Chapter 276: Graduation Final Exam

Lu Ran had thought he would be fortunate enough to reach the top floor and take in the entire view of Yu Xiang City.

But under Captain Ge Bin's lead, Lu Ran and Jiangjiang Ruyi arrived at the eleventh floor, at an outdoor restaurant.

Lu Ran had a deep impression of this place.

On the night of the fifteenth last month, when Lu Ran rushed over to provide support, it was here that he landed and observed the battlefield.

"Senior Liu?" Lu Ran asked, somewhat surprised.

The outdoor restaurant had been cleared out entirely; only a single round table stood there, lonely and isolated.

Before the small round table, Lu Ran caught sight of Liu Liu Yunlan's figure.

Since their last meeting, Lu Ran had investigated Liu Liu Yunlan and learned she was the Deputy Director of the Cloud Mountain City Divine People Bureau.

However, Lu Ran did not change his form of address, still calling her "Senior."

At this moment, Liu Liu Yunlan wore the standard uniform of a Divine People Enforcer, her long hair pinned up at the back of her head with a simple hair clip, appearing neat and capable.

Already possessing a dignified aura, the uniform only added to her presence, giving off a faint sense of oppression.

So, two great experts mobilizing together—what exactly are they planning to do?

"You've arrived," Liu Liu Yunlan said, looking at the few people approaching.

"Hello, Senior Liu," Jiangjiang Ruyi called out softly, standing beside Lu Ran.

The young girl was gentle, refined, and radiant, while Lu Ran was heroic, upright, and honored as a Great Xia prodigy.

Seeing this pair of young man and woman, Liu Liu Yunlan nodded silently, thinking they were well-matched.

She gestured toward the wooden chairs before the table and said softly, "Please sit."

As everyone took their seats, Lu Ran brought up the past again: "Thank you, Senior Liu, for your help that night."

This gratitude came from the bottom of his heart; if not for the stable environment Liu Liu Yunlan created, the Night Blade could never have become a divine weapon.

Liu Liu Yunlan looked at the humble young man before her and said, "No need for such politeness."

Captain Ge Bin spoke up: "Speaking of which, we should also thank you for stepping in to help."

For the upper echelons of the human race, crises were classified by grade.

Therefore, on the night of September 15th last year, when the River Realm·Yin Hua Dan descended, great River Realm human experts had already been stationed in Yu Xiang City well in advance.

However, on the fifteenth of last month, although the human race had deduced that Yu Xiang City would face a crisis, it was not yet severe enough to dispatch great experts from outside to provide support.

In other words, after the Demon Lord descended that night, Liu Liu Yunlan and Ge Bin were Yu Xiang City's final line of defense!

No one would have expected a young man to voluntarily step forward and contact the command center.

That single sentence, "I have once killed a River Realm vicious dog," truly stunned everyone present.

Before Lu Ran arrived, the two of them were locked in a bitter struggle.

The moment he arrived, the situation on the battlefield instantly turned around!

It really felt like "divine troops descending from the heavens"!

While everyone chatted, Jiangjiang Ruyi picked up the teapot on the table and poured tea for the group.

This gentle and obedient demeanor made Liu Liu Yunlan like her even more.

She asked, "With graduation approaching, which university have you two decided to attend?"

Lu Ran replied, "Wu Lie River University."

"Oh?" Liu Liu Yunlan felt quite surprised; although Wu Lie River University was good, it was by no means top-tier.

Lu Ran smiled and said, "Thinking of home, I can't go far."

Liu Liu Yunlan paused briefly in thought, knowing clearly that the reason Lu Ran gave was not its literal meaning.

Captain Ge Bin suddenly asked, "Like Like Like Xiao Deng?"

Lu Ran nodded and said, "My state of mind when I advanced to the River Realm was rather special.

From that moment on, I knew I could not go far, nor did I wish to go far."

Hearing this, Liu Liu Yunlan and Ge Bin exchanged a glance.

Regarding Lu Ran's response, the two of them were actually not surprised.

Presumably, they had done some investigation beforehand.

At Liu Liu Yunlan's suggestion, Ge Bin followed up smoothly: "Have you ever considered joining the Divine People Bureau, like Deng Deng Yuxiang?"

"The Divine People Bureau?"

"Yes," Ge Bin nodded. "Since you, like Like Like Xiao Deng, deeply love this land, why not join the Divine People Bureau?

We guarantee we will do our utmost to aid your growth and provide you with all the support you need."

Lu Ran: "."

The gods you revere probably won't treat me as kindly as you do.

Does this count as infiltrating from within?

Hmm... perhaps I shouldn't put it that way.

The Divine People Enforcers are indeed believers of various gods, but the Divine People Bureau is a state organ, and its public officials ought to be loyal to Great Xia.

That should be the case, right?

Lu Ran's understanding of this world was not yet deep enough; he did not know exactly what kind of relationship existed between Great Xia and the various gods.

The restaurant fell silent, with only the sound of the wind blowing through.

Liu Liu Yunlan quietly watched Lu Ran, watching this rising star of a general.

Nowadays, Lu Ran was already ranked third on the Great Xia Hero List!

Under normal circumstances, a young person like this could not be kept in a small place.

But just as with Lu Ran's choice of university, it wasn't about where he could be kept, but where he chose to be.

Just now, Lu Ran had stated with his own mouth: He is not leaving.

Liu Liu Yunlan couldn't help but sigh inwardly: After so many years, the rain-swept alley, tottering in the storm, had finally welcomed its own guardian deity.

"Let me consider it a bit more." Lu Ran looked at the two of them. "I thank both seniors for valuing me so highly."

"There's no need to rush." Liu Liu Yunlan spoke softly. "Take your time to experience university life, participate in more activities, and travel around to see different places."

"Like little Deng, after seeing the world before returning, your perspective will inevitably be quite different."

"Those experiences will all become the nutrients for your growth."

"Mm." Lu Ran nodded repeatedly.

Liu Liu Yunlan said, "Go to school with peace of mind; in a moment, we will leave our phone numbers with you."

"If you need any help, or if there are matters back home that need resolving, call us anytime."

Lu Ran did not refuse: "Alright."

Liu Liu Yunlan shifted her gaze slightly, looking toward Jiangjiang Ruyi, who had been sitting quietly.

The young girl had suffered some neglect, yet she seemed to harbor no dissatisfaction.

Jiangjiang Ruyi, noticing the senior's glance, whispered, "I'll go with him."

Liu Liu Yunlan chuckled speechlessly, turning her head to look beyond the railing.

Buy one, get one free?

It seemed that if Lu Ran was willing to join the Divine People Bureau, Jiangjiang Ruyi would naturally come along as well.

"Tonight, Rain Alley City is likely to be quite unstable," Liu Liu Yunlan opened another topic, reminding the two.

"Mm." Lu Ran's face turned grim.

Liu Liu Yunlan gazed into the distance, looking at the commercial district where prosperity mingled with signs of decay:

"Little Lu, get ready; we may ask for your help."

"Senior Liu, this is my hometown; there is no need to ask, this is what I ought to do," Lu Ran said with a serious expression and a deep voice.

Liu Liu Yunlan turned her head, a smile of appreciation on her face, her eyes seeming to hold an extra measure of maternal affection:

"Call me Aunt Liu."

Such words caught Lu Ran off guard.

This one Jiang Jing powerhouse was releasing goodwill toward Lu Ran, without the slightest concealment: "It sounds closer that way."

"Alright, Aunt Liu." Lu Ran grinned broadly, his mind active and lively.

In the future, once the Two Two Biwu Divine Statues in my garden are fully cultivated, if you could switch allegiance to the Ran Sect, then we would be even closer.

Lu Ran hurriedly shook his head, casting aside the fantasy.

To actually dare to fantasize about recruiting the head of the Divine People Bureau under his command—truly audacious to the heavens!

Mm... regardless, at this moment he was in a stage of rising.

Building wide connections, choosing carefully, and infiltrating secretly was ultimately never wrong.

Half an hour later, Captain Ge Bin escorted Lu and Jiang downstairs.

Along the way, Captain Ge Bin instructed Lu Ran: "Do not reveal the content of this conversation to outsiders."

"Oh." Lu Ran nodded thoughtfully.

Captain Ge Bin explained, "The identity of a Lu Tianjiao is very sensitive; Great Xia's protection over you is very strong."

"You should have also noticed that very few Great Xia departments have contacted you privately."

Lu Ran: "..."

To tell the truth, it was only because Lu Ran was not familiar with Captain Ge Bin.

Had it been Sun Sun Zhengfang instead, Lu Ran would have definitely retorted with a sentence: Aren't you breaking the law while knowing it?

As the two returned to the group, Deng Deng Tianchang and the others all looked curiously at Lu Ran.

Lu Ran shrugged his shoulders: "Last time I supported this place, I parted hastily with the two powerhouses."

"Today, our examination venue just happens to be here, so Captain Ge came to find me to catch up on old times."

As he spoke, Lu Ran suddenly realized something.

This time, his examination venue was at the Wu Lie Building; could this be the Divine People Bureau's doing on purpose?

They had deliberately manufactured a chance encounter~

Jiangjiang Ruyi suggested, "Let's walk around near the square to understand the surrounding environment."

"Sure." Zhang Feng naturally did not refuse.

Under the envious gazes of the soldiers standing guard, the group activated patrol mode, wandering east and strolling west.

The daytime hours thus passed in a flash.

Nightfall gradually descended; the flickering neon lights dazzled Lu Ran's eyes.

Row upon row of commercial buildings and street-side shops, though their doors had long been tightly shut, still had their signboard lights flashing.

The prosperous night scene stubbornly displayed the traces of civilization, as if provoking the blood-eating, flesh-rending evil spirits.

The bright moon hung high, with clusters of floating clouds.

A night without rain was terrifyingly silent.

The five-person squad stood before the building; they had not spoken for a long time, everyone waiting for something.

"Whoosh~"

Lu Ran immediately turned his head to look.

Under the streetlamp far away by the roadside, energy surged violently, and one after another, Blood Disaster Dogs descended.

"Woof!"

"Woof woof! Woof!" Barks erupted from all directions, grating on people's nerves and stirring unrest.

"Buzz!!"

Lu Ran felt only a violent tremor behind him.

The dim night was hair-raising; only the Silent Night Blade enjoyed it fully.

Now, this "pleasant" atmosphere had been shattered by the Blood Disaster Hounds; how could the Silent Night Blade tolerate it?

"Go," Lu Ran said softly.

"Whoosh~" The Silent Night Blade shot out in an instant.

Jiangjiang Ruyi drew Liang Ye from her waist and commanded, "Tian Tian, deploy the Nine-Petaled Lotus to protect the buildings!"

"Deng Yutang, charge and kill! Chang Ying, Eight Treasures Lots!"

Lu Ran said, "Just like our training in Ghost Moon Mountain; don't feel any pressure."

"Got it!"

Chang Ying immediately grasped a lot tube, shaking it back and forth; the eight lots inside clattered loudly.

"Whoosh!"

A golden lot shot out, making Chang Ying's eyes light up unexpectedly.

For real?

She had already prepared herself to draw a rotten lot; was her luck this good today?

"Whoosh!"

The tiny golden lot suddenly expanded.

The Eight Treasures Lots' Defense Lot!

"Lend it to me." Lu Ran looked up at the golden lot, a thought stirring in his heart.

A swirl of mist surged beneath his feet; he shot high up, both hands gripping the upper rim of the golden lot.

"Huh?" Chang Ying was somewhat puzzled; how exactly was he borrowing it?

"Fly up!" Lu Ran shouted loudly.

"Oh." Chang Ying reached out with one hand, controlling the golden lot to carry Lu Ran flying into the night sky.

As she continuously adjusted it, the golden lot leveled parallel to the ground; Lu Ran stood upon it, as if treading a golden raft.

"Baa~~~"

The bleating suddenly arose; the Blood Disaster Hounds all raised their heads.

Columns of fire sprayed toward the night sky, no longer posing any threat to the buildings.

The lot served as a raft, the fire as waves.

Lu Ran rose and fell amidst the fiery waves, bleating at the top of his lungs.

The Graduation Final Exam had officially begun!

(End of Chapter)