At Dwarf Island, Wu San Niang's eyes widened, fixed on a pair of gauntlets that seemed capable of shattering heavens and earth. Her crimson lips parted slightly, her ample chest heaving with fiery breaths.
Beside her, the Dwarf Clan Leader's face was etched with sorrow, his gaze reluctant as he stared at the treasure. He knew the true master of the Supreme True Grade artifact, Heaven-Shattering Gauntlets, had arrived. If it were some nobody, he'd never part with it. But Lan An had chosen Wu San Niang.
The Mad Queen's reputation was legendary on Viet Dragon Star. One of the mightiest cultivators, her physical prowess and fist techniques had carved her name across the heavens. No one was more suited to wield the Heaven-Shattering Gauntlets.
Swallowing his longing, the Dwarf Clan Leader fought back tears, watching the inevitable. Yet, he couldn't deny the boon this artifact had brought. Studying and repairing the gauntlets had shattered his long-stagnant bottleneck, elevating him to a perfected Level Eight Artifact Refiner. In refining skill, even Wu San Niang would call him "Grandmaster," their statuses equal despite her superior cultivation.
His breakthrough, sparked by Lan An's gift, deepened his approval of the youth. Entrusting his precious disciple to Lan An was no mistake.
Nearby, the Elf Queen and A Lian Ya remained stunned. They'd come to Dwarf Island as guests, expecting to reconnect with the Dwarf Clan, allies of the Elves. Instead, they witnessed a Supreme True Grade artifact—the highest tier on Viet Dragon Star, beyond even Duo Bao Pavilion's reach. Even with Wu San Niang's suppressive aura, the gauntlets' presence rippled the surrounding space.
That this treasure belonged to Lan An, and Wu San Niang's clear surprise, drew curious glances from the three women, awaiting his explanation.
"It's an inheritance from a senior, meant for a destined owner. I felt no one was more suited than Master," Lan An said, shrugging helplessly.
"Dogshit luck!" the Dwarf Clan Leader cursed inwardly. Why hadn't such a heaven-defying inheritance come to him?
The Elf Queen and A Lian Ya were speechless. Lan An's fortune defied comprehension—casually acquiring a Supreme True Grade artifact. No one on Viet Dragon Star could match his luck. With these gauntlets, Wu San Niang's status would soar, dwarfing even the other three academies.
Artifacts were a critical factor in the power gap between top cultivators. If Heavenly Secret Palace elders were present, they'd sigh, "Worthy of a Child of Heavenly Fate."
"Satisfied, Master?" Lan An grinned, relishing Wu San Niang's rare astonishment.
She took a deep, heated breath, then waved her hand. An invisible force pushed the Dwarf Clan Leader, Elf Queen, and A Lian Ya away, forming a solid barrier around her and Lan An.
As Lan An marveled at her overwhelming power, Wu San Niang planted her hands on her hips, glaring. "Spill it, brat. How'd you get the Heaven-Shattering Gauntlets?"
Her initial shock gave way to grave seriousness, her eyes locked on him. Sensing the shift, Lan An recounted his encounter with Ju Pa Tian beneath the sea.
Wu San Niang listened, her eyes narrowing, pacing with hands clasped behind her. Her full lips muttered, "No wonder Ju Pa Tian vanished. No wonder the Giant Clan fell to ruin…"
Lan An's jaw dropped, a wild thought forming. "Master… you know the Giant Clan?"
She shot him a look, her lips curling into a teasing smirk. "I've been to Savage Star. How could I not?"
Lan An was floored. According to Ju Pa Tian, he was the Giant Clan's Vice-Chief on Savage Star, a world impossibly distant from Viet Dragon Star. Lan An couldn't imagine reaching it without immense power.
That his master had been there shattered his worldview. Seeing his stunned expression, Wu San Niang shook her head. "It's a long story. I'll tell you another time. I was planning to take you to Savage Star for your next training anyway."
"What?!" Lan An jumped, his breathing quickening with excitement.
Savage Star, per Jin Ni, was a realm dedicated to Body Cultivation, perfect for mastering Eight Gates Escape Armor. "No wonder Master's Body Cultivation is so terrifying," Lan An said, smiling wryly.
"Of course it was honed on Savage Star," Wu San Niang huffed, pouting. "On Viet Dragon Star, breaking through to Eight Revolutions Body Cultivation is harder than ascending the heavens, even in harsh places like Yellow Sand Continent."
"How do we get there?" Lan An blurted, unable to contain his curiosity.
"You'll find out when the time comes. It was the greatest opportunity of my life," Wu San Niang said, smirking.
Lan An reined in his excitement, but his face soon darkened. "You said the Giant Clan faced calamity?"
He owed Ju Pa Tian a debt, and though he hadn't begun Eight Gates Escape Armor, he'd promised to check on the Giant Clan. Hearing of their plight, he couldn't stay indifferent.
Wu San Niang's tone grew solemn. "Long ago, Savage Star was ruled by three great clans: the Giant Clan, the Great Han Clan, and the Great Beast Clan."
"They were evenly matched, forming a tripod balance, restraining each other. Body Cultivation is arduous, requiring vast resources, so the three clans fought openly and covertly for dominance."
"But none could overpower the others," she continued, holding up the Heaven-Shattering Gauntlets, lost in memory. "Then, one day, the Giant Clan's Vice-Chief and many elites vanished, stirring suspicion in the Great Han and Great Beast Clans. They formed an alliance and attacked the Giant Clan."
"A decade-long war ensued, with countless deaths. The Giant Clan Chief, using Eight Gates Escape Armor, gravely wounded both opposing chiefs. But he hadn't mastered its highest level, and his foes were formidable. He fell."
"To preserve their last bloodlines, the remaining Giant Clan elites surrendered, sacrificing themselves on the condition that the young be spared. The Great Han and Great Beast Clans, battered themselves, agreed, swearing a blood oath to the heavens."
"The Giant Clan, once a titan, was reduced to fewer than a hundred youths, falling from a top power to the lowest on Savage Star."
Lan An's fists clenched. In this dog-eat-dog world, such tragedies were common, but the fall of Ju Pa Tian's proud clan set his blood boiling.
Wu San Niang continued, "Though bound by their oath not to harm the surviving Giants, the Great Han and Great Beast Clans secretly oppress them, preventing recovery. The Giant Clan is now a pariah, hunted by all."
Lan An's brows furrowed. Even Ju Pa Tian likely hadn't foreseen his clan's downfall. "The irony," Wu San Niang sneered, "is that the Great Han and Great Beast Clans sought Eight Gates Escape Armor but failed. They scoured Giant Clan lands and found nothing."
Lan An jolted, recalling the stone tablet in his Spirit Realm Pearl. If he trained Eight Gates Escape Armor on Savage Star, wouldn't he become a prime target for both clans? His face darkened.
Wu San Niang, oblivious to his expression, caressed the Heaven-Shattering Gauntlets, praising, "These were Ju Pa Tian's famed weapon in his youth. Though they no longer aided him later, he kept them, showing his deep loyalty."
Lan An nodded, admiring Ju Pa Tian's integrity. "What's the cultivation level on Savage Star? A Supreme True Grade artifact was just his youthful tool?" he asked, voicing his confusion.
Worlds varied in power. Earth couldn't compare to Viet Dragon Star, just as Viet Dragon Star paled beside Savage Star. Higher-tier worlds allowed greater cultivation heights.
Wu San Niang's eyes twinkled, her smile teasing. "Above Eight Revolutions Body Cultivation is Nine Revolutions, akin to Half-Immortal. Above that is Ten Revolutions, matching True Immortal. Rumor says the Great Han and Great Beast Clan Chiefs surpass Ten Revolutions, but I don't know the details."
Lan An was speechless, his mind reeling at the vastness of the cultivation path ahead.