Chapter 215: Ambush of Old Foes

Le Wen Lian, despite his assassin's cold demeanor, twitched at Lan An's antics. Could this guy act with some dignity? Ten thousand top-grade spirit stones could buy a Heaven-grade treasure from the Dwarf Clan, boosting a Refining Void cultivator's strength significantly. For Lian, assassinating a Nascent Soul genius for such a prize was a steal easy as eating porridge. Had he not claimed the mission quickly, other Seven Kills Sect assassins would have fought tooth and nail for it.

Lan An shelved thoughts of Wu Yuan Continent, pressing for more. "How did you survive that bomb explosion?"

He'd assumed Lian was dead or crippled, yet here he was, ambushing him unscathed utterly absurd. The explosion occurred during teleportation; even a Refining Void cultivator shouldn't have escaped easily.

Lian's face twisted with rage, itching to tear apart the Thunderbolt Hall terrorist. "I had a Heaven-grade protective treasure," he growled. "I sacrificed it to escape."

That loss weakened him, explaining his swift defeat by Little Lion. Without his usual treasure, he couldn't resist long.

Lan An nodded, probing further. "How did you identify me as Wen Lang?"

This puzzled him most. His Wen Lang persona was flawless, especially since he'd never publicly used the Heavy Sword or Eight Desolations Heaven-Sweeping Flame, reserving them for that identity. Spirit Fusion Palm blended multiple forces, concealing the flame from outsiders.

Lian hesitated, his face darkening. This was the Seven Kills Sect's greatest secret; revealing it meant sect-wide pursuit.

Lan An snorted coldly.

"Aaah!" Lian screamed, his head splitting as his soul felt pierced by countless needles, the torment unbearable.

"Master, I'll talk!" he wailed, clutching his head.

"Don't forget you're my slave," Lan An said icily, showing no mercy to one who'd tried to kill him. Even the beautiful mermaid Hai You Qing faced his counterattack why spare this man?

"The Seven Kills Sect has a unique secret art, Piercing Visage Technique," Lian gasped. "It lets the user see through disguises of those with lower cultivation, no matter how perfect."

"Oh? Piercing Visage Technique? Even a Heaven-grade mask fails?" Lan An's eyes narrowed, intrigued.

"It's a high-grade secret art, beyond Heaven-grade," Lian confirmed. "A Heaven-grade mask can't hide from it."

Lan An was stunned. The Faceless Skin Mask's grade was inferior, explaining why he was exposed. Impressive, he thought. No wonder the Seven Kills Sect thrived as Viet Dragon Star's infamous assassins—their methods were extraordinary.

"Can you see through her?" Lan An pointed at Ji Ya, disguised as Bai Su Mai.

Lian shook his head. "Her cultivation surpasses mine; I can't see through her. Plus, I'm too injured to sustain the technique, master."

Lan An nodded, slightly disappointed. "When did you start tailing me?"

"I hid near Holy City's gate," Lian admitted. "I began tracking you when Fan Yin Temple's monks ambushed you."

Lan An's eyes widened. Lian had tailed him that early, only striking during the teleportation array. "What's the Seven Kills Sect's core strength? Just the key forces, not the grunts."

Ji Ya cut in coldly, her curiosity about the sect long-standing.

Lian hesitated but answered, "There are 18 Earth Fiends; I'm the youngest, hence on the Golden Ranking. Above us are 9 Heaven Fiends, the weakest at Peak Refining Void."

Lan An, Ji Ya, and Little Lion exchanged grave looks. This was critical intel.

"Who's the Heaven Fiend in the Golden Ranking's top two? The strongest of the nine?" Lan An asked sternly.

Lian shivered, fear flickering at the mention. "He's the sect leader's only son, the youngest Heaven Fiend. I don't know if he's the strongest I'm not qualified to interact with them."

"What about the Human Fiends?" Ji Ya asked, tossing her hair.

Lian was surprised she knew of them but replied, "99 Human Fiends, ranging from Peak Nascent Soul to Late Spirit Transformation. To become an Earth Fiend, you need at least Peak Spirit Transformation."

Lan An and the women nodded, grasping the sect's hierarchy: Human Fiends (Peak Nascent Soul to Late Spirit Transformation), Earth Fiends (Peak Spirit Transformation to Late Refining Void), Heaven Fiends (Peak Refining Void and above).

"Any other forces?" Lan An pressed.

"The Four Grand Elders," Lian said. "One oversees the Mission Hall, one is the Law Enforcement Elder, one guards the Treasury, and one protects the Technique Pavilion."

"Their strength?" Ji Ya asked for Lan An.

"I don't know," Lian admitted. "Their status equals the Heaven Fiends, but only the sect leader can command them."

"How do I contact the Seven Kills Sect to hire an assassin?" Lan An asked.

"Major cities on Viet Dragon Star have sect branches," Lian explained. "Contact the branch leader, pay half the deposit, and your request goes to the Mission Hall for an assassin to claim."

"Why the name Seven Kills Sect?" Little Lion asked curiously.

"Missions must be completed within seven months," Lian said bitterly. "If not, they're returned to the Mission Hall for others to take, and the failed assassin pays a penalty of one-third the mission's reward."

"Seven months for Seven Kills?" Little Lion giggled, amused.

"What if you don't return after seven months?" Ji Ya asked coldly, always icy except with Lan An.

"You become a traitor," Lian said grimly. "Your name appears on the Mission Hall, and assassins hunt you."

"Where's the sect's headquarters?" Little Lion smirked.

"I don't know," Lian said, shaking his head. "Assassins enter and leave via teleportation arrays in the branches, connected to the headquarters. Even I don't know its location."

Lan An and the women exchanged glances, impressed by the sect's secretive operations.

"Last question," Lan An said, eyes glinting. "What's your sect leader's cultivation?"

"I truly don't know," Lian said, trembling. "I've never even seen his shadow."

Ji Ya nodded at Lan An. A sect leader so mysterious wasn't surprising, but Lian's intel was valuable, given his status among the Earth Fiends.

"Master, any orders?" Lian asked hesitantly.

Lan An pondered, then produced a Video Recording Jade. He spoke earnestly into it, "Stinky woman, this is assassin Le Wen Lian, his soul's origin under my control. I'm sending him to assist you and Bing Yong. It's a small gesture, but I miss you dearly."

He tossed the jade to Lian. "Go to the Ice Mysterious Empire, find Third Princess Bing Lan Xi, and serve her. She's your master now."

"No problem," Lian said, patting his chest. Though a Ninth-Grade power, infiltrating as an experienced assassin was feasible.

Lan An nodded, satisfied. Bing Ling Er had mentioned the intensifying struggle for the crown prince position. Each Refining Void cultivator was vital, and Bing Yong was at a disadvantage. Lian's skills could prove useful. Lan An hadn't forgotten his "stinky woman" or cheap brother-in-law.

"Take this," Ji Ya said, tossing Lian a storage ring from Lan Ba, containing about 50,000 top-grade spirit stones, after Lan An's approval.

"Use these to return to the Seven Kills Sect and cancel my assassination mission," Lan An ordered. "Then serve Bing Lan Xi wholeheartedly. You won't be mistreated."

"Yes, master," Lian said, wary of Little Lion, who'd reduced him to this state.

Lan An shook his head, tossing him a bottle of healing pills from Xiao Qing Xuan. Though inferior to Nirvana Spirit Water, they sufficed.

"Thank you, master!" Lian bowed respectfully. He valued wealth, but survival more. Bound by Lan An, he had no choice.

"Follow my orders," Lan An said.

Whoosh! He and the women soared into the sky.

"Fortune or calamity?" Lian muttered, watching them leave.

Above, Little Lion transformed into her small beast form, nestling in Lan An's arms.

"Husband, next to the Elf Queen's Nation?" Ji Ya asked, holding his hand.

"First, the Dwarf Clan," Lan An said, eyeing the faintly glowing Thunder Scepter in his storage ring.

"I'll lead," Ji Ya said, knowing Hai Zhou intimately, preparing to tear space.

"Amitabha, we meet again," a voice interrupted.

Space split, revealing five figures sneering at them three from the Lan Clan and two from Fan Yin Temple. As Refining Void cultivators, they'd fled the thunderclouds, unnoticed by the Eye, which focused solely on Lan An.

"Hey there," Lan An grinned, waving. "Been standing here since noon."

"Hmph, brat, was the Eye of the Heavenly Dao tied to you?" Lan Wu asked coldly.

"Spot on," Lan An said earnestly. "Be smart and scram, or I'll summon another tribulation to blast you."

"Pfft," Lan Liu scoffed. "You, summon a tribulation? Survive that horror? Delusional."

Lan An's admission convinced them he was uninvolved. How could a Peak Nascent Soul survive such a tribulation? Like them, he'd only fled.

"Oh? Don't believe me? Who caused it then?" Lan An smirked.

"There's someone behind you," Lan Wu sneered. "For some reason, they can't save you directly, only summon tribulations. Two years ago at the Lan Clan, it was the same."

"You're not afraid they'll call another?" Lan An feigned panic, as if caught.

"Haha, Lan Liang's guess was right," Lan Liu laughed. "The Eye's wounded by an Immortal Realm power. Who'll save you now?"

The others eyed Lan An and Ji Ya mockingly. They didn't know what "Forbidden" Great Hand Immortal King sought, but Phu Dong Immortal King's claim that Viet Dragon Star couldn't host it convinced them. In the cultivation world, the stronger voice prevailed.

Lan An and Ji Ya exchanged glances, suppressing laughter, feigning guilt as if their secret was exposed. Their act solidified the group's belief.

"No matter the reason, let's enlighten this benefactor," Fan Shi said, patience gone.

The group nodded. Lan Wu and three others charged Ji Ya, while Fan Shi roared, "Great Power Diamond Finger!"

A space-shattering finger force surged toward Lan An, who grinned eerily.

Fan Shi's heart jolted, an inexplicable unease spreading.