Chapter 179: Defiant Sparks

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Shui Niang Qing's enchanting expression, a blend of cold allure and boundless charm, drew a satisfied smile from Lan An. He reached out, pulling her into his arms.

Noticing a faint trace of white lingering on her purple lips, he gently wiped it away.

"Can you break my seal now?" Shui Niang Qing asked, glaring. Too refined to spit out the remaining essence, she swallowed reluctantly.

"You're divine, Niang Qing. I'm utterly enchanted," Lan An murmured, gazing at her transcendent beauty.

"Don't push your luck!" Shui Niang Qing snapped, her hand gripping his hardness tightly.

"Ouch! Easy, darling! Break it, and you'll regret it later," Lan An yelped, wincing.

"Hmph, why would I care?" Shui Niang Qing huffed, her cheeks flushed crimson.

"Alright, alright. Sit cross-legged. I'll break the seal," Lan An conceded with a wry smile.

Shui Niang Qing shot him a sidelong glance before complying, presenting her flawless back, marked by the seal's dark runes.

"One… two… three… four…" Lan An muttered, as if entranced.

"What are you scheming now?" Shui Niang Qing demanded sharply.

Lan An chuckled, secretly counting the delicate moles adorning her skin, but outwardly he said gravely, "Nothing. This will burn fiercely. Brace yourself."

Shui Niang Qing nodded, steeling herself. Using Strange Flames to sear flesh was excruciating, but no other option remained.

Lan An inhaled deeply. Three Strange Flames—his Emperor Flame—ignited in his palm.

The air warped, space itself seeming to dissolve under the terrifying heat. Targeting the "Seal" character on her exquisite back, he gritted his teeth and pressed his flame-laden hand against it.

"Aaah!"

Agony tore through her. Shui Niang Qing felt life itself was unbearable, her teeth clenched tight.

Sizzle

The relentless burning ravaged her back, the seal's runes fading. Her flesh and blood melted away, exposing bone beneath.

Shui Niang Qing's eyes fluttered shut, her indomitable will battling the torment.

Unlike Lan An, she wasn't the flames' master. To break the seal, she endured unimaginable pain.

The seal clung to her back; only by destroying that flesh could it be undone.

"Hold on, darling. Almost there!" Lan An urged, his heart aching at her suffering, wishing he could bear it for her. He hastened the process.

Shui Niang Qing curled on the floor, two-thirds of her back gone, a ghastly sight.

Yet, her early Void Refinement cultivation began to return.

Before Lan An's eyes, a mystical verdant water, brimming with nirvana's power, emerged within her, enveloping her wounds.

Her Nirvana Spirit Water.

New cells formed, slowly but surely, sparking joy in Lan An.

Injuries from three Strange Flames were no trivial matter; even a typical Void Refiner would need months to recover.

But Shui Niang Qing's Strange Water, Lan An estimated, would heal her in four to five days—a terrifying speed, worthy of the Nirvana Spirit Water's name.

"Niang Qing, does it still hurt?" Lan An asked tenderly, brushing her disheveled hair and wiping sweat from her jade-like cheeks.

"Much better, but I'm drained," Shui Niang Qing panted, her purple lips now pale. Though her cultivation returned, the wounds remained severe.

Her body's energy focused on healing, leaving her too weak to lift a finger.

Lan An gently lifted her, scattering spirit stones around with a wave to hasten her recovery.

He watched her wounds slowly mend, occasionally wiping sweat from her form.

Shui Niang Qing's eyes flickered with complex emotions as she observed his meticulous care, then closed them to circulate her energy.

Time passed quietly.

Lan An held her, unmoving, until the third day.

Her back had scabbed, only surface wounds remaining. Shui Niang Qing stood, dressing herself, concealing her alluring form under Lan An's regretful gaze.

Lan An sighed mournfully. She was once more the formidable Void Refiner, her strength nearly restored.

In two more days, she'd be fully healed, thanks to her Strange Water and Lan An's lavish spirit stones.

"Put your clothes on," Shui Niang Qing said, glaring at his still-nude form before striding out.

Lan An rubbed his nose, donning his robes.

At the ship's railing, Shui Niang Qing stretched her arms, breathing in the sea's scent. Dawn broke, the sun rising, dolphins leaping playfully, and seagulls soaring—a poetic scene.

She pushed away memories of recent days, calming her racing heart. A critical battle loomed.

Yet, their prospects were brighter. Free of the seals, they were no longer prey.

Her gamble had paid off.

Their foes remained unaware, a significant advantage.

But Shui Mo Er…

Thoughts of her brother brought worry to her eyes.

"Concerned for the lad?" Lan An's voice echoed her thoughts, standing beside her.

Shui Niang Qing nodded, biting her lip. "They hold him hostage. We can't act recklessly."

Even with her cultivation restored, if Hei Sha used Shui Mo Er's life to coerce her, what then? Another seal?

Lan An smiled, gazing at the sea. "Fight freely. Even if you take Hei Sha's head, Shui Mo Er won't lose a hair."

How could he neglect his future brother-in-law's safety? If the boy fell, Shui Niang Qing would be tied to the Lan Hong Sect, unable to follow him.

Lan An cared for Shui Mo Er's welfare even more than she did.

Unaware of his scheming, Shui Niang Qing's eyes lit up at his assurance. "What's your plan? Tell me!"

"I've arranged everything. If anything happens to the lad, hold me accountable," Lan An said, patting his chest confidently.

"Playing mysterious," Shui Niang Qing pouted, but warmth filled her heart.

Though unaware of his plans, she chose to trust him again.

"Suppress your cultivation. Two days pass quickly," Lan An advised.

Shui Niang Qing nodded. They both lowered their cultivation to early Qi Refining, mimicking the seal's effect.

Now, they could restore their strength at will.

Two days flew by.

The Five-Winged Starfish ship neared a menacing island, its silhouette resembling a shark's maw.

Pirate flags fluttered, dozens of Shark Warships docked, and guards patrolled, each exuding malice.

"The Black Sharks' lair? I hope one blaze can burn you all," Lan An's voice, laced with killing intent, sent a shiver through Shui Niang Qing.

"Am I handsome?" he asked impishly.

"Handsome as a ghost," she snapped, her hand playfully brushing his empty eye socket. "You look like a pirate yourself."

"Hmph, if I were a pirate, I'd have ravished you already," Lan An teased, kissing her soft hand.

"Try it," Shui Niang Qing laughed, waving her fist.

"Enough. Let's keep acting. This play will be fun," Lan An whispered, his face shifting to despair and sorrow.

Shui Niang Qing followed suit, her beauty resuming its icy demeanor, tinged with worry.

If there were an award for acting, they'd fight fiercely for it.

The Starfish ship drew closer to the Sharks' den.

"Who goes there?" a gruff shout rang out. A burly, bearded man, Golden Core cultivation, rode a two-meter shark beast, swiftly circling their ship.

The commotion drew the guards' attention. Hundreds of shark-riding pirates surrounded them, their lustful gazes fixed on Shui Niang Qing, eager to strip her bare.

A glint of killing intent flashed in Lan An's eyes. The Sharks had reignited his fury.

"Scram! Summon Hei Sha to face me!" Shui Niang Qing barked, her Qi Refining aura radiating formidable presence.

The pirates' faces shifted. A peak Golden Core pirate cupped his hands. "Is this the Water Dragon Immortal Fairy?"

She was their dream woman, yet none had seen her face.

"Knowing, yet not moving?" Shui Niang Qing glared.

"Report to the leader! The Water Dragon Immortal Fairy has arrived!" one shouted through voice transmission.

Another nodded, speeding off on his shark.

"The leader said this is the lady's home. Enter freely," a pirate said respectfully, though his eyes gleamed with lechery.

"Who's the lady of you dogs?" Shui Niang Qing snorted, guiding the ship closer.

The pirates gritted their teeth. One sneered, "Still acting lofty? Aren't you here to beg our leader for mercy? I spit on that."

"The leader's blessed! That figure… tsk, I've ravaged many women, but none match her strand," another drooled.

"That's the leader's prize. Shut up!" a third growled.

"Just dreaming…"

From afar, Lan An's face darkened, their vile words fueling his resolve to eradicate the Sharks.

"Trash like them? Why bother?" Shui Niang Qing said coolly, amused by his reaction.

"Anyone who dares harbor ill thoughts about you, I'll slaughter their entire clan," Lan An vowed, each word sharp.

"So domineering, but I'm not yours," Shui Niang Qing teased, her eyes sparkling with hidden joy.

"You can't escape. After this, you owe me an Octopus Beast hunt," Lan An said, reining in his killing intent with a grin.

"Rest assured," Shui Niang Qing replied softly.

They neared the island, the stench of blood thick in Lan An's nose, hinting at countless deaths.

Whoosh

Dozens of figures soared through the air, battle-hardened auras radiating intense killing intent.

Lan An observed: nine Divine Transformation cultivators, from early to peak stages; over forty Nascent Soul experts.

Their lineup outmatched the Lan Hong Sect, which had only six Divine Transformation elders and fewer Nascent Souls.

Nearly two hundred Golden Core and thousands of Foundation Establishment pirates emerged from all directions.

On the warships, almost ten thousand Qi Refining pirates appeared.

The Black Sharks had unleashed their full force.

As Lan An and Shui Niang Qing reached the shore…

"Welcome, Great Leader!"

"Welcome, Great Leader!"

The Sharks roared skyward. All pirates from Nascent Soul down knelt.

The Divine Transformation experts merely bowed, their status exempting them from kneeling.

Crack

Amid the Sharks' thunderous cheers, the void split, revealing a lofty middle-aged man.

His black hair flowed, his robust frame imposing, his angular face tinged with menace. His hawk-like eyes instilled wariness at first glance.

Hei Sha, mid-stage Void Refiner.

"My Sharks, rise!" Hei Sha commanded, surveying the scene arrogantly.

"Thanks to the Great Leader!" The Sharks laughed, rising.

In the grandiose atmosphere, an out-of-place, lazy voice drawled, "Too much flair."

Silence fell, absolute and chilling.

All eyes turned to the voice's source.

Lan An stretched, yawning. Unceremoniously, he scratched inside his pants, spitting on the ground.

Shui Niang Qing stifled a laugh, her face maintaining icy poise.

Hei Sha's expression darkened. He'd orchestrated this welcome for two days to intimidate Shui Niang Qing, only for this youth to ruin it.

Glancing at a subordinate, he deemed Lan An unworthy of his direct attention.

"Brat, you killed Brother Hei Ao?" The subordinate, Hei Bao, a mid-stage Divine Transformation hall master, barked at Lan An.

Ignoring Hei Bao, Lan An turned to the sea under the stunned gazes of thousands of pirates and Shui Niang Qing's flushed face. He fished out his impressive 'little brother' from his pants.

Splash

The sound of a steady stream hitting the water echoed, the Sharks' eyes nearly popping from their sockets.