Chapter 148: You’re not Lan Yu

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"What? He called Wang Lin a mere ant? Then isn't he claiming to be a dragon?"

"Exactly! Such arrogance! Wang Lin's in the top 10, you know!"

"Hmph, look at him fighting four-on-one without falling behind. He's earned the right to talk big!"

"Fair point, fellow Daoist!"

"Don't jump to conclusions. Lan Yu, Wang Lin, and the others haven't gone all out yet. It's too early to say!"

The crowd buzzed with heated debate.

Countless female cultivators were enthralled by Lan An's commanding presence, lost in a daze.

Atop a nearby peak, two figures stood side by side, their unremarkable faces etched with solemnity.

Gazing at the armored youth astride the Purple Thunder Gryphon, they felt deep admiration and a burning desire to challenge him.

These were Wang Ba and Bing Ao.

Yet their pride as true prodigies forbade them from ganging up on Lan An. The honor of a peerless genius demanded a fair fight, even if it meant defeat.

Unlike their peers, Wang Ba and Bing Ao held a unique arrogance, preferring loss over dishonorable alliances.

Unlike Wang Lin or Bing Yang, these were true heavenly talents.

"Who do you think will win?" Bing Ao asked calmly.

"Hard to say. They all have hidden trump cards we don't know about. How can we judge rashly?" Wang Ba shook his head.

Bing Ao nodded in agreement.

"But I had Lan An investigated. He first appeared in Spirit Martial City. His identity, though, is what's shocking!" Wang Ba said with a mysterious smile.

"Oh? What did you find?" Bing Ao's curiosity piqued.

"He was once a cripple, a disgrace the Lan Clan hid!" Wang Ba blurted, disbelief in his voice.

"Impossible!" Bing Ao reacted as expected.

Across from them, on another peak…

A woman in a voluminous cloak stood, her radiant, moon-like eyes dreamy, her lips murmuring, "Wang Lin, just an ant… just an ant?"

Witnessing Wang Lin's shameless opportunism contrasted with Lan An's regal demeanor, the stark difference stirred her heart, emotions uncontainable.

"Damn you! Do you know who I am? My status? You dare humiliate me? Can you bear the consequences?" Wang Lin raged, nearly unhinged.

If he didn't crush this man today, his reputation would be trash, mocked in whispers.

The more he thought, the angrier he grew. His Water Extreme Sword, a Mid Heaven-Grade artifact, quivered with his fury.

As the son of a Celestial Mountain Immortal Realm elder, gifted in Water and Ice, he was pampered, even granted a Heaven-Grade weapon.

"Everyone, let's teach this fool a lesson!" Wang Lin, no fool, knew he couldn't face Lan An alone, rallying his allies.

"No problem! Full force! We can't underestimate him," Xue Zi said gravely.

Lan Yu took a deep breath, suppressing his discomfort, pulling a two-meter-long spear from his storage ring.

Forged from ten-thousand-year ice, its sharp tip crafted from Thunder Stone, it blended Ice and Thunder powerfully.

Ice Thunder Spear.

A Mid Heaven-Grade artifact, forged by a renowned Treasure Pavilion artificer at great cost for Lan Po Lei.

Lan Yu had planned to keep it as his ultimate trump card.

But Lan An's relentless dominance forced his hand.

As Lan Yu channeled energy, Ice and Thunder qi surged, cloaking the Ice Thunder Spear.

Confidence returning, he roared, "Fight!"

"Devourer, use your divine talent!" Yu Han shouted.

The Devouring Dog's maw widened, an immense suction spreading.

Fan Shan's mangled corpse was sucked into its gullet.

Nearby weaker cultivators, caught off-guard, were pulled in.

They frantically attacked to resist, but to no avail.

Gritting their teeth, they discarded their Tokens to save their lives.

"Hmph, cowards!" Yu Han roared, frustrated his plan failed. But devouring Fan Shan's corpse boosted the Devouring Dog's aura slightly.

Xue Zi, seeing his allies unleash, revealed his own. A watermelon-sized Blood Pearl, brimming with怨念 (resentful spirits), soared skyward.

Another Mid Heaven-Grade artifact.

Unsatisfied, to the crowd's horror, Xue Zi swallowed the Blood Pearl.

It entered his Dantian, spinning, amplifying his power, akin to Lan An's cauldrons.

"Impressive! Human-Pearl Unity!" the Blood Star Sect's First Saint Son, fighting elsewhere, muttered in awe.

They had Blood Pearls but couldn't achieve this.

"Ready? Let's fight!" Lan An laughed heartily, swinging the Dragon King Halberd. Little Lion roared, becoming lightning, charging forth.

Man and beast, unrivaled.

"Sweeping Transcending Armies!"

Lan An swept his halberd.

"Hmph, Ice Thunder Massacre!" Lan Yu snorted, slamming his Ice Thunder Spear.

Ice and Thunder ravaged wildly.

Clashing head-on with Lan An.

But he was outmatched, sent reeling, utterly disheveled.

Xue Zi seized the moment, his Blood Claws slashing at Lan An's neck.

BOOM!

Little Lion's thunderbolt countered, neither yielding.

Wang Lin didn't falter. His Water Extreme Sword quaked, space trembling.

"Water Fury Heaven-Cleaving Slash!"

A sword qi tore the air, splitting the heavens, terrifyingly potent.

One of Wang Lin's strongest moves, aimed to kill Lan An.

ROAR!

The Devouring Dog roared, its maw widening, suction intensifying against Lan An and Little Lion.

"Haha, die!" Lan Yu, seeing Lan An imperiled, attacked to prevent dodging.

But they underestimated him.

"Three Thousand Thunderous Motions!"

Little Lion's spirited voice rang out, its body splitting into three lightning bolts, darting to different positions.

Lan An used Swift Shift to vanish.

Man and beast evaded the devastating techniques.

Halberd over one shoulder, Lan An raised a hand, shouting coldly, "Star-Plucking Grasp!"

Violet Heart Sky-Burning Flame blazed, forming a fiery hand, capable of seizing stars and moons.

Star-Plucking Grasp descended like a mountain, forcing Lan Yu's group from offense to defense.

Lan Yu became lightning, fleeing.

Xue Zi turned to blood mist, burrowing underground.

Wang Lin summoned a massive shield.

The Devouring Dog curled up, emitting a protective suction.

Four foes, four defenses, wary of clashing with Lan An's Variant Fire Star-Plucking Grasp.

The crowd held its breath, wondering who Lan An would target.

Lan An smiled faintly, the fiery hand descending…

The Blood Star Sect's Second Saint Son, battling Ruo Xue, a Bone Cultivator, had fended off her Water-Earth Essence Pearl.

Ruo Xue felt helpless. She hadn't mastered the pearl, and her qi was draining.

Continuing thus would disappoint her husband.

Hating her weakness, she yearned to cultivate the Water Desolate War Canon and awaken her Water Desolate Bloodline.

In her despair, a fiery hand suddenly tore through the air, unexpected.

Its target: the Second Saint Son.

No one anticipated this, unguarded, unimaginable.

Lan An, locked in combat with formidable foes, had joined another battlefield.

Even the Second Saint Son was caught off-guard.

Star-Plucking Grasp, like Buddha's palm trapping Sun Wukong, engulfed his bony frame.

Variant Fire burned ferociously.

"AAAAAA!"

A ghostly scream echoed, his prized bones melting under the flames.

The gruesome scene shocked all, even Lan Yu's group, humiliated.

The First and Third Saint Sons' eyes bulged, hearts breaking at their brother's torment.

"Discard your Token, Second Brother! We can start anew with our lives! Discard it!" the First Saint Son pleaded.

"Yes, we surrender! Discard it, we're with you!" the Third Saint Son rasped.

"Damn you, you've shamed Blood Star Sect!" Xue Zi roared.

But the Second Saint Son heeded his brothers, enduring the agony, detaching a bone bearing his Token.

Simultaneously, the First and Third Saint Sons nodded, discarding their Tokens.

The three brothers exited the Secret Realm.

Forfeiting their chance at the Academy.

"Useless! Blood Star Sect won't spare you!" Xue Zi barked, near madness.

He couldn't fathom their brotherhood.

Without opponents, Ruo Xue, Mu Bai Yin, and Bing Ying Er joined Lan An, their fighting spirit blazing, eyeing Lan Yu.

The battle now tilted decisively.

Silence, the world hushed.

"Unless desperate, never cross this man!"

Countless gazes on Lan An shared this thought.

His terrifying strength paired with cunning strategy…

No one foresaw his Feint East, Strike West altering the battle's course.

A Star-Plucking Grasp meant for four foes shifted targets with thunderous precision, clearly premeditated.

Lan Chang, Bing Yang, and Bing Feng, fighting the harem, paled.

Imagining the Second Saint Son's fate as theirs, they shivered.

Retreat crept into their minds.

Lan Yu, ashen, trembled, the situation beyond his predictions.

A voice deepened his despair.

"I beg Brother Lan An's mercy. I was misled by Bing Yang and offended you. I'll leave now and visit to apologize later!"

Bing Feng, fending off Liu Shi Qin, shouted, fleeing.

In the top 50, he wouldn't risk his life and future.

He escaped.

Liu Shi Qin glanced at Lan An. If he wished, her Night Wind could pursue.

Lan An shook his head.

This outcome was satisfactory.

Forcing Bing Feng to fight desperately might injure the harem needlessly.

Liu Shi Qin returned to Lan An's side, radiating killing intent toward Lan Yu.

Xue Zi and Wang Lin's faces darkened grimly.

Yu Han acted decisively, recalling the Devouring Dog and discarding his Token.

"Beast Taming War Sect won't forget you! We'll meet again. I'm just an outer disciple; thousands stronger will come for you, haha!"

With his threat, Yu Han vanished, abandoning his Gold Eagles battling the Fire Phoenix.

Beast Taming War Sect had sent him to humble the Sacred Lotus Academy.

No attachment lingered.

He'd face sect punishment for failing.

Wang Lin, making the boldest move, crushed a Minor Teleportation Talisman, vanishing.

Xue Zi, equally grim, burned two drops of vital blood, escaping via Blood Evasion.

Only Bing Yang and Lan Yu remained.

No one expected this outcome, sparked by Lan An's Feint East, Strike West.

As the harem advanced on Bing Yang, a shadow whisked him away, a voice echoing, "Ao takes him. Ice Mysterious Empire is deeply grateful!"

Lan An's eyes flickered, retracting a Harmonious Spirit Palm.

Bing Ao, Lan Xi's half-brother, deserved some face.

Lan Yu stood, soul-lost.

The harem tactfully retreated.

Lan An approached calmly, saying, "Hand them over. You're unworthy."

Lan Yu lifted his head, voice hoarse, "If you're so great, take them!"

Lan An shook his head. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed.

Twin thunderbolts shot from Lan Yu's eyes, aiming for Lan An's forehead, a sneak attack.

Dual Thunder Pupil Art.

The technique that blinded Lan Yu's eyes during training years ago.

But before Lan An's White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye, he dodged effortlessly.

"White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye? What's your tie to the White Moon Clan?"

A raspy voice from Lan Yu startled Lan An.

He looked up. Lan Yu's once-bright eyes now glowed blood-red, endless malice swirling.

"You're not Lan Yu anymore!" Lan An inhaled sharply, voice grim.