If he'd reached his destination, Lan An couldn't remain inert. Allowing high-level cultivators in White Emperor City to probe him would invite trouble.
He sensed several ethereal, mysterious auras within the city—elusive and profound. "Worthy of a Ninth-Grade power, truly a den of hidden dragons and crouching tigers," he mused, a faint sigh escaping him. His thoughts drifted to his icy beauty, Bing Lan Xi, of the Ice Mysterious Empire.
The Ice Mysterious Empire, also a Ninth-Grade power, paled in comparison to White Sand Dynasty. Ice Heaven Continent's resources couldn't match Yellow Sand Continent's abundance. Still, as Ninth-Grade powers, their overall strength shouldn't differ drastically.
Cough, cough…
Feigning violent coughs, Lan An "weakly" shifted, struggling to sit up, his face a mask of bewilderment as he surveyed his surroundings.
"Hey, the kid's awake?" Brother Li noticed first, calling out in surprise.
Lan An's bloodied form on the White Bird had already drawn attention. Now, as he stirred, all eyes turned to him.
Lu Lao, perched on the carriage, observed the scene, his eyes narrowing. A subtle probe revealed Lan An's injuries had healed faster than expected, his cultivation intact. "The Healing Pill's efficacy is impressive," Lu Lao thought, mildly astonished, but he quickly dismissed it. A perfected Refining Void master like him had little interest in a mere Fusion Realm youth. In White Sand Dynasty, Fusion Realm prodigies were commonplace, hardly noteworthy.
"Seems his injuries weren't as severe as we thought," Yu Chen remarked, mildly surprised.
Lan An deliberately let his Late Fusion Realm aura leak, faint and "weakened," adopting a wary stance as if instinctively guarding himself in unfamiliar territory.
Slap!
Brother Li roughly clapped Lan An's shoulder, chuckling. "What's with the act? If not for the princess's kindness saving you from Autumn Pine Forest, you'd be a corpse by now. Who's out to harm you?"
Lan An feigned realization, his wary gaze softening to gratitude. "I entered Autumn Pine Forest seeking spirit herbs, only to be ambushed by beasts… then I blacked out," he mumbled.
His words drew scornful looks. Lacking strength yet daring to venture there? Reckless. Autumn Pine Forest housed perfected Sixth-Grade beasts; his audacity was suicidal.
No one doubted his story. The claw marks crisscrossing his body matched a beast's attack.
"Hmph, our princess, with her boundless compassion, saw your sorry state and saved you, even using a precious Earth-Grade Healing Pill without hesitation. Aren't you going to thank her?" a White Bird Legion soldier boasted proudly.
The crowd on the city walls gazed at the ornate carriage with reverence. Their princess's kindness knew no bounds, saving a stranger with an Earth-Grade pill. The White Sand Dynasty was blessed by the heavens to have her.
Lan An's face lit with "enlightenment," his guarded expression turning to deep gratitude. Struggling to his feet, he looked earnestly at Brother Li. "Brother, where is your princess? I must thank her personally. Wen Lang will never forget this kindness and will repay it a hundredfold!"
Jin Ni, observing silently, inwardly praised his acting.
The White Bird Legion laughed, eyeing him like a fool. "The princess's status is beyond you. Think you can just meet her? Step aside and let us enter the city!"
They ignored him. To them, a Late Fusion Realm youth, though impressive elsewhere, was insignificant in White Sand Dynasty. Compared to the dashing, heroic Yu Chen, Wen Lang's plain appearance and bloodied state were laughable.
Lan An's episode was a fleeting distraction. The massive city gates rumbled open.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
As the gates parted, a tempest-like roar echoed faintly. Two sandstorm cyclones surged from within, hurtling past the crowd at terrifying speed.
The storms dissipated, revealing two imposing figures, clad in battle robes, hair flowing without wind, hands clasped behind their backs. The space around them quivered, exuding an air of supremacy—both Mid Refining Void cultivators.
Their eyes, however, couldn't help drifting toward the carriage with burning intensity.
"The Second and Third Princes, personally welcoming the Little Princess!" someone exclaimed.
The crowd dropped to one knee. "We greet Your Highnesses!" Yu Chen and the White Bird Legion followed suit, kneeling respectfully. Even Lu Lao rose from the carriage, bowing slightly.
These were true royals, direct sons of the White Sand Emperor: Second Prince Bai Lie and Third Prince Bai Yang. Their noble status was undeniable, yet they weren't spoiled wastrels. Both were peerless geniuses listed on the Golden List, renowned across Viet Dragon Star.
But a peculiar scene unfolded, drawing frowns. While everyone knelt, one figure stood upright, bloodied and disheveled, his expression calm—Lan An, a crane among chickens, the center of attention.
"Fool, kneel before the princes!" Brother Li, still bowing, urgently transmitted to Wen Lang.
"Kneel? Why?" Lan An replied, genuinely puzzled. He wasn't of the White Sand Dynasty; why should he bow to their princes?
His defiance drew shakes of disapproval from Brother Li and the legion. This kid didn't know his place. They glanced at the princes, hoping they wouldn't take offense.
Bai Lie and Bai Yang, mindful of their public image and the carriage's occupant, maintained composure. Bai Lie waved magnanimously, asking, "Haha, who's this brother, traveling with the White Bird Legion?"
Yu Chen stepped forward. "Second Prince, his identity's unclear, but he was gravely wounded by beasts in Autumn Pine Forest. The Little Princess saved him."
The princes' eyes narrowed, exchanging a secret transmission with Yu Chen. "He's had contact with Lian Hua?"
Yu Chen, a fervent admirer of the princess, sensed their shared sentiment. Without flinching, he replied, "Indeed, the princess personally fed him a Healing Pill, aiding his swift recovery."
Jealousy surged in Bai Lie and Bai Yang. Any man close to their little sister was a threat. A faint killing intent locked onto Lan An, though they restrained themselves before the crowd.
"Teach him a lesson. Make him kneel," Bai Yang transmitted to Yu Chen, his tone icy.
Both princes kept their faces neutral. Yu Chen cursed inwardly—taking the fall for their dirty work—but he couldn't disobey.
Facing Lan An, Yu Chen barked, "Kid, your life was saved by the princess. Yet you don't pay respects to her brothers? Utterly disrespectful!"
Lan An's face darkened, but he replied evenly, "Being saved by the kind princess is my fortune, and I'm eternally grateful. But Wen Lang kneels only to my master above and my mother below. Not even the heavens and earth deserve my bow."
His resounding words stunned the crowd. Not kneeling to heaven and earth? What audacity!
In truth, Lan An would kneel to one other—his foster father from a past life—but that was a buried memory he refused to revisit.
Yu Chen faltered at the response but quickly spotted a flaw, sneering, "You kneel to your master and mother, but not your father? Where's he in this?"
"Father? Haha," Lan An smirked, his tone cold. "He's unworthy."
The crowd fell silent, struck by his dismissive tone. His past must be fraught with pain.
"Arrogant!" Yu Chen's furious shout shattered the stillness. "You scorn the one who gave you life? Today, this general will teach you respect!"
His righteous words rallied the crowd's approval. This youth needed humbling.
As an outsider, they couldn't grasp what Lan Po Lei had done to Lan An. To Lan An, their judgment was naive, imposing their views without understanding. He had no desire to explain.
The moment passed swiftly. Yu Chen, not giving Lan An a chance to respond, formed hand seals. Earth Spirit Force surged, coalescing between his palms. The ground roared, forming a massive palm strike—Furious Earth Palm—its pressure overwhelming.
"It's the Furious Earth Palm!" the crowd gasped, recognizing the Yu Clan's Earth-Grade martial skill.
A Mid Refining Void cultivator like Yu Chen could discipline a Late Fusion Realm youth with a casual strike. Using an Earth-Grade skill seemed excessive. Against this palm, a Late Fusion Realm cultivator would be crippled, if not killed.
"Using a butcher's blade to slaughter a chicken," Bai Lie and Bai Yang thought, pleased with Yu Chen's zeal. Even if he killed Lan An, no one would object. His arrogance made him expendable.
Lan An stood unmoved, their assumptions irrelevant. He wouldn't justify his pain to those who judged blindly.
Furious Earth Palm descended, darkening the sky, the air trembling as it bore down, intent on forcing him to kneel. The White Bird Legion scattered, avoiding the fallout.
"Ha, learn some humility after this," Brother Li sighed, assuming Lan An was paralyzed with fear.
"Foolish," Yu Chen sneered, using half the skill's power to crush this irritating youth.
The palm struck Lan An's frail form.
KENG!
A deafening clash echoed, dust and sand swirling. The crowd's faces shifted—no screams, no shattered bones, only a heavy impact, like striking an iron wall.
As the dust cleared, jaws dropped. The plain-faced, bloodied youth stood tall, his tattered robe fluttering, his expression serene. Before him, a massive greatsword loomed, radiating oppressive weight that gripped every heart.
Furious Earth Palm, though formidable, was like a grain of sand against this blade, utterly futile.
"How is this possible?" Yu Chen and the crowd thought, stunned.
Unfazed by their shock, Lan An gripped the sword's hilt, hefting the colossal weapon skyward. His dark eyes locked onto the lofty Black Bird General, a grin revealing white teeth as his chilling voice rang out:
"Tit for tat. You've had your turn… now it's mine!"