Haremlord: Rise of the Banished

"You… Pfft!" Chen Jue, unable to endure further, spat a mouthful of blood.

Never did he imagine that he, the illustrious Chen Jue of the Golden Ranking, would be mistaken for a woman. Since ancient times, for a proud man to be treated as such was the gravest insult. Lan An didn't say it outright, but tossing him women's clothing was a humiliation worse than words. Worse still, it painted him as a ragged beggar needing his foe's charity.

From every angle, it fueled Chen Jue's towering pride into a blaze of fury he couldn't quell. Even his Mid Void Refining mindset couldn't bear it, spitting blood from sheer rage.

"What's got you so mad? I gave you clothes to spare me and Ai Xin's eyes. Do beasts need robes otherwise?" Lan An flicked his hair, smirking mockingly.

"Go die!" Chen Jue roared, eyes bloodshot, his hatred shaking the heavens. Transforming into lightning, he vanished, reappearing with the Thunder-Commanding Saber slashing at Lan An's head, intent on reducing him to pulp.

"Why rush to prove your uselessness? A Mid Void Refining cultivator can't defeat a Late Spirit Transformation one aren't you ashamed?" Lan An taunted coolly.

Under Chen Jue's fiery gaze, the Dragon King Spear roared, wreathed in two Strange Flames, the Golden Crow Body Protection radiating majesty. Meeting Chen Jue's onslaught head-on, Lan An advanced, clashing fiercely.

Clang! Boom! Boom!

Saber and spear shadows filled the sky, their figures flickering in a deadly dance, too fast to track. Space fractured into a web of cracks, thunder and fire clashing relentlessly, sending waves of terrifying spiritual energy roiling the sea and shaking the heavens.

Lan An reveled in the fight, his physical cultivation shining. Each clash thrilled his body, blood surging, the Blood Iron Battle Armor offering peerless defense. Minor wounds healed swiftly with Nirvana Spirit Water's secret aid. His Heavenly Army Spear Art and Dragon King Spear outclassed Chen Jue's One Saber Earth-Splitting and Thunder-Commanding Saber. In Heavenly Emperor Transformation – Unrivaled Under Heaven, Lan An fought at his peak, while Chen Jue couldn't muster full strength.

These factors bridged their cultivation gap.

Below, Ai Xin watched, her face solemn yet tinged with rare admiration. This youth, younger than her, displayed terrifying talent she envied. A Late Spirit Transformation cultivator, he fought evenly with a Mid Void Refining powerhouse, crossing realms with ease. Though aided by secret arts, superior weapons, and armor, his prowess was undeniable. Those were part of his strength, weren't they?

Still, admiration didn't blind her. Lan An lacked her talent in artifact forging. Everyone had strengths and flaws comparing one's strengths to another's weaknesses was unfair.

Chen Jue grew more alarmed as they fought. He'd planned to exhaust Lan An's spiritual energy with his Void Refining advantage. Yet, Lan An grew fiercer, drawing endless spiritual energy from the surroundings, a tireless war machine. With five great cauldrons fueling him, how could he run dry?

Chen Jue's attrition strategy failed. Without landing a critical blow, victory—let alone robbery—was impossible.

"No more dragging this out. I need a killing strike," Chen Jue thought, eyes narrowing as he studied Lan An for weaknesses.

But he found none. Lan An's armor and Golden Crow phantom offered flawless defense, a fortress nigh impossible to breach.

"Damn it, he didn't even use half his strength against Dark Night!" Chen Jue realized, horrified. He'd assumed Lan An went all out then, fueling his confidence to rob him. Now, Lan An's layered techniques proved heaven-defying.

While Chen Jue sought flaws, he didn't know Lan An was doing the same. With Piercing Weakness Sight at its peak, Lan An grinned wickedly, teleporting behind Chen Jue, the Dragon King Spear smashing toward his head.

"Dream on!" Chen Jue sneered, spinning like lightning, blocking with the Thunder-Commanding Saber.

Clang!

The spear struck the saber. The Golden Crow's fiery claws lunged at Chen Jue.

"Old tricks?" Chen Jue scoffed, spitting a thunder orb to counter.

Boom!

As Chen Jue thought the attack ended, a colossal phantom like a mountain appeared behind Lan An, its massive fist smashing toward his face.

Spurt!

Chen Jue spat blood, caught off guard. Lan An seized the moment, releasing the spear with one hand, unleashing a Star-Piercing Finger of Purple Thunder.

The finger shook space, piercing Chen Jue's spiritual shield.

Slash!

It grazed his thigh, pain and numbness making his face pale.

"Thunder Heaven Flash!"

Boom! Boom!

As Lan An's next strike loomed, Chen Jue fled with his movement art, barely escaping.

Ai Xin gasped, covering her mouth. Chen Jue was retreating? He'd admitted defeat in close combat against Lan An. Her heart raced she was witnessing a peerless genius rise, a Spirit Transformation cultivator repelling a Void Refining one. Terrifying.

Pity the battle was over the vast ocean, unseen by most.

Chen Jue glared at his healing thigh wound, his robes in tatters, while Lan An stood unscathed. The urge to flee flickered, but he quashed it. He wouldn't abandon this golden opportunity. He had stronger moves left.

"Spirit-Grade Technique – Thunder Phantom Body!"

To Lan An's surprise, thunderbolts rained down at Chen Jue's call, striking him. Miraculously, they fused with his spiritual energy, splitting from his body to form a human-like figure of pure lightning. Though weaker, it neared Void Refining strength.

"A clone?" Lan An muttered, intrigued.

"Not quite a clone. It's lightning and spiritual energy forming a combat entity, similar to your Four Spirits Soul Guard," Jin'er's childish voice explained.

"Let's see which is stronger," Lan An grinned.

Roar!

A Fire Phoenix spread its wings, incinerating space. The Earth Bear charged, massive and unyielding, both targeting Chen Jue's phantom.

"Phoenix…" Chen Jue's eyes turned cold. With a thought, the phantom became a storm of lightning, its fist collapsing space as it struck the phoenix's head.

Skree!

The Fire Phoenix screeched, its purple wings sweeping fiercely, meeting force with force.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The clash sent the Earth Bear flying, its spiritual energy too weak. The Four Spirits Soul Guard, a Peak Mysterious-Grade technique, shone in Lan An's hands, enhanced by Strange Flames and Wood for the phoenix and turtle. But the Earth Bear, formed of True Earth, was the weakest.

Seeing its uselessness, Lan An let the bear dissipate.

He charged Chen Jue again. "Star-Plucking Hand!"

Two massive hands formed one of two Strange Flames, the other of Purple Thunder—crushing space as they grabbed for Chen Jue.

Chen Jue sneered. His phantom was overpowering the phoenix. Though less versatile, its combat strength rivaled Void Refining, proving his Golden Ranking wasn't luck.

As the Star-Plucking Hands closed in, Chen Jue gripped the Thunder-Commanding Saber, raising it high.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Lightning poured into the saber, enlarging it monstrously. The sky darkened, lit only by the saber's glow.

"Mid Heaven-Grade Technique – Great Earth Glacier!"

The saber's formation compressed the air, thunderous booms echoing with staggering might. Chen Jue slashed at the hands.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Lan An's vision blurred as his hands shattered. The strike churned the sea into a tsunami, forcing Ai Xin to stow her warship and take to the air.

Chen Jue paled, his energy drained. Swallowing high-grade spirit pills, he regained strength.

"Such high-grade techniques?" Lan An thought, surprised. Both Thunder Phantom Body and Great Earth Glacier were Heaven-grade or above.

"Take another Great Earth Glacier!" Chen Jue pressed, but froze, halting his advance.

Cross Heaven Fire roared toward him, formed of two Strange Flames.

"Hmph, Thunder Spirit Palm!"

Chen Jue countered, the saber floating as he formed seals. Lightning flickered, condensing into a massive palm with destructive power, roaring as it clashed with the fire.

Boom!

Space, already scarred, shattered further. Both fighters were thrown back, blood trickling from their lips.

Chen Jue's heart trembled. He knew Cross Heaven Fire was a technique Lan An won at the Festival, yet he'd mastered it so quickly?

On the other side, the Fire Phoenix screeched, self-destructing to take down the Thunder Phantom Body. Outmatched, its pride refused a stalemate. Though Flame Heart Cauldron could reform it, the phantom's destructive power was too great.

The phoenix's explosion, fueled by Purple Heart Space-Burning Flame, obliterated the phantom.

"Worthy of rank 33," Lan An thought. He'd underestimated Chen Jue, expecting him to be on par with Fan Shi or Lan Liu. Yet, despite using many techniques, he couldn't wound him heavily. Hiding Three-Colored Thunder Tribulation limited him.

The battle's tremors drew attention. Figures tore through space, hiding to watch. Seeing Lan An fight Chen Jue, they reeled, minds spinning.

"Why him?" they gasped. Hadn't he struggled against Dark Li? Chen Jue was leagues stronger, yet Lan An held his own.

"Look, he's hiding his cultivation," an old Void Refining cultivator said gravely.

Realizing Lan An was Late Spirit Transformation, they sighed. "He didn't use full strength against Dark Li."

"Who is this monster? So young, yet even Chen Jue can't defeat him?" Curiosity surged as they watched, eyeing Lan An's wealth, ready to seize opportunities post-battle.

"Hmph, you're lucky today," Chen Jue muttered, seeing the crowd. Robbing was now risky; others might exploit him.

But Lan An wouldn't let him go. Furious at these thieves, he vowed to make Chen Jue pay, a warning to others.

"Beast, you think you can run? Did you ask me?" Lan An's words nearly drove Chen Jue mad.

Before countless eyes, Lan An drew a black bell, its ancient, mystical patterns glowing in his palm.

Cheng!

The bell's chime echoed across all directions, faintly heard throughout West Sea Continent. Space didn't shatter but quivered wildly, far more terrifying.

A treasure from the Lucky Shop, bound by blood after his time with Ji Ya and Little Lion Spirit-Grade High-Tier Treasure: Void Resonance Bell.