Bai Yang strode into the Scenic Land in high spirits, fresh from a tryst with a handpicked maid, his vigor soaring. The Earth Battle Grand Assembly loomed, and he knew better than to slack. He'd come to cultivate, eager to shine before his sister, Bai Lian Hua.
But the moment he entered, the air felt wrong. Third and Fourth Elders gaped at him, while Bai Lie, his second brother, glared as if he were an idiot.
Worse, two Earth King Seals were forming in the elders' hands, poised to strike. Bai Yang nearly jumped. Were they trying to kill him?
"I'm just here to cultivate! What's with this welcome?" he thought, baffled.
Third and Fourth Elders, furious enough to spit blood, hastily withdrew their seals, wary of harming Bai Yang. At Mid Refining Void, he'd be half-dead if struck.
Lan An's eyes lit up at the chaos. He could've kissed Bai Yang for this. Pinned against the Scenic Land's gate, freedom was one step away now that it was open. The elders were still a distance off, needing two breaths to reach him—enough time to use the Minor Teleportation Talisman.
The moment flashed by in a thought. Lan An acted decisively. His Eight Desolations Heavenly Flame flared, wings surging with power.
Spinning, he faced Bai Yang. One leap past him, and he'd soar free, beyond even Body Unity reach.
Bai Yang's eyes widened as Lan An burst from the gate. Seeing his battered state and the murderous glares from Bai Lie and the elders, his Golden List genius mind pieced it together. "An Early Refining Void fugitive thinks he can escape me? Who gave you the guts?" he sneered.
Though he'd inadvertently opened the gate, Bai Yang saw no issue. Lan An was injured, a realm below him. A Golden List prodigy like him couldn't fail to catch such prey.
"Well done, Third Prince!" Bai Lie and the elders' eyes gleamed. They knew Bai Yang was no match for Lan An, but he only needed to stall for two breaths. Then, they could lock the space, rendering the Minor Teleportation Talisman useless.
"Hold him, Third Brother!" Bai Lie urged, anticipation burning.
"Hold him? I'll capture him myself. The Eight Desolations Heavenly Flame is partly mine!" Bai Yang laughed, blocking Lan An's path, his hand forming an attack.
Lan An's expression turned odd. Done stalling, his eyes flashed. "Soul Blast Technique!"
Soul force surged, an invisible wave slamming into Bai Yang's mind.
"Aaagh!" Bai Yang clutched his head, screaming as his soul throbbed, teetering on collapse.
Seizing the chance, Lan An darted past, escaping the Scenic Land.
"Useless trash!" Bai Lie roared, livid.
"A soul cultivator too?" Third and Fourth Elders' faces darkened. They hadn't expected Lan An's soul prowess or Bai Yang's instant defeat.
Seeing the Minor Teleportation Talisman in Lan An's hand, they pointed in unison. "Earth Rift Finger!"
The dynasty's fastest technique outsped spatial tears, though its power was weaker. Two fingers pierced Lan An's thigh, drawing a gut-wrenching scream.
Yet his hand gripped the talisman, ready to tear it.
"Traitor, you dare invade the Scenic Land and escape?" A voice shook the heavens, blood trickling from Lan An's ears.
"It's Father!" Bai Lie and the elders exclaimed, elated as a majestic figure emerged from the void—the White Sand Emperor. With him here, Lan An was doomed.
The Emperor stood regally, hands clasped, earth elements swirling. "Spatial Lock—"
Spotting the talisman, he moved to seal the space.
"You dare stop this young master, White Sand?" Lan An snorted, ripping off his cloak to reveal a haughty youth's face, glaring defiantly.
The White Sand Emperor's eyes shrank. "Young Master Bach Hieu Sinh?"
Bach Hieu Sinh, son of Bach Vo Sinh—a Transcending Tribulation cultivator and Eighth-Grade War Array Master—held a status far above the Emperor's.
Instinctively, the Emperor halted his technique.
Lan An seized the fleeting chance, crushing the Minor Teleportation Talisman and vanishing.
Silence reclaimed the sky.
"Your Majesty, was that really Bach Hieu Sinh?" Bai Lie and the elders, arriving too late, looked as if they'd swallowed flies.
The Emperor's face twisted, realizing his blunder. The situation had unfolded too fast for thought. Fearing Bach Vo Sinh, he'd hesitated, missing the flaw in Lan An's ruse.
"Father, if he was Bach Hieu Sinh, he'd have revealed himself from the start, not fought half-dead!" Bai Lie fumed.
Slap!
"Silence! Do I need your lessons?" The Emperor, humiliated, struck Bai Lie's face.
Third and Fourth Elders bowed, silent. Bai Lie's cheek swelled, a flicker of rage in his eyes, but he lowered his head.
A figure staggered out, face contorted, soul still aching—Bai Yang, recovering from the Soul Blast Technique.
"Greetings, Father!" he said, rushing forward.
The Emperor, in a foul mood, nodded curtly.
"Second Brother, you caught that thief, right? I want him to suffer!" Bai Yang growled.
The elders' faces turned strange, thinking, If not for your idiocy, he'd be caught. Bai Lie glared, itching to slap him.
Sensing their reactions, Bai Yang shouted, "No way! All of you couldn't catch him?"
The Emperor's mouth twitched, suppressing rage. "Explain this fiasco," he demanded.
Third and Fourth Elders recounted everything respectfully. The Emperor's fury grew, especially at Bai Yang's blunder, and he slapped him hard.
Slap!
Bai Yang's teeth flew, his body tumbling midair, a pitiful sight.
"Hunt him across the dynasty. Kill on sight, no report needed. This stays secret!" the Emperor ordered, his killing intent palpable, stung by the deception.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" they replied, knowing the scandal would make the royal family a laughingstock if leaked.
"I'll assist the Supreme Emperor. Summon the Little Princess!" the Emperor commanded, prioritizing the Ancient Bear Prison Earth. He vanished back into the Scenic Land.
Bai Lie and the elders exchanged glances, hurrying to obey, not before glaring at Bai Yang.
Bai Yang hung his head, eyes brimming with grievance.
Half an hour later, the Fire Void Pill's aftereffects hit. Lan An couldn't channel spiritual energy, not even Nirvana Spirit Water, for ten days.
His body was over eighty percent wrecked—bones shattered, half his veins ruptured, organs torn, skin peeling grotesquely. Most cultivators would be dead, but Lan An's monstrous resilience and Tuo Qing Xuan's healing pills kept him conscious.
Something felt off. Despite his inability to use spiritual energy, warm, soothing streams flowed through him, slowly mending his wounds. They weren't his—someone else was healing him, clumsily, with uneven energy distribution.
Who was saving him?
His heavy eyelids cracked open, light piercing through.
A face of angelic purity greeted him, breathtakingly beautiful, untarnished by the mortal world. Cherry lips moved softly, long lashes fluttered, round eyes focused intently. Her delicate nose exhaled fragrant breaths, platinum hair framing a glistening forehead beaded with sweat.
Clad in a pristine white dress, her youthful curves were outlined—gentle breasts rising with each breath, a slender waist, skin brighter than a full moon. In his dazed state, Lan An felt lost in a dream.
The girl was channeling spiritual energy into him, focused on his recovery. Noticing his eyes, she spoke.
"You're awake! Does it still hurt?"
Her voice, laced with concern, was crystalline, tinged with an otherworldly charm. Its Heavenly Charm Voice stirred his soul deeply.
Struggling with his parched, bloodied throat, Lan An spoke softly, voice hoarse but gentle. "You've saved my life again… Little Princess."