A Lian Ya's stunned expression drew a smug smirk from Yan Yue Qi. "Well? Join the harem, and your cultivation resources will soar, even surpassing what Elf Island can offer."
A Lian Ya's face flickered with complex emotions, shaken by Yan Yue Qi's prowess. The Golden Ranking's gaps were vast, especially at the top, yet Yan Yue Qi had leaped from top ten to rivaling the top five in mere months. How could A Lian Ya not be shocked? Her own progress, while impressive among ordinary talents, paled beside Yan Yue Qi's meteoric rise.
"Tri-Color Tribulation Thunder… you two are…" A Lian Ya bit her lip, eyeing the three shimmering thunderbolts around Yan Yue Qi's Thunder Emperor Scepter. She hadn't expected the one hunted by countless forces to be so close.
"Not me, but Lan An. The Tri-Color Tribulation Thunder is his," Yan Yue Qi said, her seductive smile laced with a hint of danger as she glanced at Lan An. A Lian Ya's heart jolted, her teeth clenching. Revealing such a secret meant Yan Yue Qi was cutting off her retreat. Joining the harem would secure her place, but refusal risked confinement—she doubted Lan An would let her leave with such knowledge.
"Don't overthink," Lan An said, reading her thoughts. "Yue Qi shared this because she trusts you won't betray a friend. I won't force you, whether you join or not." His sincere gaze held no guile.
A Lian Ya's body trembled, meeting his clear eyes while Yan Yue Qi's provocative stare challenged her. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself. "If you don't join, even Mu Zi Yin or Shui Shuang Hua might surpass you soon," Yan Yue Qi teased, covering her mouth.
"What? Mu Zi Yin and Shui Nương Khanh are in the harem too?" A Lian Ya's shock mounted. "Indeed," Yan Yue Qi confirmed, gesturing to the palaces on the Palace Tree. "Two of those belong to them."
A Lian Ya closed her eyes, the ethereal music from the Sea of Joy drifting in, the dense spiritual energy and faint herb scents from the Spirit Herb Field filling her senses. The cultivation environment here was unparalleled. Opening her eyes with newfound resolve, she declared, "I'll join the harem but won't leave Elf Island."
"You mean join secretly?" Yan Yue Qi's eyes gleamed. "Exactly," A Lian Ya said firmly. "I'll request leave from my master to train abroad. During that time, I'll assume another identity in the harem."
"Perfect!" Lan An nodded, delighted. A hidden identity could be a trump card, and he'd have time to gather resources for her. A Lian Ya's valor and combat prowess, properly nurtured, would make her a formidable harem asset. "That Spirit Herb Field is mine to tend—it'll aid my cultivation," A Lian Ya added, pointing to the field with a serious expression. If she was to benefit from the harem's resources, she'd contribute in kind.
"No need to force yourself," Lan An said, pulling her to her feet with a warm smile. "If you dislike herb-tending, it's fine." A Lian Ya shook her head. "It's an Elven instinct. Besides fighting, it's my passion."
"Then we're thrilled to have you," Lan An and Yan Yue Qi said, nodding with satisfaction. "How'd I do?" Yan Yue Qi transmitted to Lan An, eyeing A Lian Ya's determination. "Risky," he replied, glaring. "If Lian Ya had chosen death over submission, how would I face Elf Island?"
"No big deal. Cultivate a few decades and claim the Elf Queen too," Yan Yue Qi huffed playfully. Lan An coughed, ignoring her. "I'll stay here," she added. "Meng Meng and Qing Qing's auras are rising. I want to watch them."
"Alright," Lan An agreed, knowing she wanted to give him and A Lian Ya space. He pulled her close, kissing her fiery lips as a reward. Yan Yue Qi smirked, soaring toward the Crimson Lotus Palace like a celestial fairy.
A Lian Ya, lost in thought, ignored their exchange. Yan Yue Qi's words about Bach Hieu Sinh's schemes lingered. If he enlisted his father against Elf Island, only Duo Bao Pavilion might intervene—but only for an overt attack. A covert strike by a Level Eight Formation Master like the Hundred Spirits Headmaster could be unstoppable. The other three Academies would relish Sea Continent's internal strife, offering no aid.
"To protect Elf Island, I can only rely on myself," A Lian Ya murmured, marveling at the Spirit Realm Pearl's grandeur. Her Elven instincts told her this choice was right. As she pondered, Lan An's strong arm encircled her waist. "Let's go," he said, smiling. A Lian Ya shivered but calmed, thinking, He's already touched me everywhere. She nodded softly.
With a thought, they vanished. Yan Yue Qi watched them leave, her eyes brimming with affection. "Tiểu Nam, I'll bring you the finest women in the heavens," she whispered.
The battle with the Eight-Legged Desire Serpent had drawn curious cultivators, but ten days of purging the mist left the area deserted. Lan An and A Lian Ya emerged over the sea, unnoticed. "Back to Elf Island?" Lan An asked, seeking her opinion.
A Lian Ya bit her lip, struggling to stay composed before him. His expectant gaze softened her, and she nodded. He took her hand, but his eyes narrowed, pulling her behind him protectively. Stepping forward, he stared at the space ahead.
"Hm? He sensed us?" a soft, eerie voice remarked, surprised. "Hmph, pretty boy, always so annoying!" a rough, jealous voice growled.
A Lian Ya, touched yet irked by Lan An's protectiveness, gripped her longsword, her eyes sharp. The space rippled, revealing two contrasting figures. One, a delicate man with feminine features, exuded cunning and coldness. Beside him stood a burly giant, muscles bulging, eyes wild with no trace of intellect.
Two distinct Strange Fires caught Lan An's attention. The giant wielded Earthly Might Flame, brown and domineering, while the delicate man's Ice Flame, white and paradoxically hot and cold, writhed eerily. "Two Strange Fires?" Lan An and A Lian Ya exchanged wary glances. Facing two such wielders was daunting, especially as their auras—vast as oceans—marked them as Integration Realm experts.
"Great Strength Earth Flame and Ice Flame," Lan An identified. "Not bad for a Strange Fire user," the delicate man sneered. "Recognize this?" the giant growled, brandishing a corpse—Sea Palace Elder Hai Ha.
Lan An's mind raced. Duo Bao Pavilion's intelligence indicated the Poison Person was hunted by Fire Underworld Sect and the Dan Clan. These two had likely traced the Poison Person's attack near his battle with Hai Ha. "What do you want? I knew Hai Ha, but his death wasn't my doing," Lan An said calmly, squeezing A Lian Ya's hand to ease her tension.
"The Poison Person saved you from Hai Ha. What's your connection?" the delicate man asked, his tone lofty. "Poison Person? I don't understand," Lan An replied, feigning ignorance. "Hmph, just capture and interrogate him!" the giant sneered.
"You dare? Lan An is a friend of Elf Island. Integration Realm doesn't scare us!" A Lian Ya snapped, her aura fierce. The delicate man frowned. "Elf Island is strong, but Fire Underworld Sect and Dan Clan don't fear it. This doesn't concern you—leave."
"Dan Clan? The mysterious family behind Pill Valley?" A Lian Ya's face darkened. Pill Valley was renowned, but the Dan Clan, its shadowy backer, was even more formidable. Even Pill Valley's leader was merely a Dan Clan elder. She hadn't expected them to target Lan An, alongside the Ninth-Grade Fire Underworld Sect.
"Scared? For the Elf Queen's sake, we'll let you go," the giant taunted. A Lian Ya's grip tightened, her thirst for power surging. These forces didn't even fear Elf Island—Yan Yue Qi's warnings rang true. "Don't worry. Soon, you'll crush them," Lan An transmitted, smiling.
A Lian Ya nodded, raising her longsword at the giant. "To touch him, step over my corpse!" The delicate man smirked, amused, extending a hand. "No one tied to the Poison Person is spared. Come with us."
His gesture summoned a torrent of spiritual energy, forming an unstoppable force, harmonized with the heavens. Integration Realm cultivators could wield the world's power far beyond Refining Void, rendering most opponents helpless. A Lian Ya gritted her teeth, slashing fiercely, undaunted by the disparity.
The giant laughed coldly, his Great Strength Earth Flame forming a massive hand that caught her blade, space collapsing under the clash. A Lian Ya paled, the gap too vast. Undeterred, she released the hilt, her wings flaring. Instant Shift! She reappeared behind the giant, shouting, "Skyfall Wild Goose!"
Her arrow, tearing space, shot forth. "Too weak," the giant scoffed, his flame condensing into a palm that crushed the arrow effortlessly. "Before absolute power, resistance is futile," the delicate man said, his Ice Flame piercing space toward Lan An.
Lan An stood calm, unmoving. As the delicate man assumed surrender, Lan An's mocking words froze him. "Before capturing someone, check their backing." A sinister smile curved his lips.
Thousands of miles away, at Sacred Lotus Academy, a domineering woman lounged on a throne, her eyes flashing with defiance. She hurled a fist into the void. Boom! Layers of space shattered, startling countless ancient experts.
The delicate man sensed death, too late to retreat. Space before him collapsed, a fist-shaped shockwave exploding forth. Pfft! He flew like a rag, hair disheveled, bones crushed, blood spraying, his Integration Realm aura gone. A woman's voice thundered across the heavens, chilling all who heard it: "A Mid Integration Realm bullying a Late Fusion Realm? Does the Dan Clan think I'm invisible?"