Chapter 194: The Troublesome Little Demon Sheep

Lu Ran was already prepared; he immediately closed his eyes, refusing to look at that ferocious mask.

The teachers and students watching the battle also flickered their gazes, instantly turning their eyes away.

Some students who were naturally timid turned even paler, crying out in alarm:

"Ah!"

"Don't, don't come over!"

A stir rippled through the audience, all because of the mask on Ma Ma Tianchuan's face.

Nuo Sha Divine Art · Nuo Mask of Fear!

This mask was extremely ferocious, colored black and red, with a rough style resembling a vengeful ghost.

Yet, this technique originated from the deity Nuo Sha, not from an evil spirit.

Many students also realized that Ma Ma Tianchuan was far stronger than Gao Gao Zhonglin, the Greedy Wolf believer!

After all, when Ma Ma Tianchuan fought Gao Gao Zhonglin, he had not revealed this terrifying mask.

A crisp "Ding!" rang out!

The Silent Night Blade and the long dagger collided fiercely, emitting a piercing sound.

The figures crossed past each other; Ma Ma Tianchuan felt a tremendous force strike him, nearly causing the long dagger to slip from his hand.

"Brother Lu, closing your eyes and daring not to look at me is probably disadvantageous for combat, isn't it?"

Ma Ma Tianchuan swiftly turned around, gazing at the retreating figure still charging forward, and shouted loudly.

During his first battle, Lu Ran had said to Kou Kou Yingquan: Look at me directly.

Now, it seemed the tables had turned?

Ma Ma Tianchuan's single sentence immediately sparked heated discussion among the students.

"This is too frightening!"

"No wonder the top scholar dared to step onto the stage; the opponent is a believer of Nuo Sha! Fiercer than an evil ghost!"

"Wait, how am I supposed to watch this duel like this?"

"I've wanted to ask for a while: Lu Ran has neither purification techniques nor perception techniques; how can he fight Ma Ma Tianchuan?"

"Exactly! Wu Wu Shanshan has everything needed to crush Ma Ma Tianchuan to death! But Lu Ran... seems to be countered!"

"We're done for! Closing one's eyes isn't a solution; doesn't that make him blind?"

"Eh? Over here! There's a precious lotus flower summoned by a Sword Lotus believer; come quickly, let's watch from here!"

"Blind?" Chang Ying couldn't help but mutter softly, "Who said my Ran Bao needs to open his eyes?"

Nearby, Deng Yutang's expression was equally fascinating as he nodded secretly.

Was there a good show about to unfold?

In a moment, when the students discovered that Lu Ran was fighting with his eyes closed, what would their reaction be?

"Brother Lu!" Ma Ma Tianchuan's voice came from the stage again, "I won't hold back anymore!"

As he spoke, Ma Ma Tianchuan wielded dual daggers and dashed swiftly toward Lu Ran.

Upon those two gleaming daggers, a phantom outline of another dagger emerged.

Nuo Sha Divine Art · Blade of Sha!

Like many deity arts that summon weapons, the Divine Art · Blade of Sha could be held directly in the caster's hand.

Alternatively, it could rely upon an existing weapon to enhance its output.

But this was not the primary function of the "Blade of Sha."

The most terrifying enhancement of this technique was—soul damage!

Great Xia had numerous deities, numbering nearly a hundred, and their divine arts were incredibly diverse.

However, among these many divine arts, few involved techniques on the level of the "soul."

The Nuo Sha Divine Art · Blade of Sha was one of the rare exceptions!

That seemingly phantom blade edge was capable of tearing at the target's soul!

It was not that the deities lacked the ability or could not reach the level of the soul.

On the contrary, regarding this level, all deities should have dabbled in it, and perhaps even achieved great accomplishments.

It was just that almost none of the deities had integrated abilities related to the soul into their own lists of divine arts.

In other words: the deities were unwilling to let the human race master abilities on this level.

The deity Nuo Sha was considered a special case.

Of course, the River-Rank · Blade of Sha did not inflict such great damage to the soul.

Otherwise, this technique would certainly be listed as a "forbidden art" within the scope of martial competitions!

The true situation was:

Even if Ma Ma Tianchuan sliced Lu Ran into ten thousand pieces, Lu Ran would at most suffer physical death; his soul would not be torn apart.

The River-Rank · Blade of Sha would only cause the opponent minor injury and make their soul tremble.

To a certain extent, this technique was more like a control-type skill.

Once the target was grazed by the blade, it was very likely to cause a state of mental trance and a wandering soul.

On the battlefield, if you had even one second of distraction, it could very well lead to eternal damnation!

"Ding!!"

Ma Ma Tianchuan rushed over swiftly, slashing his dagger toward Lu Ran's neck, only for it to be fiercely deflected by the Silent Night Blade.

"Hiss," Ma Ma Tianchuan gasped sharply, feeling his Hukou go numb.

The tremendous force transmitted from the Silent Night Blade nearly caused the dagger to slip from his hand!

Is he really that strong?

Ma Ma Tianchuan's face, hidden behind the mask, was written all over with astonishment.

After all, Lu Ran was not of the burly type; on the contrary, he was somewhat slender.

"Whoosh~"

Ma Ma Tianchuan's right hand holding the dagger was deflected, and he smoothly swept his left hand across.

Lu Ran leaned backward, and the illusory blade edge slashed past his throat.

Dangerously close!

Ma Ma Tianchuan:???

Since Lu Ran's previous strike had been a turning block, Ma Ma Tianchuan had not yet realized the severity of the situation.

But now, with the two facing each other in mortal combat, Ma Ma Tianchuan suddenly realized that Lu Ran's eyes were closed?

Closed! Eyes?!

Then how, exactly, had Lu Ran dodged that horizontal slash of his?

And his control over distance was so precise!

"Wow! Locating by sound?"

"I said there was something off about Lu Ran; he must have secretly pledged himself to Lord Lord Bei Feng! It has to be!"

"He's really fighting with his eyes closed? Just guessing, right?"

"Not sure, let's watch a bit more."

The students below gathered in cluster after cluster, watching the duel under the protection of various auxiliary divine arts.

Everyone had naturally expected this battle to be spectacular, but they never imagined it could be this bizarre.

"Hiss!"

Lu Ran twisted his wrist; the Zhan Ye Dao slashed diagonally from top to bottom!

The blade edge shallowly penetrated the water-flow armor, cutting out a wound.

Ma Ma Tianchuan's face turned grim; he abruptly retreated backward, while a surge of divine power churned before him.

In an instant, a figure identical to Ma Ma Tianchuan appeared before Lu Ran.

Nuo Sha Divine Art · Shadow of Evil!

"Hiss—"

The Shadow of Evil emitted a hissing cry, resembling an evil spirit on the fifteenth night of the lunar month, utterly vicious!

It too wore a mask and wielded dual daggers, stabbing continuously at Lu Ran, every strike aiming for a vital point.

For a moment, the single blade and the dual daggers intertwined, with crisp clashing sounds ringing incessantly.

"Brother Lu, you?!"

Ma Ma Tianchuan was shocked, and also bewildered.

Lu Ran had kept his eyes closed the entire time.

Every dodge, every block, he had performed with his eyes closed.

Every slash and horizontal cut with his blade flowed like drifting clouds and flowing water, showing no sign of impairment, and he even drove the Shadow of Evil into a steadily retreating defeat!

This... what the hell?

"Hiss!"

Lu Ran delivered a fierce diagonal slash; the Shadow of Evil blocked properly with its dual daggers, but fell short in terms of raw power.

The Zhan Ye Dao forcibly tore through the dual daggers, chopping directly from the Shadow of Evil's left shoulder down to its right waist and abdomen.

In the flash of lightning and spark of flint, the Shadow of Evil planted its feet, yet its upper body actually slid diagonally downward.

Wherever the Zhan Ye Dao passed, the cross-section of the Shadow of Evil where it was cut was so smooth...

"Pfft~"

The Shadow of Evil shattered explosively into mist.

Before the mist had even dispersed, a figure killed out from within it!

He still kept his eyes tightly shut, his blade in hand thrusting straight at Ma Ma Tianchuan, as he shouted sternly:

"You called me?"

Ma Ma Tianchuan:!!!

Ma Ma Tianchuan's footing collapsed; he abruptly leaped to the right, narrowly dodging this strike.

Mist churned beneath Lu Ran's feet, and he immediately killed toward Ma Ma Tianchuan.

Ma Ma Tianchuan was equally terrifyingly agile, moving with incredible speed to dodge once again.

Speaking purely of agility attributes, Lu Ran had finally met his match.

If the two were competing in a sprint, Lu Ran, possessing the Divine Art · Immortal Hooves, would undoubtedly be the victor.

But what about bodily flexibility?

Lu Ran possessed the Zu Zhi Xie Fa of the Evil Dog Clan · Evil Agility.

Ma Ma Tianchuan, on the other hand, possessed the Nuo Sha Divine Art · Spirit-Ghost Entanglement.

Even from the name, one could discern the purpose for which the Nuo Sha Ancestor created this method.

The Nuo Sha sect granted its believers agility attributes far surpassing those of ordinary humans.

Therefore, when these believers fought, they were meant to display a combat style unpredictable by gods or ghosts!

Furthermore, they had to make the enemy feel as though haunted by a vengeful spirit, having their soul seized and life taken.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

Ma Ma Tianchuan dodged and blocked, but the more he fought, the more alarmed he became.

This little lamb has gone berserk with killing!

Truly, a lingering ghost that won't scatter!

Clearly it was Ma Ma Tianchuan who activated the Divine Art: Divine Ghost Entanglement, yet he was the one whose life was being claimed!

"Hoo!!" Cold sweat streamed down Ma Ma Tianchuan's forehead as his divine power rippled outward.

"Ah!"

"Damn, don't!"

"Nuo Sha Dance! This is fine, this is watchable!"

"Good heavens, Ma Ma Tianchuan has truly been pushed to the brink!"

"Giving up on life? Twenty seconds of vigor, six or seven days of impotence?"

On the main podium, a colossal phantom suddenly appeared!

Judging by his build, he was male; wearing an exceedingly terrifying mask on his face, he had already begun to dance.

Such dance moves were fierce and unrestrained in rhythm, stiff and powerful in motion.

Truly magnificent in momentum!

It was precisely at the instant the phantom began dancing that Lu Ran's movements immediately distorted slightly.

"Hiss—"

The ghostly lamb cub immediately broke away from the battle cluster, mist churning beneath its feet as it created distance from Ma Ma Tianchuan.

"What's the matter, Brother Ma?" Lu Ran kept his eyes closed, listening intently with a tilted ear, "Not fighting the next round?"

As he spoke, Lu Ran's body twitched slightly.

Occasionally he would tilt his head a little, raise a hand slightly, or playfully twist his waist.

Clearly, Lu Ran did not move of his own volition; rather, under the influence of the Nuo Sha Dance, he was forced to move.

Lu Ran had been "leashed"!

Fortunately, Lu Ran was in the River Realm; had his cultivation been even slightly lower, his physical body would surely have lost control and begun dancing along with that phantom!

"To deal with Brother Lu, one must naturally go all out!" Ma Ma Tianchuan clenched his twin daggers and darted swiftly toward Lu Ran.

The reason for this exchange between the two was that the Divine Art: Nuo Sha Dance consumed an immense amount from the caster.

This was the ultimate move of the Nuo Sha faction!

For the duration of the phantom's existence, the caster would continuously expend vast quantities of divine power and physical strength.

Only when the caster exhausted themselves and collapsed would the phantom vanish.

Yes, this was a Divine Art that, once activated, could not be deactivated!

That phantom, with its broad and sweeping dance moves, though not the deity's true form, was certainly not something one could summon or dismiss at will!

"Hiss—"

Mist churned beneath Lu Ran's feet as he flew backward and slid: "In that case, I shall also show Brother Ma the respect he deserves."

"Do you know that my Xianyangyi Sect also has an ultimate move?"

Ma Ma Tianchuan's heart instantly leaped in alarm!

Divine Art: Sheep!

As the saying goes: The fewer the words, the greater the matter!

"Hehe~" Lu Ran's body twitched; his hand, out of control, nearly slapped his own face, yet this did not hinder his laughter.

"Ah!" Ma Ma Tianchuan let out a fierce roar, accelerating his charge toward Lu Ran.

From the moment the Nuo Sha Dance was activated, his time on the field had entered a countdown.

Lu Ran suddenly raised his hand, causing Ma Ma Tianchuan's heart to leap in alarm once more.

However, Lu Ran's palm abruptly twisted aside, as if pulled away by some inexplicable force.

Lu Ran was not intentionally feinting, yet it inevitably drew a chorus of gasps: "Ah!"

"Damn, is everyone more desperate to win than the last?"

"Yes, do it just like that! Fierce and unyielding! Let no one fare well, let no f***ing one survive!"

"At least Ma Ma Tianchuan is consuming divine power and physical strength; Lu Ran is directly sacrificing his soul... Here it comes, here it comes!"

Under Ma Ma Tianchuan's terrified gaze, Lu Ran raised his hand again and shouted loudly:

"Sheep!"

Ma Ma Tianchuan's pupils contracted sharply!

One second, two seconds...

Nothing happened.

From afar, Lu Ran's body danced gently, the amplitude very small, giving off an utterly cheeky vibe.

Coupled with Lu Ran's words, it became even more cheeky: "Hehe, just kidding~"

Ma Ma Tianchuan:???

"Pwahahahaha!"

"I f***ing—"

"What is this? At least be a high expert, why deceive people!"

"You understand nothing; this is called 'all is fair in war'!"

"Damn it, even deceiving the audience, are you?"

"Only my Brother Ran could do this; he dragged out a few more seconds, Ma Ma Tianchuan is about to go soft, isn't he?"

"Aaaah!" Ma Ma Tianchuan's eyes bulged in rage as he surged toward Lu Ran at extreme speed.

"Hiss—"

Lu Ran fled frantically, his right foot, which sprayed mist, suddenly twisting aside.

Once again, under the phantom's dance, his movements distorted.

Consequently, Lu Ran darted to the left.

Ma Ma Tianchuan's eyes narrowed; an opportunity!

He stomped the ground, his twin daggers trailing long blade shadows as he roared fiercely, "Defeat!"

Lu Ran whipped his head around; though his eyes were closed, diminishing the intimidation, his expression was incomparably gloomy!

Amid the crowd's gasps, Lu Ran neither dodged nor evaded, seeming ready to gamble his life, utterly fearless that his movements might distort at any moment.

Lu Ran flung his left hand up violently, clenched Zhan Ye Dao tightly in his right, and slashed fiercely at Ma Ma Tianchuan, letting out a thunderous shout:

"Sheep!!!"

Ma Ma Tianchuan's heart hammered violently.

Once transformed into a little lamb, he would no longer have the water-flow armor protecting him, nor possess any ability to resist.

Lu Ran would indeed be drained, but that sharp Zhan Ye Dao would inevitably follow through and cleave onto the lamb's body!

Ma Ma Tianchuan chickened out.

Or rather, Ma Ma Tianchuan's reason gained the upper hand.

Moving with incredible speed, he subconsciously leaped sideways.

As long as he dodged this slash, Lu Ran would naturally collapse from exhaustion; for Ma Ma Tianchuan, the worst outcome of this fight would be a draw.

But if he didn't dodge this slash, victory and defeat would likely be decided immediately!

"Whoosh!"

Lu Ran's body suddenly lurched, yanked by an invisible force, causing his descending blade to slice empty air.

Ma Ma Tianchuan executed a sideways dive, scrambled to his feet rapidly, and looked at Lu Ran, whose body was twisting awkwardly.

Lu Ran was dancing, a coquettish sort of wriggling, resembling a female streamer playing hard to get.

The audience below fell into silence.

Where was the sheep?

Where was it?

How was he, Ma Ma Tianchuan, still in human form?

"Aaaaaah, you can't torment people like this!"

"Damn! Can I go up there and beat him?"

"This tormenting little fairy."

"I'm truly f*cking done! I came to watch a duel, not to be left hanging!"

"Let's break up, I'm tired."

"Hahaha! Believe me, Ma Ma Tianchuan is even more tired than you, hahaha!"

On the stage, Ma Ma Tianchuan stood with hands on hips, looking at Lu Ran helplessly.

Lu Ran continued to wriggle, swaying left and right: "Why did you stop?"

Ma Ma Tianchuan lowered his head and smiled bitterly: "Forget it, I won't fight anymore."

Lu Ran: "Huh?"

"While I can still walk on my own." Ma Ma Tianchuan sighed deeply and walked quickly toward the edge of the stage.

He had no spirit left,

and no time left either.

What was even more terrifying was that Ma Ma Tianchuan lacked the ability to resolve the intimidation brought by the Divine Art: Sheep.

On the chairman's platform, Lu Ran was still slightly wriggling, looking for all the world like he was celebrating:

"Brother Ma is a decent man!"

"Heh." Ma Ma Tianchuan didn't even turn his head, merely waving his hand left and right.

He found his classmates; such an open and magnanimous demeanor carried a hint of glory even in defeat, earning rounds of applause and cheers.

Ma Ma Tianchuan's eyes gradually glazed over, his body gradually went limp, and he collapsed into his classmates' arms.

Shortly after, the dancing phantom on the stage quietly dissipated.

"Ran Bao!" Chang Ying shouted loudly, "Stop wriggling, the phantom is already gone!"

"Oh, oh, sorry, force of habit..."

Four thousand four hundred words, begging for monthly tickets!!

Thanks to Jiang Zhu Yu Jiang Qiao, Reader 20230621150739428, and Reader 20240119943. Bc, several bosses for their tips! Thanks for the support! You bosses are generous!

(⁎˃ ꇴ ˂⁎) Finger heart

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(End of Chapter)