Chapter 174: Dance of Ice and Fire

Dear Readers,Thank you for following Lan An's journey.If his path, the battles he faces, and the quiet bond growing with Ji Ya have touched you, we'd be grateful for your Power Stone support.Every vote is a gentle push that helps this story continue to grow.Feel free to share it with fellow cultivators together, we can let this tale reach even greater heights.

----------------------------------------------

Ji Ya's beauty could topple kingdoms, her aura cold and lofty, like a celestial maiden descended from the heavens. Draped in her Ice Silk Cyan Robe, she seemed even more ethereal, causing Lan An to lose himself in a fleeting moment of awe.

Quickly regaining his composure, he boldly grasped her delicate, snow-white hand, his smile brimming with tender affection.

"You've broken through to the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm! Truly magnificent, my dear!"

Ji Ya's pearl-like teeth gently bit her rosy lip, a flush of shyness warming her cheeks as he held her hand. Yet, she made no move to pull away. Her voice, clear as a mountain stream, responded softly.

"The Ice Water Lotus Dance Art is truly profound. Not only have my injuries healed, but my cultivation has advanced as well."

Lan An nodded in agreement. Though only the first volume, the Ice Water Lotus Dance Art was a high-tier Spirit-grade technique, its power undeniable.

After a moment's thought, he grinned and proposed.

"Shall we spar and test its might? I'm curious to experience the strength of your Ice Water Lotus Dance Art. Of course, you'll need to suppress your cultivation. I can't contend with a Void Refiner!"

The corners of Ji Ya's lips curved faintly, a rare spark of excitement in her usually reserved demeanor. For a woman as aloof as she to show such warmth toward a man was a sight few could claim to witness.

Recalling Lan An's terrifying prowess on the Dark Abyss Continent, her heart stirred with anticipation.

Before she could agree, Lan An's mischievous laugh broke the silence. "If I defeat you, how about I claim a kiss as my prize?"

"Rogue!" Ji Ya huffed, her cheeks blooming with a delicate blush, her expression utterly enchanting.

"And if I defeat you?" she countered, raising a brow with a playful smile.

"Naturally, you'd be free to kiss me!" Lan An replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Pfft! How do you always come out ahead?" Ji Ya's chest heaved with mock indignation, her curves swaying like gentle ripples, a sight that could steal any man's breath.

"How am I ahead? To be kissed by a peerless beauty like you, wouldn't that be my honor?" he teased, winking roguishly.

Ji Ya couldn't help but laugh, torn between exasperation and amusement. This man was incorrigible, yet being near him felt so effortlessly joyful.

"Are you ready?" Lan An asked, leaping into the air with a grin, hovering above the ground.

Ji Ya brushed a strand of hair from her face, her foot lightly tapping the ground as she floated to face him. She suppressed her cultivation to the peak of the Nascent Soul realm.

The space within the Spirit Realm Pearl was now extraordinarily resilient. Even with their current strength, unleashing their full power wouldn't damage it.

"Make your move!" Ji Ya's eyes blazed with fighting spirit, her resolve adding a steely edge to her grace.

"Haha, your spirit is admirable, but as a gentleman, I insist you strike first!" Lan An replied with a carefree smile.

He recalled her preference for long-range attacks, her weakness in close combat.

"Then I won't hold back!" Ji Ya's expression sharpened as she called out, "Lotus Dance Twin Palms!"

In an instant, streams of Ice and Water attributes surged around her. Her left hand shimmered with frost, her right rippled with liquid energy.

Two forces, two attacks, coalesced simultaneously. The air thundered as she unleashed her palm strikes toward Lan An.

"A new skill derived from your art? Impressive!" Lan An praised, watching the dual palm imprints hurtle toward him.

His Wood Form Fist roared to life, his fists glowing with verdant energy as he struck forward.

BOOM! BOOM!

His arms, like ancient trees, carried the devouring power of the Devouring Heaven Wood, neutralizing much of the Twin Palms' force.

Ji Ya, well aware of his Devouring Heaven Wood, showed no surprise. Under Lan An's curious gaze, she lightly stepped forward, her voice ringing out.

"Lotus Dance Micro Step!"

In a flash, her exquisite form dissolved into a blur of afterimages, her robes fluttering like a dream. Her movements were so swift and elusive that even Lan An's Pierce Weakness Vision couldn't track her.

Worthy of a high-tier Spirit-grade art, its techniques were not to be underestimated.

"Lotus Dance Twin Palms!"

Moving at blinding speed, Ji Ya's hands wove through the air, unleashing palm imprints from every direction, bombarding Lan An.

"Haha, Eight Trigrams Heaven-Revolving Palm!" Lan An countered, his feet stamping the air as he spun in a full circle. His palms struck outward, forming a protective barrier of palm imprints around him.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Ji Ya's Ice and Water palms clashed against Lan An's barrier, rebounding with explosive force. The air crackled with the shockwaves.

Realizing a prolonged exchange would yield no advantage, Lan An smirked. To Ji Ya's startled gasp, he activated the Phantom Charm Wander Step.

His movements, as fluid and ethereal as hers, left trails of afterimages in the sky, dazzling to behold.

Ji Ya continued her onslaught of palm strikes, while Lan An responded with calm precision. His Piercing Star Finger flicked out, using the gentle force of Mysterious Water to shatter her attacks.

The Lotus Dance Twin Palms clashed with the Piercing Star Finger, neither yielding, their collisions igniting the air with bursts of energy.

"Try this!" Ji Ya called, her voice resolute. "Ice Water Binding Realm!"

Her hands wove intricate patterns, and in an instant, layers of Ice and Water intertwined, forming a spherical barrier that encased Lan An.

To his shock, the space within the barrier was sealed, rendering his Speed Shift useless.

As Lan An stood trapped like a bird in a cage, Ji Ya's lips curved into a radiant smile. From outside, she relentlessly unleashed Lotus Dance Twin Palms into the barrier.

"Trying to slay your husband?" Lan An chuckled, his tone playful. "Lava Body Shield!"

Layers of molten rock, forged from Fire and Earth, enveloped him, encasing his body in a glowing cocoon.

Ji Ya's palm strikes struck the Lava Shield, only to be consumed by the Purple Heart Scorching Flame. Lan An felt a slight tremor but remained unharmed.

Eyeing the Ice Water Binding Realm around him, he raised a fist, his voice cold and commanding.

"Gentleman's Demon-Slaying Fist!"

His physical cultivation surged, muscles taut with power. Channeling his strength into his fist, he struck like a righteous hero, hammering the barrier.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Five thunderous punches, each carrying the full might of his physical prowess, shattered the Ice and Water barrier.

"Physical cultivation? At least early Fourth Revolution! His talent is…" Ji Ya's eyes sparkled with awe, her competitive spirit flaring. She smiled and declared, "Block this final strike, and you win!"

She knew he hadn't yet unleashed his Strange Fire offensively, or he'd have defeated her already. Thus, she set this condition.

"Bring it on!" Lan An laughed, his aura bold and heroic.

Ji Ya took a deep breath, her expression focused. With a cry, she unleashed her ultimate technique.

"Lotus Dance Heaven-Imprisoning Hand!"

A transcendent aura erupted from her, and Lan An's eyes narrowed.

Behind Ji Ya, a colossal, ethereal figure of peerless beauty materialized, its face veiled but undeniably divine.

"The Ice Water Lotus Dance Art was created by the Lotus Dance Empress, and the Heaven-Imprisoning Hand summons her phantom!" Ji Ya explained with a confident smile.

"Haha, even the Lotus Dance Empress pales beside my Ya'er!" Lan An teased.

"Silver-tongued! Take this!" Ji Ya huffed, then commanded, "Lotus Dance Heaven-Imprisoning Hand – Shatter Mountains and Rivers!"

As her voice fell, the phantom behind her stirred. Its delicate arm extended toward Lan An, graceful yet carrying the force to obliterate mountains.

Lan An's expression turned grave. Raising both hands, he summoned his strongest techniques.

His right hand unleashed boundless Earth Spirit Force, forming a massive hand in the sky – the Star-Plucking Hand.

His left hand ignited with Purple Heart Scorching Flame, shaping a slowly spinning purple seal – the Wilderness Suppression Seal, the mightiest skill of Zhong Wu Ming, now wielded by Lan An for the first time.

Facing Ji Ya's ultimate Spirit-grade technique, Lan An countered with two Heaven-grade skills.

"Go, Star-Plucking Hand! Wilderness Suppression Seal!" he roared, hurling both techniques forward with all his might.

The Empress's hand met Lan An's attacks.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The collision was like three stars crashing, shaking the heavens.

Spiritual energy whipped into whirlwinds, tearing through the air.

The Empress's phantom hand dimmed, shattering alongside Lan An's techniques. A tiny spatial rift appeared, swiftly healed by the Spirit Realm Pearl.

Lan An stumbled back dozens of steps, while Ji Ya restored her mid-stage Void Form cultivation to stabilize herself.

"I've lost," she said softly, her gaze warm.

"How could you lose? It was a draw!" Lan An insisted, stepping closer with a grin.

"I said if you blocked my final strike, I'd lose," she retorted, glaring playfully.

"I didn't block it! I'm gravely wounded!" Lan An feigned agony, clutching his chest.

Ji Ya's eyes twinkled with amusement, her charm radiant. Knowing his shamelessness, she sighed. "What do you want, then?"

Lan An seized the moment. "Since it's a draw, I'll kiss you, and you'll kiss me. That honors our agreement!"

Ji Ya's face flushed scarlet, knowing he'd planned this. Yet, bound by their wager, she couldn't refuse. Pointing to her smooth cheek, she murmured, "You first."

Lan An shook his head. "A draw means we kiss together."

"How does that work?" Ji Ya asked, puzzled.

"Let me show you," he said with a sly grin. Before she could react, he wrapped an arm around her slender waist, drawing her close, and pressed his lips to her soft, fragrant ones.

"Mmm!" Ji Ya stiffened, feeling the warmth of his lips against hers. Her heart trembled, a tingling sensation coursing through her.

Lan An gazed at her tenderly, savoring the sweet, untouched essence of this noble woman.

Soft, cool, sweet, and fragrant—every note captivated him.

After a moment's hesitation, Ji Ya surrendered to the kiss, her eyes closing as she melted into it.

"I owe him too much in this life. This is all I can give," she thought, parting her lips to deepen the kiss, allowing his tongue to explore hers.

Their lips entwined, the sounds soft and sweet.

The icy flower of the Golden Lotus Ranking had found her destined one.

After what felt like an eternity, Lan An reluctantly pulled back, gently savoring her sweetness one last time.

"Ya'er," he whispered, brushing her flushed cheek.

"I'm here," Ji Ya murmured, nestling into his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.

Compared to their first meeting, she was a different woman—cold on the surface, yet warm within. Once her heart was won, her love was boundless.

"You and Bing'er are mine, but I know so little of your past. Will you share your story?" Lan An asked, pressing her hand to his face.

Ji Ya trembled slightly, nodding with a melancholic sigh.

Lan An waited, stroking her back gently.

"Bing and I were orphans," she began, her voice soft as a breeze. "We were taken in by a great master who raised us as his own and taught us to cultivate. Without him, we wouldn't be who we are today."

"Our mentor was a righteous man, noble and generous. His status was extraordinary—the Third Elder of the enigmatic Heavenly Mechanism Secret Hall. We grew up in the Hall from childhood."

Lan An's heart stirred, but he remained silent, listening.

"The Heavenly Secret Hall has few members, but each is a prodigy, especially in soul cultivation," Ji Ya continued gravely. "They're all Chosen Soul Masters."

"No wonder soul cultivators are so rare on this planet. Most join the Secret Hall," Lan An remarked.

"Indeed," Ji Ya nodded, her tone growing somber. "Bing and I lacked soul aptitude, so we focused on spiritual energy. We fought in battles and undertook secret missions. With our mentor's status, our standing in the Hall was secure."

She paused, her voice heavy with sorrow. "But ten years ago, tragedy struck. Our mentor perished during a secluded breakthrough, leaving us vulnerable."

Lan An's blood simmered, but he held her close, urging her to continue.

Ji Ya kissed his forehead tenderly before resuming. "His son, Tian, a twisted man with perverse desires, coveted twin sisters as his concubines."

Lan An's eyes darkened with fury.

"With our mentor's protection, he dared not touch us. But after his death, he targeted Bing Er, trying to seduce her."

"Bing's heart is pure and unyielding. How could she yield to him? While I was away on a mission, he attacked her soul, attempting to enslave her," Ji Ya said, her voice trembling with rage.

"Though not a soul cultivator, Bing's will was unbreakable. She resisted, gravely wounding her soul and slipping into a coma. Tian suffered a backlash, too."

"I returned in time, fleeing with Bing Er to seek help. That's when we met you."

Lan An's aura surged with killing intent, his eyes blood-red with rage.