Chapter 190: Don't Kill Me!

"The first match is between Lu Ran and Kou Kou Yingquan."

The male teacher turned to look at the other two: "Ma Ma Tianchuan and Gao Gao Zhonglin are automatically matched; you two go down and prepare first."

"Yes."

"Yes!" Ma and Gao both responded, then exchanged a glance before walking off the stage.

Speaking of grudges, these five who had advanced to the River Realm all had some, to varying degrees.

Before worshipping the gods, Ma Ma Tianchuan was an undisputed top scholar, his grades leaving the second and third places far behind in a cliff-like drop.

But ever since the first day of the sixth lunar month last year, everything changed!

The little lamb cub and the little wolf cub both climbed onto Ma Ma Tianchuan's head, bullying him and throwing their weight around.

Among them, Lu Ran, with his incredibly brilliant record, had silenced the mouths of the masses, which also made it somewhat easier for Ma Ma Tianchuan to accept.

But as for Gao Gao Zhonglin...

Apart from his initial sudden rise, in the subsequent assessments, Ma and Gao took turns leading, going back and forth.

Ma Ma Tianchuan was naturally holding back a huge amount of pent-up energy!

Lu Ran, however, had no mind for such things; at this moment, his eyes held only Kou Kou Yingquan.

He hadn't expected that after their clash in class, their next confrontation would be at the opening Grand Tournament.

The two had met before and had another conflict.

That was during the trial at Mad Dog Village, where the irritable Sister Sister Xian had slapped Kou Kou Yingquan a few times.

"What are you looking at?" Kou Kou Yingquan's face stiffened as he shouted coldly.

Half a year ago, Kou Kou Yingquan had only felt that Lu Ran was weak and easy to bully.

After all, Lu Ran was the "little lamb cub" in the eyes of the world, a believer under the Ninth-Rank God·Xiang Xiang Xianyang.

Such a coward mocked by the world could simply be trampled upon.

I'm humiliating you; what can you do about it?

What Kou Kou Yingquan hadn't expected was that Lu Ran did not cry and beg for mercy like ordinary Xiang Xiang Xianyang believers.

Hmm... actually, that's not quite right.

Lu Ran did indeed cry and shout, but he was begging for mercy while swinging a chair and vigorously striking Kou Kou Yingquan with it...

That conflict seemed to set a tone.

Since then, Lu Ran had risen fiercely; not a trace of the weakness or cowardice typical of Xiang Xiang Xianyang believers could be found in him.

It was absolutely bizarre!

Now, when Kou Kou Yingquan looked at Lu Ran, his mindset was completely different.

People might not believe it if said aloud, but a believer of the Third-Rank God·Prison Demon, standing tall and dignified, was actually somewhat afraid of this Xiang Xiang Xianyang believer!

"What are you laughing at? Stop pretending to be mysterious and spooky, damn it!"

Seeing Lu Ran remain silent and just smile at him, Kou Kou Yingquan felt a chill run down his spine.

This little lamb cub was too eerie!

When people are surrounded by emotions like fear and unease, they use various methods to cope.

Shouting loudly is a good method.

An angry roar can boost one's morale, using high-spirited emotions to dispel inner terror.

"Sigh..." Below the stage, Wu Wu Shanshan shook her head and let out a long sigh.

She could see that Kou Kou Yingquan was already terrified.

And this fight hadn't even begun yet...

There was no helping it.

In the past half-year, the achievements Lu Ran had obtained were too shocking to the world.

If it were an ordinary opponent in a duel, it would be slightly better.

But unfortunately, these two had an old grudge!

Once they started fighting, both sides might strike very heavily...

"Why don't you withdraw from the competition?" Lu Ran suddenly spoke, looking at Kou Kou Yingquan, who was fierce on the outside but weak within.

To think he was a Prison Demon believer, yet he had been scared into such a pathetic state.

Was the pressure he exerted on his opponent really that strong?

At the same time, a buzzing sound of discussion rose from below the stage.

"This Kou Kou Yingquan, why does he feel somewhat strong on the outside but hollow within?"

"Say less! If you were facing Lu Ran, wouldn't you be intimidated? Haven't you seen the short videos in the group chat?"

"That's true; Lu Ran even dared to forcibly mount the Barbarian Female Dryad; he's indeed fiercely ruthless..."

"Afraid of what! At worst, we just lose; Kou Kou Yingquan isn't the Barbarian Female Dryad, and this isn't a life-or-death battle."

"This is the style of the River Realm; learned it, learned it~"

"Heh, you really know how to speak irresponsibly; it's not like the blade is falling on your bodies..."

The discussions varied in volume, sentence by sentence of mockery, ridicule, or justification making Kou Kou Yingquan's face turn green then purple.

"Kou Kou Yingquan!" On the main stage, the male teacher frowned tightly, displeased in his heart, "Can you fight or not?"

Lu Ran had said "You should withdraw," and a normal person would have retorted immediately.

But this Kou Kou Yingquan had actually gone silent?

Afraid before the battle even began?

Which one of you two is actually the Xiang Xiang Xianyang believer?

"I can fight!" Kou Kou Yingquan immediately shouted.

"You can't." From not far away, Lu Ran's eerie voice drifted over.

"Shut your damn mouth!"

Under the gaze of the crowd, Kou Kou Yingquan indeed found himself in an awkward position; fury burned within his heart as he glared wrathfully at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran nodded: "I'm just reminding you that before a believer of Xiang Xiang Xianyang, you absolutely cannot feel fear.

Even a sliver of dread is too much; you will be crushed."

There was nothing wrong with Lu Ran's words.

Sister Xian Yang Shen Fa · Immortal Eye exists precisely to amplify the target's inner fear.

Given enough time for those dead sheep eyes,

a believer of Xiang Xiang Xianyang can indeed cause the target's spirit to collapse into sheer terror!

"You are here to compete, to defeat your opponent," the male instructor said, shooting Lu Ran an equally unfriendly look. "Not to give a lecture!"

Lu Ran shrugged: "I'm just telling him in advance how he's going to lose."

The male instructor froze for a moment.

Instantly, a stir rippled through the audience below.

"Holy crap, is he this domineering?!"

"I really want to beat him up."

"Sister, take my advice: don't throw your life away; you probably can't beat him."

"My Ran-baby is being a domineering little sheep today~"

"Both sides, prepare!" The male instructor gave Lu Ran a deep look before shouting, "Don your Water Flow Armor.

If the armor shatters, or if either party falls off the main stage, you will be judged the loser!

My whistle is the final authority; do you two understand?"

"Understood!"

"Yes," Kou and Lu responded in succession.

"After the whistle sounds, neither side may pursue! Any violation will not only deduct believer points but may also incur punishment!"

The male instructor emphasized this repeatedly; such rules demonstrated Great Xia's level of protection for believer students.

"Shriii—!"

The whistle blew, sharp and piercing.

The duel officially began!

"Kill!"

"Fight! Fight!"

"Whoa! Those eyes, oh my god—"

Just as he had predicted earlier, Lu Ran immediately activated the Divine Art · Immortal Eye.

With a single blink, his pair of human round pupils abruptly transformed into a pair of horizontal pupils.

True · Dead Sheep Eyes!

The pitch-black horizontal pupils gleamed with an eerie luster, fixing Kou Kou Yingquan with a sinister stare.

"Come on!" Kou Kou Yingquan said the words, but he had already averted his gaze, now staring fixedly at Lu Ran's legs.

Suddenly, Kou Kou Yingquan waved his hand fiercely, and a blood-red chain materialized out of thin air, coiling toward Lu Ran.

Qiu Mo Shen Fa · Demon-Binding Chain!

Lu Ran leaped lightly, springing aside to dodge the entangling chain, his eyes still eerily fixed on Kou Kou Yingquan:

"Look at me!"

"Get lost!" Kou Kou Yingquan roared harshly, flinging the Demon-Binding Chains repeatedly from his hand.

"Hiss—"

Immortal Hooves activated, immortal mist churning.

Lu Ran's figure darted rapidly back and forth, leaving the crisscrossing blood-red chains far behind.

"Huff!!"

Kou Kou Yingquan's heart jolted in alarm as energy surged across his body.

Right at the start of the match, he had donned a large red robe; at this moment, the garment's color deepened even further into red.

That was Qiu Mo Shen Fa · Blood-Fiend Robe, the technique the Qiumoyi Sect prided itself on most, offering both offense and defense.

As for Kou Kou Yingquan's Water Flow Armor, it was hidden beneath the Blood-Fiend Robe.

In other words, believers of the Qiumoyi Sect possessed one extra "life" compared to most other believers in the world.

Within the context of a duel, believers of the Qiumoyi Sect held an even greater advantage.

You had to shatter the opponent's Blood-Fiend Robe first before you could break their Water Flow Armor.

Moreover, once damaged, the caster could replace this Divine Art, the Blood-Fiend Robe, at any moment.

The speed was extremely fast, no different from "one-click outfit change."

Therefore, believers of the Qiumoyi Sect

were truly turtle-like!

Turtle-like?

No matter; whether the Blood-Fiend Robe or the Water Flow Armor, both were merely physical-layer defenses.

Lu Ran's pair of dead sheep eyes, however, delivered output on the spiritual layer!

"Huff~"

Kou Kou Yingquan violently whipped his hand, and several blood-red chains materialized out of thin air, crisscrossing in every direction.

"Whoa!"

"Hah~~~ What footwork!"

"The little goat is darting around!"

Amidst the crisscrossing chains, Lu Ran activated his Immortal Hooves, his feet stepping continuously.

Halting and surging urgently, darting left and thrusting right.

Within the thick immortal mist, people even felt as though there were many Lu Rans, many illusory figures!

And Lu Ran rapidly closed in on his target, just like a God of Death approaching step by step.

That unparalleled sense of oppression made Kou Kou Yingquan's heart grow increasingly terrified.

"Stand still for me!" Kou Kou Yingquan roared in fury, suddenly stomping his foot.

A heavy sound of "Bang!" rang out.

Qiu Mo Shen Fa · Great Demon-Imprisoning Formation!

In an instant, with the spot beneath Kou Kou Yingquan's feet as the center, countless chains extended out in all directions.

Omnidirectional, with no blind spots!

This was an extremely powerful defensive and control technique, similar to an "ultimate move."

Naturally, this method also had a weakness—it consumed divine power excessively.

The original intention of the Ancestor of Imprisoned Demons in creating this method was so that when believers faced heavy encirclement, they could stand against a hundred alone and fight desperately to the death!

Yet Kou Kou Yingquan used it during a one-on-one duel.

Could this be considered a decision that betrayed his ancestors?

It probably wasn't; Kou Kou Yingquan was indeed fighting desperately to the death.

Although Lu Ran was only one person, in Kou Kou Yingquan's mind, he himself was indeed surrounded by Lu Ran.

"Clatter clatter!"

"Clatter clatter..."

Strand after strand of blood-colored chains emitted sounds of grinding steel, making listeners' teeth ache and flesh hurt.

The scene was incredibly magnificent; beneath Kou Kou Yingquan's feet, it was as if ten thousand iron snakes had burst forth.

Their forms swayed, flicking blood-red tongues, densely packed as they pounced in all directions.

"Hiss—"

Lu Ran's figure abruptly retreated.

Countless "blood snakes" pouncing before him missed by just a tiny distance, unable to tear into Lu Ran.

"Let, let me go! Ah!!" Lu Ran suddenly let out a miserable scream, a cry that tore at the heart and lungs.

Kou Kou Yingquan's heart trembled; what had he just heard?

Lu Ran's panicked cries?

That was right!

No matter how fast your speed or how elusive your footwork, facing our sect's such powerful divine technique, the Great Demon-Imprisoning Formation, how could you possibly escape... ah?

Kou Kou Yingquan immediately locked onto Lu Ran's direction, raising his hand to cast a spell.

The Qiumoyi Sect possessed another divine technique: Blood Chain Thorn.

This method could cause sharp thorns to grow on the chains, completely piercing through any target entangled within!

However, when Kou Kou Yingquan caught sight of Lu Ran's figure...

He did not see Lu Ran entangled by chains, screaming in agony.

What he saw was Lu Ran crouching on the ground, sliding backward rapidly.

From Lu Ran's crouching posture, Kou Kou Yingquan tried to look at Lu Ran's feet, but instead saw a pair of extremely vicious dead-sheep eyes!

"Ah!" Kou Kou Yingquan's expression changed drastically.

The ten thousand blood snakes stabbing out in all directions seemed to go limp, one after another drooping their heads.

It was precisely at this moment that Lu Ran suddenly stomped his foot.

He, who had been sliding backward rapidly, seemed to have no inertia; like an athlete at the starting line, he shot forward directly.

Lu Ran's pupils were gloomy, his face dark and gloomy, and he was still shouting with his mouth:

"I was wrong! I beg you, don't kill me, ah ah..."

Kou Kou Yingquan's face turned deathly pale, his pupils contracting violently!

Three updates today at 12, 18, and 22.

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(End of Chapter)