Chapter 511: Separated by Life and Death

Boom—rumble—

From the distant west, another violent sound erupted.

Lu Ran reluctantly parted his lips, releasing Jiangjiang Ruyi.

"Mm."

Jiangjiang Ruyi lowered her eyelids, breathing softly, her face growing redder by the moment; even her exquisite, small earlobes were tinged with a faint pink.

"Wait a moment; the battle isn't over yet." Lu Ran removed his wide-brimmed hat and placed it upon her head.

"Mm." Jiangjiang Ruyi nodded gently.

Such a tender and obedient demeanor stood in stark contrast to her previous cold aloofness and majesty.

Lu Ran delayed no longer, turned, and departed.

The scattered members of the Luo Sister Xian Pavilion stared blankly at their Jiang Gezhu, my lord.

In this moment, people seemed to finally realize that Jiangjiang Ruyi was merely a nineteen-year-old girl.

Before one particular person, she could be a gentle young maiden, rather than that lofty, cold fairy.

"Song Yu," Jiangjiang Ruyi said softly, having donned her veil once more.

"Jiang Gezhu!" Song Yu snapped back to reality, gazing at the woman in the wide-brimmed hat and fluttering white skirt.

Framed by the hat, she appeared somewhat mysterious.

And even more beautiful.

"Gather the team members and take a headcount," Jiangjiang Ruyi ordered.

"Yes!" Song Yu replied in a deep voice.

Suddenly, a dragon's roar surged forth, filling everyone with terror.

Song Yu hastily turned his head, gazing westward into the distance.

There, another figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat and draped in a broad straw raincoat floated in the western sky, frozen in the posture of drawing a bow.

A colossal sea dragon of terrifying scale descended from the heavens, smashing apart the gushing yellow sand.

The colossal sea dragon shattered as well, transforming into countless tiny sea dragons that burrowed frantically into the earth.

The sight left everyone dumbfounded!

These people in straw raincoats and wide-brimmed hats... such strength?

Just moments ago, a Dragon Carp Heavenly Vessel had appeared, crashing down with a boom, even snapping a towering Shi Zhu.

At this moment, that collapsed Shi Zhu still lay on the ground, stretching across the Ten Thousand Blades Mountain.

Everyone knew clearly that the person in the straw raincoat and wide-brimmed hat was a Dragon Carp believer.

And a mighty one of the Sea Realm at that!

With the appearance of the Ten Thousand Dragons Sea-Suppressing Arrow, people further realized that the bow-wielding figure in the straw raincoat and wide-brimmed hat was a believer of Divine Divine Asha.

Likewise, a vast sea of power!

"Hiss," Xiong Xiong sucked in a cold breath, slapping his bald head hard with his palm.

What the hell kind of organization is this?

Xiong Xiong had every reason to believe that among these people in straw raincoats, there were more than two mighty ones of the Sea Realm!

Because earlier, a figure in a wide-brimmed hat and straw raincoat, wielding a broken blade, had sprinted through the high skies, leading the vanguard of the group.

That person must also be of the Sea Realm!

Otherwise, how would that person dare to take the lead and pursue and kill the Sea Realm expert, You You Tianyao?

In Xiong Xiong's understanding, whenever people gathered together to form a faction, they had to be fellow disciples from the same sect.

If one encountered an outsider believer among the disciples of the Western Wasteland, one need not think twice; that person was surely a servant.

Cases like the Luo Sister Xian Pavilion, where the Jiang Gezhu radiated human brilliance and adhered to principles, might exist.

However, Xiong Xiong had so far seen only one such case.

That was Jiangjiang Ruyi.

Yet this mysterious team before them not only possessed earth-shaking strength, but every single member hailed from a different sect?

How could this be?

Then, the entity capable of making these terrifying mighty ones of the Sea Realm cast aside suspicion and unite together...

What kind of existence must that be?

"Is that Lu Ran?"

Under Song Yu's escort, Gao Gao Yunyan landed steadily and stood beside Xue Xue Fengchen.

"Yes! Yes!" Xue Xue Fengchen replied with excitement, nodding repeatedly.

Gao Gao Yunyan looked up at the high sky, her eyes filled with horror: "Didn't you say Lu Ran was the mortal sect master of the Xianyangyi Sect, a believer of Xiang Xiang Xianyang?"

Xue Xue Fengchen immediately said, "Yes, Sister Yan, I wouldn't lie to you; Lu Ran is indeed a believer of Xiang Sister Xian—"

His words cut off abruptly.

At this moment, how did Lu Ran resemble a believer of Xiang Xiang Xianyang in the slightest?

Xue Xue Fengchen was equally bewildered, truly at a loss for words.

Back in the mortal world,

God Ran wasn't like this either!

The crowd of rescued people present felt either exhilarated or terrified by the mighty ones of the vast seas within the mysterious faction.

But even so many mighty ones of the Sea Realm were not the most shocking aspect.

The young man in the straw raincoat who appeared first and forcibly blocked Elder Peng of the Heaven Desolate Mountain was the most astonishing of all.

The Celestial Sky Python of the Jade-Faced Snake Clan.

From the Divine Lie Tian Sect came the Lie Huo Tian Kui and the Explosive Heavenly Dome.

And from the Evil Hound Clan came the Evil Shadow Flash.

Which sect's believer is this young man, exactly?

Or perhaps the question should be: is he truly a "believer" at all?

Gao Gao Yunyan gripped her divine weapon tightly.

The Yellow Sand Axe, which had been struggling and trembling until now, finally behaved itself.

It seemed to have resigned itself to its fate.

Ever since Jiangjiang Ruyi flung an Explosive Flame Talisman that blasted Gao Gao Yunyan back along with her axe, the Yellow Sand Axe had found no chance to break free.

Though the Yellow Sand Axe had quieted down, Gao Gao Yunyan's heart was pounding wildly.

From a few days prior, her repeated questions to Xue Xue Fengchen still echoed in her ears: "Is that genius surnamed Lu really worth such a risk for you?"

Now, Gao Gao Yunyan had personally found the answer.

It was far too worth it!!

Among the myriad living beings of the Human Realm, the Mountain Realm, and even that celestial realm above the sea of clouds...

There was likely only one person like Lu Ran!

Freely wielding Yi Qie Ji Fa, able to command the power of gods and demons for his own use?

Gao Gao Yunyan's thoughts were in chaos.

Yet she was also immensely excited, filled with longing!

At this moment, Lu Ran was soaring above the battlefield, a ring of Bai Yu tablets circling his body to aid his flight.

The Zhi Shen Fa of the Yufuyi Sect!

"Holy crap, we've encountered a true god..." Zhang Zhang Zhenghu murmured.

An Sister Xian stared blankly at the scene, dumbstruck as a wooden chicken.

Nearby, Song Yu diligently carried out the task assigned by the Jiang Gezhu, gathering Xiong Xiong and several other believers of Another Another Shanwei, while simultaneously keeping a close watch on Lu Ran.

Song Yu felt extremely fortunate that he had made the most correct decision—loyally following Lady Luo Sister Xian!

He was the First Elder of the Luo Sister Xian Pavilion!

He was the meritorious protector who aided Jiangjiang Ruyi's rise and ascent to the peak.

Anyone with eyes could see how good the relationship between Jiangjiang Ruyi and Lu Ran was!

Undoubtedly, he would definitely catch Lu Ran's attention; so how could his future destiny and career path possibly be poor?

The crowd, harboring all sorts of different thoughts, watched the Straw-Raincoat Organization burst into the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Lu Ran had already swept over the battlefield and arrived near the fighting group.

He did not blink because he was capturing souls.

A large number of Evil Hounds that had died long ago had their wandering souls drifting high into the sky; naturally, Lu Ran would not let them slip away.

In fact, there were still some lingering human souls in the ground area of the battlefield; Lu Ran took a rough look and estimated there were about ten of them.

These people must have been caught in the crossfire of the battle between the two Wei Hai Jing experts, dying tragically just moments ago, their souls lingering for a short while longer.

Since the battle had not yet ended, Lu Ran did not rush to collect them.

As expected, the Evil Hound statue within Lu Ran's Sculpture Garden had activated its upgrade mode and was continuously expanding in scale.

Lu Ran complained bitterly.

The Barbarian Woman Ba Yemo Yemo Xiesu was still vibrating, and now an Evil Hound had arrived as well.

With one Yemo Yemo Xiesu humming, Lu Ran could still bear it, but with two stone statues vibrating together, it was truly more than he could handle.

"Whoosh!!"

Lu Ran suddenly lifted his head to see a wind blade a thousand meters in size rapidly assembling itself beneath the churning sea of clouds!

The Night Charm Clan's Ultimate Move: Night Charm Evil Blade!

Lu Ran felt quite gratified.

He was no longer as isolated and weak as he had been when he first arrived.

Lu Ran now had many powerful comrades, including the bright Dashan Tea Flower he had personally cultivated.

In his suboptimal state, he could simply watch his comrades display their mighty prowess.

"Boom-rumble!"

The thousand-meter-long blade shattered the already cracked earth and continued slashing downward, plunging deep into the underground.

The two Dharma Protectors, Nightmare and Cong Long, followed closely behind the Night Charm Evil Blade, diving headfirst into the earth.

Countless little Cang Dragons were still smashing against the ground, blasting out a path to pursue and kill the enemies hiding deep underground.

It seemed this Wei Hai Jing believer of the Dry Sea had changed strategies, no longer attempting to flee far away, but instead focusing all their effort on burrowing deep into the earth?

"Ran Dog! It's really Ran Dog..."

A voice drifted over from afar.

He had not heard this special appellation for a very long time.

Lu Ran's brain was already buzzing, and he thought he was hallucinating.

"Ran Dog!!"

"Hmm?" Lu Ran turned his head to look downward, spotting a soul.

The other party looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, tall and slender with curly hair, currently staring over here with an expression of shock.

Wang Wang Xuyang's voice trembled slightly: "God Ran-Ran, can you see me?"

Lu Ran sighed in his heart.

He had experienced this exact scene many times before.

Each time, it filled him with silent sorrow.

Wang Wang Xuyang's eyes seemed to glow: "Help me, Ran God! Can you help me? I don't want to die! You must have a way, Ran God!"

Lu Ran wore an apologetic expression: "I'm sorry."

As Wang Wang Xuyang's soul drifted closer, he felt a pulling force; his flying speed grew faster and faster.

"So it's no go?" Wang Wang Xuyang looked as if struck by lightning, utterly dispirited.

Lu Ran remained silent, turning his head to gaze again at the battlefield below.

He was not cold-hearted; he simply could not bear to see the other's look of despair and pain.

Lu Ran did not know this young man, but he could guess: this person had joined the mountain later, likely a viewer of "Prodigies," perhaps even one of his own supporters.

Yet, Lu Ran truly was powerless.

Wang Wang Xuyang flew uncontrollably toward Lu Ran, his face gloomy.

Gazing up at Lu Ran's "cold" back, slowly, a bitter smile appeared on his face: "Then... you must live on well."

Lu Ran's body stiffened.

Sudden concern, coming from a stranger.

From someone already dead.

Lu Ran's heart was a mix of complex emotions, dominated by a profound helplessness against fate.

Watching Lu Ran's silent back, Wang Wang Xuyang felt a surge of bitterness in his heart.

Yes, Lu Ran was a Great Xia Prodigy, the Lu Zongzhu of the Human Realm, a dignitary of noble status.

Why should he look squarely at someone like himself?

And why should he help him?

Wang Wang Xuyang lowered his head, his voice growing softer, muttering under his breath: "Ran Dog, you must live on well with the Jiang Gezhu..."

As he spoke, Wang Wang Xuyang suddenly lifted his head, summoning his courage to look at that cold back: "If you two can return to Great Xia, will you hold a wedding? Can you upload the wedding video online?"

"My mother likes you two very much; she's been hoping you'd get married. I don't know if she'll live long enough to see it..."

Lu Ran closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

In days past, when Xiang Xiang Xianyang my lord had transmitted the Death Realm Eye to him, those words still echoed in his ears:

"You will be able to see the souls of the dead."

"You will see people's distorted faces, see their painful struggles."

"See souls lingering in the mortal world, weeping in sorrow... until they scatter and vanish."

"Even so, do you still wish to learn?"

Suddenly, Lu Ran reached out to his side and summoned an ancient bronze mirror steeped in classical elegance.

With a thought, he altered the nature of the Basic Technique: Mirror of Sin; though its appearance remained unchanged, it had transformed into a Soul-Hooking Mirror.

Energy surged within the Soul-Hooking Mirror; beating the Death Realm Eye by an instant, it drew Wang Wang Xuyang's soul inside.

"Wh-what is this?" Within the bronze mirror, Wang Wang Xuyang's panicked face appeared.

Gripping the edge of the bronze mirror, Lu Ran turned it downward toward the Drought Sea believer who had been blasted into the earth, and said in a deep voice:

"He is the one who caused your death, isn't he?"

(End of Chapter)