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The Dark Origin Continent trembled as the beast horde surged, a tide of claws and fangs aimed at Lan An and Yan Yue Qi. The Sun Crow Barrier had dissolved, its golden veil no match for the ferocity of Fire Monkeys, Earth Wolves, and Bat Clan assassins. Yet within, the Violet-Gold Flame pulsed, a testament to their fused Sun Crow Void Flame and Purple Heart Burning Void Flame, forged through the Dragon Immortal Sacred Canon. Their bond, tempered by trials and intimacy, had elevated them beyond mortal limits, a beacon for the Conquer the Mother-in-Law quest. As the beasts closed in, Yan Yue Qi's wrath ignited, her pride as a Late Void Refining titan scorned by this indignity, ready to unleash her fury.
Before Lan An could act, Yan Yue Qi's rage erupted, a volcano of vengeance for the humiliation of being cornered like a tiger among curs.
"ROAR!" she thundered, her voice shaking the heavens. A phantom Sun Crow, wreathed in thunder, soared above, its wings spanning the sky at her command. With a surge of will, it dove into the horde, unleashing her mightiest strike: Blazing Thunder Sun Crow Strike.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A sea of fire engulfed the battlefield, explosions rocking the earth, their echoes a dirge for the fallen. The beasts, denied even a cry, dissolved into ash, their existence erased by Yan Yue Qi's wrath.
"How can this be?" Bat Qiang, cloaked in the void, gasped, his face a mask of terror.
"An illusion it must be!" Lang Tong's wolfish eyes bulged, refusing reality's sting.
"Flee!" the Monkey Clan brothers, true to their nature, bolted, their agility unmatched.
"Wait for me!" Hou Ling scrambled after, trailing his kin in desperation.
Lang Tong and Bat Qiang cursed the fire monkeys' cowardice, yet survival trumped pride. They fled, their forms blurring into the distance.
"Escape? None shall leave!" Yan Yue Qi raised her hand, poised to unleash another cataclysm. But her brows furrowed, senses prickling. In a flash, she tore open the void, seizing a bewildered Lan An and plunging into the rift.
The spatial tear sealed instantly.
Mere breaths later, two spectral figures materialized midair, their arrival unmarked by any ripple in space, as if they'd always been there. One cloaked in black, the other in white, their faces obscured, their auras merged with the cosmos, defying detection.
The Black-Robed figure surveyed the golden inferno left by Yan Yue Qi's strike, his hand waving lightly. The heavens seemed to heed him, spiritual energy surging as a gentle breeze extinguished the thunderous blaze, as if it had never existed.
"Hmph, daring to flaunt power in Dark Origin we let them go so easily?" the White-Robed figure's voice, sharp and sinister, cut through the silence.
The Black-Robed figure shook his head, his tone grave. "The Kun Clan's words carry weight. For mere monkeys, wolves, and bats, it's not worth the cost."
"But they wield Different Flames. Can we truly let them slip away?" the White-Robed figure pressed, reluctance in his voice.
"Dark Origin has its own Different Flames. Why fear them? The Four Academies Battle looms—let our youths reclaim what's owed, with interest," the Black-Robed figure countered.
The White-Robed figure nodded, conceding. With a sigh, they vanished, their presence a fleeting whisper in the cosmos.
Moments later, two enchanting figures appeared nearby, their grace laced with infinite allure, their beauty capable of ensnaring creation itself. A fragrant aura wafted, their silken tails swaying gently behind them.
"To think, even the Black and White Elders of the Heavenly Beast Academy were stirred," Hu Yu Yan giggled, sticking out her tongue at the fox beauty beside her.
The fox beauty glanced over, her eyes a vortex of charm, rippling the heavens with a mere flicker. Six fox tails danced behind her, their elegance unmatched. Even veiled, her gaze dazed Hu Yu Yan, a fellow beauty, into a fleeting trance.
"Brat, you dragged me from seclusion for these two humans?" the fox beauty's voice, a siren's call, sent Hu Yu Yan's heart racing, her eyes glazing with enchantment.
The beauty sighed, waving a hand to infuse spiritual energy, snapping Hu Yu Yan from her daze. The disciple shuddered, awed by her master's effortless charm, wondering if any man could resist her.
"I couldn't let such a prodigy fall to those vermin," Hu Yu Yan said shyly, rubbing her hands, her voice soft.
"You're smitten," the fox beauty transmitted, wary of ensnaring her again. "Our Fox Clan loves boldly, but think carefully before you leap."
"Smitten? I merely admire talent!" Hu Yu Yan stomped, her cheeks blooming like peaches.
The fox beauty sighed, her heart untouched by love's stirrings. Born a calamity of beauty, men lost themselves at her mere presence, none earning her regard, let alone her heart. She lacked counsel for her disciple's budding feelings.
"That boy's remarkable, but a touch too gallant, entangled with a Late Void Refining titan. Be cautious, little one," the fox beauty warned, her form fading into the night.
"I said I don't like him! Master's teasing!" Hu Yu Yan's face burned, and she darted off toward the Heavenly Beast Academy.
This battle, near Dark Origin's heart, had roused multiple powers, drawing even the Heavenly Beast Academy's elders. Lan An's name and visage would soon echo across the continent, a double-edged blade of fame and peril. His Prestige Points surged, a colossal tally hinting at destiny's weight.
A spatial rift parted in a desolate valley, Lan An and Yan Yue Qi emerging as one.
"What's wrong, Madam?" Lan An asked, noting her relieved expression.
"Titans appeared at least Seventh-Grade beasts, akin to Integration Stage," Yan Yue Qi said gravely.
"That serious?" Lan An's eyes widened, stunned by the battle's ripple.
"Hmph! Let me reach Perfect Void Refining, and I'll clash with them!" Yan Yue Qi's eyes blazed with defiance, her confidence unshaken.
Lan An chuckled wryly, her titan's spirit unyielding. "Can you take me to the continent's heart? Recruitment's in less than a month."
"We're near Sacred City. You can make your way," Yan Yue Qi replied, dismissive.
"Then we part here. Upon graduation, I'll visit the Yan Clan," Lan An said, his gaze lingering on her mature, peerless beauty, resolve firm despite his reluctance. His wives awaited, their worry a tether to his heart.
"No rush," Yan Yue Qi purred, her eyes aflame. "First, aid my breakthrough to Perfect Void Refining." Her hand waved, a spiritual barrier sealing the valley, shielding them from prying eyes. A cascade of Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones spilled across the ground, priming their "cultivation."
Before Lan An could protest, her robes vanished, revealing a form ripe as honeyed peaches. "I'm being ravished…" he mock-whined, eyes glistening, as their bodies intertwined.
She pinned him, a knight astride her steed, galloping across the plains of passion. The Dragon Immortal Sacred Canon hummed, their union a symphony of gasps and moans, a tapestry of spring's splendor.
A youth in plain black robes stood before the Sacred City's gates, his veil sheer, his presence unremarkable. Few spared him a glance, deeming him unworthy of divine sense scrutiny amidst the throng of prodigies.
Within his mind, a mechanical voice chimed: "Ding! Completed Life-Death Pact quest. Rewards: One Technique Summon, One Weapon Summon, One Bloodline Summon."
"Finally done," Lan An sighed, relief washing over him. Only parting from Yan Yue Qi had sealed the task.
Ten days of relentless dual cultivation had pushed Yan Yue Qi to Perfect Void Refining. Her triumphant smirk and sultry taunt "Ten years pass swiftly; prepare to be trampled, hahaha" lingered, a siren's call nearly spurring another conquest.
The whirlwind of events felt dreamlike intimacy with his mother-in-law, unthinkable yet real. Though he'd gifted her a Beauty Nurturing Pill, the Conquer the Mother-in-Law quest remained incomplete, her pride deeming him unfit as her husband. Her arrogance demanded his supremacy, lest he remain a mere plaything.
"A man's life, adrift on twelve rivers," Lan An mused, quoting an ancient adage from his past life.
His murmur drew eyes, Golden Core prodigies catching his words. "What's this? No masculine pride, yet he dares join recruitment?" a voice mocked, laughter rippling.
The taunter, Tran Biao, a thirty-year-old Early Nascent Soul cultivator, swelled with pride as the crowd nodded. "Kid, hiding your face doesn't mask your youth. Go home to your mother!" he jeered, sensing a chance to shine.
The commotion drew onlookers, some conjuring seats and snacks for the spectacle. Academy seniors scouted, eager to recruit talent for their factions. Two figures stood apart, their gazes on Lan An sharp with intrigue.
"Old Seventh, this boy's interesting," one Void Refining gatekeeper transmitted.
"Indeed," Linh Lao Qi replied. "Eighteen, with a Late Nascent Soul aura, surpassing most peers."
"High cultivation doesn't guarantee prowess or talent. Let's see what follows," the first cautioned.
Under the gatekeepers' scrutiny and the crowd's gaze, Lan An frowned at Tran Biao. "What do you want?" Tran Biao taunted, puffing his chest, craving fame to catch a faction's eye.
Lan An smirked, silent, striding toward the gate.
"No way! He swallows that? Is he even a man?" the crowd jeered, disappointed by the lack of drama.
Lan An wasn't cowed but cautious, wary of Sacred City's rules. A misstep could jeopardize recruitment, betraying his waiting wives. "Hmph, calling you spineless was generous—coward fits better!" Tran Biao roared.
Lan An neared the gate, ignoring him. "Hold!" Linh Lao Qi's voice boomed, halting him.
Lan An bowed respectfully. "What does Senior require?"
"Sacred City shuns cowards, as does the Sacred Lotus Academy. Return home," Linh Lao Qi declared.
Pitying glances fell on Lan An. "Senior means I may act before entering?" Lan An's eyes gleamed.
"Haha! Outside the city, do as you please!" Linh Lao Qi laughed.
BOOM!
Before the laughter faded, a blur struck. Under stunned gazes, Lan An's Water Hong Kick erupted, Tran Biao's body exploding into a crimson mist. His Nascent Soul fled, screaming, only to shatter under another kick.
"No…" Tran Biao's wail echoed, etched into the crowd's hearts.
As shock settled, Lan An strolled through the gate, his figure fading into the city.
Gulp. The crowd swallowed hard, fear gripping them as they stared at his retreating form.
The strike was swift, flawless Lan An's Phantom Charm Wander Step blinding, his kick precise, exploiting Tran Biao's weakness with surgical grace. A Nascent Soul prodigy fell in an instant.
"Quick! Investigate him! If he joins the Academy, recruit him to the Brotherhood Faction!" a senior barked.
"No, he's ours for the Bear Song Faction!" another countered.
Seniors scrambled, ordering their factions to pursue Lan An post-enrollment. None mourned Tran Biao; justice was a stranger in this brutal world.
"A monster joins the Academy," Linh Lao Qi grinned, satisfied.
His partner nodded. The Sacred Lotus Academy had languished last in the Four Academies Battle for centuries. They yearned to break that curse.