Chapter 142: Temporary Truce

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No one could've imagined that two renowned prodigies of the Lan Clan, Lan Xing and Lan Xin, would fall so swiftly and miserably.

Their martial skills and cultivation techniques, treasures others could only dream of, proved futile. Lan An battered them relentlessly, suppressing them utterly, expelling them from the Secret Realm and stripping their eligibility for Sacred Lotus Academy.

Nor could anyone foresee Lan An's ruthless decisiveness. Each strike was a killing blow, culminating in a novel Heaven-Grade skill, Star-Plucking Hand, fueled by Variant Fire, clearly aimed to bury Lan Xing and Lan Xin.

In past clashes, Lan An had held back, never so absolute. Thus, witnessing his domineering, earnest onslaught left many horrified, quietly trembling.

Even the hundreds of banded cultivators, eager to seize Tokens from top-50 contenders, swallowed hard and steered clear of Lan An's vicinity.

At this moment, he was officially an untouchable force in the Secret Realm.

Elsewhere, Yan Hong Lian pressed forward, her Variant Fire ferocious and unmatched. Yan Ri and Yan Yang suffered indescribably.

Purple flames flooded the sky. Despite wielding Blazing Fire, Yan Ri and Yan Yang felt utterly powerless.

Variant Fire dwarfed Blazing Fire by leagues.

Moreover, Yan Hong Lian had mastered the same Yan Clan techniques they cultivated. Knowing their combat prowess intimately, armed with Variant Fire's superiority, how could Yan Ri stand a chance?

Worse, Yan Hong Lian was a Body Cultivator, her defenses far surpassing theirs.

Outside the Secret Realm, Yan Ri might've leveraged higher cultivation to resist, but here, with equalized realms, he was pummeled.

In the end, both fled in panic, faces ashen. Yan Hong Lian snorted, poised to pursue, but a hand restrained her.

"Let me handle those two! But not now they're your clansmen, after all," Lan An said, shaking his head with a smile.

Yan Hong Lian nodded obediently, understanding his concern. Eliminating two Yan Clan prodigies could spark conflict between Lan An and her clan.

Gazing at Yan Ri's retreating figures, Lan An's eyes glinted. He resolved to teach the Yan Clan's prodigies a lesson, ensuring they'd never meddle in his affairs with his Yan women.

Finally, his gaze settled on Lan Chang, entangled by Bai Su Mei and Su Mei.

Lan Chang shivered under that stare, hairs rising as if a primordial beast eyed him, dread piercing his core.

"Why? How could a former cripple transform so drastically?" The thought consumed Lan Chang, unquellable.

Denying Lan An a chance to strike, Lan Chang produced a shimmering talisman. Crushing it, his speed surged tenfold, breaking free from Su Mei and Bai Su Mei's pursuit, escaping successfully.

Such potent talismans, rare even among Eighth-Grade powers, were single-use. As the son of the Lan Clan's Great Elder, only Lan Chang possessed one. Lan Xing and Lan Xin had no such luxury.

This was unsurprising. Even Lan An, with his System, rarely acquired Lesser Teleportation Talismans, let alone others.

Crafting talismans required Talisman Masters, whose status in the Cultivation World rivaled Alchemists and Artifact Refiners. Alchemy, talisman-crafting, and refining all carried high failure rates, devouring immense resources.

The Lan Clan's prodigies suffered a devastating blow, their strength and prestige trampled by Lan An.

Yet, they weren't without gains. They'd gauged Lan An's terrifying prowess, valuable intel to report to Lan Yu.

With this in mind, Lan Chang gritted his teeth, accelerating his retreat.

Using that talisman would leave him powerless for days.

"Master!" Bai Su Mei sighed as Lan Chang fled, her foot tapping lightly as she appeared beside Lan An.

"You've worked hard!" Lan An embraced Bai Su Mei and Yan Hong Lian, kissing their foreheads gently.

Su Mei stood awkwardly aside, unsure how to act.

Seeing her discomfort, Lan An pulled her close, soothing, "Why so shy? We're family now. You'll all be sisters!"

Bai Su Mei, gentle and understanding, grasped Su Mei's hand, smiling, "He's a bit of a rogue, but our sisters are harmonious. Don't worry, sister!"

Yan Hong Lian glared at Lan An, then smiled at Su Mei, "We'll take turns keeping him in line. Don't let him flirt at every chance!"

Su Mei, warmed by their friendliness, relaxed, her smile blooming. She shot Lan An a playful glance.

Nearby, cultivators dispersed, abandoning schemes against Lan An and his women.

With 50 slots still open, they'd target others, especially as new contenders had replaced Lan Xing and Lan Xin in the top 50.

"Boss, what's the plan?" Xue Qian asked Blood Spirit Sect's Great Saint Son.

"Should we wait for Xue Zi to take the top spot? He'd relish it," the Second Brother mused.

"Find Lan Yu!" the Great Saint Son declared gravely.

"Lan Yu…" The others' eyes lit up.

"Exactly. Lan An's strength might overwhelm even Xue Zi. We need allies!" the Great Saint Son said, his gaze deep.

"The enemy of an enemy is a friend. Whatever grudge Lan An has with the Lan Clan, Lan Yu will bite at our proposal," Xue Qian agreed.

"Right! After allying with Lan Yu, we'll contact Xue Zi," the Great Saint Son added, teeth clenched, glaring at Lan An surrounded by beauties, then turning sharply.

"Let's go!"

The others nodded, casting venomous glances at Lan An before vanishing.

They'd never forget Lan An's crushing defeat of them. Without their elder's rescue, they'd be dead. Until Lan An fell, they'd know no peace.

Despite their stealth, their glowing Tokens betrayed them. How could Lan An and the trio miss it?

"Hmph, plot all you want. I'll crush every comer!" Lan An snorted, spotting the blood-red shadows fade.

"Husband, why not chase them?" Yan Hong Lian asked.

Lan An shook his head, "They're slippery. Regrouping with our girls is the priority!"

The women nodded, enlightened. If Blood Spirit Sect sought allies, Lan An would too.

Once the harem united, no enemy would daunt them they'd fight as they pleased.

"The battle's noise and your crowning rank will draw them soon," Su Mei smiled.

"Better to wait here than wander and lose our way," Bai Su Mei said, brushing her silver hair with a smile.

"Settled!" Lan An nodded, sitting with the trio on the meadow, inquiring about their Secret Realm experiences.

Behind the boulder, Fei Du Ji swayed his bulky frame, envying Lan An's banter with three beauties.

His Blazing Thunder Clan specialized in explosives, indifferent to Sacred Lotus Academy's teachings. Despite securing three slots, only Fei, lazy and playful, joined.

At Blazing Thunder, surrounded by old men and lunatics, not a single beauty existed. Thus, he boldly claimed he'd enter to glorify his clan.

The clan agreed, entrusting him with a third of their bombs, making Fei Du Ji a mobile arsenal.

Eyeing Lan An's carefree group on the grass, he wondered if tossing grenades would disrupt them.

Yet, Lan An's eerie white eye occasionally flicked his way, glinting mysteriously, quickening Fei's pulse. He stayed his hand.

For the first time, Fei sensed that bombing them would backfire on him.

Absurd, yet he heeded instinct, biding his time with uncanny patience.

Outside the Secret Realm, Lan Xing and Lan Xin materialized, met with jeers.

As Eighth-Grade prodigies, their elimination was a humiliating disgrace.

"Useless! You've shamed the Lan Clan!" a composed man appeared, berating them.

His Mid Spirit Transformation aura paled Lan Xin.

"Big Brother!" Lan Xing called respectfully.

"Brother Chen!" Lan Xin murmured, crestfallen.

The man was Lan Chen, a Lan Clan prodigy who'd joined Sacred Lotus Academy forty years ago, Lan Xing's elder brother.

Like other powers, the Lan Clan sent prodigies every decade. Many, under 100, lingered, unready to graduate.

Lan Chen was among them, founding the thriving Lan Hero Faction, rivaling the Yan Clan's Blazing Flame Faction.

"Hmph, I trusted you, even reserved two elite seats in Lan Hero Faction for you! What a letdown!" Lan Chen sneered, fuming.

"We're useless, but that crippled beast was monstrous! Who'd expect the clan's former shame to transform so?" Lan Xing and Lan Xin, exchanging bitter glances, said.

Lan Chen fell silent, conceding Lan An's strength.

"Fine. In ten years, the clan may grant you another chance. As for that stain on our house and leader, if Young Lord can't handle him, Lan Hero Faction will erase him post-entry!" Lan Chen growled, murderous intent chilling.

"No choice, then. But don't underestimate him he's no ordinary!" they warned gravely.

An Elder waved, banishing the defeated duo from Sacred City.

Lan Chen's eyes glinted, fixed on the Ten Thousand Star Mirror, eager to see if Lan Yu could crush this thorn.

"Survive the Young Lord, and Lan Hero Faction will teach you manners!" he muttered, eyes narrowing.

Unnoticed, two noble, identical maidens stood behind him, overhearing. Their innocent eyes brimmed with shock and astonishment…