In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
During this time, Lan An had largely recovered from the injuries inflicted by the White Sand Empress.
"It seems your mother held back, with no intent to kill me," Lan An said with a casual smile, glancing at Bai Lian Hua, who sat across from him, her face etched with concern.
"Mother may seem cold, but she always cares for me," Bai Lian Hua replied quickly, eager to dispel any misunderstanding about her mother.
"Mother, huh?" Lan An raised an eyebrow. By protocol, she should call her Mother Empress.
Noticing his confusion, Bai Lian Hua blinked, her radiant eyes sparkling as she explained, "Mother told me to call her Mother Empress only in public. When it's just us, I call her Mother—it's warmer."
Lan An nodded, understanding. The icy Empress clearly cherished her daughter, preferring the intimate term over rigid royal decorum.
"What's your mother's name?" he asked, curiosity piqued.
Calling her "Big Lian Hua" last time had provoked her wrath, and he wasn't keen to repeat the mistake.
Bai Lian Hua paused, surprised by the sudden question, but saw no reason to hide it. "Mother's name is—"
"Hmph, why ask for my name?" A cold voice cut through their conversation. A fragrant breeze filled the air as space split open, revealing Hua Qing Zhu's regal figure.
Unlike her previous elegant gown, she wore a sleek, green leather outfit that hugged her mature curves, accentuating every contour. Her ample bosom, rivaling Yan Yue Qi's, strained against the fabric, captivating Lan An's gaze.
He quickly averted his eyes, shrugging nonchalantly. "Fine, I'll stick with Big Lian Hua. It's a nice name."
"Pfft, heehee!" Bai Lian Hua giggled, her laughter like bells. She did resemble her mother, so the nickname wasn't far off.
Hua Qing Zhu's eyes narrowed at their familiarity, letting out a cold huff. "I am Hua Qing Zhu. You may address me as Senior Qing Zhu."
Lan An silently admired the name's poetic beauty—green bamboo with flowers—but outwardly, he smirked. "Hua Qing Zhu? Flowers on bamboo? Haha!"
Senior? Where was her lofty demeanor? She'd nearly beaten him to death on their first meeting. Calling her a nemesis suited better.
Hua Qing Zhu ignored his taunt, too proud to bicker. "Three days are up. Come with me."
Her commanding tone grated on Lan An. "Where to? I'm not going without details."
He'd agreed to help for Bai Lian Hua's sake, but she could at least show some courtesy and disclose their destination.
"You've got some nerve, haggling with me?" Hua Qing Zhu's eyes glinted, a chill spreading around her.
Seeing the tension rise, Bai Lian Hua grabbed Lan An's hand, rubbing it gently, her pleading eyes softening his resolve.
His heart melted. He couldn't bear to see this little angel upset. Sighing, he stood. "Let's go."
Hua Qing Zhu ignored him, turning to Bai Lian Hua. "Tell no one about this, not even your father. As for this boy, he'll be fine. I'm only borrowing his abilities. No danger—don't worry."
"Who's worried about him?" Bai Lian Hua's cheeks flushed, though relief washed over her knowing they weren't heading somewhere perilous.
Suddenly, she pulled a delicate snowflake-shaped jade pendant from her storage ring and pressed it into Lan An's hand, mumbling, "I lost our bet, so this is for you. Infuse it with spiritual energy, and we can talk within ten thousand miles."
"A Sound Transmission Jade?" Hua Qing Zhu's expression turned odd.
"Jin Ni, what's this?" Lan An asked, holding the pendant.
"It's a paired Sound Transmission Jade with a small array for communication within a range, like the phones from your past life," Jin Ni chirped.
Lan An's eyes lit up. A treasure! Bai Lian Hua must have a matching jade. Though ten thousand miles was limited, it was valuable.
"Thank you, I'll treasure it," he said sincerely, tucking it away.
"It's just because I lost the bet," Bai Lian Hua murmured, head lowered, blushing under her mother's scrutinizing gaze. She scurried off, embarrassed.
"So adorable…" Lan An began, but a hand grabbed his collar, yanking him through torn space like a chicken.
He didn't resist, letting Hua Qing Zhu drag him. Her alluring scent and cool breath enveloped him, oddly soothing. He closed his eyes, savoring it.
Hua Qing Zhu noticed his relaxed demeanor despite being manhandled and nearly tossed him away in irritation.
Leaving the White Sand Dynasty, her speed didn't waver, indicating a distant destination.
Hours later, they stopped.
Released, Lan An looked down. A gloomy mountain range sprawled below, dense with trees, punctuated by beastly roars that sent shivers down his spine.
"Not a friendly place," he remarked. Even with his strength, the range felt menacing. A moment's carelessness could cost his life.
He glanced at Hua Qing Zhu, hoping for an explanation.
"Hmph!" She ignored him, her hand conjuring ice energy, striking the air.
Boom!
A Sixth-Grade bat beast, poised for a sneak attack, was frozen solid by her palm.
Crack!
The ice shattered, killing the beast, equivalent to a Refining Void cultivator.
Whoosh!
Fleeing sounds echoed as other beasts, intimidated by her power, retreated.
Lan An silently praised her decisiveness—it suited his taste.
"Move."
She grabbed him again, soaring to the range's center, where a towering mountain loomed. They landed, tiny as ants before its grandeur.
"Ice Soul Heavenly Mountain!" Hua Qing Zhu declared, raising her hands. Terrifying ice energy surged, enveloping the mountain's base.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Space collapsed as the mountain froze, glimmering under the sky.
Lan An's mouth twitched. What was she doing, freezing a mountain?
Crack!
The mountain groaned, and Hua Qing Zhu smirked, summoning earth energy for another strike. The frozen peak shattered like glass, shaking the range. Enraged beast roars filled the air, dust clouding the sky.
Lan An cursed inwardly. She was insane! He sensed countless beast auras charging, including Seventh-Grade ones.
"Don't drag me into your death wish!" he shouted.
"The planet's new genius, a romantic prodigy, invincible among peers, beloved disciple of the Frenzy Queen—afraid of death?" Hua Qing Zhu mocked, her tone icy but laced with scorn.
"You investigated me?" Lan An's eyes narrowed.
She'd been clueless about him before, but in three days, she'd dug deep.
Hua Qing Zhu didn't reply, silently confirming. No mother would let her daughter near a shady stranger. Her findings shocked her—Lan An's feats were staggering, his path fraught with thorns, unlike pampered clan geniuses.
She grudgingly respected him, allowing his closeness to Bai Lian Hua. A lesser man would've been crushed.
As the dust cleared, a dark, bottomless cave emerged, like a beast's maw ready to devour intruders.
"A hidden cave?" Lan An realized her goal.
Without a word, Hua Qing Zhu pulled him into the abyss.
At the entrance, carved words gleamed: Tomb of the Extreme Ice Demon Monarch.
As they entered, thousands of beasts arrived but halted, wary of the inscription.
"It's that old monster's tomb…" a Seventh-Grade giant elephant rumbled, turning away.
"When he came, he slaughtered half the range's beasts. Even dead, I won't meddle," a Seventh-Grade roc shuddered, recalling past horrors, and flew off.
The beasts dispersed, cowed by the tomb's legacy, their earlier fury forgotten.
Lan An witnessed their retreat, his mind racing. He'd read ancient records in his spare time.
"So it's him…" His eyes narrowed, recalling the tale.
Legend spoke of a youth from a Yellow Sand Continent clan, born with an ice attribute. In a clan fixated on earth techniques, he was mocked, betrayed by his fiancée, and ostracized, twisting his psyche.
After gaining a powerful inheritance, he returned, humiliated the clan's women, slaughtered them, and razed their city. He became a ruthless marauder, killing for resources, wiping out clans without grudges, but cunningly avoided major powers, targeting only lone cultivators or weak families.
His ice talent was monstrous, reaching Peak Tribulation Realm and crafting a high-grade technique. Known as the Extreme Ice Demon Monarch, he dominated the continent.
He failed his Half-Immortal ascension but clung to life, secretly building a tomb with his inheritance and amassed wealth. Its discovery shook the continent, drawing treasure hunters, but the tomb's cunning traps and secrecy thwarted them for over a decade, fading into legend.
Lan An glanced at Hua Qing Zhu, his tone casual. "Just an old demon's inheritance. What's the fuss?"