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Niu Gao patted Bai He, who had transformed back into his elderly form, and consoled him. "Old White Bird, we just have to get used to it. Our Lord is simply too terrifying! He has no weaknesses at all!"
Bai He sighed helplessly. "Alas, I've truly grown old; my reactions are slow. I was just about to start when the Holy Son had already surged ahead. And he didn't even jump the gun!"
Watching the radiant figure in the distance, Bai Chenxiang's world collapsed. She never expected that her grandfather—the fastest person in her heart—would be instantly outclassed by her former idol, Ye Lan.
This brought back her memories of admiring the "Azure Emperor" two years ago. It turned out that the Azure Emperor had never changed; he was still the very definition of a miracle.
In the distance, an emerald spirit light flashed across Ye Lan's legs as the blood-colored mist and golden spirit power began to fade. Feeling the swelling pain in his limbs, he realized that even with his Titled Douluo-level physical fitness, he could barely withstand the strain of a full-speed burst. Fortunately, he could convert "Blue Silver Grass" into life force to heal his legs.
Just moments ago, right before the Gold Spirit Coin hit the ground, Ye Lan had already condensed his spirit power in his legs, preparing to release "Sonic Shift." He had rapidly stepped against the ground to build momentum. The moment the coin touched the floor, the combined speed of Sonic Shift and Flash Step exploded. Due to the "Flash" trait, even as he broke the speed of sound, there was no sonic boom. Thus, at that extreme velocity, he appeared a thousand meters away as if he had teleported.
Once his legs were fully recovered, Ye Lan activated "Flash" and returned to his original spot.
Bai He, now looking like his usual youthful-faced elder self, immediately stepped forward, cupping his hands and bowing deeply.
"Holy Son, I am utterly defeated and convinced. From this day forward, Your Highness is the undisputed fastest under heaven!"
"Members of the Speed Clan, hear my command! According to the traditions of our wager, from this day forth, the Speed Clan shall collectively pledge its loyalty to Holy Son Ye Lan!"
"Greetings, Master!"
"Greetings, Master!"
"Greetings, Master!"
One by one, the slender members of the Speed Clan knelt on one knee toward Ye Lan, their faces beaming with joy. To follow such a master was the blessing of several lifetimes for the Speed Clan.
After bowing with her grandfather, Bai Chenxiang saw a shiny Gold Spirit Coin on the ground and immediately picked it up. "Your coin!" she said, handing it to Ye Lan.
Looking at the shy Bai Chenxiang and the gold in her delicate hand, Ye Lan smiled faintly. "Keep it."
Bai Chenxiang looked at him in surprise, her small hand tightly gripping the coin. "Thank you."
The coin felt as if it had a temperature of its own—it was burning hot. It was a witness to the Speed Clan's allegiance and the revival of her long-lost admiration.
Seeing a spark of light finally flicker in his granddaughter's melancholic eyes, Bai He's own eyes brightened. Indeed, the one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. For Bai Chenxiang's sake alone, the Speed Clan made the right choice in joining Master Ye Lan.
Now that Ye Lan had conquered them through an honorable path and traditional rules, the old man felt a second spring of life. A smile spread across his face as his eyes darted around, clearly plotting something.
After the evening banquet, Bai He was internally ecstatic to see the Master looking a bit tipsy. After several rounds of toasts from him, Old Niu, and Old Tai Shan, they had finally managed to make the Master somewhat inebriated.
"Grandfather, why do you keep pressuring my idol to drink?" Bai Chenxiang looked at Ye Lan with concern, grumbling at Bai He.
"Oho~ You aren't even married yet and you already know how to worry about the Master?" Bai He teased.
"Grandfather!!" Bai Chenxiang's face flushed crimson.
"Alright, alright. Come with me; I have something to give you," Bai He said mysteriously. He led her to a secluded spot.
With a flash of spirit light in his palm, a blood-red object appeared. It had a crystalline texture like colored glass, with a root resembling ginseng that radiated a red glow. Its leaves were not green but a strange, purple-colored glass.
"Grandfather, what is this?"
"This is the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng, a treasure passed down through our Speed Clan for many years. It is said to rival legendary immortal herbs. That 'Old Goat' has wanted to see it for years, and I never even gave him a peek!"
"The Master gave you a Gold Spirit Coin, didn't he? Since that's the case, we should return the favor. You shall be the one to give this Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng to him. Chenxiang, do you like the Master?"
"Mhm..." Bai Chenxiang's face turned red, and she whispered her response like the buzzing of a mosquito.
Seeing this, Bai He beamed. It was just as he expected. As the saying goes: a man chasing a woman is like crossing a mountain, but a woman chasing a man is like a layer of gauze. His granddaughter was a top-tier beauty; this shouldn't be hard to achieve.
"Chenxiang, you can't be so timid. You must be proactive. Otherwise, your chances to be close to him will dwindle. He has too many outstanding women around him; making him notice you will be harder than climbing to heaven. You must seize this chance, understand?"
"I understand, Grandfather." Bai Chenxiang took the herb with trembling hands, her heart racing as if it would leap out of her chest. Thinking of Ye Lan's silhouette, she took a deep breath and walked toward the main hall with a determined gaze.
Inside the hall, the slightly dizzy Ye Lan lay on the soft, large bed. As his strength had increased, it had become harder to actually get drunk. He hadn't used his spirit power to burn off the alcohol, choosing instead to remain in a half-awake, half-drunk state.
Suddenly, he felt warmth beside him. Ye Lan snapped his eyes open to see a purple-haired girl lying beside him with her eyes tightly shut. He could hear her rapid heartbeat and see the sweat on her palms.
He hadn't expected the melancholic Bai Chenxiang to be so bold. Regulating his emotions, he asked, "Bai Chenxiang? Are you in the wrong room?"
"N-no..." Her cheeks turned red instantly. Seeing her idol "asleep," she had leaned into his embrace on an impulse. She hadn't expected him to be awake.
"By the way, Idol, this is for you! Grandfather told me to give it to you!" She handed him the crystalline ginseng.
Ye Lan's orange-red dragon pupils flashed with surprise. "The Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng?!"
"You know of it?!"
"Mhm. A ginseng becomes a King at ten thousand years, and every ten thousand years after, it evolves by one grade. If it grows for over a hundred thousand years, it becomes a Ninth-Grade Ginseng King—a true Immortal Grade. The Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng is born as an Eighth-Grade. There's a saying: 'Crystal Blood Dragon, born at Eighth Grade, evolves every ten thousand years.' It only needs ten thousand years to rival a Ninth-Grade King. Legend says it can bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bone."
"The one in your hand has grown for about five thousand years. It's only half a step away from being a Ninth-Grade Ginseng King."
"Idol, you know so much! Even my grandfather doesn't understand it as well as you do," she said admiringly.
Seeing her kneeling beside him with worship in her eyes, Ye Lan felt a ripple in his heart. After all, who wouldn't enjoy being admired by a cute girl?
"This is too precious! I cannot take it. Keep it for yourself." Ye Lan held her small hand, closing it around the herb.
"Idol, please, you must accept it. That coin you gave me is the most precious thing in the world to me. It represents the Speed Clan's escape from hardship. Under your leadership, we will surely become more glorious. The future you bring us is worth far more than this herb!"
Ye Lan pushed it back again. "I cannot. The Speed Clan is very important to the Temple, and I came here for your clan's sake, not because I want something from you."
"Idol, do you dislike me?" Tears welled up in her eyes, and she threw herself into his arms.
Ye Lan was stunned as she cried into his chest. "Idol, you were my greatest inspiration! Back then, it felt like a light had appeared in my world! But since you joined Spirit Hall, that light vanished. I was so lost, caught between my family and you! But you really did something I never thought possible—you defeated my grandfather, and now Spirit Hall is no longer our enemy. Idol... can you be that light in my heart again?"
Only then did Ye Lan understand the weight she had been carrying. He hadn't realized that in some corner of the continent, someone had lost hope because of his actions, nor that someone loved him this much.
The love was too heavy; he didn't want to fail her. "Chenxiang, I understand your feelings. But I only have one heart, and there are already too many girls by my side. I cannot give you the future you might want."
"I don't care! I don't care how many women you have or what my future holds! I know my talent can't compare to those other sisters. If... if you are willing, I... I am willing to be a concubine." She hugged him tightly, her voice a whisper.
Feeling her resolve, Ye Lan slowly hugged her back. "Chenxiang, I will not fail any woman who belongs to me."
She looked up at him, seeing the genuine emotion in his dragon pupils. Her heart settled. Closing her eyes, she whispered, "Kiss me..."
Ye Lan held her face and kissed her gently. "Take me..." she whispered. That night, Ye Lan was incredibly gentle.
In the middle of the night, Ye Lan looked at the sleeping girl in his arms with affection. He decided to put in some hard work for her.
His Emerald Domain expanded instantly, increasing plant growth speed by ten times! Combined with a mysterious five-fold bonus he possessed, the growth rate for the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng reached fifty-fold.
Under his "Blue Silver God" status, he commanded all the Blue Silver Grass outside the hall to sacrifice their life force. Countless blue and green specks of light converged into a flood, pouring into the ginseng. Its age began to climb—one year every few seconds.
As the age increased, the growth slowed. Ye Lan used "Formless Form" to create a sharp blade and cut his wrist, pouring a massive amount of "Ultimate Life Blood" into the herb. With this supplement, the ginseng's age skyrocketed. After an hour of pouring his own blood and spirit power into it, the roots turned from red to a deep black-red.
The Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng had officially evolved into a Ninth-Grade Ginseng King! If a five-thousand-year one rivaled an immortal herb, a ten-thousand-year one was equal to the "Yearning Heartbroken Red," the King of Immortals!
Bai Chenxiang woke up and saw Ye Lan's pale face and the dark-red ginseng. Tears flowed again. "Idol, Grandfather gave this to you! Why do you look so terrible? You should be the one to absorb it!"
Ye Lan wiped her tears and laughed. "Who do you think your man is? These herbs are useless to me now. My color will return once my spirit power does. You said your talent couldn't match the others; once you absorb this, you will catch up to them in no time! Now, absorb it!"
Seeing his determination, she nodded. "Husband... you are so good to me!"
She swallowed the herb, and it turned into a flood of blood-colored spirit power. As she began the process, Ye Lan leaned back, exhausted, feeling as if his spine had been pulled out. He immediately began recovering his spirit power to convert it into life force.
When Bai Chenxiang finally finished, she saw Ye Lan looking much better. "Idol, my spirit power... it broke through from Level 33 to Level 40!"
"Quick, check your spirit!" Ye Lan urged.
A green spirit light erupted behind her. The Needle-Tailed Swift's tail feathers extended to three times its body length, shimmering with a blue-gold luster. A crest appeared on its head, and red patterns marked the edges of its wings.
"Chenxiang, your spirit evolved! You've awakened the Qingluan (Azure Phoenix) Bloodline!"
"How can you be so sure?"
"The original feathers were black and blue. Now they are blue-gold. Among birds, the red are Phoenixes, and the blue are Qingluan. With that crest, there is no doubt!"
"Idol, you know everything!"
Ye Lan smiled. "Don't rush to get a ring yet. I'll have Elder Qingluan help you condense a nine-thousand-year Qingluan Man-Made Spirit Ring to evolve your spirit once more. Your speed will break all limits then!"
"I'll do whatever you say!" She snuggled into his chest, filled with happiness.
Soon, they heard a commotion outside. "The Breaking Clan must have arrived. Let's go." Ye Lan led her out.
In the central square, several elders were gathered. Bai He was shouting at a burly middle-aged man. "Old Goat! All these years and your hair hasn't turned white yet?"
"Hahaha! The foundation of my Breaking Clan isn't something you manual laborers can compare to!" Yang Wudi laughed.
"Sure, sure," Tai Shan said with a strange expression. "But it won't be long before you 'alchemists' are joined together with us 'laborers' again!"
"Is the Strength Clan finally going to lead the way in rebuilding a sect?" Yang Wudi mused. "Tai Shan, you're much more open-minded than your brother. What's left to gain from the Clear Sky Sect? If your brother hadn't refused back then, I'd have gone to stab those hammer-wielding bastards myself."
Thinking of the Clear Sky Sect, Yang Wudi's eyes filled with resentment. They had worked so hard for them, only to be abandoned the moment Spirit Hall pressured the sect.
"The Strength Clan isn't all like the Titan branch," Tai Shan sighed. "If nothing goes wrong, the four clans can indeed reunite."
"Something going wrong?" Yang Wudi asked.
"Hehe, Old Goat," Niu Gao said mysteriously. "You're in luck! Our four single-attribute clans are about to strike it rich!"
Before Yang Wudi could ask further, a series of shouts erupted behind him.
"Greetings, Master!" "Greetings, Master!"
Hearing the other three clans call a blonde youth "Master," Yang Wudi looked at the three old men with a bizarre expression.
You bunch of old farts! You went and joined someone else behind my back?
I want to see who is worthy of the sincere submission of all three of your clans.
Oh? Isn't that my grand-niece?
Bai He, you shameless old bird! You even threw your granddaughter into the deal!!
Yang Wudi narrowed his eyes, sizing up the approaching "Master," Ye Lan.
(End of Chapter)