Chapter 216: Thunder and Ice Slaughter
Fan Shi's eyes flickered with unease at Lan An's eerie grin. As a Mid Refining Void cultivator who'd once crushed Lan An, he quickly regained composure, sneering, "Playing tricks? Die!"
Golden light condensed at his fingertip, space shattering under the domineering force of his Great Power Diamond Finger.
Facing the onslaught, Lan An's smile deepened, laced with killing intent. He raised a finger, two Anomalous Flames blazing forth, coalescing into a single point.
"Foolish," Fan Shi scoffed, recognizing the move he'd previously defeated, his attack surging fiercer.
"Star-Piercing Finger," Lan An uttered softly.
Instead of retreating, he advanced, his Late Spirit Transformation aura erupting like a tidal wave.
"What?" Fan Shi gasped, stunned by the sudden spike in Lan An's power.
Too late.
Star-Piercing Finger, amplified a hundredfold, pierced the void like a star-shattering comet.
Boom! Fan Shi's Great Power Diamond Finger trembled, exploding under the flames' incineration.
"Aaah!" A scream tore from Fan Shi's throat as half his hand burned away. His Refining Void spiritual power surged, dousing the flames and healing his wound.
Lan An staggered back from the clash's shockwave, but unnoticed, Little Lion's small form vanished from his chest.
Without a word, Lan An crouched, hands pressing together, forming an energy sphere. Boom! Boom! Boom! Space collapsed as three forces—Tri-Colored Thunder Tribulation, Emperor Flame, and Heaven-Devouring Wood—ravaged within, a kaleidoscope of destructive hues.
Lan An aimed to end Fan Shi with his strongest strike.
Fan Shi's face paled, questions forming, but a chilling killing intent struck from behind, raising his hackles.
"Kasaya Protection!" Fan Shi reacted swiftly, his kasaya flaring to shield his back.
But his attacker was faster. Thunder roared as Little Lion appeared before him, her alluring Western features belying her lethal intent. Rip! Her lion-claw hand, crackling with Tri-Colored Thunder, pierced his chest.
Blood sprayed, thunder ravaging his insides. Little Lion licked her lips, her tri-colored eyes glinting with merciless killing intent.
"Aaah!" Fan Shi roared, activating One Tail Crossing River, vanishing to recover.
But Lan An gave no quarter. His energy sphere complete, he unleashed Spirit Fusion Palm.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The devastating beam, blending Emperor Flame and Tri-Colored Thunder, made Lan An's mouth bleed from the recoil.
"Fan Yin Heaven-Flipping Seal!" Fan Shi, spitting blood, countered with his temple's strongest technique, forming a reverse-cross seal despite his pain.
He knew if he survived this, Fan Wu would aid him.
On the other front, the battle's chaos stunned the others. Fan Wu abandoned Ji Ya, tearing through space to assist Fan Shi, but Little Lion intercepted him, smirking.
Boom! Spirit Fusion Palm clashed with Heaven-Flipping Seal, the explosion deafening. No contest ensued Spirit Fusion Palm obliterated the golden seal, surging onward.
Fan Shi's face drained of color. Wrapping his kasaya around himself, he braced.
Boom! The palm shredded the kasaya, drilling into his body.
"Tri-Colored Thunder? Three Anomalous Flames and Wood? I die without regret… Amitabha," Fan Shi's final thought faded.
Boom! His body exploded into fragments, his soul annihilated.
"No!" Fan Wu screamed, eyes nearly bursting.
None expected Little Lion's presence or Lan An's rapid growth. Had Fan Shi not been crippled by her sneak attack, he might have resisted. But her thunder ravaged him internally, and Spirit Fusion Palm finished him.
Panting heavily, Lan An teleported, snatching a hovering golden storage ring Fan Shi's.
His hands, hidden beneath his robe, trembled, flesh burned away, leaving only bones. Spirit Fusion Palm's power had ravaged him, but Nirvana Spirit Water began regenerating his tissue.
The pain didn't faze him; exhilaration filled his eyes. Days ago, Fan Shi humiliated him. Now, he'd obliterated him with one strike how satisfying!
"Couldn't capture his soul, but I played it right," Lan An muttered, eyeing the ring. Inside, a jade glowing with golden light bore the words "Great Elder."
He grinned, pleased with his foresight. Prolonged combat risked Fan Shi summoning a stronger Fan Yin Temple elder. Like Lam Ji or Wu Yuan's beasts, these foes called reinforcements when outmatched. By annihilating Fan Shi, Lan An avoided that risk.
Turning, he saw Little Lion pummeling Fan Wu, her tri-colored thunder claws tearing his kasaya and flesh.
"Call for help!" Fan Wu roared, eyes bloodshot. "They have Tri-Colored Thunder! We're done!"
Fan Shi was his brother, and his death shattered Fan Wu's monk-like composure.
Ji Ya's battle faltered. Lan Wu paled, the fight spiraling beyond their control. He drew an icy token to summon Lan Po Lei.
"Damn it, as expected," Lan An cursed, teleporting to intercept.
Ji Ya frowned, unleashing Lingering Wave Heaven-Imprisoning Hand toward Lan Wu.
Too late the token shattered.
"You caused the Eye, coating Western Hai Zhou in blood! Prepare for the continent's wrath!" Lan Wu roared, aiming to broadcast their guilt.
He countered Ji Ya with Falling Moon Ice Palm.
Lan An's eyes glinted. He didn't fear Hai Zhou's enmity his master could handle Integration Stage foes, and he'd soon return to Bing Tian Continent. Hai Zhou's forces couldn't all chase him.
His concern was Lan Po Lei and the Lan Clan elders. Against them, the trio stood little chance.
Moments passed.
"Why hasn't he appeared?" Confusion spread among the group. Lan Po Lei should have arrived.
"Stinky brat, I'm helping you once. Finish them!" Wu San Niang's teasing voice rang in Lan An's ears, thrilling him.
"Got it, Master!" he laughed, charging Lan Liu, who'd escaped Ji Ya's Ice Water Boundary.
"Why isn't the clan leader here?" Lan Wu's face darkened, blood trickling from his mouth. He and Lan Qi couldn't withstand Ji Ya's relentless Lingering Wave Steps and Dual Palms.
Nearby, Wu San Niang dusted her hands, her barrier blocking the battle's disturbances. Only a Transcending Tribulation cultivator could detect it, and it prevented Lan Po Lei's response. Had Lan An spared Fan Shi, he'd have summoned aid.
"Stinky brat, even I'm jealous of your Tri-Colored Thunder. Use it less flamboyantly," she transmitted, then tore space and vanished.
Lan An agreed, elated. His master's aid was more than enough.
Spurt! Fan Wu, overwhelmed, was half-destroyed by Little Lion's thunder blast.
"Useless Lan Clan! Can't even call help?" he raged, his monk's dignity gone.
Little Lion gave no respite, charging as thunder.
The Lan Clan had no time to respond, baffled by the failure.
"Star-Plucking Hand!" Lan An sneered, fearless with his master's support.
In his dantian, the Tribulation Thunder Cauldron, shimmering with tri-colored light, roared, fueling boundless spiritual power. A colossal hand of Tri-Colored Thunder erupted, darkening the sky.
Space shattered as it lunged at Lan Liu.
"No!" Lan Liu felt dread, attempting to flee through space.
Hmph! He was repelled instantly.
"We're trapped in a barrier, like fish in a net!" he screamed, paling the others.
Lan Wu's face twisted, realizing why Lan Po Lei hadn't come.
"Who's behind this?" he roared.
Spurt! Lan Qi, caught by Ji Ya's Lingering Wave Heaven-Imprisoning Hand, saw his top-grade Earth armor shatter, his organs crushed.
Lan An's Star-Plucking Hand descended on Lan Liu's head.
"Falling Moon Ice Palm!" Lan Liu countered, ice coating his hand, freezing space.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The thunder hand crushed the ice palm, though weakened.
Another Falling Moon Ice Palm neutralized it, both attacks dissipating.
Lan An teleported above Lan Liu.
"Wild Cosmos Suppression Seal!" Zhong Wu Ming's technique formed a spinning seal of Emperor Flame, capable of quelling the cosmos.
It crashed toward Lan Liu's head.
"Ice Mountain Fist!" Lan Liu, pale, unleashed ice-covered fists.
Crack! "Aaah, my hands!" His arms shattered and burned, his screams echoing.
Three Anomalous Flames were no joke.
"You'll die horribly!" Fan Wu bellowed, shattered by Little Lion's thunder, his soul destroyed.
Lan An sighed. Capturing Refining Void souls was tough light strikes didn't kill, but heavy ones obliterated them.
"You're all dead!" Lan Liu, cornered, began to swell for self-destruction.
Lan An's eyes sharpened, an imperial aura erupting. His hair turned golden, his black eye blood-red, exuding Heavenly Emperor Transformation – Unrivaled Under Heaven.
Even Ji Ya and Little Lion's hearts raced, awed. Lan Liu, wounded, felt like he faced a Heavenly Emperor, his resistance and self-destruction faltering.
"Soul Chains!" A translucent chain from Lan An's brow pierced Lan Liu's.
"Aaah!" Lan Liu writhed, his soul yanked out, absorbed by the White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye.
"Just shy of Peak Nascent Soul soul cultivation," Lan An murmured, exhilarated.
Ji Ya's Ice Water Boundary trapped Lan Wu, while Lan Qi lay dying, spiritual power sealed.
The battle ended.
Lan Wu and Lan Qi's faces were ashen. Lan Wu pleaded, "Young Master, we're clansmen. Spare us. Your talent will earn the clan leader's favor."
Lan An paused, their hopeful eyes fixed on him. Then he spat, "Spare you? My ass!"