Chapter 205: Into the Belly of the Beast

The storage ring of a Mid Transcending Tribulation elder from the Hundred Spirits Academy brimmed with treasures. Lan An's eyes swept over its contents, his lips twitching. This elder even possessed illicit literature. The Ice Sword Heaven-Calming Art, a Mid Spirit-grade technique, was notable but held no interest for him. He dismissed several Heaven-grade treasures as well.

"Oh?"

A glint caught his eye, sparking a exclamation. An ancient hide pulsed with a radiant aura, flickering within the ring the hide of a Light Mammoth, a fragment of the Light Holy Land's map. Lan An had two such pieces; this was his third.

He selected it immediately, grasping the tattered map. Continuing his search, he sighed in disappointment.

The crowd's mouths twitched at his demeanor. Picky over a Transcending Tribulation expert's treasures? Did he want to provoke them to death? Even Lam Ji and Lam Heng, despite their status, envied the opportunity.

Ultimately, Lan An claimed all the spirit stones 800,000, enough for 80 days in an acceleration array under Ice Sword Elder's fiery glare.

"I choose this tattered map and the spirit stones," Lan An said with a casual smile, stowing the Light Mammoth hide and stones.

"Fine. This matter is settled. I take my leave," Ice Sword Elder said, feigning anger but inwardly relieved. The boy hadn't taken his technique a small mercy. Glaring at Lam Ji and Lam Heng, he tore open a vast spatial rift.

Lam Ji, Lam Heng, An Li, and An Ran, as if pardoned, hurried inside. In a flash, only Lan An, Ji Ya, Xiao Qing Xuan, and Ai Er with her mother remained on the sea.

"Thank you, Elf Queen, for your aid!" Lan An rose, clasping his hands. Though weak, he could speak.

"Thank you," Ji Ya and Xiao Qing Xuan echoed, bowing respectfully. This domineering queen was their aspiration.

The Elf Queen's gaze swept over the trio, a hint of approval in her eyes. Their talent, especially Lan An's, was monstrous—facing a Refining Void expert as a Peak Nascent Soul was prodigious. His kindness to Ai Er, observed over time, earned him her faint favor. Genius was always favored, anywhere.

"Brother Lan An is amazing, far surpassing those arrogant Hundred Spirits List prodigies!" Ai Er's eyes sparkled, captivated by his valor.

"Luck, mostly. Without the Queen's help, I'd be doomed," Lan An said with a wry smile. An Li's assassination skills were countered by his White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye; another Refining Void foe might not have fared so poorly.

Seeing his talent and humility, the Elf Queen spoke, "Elf Island has a Million-Year Ginseng. Come claim it when you're free."

Her voice, like a celestial melody, enthralled them. Lan An and Xiao Qing Xuan, overjoyed, clasped hands, saying in unison, "We'll come immediately!"

Within Xiao Qing Xuan, her master's spirit stirred, touched by the offer.

"Mother's birthday is in two months! It's great if Brother Lan An and the sisters join!" Ai Er bounced with joy.

"Absolutely," Lan An and the women smiled. Duty and gratitude demanded their presence. Moreover, Lan An's heart stirred for the Elf Queen. Her allure was irresistible to most men, himself included, though he knew his current status made such feelings a distant dream, buried deep.

But the Elf Queen, perceptive as she was, caught his fleeting emotion. Countless men coveted her; she was unfazed, even quietly admiring Lan An's restraint at his age. Many leaders lost composure upon meeting her, earning only her disdain like the Sea Palace Lord, whom she scorned for his lovesick weakness. To a proud woman, fawning only diminished one's worth.

"Very well, I'll take you…" The Elf Queen began, preparing to tear space, when her eyes narrowed.

Ai Er gasped, staring at the sea below. A massive rift opened, and a colossal black shadow, hundreds of zhang long, surged out, shrouding the ocean.

A sudden change erupted.

Roar

Standing on the sea, Lan An, Ji Ya, and Xiao Qing Xuan had no time to react. Darkness enveloped them as the monstrous entity swallowed them, along with countless fish, in one gulp. It didn't distinguish prey from the unlucky, devouring all.

"Mother, save Brother!" Ai Er's face paled, the beast's size beyond her imagination.

"He's not in danger," the Elf Queen said, her eyes complex, voice calm.

"But it's so terrifying!" Ai Er shook her head frantically.

"Trust me. He's safe and may find an opportunity. Whether he seizes it depends on him," the Queen murmured softly.

"What is it, Mother? How can a whale be so huge?" Ai Er, trusting her, watched the beast dive, its size rivaling Sun Island, its movements stirring tsunamis.

"A Seventh-grade beast of the Kun Clan from Wu Yuan Continent," the Elf Queen sighed, a trace of pity in her voice. "A thousand years ago, a cultivation mishap dulled its mind, making it childlike. It wanders the seas, from Wu Yuan to Hai Zhou."

Only high-status, well-connected figures knew this. The Kun Clan had searched Hai Zhou for their kin, to no avail. The ocean's vastness made finding a Seventh-grade beast like finding a needle in a haystack, especially one constantly moving.

No one expected it to appear, swallowing Lan An and the others.

"It's pitiful," Ai Er's eyes teared. Elves, loving nature, felt for the beast's plight.

"If Lan An can save it, he'll be a great benefactor to the Kun Clan," the Elf Queen mused. Her delicate hand tore space. "Brother Lan An, Ai Er awaits you at home!" the girl shouted before they stepped into the void.

The Queen removed Ai Er's hood, revealing pointed elf ears. With a wave, the mud masking Ai Er's face vanished, unveiling snow-white skin, angelic features, rosy cheeks, and innocent, watery eyes a budding beauty destined to topple nations.

Lifting Ai Er like a kitten, the mother and daughter vanished, closing the chapter.

In a secret chamber at Saint Spirit Academy, Wu San Niang sat cross-legged mid-air, a mammoth phantom behind her, aura steady as a mountain, perfectly restrained. Her beautiful eyes seemed to pierce space, seeing Lan An inside the whale's maw. Her red lips curved in a delighted smile.

"Stinky brat, you're on your own…"

Lan An felt darkness engulf him, two soft bodies clinging tightly, a small figure curled in his arms. An immense force restrained them in this strange place.

As a vortex pulled them, Lan An's will activated, drawing all four himself, Ji Ya, Xiao Qing Xuan, and Little Lion—into the Spirit Realm Pearl. The pearl replaced them, swept along with countless fish in the terrifying current.

Inside the Spirit Realm Pearl, the four spat water.

"Husband, Little Lion, Sister Ji, Qing Xuan what happened?" Shui Niang Qing, practicing her spear art, rushed over, alarmed by their drenched state.

Lan An shook his head with a wry smile, clueless. "Something swallowed us," Ji Ya said, drying herself with spiritual energy.

Xiao Qing Xuan nodded, her Strange Fire evaporating the water.

"Swallowed?" Shui Niang Qing was stunned. Ji Ya, a Mid Refining Void cultivator, stronger than her, was caught unaware?

Lan An looked at her curiously. "Only a Seventh-grade beast, equivalent to Transcending Tribulation, could ambush us without reaction," Ji Ya analyzed, flicking her hair.

"Indeed, a Seventh-grade. I sensed its immense power," Little Lion confirmed, shaking its fur dry.

The group nodded. Only such a beast could overwhelm Ji Ya.

"Why didn't the Elf Queen save us?" Xiao Qing Xuan wondered.

Lan An pondered, then said, "I sensed no killing intent. We're likely not in grave danger. The issue is escaping its body."

Inside a Seventh-grade beast, space was incredibly robust. Even Ji Ya hesitated to tear it, fearing the beast's reaction.

Shui Niang Qing was speechless. Her man's bizarre predicament was both amusing and worrying.

"We could exit through its… excretory path," Xiao Qing Xuan suggested, her master's idea.

"Excretion?" Ji Ya and Shui Niang Qing shuddered, horrified.

"Leave it to your husband," Lan An laughed. He wouldn't let them endure that.

"Heal first. We'll find a way," Ji Ya urged.

Lan An nodded, setting up an acceleration array. Under the women's shy gazes, he grinned, pulling Shui Niang Qing inside.

The array activated. Soon, moans and heavy breathing echoed. The beast and two women blushed, faces red.

"So fast?" they gasped as Lan An emerged, robust as an ox, half a day later. Shui Niang Qing followed, skin flushed, a satisfied smile on her radiant face.

"The Dragon Immortal Sacred Canon is miraculous. Don't be shocked Qing and I dual-cultivated for five days," Lan An boasted. If Ji Ya and Qing Xuan weren't virgins, he'd have included them, but their first time shouldn't be for healing.

"What's the plan?" Xiao Qing Xuan asked.

"You stay here. I'll scout," Lan An instructed.

"No, too risky. We go together," the women and Little Lion protested.

"Inside a Seventh-grade beast, your higher cultivations risk detection. I'm best for stealth, and I can retreat instantly if needed," Lan An reasoned.

The women frowned but conceded his logic. They assumed the beast was a ferocious monster, unaware of its childlike mind.

"I'll follow Master," Little Lion declared, leaping into his arms.

Lan An petted its head fondly. Under their gazes, he vanished.

Thud

Hugging Little Lion, Lan An landed on something soft. The Spirit Realm Pearl returned to him. Darkness surrounded them, but the Water-Repelling Pearl kept liquids at bay.

His White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye scanned, revealing they were in the beast's stomach. "Truly Seventh-grade. Its body is so refined, even the stomach lacks foul odor," he marveled, noting he could use spiritual energy here.

Two options: break through the beast's body or follow its excretory path. But attacking a Seventh-grade beast would crush him like an ant. Caution was key.

Deciding to explore, he moved carefully. Digestive sounds echoed, but the Water-Repelling Pearl kept him clean. Reaching the stomach's exit, he entered.

Suddenly, he saw…