Chapter 168: Emperor Flame Rises
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"Heavenly Charm Bone?"
Lan An jolted, exclaiming aloud.
"Indeed. This physique appears only in women. Those with the Heavenly Charm Bone possess innate allure from birth, their beauty capable of toppling nations. Every gesture radiates charm from their very marrow, leaving few men able to stay clear-headed," Jin Ni explained calmly.
Lan An shook his head with a wry smile. No wonder he'd been entranced by that little fox, even in her beast form.
"The Heavenly Charm Bone is among the finest dual cultivation physiques, exponentially accelerating both partners' progress. It's also ideal for mastering Charm Arts," Jin Ni continued, "Ranked 27th on the Great Physique List, it's one of the most compatible physiques to aid you in refining the Reverse Dragon Bloodline."
Lan An shrugged helplessly. The little fox was a Seventh-Tier Late Stage beast, equivalent to a human Late Integration Stage powerhouse. Before her, he was an ant, and her status was likely extraordinary.
Taking advantage of her was already tempting fate; surviving without pursuit was miraculous. Dual cultivation with her? A pipe dream.
Yet, Lan An brimmed with confidence. He genuinely adored that little fox and vowed to claim her for his harem once strong enough.
Putting the matter aside, he surveyed his surroundings.
An endless sea stretched before him, standing on a barren islet without human traces.
"No surprise it's Hai Zhou Continent. The mission to hunt Sea Octopuses is in the Western Sea. I need to find people to pinpoint my location," Lan An muttered.
He entered the Spirit Realm Pearl to reassure Su Mei and Xiao Qing Xuan of his safety, opting not to bring them out.
In such situations, acting alone was best.
Little Lion was an exception, perched on his shoulder in her adorable beast form, eager to join him.
Lan An smiled at the women, then vanished.
Back on the islet…
"Let's go!" he said to Little Lion, soaring upward.
WHOOSH!
His expression shifted. Endless Mysterious Water enveloped his legs, Great Flood Kick (Thủy Hồng Cước) surging with tidal force as he spun, striking behind.
BOOM!
A thunderous clash echoed. Lan An retreated mid-air.
The creature that ambushed him roared in pain, its massive head bloodied.
A colossal turtle, its long neck protruding from a shell, bared sharp teeth and glared with crimson eyes.
The shell was the islet Lan An had stood on, revealing its immense size.
"Hmph!" Lan An snorted. The beast had retracted its head and limbs, concealing its aura to masquerade as an island for a sneak attack.
Fortunately, Little Lion, a beast herself, sensed it instantly, warning him to counter.
"Sea Stone Turtle, Fifth-Tier Mid Stage. A carnivorous beast with exceptional defense," Jin Ni provided casually.
"Die, human! ROAR!" The Sea Stone Turtle bellowed, capable of human form as a Fifth-Tier beast but preferring its beast state. Its gaping maw condensed Water Spiritual Force into a destructive water sphere, launching at Lan An.
"Courting death!" Lan An sneered, activating Speed Shift to dodge.
He appeared atop the turtle's shell, Heavy Sword in hand.
"Heavy Flame Imperial Sword Art – Mountain Suppression!"
To end it swiftly, three Strange Flames blazed—purple, golden, and azure—merging around the blade.
A tri-colored flame erupted.
The Heavy Sword rose, annihilating surrounding space.
Lan An's face turned icy, slamming the sword onto the turtle's shell.
He tested the might of his three fused Strange Flames.
Could they slay a defense-focused Fifth-Tier beast in one strike?
The Sea Stone Turtle's eyes bulged at the flames, disbelief warring with instinct. A faint glow formed a rocky barrier on its shell.
Lan An's sword struck.
HISS!
No crash just the searing roar of ferocious flames.
Before Little Lion's awed gaze…
The Sea Stone Turtle was incinerated to nothingness.
A faint grilled meat scent lingered.
Utter annihilation.
The sea boiled, the tri-colored flames raging.
Lan An grinned, satisfied, extending his hand.
The terrifying flames returned to his palm, docile as a child.
Gazing at the dancing tri-colored fire, Lan An's eyes gleamed, murmuring domineeringly, "When my Strange Flames fuse, I call it Emperor Flame!"
On the boundless sea…
Three massive warships clashed, the ocean resounding with carnage.
Two black shark-shaped ships, their maws bristling with massive cannons, flew white flags with a skeletal emblem and blood-red words: Black Shark.
Pirate ships, unmistakably.
A blue dolphin-shaped ship struggled, its defensive arrays flickering under relentless assault from the pirate vessels.
Its flag was shredded, obscuring its faction.
The Dolphin Ship's cannons fired, but their weak shots barely dented the pirates' defenses.
Under the Black Sharks' onslaught, the Dolphin Ship was passive, occasionally returning fire.
Above, two groups battled fiercely, martial skills erupting, casualties mounting.
Pirate crew versus defenders.
A hundred savage pirates, clad in ruthless attire, fought with seasoned brutality.
The defenders, in blue uniforms, numbered dozens, revealing inexperience. Clearly a sect's disciples, they retreated under pressure.
Lower cultivators, below Nascent Soul, remained on the ships, operating them.
Lan An, astride Little Lion, had evaded enemy notice on Hai Zhou Continent, discarding his disguise.
He preferred appearing openly.
The Wen Lang identity was for necessity.
Observing the naval clash from afar, it was his first sea battle.
"The Dolphin Ship likely transports goods for a sect," he mused.
Flight consumed spiritual energy, making ships ideal for long sea journeys, especially with bulk cargo too vast for storage rings.
Thus, Hai Zhou Continent teemed with pirates, the sea their home and hunting ground.
This battle suggested another rich haul for the Black Shark Pirates.
Lan An had no intent to intervene. Conflict was universal, and he aimed to be an overlord, not a hero.
Patting Little Lion, he signaled to move on.
Leading the Black Sharks was Hei Ao, a scarred, bearded man with Mid Spirit Transformation cultivation, the strongest present. His spiked mace shattered the air with each swing.
His opponent, Shui Mo, a noble-looking youth of 25 or 26, wielded a sharp longsword. Each slash carried oceanic might, marking him as a prodigy despite his Early Spirit Transformation realm.
Shui Mo matched Hei Ao, but his side was outnumbered, facing inevitable defeat.
"Hei Ao, do you know what you're doing?" Shui Mo demanded sternly mid-fight.
"Shui Mo! Don't think your Hundred Spirit List rank or Hundred Spirit Continent status scares me. If your sister were here, I'd show some respect!" Hei Ao sneered, condensing Earth Spiritual Force. His mace swung with crushing force.
Shui Mo's face hardened, raising his Water Sword, shouting, "Great Flood Sword Art – Roaming Water Dragon!"
His sword danced fluidly, blending softness and strength, deflecting Hei Ao's strike and counterattacking.
"High Earth-Grade sword art, impressive!" Hei Ao scoffed, parrying with his mace.
"If my sister were here, you'd be a corpse!" Shui Mo roared.
"Die!"
A Late Nascent Soul pirate slew an Early Nascent Soul disciple.
Below, two massive cannonballs from the Black Shark ships obliterated a section of the Dolphin Ship, killing Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment disciples.
Two Early Spirit Transformation pirates ganged up on an elderly Early Spirit Transformation defender. The elder self-detonated, taking them with him.
Such scenes unfolded across the battlefield. The Black Sharks' superior numbers and strength overwhelmed Shui Mo's forces.
Shui Mo's eyes bled with rage, his sword condensing Water Spiritual Force. He roared, "Great Flood Sword Art, Third Form – Water Divides the World!"
His sword hummed, the sky stilled. Gritting his teeth, he drained his spiritual energy.
A domineering slash descended.
"Fool! You're not ready for that move. It'll backlash!" Hei Ao sneered, though wary, mustering all Earth Spiritual Force to block.
But Hei Ao's face twisted with fury.
Shui Mo's slash didn't target him it swept the battlefield.
Eleven Nascent Soul pirates were bisected, two Early Spirit Transformation pirates gravely injured.
"Run! Forget me!" Shui Mo bellowed, his arm mangled, bones exposed from the backlash.
The Great Flood Sword Art's final form required weeks of recovery.
"Young Master Shui Mo!" His comrades, eyes red, refused to flee, fighting with renewed frenzy.
The Black Sharks faltered momentarily.
"This Shui Mo has grit," Lan An remarked from afar, a glint of admiration in his eyes.
Sacrificing himself for his sect and inspiring morale was remarkable.
The next scene made Lan An's pupils contract.
Hei Ao roared, "Shui Mo, you court death!"
Shui Mo's strike had exploited his distraction, decimating his crew. Hei Ao's rage boiled.
Seeing Shui Mo weakened, his spiked mace swung with murderous intent.
Shui Mo refused to yield, mustering his last strength to flip mid-air.
Water Spiritual Force surged into his legs.
"Great Flood Kick!" he roared, kicking with tsunami-like force.
CRACK!
The clash resounded, Shui Mo's leg bones shattered, but he survived.
His spiritual energy depleted, he plummeted.
Hei Ao, knocked back and bloodied, retained strength. Eyes blazing, he growled, "Hai Hong Sect's Shui Mo dies by my hand today!"
"Mountain-Breaking Strike!" His mace rose again.
"No!" Shui Mo's comrades wailed, powerless amidst enemy attacks.
"Shui Mo, is this my end? Sorry, sister, I've let you down," Shui Mo sighed, gazing at the vast sea one last time.
"Die!" Hei Ao sneered, his mace descending.
A sudden shift…
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Three purple lightning bolts streaked from afar, striking Hei Ao's mace with unstoppable force.
SPLAT!
The mace flew from his grip. Hei Ao spewed blood, his face ashen, roaring, "Who?!"
The battlefield froze, combatants stunned.
Shui Mo looked around, dazed.
A domineering voice thundered, "Touch Hai Hong Sect, and all die!"