Chapter 152: Gates of the Sacred Lotus, Rising Storms
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Seven days passed swiftly…
During this time, Lan An devoted himself to his harem, but the brief span prevented the women from cultivating their new techniques.
To his chagrin, Lan An noticed Nangong Wenyun, Hua Yu Feng, and Su Mei subtly avoiding him, while Bing Ling Er clung to him relentlessly, rivaling the affections of Li Zhu Luan and Yan Die Qing.
At last, the day to enter the Sacred Lotus Academy arrived. Lan An and his harem left the inn, gathering before the grand Academy Gate for the entrance assessment.
Countless figures stood in orderly rows, eagerly awaiting entry.
Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, the Chief Enforcing Elder descended from the skies, flanked by the Seven Grand Enforcers.
Sweeping his gaze across the assembly, the Chief Enforcing Elder's voice boomed like thunder: "Congratulations, all of you are now official students of the Sacred Lotus Academy!"
"We thank the Elder!" the crowd clasped their hands, their unified voices shaking the heavens.
The Chief Enforcing Elder nodded, pleased, as silence fell once more.
"As students of the Academy, you are not overly bound by restrictions, and the Academy does not curtail your freedom!" he continued. "But four cardinal rules must be etched into your hearts, never to be violated under any circumstances!"
The crowd listened with grave attention, awaiting his proclamation.
"First, you shall not misuse the Academy's name to commit acts against the righteous path of the heavens!"
"Second, you shall not share Techniques or Arts acquired from the Academy with outsiders!"
"Third, all conflicts within the Academy must occur between those of the same cultivation level!"
"Lastly, you shall not betray the Academy or prioritize personal gain over its interests under any circumstances!"
As he finished, a terrifying killing intent radiated from the Chief Enforcing Elder, paling the faces of many. His voice grew low and menacing: "Violate any of these four rules, and the entire Academy will hunt you to your death!"
Cold sweat beaded on the crowd's foreheads as they nodded fervently, committing the rules to memory.
With his pronouncements complete, the Chief Enforcing Elder vanished, leaving the Seven Grand Enforcers behind.
The seven exchanged glances, and the Seventh Elder stepped forward to speak: "Within the Academy, countless cultivation resources await—Techniques, Arts, Spiritual Herbs, Pills, Movement Arts, Treasures all exchangeable for Accumulation Points!"
"The Accumulation Points you earned in the third assessment are your initial reward from the Academy."
"To earn more after depleting them, students may undertake various Academy Missions to gather Accumulation Points!"
The Seventh Elder paused, letting the crowd absorb the information, then continued: "Unlike mortal schools, the Academy has no fixed classes. However, should you encounter cultivation bottlenecks or questions, visit the Lecture Hall, where thousands of instructors from Spirit Transformation to Void Refinement stand ready to resolve issues across nearly all disciplines…"
"Of course, this requires Accumulation Points. Nothing comes without effort."
The Seventh Elder droned on.
Lan An listened, a spark of realization dawning. He had wondered how the Academy would teach its students, as cultivators often secluded themselves for years. Daily classes would hinder cultivation time.
Now it was clear: thousands of instructors, from Spirit Transformation to Void Refinement, formed a terrifyingly robust faculty. Outside, Void Refinement experts were rarer than phoenix feathers, often unwilling to teach. But at the Academy, any cultivation issue could be resolved at the Lecture Hall for a cost in Accumulation Points.
No wonder the Academy held such lofty status on the continent.
Seeing the crowd's comprehension, the Seventh Elder continued: "The Academy offers many other facilities Alchemy Hall, Forging Hall, Spirit Gathering Arrays. Explore them at your leisure."
"Factions within the Academy may freely compete. High-ranking factions receive Accumulation Points annually from the Academy!"
"Each faction has its own territory, where members may reside. Independent cultivators can stay in the Dormitories."
With that, the Seventh Elder waved his hand, and the colossal gate rumbled open.
…
"The first task upon entering is to register our faction, securing our own territory!" Yan Hong Lian said with a smile.
Lan An nodded, turning to his harem: "Any plans, my loves?"
"I'll enter seclusion to study the Illusory Wood True Scripture you gave me," Mu Zi Yin said, squeezing his hand.
The others nodded eagerly.
Lan An had no reason to object. He, too, needed to cultivate the Arts from Trọng Vô Danh's ring.
At last, the crowd surged through the gate.
"Oh?"
Gasps of awe echoed.
Vast, boundless, endless a secluded world of verdant mountains and azure waters.
Towering structures, opulent yet ancient, pierced the skies.
As Lan An and his harem advanced, they passed faction headquarters established by students: Xiong Ca Gang, Brothers' Alliance, Blazing Flame Gang…
Each faction claimed its own territory, spaced hundreds of miles apart.
All were under the Academy's oversight.
"The Academy is a True-Grade Architectural Treasure!" Jin Ni's voice chimed.
Lan An started. No wonder the Academy appeared modest outside but was a vast world within.
"Let's go register our faction!" Lan An laughed heartily, his anticipation for the future surging.
His harem smiled, soaring after him.
…
As the Academy opened, the Sacred Lotus Rankings' top 50 spread across the continent through countless channels.
With recruitment complete, Sacred City reopened.
Details of the assessments were widely circulated, many recorded via Image Recording Stones and shared abroad.
Inevitably, the continent buzzed with discussion.
"This year's Sacred Lotus Rankings are filled with beauties truly a garden of blooming flowers!"
"Who is this Lan An? Never heard of him…"
"I saw him once, causing a ruckus at the Beast Arena in Ling Wu City. Now he's the Sacred Lotus Rankings champion!"
"So dashing, and he gifted a Tribulation Realm inheritance to a woman!"
"His strength is terrifying, defeating genius after genius, even the formidable Lan Clan young master!"
"The Blood Spirit Sect and Mortal Hidden Temple suffered heavy losses this time!"
"They won't let this go!"
…
Li Clan…
A middle-aged couple embraced, weeping with joy, surrounded by Li Clan members beaming with pride, offering congratulations.
Why? Their lost young miss, the clan head's only daughter, had returned…
Li Zhu Luan, now a dazzling genius on the Sacred Lotus Rankings, shone across the continent.
Could they not rejoice?
The tearful couple was none other than her parents.
…
Blood Spirit Sect…
The Blood Star Triad lay trembling, crumpled in the grand hall. Above, the Blood Spirit Sect Master's face was dark, killing intent swirling.
Surrounding him, elders kept their heads bowed, faces grim, none daring to look up.
"Die!"
In the suffocating silence, the Sect Master spat a single word.
Before the horrified crowd, the Blood Star Triad, without a chance to resist, dissolved into blood, absorbed into the Sect Master's maw.
The elders quaked, knowing his fury was real.
The Blood Spirit Sect had never been so humiliated.
The holy sons' cowardly defeat left none to defend them.
"At any cost, even half the sect's strength, bring me Lan An's head! I refuse to believe he'll hide in Sacred City forever!" the Sect Master declared before vanishing.
…
Hundred Flowers Sect…
The breathtakingly elegant Su Yan lounged in the main hall, watching the elders below chuckle uncontrollably, poring over the Sacred Lotus Rankings.
All three Saintesses ranked highly, surpassing many eighth- and ninth-grade geniuses. How could they not be elated?
Unlike the elders, Su Yan's gaze fixed on the top name.
Turning to a refined, mature woman beside her, Su Yan's voice was clear: "Elder Ruo Lan, care to share about Ruo Xue's affections?"
Yan Ruo Lan trembled, the elders glancing over.
From the Image Recording Jade, they'd noticed Yen Ruo Xue's unusually close bond with Lan An, but had ignored it amid the rankings' joy.
They hadn't expected the Sect Master to address it so directly.
Yan Ruo Lan smiled wryly. Since the Saintess Ceremony, she'd sensed her disciple's odd state.
After pressing her, Yen Ruo Xue revealed her bond with Lan An, akin to mother and son, hiding nothing.
Yan Ruo Lan, both worried and glad worried for Ruo Xue's loss of the Sect Master candidacy, glad for her finding a true match chose to shield her.
Today, unable to hide further, Yan Ruo Lan recounted everything.
The Hundred Flowers Sect women fell silent.
Suddenly, Elder Hua Yu Luan rose, smiling: "Sect Master, Ruo Xue finding her beloved is cause for joy. Lan An's exceptional, and her stepping back from the Sect Master race is fine—we still have Yu Feng and Su Mei!"
The elders nodded, seeing no great issue. A genius son-in-law was a boon.
Su Yan paused, then said softly, "Are you blind or pretending? I fear even my disciple and Yu Feng have fallen into Lan An's grasp."
The elders started, shaking their heads.
"Impossible!"
"All three Saintesses married? Who'll inherit the Sect?"
"No way he's that capable!"
"They're too proud to share a husband!"
They'd noticed subtle hints in the Image Recording Jade but clung to optimism.
Su Yan sighed at their naivety. "I'll investigate personally and visit my master."
With a soft sigh, Su Yan vanished from her Phoenix Throne.
The elders exchanged looks, knowing her master was the Sacred Lotus Academy's Seventh-Ranked Chancellor.
…
Lan Clan…
In the council hall, an ancient table and chairs stood solemnly.
Lan Po Lei's face was grim, repeatedly studying an Image Recording Jade of the assessment, lightning flashing in his eyes.
Beside him, dozens of figures sat silently, barely daring to breathe, stunned by the transformation of the former "waste."
Finally, Lan Po Lei spoke: "What are your thoughts?"
The room stirred. The Grand Elder, Lan Qing Lie, rose, clasping his hands.
He took a deep breath, saying steadily, "First, we must locate the young master; we've lost contact. As for… Lan An, the decision rests with the Clan Head."
Lan Po Lei sank into thought. Without this earth-shaking assessment, "Lan An" was a name he loathed most a stain on his life.
Born a supreme genius, Lan Po Lei's cultivation path was flawless, culminating in his rise to Clan Head. A "waste" son was his greatest shame.
He never saw Lan An as his son.
His concern wasn't Lan Yu's safety but the terrifying fortune that transformed Lan An.
What opportunity could be so profound?
Raising his head, Lan Po Lei said lowly, "Have Lan Chen contact him. If he honestly shares his gains and offers them to the Lan Clan, I'll welcome him back, even naming him young master in Lan Yu's stead."
The elders glanced at each other, shouting, "Clan Head is wise!"
"And if he refuses?" Lan Qing Lie asked.
Lan Po Lei's eyes narrowed, fingers tapping the table. "Secret assassination."
…
In a desolate corner of the Ice Heaven Continent…
A youth, unremarkable and seemingly harmless, strolled leisurely.
He studied an Image Recording Jade of Lan An's battles in the Secret Realm, murmuring, "No wonder the Dark Origin Continent paid such a price. He's no simpleton."
As he spoke, his figure vanished ghost-like.
Moments later, an elderly couple appeared—the same old pair who once ran a tea stall in a small village, later sending Lan An to the Liu Clan with terrifying means.
"What's he doing in the Ice Heaven Continent?" the old woman asked, eyeing the youth's former spot.
"Leave him be. Best not tangle with those lunatics," the old man said, stroking his beard.
"Sigh, the Seven Killers Sect when will someone break their teeth?" the old woman lamented.
"Even toothless, they'd gnaw with their gums. They're all mad, valuing money over life," the old man said, wary.
"Recognize him?" the old woman asked.
The old man nodded firmly. "Golden Earth Ranking, 68th Earth Killer, Lei Wen Lian."