Chapter 312: Supreme of Great Xia?!

Lu Ran rested for a full two days before finally nursing his exhausted body back to health.

That morning happened to be the day "Tian Jiao" announced its results.

A soaring score of 149 points allowed Lu Ran to tower over the crowd, leaping from third place on the overall rankings straight to the top!

First place on the Tian Jiao List!

As for where that one deducted point went,

nobody knew!

Perhaps sleeping too much made him utterly detestable?

Regardless, this honor filled Lu Ran with immense delight.

It also sent his supporters into a frenzy; the atmosphere across major forums was as festive as the New Year.

The youth who had once dominated Rain Alley had finally become the undisputed "Supreme of Great Xia"!

All ten judging teachers left comments for Lu Ran, yet the briefest of them all became the most famous.

It contained only five simple characters:

"The finest under heaven!"

Such an evaluation stirred the blood of the masses and filled his legion of fans with shared pride.

Regardless of whether this ranking could be maintained after the next two issues of "Tian Jiao," for now, Lu Ran was undeniably number one on the Heavenly List!

In an instant, Lu Ran became so red he turned purple, and so purple he turned black.

The "Tian Jiao" officials even approached Lu Ran, hoping he would cooperate with an interview program, afterward touring schools in remote regions with the production team to deliver warmth to the locals and encouragement to believer students.

In the past, Lu Ran's status as a Gao San student had exempted him from many such activities.

Now that he had entered university, the officials naturally came seeking him out.

Lu Ran felt this activity held genuine meaning and truly wished to participate.

The problem was, he was currently at a critical stage of breaking through to the Jiang Jing, requiring quiet contemplation and realization.

Helplessly, Lu Ran explained the situation to the program's leadership.

They did not make things difficult for him, merely agreeing that he would join the activities after successfully breaking through to the Jiang Jing.

No one believed Lu Ran would be like other believers, stuck forever at River Realm · Stage Five.

As Great Xia's number one Tian Jiao, he could naturally advance at any moment!

No one wanted to become a sinner against Great Xia.

However, the "Tian Jiao" side still hoped Lu Ran could spare two hours for a simple interview.

Unable to refuse again, Lu Ran agreed.

As it happened, on the nineteenth day of the lunar month, the very day the nationwide lockdown was lifted, the "Tian Jiao" crew arrived in Rain Alley.

For this interview, Lu Ran participated alongside Jiangjiang Ruyi; it lasted exactly two hours, after which the entire group immediately departed for the capital, leaving cleanly and decisively.

It left Lu Ran completely bewildered!

If he hadn't signed over a hundred autographs, Lu Ran would have truly thought this group couldn't be bothered with him.

Yet Lu Ran's good days seemed to last only these few.

Once everything returned to normal, Lu Ran fell back into the old rut of daily failure.

He had seized that sliver of spiritual light within the Rosy Cloud Domain, yet failed to seize his own.

At times, Lu Ran would reflect, wondering if he was simply too impatient.

Even for first or second-grade god-believers with the strongest talents, being stuck at River Realm · Stage Five for three to five months was perfectly normal.

Counting from his return home on the fourth day of the eighth lunar month, how many days of realization had he actually accumulated?

Holding such thoughts, Lu Ran calmed his mind, devoted himself to arduous contemplation day and night, and spent another fifteenth day of the lunar month in Rain Alley City.

On the night of the fifteenth day of the ninth lunar month, Lu Ran still teamed up with Sun Sun Zhengfang and others to conduct joint patrols.

That night, the Heavens opened their eyes and spared Rain Alley City, which had suffered so much.

Heaven finally spared Rain Alley, yet it did not spare Lu Ran.

He still had not found the path to advancement.

Jiangjiang Ruyi watched helplessly as Lu Ran grew more silent day by day, her heart filling with increasing worry.

Throughout it all, Lu Ran's path of advancement had been far too smooth.

At eighteen years old, he was already number one on Great Xia's Heavenly List; no matter how mature Lu Ran might be, his pride stood firmly in place.

Now, day after day of bitter seeking yielded no results.

To claim he hadn't suffered the slightest blow would undoubtedly be a lie.

On the fourth day of the tenth lunar month, these seemingly mundane days underwent a slight change.

That day, Lu Ran stayed on an abandoned rooftop by the Wu Lie River until two in the morning before returning home.

When he arrived back at his residence, he stood dumbfounded before the master bedroom door for a long time.

The bedroom was empty and desolate.

Only her faint fragrance remained, yet her figure was nowhere to be found.

For two months, Lu Ran had grown accustomed to finding warm meals in the kitchen and a sleeping figure in the master bedroom whenever he returned home.

Yet on this very day,

the meals remained, but the beauty was gone.

"Heh."

Lu Ran exhaled deeply, leaned his body sideways, and slumped against the doorframe.

Had he neglected her?

It seemed so.

It has been cold and neglected for a long time.

I have been coming back later and later each day.

When I woke up in the morning, she had already prepared breakfast and left, returning to the Jiang family to worship the gods.

Every day, the two of us seemed to exchange only a few words.

There were even a few days when I drilled into a dead end and did not return all night.

Perhaps, she has long been dissatisfied.

Lu Ran silently gazed at the empty bed for a long time before finally fetching his phone and scrolling through WeChat.

The last time the two of them chatted on their phones dated back to a very, very long time ago.

He checked the time; it was a little past two in the morning.

Lu Ran hesitated for a moment, then put away his phone.

After going to the kitchen to eat a late-night snack, Lu Ran returned to the master bedroom and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

On ordinary days, he slept only four or five hours; sometimes, before Jiang Ruyi had even awakened, he would quietly slip out.

Advancing to the Jiang Jing realm had become Lu Ran's obsession.

But today, Lu Ran slept so soundly it seemed day and night had merged, not waking up at all.

At dusk.

Jiangjiang Ruyi opened the door, stepped inside, and just as she casually closed it, she spotted a pair of shoes beneath the shoe rack to the side.

She couldn't help but pause in surprise.

"Thud." The door closed, the sound neither loud nor soft.

Jiangjiang Ruyi came to her senses, then felt her heart tighten.

She took off her leather boots, did not put on slippers, and quietly walked into the house.

As expected, on the large bed in the master bedroom, she saw Lu Ran's figure.

"You're back," Lu Ran said softly.

"Did I wake you?" Jiangjiang Ruyi asked in a gentle voice as she stepped inside.

Lu Ran, bleary-eyed, looked at Jiangjiang Ruyi who had come to the bedside, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.

She wore a dark, long trench coat and a dark red knitted scarf, elegant and beautiful.

Compared to the day they parted last autumn, the immaturity on her face had faded greatly.

Even with the warm-toned scarf mediating the look, it was hard to conceal her increasingly pure, cold, and aloof aura.

"Why didn't you go cultivate today?" Jiangjiang Ruyi pressed her knees against the edge of the bed, leaned forward slightly, and looked at Lu Ran, who remained silent.

Seeing her eyes still filled with tenderness, Lu Ran felt somewhat uncertain.

Did she not seem angry?

"Lu Ran?" Jiangjiang Ruyi called softly.

"I'm tired," Lu Ran averted his gaze and replied casually.

This reason was flawless.

For a full two months, except for the days around the fifteenth, Lu Ran had left early and returned late every single day.

Physical exhaustion was one aspect; mental exhaustion was another.

"Are you sick?" Jiangjiang Ruyi reached down with one hand and placed it on Lu Ran's forehead.

Cool and soft.

Jiangjiang Ruyi frowned slightly: "Why are you so hot?"

Lu Ran looked helplessly at his girlfriend, my lord: "Your hand is cold."

Jiangjiang Ruyi: "."

Lu Ran: "."

It was early in the tenth lunar month, the transition between autumn and winter; outside, it was indeed somewhat cold.

"As long as you aren't sick." Jiangjiang Ruyi gave Lu Ran a gentle, exasperated glance, stood up straight, untied her scarf as she walked out of the bedroom.

Moments later, her tall, graceful figure appeared again at the door of the master bedroom, one hand resting on the doorknob, poised to close it:

"Do you want to sleep a little longer?"

Lu Ran suddenly said: "Last night, you weren't home."

Jiangjiang Ruyi's movements froze.

Lu Ran: "Was there something with Uncle and Aunt? Or...?"

Jiangjiang Ruyi pressed her lips together, her expression hesitant: "I..."

"What's wrong?"

After hesitating for a long time, Jiangjiang Ruyi said in a low voice: "I advanced; I was cultivating before the divine shrine the whole time, so I didn't come over."

"Hmm?"

"River Realm, fifth stage."

"That's good news!" Joy surged in Lu Ran's heart, followed by some confusion, "Is there anything difficult to speak of in this?"

Jiangjiang Ruyi cautiously glanced at Lu Ran, then gently shook her head: "No."

One must know that as early as two months ago, Lu Ran was already at the River Realm, fifth stage.

When he first returned from Lady Luo Sister Xian Mountain, he resembled a celestial being, stars seemingly hidden within his eyes.

Day by day, Jiangjiang Ruyi watched with her own eyes as the light in his gaze gradually dimmed.

She lacked the ability to do anything; she could only strive to take good care of his daily life and restrain herself from disturbing his comprehension.

Now, two months later, the two of them were once again on equal footing.

Jiangjiang Ruyi knew how much Lu Ran had sacrificed and the hardship in his heart.

She was indeed somewhat worried that Lu Ran would suffer a slight blow.

"You..." Lu Ran pondered briefly, then understood the other's state of mind.

Feeling both annoyed and amused, he looked at his girlfriend and beckoned, "Come here."

Jiangjiang Ruyi lowered her head slightly and walked over.

As she neared the bed, a warm hand seized her icy wrist.

"Mm." Jiangjiang Ruyi let out a soft cry as she was yanked down onto the bed.

Lu Ran pinned her beneath him, propping himself up on both sides of her body, and looked down into her eyes:

"I'm overjoyed that you've advanced!

In your heart, am I really that petty?"

Jiangjiang Ruyi lifted her eyelids and scrutinized Lu Ran's eyes carefully.

After a long moment, she averted her gaze and whispered, "I was afraid you might take it too hard."

"Heh heh." Lu Ran was truly so angry he laughed.

When he saw a faint smile also bloom on Jiangjiang Ruyi's face, Lu Ran was so furious his teeth itched!

What kind of person do you think I am, exactly?

Is my own failure terrifying enough, but my girlfriend's success troubles me even more?

"I-I'll go make dinner," Jiangjiang Ruyi said softly, making a move to slip away.

Lu Ran pinned her down again: "Let's eat out; I'm treating you to a celebration!"

When he spoke the words "celebration," Lu Ran deliberately added heavy emphasis.

"Oh." Jiangjiang Ruyi looked away. "What shall we eat?"

Lu Ran snorted, "Hot-potted mutton; it suits your great achievements."

"Pfft-hehe~" Jiangjiang Ruyi couldn't help but laugh, then quickly stifled it.

Mutton was an ingredient that never appeared on the Lu family's dining table.

Although my lord Xiang Xiang Xianyang had no connection whatsoever with ordinary sheep in the world, he cared not at all.

But mutton still carried the character "sheep" within it.

"Let's go," Lu Ran urged; it had been a long time since he'd eaten hot-potted mutton, and he was indeed craving it.

The two dressed properly, donned hats and scarves, and after fully bundling up, quickly left their home.

At that moment, the pair did not yet know

what this outing would bring them.

Many thanks to the generous patrons Happy Little Deer Bambi and Qi Qi Heji for their many donations! Thanks to Jiang Zhu Yu Jiang Qiao and reader 20240915223930046 for their donations! You patrons are magnificent! Thank you for your support!

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(End of Chapter)