Note: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to drop Power Stones and leave a comment to help the story reach more readers.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Two months later, in a secretive abyss, a valley lay shrouded in darkness, untouched by the sun's full rays. Yet, it glowed brilliantly, Night Bright Pearls hovering like stars, casting radiant light. A crystal-clear stream wound through lush meadows, fragrant flowers, and vibrant forests teeming with wildlife and even human presence.
By the stream, a woman of twenty-eight or twenty-nine, clad in simple blue robes like a village maiden, stood out with her flowing, glossy black hair and breathtaking beauty, exuding ethereal grace. Holding a large, verdant lotus leaf, she gently scooped clear water.
Bing Lan Xi approached a naked man lying motionless on the grass, her bare feet treading softly. Lan An's face was serene, as if in deep slumber, spiritual energy naturally seeping into his body without conscious effort. His gruesome wounds had scabbed, lost flesh regenerating, new skin forming, and short hair sprouting on his once-bald scalp. Mountains of Supreme Spirit Stones surrounded him, fueling his recovery.
Sitting beside him, Bing Lan Xi gently parted his pale lips, slipping a shimmering Spiritual Power Pill into his mouth. Seeing him not swallow, she smiled tenderly, sipping water from the lotus leaf. Brushing back her hair, she leaned down, her soft lips meeting his, delicately passing the sweet water to him.
After several such feedings, the leaf emptied. Lan An swallowed, the pill sliding down, a faint flush returning to his ashen face. "That was my last Spiritual Power Pill. When will you wake?" Bing Lan Xi murmured, her delicate hand stroking his sprouting hair.
This valley, her childhood discovery, was her secluded retreat for cultivation, adorned with meadows, flowers, and pearls she'd arranged. Even her brother Bing Wu Yong knew nothing of it. Initially, she planned to summon renowned alchemists to heal Lan An, but his unconscious absorption of spiritual energy a phenomenon defying cultivation norms—changed her mind. Such a secret, if exposed, would make him a target for experimentation by great powers. Thus, she brought him here.
Lan An's Four Great Cauldrons tirelessly cycled energy, and with her elixirs and spirit stones, his wounds healed rapidly. His body cultivation, revealed during recovery, astonished her each new cell was resilient, muscles firm, meridians flawless, healing accelerating daily. She spared no expense, feeding him rare herbs and pills amassed over years, her lips delivering them. Unconsciously, Lan An's body cultivation advanced to Late Third-Turn.
Though stabilized, he remained comatose, seemingly lost in her gentle care.
"Where am I? Heaven, hell, or still alive?" Lan An wandered a pitch-black void.
"Husband, I was your first woman, you my first man. Will you abandon me?" Yan Ruo Xue's tearful voice echoed, her sorrowful eyes piercing him. Lan An rushed to embrace her, but she dissolved into snowflakes.
"Hmph, Mother was right men can't be trusted, flirting everywhere!" Hong Lian and Die Qing, the Yan sisters, glared with love and resentment. Lan An held them, lifting their chins. "I've failed you, but you're my treasures—"
They vanished with a scoff. A sleek serpent tail coiled around him, Bai Su Mei whispering, "Master, I'd die for you." Lan An chided, "Nonsense, my treasure " She faded.
Qin Meng Ying appeared, her scarred face defiant. "Didn't you want me as your little wife? Where's your promise?" Embarrassed, Lan An reached for her, but she shattered. Ji Ya and her comatose sister appeared, Ji Ya's icy voice accusing, "You defiled her, unable to save her! Die!" Her body swelled, ready to self-detonate. "Ji Ya, listen—" They crumbled.
"Husband, eating sweet sugarcane, now fleeing?" Mu Zi Yin and Li Zhu Luan pouted seductively. "Never! Your husband's honorable!" Lan An declared. They rolled their eyes, vanishing.
"Little Nam, I've waited! Find your sister, reunite our family!" Liu Shi Qin pleaded. "Auntie, soon—" She dissolved.
Lan An's face twisted with rage. Each attempt to express his love was thwarted, driving him mad. Recognizing this as a subconscious illusion, he yearned to stay, to vow to his women, even if unreal. Yet, fate mocked him, denying closure.
Breathing deeply, Bing Lan Xi appeared, regal and silent, her eyes brimming with unspoken emotions. "Who are you?" Lan An demanded.
She smiled gently, lips parting. "I am " Crack! She vanished.
"Damn it!" Lan An roared, survival instinct surging. He craved life, to protect his women, to confess his heart. "Live! Wake! I must awaken!" His will thrashed, eyelids trembling, striving to open.
Past traumas resurfaced a mother's anguish as her newborn was taken, a child enslaved, scorned, silenced, eyes gouged out, a punching bag for cruel peers, culminating in his clash with Lin Qing Yuan. "Wake, damn it! I've too much left to do!" he snarled, straining.
His body, heavy as a mountain, resisted, eyelids immobile. In despair, a childish voice chimed, "Young Master's struggling…"
Lan An's heart leaped, shame striking him. "Fool! Jin Hui's always with you, yet you ignored her at this critical moment!" Vowing to cherish her, Jin Hui's delicate form appeared, her face radiant with joy.
"Young Master, you need to grow stronger!" she urged.
"Yes! Stronger, to shield my loved ones, so none dare harm them!" Lan An vowed.
"You have two summons left!" Jin Hui winked playfully.
Lan An nodded, recalling his unclaimed summons: a female-exclusive cultivation art and a secret technique, both unbound by grade, potentially Forbidden or Mysterious. Perfect for his quest for power.
Breathing deeply, he commanded, "Summon the Secret Technique!"
Ding! Initiating random Secret Technique summon. Countdown: 900, 899, 898…30…9…8. The system's voice echoed in the void.
"900 seconds?" Lan An's anticipation soared.
Ding! Summon successful! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the first layer of the Secret Technique…
Lan An lay still on the grass, Bing Lan Xi watching intently, her curiosity about his empty left eye deepening. Holding the Spirit Realm Pearl, she sensed his women within, her Void Refinement perception uncovering its secret. Guilt gnawed at her for ignoring it, wanting Lan An for herself.
Sighing, she envisioned confronting his women. Pressing the pearl to her lips, she spoke, "Treasure with a spirit, I know you understand. Your master's comatose, needing his kin. Release them, please."
The pearl flickered but remained inert. Bing Lan Xi smiled wryly. "You don't trust me? Afraid I'll harm them?" It flashed again.
"I, Bing Lan Xi, swear to heaven, if I harm a hair of his kin, may I die horribly!" she vowed, hand raised. Sensing her sincerity and Lan An's state, the pearl quaked, space rippling as four peerless beauties emerged.
"Husband! Little Luo?" Mu Zi Yin, Li Zhu Luan, Bai Su Mei, and Liu Shi Qin cried joyfully, expecting Lan An's summons. Seeing his pale form, their faces blanched, eyes misting, rushing to him.
Even Liu Shi Qin, heedless of his nudity, radiated worry. Bing Lan Xi watched, lips tight, awed by their beauty. Breathing deeply, she said gently, "Don't worry, his life's not in danger."
Bai Su Mei, tears streaming, whirled, Silver Star Twin Swords drawn, aimed at Bing Lan Xi. "What happened to him? Who are you?" Her heart clenched, fury overtaking reason. Her eyes blazed, hair billowing, aura spiking to Late Fourth-Order despite being Early Fourth-Order.
Bing Lan Xi's pupils shrank. Unfazed by Bai Su Mei's strength, she was stunned by her aura surge, drawing solar energy Stellar Transformation. "Tsu Mei, stop!" Mu Zi Yin, Li Zhu Luan, and Liu Shi Qin restrained her, channeling energy to calm her, suspecting Bing Lan Xi was Lan An's mysterious ally.
Regaining composure, Bai Su Mei dispelled her art, exhaustion fleeting. Ignoring the others, she caressed Lan An's face, joy flashing. "Master's awake! He's awake!"
Skeptical, the women observed no change. Bing Lan Xi sighed, "He's made small movements over two months but hasn't woken." As disappointment loomed, Li Zhu Luan gasped, "He's awake! Look!"
Pointing between Lan An's legs, a proud pillar stood tall. Liu Shi Qin blushed, turning away, heart racing. The others, familiar with his body, watched eagerly, unashamed, hoping for more signs.
Suddenly, a seismic shift occurred. Lan An's body surged upright, an ancient, ferocious aura erupting, like a primordial demon descending. The women were flung back dozens of steps, Bing Lan Xi included. Space quaked.
His sprouting hair lengthened past his waist, black turning radiant gold, noble beyond words. His silver-white eyes opened, their usual calm replaced by untamed dominance, scorning all life, defying the heavens.
An intangible aura crushed outward, overwhelming the women, their faces paling, instincts urging worship. Even Bing Lan Xi felt a flicker of fear. Sensing his blood boiling, risking loss of control, Lan An reined in his aura, the pressure vanishing.
"Though only the first layer, a Beyond Spirit-Grade Secret Technique is extraordinary," he muttered, satisfied, smirking. "Heavenly Emperor Triple Transformation Art—First Transformation: Unmatched Under Heaven."