Haremlord: Rise of the Banished

The next morning, Dwarf Island resonated with the ceaseless clang of forging, echoing across the surrounding seas. For the Dwarf Clan, refining was their lifeblood without it, existence was no better than death.

Lan An stepped out of the cave, sunlight glinting in his eyes, accentuating their striking black-and-white duality.

A breathtaking figure stood silently by the shore, gazing at the sea. Her slender, graceful back curved elegantly, her proud, rounded hips accentuated below. Her short, regal golden hair revealed a glimpse of her ivory nape.

Ai Xin, a Western beauty, dressed more boldly than the women Lan An knew. Her pristine white dress barely covered her alluring thighs, showcasing her long, captivating legs.

"Good morning, Miss Ai Xin," Lan An greeted warmly.

Sensing his approach, Ai Xin turned gracefully. Like a sunflower in bloom, her beauty was indescribable. Her round eyes sparkled like pearls, lashes curling in the sunlight, her high nose and ruby-red lips glistening like crimson crystal.

Catching his dual-colored gaze fixed on her, she huffed playfully. "Careful with those eyes, Young Master. Aren't you afraid Nhã will get jealous?"

Lan An chuckled. "Nhã is a bit weary and in seclusion cultivating. Besides, she's never forbidden me from admiring other beauties especially one as stunning as you."

"Such a silver tongue. Let's go!" Ai Xin shot him a coy glare, then darted off with remarkable speed.

Flight was prohibited on Dwarf Island, so they ran on foot. Her movement technique was extraordinary—flaming wheels formed beneath her feet, propelling her at dizzying speed, leaving trails of red fire on the ground.

"Flame Wheel Step, a High Heaven-grade technique renowned in the Ai Clan," Lan An noted, following effortlessly with his Charming Shadow Free Step, his robes fluttering gracefully.

Thinking she could outpace him to punish his bold gaze, Ai Xin was stunned to find him maintaining a steady two-meter distance behind her, neither closer nor farther. His movement technique was clearly exceptional, controlled with precise ease.

Her competitive spirit flared. Flames surged as she sprinted, determined to leave him in her dust. Lan An shook his head, amused. A woman this headstrong needed a lesson.

Whoosh!

With a strange sound, Ai Xin gaped as he appeared ahead, cheekily swaying his hips in mockery.

"Infuriating!" she stomped, cursing inwardly, abandoning her technique to walk leisurely as she had upon arrival.

"Truly a high-maintenance lady," Lan An thought, half-laughing, half-exasperated, slowing to walk beside her.

Compared to Hong Lian and Die Qing, Ai Xin's pride was unmatched. They walked in silence until reaching the port.

"With my flight speed, it's a week from Dwarf Island to the Ai Clan. Using my treasure, we'll arrive in three days," Ai Xin said, leading him to the resplendent warship she'd arrived on.

Lan An realized this ornate vessel, personally crafted by the Dwarf Clan Chief, was her personal treasure, nearly as fast as a Void Refining cultivator tearing through space. No wonder those young cultivators had hitched a ride with her before.

Though he could ride Little Lion to reach the Ai Clan in under a day, she was his wife, and Ai Xin was not yet anything to him riding together would be inappropriate. Besides, Little Lion was in seclusion, stabilizing her foundation after a significant breakthrough, practicing new Lightning techniques Lan An had purchased from the system. He'd also placed the Azure Phoenix feather, acquired earlier, beside the egg atop the Palace Tree to hasten its hatching.

Xiao Qing Xuan was refining pills near the egg, both using an Acceleration Array. Supporting both cost 20,000 Supreme Spirit Stones daily a fortune. The women, secluded in the optimal conditions of the Spirit Realm Pearl, were rapidly advancing, promising remarkable progress upon emerging.

Lan An was most concerned for Yan Ruo Xue and Su Mai, refining their bloodlines for the first time, hoping all went smoothly. Last night, he'd spent considerable Prestige Points on new items for himself and gifts for the Ai Clan, though he hadn't found a suitable birthday gift for the Elf Queen or bloodlines for his women.

Boarding the warship with Ai Xin, he learned it could fly, though at five times the spirit stone cost of sea travel, with no speed gain. Gallantly, he supplied the stones to fuel its array.

At Ai Xin's command, the ship shot across the sea with breathtaking speed. Lan An leaned against the railing, recalling his journey with Shui Niang Qing, a nostalgic smile forming. He pulled out the painting Beauty and the Sea.

Ai Xin, curious, peered over and gasped. "It's the Shui Spirit Fairy!"

Shui Niang Qing was renowned in Hai Zhou, and Ai Xin recognized her instantly. Though often called a fairy herself, Ai Xin dismissed it, believing only women under 500 who reached Void Refining qualified. Her own Late Spirit Transformation at under 100 was impressive, but Void Refining was a shackle that halted countless geniuses for millennia.

"Where did you get this painting? It's stunning," she asked, eyeing Lan An suspiciously, sensing a connection to Shui Niang Qing. The painting's unique style, lifelike as if the figure could step out, intrigued her.

"I'm a devoted admirer of the Shui Spirit Fairy. I painted this out of longing," Lan An said, caressing the canvas before stowing it carefully.

"Nonsense," Ai Xin scoffed, unconvinced anyone could imagine such a flawless work.

Her curiosity piqued, she smiled brightly. "Can you paint me like that?"

Lan An nodded, then shook his head, adopting a professional air. "Ai Xin is Ai Xin, Shui Spirit is Shui Spirit. Your painting must be uniquely yours."

Pondering his words, especially "Ai Xin is Ai Xin," she felt respected, her eyes curving into crescent moons. After a moment, to Lan An's astonishment, she summoned a blazing forge from her storage ring.

Grinning, she placed an iron ore on it, gripping a sturdy hammer. Fire Spirit Power enveloped the hammer as she began forging intently.

Clang!

Lan An swiftly produced paper and brush, captivated by the image of a refining maiden by the sea. His soul force focused, he began to sketch.

He understood now why Ai Xin kept her hair short her fluid movements required full-body effort, her legs anchored, swaying with each hammer strike. Long hair would be cumbersome.

Clang! Clang!

Under her will, the ore gradually took shape. A longsword formed, her meticulous strikes blending ordinary materials into the forge, melted by her precise fire control and shaped as she desired.

Fully immersed, her radiant face glowed with passion for her craft, exuding the aura of a young grandmaster. Sweat beaded on her smooth skin, her hips swaying with each strike.

Lan An watched, entranced, their works nearing completion. As a Sixth Rank Refiner, Ai Xin crafted a Low Mysterious-grade longsword swiftly. As its azure blade gleamed under the sun, both finished their creations.

"Let me see!" Ai Xin laughed, snatching the painting.

Her eyes sparkled like stars. The artwork depicted her by the vast sea, a vibrant Western beauty wielding her hammer, flames blazing, white dress fluttering, sweat glistening on her brow, her flushed face alight with boundless passion for refining. Every color, angle, and line was perfect, the figure almost alive.

"Thank you, Young Master. Will you name it?" she asked coyly, expecting a fitting title from such a talented artist.

Lan An stroked his chin, feigning seriousness, then stifled a laugh. "How about Ai Xin Hammers by the Sea?"

Ai Xin froze, spotting his suppressed laughter. Fuming, she turned away, ignoring the rogue.

"Haha!" Lan An threw his head back, laughing heartily. This maiden was endlessly amusing.

Ai Xin studied the painting, increasingly pleased, even giggling softly. Then she noticed a faint inscription in the bottom right corner, nearly invisible without focus.

"Endless Passion?" she murmured, reading it, then glanced at her vibrant self in the artwork.

Her eyes lit up, and she whirled, glaring at Lan An. "You already named it! Why tease me?"

"I wanted to see you pout," he grinned, his hair billowing in the wind, his dual-colored eyes gleaming with appreciation.

"Jerk," Ai Xin huffed, her red lips pursed, stowing the painting in her ring.

Suddenly, Lan An's playful gaze sharpened, his white eye flashing. To Ai Xin's shock, a glittering bow appeared Star-Catching Bow.

Without a word, he drew it taut. The sky darkened, the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper blazing behind him. At Late Spirit Transformation, he unleashed the bow's full might.

Purple Heart Space-Burning Flame formed an arrow.

Whoosh!

The arrow shot toward a point in the sky, voiding the space it crossed, leaving a black rift.

"How did he find me?" a hidden figure gasped. Lan An's decisive strike was swift, ruthless, and silent.

With no time to hesitate, the ambusher faced the domineering arrow. A sharp Great Saber appeared, dark energy erupting.

"Dark Rift Slash!"

A powerful technique condensed on the blade, slashing at the arrow.

Boom!

The ambusher's wrist numbed from the impact, his saber trembling. Though the purple arrow fragmented, it still burned the surrounding space.

"How is this possible?" he exclaimed. His saber, a Mid Heaven-grade treasure, couldn't fully counter the fiery arrow.

The Purple Heart Space-Burning Flame did its work, voiding space and revealing the ambusher—a black-clad man with jet-black hair, eyes glinting with dark light, and pale lips like a malnourished corpse. Despite his gaunt appearance, he had a certain handsomeness.

As the flames threatened to engulf him, he dodged. "The stench of Night Shadow Island's rats—I spotted you instantly," Lan An sneered, drawing his bow again, this time with Golden Crow Void Fire.

"Who're you calling a rat?" the man growled, his face darkening.

Lan An ignored him, firing another arrow with unmatched dominance, piercing the sky.

Prepared, the man slashed, tearing space and vanishing within to evade. Simultaneously, space beside Lan An cracked, the saber slicing toward his neck.

Feeling the blade's sting, Lan An smirked. The Star-Catching Bow vanished, replaced by the Dragon King Spear, unleashed with Sweeping Thousand Armies.

Clang!

Spiritual energy erupted. Lan An's wrist ached, but his physical prowess held firm.

"Argh!" The ambusher cried out, nearly losing his grip on the saber, retreating thousands of miles in a flash.

Ai Xin, caught off guard, stumbled toward the railing. Lan An blinked forward, catching her soft form in his arms.

Thud!

His back hit the railing, shielding her. Stunned, Ai Xin's eyes blazed with killing intent as she glared at the ambusher. "Golden Ranking 63rd Dark Night, second chief disciple of Night Shadow Island."