Wu San Niang watched as Lan An suddenly produced a talisman inscribed with bizarre patterns she had never seen before. He placed the talisman upon the white halberd, and an extraordinary phenomenon instantly took place.
The talisman melted away with startling speed, its strange runes seeping into the body of the Silver Fang. A brilliant radiance erupted, blindingly bright.
When the light finally subsided, the halberd had lengthened slightly. Its tip was now razor-sharp, its shaft more robust and unyielding, and it exuded a far more dangerous aura than before.
"It ascended from the low-rank Spirit Grade to the low-rank True Grade?" Wu San Niang exclaimed in shock. Even as a Ninth Transformation Body Cultivator, she harbored a deep wariness toward True Grade weapons—they could inflict devastating wounds upon her, especially when wielded by a monster like Lan An.
"Not bad, a fine treasure indeed!" Lan An nodded with satisfaction. To be able to raise a weapon's rank by a whole tier without materials or a Blacksmith was truly remarkable. That spin of the wheel had been well worth it.
"Did Jin'er provide this? Such a miraculous talisman cannot exist within the Yuelong Star Realm," Wu San Niang concluded, looking at him.
Lan An nodded. Through his interactions with the Cultivation World, he knew of a profession called Talisman Masters—specialists who crafted slips with unique functions. However, being a Talisman Master required immense innate talent and creativity. Most practitioners in the Yuelong Star Realm had meager achievements and could not apply their crafts to actual combat.
These masters were usually employed by great powers; the Myriad Treasure Pavilion and a few Ninth-Grade sects had them in their ranks. But the Talisman Masters of Yuelong only produced simple things like Messenger Talismans, Evasion Talismans, or Protection Talismans. For them to craft something as specialized as an Equipment Ascension Talisman was nothing short of a pipe dream.
"According to ancient records, Yuelong once had a peerless Talisman Master. Using only his custom-made talismans, he defeated countless experts. He merely stood in place and threw slips, and yet no one could touch him," Wu San Niang recalled.
Lan An nodded. Every path had its legends; he would never underestimate the heroes of the world.
"So fragrant... Hong'er wants to eat!"
At that moment, the Lan Hong Sword on his back shifted its form. The little darling Hong'er climbed onto Lan An's neck, her stomach growling. She drooled as she stared fixedly at the Silver Fang in his hand.
"Be good, Hong'er. This was a gift from your Mama to Papa; you cannot eat it," Lan An said helplessly, stroking her head. This little girl's appetite was growing by the day, and unfortunately, he hadn't had time to find suitable "food" for her. Hong'er only ate offensive-type treasures, and they had to be within one major rank of her own. Currently, she was at the late-stage Mysterious Grade, meaning her diet was limited to Earth Grade weapons or lower. The Lucky Shop no longer stocked such low-tier items.
Ancient Wilderness Forest…
This was the most colossal jungle Lan An had ever witnessed. The ancient trees soared into the clouds, and the vines and flora were of nightmarish proportions. The ground was primal and desolate, thick with a predatory, malevolent aura lurking in every shadow.
Lan An secretly estimated that even if he were to place the Imperial Tree here, its size would likely not be considered the largest. Walking through this place, he and Wu San Niang felt like two tiny ants. Unfortunately, they lacked the exact coordinates of the Ju Clan (Giant Race), otherwise, he would have simply torn through space to arrive instantly.
Grrr... Roar... Hiss...
As expected, trouble was unavoidable. In a wild place like the Ancient Wilderness Forest, savage beasts were the one thing in abundance. The intelligence of species on the Manhuang Star was low; a horde of hundreds of various beasts soon surrounded Lan An and Wu San Niang. Their visages were cruel and bloodthirsty, waiting for a single opening to tear the two humans apart. Among them were several Rank 8 Spirit Beasts—terrifying existences indeed.
Yet, though Lan An and Wu San Niang appeared to be walking leisurely, the primal instincts of the beasts began to scream. It felt as if these two could annihilate the entire horde with a casual wave of their hands.
One step... two steps...
ROAR!
The beasts lunged simultaneously, no longer hesitating. The scene was grand and chaotic.
But the next second was even more soul-shaking.
AWOOO—!
In Lan An's vision, a phantom of a True Dragon with deep blue scales and bared claws erupted from his body. It coiled above his head, stretching hundreds of feet long.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
In that instant, a chorus of heavy impacts echoed through the forest. Hundreds of massive beasts suddenly fell to their knees, their blood boiling and their bodies trembling uncontrollably. Amidst the dense, boundless jungle, as a hundred beasts prostrated in worship, Lan An calmly held Wu San Niang's hand and strolled forward—a sight that shook the hearts of all who watched.
Though Wu San Niang knew her "wicked disciple" had refined the Dragon Bloodline, she hadn't expected the majesty it commanded over beasts to be so terrifying. Even the haughty Man Kieu within her body felt a tremor of emotion, her gaze turning slightly dazed as she watched the back of the man who—though not exceptionally tall—seemed capable of holding up the entire heavens.
Dan Mengji was the same. No one had witnessed Lan An's journey and progress more closely than she had, yet she still couldn't help but be moved by the epic scene before her. The Dragon Race was the recognized sovereign of all beasts. Normally, a beast possessing even a trace of impure Dragon blood would hold high status; with Lan An manifesting the power of the Orthodox True Dragon, how could these wild creatures resist?
In the distance, several towering silhouettes of the Ju Clan were also frozen in shock, their faces filled with disbelief. Their breathing grew heavy as they witnessed what looked like a divine miracle. Even if a Tenth Transformation Body Cultivator appeared, they could at most slaughter these beasts; to make them all kneel in absolute submission was impossible. Beasts would accept death, but their savage nature usually forbade them from bowing.
Standing among the giants, Huangjin Chan (Golden Shovel) and Renke (the rooster) were brimming with pride, their expressions saying: "Look, that is our Master!"
Then, Lan An took it a step further. The True Dragon phantom above him let out a thunderous roar, coiling around his body as a draconic hymn echoed through the forest. His killing intent was stretched to the limit.
"Dragon Transformation Battle Secret—True Dragon Soaring!"
The True Dragon phantom, condensed entirely from True Dragon Force, soared through the air with violent power. Everywhere it passed, space collapsed with a roar, and ancient trees were reduced to powder, relentlessly crushing the beasts prostrate on the ground. This single move was potent enough to crush the Three Immortals' Extinction technique used by the youth in the brocade robes—such was its dominance.
The beasts could not resist. They were ground into paste by the draconic phantom, and a swarm of terrified souls flew out of their broken bodies.
"Soul Snatch!" Lan An had been waiting for this. The White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye glowed, vacuuming hundreds of souls toward him.
Since using the Soul Domain repeatedly to escape Elder Yi's attacks, his soul had remained somewhat weakened. His primary motive for this slaughter was to seize these souls and turn them into nourishment. It had been a long time since Lan An had used Soul Snatch; his foundation had stabilized enough to risk a breakthrough.
His Soul Cultivation had been stagnant for too long; it needed to catch up with his Body and Spirit.
"Immortal Genesis Scripture—Soul Refining!"
Lan An stood there, ruthlessly harvesting the souls. The Immortal scriptures combined with the Soul-Warming Lotus to refine the souls of the ill-fated beasts. He didn't stop until his body felt overloaded, his eyes leaked traces of blood from the soul-ache, and his pores felt like they were about to explode.
"Phew..."
He let out a weary sigh. His Soul Power surged violently, breaking through to the Early-stage Body Integration Realm in an instant, finally matching his Body Cultivation before halting. After all, he had snatched many souls of Rank 8 caliber.
One could say Lan An's Soul Cultivation was relatively easy to advance. If the Heavenly Secret Hall knew of this, they would prostrate themselves in awe. However, for Lan An—who was already capable of taking down Tribulation Transcendence experts—this level of Soul Cultivation was still far from satisfying.
Satisfaction? It did not exist for him. After witnessing the dominance of Elder Yi and the supreme majesty of the Tan Vien Immortal King, Lan An only hated that he was still too weak.
As his body swayed from the soul overload, Wu San Niang quickly caught him, letting him lean against her. She pinched his ear hard, her fragrant lips scolding him angrily:
"You wicked man! Why must you push yourself so hard?"
Among all his women, perhaps only Wu San Niang dared to be so fierce with him—she truly had the spirit of a "Lioness of the East."
"Young Master was indeed reckless. Your soul was recently damaged by the Soul Domain, and now you've forced a breakthrough. You must not use Soul Power for a long time to allow it to adapt, otherwise, even a Forbidden One will suffer a shaken foundation!" Jin'er added, her voice tinged with anger.
"Alright, alright, I apologize to you both, okay?"
Faced with their reproaches, Lan An could only give an embarrassed smile. In truth, he wanted to push his soul's endurance and adaptability to the limit so that his Soul Snatch and Soul Refining would have even greater utility.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
At that moment, a massive silhouette raced toward them from afar, making the earth tremble. A face filled with honest, naive excitement approached Lan An.
"Is it truly you?" Ju Aman looked down, his bronze-bell-like eyes staring at Lan An. Although Lan An had revealed his face and was no longer wearing the black cloak from the Martial Arena, Ju Aman could sense a familiar aura. Lan An's voice when speaking to Wu San Niang matched the one from their conversation in Great Peak City.
"Aman, be careful!"
The other members of the Ju Clan were struck with terror. They rushed forward to pull Ju Aman back, staring warily at Lan An. Given this man's savage display just now, the consequences would be dire if he harbored ill will. Likely, only their Big Sister would be strong enough to contend with him. Aman is so simple-minded... is he not afraid of death?
Lan An and Wu San Niang looked helplessly at the giants who were staring at them like they were monsters. Lan An shrugged and gave a bitter smile.
"I have no ill intent toward the Ju Clan."
The Ju Clan had truly fallen into desolation. Once a Great Race, they were now reduced to a few dozen young members, male and female, huddling together for survival. Their primary resources came from hunting beasts in the Ancient Wilderness Forest—a truly impoverished existence.
"What are you doing? My Master is a close friend of the Ju Clan, understand?" Huangjin Chan and Renke rushed over, shouting at the giants as they stood by Lan An's side.
The atmosphere grew awkward.
"Enough! Aman, bring our guests inside!"
At that moment, a clear voice echoed from afar. Though the volume was massive, it was not unpleasing; it sounded like a refreshing mountain spring—exceedingly comfortable to the ear.
"Big Sister!" The young giants called out respectfully, though they still cast wary glances at Lan An as they parted to make a path.
"Come! I shall introduce you to my Big Sister as we agreed!" Ju Aman laughed heartily, picking Lan An up and placing him on his shoulder as he headed toward their settlement.
Wu San Niang shrugged and followed behind, accompanied by the "little jokers" Huangjin Chan and Renke.
The Ju Clan's dwelling was quite simple: a few massive caves on a cliffside and some basic houses built from thousand-year-old ancient trees. While not luxurious, it had a rustic closeness to nature.
Following Ju Aman, the group entered an independent bamboo grove in the heart of the forest. There, they saw a figure.
In an instant, their expressions turned peculiar.
Before them was a graceful back. Long, lustrous hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her snow-white, firm skin peeked through her leather attire. The lady stood with an elegant poise, her legs together and her figure statuesque.
Just from her back, one could tell she was a peerless beauty... except she was a giant. Her overall physique was perfectly proportioned according to the standards of female beauty, yet it was a version magnified countless times.
Even a female giant can have such a perfect shape? Dan Mengji and Wu San Niang were inwardly startled.
Previously, they had seen female giants with thick shoulders and muscular builds no different from men. But the woman before them—aside from her natural massive size—possessed the perfect body standards that any woman would envy. If she were to shrink... she would be a supreme beauty.
No—she already was a supreme beauty; she simply belonged to the Ju Clan.
"Big Sister, I've brought them!" Ju Aman laughed naively, calling out to the beautiful giant.
The owner of that silhouette turned around. Her chest—veritable hills in every sense of the word—gave a slight bounce that made Lan An's eyes twitch as he met her gaze.
A trace of appreciation flashed in Lan An's eyes. He thought to himself: No wonder Ju Aman dared to boast about his Big Sister so much!