Chapter 34: Soul-Capturing Sheep

1:30 PM, west of Rain Alley City, at the feet of the Witch Crow.

A business van passed through layers of security checks and slowly drove into the military camp area.

"Quite a lot of people," Lu Ran said inside the vehicle, looking around and seeing many social practitioners, among whom were no shortage of high school students like them.

Thanks to the policy support of the Great Xia, students who came to complete their assignments did not need to pay any fees.

The military would even specially dispatch a soldier to serve as a proctor for the team free of charge.

From another perspective, wasn't this proctor also a bodyguard?

"Is that Gao Zhonglin?" Deng Yutang suddenly spoke up from the front passenger seat.

Lu Ran turned his gaze and saw a slightly chubby youth wearing glasses.

The usually silent Tian Tian spoke up for a rare occasion, whispering, "It's him, that person who is so amazing."

Gao Zhonglin's rise to prominence was quite similar to Lu Ran's, which could be described in one sentence—he appeared out of nowhere!

In the first assessment, Gao Zhonglin took third place on the individual leaderboard.

In the second assessment, he charged straight to second place in the entire school!

You have to know, in the two years before the God-Worship, Gao Zhonglin hadn't even made it into the top fifty of the school.

As a result, after the God-Worship...

People like Ma Tianchuan, Jiang Ruyi, and Wu Shanshan, all of you, step aside!

Three words: The wolf is here!

Although, well, this little wolf cub is a bit chubby.

But it actually fits the word "Greed" quite well, doesn't it?

"Could he be as amazing as my Brother Lu?" Deng Yutang said casually.

Lu Ran nodded in agreement: "That's definitely not possible."

In the back row, Jiang Ruyi extended her slender, jade-like fingers and poked the back of Lu Ran's head: "Be a bit more humble."

Lu Ran didn't take it to heart: "I'm just stating the facts!"

He, a Greed Wolf believer, makes those high-and-mighty top student lords step aside.

I, a Xiang Xiang Xianyang believer, make the Greed Wolf believers step aside!

What is called defying the heavens?

"You can go back now; we will be staying inside for a long time." Deng Yutang looked at the driver, "After we come out, I'll call you again."

"Alright."

As the vehicle came to a steady stop, the group quickly got out, retrieved their weapons from the trunk, and immediately rushed to the central building to register and line up.

Besides his weapon, Lu Ran had also specially brought a red scarf and tied it around his arm.

He was already prepared to try the "sound-based positioning" taught by the Great Nightmare.

Actually, Lu Ran also wanted to carry a backpack with some food and water.

But these supplies could not be brought into the Demon Cave.

Inside each stone city, as well as at supply points in the wilderness, water and food were provided, but they required Demon Crystals to exchange.

In a word:

Training is free.

Eating, drinking, and sleeping cost money!

Of course, if you dare to camp in the wilderness, living on dog meat and dog blood, the military won't stop you.

Save money, then,

You'd better save it with your life!

"Instructor Dou!"

"What a coincidence, is Instructor Dou proctoring us again?"

After the group had been waiting in line for a long time, as they neared the building entrance, they saw an old acquaintance walking over and immediately greeted him.

Dou Zhiqiang, however, said: "I am specifically responsible for Team 98."

The group: "..."

Dou Zhiqiang's gaze swept over them: "This time entering the Vicious Dog Village, how long do you plan to stay inside?"

The group looked at each other, and Jiang Ruyi stood out: "Instructor Dou, we will likely stay for quite a while.

Our weapons and Divine Power Orbs need to be upgraded, and we need to slay many demons."

Dou Zhiqiang nodded: "For the 15th City Defense mission, how did your team do?"

Jiang Ruyi: "First place."

A rare trace of appreciation appeared on Dou Zhiqiang's face as he turned his gaze to Lu Ran: "And individually?"

Lu Ran smiled embarrassedly: "I regressed; I couldn't get such a high score this time."

"Hmph." Dou Zhiqiang snorted, "You still want to score 98 points?"

"One must have dreams!" Lu Ran sighed, "This time I only scored 91.2 points, a regression."

The cold-faced instructor was clearly stunned for a moment!

He confirmed: "15th City Defense, 91 points?"

Lu Ran shook his head: "Not 91 points, it's 91.2 points."

In the time it took to say two sentences, you deducted 0.2 points from me; can I handle this or not?

Dou Zhiqiang: "..."

Jiang Ruyi chimed in at the right moment: "Instructor Dou, Lu Ran performed very well.

This 15th Night, he was still first.

Including Cloud Mountain City, he was first in the overall ranking of the 5 county-level cities under its jurisdiction."

Upon hearing this, Dou Zhiqiang's expression was quite colorful.

It is interesting to note,

When the four-person group was in the car, Jiang Ruyi had advised Lu Ran to be more humble.

However, when facing the skepticism of outsiders...

Not only did Jiang Ruyi speak up to defend him, but she also seemed even a little bit prouder than Lu Ran himself?

After a full several seconds, Dou Zhiqiang turned and walked away: "Follow me!"

The group didn't dare to delay and immediately stepped forward to follow the instructor.

Lu Ran secretly looked at Jiang Ruyi and whispered: "Be a bit more humble."

Jiang Ruyi: "..."

Unlike the last assessment.

This time, after Dou Zhiqiang led the group into the Demon Cave, he went straight to the South City Gate.

Then he transformed into a crow again, leaving the stage to the few young people.

"South Gate." Lu Ran gripped his Rosy Cloud Blade tightly, gazing into the distance at the torch path.

Jiang Ruyi: "There seem to be fewer practitioners here?"

"Isn't that exactly what we want?" Deng Yutang weighed the red-tasseled spear in his hand, full of energy.

By now, the group had already experienced one 15th Night, and most were full of confidence.

Even Tian Tian wasn't overly worried.

"Woof!" Suddenly, the hunting sound of a canine came from the front right.

Deng Yutang reacted extremely quickly, carrying his Heavenly Star Spear and stepping forward.

It was clear that there really weren't many human practitioners in this direction.

The group was still within the range of the city gate, and demons were already attacking.

"Mist Realm, about 2nd or 3rd stage?" Deng Yutang shouted in a deep voice.

From behind, Lu Ran's voice came: "Let Squad Leader Jiang use her new Divine Technique; let's see its power."

"That works too." Deng Yutang stopped his feet but remained at the very front of the team.

Jiang Ruyi had no objections; her hands hung naturally, and her fingertips lightly traced something.

"Woof!" The vicious dog was extremely fast.

Jiang Ruyi's Divine Technique was ready, already primed, but she didn't strike immediately.

The group already had quite rich experience in slaughtering vicious dogs.

The vicious dog clan is fast, and their reactions are not bad either; if you want to kill with one strike, you have to find an opportunity, not blindly output.

Deng Yutang's body tensed, his legs slightly bowed, gripping the Heavenly Star Spear tightly.

"Woof!!"

The vicious dog closed in, estimated the distance was sufficient, and immediately lunged forward.

In that blood-filled mouth, the fangs were sharp, biting straight toward Deng Yutang.

"Yu Tang, retreat!" Jiang Ruyi flicked two fingers forward.

Deng Yutang decisively leaped backward; at the same time, a thin fire snake brushed past him.

During the flight of the flame rune, an illusory white jade slab appeared, carrying the fire snake, pressing straight toward the vicious dog.

Divine Technique: Exploding Flame Rune!

"Woof!!"

The vicious dog widened its pair of dog eyes, its lunging body twisting crazily, but there was nowhere to borrow force.

Thin dog, daring to jump?

If you dare to jump, I dare to kill you in seconds!

"Boom!"

Under the vicious dog's struggle and twisting, the Exploding Flame Rune didn't hit the dog's head, but it slammed solidly onto the dog's body.

In an instant,

Firelight exploded, airwaves surged!

Pieces of flesh splattered everywhere, blood raining down.

"Woo~ woo~~~"

The vicious dog was blasted straight back, its cries echoing through the wilderness, extremely miserable.

"Die!" Deng Yutang stomped his feet and lunged forward.

Finishing off the enemy, he is a professional!

Although Deng Yutang's ambitions didn't lie here.

But the current strength composition of the four-person group made him have to take Jiang and Lu as the absolute core.

Until Deng Yutang finished off the vicious dog's life, Jiang Ruyi then turned to look at Lu Ran, slightly raising her eyebrows:

"Satisfied?"

"Mm-hmm!" Lu Ran nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of appreciation.

Worthy of being a noble Mage!

Just at Mist Realm, 3rd stage, she already has this kind of output capability.

And the Master Yu Fu Gate believers are also known as "late-game" players; one can imagine how terrifying Beauty Jiang will be in the future!

Lu Ran took the opportunity to say: "If we want to upgrade our equipment, we have to slaughter a thousand Mist Realm vicious dogs."

"And that's just to upgrade the Stream Artifact Divine Power Orb."

"We still have the weapons rewarded by the school, which means adding another thousand Mist Realm vicious dogs; this kind of quantity..."

"I don't know when we'll finish killing them."

Jiang Ruyi pondered: "Do you want to challenge Stream Realm vicious dogs?"

The ratio of Stream Realm Demon Crystals to Mist Realm Demon Crystals is 1:10.

Two thousand Mist Realm vicious dogs can be converted into 200 Stream Realm vicious dogs.

Lu Ran nodded: "Stream Realm vicious dogs don't have defensive techniques; they are also flesh and blood, blades and spears can kill them, and jade talismans can shatter them."

Jiang Ruyi thought for a moment, still choosing to play it safe: "No rush, let's slay demons nearby first."

"Wait until Yu Tang and Tian Tian both advance to Mist Realm, 3rd stage, then we'll head to the next stone city."

Hearing Goddess Jiang's decision, Tian Tian immediately agreed: "I'm about to advance, and I've also memorized the Divine Technique that matches the next stage."

"After advancing, I can summon lotus buds on the ground to imprison demons."

Regarding the technique "Earth-Born Lotus," Lu Ran and the others had seen it with their own eyes; on the 15th Night, team leader Zhang Feng had used this method to imprison demons.

With this method to assist, the team is naturally like a tiger with wings!

When facing the attack of 2 vicious dogs again, Tian Tian would be enough to force one of them offline!

"I'm almost there too!" Deng Yutang didn't need to be asked, he answered preemptively, and added another sentence, "Believe me, I'm even more anxious than you guys."

The fact was indeed so!

Because at Mist Realm, 3rd stage, Red Scarf believers can learn a quite powerful Divine Technique—Red Scarf Soul!

Once possessing this technique, Deng Yutang could get rid of his current awkward situation.

To put it mildly, the Divine Technique Red Scarf Soul is Deng Yutang's confidence to win against the strong while being weak.

To put it broadly...

Red Scarf Soul,

Is the capital for the group of Red Scarf believers to defy their superiors!

This technique allows Red Scarf believers to enter a berserk mode, causing all body attributes to skyrocket in a short time!

The amplification value is particularly considerable!

This is also why Jiang Ruyi insisted on waiting for Deng Yutang to advance before challenging Stream Realm vicious dogs.

Among the believers in the world, who doesn't know the power of "Red Scarf Soul"?

"Oh my, I believe you, I believe you." Lu Ran said with a smile, "Then let's advance first..."

Before he finished speaking, Lu Ran's body stiffened.

He faintly had a feeling that some invisible thing had quietly merged into his body.

"Lu Ran?" Jiang Ruyi was delicate in her thinking and noticed Lu Ran's abnormality, "What's wrong with you?"

Lu Ran's eyes were slightly vacant, and in his mind, a bizarre scene was emerging.

This was a world shrouded in mist, and among the layers of mist, demon statues stood like a forest.

And the soul of that vicious dog that had just been slaughtered drifted into the "Demon Sculpture Garden," being sucked into the huge vicious dog statue.

Ha, Xiang Xiang Xianyang Lord!

Since the last time we met, you're not pretending anymore, are you?

Don't be impatient,

I'm going to capture the soul right now!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 35 =====