the victims' mangled state, the crowd paled.

Beyond strength, his speed alone left them helpless.

Since ancient times, martial arts held: only speed triumphs.

Speed decided most battles.

Su Mei gazed at the man standing proud between heaven and earth, her heart racing, eyes enchanted, admiring Ruo Xue's keen judgment.

Tống Công Tử swallowed a high-grade healing pill, his thigh's flesh regenerating, but his bloodless face betrayed lingering injury.

Recalling death's brush, his heart sank. Had that strike hit his heart or head, he'd be a corpse.

The strength gap was vast; he abandoned resistance. Tong Cong wasn't foolish.

Facing Lan An, he clasped his hands, "Your strength is peerless; I, Tống, am in awe. I alone struck you, not them please spare them!"

Lan An's eyes flickered with surprise, not expecting such words, but having clashed, he wasn't soft-hearted, sneering, "If my strength faltered, I'd be the one expelled. Would you spare me then?"

Tong Cong knew apologies wouldn't suffice. Gritting his teeth, he removed his storage ring, tossing it to Lan An.

"A token of sincerity, please accept. Tokens are our future please show mercy!" Tong Cong bowed respectfully.

"Please, consider!" the crowd shouted, bowing in unison.

Lan An felt a surge of heroic pride.

Indeed, when slightly stronger, others envy and seek to surpass you. But when overwhelmingly superior, beyond their reach, envy turns to admiration, reverence.

Lan An inspected Tong Cong 's ring.

It held Spirit Stones, Wind techniques, two healing pills—nothing remarkable.

Wait…

Deep within, an ancient leather fragment glowed faintly, etched with cryptic map corners.

Lan An's body jolted. This leather matched the one seized from Gu Fei Tian during the Blue Cloud Sect raid.

A map crafted from Bright Heaven Elephant hide, a beast rivaling Spirit Integration cultivators when mature.

Per Bing Lan Xi, it likely led to the Light Sacred Land, an ancient powerhouse.

"Where'd you get this leather?" Lan An transmitted to Tong Cong.

Tống Công Tử started. He'd bought it at a black market, but after fruitless study, he'd forgotten it in his ring.

This prodigy's interest was unexpected.

Tong Cong hastily recounted everything.

Lan An frowned; the clue wasn't vital, but with a second map piece, he believed he could collect them all.

Taking only the map, he tossed the ring back, waving, "Go! Next time, steer clear. No second chances."

"Thank you for your mercy!" The crowd, ecstatic, bowed repeatedly, dragging nearly ten gravely injured cultivators away.

They'd lost interest in the cave's Spirit Herb.

Watching them flee, Lan An nodded, satisfied. Gaining the second map piece was a grand harvest; their meager points weren't worth taking.

Robbing Eighth- or Ninth-Grade prodigies would be far more thrilling.

"Afraid of releasing tigers?" Su Mei approached, her enchanting eyes teasing, radiating charm.

"Are they tigers in my eyes?" Lan An grinned, countering.

Su Mei, seeing his confidence, blushed, momentarily dazed.

Lan An declared boldly, "Even if they become tigers, before a true dragon soaring the nine heavens, they're mere ants!"

His faith in himself was unshakable; he surpassed others, never to be overtaken by past foes.

A hegemon's absolute conviction.

"Whatever, it's not my concern!" Su Mei turned away, avoiding his gaze, fearing his charisma's pull.

"How's it unrelated? This clash was all because of you truly a beauty's calamity!" Lan An spun her to face him, teasing.

"If you fear this calamity's troubles, let me go!" Su Mei glared.

"Nope, I love trouble especially from beauties, haha!" Lan An laughed heartily, planting a quick kiss on her soft lips.

Su Mei let him, accustomed to his occasional liberties.

Roar…

A deafening, earth-shaking roar from the cave stung their ears, the beast within roused by the outer battle.

"Fancy hunting a Mid Fifth-Order beast? That herb might be useful!" Lan An grasped Su Mei's hand, pointing to the cave.

Another would earn her scorn—Nascent Soul hunting a Fifth-Order beast? Daydreaming.

But this was Lan An. Su Mei trusted him implicitly; if he claimed it, he'd do it.

"Scared? You'll protect me it'll be thrilling!" She licked her lips, adventurous, accepting his challenge.

"Haha, let's go!" Lan An laughed, pulling her into the cave without hesitation.

He eagerly anticipated the points a Fifth-Order beast would yield.

Elsewhere in the Secret Realm…

Dozens of Rhino Oxen grazed peacefully.

Suddenly, two armored figures appeared above, their aura chilling as millennial ice.

Two of the five Ice Mysterious Empire disciples.

Eyeing the Rhino Oxen, they nodded, killing intent rising.

"Ice Spear Sky Pierce!"

Two cold shouts rang out, their hands rising overhead, condensing vast Ice spiritual energy.

Darkness shrouded the sky. At their will, two meteor-like ice masses formed above.

The Rhino Oxen, sensing danger, tried to flee.

"Die!"

The ice meteors crashed down like mountains, pulping the herd into flesh fragments.

Their Tokens' points surged. The duo departed indifferently, seeking new prey.

They spared no glance for the beasts' demise.

In the Secret Realm's barren desert…

Two cloaked figures, faces veiled, robes fluttering, stood disciples of Heavenly Mountain Immortal Realm.

Before them lay a slaughtered herd of Brown Rabbits.

"Wang Lin, didn't I say not to kill docile, herbivorous beasts?" A celestial voice, pure as a snow lotus atop Heavenly Mountain, emerged from one's veil.

Wang Lin shook his head, sighing, "We aim for the Sacred Spirit Ranking's top spot. Without slaughter, how can we succeed? Women's soft hearts!"

"Then go alone!" The fairy-like voice replied coolly, her form vanishing into the vast desert.

"Hmph, if you weren't my fiancée, I wouldn't bother!" Wang Lin sneered, resuming his beast massacre, boosting his points.

Boom, boom, boom…

Countless lightning bolts ravaged the ground, their vast range reducing beasts and unlucky cultivators to ash.

Midair, a brocade-robed youth stood arrogantly, his eyes crackling with thunder, gazing down imperiously at the carnage.

Had Lan An been here, he'd recognize his "brother," Luo Yu.

Since that day, Luo Yu's mind fixated on the youth cradling a beauty, treading 98 steps, shocking all.

That carefree gallantry and heroic spirit made a petty soul like Luo Yu seethe with hatred and disdain.

Holding his Token, seeing points double past 1,000…

Luo Yu's eyes narrowed, sneering, "Dear brother, I eagerly await crushing you beneath my feet…!"