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Long ago, under a golden sunset, a luxurious pavilion nestled amid a lotus lake. A noble beauty played her zither, the familiar, mournful Snow Dusk Melody weaving sorrow and solitude. Snowflakes danced in the breeze, the scene both melancholic and poetic.
Behind her, a girl of fifteen or sixteen, her face fair with rosy lips and sparkling ocean-blue eyes, watched her mother's back. In her arms, a newborn boy wailed, his cries blending with the zither, deepening the stillness.
The beauty ceased playing, snowflakes fading. Sighing, she turned to her children with loving eyes, her voice soft as a stream. "Xi'er, my daughter, heed my words."
The girl, Bing Lan Xi, nodded fiercely, tears welling. Her sharp mind sensed calamity. The boy cried louder, as if aware.
Heart aching, the beauty pressed on. "I'm the only consort who bore your father two children. Despite his duties and cultivation, he spent the most time with me, raising my status but threatening others' interests."
"They've schemed for years. Even if your father investigates, he may find no clues. With their power in the Bing Xuan Dynasty, he might feign ignorance to maintain balance."
Lan Xi sobbed, her youth clashing with the harsh reality of powerlessness. Suppressing her anguish, the beauty rasped, "Xi'er, the imperial family is heartless. Raising you and Yong'er here was my greatest mistake. To survive, seize absolute power—rule the world. You or Yong'er must claim that throne."
A strange sound interrupted her. Lan Xi's eyes widened. "Poison… tasteless, odorless, silent. You're formidable…" the beauty murmured, blood trickling from her lips.
"Mother!" Lan Xi screamed, setting down the boy to embrace her. "No!" The beauty, with her last strength, pushed her daughter away, fearing the poison's spread.
"Xi'er, when I'm gone, care for your brother. I owe you both too much…" Her meridians ruptured, a faint gray mist escaping her lips, dissolving into the air. A cultivator would deem it a cultivation mishap. She collapsed.
Under the dusk, the peerless beauty perished.
"Mother! No!" Lan Xi wailed, clutching the corpse, tears flooding. The boy rolled on the ground, crying. The scene was heart-wrenching.
Exhausted, Lan Xi gazed around, her eyes locking on the zither. "Mother's legacy. I'll protect it," she whispered, cradling it. Looking at her mother's body, she vowed, "I'll grow strong, place Yong'er on that throne, and slaughter them all."
"Let me play you off, Mother." Her small hands struck the strings, bloodshot eyes closing. Snow Dusk Melody sang again, but her grief and killing intent morphed it. Snowflakes hardened into icy spikes, birthing Ice Dusk Rain.
The devastating melody ravaged the surroundings, drawing attention from nearby experts. Lan Xi played on, lost in her world of sorrow and vengeance.
Suddenly, a jarring voice pierced her trance. "Stupid woman, wake up!" Crude yet laced with concern, it stirred her. "Who?" she wondered, still playing.
"Wake up! Trying to kill me too?" The voice grew angry. "Ignore me, huh?" she huffed.
"Digging your grave, woman, harming your consort!" Its shamelessness grated her. "Still out? Time for my trump card," it sneered.
"Try it," she challenged.
"Secret move: Dragon Claw Breast Grab!" Before she reacted, a hand seized her chest. Shocked, she slapped hard.
Atop the White Crane, Lan An's face bore a red handprint. Bing Lan Xi glared, eyes teary, at the hand still on her chest, grinding her teeth.
Unfazed, Lan An sighed in relief. "Finally awake. Had to use my secret move." He'd tried soul communication, but lacking dual cultivation, it failed, forcing his shameless tactic.
Bing Lan Xi snapped back, surveying the ravaged landscape and scattered corpses. "Thank you," she said softly, her voice gentle, devoid of earlier bravado.
Lan An, startled, withdrew his hand, unused to her tenderness. The crane screeched, bloodied. "Sorry, Little White. Rest now." She fed it a pill, storing it in her beast space.
Her warmth unnerved Lan An, clashing with her initial domineering persona. Wiping tears, she stowed her zither. The ice rain ceased.
Qing Yun Sect's survivors collapsed, retracting Wind Lotus Sword Arrays. Gu Fei Tian and Gu Wen Tian emerged, seething, facing Lan An and Bing Lan Xi.
"Cloud-Splitting Slash!" They attacked, sword energy flooding the sky.
"Spirit Fusion Palm!" Lan An formed a tri-colored orb of Wood, Water, and Earth energies, mastering the art's first layer. He struck.
"Danger!" Gu Wen Tian sensed it, dodging. Gu Fei Tian, less perceptive, paled. "Cloud-Splitting Slash! Great Wind Tempest!" His strongest arts halved the palm's power.
Crack! His Mid-Tier Earth-Grade sword shattered. The beam punched through his chest, pulverizing organs. Decisively, he abandoned his body, his Nascent Soul fleeing. "Grandfather, save me!"
Gu Wen Tian, shaken, made a stunning choice. He fled. His experience told him Qing Yun Sect was finished against Lan An's terrifying palm and Bing Lan Xi's superior strength. A spatial rift opened, and he vanished.
"I'll handle him. You finish here," Bing Lan Xi said softly. "No problem. Thanks," Lan An nodded. She huffed at his politeness, tearing space to pursue Gu Wen Tian.
"Spare me!" Gu Fei Tian's Nascent Soul begged in Lan An's grip. Unmoved, Lan An stored it in the Black Box used for Devouring Heaven Wood, planning to extract its secrets later.
Soaring, he addressed the remaining disciples. "Qing Yun Sect is dissolved. Challenge me if you dare. This mask is your clue." He pointed to his Proud Smile Mask.
The disciples, faces mixed with relief, sorrow, anger, and hatred, stayed silent. In the cultivation world, the strong ruled. They dispersed, fearing Lan An's wrath.
Ignoring them, Lan An seized Gu Fei Tian's storage ring and stormed the sect's main hall, looting its treasures.
Chasing Gu Wen Tian, Bing Lan Xi reflected on recent events. Following Advisor Tran's guidance, she sought Lan An in Ling Wu City, uncovering tales of his feats: dominating the beast arena, rumored nudity, and ties to Jun Lin Inn's owner. Most intriguing was Blood Spirit Sect's covert hunt for him.
Her sharp mind tracked Blood Spirit Sect's Four Protectors, choosing Xue You, the weakest, who scouted the widest area. He led her to Lan An, pursuing Gu Dun Di. She observed Lan An slay Xue You and Gu Dun Di, awed by his prowess, praising Tran's foresight.
After Lan An tempered his body, appearing naked, she seized the moment to approach, teasing him relentlessly. His reactions amused her. Smiling, she murmured, "What an interesting man."
Gu Wen Tian's figure loomed closer.