Chapter 391: After the Divine Ruins

Deep within the forest, two trails of immortal mist outlined the path of two Xiang Xiang Xianyang believers.

Lu Ran turned his head to look at the ethereal shadow gliding lightly and praised, "You're adapting quite well, aren't you?"

Deng Deng Yuxiang, however, said, "I have a layer of wind cushioning my feet."

Lu Ran understood immediately.

So she was using Ye Mei Xie Fa: Night Dance That Topple Cities.

No wonder she could move through the complex mountain forest terrain as effortlessly as a fish in water.

Lu Ran suddenly broke into a mischievous grin: "How does it feel? Using the evil arts of a sworn enemy from the past?"

The corner of Deng Deng Yuxiang's mouth lifted slightly, her smile unrestrained: "It feels... as if it were made for me from birth."

The mischievous grin on Lu Ran's face vanished instantly, replaced by a flash of delight in his eyes.

Has the Great Da Da Mengyan truly returned?!

Previously, on the day Lu Ran rescued Deng Deng Yuxiang, and even when he brought her back to Xianshan, she had acted as if nothing were wrong.

But after Lu Ran bound her to the Ye Mei Yemo Xiesu, her condition and reactions, including the way she dropped to one knee before him...

Lu Ran still felt that something was off.

Had she finally pulled through after more than half a month?

That phrase, "made for me from birth," carried an air of "if not me, then who" between the lines; that pride bordering on arrogance made Lu Ran's heart swell with joy!

"I'll go first." Deng Deng Yuxiang gazed at the magnificent palace gates in the distance.

"I'll go first!" Lu Ran drew his Xia Guang Dao and Zhan Ye Dao.

"Whoever is faster goes first." Deng Deng Yuxiang took the lead.

Although both parties' divine art, Immortal Hoof, was of Jiang Pin quality, Deng Deng Yuxiang's spellcasting intensity surpassed Lu Ran's by a margin!

This was because she was at Jiang Jing Stage Three, while Lu Ran was at Jiang Jing Stage Two.

Speaking purely of speed, Lu Ran truly was no match for the Great Da Da Mengyan.

"Are you forcing me to teleport?" Lu Ran retorted.

The feeling of not having to keep secrets was simply too exhilarating!

Deng Deng Yuxiang frowned slightly, her voice transmission sounding somewhat cold: "Stop fooling around!"

Lu Ran immediately took offense: "How dare you speak to the Lord of Demons like that?"

Deng Deng Yuxiang glanced at Lu Ran: "How dare you speak to your older sister like that?"

Lu Ran:???

What the heck?

"Hiss—"

Deng Deng Yuxiang went full throttle, immortal mist churning beneath her feet, deliberately darting out in front of Lu Ran.

Lu Ran was stunned speechless!

It was always him who made others eat dust!

Before this "Battle Sheep" Deng Deng Yuxiang joined the sect, where had Lu Ran ever suffered such treatment?

Lu Ran likewise went full throttle, heading straight for the palace gates.

"Boom!"

Deng Deng Yuxiang, wielding the Zhan Ye Dao, slashed heavily forward.

As the gate trembled, a tremendous force surged from the broken blade, flooding into Deng Deng Yuxiang's body.

She, who had been rushing forward at high speed, was like a cannonball that had been fired right back.

"Rumble-rumble-rumble!"

Lu Ran, wielding a pair of divine weapons, traced an "X" shape in front of him.

The gate trembled once more as the massive force struck!

Lu Ran's expression changed abruptly!

With a "whoosh," Lu Ran was blown flying, his blood and qi churning violently within his body.

"Crack!"

Lu Ran snapped a tree in half, only coming to a stop when his back slammed into a second tree.

He slid down to sit on the ground, desperately suppressing the chaotic energy surging inside him, feeling only a sweet taste rising in his throat.

"Lu Xiao Lu Lu Ran?" Deng Deng Yuxiang's face was filled with shock as she hurried to Lu Ran's side.

Was blood actually trickling from the corners of his mouth?

What?

She too had been invaded by that energy, shaken until her blood and qi churned, but it certainly shouldn't have reached the point of spitting blood?

"I'm fine." Lu Ran's face was grim.

In the distance, two slash marks were indeed left upon the magnificent palace gates.

Deng Deng Yuxiang knelt on one knee beside Lu Ran, examining his injuries, and analyzed calmly:

"Could it be that the higher the level of attack, the greater the rebound damage?"

"Very likely." Lu Ran tightened his grip on the two divine weapons.

Unfortunately, breaking through the gates of the Divine Ruins required close combat.

Lu Ran could not attack from a distance, nor could he command the divine weapons to fly and stab.

In other words, the person undergoing the trial had to use their own body to shatter the gates of the Divine Ruins.

"Hmm?" Lu Ran suddenly sensed something; focusing intently on the condition within his body, he asked, "Sister, have you noticed the problem?"

"What problem?"

Lu Ran closed his eyes and focused carefully: "When we struck the temple gates, the energy fed back to us was indeed harming us."

"But this energy seems to be helping us improve as well?"

"Oh?" Deng Deng Yuxiang looked somewhat puzzled.

Lu Ran verified it again and again, his face growing increasingly delighted: "It is exactly like that!"

He looked at the woman beside him: "The energy invading our bodies is indeed harming us; we should suppress it as quickly as possible."

"But at the very instant this violent energy injects into our bodies, it is helping us widen our meridians!"

Deng Deng Yuxiang nodded thoughtfully.

Compared to Lu Ran, her previous strike clearly lacked sufficient output level.

This resulted in the counterattack from the temple gates failing to reach the expected standard for her.

Therefore, what Deng Deng Yuxiang suffered was likely pure damage, with no mention of widening meridians!

"Sister, let's take turns!" Lu Ran immediately formulated a gate-attacking plan. "We'll both use Dawn Light and Silent Night; I'll strike, then you strike!"

"Anyway, this Divine Ruin was opened specifically for the two of us; it belongs to us."

"Unlike the Lord Bei Feng Divine Ruin, where no one knows who will claim it, forcing the disciples to fight crazily over it."

Deng Deng Yuxiang: "."

Those who are favored can be this willful!

Lu Ran stood up: "Let's go."

Deng Deng Yuxiang quickly shifted her mindset, adapting to the role of the favored one, and spoke:

"Then I'll clear the forest, leaving a path for us to be blown back along, so the other person can help dissipate the force."

Lu Ran nodded immediately: "Good!"

Moments later, the two Jiang Jing experts made full preparations; Lu Ran stood about a hundred meters from the Divine Ruin, poised to strike.

Unfortunately, the Splitting Soul Power of the Lie Hun Mo Xie Fa and the Barbaric Power of the Nv Ba Xie Fa could not stack.

Otherwise, Lu Ran's output could have reached another level entirely!

Even the Ghost General Soul of the Ghost General Xie Fa was unsatisfactory.

When Lu Ran summoned the remnant shadow of the General Soul to possess him, it indeed caused a surge in all his attributes, but in terms of strength, it still could not stack.

It was just so annoying~

"Hiss—"

Lu Ran gazed at the temple gates from afar and kicked off once more with his immortal hooves.

Deng Deng Yuxiang stood midway, her body tense.

Hearing a loud boom, the Divine Ruin hummed and trembled as Lu Ran was sent flying backward.

"Pfft"

This time, Lu Ran wasn't just bleeding from the corner of his mouth; he had transformed into a spray bottle, spewing a mist of blood.

The violent energy was expanding Lu Ran's "body container" in a manner bordering on devastation.

Damn, it truly f*cking hurts.

Deng Deng Yuxiang suddenly darted forward!

She intercepted the flying Lu Ran, sliding backward as she struggled to dissipate the force.

The two slid a long distance before finally coming to a steady halt.

Lu Ran trembled as he released his hands; the Dawn Light Blade and the Silent Night Blade automatically flew into Deng Deng Yuxiang's palms.

Deng Deng Yuxiang: "Are the divine weapons alright?"

Lu Ran struggled desperately to calm the chaotic energy surging within him, his speech stuttering: "N-no, it's fine; the energy was all transferred to us through, cough cough, the blade bodies."

Seeing Lu Ran's miserable appearance, Deng Deng Yuxiang couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

She whispered softly: "Lu Xiao Lu Lu Ran, hide in the bushes, cast Cage Fire, and heal yourself first; I'll wait for you."

Suddenly, a sinister voice simultaneously imprinted itself into both their minds:

"You two..."

Lu Ran was startled and hurriedly urged Deng Deng Yuxiang: "Quick, go attack the Divine Ruin!"

Deng Deng Yuxiang's heart also tightened.

She strode out with her long legs, gripping the two divine weapons, and shot straight forward!

"Hmph." Another cold snort echoed within Lu Ran's mind.

Lu Ran wore an expression of utmost obedience, daring not to say a single word.

"Boom-rumble!" The gates of the Divine Ruin emitted a violent roar once again.

Deng Deng Yuxiang was blasted back; she gritted her teeth, feeling the violent energy rampaging wildly within her body.

Lu Ran was right!

It truly was an unexpected surprise!

For human believers to widen their meridians, it could only happen during breakthroughs or when receiving blessings from orthodox gods.

Who would have thought that during the process of attacking a Divine Ruin, as long as your output was explosive enough, you could receive such a benefit?

"Mm."

Lu Ran let out a muffled groan, steadily catching Deng Deng Yuxiang and striving to dissipate the momentum.

He dared not delay; grabbing the two divine weapons, he rushed rapidly toward the Divine Ruin.

"Bang!!"

"Boom-rumble..."

The two alternated their attacks, and the earth-shaking sounds reverberated throughout the entire Ye Ye Yucheng.

The people in the city had long discovered that a magnificent and grand ancient palace had appeared atop Lady Luo Sister Xian Mountain.

From afar, the crowds watched and quickly snapped photos to commemorate the moment.

Compared to the rest of the world, the few individuals guarding the eastern entrance of Lady Luo Sister Xian Village felt their hearts grow increasingly grim.

Every booming sound was like a heavy hammer striking ruthlessly at everyone's heart.

Such high-frequency output, such high-frequency damage taken—

If it were those River Realm·Stage Five disciples from Lord Bei Feng City, they would likely have already suffered severe injuries, spat blood, and fallen into unconsciousness.

Yet on Lu Ran's side, there were only two people!

A River Realm body is indeed formidable, but how long can it endure?

"Mm." Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi, nestled in Jiangjiang Ruyi's embrace, did not want to listen anymore, yet she was unwilling to leave.

Of course, she was not the only one harboring such contradictory feelings.

Jiangjiang Ruyi, Deng Yutang, Bai Bai Manni—

Even the two Elder Chengs sighed silently.

"Thump."

In the mountains far away, Deng Deng Yuxiang spat blood from the corner of her mouth; she struggled to climb up, only to stagger and collapse back onto the ground.

Lu Ran was equally disheveled; his trembling hand gripped the divine weapon tightly as he gazed toward the distant palace gate.

The gate was already covered in cracks, appearing as though it were about to collapse.

But hadn't the gate's condition been exactly like this during the first three attacks?

It seemed to offer the pair a glimmer of hope, yet stood unshaken, mocking their incompetence.

Damn!

Lu Ran wiped the blood from his lips.

I really want to just unleash my ultimate move!

Summon the Qingtian Evil Spear of the Evil Spear Emperor Clan and pierce this broken gate to smithereens!

Or connect with the Manhuang Nuba Clan and directly summon a colossal Manhuang Evil Axe!

Which of those isn't explosive output?

Hurry the hell up and let me into the Divine Ruins!

This life of hiding and evading—even a dog wouldn't stand for it if you gave it to one.

I don't even know how I managed to endure these past two years.

"Woof~ Wait, no, Great Dream Da Da Mengyan?"

Lu Ran arrived beside Deng Deng Yuxiang, his head buzzing.

"Mm." Deng Deng Yuxiang gritted her teeth, propping herself up with one hand on the ground as she struggled to rise.

Strictly speaking, her physical condition was slightly better than Lu Ran's, after all, Lu Ran's output exceeded hers.

The reason she looked so wretched now was that the previous strike had come from her.

Deng Deng Yuxiang finally stood up and reached for the blade in Lu Ran's hand: "Let me do it."

Lu Ran dodged his hand away: "We agreed to take turns; are you trying to replace me?"

Deng Deng Yuxiang lowered her head and smiled, continuing to snatch for the weapon in Lu Ran's hand.

Taking care of you,

isn't that what I'm supposed to do?

"We'll go together," Lu Ran said suddenly.

"Hm?"

"Before the third strike, the gate was already in this state; I'm betting it's a spent arrow!" Lu Ran said in a deep voice.

Deng Deng Yuxiang's head was still somewhat dizzy; she squinted, striving to make out the distant gate:

"What if we bet wrong?"

Lu Ran flew into a temper: "Then I'll unleash my ultimate move and cast the Xie Fa technique: Eight-Palquin Ghost Sedan!

Let the ghost bearers carry us both; we'll damn well ram straight inside!"

Deng Deng Yuxiang wanted to laugh, but due to the excruciating pain radiating through her limbs and bones, her smile was forced: "You riding in a big red sedan chair with me?

Aren't you afraid Jiang Ruyi will slaughter you?"

Lu Ran: "..."

Deng Deng Yuxiang gripped the Silent Night Blade with one hand; as she moved, a stream of fresh blood dripped down.

She insisted stubbornly: "Let me do it."

"Go! Charge!" Lu Ran tucked Deng Deng Yuxiang's arm under his and moved forward several steps, when suddenly a surge of immortal mist erupted beneath their feet.

Deng Deng Yuxiang's heart jumped in alarm!

She hastily adjusted her stride; since Lu Ran was determined to proceed, she absolutely could not drag him down.

"Hiss—"

Relying on her powerful bodily control, Deng Deng Yuxiang caused immortal mist to gush forth from beneath her own feet as well.

The one-leading-one became two moving side by side.

And this time, the Rosy Light Blade in Lu Ran's hand burst forth with an unprecedented luster.

Golden-red light, brilliant and dazzling!

Deng Deng Yuxiang finally understood what Lu Ran intended to do!

Succeed or die?

Given the condition of the two of them, they truly could not hold out much longer.

"Give it your all!" Lu Ran suddenly shouted.

Deng Deng Yuxiang's face stiffened!

"Execute the order!" Lu Ran shouted harshly.

"Ahhh!" In the flash of an instant, Deng Deng Yuxiang had no time to think; the two words 'order' made her grab Lu Ran's spine and shove him forward fiercely.

"Crack!!"

A flash of rosy light erupted as the Divine Ruins gate exploded open with a boom.

An extremely piercing sound made people's eardrums ache!

It was as if a huge pane of glass had shattered, or as if the entire world had been torn open with a gap.

The tiny humans, one in front and one behind, crashed into the solemn and sacred palace.

Lu Ran's eyes widened slightly.

All he could see directly ahead was a thick cluster of immortal mist!

"Whoosh~ Whoosh~"

The two of them, one leading and one following, plunged consecutively into the white mist cluster.

At the same time, the sacred palace on Xianshan instantly exploded apart.

Broken bricks and shattered tiles flew in all directions.

The gate-battering sound, which had continued for so very long, finally ceased.

The illusory bricks and tiles scattering through the air carried boundless energy, a gift to the world.

Below Xianshan, a wave of jubilation broke out!

Countless cultivators who had arrived early and waited bitterly now scrambled sky and earth, frantically snatching up the broken bricks and shattered tiles.

As for those two disciples of Xiang Xiang Xianyang, they had vanished completely from the mortal world.

Meanwhile, in some unknown region.

"Thump, thump, thump..."

Lu Ran crashed heavily onto the ground; like a stone skipping across water, his body bounced repeatedly, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Lu Xiao Lu Lu Ran?"

In his dazed state, a familiar voice came faintly, as if from the edge of the sky.

Lu Ran lay on his side on the ground, opened his eyes, then immediately covered his face with one hand.

In the distance, mountain ridges rose and fell; the setting sun was like blood.

Heh,

after the Divine Ruins.

Four thousand words; begging for some monthly tickets!

(End of chapter)