Chapter 80

Xiao Zhan was just about to nod in agreement when, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw a girl in black martial attire approaching along the lakeside. Upon a closer look, he immediately recognized her as the girl who had been bathing in the secluded pond earlier. Instantly, Xiao Zhan's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly shook his head, saying, "You're all girls, and I'm a big man. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to go."

Zan Rou followed Xiao Zhan's gaze and immediately saw the girl in black martial attire walking over with a sullen face. In an instant, she seemed to understand something and said thoughtfully, "A-Zhan, did you just come from the secluded pond in the valley?"

Xiao Zhan nodded and said, "I just got back from there, so there's no need to go again."

Zan Rou giggled and said, "I don't think that's the reason. A-Zhan clearly wanted to go with us, but suddenly changed his mind because he saw a beauty bathing in the secluded pond. Now that the person is here, A-Zhan is afraid of being caught, right?"

Xiao Zhan was very embarrassed. This woman was truly perceptive, deducing the reason from his reaction alone. However, this was not the time to explain; he just wanted to leave immediately. If that girl saw him, she would surely chase him with her sword again.

"Oh! I have something to do, so I'll go first. You all go ahead."

Zi Meng also saw the girl in black martial attire approaching and giggled, "A-Zhan, don't be afraid. With us sisters here, no one will bully you. Even if Zhan Ying has a powerful background, we sisters are not afraid of her."

Tian Lu smiled and said, "For A-Zhan to see her bathing is her good fortune. When we bathe later, A-Zhan can watch us openly, and we won't chase you with our swords."

The other girls chimed in, and some even invited Xiao Zhan to bathe in the hot spring with them and play in the water. Surrounded by the girls, Xiao Zhan realized they had no intention of letting him pass and said urgently, "Ladies, I was just chased by that girl with her sword. If she sees me, she will surely chase me again. Please let me through, and we can go another day."

He tried to squeeze past Ming Feng and Tian Lu, who were blocking his way. The two girls giggled and stood close together, preventing him from passing. Just as Xiao Zhan was about to use force, his entire body suddenly stiffened. He felt a delicate hand grasp his vital area through his pants. A strange sensation invaded him, causing an immediate reaction.

Heavens!

Being molested by a woman in front of everyone, Xiao Zhan's handsome face turned bright red. After a few seconds of僵持, he found the sensation becoming more intense, making him start to pant. This was not caused by a seduction technique, but it was even more terrifying, as if specifically designed to counter such techniques. To avoid embarrassment, Xiao Zhan didn't even check who had touched him. He forcefully pushed the two girls away and fled in a flustered manner.

Zan Rou, puzzled, said, "What just happened? A-Zhan seemed angry."

Ming Feng, looking frustrated, said, "It's all because Lu'er grabbed A-Zhan's vital area, making him embarrassed. Heavens! A-Zhan is still a virgin. What you did will scare him away. What if he avoids us in the future? But why didn't I think of it? Lu'er got there first."

Tian Lu, excited, said, "Lu'er learned from a previous mistake. Only by testing him first can we ensure that A-Zhan can withstand Lu'er's techniques and charms, so she won't repeat the same mistake in the future."

Ming Feng, equally excited, asked, "How did it feel?"

Tian Lu, beaming, said, "Amazing!"

The girls giggled, and Zi Meng suddenly said, "Zhan Ying is here."

The girls stopped their playful banter and blocked Zhan Ying's path. Mo Yao, leading the way, giggled, "Ying'er, why don't we bathe together?"

Hearing this, Zhan Ying's face darkened, and she gritted her teeth, "No way!"

Zi Meng stepped forward, took her arm, and smiled, "What's got you so angry? Who bullied you? Tell us, and we'll help you get even."

Zhan Ying, full of hatred, then recounted in detail how Xiao Zhan had spied on her bathing, portraying him as a despicable, evil man who enjoyed peeping on women. Of course, she didn't mention her "Dazzling Sword Dance," as it was too embarrassing to talk about.

The girls exchanged smiles and comforted Zhan Ying. Once her anger had subsided, Ming Feng smiled and said, "Ying'er, we sisters have just formed a 'Xiao Alliance.' Are you interested in joining?"

Zhan Ying, surprised, said, "Xiao Alliance? There doesn't seem to be anyone named Xiao in our Zhan clan's current generation of men."

Ming Feng whispered, "Let me tell you a secret. He comes from the War God lineage and is still a virgin. Recently, he made twenty-four of us react strongly. Most importantly, very few people in the clan know about him. Acting now will ensure you have an advantage."

Zhan Ying, shocked, said, "Made twenty-four of you react? You're not exaggerating, are you?"

Zi Meng also whispered, "Why would we? Let's talk as we walk."

The girls exchanged a mysterious smile and then escorted Zhan Ying towards the secluded pond in the valley.

Xiao Zhan had no idea that the newly formed "Xiao Alliance" was about to welcome a new member. At that moment, he was running back to his residence. As he stepped into the courtyard, he saw Qin Nianran holding a sword and humming a song as she walked out of the inner quarters.

"Nianran, where are you going?"

Qin Nianran, delighted, said, "I was just going to the valley to see Brother Xiao, but I didn't expect him to be back."

She ran towards Xiao Zhan and leaped into his arms. Soon, their lips met in a passionate kiss. After a while, they held hands and returned to the inner quarters. The Xue sisters, Shi Ya, and Wu Mei were all there. Xiao Zhan called them over for a chat and soon learned why there were so many unfamiliar women in the Zhan Valley today.

It turned out that everything was because he had successfully opened the War God Temple, revealing to the Zhan clan's leadership that the true lineage of the Zhan clan was contained within the temple. However, only clan members under thirty could enter, so they had gathered all the clan members under thirty for a collective test at the Martial Pavilion.

Xiao Zhan nodded and asked, "How many clan members under thirty are there?"

Wu Mei said, "More than twenty thousand."

Xiao Zhan was surprised, "So many?"

Wu Mei sighed, "It's not that many. The total population of the Zhan clan is over a hundred million, accumulated over ten thousand years. Twenty thousand is only one in five thousand of the total population. Is that a lot?"

Shi Ya also sighed, "The curse on the clan members is getting worse. If we don't find a solution soon, the trend will only worsen, and we might lose our ability to reproduce in the future."

Xiao Zhan's expression turned serious. He thought about the method the War God had mentioned to lift the curse and sighed, "No wonder the clan's strong warriors left Tianyuan for the Lost Land ten thousand years ago. They must have foreseen this terrible outcome. I wonder if anyone in the clan knows how to reach the Lost Land?"

Wu Mei shook her head, "The great battle ten thousand years ago swept across Tianyuan, and many of our clan members perished. The surviving strong warriors fell into a deep sleep and have been silent for ten thousand years. No one in the clan knows where the Lost Land is. Otherwise, someone would have gone there to seek a solution."

Shi Ya frowned, "Why did you suddenly bring this up, Young Master?"

Xiao Zhan said, "I heard it from the War God." He then recounted his conversation with the War God and sighed, "The strong warriors of the Zhan clan return to the Reincarnation Pool after death. Zhan clan women can wish for them to be reborn in another form. However, the Reincarnation Pool of our War God lineage is in the Lost Land. To revive the War God lineage, we must find the Reincarnation Pool. I need to find the Lost Land as soon as possible, or our War God lineage will truly disappear from Tianyuan."

After a moment of silence, Qin Nianran suddenly said, "Brother Xiao, if the War God knows where the Lost Land is, why don't you ask him?"

Xiao Zhan was taken aback and then said happily, "That's right! How could I forget about the War God? He must know where the Lost Land is. Hahaha! My Nianran is so smart." He then hugged Qin Nianran and kissed her fiercely, making her face turn bright red.