Chapter 505: The Path to Heaven?

"Damn thing."

Lu Ran gripped the Green Dragon Crescent Blade tightly, muttering under his breath; even though he had long since shut off the Xie Fa's evil consciousness, he was still jolted by sudden shocks.

What made things even more troublesome was that this herd of Black Fire Steeds had also been startled by the noise.

Hooves stamped chaotically, walls of flame rose high one after another, and rings of fire expanded outward.

The scene was utterly chaotic!

"Whoosh~"

Lu Ran's figure flashed, retreating to a small hillock several hundred meters away.

At this spot, four people were standing.

Deng Deng Yuxiang, looking at the returning figure's resentful expression, curled the corners of her mouth slightly: "General Ran, failed again?"

Whenever others were present, she was always respectful and submissive toward Lu Ran, forever building up the Gate Master's prestige.

But this did not stop her from teasing a certain someone via voice transmission.

"Hmph." Lu Ran snorted in displeasure.

With a casual wave of his hand, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade in his grip (the Ghost General's Blade) quietly shattered, dissolving into specks of energy.

It was said that Black Fire Steeds recognized their masters, were extremely loyal to the Ghost General clan, and would unconditionally cooperate with the Ghost General clan in operations and charging into battle to kill enemies.

However, Lu Ran, as the master of the Demon Creature·Ghost General, was unable to control the Black Fire Steeds.

It was just infuriating~

Lu Ran was so angry he wanted to craft a Demon Creature·Ghost General on the spot and then throw him into the horse herd.

Ride them one by one!

Unfortunately, the quota for crafting Ghost Generals was already full; the Ghost Generals were all stationed guarding Cloud Sea Cliff.

If he sent a voice transmission asking Crazy Immortal Girl to help slaughter a Ghost General so he could summon another... hmm, there wasn't much need.

To forge iron, one must be strong oneself.

Lu Ran still wanted to become a Ghost General himself, riding a great horse with imposing dignity.

"Sigh." He let out a sigh; the disguise plan had failed completely!

These tall, mighty horses truly had fierce temperaments.

Not only could they not be ridden, they wouldn't even let anyone touch them.

Hmm, just as fierce as the Great Da Da Mengyan~

Yu Fish Changsheng's eyes held a hint of amusement as he smiled and said, "If only the Gate Master had brought the Dharma Artifact·Wind Barrier Pearl.

No matter how fierce the fire within the horse herd became, the Gate Master would have remained unharmed and continued to tame them."

Lu Ran: "."

He turned his head, gazing at Yu Fish Changsheng with a resentful look.

"Hehe~" Seeing Lu Ran's little glance, Yu Fish Changsheng couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Lu Ran was numb!

From Dragon! And Big Sister Deng... This Lord has truly spoiled you all rotten!

Regarding the matter of accepting the Dharma Artifact·Wind Barrier Pearl, it was undoubtedly a major blunder on Lu Ran's part.

Just because of this incident, Lu Ran had already been teased twice by Yu Fish Changsheng along the way.

How to put it...

It was all because, at the time, Young Lady He He Qi Feng's expression had been too sincere, and the concern in her eyes too genuine, filling Lu Ran's heart with immense emotion.

In a moment of carelessness, Lu Ran had accepted the Wind Barrier Pearl and promised the Wu Seng young lady that after returning from Daxibei, he would definitely tell her what exactly lay in that land.

However, just after Lu Ran took the Wind Barrier Pearl, Deng Deng Yuxiang sent a voice transmission request.

The Great Da Da Mengyan said one sentence: "Master of Demons, do you not intend to hide anymore?"

Lu Ran was embarrassed beyond measure!

If he carried the Wind Barrier Pearl on his person, all his secrets would be exposed to the artifact's owner, namely He He Qi Feng.

Therefore, after Lu Ran bid farewell to He He Qi Feng and walked a few li out of the Forbidden City, he had Yu Fish Changsheng return the Dharma Artifact·Wind Barrier Pearl.

As for why he didn't return it personally on the spot...

Lu Ran had chickened out.

The Wu Seng young lady had just advanced to the Sea Realm; she was too terrifying, and Lu Ran worried He He Qi Feng might pinch him to death with a single hand.

He could even imagine He He Qi Feng's angry expression!

Betraying a beauty's kind intentions truly deserved ten thousand deaths.

Fortunately, Zhan Ye Dao was a cold, aloof god among men!

Otherwise, He He Qi Feng would probably have used the divine weapon to relay a message and interrogate Lu Ran until something happened.

"Turning heaven and earth upside down!" Lu Ran looked at his two Dharma Protectors, Da Da Mengyan and From Dragon, and ordered, "You two! Go, slaughter this herd of Black Fire Steeds for me!"

Yu Fish Changsheng asked with a smile, "Not riding them anymore?"

"They won't let me ride, what else can I do?" Lu Ran waved his hand. "Hurry up; looking at them makes me crave them."

"Yes!"

"Yes!" The two Dharma Protectors immediately charged toward the distance to kill.

Lu Ran sighed inwardly as he watched the battle group in the distance.

These blazing war horses were truly too delightful.

Unfortunately, no matter how he wielded the Ghost General's great blade or carried the Ghost General's great banner, it was of no use.

"Neigh neigh neigh~~~"

"Whoa!" Lu Ran let out an exclamation of surprise.

There appeared a Black Fire Steed, head held high as it neighed, its body erupting in flames, its four hooves treading mid-air, each step ascending toward the heavens!

Every time a hoof landed, it stamped out a cluster of fire in the air!

Just like a beautiful flower of flame.

Xie Fa: Fire-Treading Technique!

And there was that rapidly expanding ring of fire, attempting to push away everything around it.

Within their line of sight, that warhorse of blazing flames transformed into a thick fog of fire, drifting rapidly into the distance.

Even running away looks so cool.

Can you handle this!

Pity the Black Fire Steed encountered Deng Deng Yuxiang.

She casually waved her hand; a gust of wind blew past, and the fire fog was scattered directly.

Had it died normally, the Black Fire Steed would have left behind a corpse and bones, with a demon crystal remaining in its brain.

But a Black Fire Steed dying in the state of fire fog truly vanishes like smoke and clouds, leaving nothing behind but cleanliness.

Hmm... it did leave something behind, though.

A lost soul!

"Sect Master."

"Hmm?" Lu Ran replied casually.

Jing Hong asked, "Since you like the Black Fire Steed race so much, why not steal the power of this race?"

As the He He Tangzhu of Yumotang, Jing Hong also very much wished to equip her subordinate Ghost Generals with fiery warhorses.

Beside them, Xiang Xiang Luoying also pricked up her ears.

Lu Ran did not explain in detail, simply stating, "I am currently only at the Jiang Jing realm; my body's capacity to endure is limited."

He currently had only one activation slot remaining; naturally, he could not waste such a precious slot just to show off.

"Whoosh~" Lu Ran activated the Eye of the Death Realm, locating lost souls one by one as his figure flashed away.

A full thirty-plus lost souls surged into his eye, thoroughly satisfying Lu Ran's appetite.

Lu Ran cushioned his feet with a layer of wind waves, gazed westward, and faintly made out the figure of the Black Fire Steed: "Let's go, continue!"

In the future, when I activate this Yemo Yemo Xiesu, I had best be able to smash straight through to the Reach Sea Realm!

By then, I will ride the Jiang Jing Demon Lord: Black Fire Steed for travel, occasionally taking out the Blazing Phoenix Pattern Gourd to happily take a sip.

Ah~ I'll be so delighted I could die!

"Charge!" Lu Ran gave the order, leading everyone to kill their way westward.

In the battle that followed, everyone completely left the grasslands behind, venturing alone into a desolate wasteland.

Lu Ran and the others possessed no awareness of stepping into dangerous territory.

Two Jiangs and Three Seas, brimming with confidence, they marched triumphantly toward unknown regions.

The Dharma Guardian Divine Generals killed indiscriminately, while the Sect Master my lord ate voraciously.

Occasionally, when Lu Ran could not find any demonic creatures, he would activate a transmission mirror.

The Ran Sect moved west; wherever they passed, not a blade of grass grew.

Day and night rotated, alternating several times.

Until one afternoon, an antique bronze mirror quietly appeared atop a sand dune.

A pair of long legs stepped out from within the full-length mirror.

The woman wore a green straw raincoat and a blue bamboo hat; her tall body was tense as she vigilantly observed her surroundings.

Suddenly, she froze completely!

"Eh?" Lu Ran stepped forward but bumped into Deng Deng Yuxiang's back. "What's wrong?"

"The north." Deng Deng Yuxiang casually reached out and yanked Lu Ran out.

Lu Ran immediately turned to look, his eyes widening instantly: "Wan Renshan?"

Is that Wan Renshan?

Could it be! Did we find it so easily?

Lu Ran felt as though he were dreaming, or perhaps seeing a mirage...

Within his line of sight lay an endless desert, with sand dunes of various sizes rising and falling like fixed ocean waves, outlining the traces left by the blowing wind.

And amidst this magnificent desert scenery, those towering Shi Zhu stood out especially prominently!

Though called stone pillars, they were slightly thicker at the bottom and grew thinner the higher they went, until nearing the clouds, where they had transformed into sharp, pointed spikes!

"Wan Renshan." Yu Fish Changsheng also walked out, gazing northward into the distance.

On this day, clouds churned in the sky, while those Shi Zhu pierced straight into the firmament, as if intending to poke holes in the heavens themselves.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go take a look!"

Lu Ran was extremely excited; he had already been traveling through the monotonous desert for a long time.

No matter how magnificent the sight of "the long river and the round setting sun" might be, he had grown tired of seeing it.

"Whoosh~"

The ancient bronze mirror quietly transformed into a full-length mirror, and the five people entered one after another.

"Wow!" Lu Ran's eyes filled with admiration.

Viewing from afar, one truly did not feel anything special.

But seeing them up close, these Shanfeng soaring into the clouds were astonishingly massive in scale!

Lu Ran's eyes narrowed as he spotted a very few Shanfeng piercing into the sea of clouds.

His heart stirred: "Mr. Conglong!"

"Sect Master?"

Lu Ran excitedly licked his lips: "We use the Cloud Sea as the boundary dividing the Heavenly Realm and the Mountain Realm, correct?"

The so-called Heavenly Realm is naturally the unknown place where the powerful go after 'ascending.'

The Mountain Realm, on the other hand, is this world where everyone has always been imprisoned—Spirit Saint Mountain.

Yu Fish Changsheng vaguely guessed Lu Ran's intent, but still said: "Yes, as long as we don't get too close to the Cloud Sea, we are safe."

"Mr.!" Lu Ran excitedly pointed diagonally upward, "It poked in!"

Yu Fish Changsheng: "."

What kind of talk is that!

Your Mr. here is a decent person!

"Look at that mountain peak tip, probing into the clouds; it seems it wasn't shattered?" Lu Ran's eyes shone brightly, "If we follow the mountain peak and climb up carefully..."

Yu Fish Changsheng pondered and said: "Since there is such an opportunity, why doesn't the Sect Master create a demon to test it?"

"Good!" Lu Ran nodded immediately, then fell into deep thought.

Such a mission would be perfectly suitable for the Night Phantom clan to complete.

But the quota for Night Phantoms was also full; they were all stationed guarding the Cloud Sea Cliff.

After much deliberation, Lu Ran finally selected a statue exuding overwhelming nobility within the Sculpture Garden—the Evil Spear Emperor!

Unfortunately, the Evil Spear Emperor's Evil Statue was only at the Jiang Jing · First Stage, so Lu Ran could only create a River Realm demon.

But it didn't matter; this clan's ability to fly and high intelligence were sufficient!

"Whoosh~"

Lu Ran immediately reached out with one hand.

Gradually, an emperor of extraordinary bearing and overwhelming nobility took distinct shape!

Jing Hong's phoenix eyes grew brighter and brighter!

If an existence like this could be dragged into the Yumotang...

"Your Majesty, come, let your humble servant teach you a lesson!"

Lu Ran dragged the Evil Spear Emperor along, constantly instructing him on various commands.

Twenty minutes later, a black cloud surged beneath the Evil Spear Emperor's feet, and he flew upward.

Everyone looked up in unison, watching him all the way.

"Slowly! Slowly!" Lu Ran kept urging, watching the Evil Spear Emperor fly right up against the Shi Zhu, until...

The Evil Spear Emperor plunged alone into the rolling Cloud Sea and vanished without a trace.

Lu Ran's pupils contracted slightly!

Heaven and earth fell into dead silence.

Nothing! No sound of impact, only the sound of the wind blowing.

"Gulp." Lu Ran's Adam's apple bobbed.

He just... he just went up like that?

The Evil Spear Emperor ascended to the Heavenly Realm so silently and invisibly?!

"Slap!"

Suddenly, a hand landed on Lu Ran's shoulder.

"Sister?" Lu Ran turned his head in a daze.

Perhaps overwhelmed by the shock, Lu Ran forgot there were others around and used their private form of address.

Deng Deng Yuxiang's tone was serious, her gaze particularly stern: "You are just a little rookie at the Jiang Jing; you absolutely cannot go!"

"Slap!"

Another hand landed on Lu Ran's other shoulder.

Yu Fish Changsheng's tone was equally serious as he spoke in a deep voice: "Even if the Sect Master is at the Zhu Shi Hai Jing, one must never rashly court danger.

We can probe; obtaining such intelligence is already the best possible outcome.

Sect Master, listen to her; it is absolutely not allowed!"

Lu Ran: "."

(End of Chapter)