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Lin Qing glared at Lan An's taunting smirk, rage boiling over. Never in his life had he faced such humiliation. Who was he? A scion of the Lam Clan, one of Bing Xuan Dynasty's three great families, an Eighth-Grade force under the Ninth-Grade empire. The Yang Clan, Wu Clan, and Lam Clan held unparalleled sway, their ancestors founding heroes who aided the first emperor. Loyal to the Bing royal family, they wielded immense power, their patriarchs shaping the empire's fate.
Lam Kun, Lin Qing's father, recently ascended to Prime Minister, his influence vast. Lin Qing, his second son, boasted exceptional talent, reaching Void Refinement before 500, earning Rank 64 on the Golden Era List. His name echoed across Ice Heaven Continent, a dream suitor for countless maidens. Yet, his heart belonged to Third Princess Bing Lan Xi.
Amid the fierce contest for Crown Prince, royals vied for the great clans' support. A year ago, Second Prince cunningly won the Lam Clan's allegiance, shocking rivals. Lin Qing grew close to the prince, becoming his loyal enforcer. Knowing Lin Qing's love for Bing Lan Xi, the prince encouraged his pursuit, aiming to sway her against her brother, Fourth Prince Bing Wu Yong. If successful, the Second Prince would gain a formidable ally and cripple a rival.
But Bing Lan Xi despised Lin Qing, denying him even a meeting. Now, seeing her in a nameless youth's arms, kissed without resistance, Lin Qing's fury erupted.
"Release her!" Bing Lan Xi snapped, pushing Lan An, glaring.
"Your lips are soft, fragrant, sweet," Lan An grinned.
"Try again, and I won't spare you!" she warned fiercely.
Lan An shrugged, confident more kisses awaited. Lin Qing, witnessing their flirtation, suppressed his rage, growling, "Bing Lan Xi, mind your status. He's a nobody. You'll regret this!"
"My affairs don't concern you. Scram!" she retorted coldly.
"You can't make me leave. I'll kill him, and you can't stop me!" Lin Qing's killing intent surged, targeting Lan An.
Bing Lan Xi's face shifted. Both Void Refinement, their strengths were close. Stopping Lin Qing from attacking Lan An would be tough, unlike the weaker Gu Wen Tian. Lan An, enraged, his silver-white eyes glinting, prepared to use Qin Meng Ying's sealed strike.
Ding! Branch Quest Activated: [First Golden Fall]. Reward: Random Secret Art Summon. Penalty: -100,000 Prestige Points.
Lan An frowned. Defeat a Void Refinement cultivator? Too steep. Checking the quest: First Golden Fall: Defeat Lin Qing at the same realm.
Realizing the catch, Lan An grinned. Same-realm battles were his domain, but tricking Lin Qing into suppressing his cultivation was the challenge.
Bing Lan Xi, seeing Lin Qing's intent, unleashed her killing aura. "Touch a hair on him, and I, Bing Lan Xi, will bury you, no matter the cost!"
Lan An's heart warmed. This "stinky woman" had loyalty. Grasping her soft hand, he smiled. "Bing Lan Xi? Lovely name. I'll call you Tixi."
Her body trembled. Tixi—her mother's tender nickname, laden with love. Hiding her softness, she huffed, "Go, I'll hold him!"
Lin Qing's heart shattered, snarling, "He's worth this? A Nascent Soul trash!"
"I decide his worth," Bing Lan Xi said firmly, thinking Lan An could slaughter Lin Qing in a decade.
Lan An sneered, "You call me unworthy? Mock Nascent Soul? Were you born Void Refinement? Hundreds of years older, yet shamelessly arrogant?"
Speechless, Lin Qing conceded Lan An's youth—barely twenty, Nascent Soul was impressive. Still, he scoffed, "At Nascent Soul, I'd crush you effortlessly."
Lan An's heart leaped. The bait was set. "Care to bet?"
"What's the wager? What do you have worth my time?" Lin Qing mocked.
Bing Lan Xi glanced curiously, wondering Lan An's scheme. "Suppress to Nascent Soul and fight me. If I win, you vanish from Tixi's sight forever," Lan An declared boldly.
Bing Lan Xi's heart raced, her teeth grazing her lip at his audacity. Lin Qing roared with laughter, shoulders shaking. "Defeat me? Know who I am? You're fit to challenge me at my level?"
"Cut the nonsense. Bet or not?" Lan An's eyes narrowed, calm.
"If you court death, I'll oblige. But if I win, what's your stake?" Lin Qing sneered.
"My life. I bet my life for your exile from Tixi," Lan An said firmly.
Bing Lan Xi's heart melted, her hand tightening on his. Lan An smirked inwardly. He had treasures to wager, but this was a chance to win her heart. "Your courage earns my respect, but ants die before elephants," Lin Qing said gravely.
"Fight or not? Suppress your cultivation!" Lan An waved impatiently.
"Hmph, as you wish." Lin Qing snorted, lowering to Nascent Soul Perfection.
"Tixi, cheer me on!" Lan An grinned at Bing Lan Xi.
"Be careful. The Lam Clan's Eighth-Grade," she whispered, floating aside like a fairy.
Lan An and Lin Qing faced off. Lin Qing's eyes dripped with mockery, pitying the fool challenging a Golden Era genius. Lan An's gaze was serene, everything under control.
Lin Qing's fury spiked at Lan An's composure. Lightning crackled around him, his thunder attribute flaring. "Thunder, huh? No wonder he's on the Golden Era List," Lan An muttered.
"Scared?" Lin Qing sneered.
"You talk too much. Come!" Lan An beckoned.
"Thunder Leopard Claw!" Lin Qing roared, his nails lengthening, lightning surging, ready to shred. "Thunder Shadow Step!"
ZAP! Like a bolt from the heavens, Lin Qing vanished, streaking toward Lan An, claws aiming for his face.
"Piercing Weakness Vision!" Lan An's White Moon Soul-Seizing Eyes glowed, spotting flaws. Smirking, he muttered, "Great Flood Kick!"
Mysterious Water surged, Earth Battle Boots shone, Third-Turn Mid-Stage body cultivation roared. Lan An soared, his kick targeting Lin Qing's claw.
BOOM! The collision rocked the air. A figure hurtled backward—Lin Qing.
Bing Lan Xi gaped. Golden Era's Lin Qing, using Low-Tier Earth-Grade Thunder Leopard Claw, was kicked square in the chest, flying back. Lan An eerily dodged his claws, predicting their path.
In their first clash, Lin Qing crumbled. Lan An landed leisurely, eyeing Lin Qing's disheveled form. "Golden Era? Just so-so at my level."
Lin Qing rose, face twisted, rage apocalyptic. "Fluke! Taste an Eighth-Grade's foundation! Blazing Thunder Finger!"
His fingers surged with spiritual energy, firing lightning bolts at blinding speed, surpassing Lan An's Spirit Bullet. "Phantom Charm Wander Step!" Lan An danced through the bolts' gaps, ghostly and precise.
Lin Qing charged, Thunder Shadow Step blazing, hands unleashing barrages. Lan An weaved effortlessly, strolling amid lightning, suave to the extreme.
"Rat, only dodging?" Lin Qing sneered.
Lan An shook his head, done playing. His hand clenched toward Lin Qing. Earth elements surged, encasing Lin Qing. "Mother Earth's Farewell—Sand Coffin!"
"What the hell?" Lin Qing roared, trapped. "Thunder Monarch Skybreak!"
Lightning exploded outward, shattering the sand with a High-Tier Earth-Grade art. But Lan An, unruffled, formed seals. "Sand Mausoleum—Ten Thousand Timber Forest!"
Earth Spirit Cauldron and Heavenly Wood Cauldron hummed in his dantian. A massive sand mausoleum and dense forest rose, crushing toward Lin Qing. "Three spiritual roots? Impossible!" Lin Qing screamed, stunned by Lan An's multi-attribute arts.
The coffin was a feint. Ignoring Lin Qing's desperate lightning, the forest and mausoleum sealed him in dual layers. Lan An smiled at Bing Lan Xi, transmitting, "At my level, I'm invincible."
Facing the towering prison, he uttered, "Explode!"