Lan An's performance was immediately projected across the massive screen above the plaza, instantly drawing a wave of attention. Countless eyes widened in shock. Many people inwardly exclaimed: This assessment actually produced such a monstrous Body Cultivator?!
"What's that kid's background? His physical strength is no joke!" The Blood King narrowed his eyes and murmured. Body Cultivators weren't rare in the Blood Realm, but those who had cultivated their bodies to such an advanced level were exceedingly few.
As soon as he spoke, a First-Heart Blood Envoy emerged silently from the shadows and bowed respectfully:
"Reporting to Blood King, that one is named Xue Mie. He comes from a remote wilderness and only possesses Seventh Revolution Body Cultivation. He is incapable of cultivating blood power!"
From the moment the Blood Child assessment began, every participant's information had already been thoroughly investigated. Xue Mie was no exception.
"Can't cultivate blood power? No wonder his skin is still so rosy!" Regret flickered in the Blood King's eyes, mirrored by the Four-Heart Blood Envoys around him. In the Blood Realm, being unable to cultivate blood power meant one's future was severely limited.
In an instant, their interest in Xue Mie plummeted. They no longer paid him any mind…
…
Lan An couldn't care less whether the Blood Race noticed him or not. Right now, he advanced with unstoppable momentum. His feet never paused for even a moment. Even though the labyrinth was riddled with deadly traps, his pace left Xue Qian and Xue Shang completely dumbfounded.
This was a labyrinth formed by an ultra-low-grade treasure—one that blocked divine sense probing entirely. Xue Shang and Xue Qian could only rely on scent-tracking the blood trail to find their way. Yet Xue Mie moved through it as naturally as if he were strolling through his own backyard—casual, composed, even preemptively detecting and dismantling every trap and challenge the Blood King had prepared.
Xue Shang and Xue Qian exchanged glances, both seeing the same incredulity in each other's eyes…
Of course, they had no idea that during the period when Lan An's soul cultivation had been forced to stabilize and could not advance further, he hadn't wasted the countless souls that had died by his hand—or even those killed by others.
Back in that secret underground space, when You Mo massacred nearly ten thousand unfortunate victims, Lan An had quietly collected every single one of their souls and used them as fuel to upgrade his White Moon Soul-Seizing Eyes.
And in the Blood Realm, after slaughtering the swarm of Bloodstripe Mosquitoes, he hadn't spared their souls either—he devoured them all.
During this time, White Moon Soul-Seizing Eyes had advanced like crazy. It was now a mid-tier ultra-low-grade treasure—surpassing even the Blood Guidance Labyrinth itself by a full grade.
Though Lan An didn't know if White Moon Soul-Seizing Eyes had an upper limit, at the very least he felt there was still tremendous room for growth.
With Piercing Insight and Thousand-Li Insight fully active, the Blood Guidance Labyrinth lay completely naked before him. No secret could be hidden.
At his current level of power, participating in the Blood Child assessment was like an adult playing with children—utterly boring. He was only here to achieve his goal: return to Yuelong Star.
Out of consideration for the useful information Xue Shang and Xue Qian had provided, Lan An decided to carry them through the assessment once and for all. After that, debts would be settled—no one would owe the other. If they ever met again on opposing battlefields in the future, he would not hesitate to strike…
"This… Xue Mie, are you really just some kid from the wilderness?" Xue Shang swallowed hard, looking at Lan An with a strange expression.
Xue Qian also glanced over—just in time to see Lan An casually smash an incoming Blood Pearl into dust with a single brutal strike.
This man was like a war machine. Relying solely on raw physical power, he crushed every obstacle in his path, remaining utterly calm and composed from beginning to end.
No choice—most of the traps in the Blood Guidance Labyrinth had been designed to test geniuses. But Lan An had long surpassed the realm of genius. Even a Blood King could be punched flat by him—why would he fear challenges created by a Blood King?
"What do you think I am? My master said I was born a Body Cultivation genius. Even without cultivating blood power, I can still dominate!" Lan An grinned confidently and flicked his sleeve with casual flair…
Xue Qian's eyes flickered with momentary daze. Upon closer inspection, she realized this man carried an aura that transcended everything else. Apart from the "flaw" of his healthy, rosy skin, he was perfect in every way.
Catching her gaze, Lan An shivered inwardly. I'm not interested in you—why are you staring at me like that?
He immediately increased his speed. Xue Shang and Xue Qian scrambled to keep up behind him.
Xue Shang stared at Lan An's back, a mix of emotions swirling in his chest. He had originally been confident that, as a half-blood, he would shine brightly in this assessment… Who would've thought that from start to finish, everything had been carried by Lan An alone?
Am I just being carried right now? Xue Shang thought wryly.
…
The entrance to the labyrinth was vast, but the exit gradually narrowed—intentionally increasing the chance of encounters between participants and raising the elimination rate…
But Lan An's group moved far too quickly. While others were still fumbling around near the entrance, even those with exceptional blood-sensing abilities couldn't compare to them…
Thus, a comical scene unfolded. Just three days after the assessment began, three figures successfully emerged from the Blood Guidance Labyrinth—under the stunned gazes of the entire Blood Heart City…
"This…" The Blood King was dumbfounded. He never dreamed that after all his careful arrangements… everything would be broken so easily.
That Body Cultivator brat moved as though he already knew the layout perfectly. Every layer of traps was casually crushed. The two blood cultivators following him had basically just served as scenery.
Looking back at the hundreds of outstanding geniuses still groping around inside the labyrinth—some even dying to the various challenges—the Blood King silently abandoned any thought that this assessment might have been "too easy."
"Is that Body Cultivator kid actually the illegitimate son of Blood King?" one of the Four-Heart Blood Envoys secretly transmitted to the other nine.
"Very possible!" The rest quietly nodded in agreement.
The Blood Guidance Labyrinth was extraordinarily complex. Even they—despite being peak Tribulation Realm—estimated that if they entered the assessment, escaping in one week would already count as fast.
And yet a seemingly harmless Seventh Revolution Body Cultivator had bulldozed straight through it. How could they not suspect?
This assessment had been personally arranged by the Blood Emperor for the Blood King to oversee. If Xue Mie wasn't the Blood King's secret son, why would he know everything so perfectly?
The suspicion wasn't limited to the Blood Envoys—even the countless spectators shared the same thought… In an instant, the entire Blood Heart City turned suspicious glances toward the Blood King.
"What the hell are you looking at?! That kid has nothing to do with this old man!" The Blood King bared his fangs and snarled, nearly vomiting blood from sheer rage.
Though Xue Mie's performance was dazzling, he was still someone incapable of cultivating blood power. How could a Blood King like him possibly sire such a child?
Moreover, showing blatant favoritism toward family in the Blood Child Ranking assessment was a grave crime. If the Blood Emperor grew suspicious, the Blood King would be in deep trouble.
"Hmph! The assessment isn't over yet. Just wait for what comes next!" The Blood King growled coldly. His majestic voice swept through Blood Heart City, silencing the crowd at once.
But the disbelief in everyone's eyes remained clear. Xue Mie had passed the assessment so easily—it reeked of cheating, as though he had known the layout of the Blood Guidance Labyrinth in advance.
Not just them—even Xue Shang and Xue Qian were completely dazed. When they finally emerged from the labyrinth together with Lan An, neither of them could believe they had actually completed the assessment…
It had all been far too easy—easier than anything they could have imagined. From start to finish, they had simply trailed behind Lan An. Occasionally they helped block something minor, and in the blink of an eye, they were already outside.
"Xue Mie… do you actually have some connection with Blood King?" Xue Shang swallowed hard, whispering cautiously.
Lan An couldn't be bothered to reply. Right now, his attention was fixed on the blood pool in front of him—roughly twenty meters in diameter. The blood below surged like a raging flood, containing boundless power and radiating an overwhelming sense of suppression.
This blood pool had appeared the moment they exited the Blood Guidance Labyrinth—impossible to miss.
Following Lan An's gaze, excitement flared in Xue Shang and Xue Qian's eyes. Their breathing quickened as they shouted in狂喜:
"The Blood Pool?!"
"Oh?" Lan An gave the blood pool a curious glance. He had heard the couple mention it before—the Blood Pool was the highest-grade cultivation site for blood cultivators in the Blood Realm.
The blood inside was the purest and most refined, carefully selected by the Blood Royal Clan. Soaking in it allowed one to borrow its terrifying energy to temper flesh and blood, refine blood power, and massively increase cultivation…
Normally, only Blood King-level figures had the right to own a Blood Pool. Ordinary blood cultivators could only dream of it—they weren't even qualified to approach one.
That was exactly why Xue Shang and Xue Qian had been so ecstatic when they heard that one of this cycle's rewards included access to the Blood Pool.
"It seems the first twenty to exit the Blood Guidance Labyrinth get to soak in the Blood Pool immediately. Let's hurry in!" Xue Qian beamed, tugging Xue Shang's hand to jump in.
"Wait!" Xue Shang forcibly suppressed his urge and stopped her, speaking gravely:
"The assessment isn't over yet. There's likely a battle phase coming up. Don't rush."
"But didn't Blood King say the first twenty to exit are the winners?" Xue Qian asked innocently.
"What if more than twenty people exit at the same time?" Lan An asked calmly.
"Then… we'd have to kill until only twenty remain!" Xue Qian suddenly understood. She wasn't stupid—she immediately grasped the key issue.
"Exactly… The Blood Pool isn't going anywhere. There's no need to hurry," Lan An exhaled and sat cross-legged on the ground, looking completely relaxed and unconcerned.
Clearly, the upcoming battle held no threat in his eyes.
Seeing this, Xue Shang and Xue Qian exchanged helpless glances, both reading the same resignation in each other's eyes.
When they first met Xue Mie, they had seen his strength and wanted to use him to boost their chances of passing the assessment. They had even planned to sacrifice him if things got dangerous.
Unfortunately, their plan had failed completely. Xue Mie was monstrously powerful—far beyond anything they imagined. From beginning to end, the two of them had simply ridden on his coattails. Harm him? They'd have to be tired of living.
…
Yuelong Star.
Inside the Spirit Realm Pearl…
The Acceleration Formation enveloped the Palace Tree. Mountains of Spirit Stones were being consumed at a terrifying rate. If an outsider saw this, their tongue would surely go numb. Spending such an astronomical fortune without blinking—only the Multi-Treasure Pavilion on Yuelong Star could possibly afford to imitate it.
At the top of the Palace Tree, the egg glowed brighter with each passing day. Meanwhile, the nearby divine beast Qingluan feather branch was steadily dimming and fading—its power nearly fully absorbed by the egg. The birth of the little creature inside was no longer far away…
The harem now felt somewhat empty. Most of the women had entered secluded cultivation. Even if they could no longer increase their cultivation, they wanted to stabilize their current state at its absolute peak. Bai Lian Hua sat alone in a pavilion on Four Seasons Mountain, watching snowflakes dance in the air… Her eyes were filled with endless longing as her rosy lips murmured:
"Little Nan gege… I miss you so much!"
Her mother had recently broken through to mid-Tribulation Realm and was in urgent seclusion to consolidate her cultivation.
"Big Sister Lian Hua, do you think my mother will become as beautiful as yours when she comes back—and finally become Little Nan gege's wife?" Ya'er propped her small face on her hands, pouting cutely as she asked Bai Lian Hua.
Ya'er was currently the second-youngest girl in the harem and was deeply loved by the women and Liu Yuqing alike. The absolute youngest was little Liu Mengmeng of the Liu Clan. Because of her exceptional talent in cultivating the Water Sea True Art of the Sea Rainbow Sect, she had been accepted as a disciple by the peak Fusion Realm powerhouse Shui Niangqing—making the little girl so happy she practically forgot the sky and earth.
Bai Lian Hua gave her an odd look. Did this little girl really want to marry off her own mother so badly?
"Ya'er, if Aunt Ya Hy becomes Little Nan gege's wife, then you'll have to call him stepfather!" Bai Lian Hua pinched Ya'er's soft, chubby cheeks and laughed.
"Hmph! Big Sister Lian Hua, you're lying! Your mother is also going to marry Little Nan gege—why don't I see you calling him stepfather?" Ya'er blinked her big round eyes, pupils darting mischievously.
"I… I'm different from you!" Bai Lian Hua stammered. She had been teasing Ya'er but forgot about her own situation.
"How are you different? Aren't you also going to marry Little Nan gege? When Ya'er grows up, I'll marry him too. Then why would I need to call him stepfather?" Ya'er giggled, completely unbothered.
Pfft…
Bai Lian Hua spat out a mouthful of tea. She laughed and cried at the same time: "You silly girl! If your mother marries Little Nan gege and you want to marry him too—who's going to manage Spirit Island then?"
Ya'er immediately fell into deep thought. Her tiny finger rubbed her chin, putting on an air of maturity. She really hadn't considered this problem before. After a long moment, as though she had made a firm decision, she declared:
"Then the entire Spirit Island will marry Little Nan gege too! Problem solved!"
"You little rascal!" Bai Lian Hua reached out with her fair finger and poked the mischievous girl's forehead, completely speechless.
The two little girls chattered back and forth for a while. Then Ya'er turned her gaze toward the Palace Tree—toward Qingxuan Palace, now enveloped in a heavy, solemn atmosphere. Her clear, childish voice carried a hint of curiosity:
"I wonder… when Sister Mengji comes back to life, will she be beautiful?"
"She'll definitely be beautiful!" Bai Lian Hua answered without the slightest hesitation.
"I hope Little Nan gege will like her. I've heard about Sister Mengji's past—she seems so pitiful!" Ya'er said sympathetically, as though being loved by Lan An would somehow heal all of Dan Mengji's pain.
"Of course he will!" Bai Lian Hua nodded firmly… Shui Qingxuan was a late Seventh Grade Alchemist. All the materials she had gathered were top-quality. Reforging a body for her master surely wouldn't be too difficult.
From their conversation, it was clear: Shui Qingxuan was pouring all her heart and soul into crafting a new body for her master. The long-awaited reunion between master and disciple was now only one final step away. If successful, the harem would gain another pillar of strength—an Eighth Grade Alchemist, no less.