Aboard the Dream Immortal Ship…
Liu Yuqing and the other women were moved to laughter by A'Nhi's reaction. Truly, what sort of daughter was so eager to marry off her own mother?
Ya Lian Na, blushing with embarrassment, pulled A'Nhi toward her, pinching the little girl's rosy cheeks until they were quite adorable. "If the Queen hears of this, she will surely spank your little bottom!" she threatened.
"Hmph, Mother wouldn't do that! I am striving for her future happiness!" A'Nhi puffed out her cheeks, refusing to back down.
"Kee-hee-hee!"
The ship echoed with the merry laughter of the Harem sisters.
Suddenly, two graceful silhouettes emerged from the ship's cabin.
Leading the way was the noble and beautiful Qing Xuan, her silken black hair falling past her waist, her body still lingering with the fragrant, refreshing scent of medicinal pills. Following closely behind was a figure shrouded in a pitch-black cloak. This person's gait was slightly unsteady, and a layer of mysterious energy enveloped them, hiding so much as a fingertip from view.
Evidently, this was Ma.
Comparing the injuries of Wang Ying, Tian Sha, and Ma, it was Ma—who used Lightning Tribulations to temper her body—who had suffered the most grievous and difficult wounds to treat. While the others had recovered enough to return to their respective sects, Ma had remained under Qing Xuan's specialized care. Only now had she stabilized enough to appear. Looking at her frail movements, it was clear she had not yet fully recovered; she would need more time to reach her peak.
The moment Ma appeared, she became the focal point. The women stared with gazes mixed with curiosity and scrutiny. Even now, most found it hard to believe that the legendary Ma was a woman.
The top ranker of the Golden Heaven Board, a wielder of mysterious and formidable power, undefeated in a hundred battles, and a sovereign of the perilous Black Devil Mountain—how could such a person not be a fierce, burly man?
Everything whispered about Ma made it difficult to associate her with femininity. Yet, her sheer madness in using Heavenly Tribulations for body tempering earned her the sincere respect of every woman present.
"This time… my thanks." Facing the gaze of so many peerless beauties, Ma remained perfectly calm, her voice raspy as she uttered that brief sentence.
Liu Yuqing shook her head with a faint smile. "The Harem has no need for a mere word of thanks. Since we agreed to save you, we deserve to know something about the guest we've rescued, do we not? At least a name and a face."
Ma fell silent for a moment, then shook her head. "Knowing too much of me is not a good thing for you."
"Hearing you say that only makes us more intrigued!" Hua Qing Zhu laughed haughtily, completely unfazed.
"Hmph, aren't you just someone who hasn't reached the Tribulation Realm yet? Soon, all of us will surpass you!" Yan Die Qing pouted, finding Ma's attitude a bit too arrogant.
The Harem's progress was skyrocketing; they each possessed their own pride. To them, Ma's words sounded as if knowing her would bring them trouble. Did the Harem ever fear trouble?
Seeing their reaction, Ma remained silent. She dissipated the demonic energy swirling around her, finally revealing her true visage.
The women's eyes flashed with renewed wonder.
Ma revealed only half of her face; the other half was obscured by a crescent-moon mask. Yet, that half alone was enough to stun them. Her phoenix eyes slanted upward, her pupils as black as an endless abyss yet tinged with the scars of time. Her lashes were long and curved, and a tiny black beauty mark sat at the corner of her eye. Her nose was straight, and her ruby-red lips were slightly parted.
She was remarkably tall, her long legs rivaling those of Kun Mingyue, her curves beneath the cloak no less impressive than Mu Ziyin's, and she carried a natural, faint fragrance.
Most importantly… it was her temperament.
If Hu Qingwu was an enchanting fox who made men sink into obsession, Ma was her polar opposite. She possessed a cold, ethereal elegance—a pride that was etched into her very bones and an indifference that could repel someone from a thousand miles away.
Standing there, she seemed to exist in a world apart from the others. Yet, this very aura was like a fatal poison to any confident man, sparking a primal urge to conquer her icy grace.
Even Liu Yuqing looked at her with admiration. This woman was fit to stand alongside the likes of Hu Qingwu, Ai Xi Chen, and Tian Yedao.
Bai Sumei and Yan Yue Qi shared a meaningful glance. They wondered if their husband would be interested in Ma; bringing her back for him wouldn't be a bad idea at all.
"What is your name, young lady?" Liu Shiqin asked, finding Ma more interesting by the second. The Harem did not yet have a woman who cultivated Demonic Energy.
"Leng Yuexin."
Her lips parted to reveal a voice that was clear, crisp, and slightly chilly—nothing like the raspy tone she had used before.
"Leng Yuexin... Leng Yuexin!" The women nodded in approval. The name suited her perfectly—unique and elegant.
"I shall repay the Harem's kindness when the opportunity arises," Leng Yuexin said. With a surge of energy, she shrouded herself once more and soared into the sky.
"Young Master!"
The Five Great Weirdos, who had been trailing the ship from a distance, cried out in joy and flew to catch up. The six silhouettes swiftly tore through space and vanished into the void…
The Harem sisters watched them go, their curiosity piqued.
"Our Yuelong Star lacks such specialized energy. How does Leng Yuexin cultivate?" Hong Lian asked. To her knowledge, Spirit Qi could not be converted into Demonic Energy within the body.
"She possesses a very strange cultivation resource. I asked her for a sample," Qing Xuan smiled, producing an object from her storage ring.
It was a stone that resembled a Spirit Stone, but it was pitch black and contained a pure, familiar power—exactly like Ma's.
"It is called a Demonic Stone. While I was treating her, I saw her absorbing the energy within. It is no different from us using Spirit Stones," Qing Xuan explained.
"Could it be that the environment of Black Devil Mountain naturally produces these?" Ai Xin speculated, resting her chin on her hand.
"There is another possibility..." Liu Shiqin smiled.
"Is Ma also someone from another world, like the Blood Spirit Sect?" The women suddenly realized the implication. They had seen enough to know the universe was vast.
"It is highly likely... but as for her secrets, who can say?"
Liu Yuqing turned her gaze toward the heavens. The deep blue sky of Yuelong Star seemed small in her eyes now. Her dark, seductive lips curled.
"Little An's true ocean... must be the boundless universe out there."
Manhuang Realm…
The news that the Great Han Clan had been decimated by experts from the Immortal Realm had already spread across the world. The blackened cracks in space remained, and the sacred Great Bear Graves had been reduced to ruins. The fall of a pillar of the Manhuang Realm left many in a state of unease.
They knew it wasn't over.
Sure enough, only days after the great battle, the Great Monster Clan bared its fangs. With their long-time rivals crippled and wounded, the Great Monster Clan saw a god-given opportunity to seize total sovereignty.
The Great Monster Clan Leader—Great Monster Hum—declared to the world:
"The Great Han Clan, driven by personal vendettas, disregarded all reason. They have disturbed the heroic spirits of the Great Bear Graves and shattered the faith of every cultivator on this star. Their crimes are unforgivable! Led by the Great Monster Clan, we call upon all powers of the Manhuang Realm to exterminate the Great Han Clan and execute justice for the Heavens!"
Before the world could even process the declaration, the Great Monster Clan launched a brutal campaign. They committed their entire strength to raze the Great Han territories, slaughtering countless kin. The scent of blood covered a thousand miles.
In their desperation, the Great Han King led the surviving elders in a suicidal counter-attack. Unfortunately, still reeling from the battle with Elder Yi, their combat power was at its nadir. They were driven back by the peak-condition Great Monster Clan, losing several more Elders and Protectors in the process.
The Great Monster Clan took losses as well, but their momentum only grew. Finally, the Great Han King and his remaining elders threatened to self-detonate and take everyone with them, finally forcing a temporary retreat.
Though the Great Han Clan managed to survive total annihilation, everyone knew their era was over. The Great Han King was critically wounded, and their ancestral treasure, the Great Han Heaven-Shaking Drum, was gone. They would never again stand equal to the Great Monster Clan.
The Great Monster Clan now reigned supreme as the sole hegemon of the Manhuang Realm. Their ambition for land and resources became blatant and unchecked.
In just a few short days, the landscape of a world had shifted entirely. A power once as brilliant as the midday sun had faded into shadow.
The Great Monster and Great Han clans had once allied to destroy the Giants; now, it was the Great Han's turn to fall. Such was the cruelty of the path of the strong—a single misstep meant eternal damnation.
As for the "dog-eat-dog" struggle between the two clans, Lan An laughed inwardly but found no time to interfere. He was currently enjoying a "honeymoon" of sorts with Wu San Niang. Hand in hand, they were making their way toward the Ancient Wilderness Forest, where the remaining youth of the Giant Race were hidden, according to A Man.
Ding! The Overlord System has successfully upgraded to Level 3!
Ding! Reward: One Advancement Gift Pack!
Ding! New function unlocked: Prestige Wheel!
Three mechanical chimes rang in his ears, making Lan An's lips curl upward. He had been waiting for this.
"Master, let's go sit over there and enjoy the view for a moment," he said, pulling Wu San Niang toward a large rock in the middle of a clear stream.
As they sat and dipped their feet into the cool water, Lan An let her lean against him. He wasn't in a hurry to check the new function; instead, he opened his personal status.
A screen of light appeared in his mind:
Host Information: Lan An
Spirit Cultivation: Seven Tripods (Mid-stage Body Integration)
Soul Cultivation: Peak Soul Transformation
Physical Cultivation: First Stage of the Seventh Transformation
Cultivation Methods: Immortal Genesis Scripture, Holy Dragon Scripture, Emperor Soul Scripture, Dragon Transformation Battle Secret, Eighteen Dragon-Slaying Palms...
Martial Techniques: Spirit Fusion Palm, Desert Fury, Shadowless Lightning Lotus, Wilderness-Suppressing Seal, Star-Plucking Hand, Star-Piercing Finger, Star-Explosion Fist, Cross Heavenly Fire...
Soul Techniques: Soul Sculpt, Soul Chains, Soul Snatch, Soul Fix, Soul Hook, Soul Domain...
Body Techniques: Gentleman's Devil-Subduing Fist, Wild Beast Fist, Meteor Kick, Iron Cloth Shirt...
Secret Arts: Heavenly Emperor's Triple Transformation (Stage 1), Eight Inner Gates.
Movement Arts: Phantom Carefree Steps, Ten Thousand Mile Fire Step.
Treasures: Lan Hong Sword, Spirit Realm Bead, White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye, Silver Fang, Kongtong Bell, Dream Immortal Ship, White Feather Raiment...
Bloodline: Inverse Dragon.
Constitution: Mortal Physique.
Lan An reviewed his status with satisfaction. Such progress could hardly be called anything but monumental. Before coming to the Manhuang Realm, he had to flee at the mere sight of a Tribulation Transcendence expert. But now? Heh.
The Inverse Dragon Bloodline was truly heaven-defying. No wonder the True Dragons feared it so much.
Now that the System had reached Level 3, it had caught up with the Lucky Shop. Unfortunately, he had already used wealth to upgrade the Shop separately, so its level remained unchanged. To upgrade the Shop further, he would need to spend enough Prestige Points to meet the requirement.
"Young Master can check the new System function. Spending Prestige Points there will also count toward the total accumulation for the Shop's next upgrade," Jin'er consoled him.
Lan An's interest was instantly piqued. He nodded inwardly.
"Open the new function. Don't let this Young Master down!"