Watching Huo Wu Ya flee in defeat and Huo Di scramble after him, the countless spectators were left in awe-struck terror.
Huo Wu Ya was a Late Integration expert wielding a Variant Flame, and Huo Di was a Mid Integration powerhouse—yet both were forced to retreat by the Harem. Though Huo Wu Ya had already expended much energy battling Huo Shan, no one could deny Kun Ming Yue's overwhelming strength, especially her monstrous defense.
The revelation of a Late Seventh-Grade Kun Clan beast in the Harem was utterly horrifying. At this point, the Harem's combat power rivaled any Ninth-Grade force. With Huo Shan and Huo Li joining, their strength surpassed most Ninth-Grade forces.
More crucially, no one could be certain if the Harem had more hidden trump cards. What if, mid-battle, several more powerful women suddenly appeared? Their enemies would weep without tears.
In an instant, the spectators scattered, racing to report back to their forces, hoping their juniors wouldn't provoke Lan An.
Lan An paid them no mind, turning to Huo Shan:
"Where's Huo Li?"
Huo Shan's body was drenched in blood, his organs in chaos. Huo Di's claim of his imminent death wasn't wrong. Struggling to move his frail frame, he retrieved a treasure from his Storage Ring—a sealed, fiery red cauldron-like artifact.
With a thought, it expanded. Huo Shan opened the lid, revealing a burly, unconscious man inside—Huo Li, in far worse condition. His skin was flayed, covered in burns, clinging to life by a thread.
"Young Master Lan, please save him…!" Huo Shan rasped. He and his grandson had been ambushed by Huo Wu Ya's forces. Huo Li was besieged by several Fire Underworld Sect elders, gravely wounded.
Huo Shan fought desperately to save him, storing him in the life-preserving cauldron before fleeing—only to end up in Lan An's hands.
"I'll save both your lives. But first, Huo Shan, fulfill your promise," Lan An said with a faint smile.
Without hesitation, Huo Shan produced three stalks of spiritual herb.
Scorching heat instantly filled the air. The herbs blazed with vibrant flames, like blooming flowers, radiating intense fire spiritual energy.
"These are Fire Spirit Grass. I only have three left," Huo Shan said slowly. Then, focusing his spirit, a wisp of soul essence emerged from his brow—his Soul Origin.
Lan An decisively accepted both, officially becoming Huo Shan's master.
"Huo Shan greets the Lord, greets the Madams…" Huo Shan said firmly, his eyes resolute. His instincts told him today's choice was right.
Following Lan An offered far greater prospects than being the Fire Underworld Sect's Great Elder.
"Good! You won't regret this," Lan An nodded, feeding him a handful of top-grade Healing Pills.
Xiao Qing Xuan gently examined Huo Li, her beautiful face frowning. His injuries were worse than expected.
"Husband, his organs are shattered. He's clinging to life by sheer will. Recovery is difficult unless we have rare spiritual herbs…" Xiao Qing Xuan said, lips pursed.
Huo Shan paled. Shattered organs meant Huo Li's death was near.
"Rare herbs? Which ones?" Lan An asked, determined to try.
"Herbs that regenerate organs, like the Organ Heaven Fruit we're seeking," Xiao Qing Xuan said gloomily.
To forge Dan Meng Ji's body, they needed: Blood Gathering Herb, Organ Heaven Fruit, Thousand-Year Ginseng, Soul Revival Peach, and a female Transcending Tribulation expert's bones. Only the Organ Heaven Fruit and bones remained uncollected.
If they had the Organ Heaven Fruit, she'd selfishly ask Lan An to save her master first, not Huo Li.
"I have a herb that can form organs. Will it work?"
Lan An produced a tiny herb, less than ten centimeters tall, with three minuscule leaves. Strangely, the veins on each leaf formed a complete set of organs—heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys.
"Three-Leaf Organ Herb!?"
Dan Meng Ji and Xiao Qing Xuan shouted in unison, their voices trembling with disbelief and excitement.
"What's wrong?"
Lan An was puzzled by their reaction. He'd summoned this herb as a reward from the White Sand Dynasty palace exploration mission.
The System said it could form organs, but he hadn't asked Xiao Qing Xuan if it could replace the Organ Heaven Fruit, prioritizing the female Transcending Tribulation bones.
"This… is far more precious than the Organ Heaven Fruit. Where did you get it?" Xiao Qing Xuan asked, voice shaking.
"My master gave it to me," Lan An repeated his usual excuse.
The women didn't doubt him. Xiao Qing Xuan's excitement confirmed the Three-Leaf Organ Herb's value.
"Three-Leaf Organ Herb, Top Spirit-Grade. Each leaf can form a complete set of organs…" Xiao Qing Xuan beamed, overjoyed.
Among organ-regenerating herbs, the Organ Heaven Fruit was the easiest to find. Lan An hadn't found it but possessed the far rarer Three-Leaf Organ Herb.
Hearing its effects, Huo Shan teared up, gazing hopefully at Lan An.
"Relax. If it works, I'll save him," Lan An smiled, handing it to Xiao Qing Xuan.
She carefully plucked one leaf, feeding it to Huo Li—two leaves remained.
Huo Li's body glowed, trembling slightly.
"It's forming his organs. The time depends on his constitution," Xiao Qing Xuan explained.
"Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Madams!" Huo Shan nodded weakly, moved. He could barely sit.
"Husband, with one leaf left, if we nurture it, the other two will regrow. I'd like to plant it in the Spiritual Herb Field!" Xiao Qing Xuan suggested, smiling beautifully.
Lan An agreed instantly. Such a boon was beyond his expectations. This random herb was incredible. Now, only the female Transcending Tribulation bones were needed for Dan Meng Ji's body.
"Senior Huo Shan's injuries are severe but stable for now. I'll refine suitable pills to restore eighty percent of his strength," Xiao Qing Xuan said softly.
"Thank you… Madam," Huo Shan rasped respectfully, barely able to speak.
Lan An waved, sending Xiao Qing Xuan into the Spirit Realm Pearl to focus on alchemy.
Keng! Mission "Materials" completed. Reward: three drops of Warm Blood Serum!
The System's voice rang out, making Lan An smile contentedly.
…
Li Clan…
The Li Clan was merely a Fifth-Grade family, once vassals of the Seventh-Grade Heavenly Wood Sect. Their young miss had joined the sect, becoming its top beauty. But nearly three years ago, the Heavenly Wood Sect's young master, Mu Hao, died at a youth's hands. After entering the Holy Spirit Academy, the Li Clan's miss was revealed to have close ties with that youth.
The Heavenly Wood Sect immediately turned hostile, cutting ties and secretly suppressing the Li Clan, draining their strength.
But now, everything had changed.
In the Li Clan's grand hall, a middle-aged couple sat calmly at the head. Below them, six elders—men and women—gazed complexly at two figures in the center.
The couple was Li Clan Head Li Yuan and his wife Jin Xiu, both Late Nascent Soul experts, the clan's strongest.
The six elders ranged from Late Golden Core to Mid Nascent Soul.
The two in the center were a middle-aged man and a young man, robes fluttering, a "Wood" character embroidered on their chests. Their cultivation surpassed the entire Li Clan combined.
The middle-aged man was a Perfected Soul Transformation expert; the youth, a rare genius at Perfected Nascent Soul.
Either could crush the Li Clan effortlessly, yet they stood with unprecedented sincerity, eyes earnest.
"Li Yuan, the Heavenly Wood Sect was foolish in the past. We hope you'll give us a chance to restore our old ties—even as equals, as allies!" the middle-aged man said, cupping his hands toward Li Yuan, his tone gentle, almost fawning.
"Indeed, the Heavenly Wood Sect will provide the Li Clan with spirit stones annually as a gesture!" the youth added, a flicker of reluctance in his eyes.
Li Yuan and the Li Clan members' faces turned complex, unsure how to react. Not long ago, the Heavenly Wood Sect had oppressed them relentlessly, nearly bankrupting their businesses.
Now, the Heavenly Wood Sect's new Sect Leader and young master personally visited to reconcile and ally. The reason? The Li Clan's miss, Li Zhu Luan—a member of the rising Harem, which had annihilated a Ninth-Grade force.
Li Yuan and the clan struggled to believe it. When Li Zhu Luan joined the Holy Spirit Academy and ranked on the Holy Spirit Board, the clan was overjoyed. Yet soon after, she reappeared in the distant Yellow Sand Continent, joining the Harem and toppling a Ninth-Grade force.
The Li Clan didn't grasp a Ninth-Grade force's might—only that a sneeze from one could obliterate them a million times over—yet their miss's force had crushed it.
The feeling? Unreal, like a dream. They hadn't seen Li Zhu Luan in ages. But now, with the Heavenly Wood Sect's leader groveling, they knew it was true.
"What do you think? The Li Clan is near the Heavenly Wood Sect. We can support each other. If the Li Clan faces trouble, we'll aid immediately!" the Sect Leader pressed, seeing no response.
Li Yuan took a deep breath, boldly saying,
"Sorry, Sect Leader Mu Song. The Li Clan isn't worthy. Let's keep things as they are!"
Li Yuan knew the Heavenly Wood Sect's change stemmed from the Harem's fame, enough to terrify any Eighth-Grade or lower force.
The Heavenly Wood Sect's shameless flip-flopping made them untrustworthy, unworthy of alliance.
Jin Xiu and the elders silently agreed. Once, they'd have leaped at the chance. Now, knowing the sect's true face, they wouldn't touch it.
Mu Song and the youth's faces darkened. They hadn't expected rejection. The Heavenly Wood Sect sought reconciliation to latch onto the Harem's thigh. With their protection, the sect would soar.
Li Zhu Luan was once their disciple, and another Harem member, Mu Zi Yin, was a former elder. An alliance with the Li Clan might tie them to the Harem.
"Have you thought this through? I'm a disciple of a Holy Spirit Academy Enforcer!" the youth said arrogantly.
Mu Xing, son of the Heavenly Wood Sect's Great Elder, had become young master after Mu Hao's death.
Entering the Holy Spirit Academy with Li Zhu Luan, he was taken as a disciple by an Enforcer, growing haughty.
The Li Clan jolted, unsure how to respond. They couldn't afford to offend such a figure and had no way to contact the Harem for help.
Li Yuan's face soured, about to speak…
"R-Report… Report to the Clan Head… Elders…"
The Li Clan's steward burst in, face pale as a ghost, panting wildly.
"What's the commotion? So rude!" the Great Elder snapped.
The steward, face flushed with excitement, stammered,
"T-The… young miss… and… and the son-in-law… are back! The young miss and the Harem have returned!"
At his words, everyone's faces changed drastically. They shot to their feet, rushing outside.