Chapter 570: Can You Eat People?

Lu Ran was especially glad that he had chosen an excellent place to settle down!

Since he and Deng Deng Yuxiang had consecutively advanced, nearly twenty days had passed during which Cloud Sea Cliff was shrouded in thick mist, with fog tornadoes connecting heaven and earth.

Yet throughout this long period, very few living beings had actually come to disturb them!

Every morning, Lu Ran would go to the Hall of Deliberations to consult the elderly Mr. Bai Yan.

It was just like opening a blind box~

Every day, Lu Ran could obtain the information he desired.

Then, on the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Lu Ran drew something extraordinary.

Elder Bai Yan stated clearly: "Something good may descend today."

Something good descending?

Lu Ran felt secretly delighted!

Could it be that Jiangjiang Ruyi, who was in secluded cultivation, was about to catch a free ride on the Great Da Da Mengyan's coattails?

As expected!

At noon on the seventh day, Lu Ran sensed that the mist between heaven and earth had grown slightly denser!

Lu Ran was overjoyed; sitting in meditation by the sea cliff, he occasionally burst into suppressed laughter.

This good mood lasted for another two days.

It was not until the morning of the ninth day that the thick mist between heaven and earth finally dispersed.

Had both the Great Da Da Mengyan and Little Jiang Ruyi successfully advanced at the same time?

"Ha!" Lu Ran gazed at the restored clear environment, but immediately after, his laughter cut off abruptly.

A problem had arisen!

With both women exiting seclusion simultaneously, which one should he go to meet first?

Uh... better go meet Little Jiang Ruyi first, after all, she is his fiancée.

Sister Da Da Mengyan is so understanding~

She probably won't get angry, right?

Lu Ran flashed instantly to the exit of Seclusion Chamber Number One and waited patiently.

But no matter how long he waited left and right, Little Jiang Ruyi's figure never appeared.

Unable to hold back any longer, Lu Ran sent a voice transmission: 【Jiang Ruyi?】

【Hmm?】

【Did you succeed in advancing?】

【What advancement?】 Jiangjiang Ruyi asked, somewhat puzzled.

Lu Ran:???

【Have you missed me so much that you're hallucinating about my advancement? The mist has dispersed; it was Sister Deng Yuxiang who succeeded in advancing.】

Jiangjiang Ruyi smiled slightly and continued transmitting: 【Please go congratulate her for me; I still feel I'm close to touching the bottleneck of cultivation, so I need to remain in seclusion a while longer.】

Hearing this, Lu Ran became even more bewildered.

The person who had made the mist over Cloud Sea Cliff denser was actually not Jiangjiang Ruyi?

Then who was it?

"Whoosh~"

Lu Ran's figure flashed again, arriving at the entrance of Seclusion Chamber Number Two, located in the mountain forest north of the Da Da Mengyan Residence.

"Gate Master!"

"The Gate Master has arrived." By now, many soldiers had gathered here to congratulate the Flame Gate's Chief Protector on her successful advancement.

"Good, good." Lu Ran nodded in response, his gaze falling upon Deng Deng Yuxiang.

Meeting again, he no longer felt that panic in his heart.

They were both at the Sea Realm; their auras were on the same level, so who could suppress whom?

This little Da Da Mengyan was merely one small rank higher than myself!

If I let the magical artifact·Black Jade Tiger Tally exert its power, even the Great Da Da Mengyan would have to fear me!

"Swoosh~"

Sensing its master's arrival, the Little Chifeng Patterned Gourd urgently twisted its chubby body, breaking free from the woman's hand.

"Oh." Lu Ran was knocked back a step by the Little Chifeng Patterned Gourd and caught the poor little creature.

What was going on?

Lu Ran could sense that the Little Little Chifeng felt not only longing for him but also a trace of grievance?

He raised his eyes to look at Deng Deng Yuxiang: "This?"

Deng Deng Yuxiang narrowed her eyes, looking at the magical artifact acting spoiled in Lu Ran's arms: "The Gate Master's nature is too gentle."

"Sometimes, one must be stricter with subordinates."

Immediately, all those who had come to congratulate fell silent.

Who was she pointing at?

Given Deng Deng Yuxiang's status and position, as well as her formidable strength, she indeed had the qualification to admonish the soldiers of the Flame Gate.

The problem was that everyone was very protective of my lord the Gate Master; who would dare to act presumptuously?

Yet Deng Deng Yuxiang's next sentence left everyone stunned:

"The Little Chifeng Patterned Gourd has advanced to a second-tier magical artifact."

"Ah?" Lu Ran immediately lowered his head.

He saw the Little Little Chifeng quickly burrow into his robes, circle halfway around, and stick firmly to its master's lower back.

It was as if it had turned Lu Ran into a human shield, blocking Deng Deng Yuxiang's sharp gaze.

"A second-grade artifact?" Lu Ran blinked his eyes. "It succeeded already?"

So, it wasn't Jiangjiang Ruyi who had advanced, but the Little Little Chifeng that had upgraded its grade!

Deng Deng Yuxiang looked at Lu Ran's stunned expression, her gaze softening slightly, carrying a trace of a smile.

Lu Ran reached behind his waist and pulled out the hiding Treasure Gourd: "I begged the Little Little Chifeng for so long, feeding it gluttonously every day, yet it never succeeded."

Having been in the mountains for so long, the soldiers of the Ran Gate had advanced multiple times, including He Qi's advancement and Yun Yun Qianzhou's advancement.

Every time the Heavens bestowed blessings, hadn't Lu Ran carried the Little Chifeng Patterned Gourd and eaten voraciously?

Every single time, hadn't the Little Little Chifeng been stuffed full?

Yet this time, Deng Deng Yuxiang hosted a feast for the Little Little Chifeng for eight or nine days, and it succeeded?

Deng Deng Yuxiang smiled and nodded: "It must be that the early accumulation of experience was sufficient, and it just happened to complete its metamorphosis here with me."

"However, my lord Gate Master might truly consider being appropriately stricter."

"Buzz~"

The Little Chifeng Patterned Gourd trembled slightly; before Lu Ran could pay attention, it hid itself back inside his robes, concealing itself behind his waist.

Good heavens~

Look how scared the Little Little Chifeng is!

It's still just a child! Mm, definitely don't let it off the hook!

【What, feeling protective?】 Deng Deng Yuxiang switched to voice transmission, unwilling to let outsiders hear her speaking to Lu Ran in such a manner.

【Well done!】 While transmitting his voice, Lu Ran burst into loud laughter and dragged the Little Little Chifeng out again.

Deng Deng Yuxiang silently watched Lu Ran, the smile on her face growing deeper.

She liked seeing him happy.

Especially since Lu Ran on the battlefield often wore a gloomy expression and cold, killing eyes.

In contrast, his happy, laughing appearance was like a bright spring day, very healing to the heart.

At the very least, it was very healing to her spirit.

"You can eat people?" Lu Ran received a message, his eyes widening slightly.

"Buzz~" The Treasure Gourd trembled again.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? You advanced without telling me..." Lu Ran felt somewhat dissatisfied, then suddenly realized, could it be because Deng Deng Yuxiang was too strict?

Lu Ran could no longer worry about that and immediately said: "Come, let's try it!"

As soon as he spoke, he held up the Little Chifeng Patterned Gourd and looked at the crowd around him.

Realizing Lu Ran intended to conduct an experiment, none of the Ran Gate generals retreated.

Yu Fish Changsheng even volunteered actively: "Gate Master, let me try."

"Forget it, I'll do it myself." Lu Ran lifted one hand upward, and the Treasure Gourd floated into the air.

As Lu Ran moved his mind, the exquisite golden phoenix patterns on the gourd ignited with brilliant light!

Energy fluctuated violently.

Lu Ran's feet slowly left the ground; his entire body was sucked upward, and his figure grew smaller and smaller until he was sucked into the mouth of the gourd.

"Whoosh~"

Having completed the task assigned by its master, the Little Chifeng Patterned Gourd hurriedly flew away.

Everyone turned their gaze to see the Treasure Gourd fly behind a tree.

Yan Yan Shuangzi: "."

Leaning her back against the large tree, she looked down at the Treasure Gourd drilling relentlessly into her embrace, feeling somewhat at a loss.

The Little Little Chifeng recognized this woman!

She was the master's most loyal subordinate, accompanying the master day and night; she would definitely protect it well and shield it from the persecution of that terrifying woman!

At the same time, inside the gourd.

"Mmph! Mmph..."

Lu Ran's vision blurred as a terrifying volume of divine power was forced into his mouth.

The divine power, which existed in a misty form in the outside world, had been compressed to the extreme inside the gourd, condensing into water.

Lu Ran's figure was far too tiny, as if he were drowning in the deep sea.

The pervasive divine power did not nourish Lu Ran; instead, it invaded in force, churning up his body.

This was strikingly similar to when Lu Ran had previously infused a massive amount of divine power into the body of Song Yu, the Hall Master of the Feixian Hall!

Lu Ran could not mobilize the divine power to circulate, making it difficult to employ any techniques.

Let alone casting spells; situated in an ocean of extremely condensed divine power, he couldn't even move!

"Send me out!" Lu Ran immediately transmitted his thought.

"Pfft~"

In Yan Yan Shuangzi's embrace, the Little Chifeng Patterned Gourd suddenly turned its mouth around and spat the living being inside out.

"Hehe..."

Lu Ran's figure suddenly enlarged; he stumbled forward, gasping heavily in great gulps.

Yan Yan Shuangzi, with quick eyes and fast hands, teleported several meters and steadily supported Lu Ran.

"Oh my god." Lu Ran's chest heaved violently.

Fortunately, I didn't let Mr. Conglong try it!

If I hadn't issued the command in time, an accident might truly have occurred.

And even so, the Little Little Chifeng hasn't even refined it yet!

If it unleashed its full power, Lu Ran's highly unstable water-flow armor would probably shatter in an instant, wouldn't it?

"Whoosh~"

Seeing its master return, the Little Little Chifeng, like a wronged child, burrowed back into Lu Ran's embrace.

Lu Ran: "."

No way!

If you had such ability, how could you still be controlled by Deng Deng Yuxiang?

Why didn't you just absorb her?

Thinking of this, Lu Ran couldn't help but feel a surge of lingering fear.

Fortunately, the Little Little Chifeng's nature wasn't too fierce; it was like a small child. Otherwise, if it really clashed with Deng Deng Yuxiang, what would happen if she met with an accident?

"A-Amazing, Little Little Chifeng!" Lu Ran struggled to calm the violent surge of divine power within his body, his words stumbling out.

It truly lived up to being a second-grade magical tool!

To actually be this powerful...

With trembling hands, Lu Ran picked up the Little Chifeng Patterned Gourd, looking as though his heart still raced with residual fear.

"Are you alright?" Deng Deng Yuxiang walked over quickly, her face filled with concern.

Lu Ran grinned and said, "If any Sea Realm expert went in there, they would absolutely be unable to move."

The total amount of divine power stored in a second-grade magical tool is simply too vast; it's far too concentrated!

It's practically an execution ground capable of bursting a human body apart."

Seeing Lu Ran trembling, Deng Deng Yuxiang supported his other arm, and together with Yan Yan Shuangzi, they propped him up. "I just finished advancing, so the divine power inside the gourd is naturally extremely abundant."

"That makes sense." Lu Ran nodded.

"Under normal circumstances, the environment inside the gourd shouldn't be this terrifying."

Deng Deng Yuxiang raised another point: "A Sea Realm expert wouldn't be foolish enough to stand still and let the Little Chifeng Patterned Gourd suck them in."

Lu Ran frowned.

That was the key!

The Little Chifeng Patterned Gourd was born to refine the corpses of evil demons, not to consume living people.

Lu Ran recalled carefully; regarding the suction power of the Little Chifeng Patterned Gourd alone, he was fairly certain he could break free with ease.

To use this auxiliary magical tool as a combat-type treasure, it must be supplemented with powerful control methods!

Others might find this difficult, but Lu Ran certainly would not!

He possessed the Xie Fa technique: Silk-Shadow Puppetry · Silk Threads!

If one set aside combat and returned to the magical tool's auxiliary primary function...

"If I only let the Little Little Chifeng eat until half-full and then make it stop refining, then the living beings inside the gourd should be able to wait steadily, right?"

Lu Ran murmured, his eyes growing brighter.

In other words,

From now on, could this Sovereign carry an army of ten thousand horses and soldiers wherever he went?

(End of Chapter)