Chapter 579

New Year's Eve, at dusk.

On a high mountain more than ten kilometers north of Misty Rain Lake, a woman dressed in a simple and elegant green dress was waiting quietly.

She held a black ice longsword in her hand, her fingertips stroking the cold and translucent blade inch by inch.

The woman had bright eyes and a beautiful gaze, yet those beautiful eyes faintly carried a touch of resentment.

Cold Moon, oh Cold Moon,

tell me, is his heart made of stone?

Why is he not moved by a woman like me?

Your master looks gentle and refined, but that heart of his is just like you—cold and icy.

Divine Weapon · Cold Moon Sword: "..."

Recently, the Cold Moon Sword, acting as a messenger, has also experienced many emotional ups and downs.

Regarding Island Master He increasingly letting go of her reserve.

Regarding the polite yet distant responses from Protector Cong Long.

The Cold Moon Sword experienced it all.

It is different from the Cold Moon Blade; that blade had long since recognized its master and was renamed the Evil Moon Scimitar, and the master and weapon were so infinitely compatible that they had already developed a Divine Weapon Domain.

But the Cold Moon Sword?

Although it followed Yu Fish Changsheng and was barely mentally connected to him, the loyalty of the Cold Moon Sword was not very high.

Ever since it followed its original master into the Holy Lingshan, the Cold Moon Sword had a rough life and changed hands several times.

It had long since seen the true face of the Holy Lingshan and was unwilling to give its heart to anyone again.

Every master is destined to die, isn't that so?

It's just a matter of sooner or later.

It, too, would be held in the hands of the next person, becoming another person's killing tool.

So, why bother giving one's heart?

In the end, isn't it just mourning alone and grieving alone?

"Sigh."

The beauty sighed softly, secretly feeling sad.

"Whoosh~"

A surge of energy quietly emerged, covering the blade.

That was the sword spirit, but the sword spirit did not emerge from the blade.

"Why?"

"Hmm?" He Yingcai asked in confusion.

Cold Moon Sword Spirit: "The feelings you invest will eventually become the blade that stabs you."

He Yingcai's eyes showed slight surprise; she had not expected the Cold Moon Sword to say such a thing.

A moment later, she laughed dumbly: "Hehe~"

He Yingcai tapped the Cold Moon Sword with her fingertips, a gentle sound: "You don't understand."

Cold Moon Sword Spirit: "I have gathered a complete artifact spirit; I have emotions and thoughts."

He Yingcai still smiled: "This matter of men and women, even I don't understand it, so how could you?"

Cold Moon Sword Spirit: "..."

He Yingcai looked into the distance, the forest dyed red by the sunset, her eyes gradually becoming unfocused:

"Throughout the ages, who could ever understand?"

The Cold Moon Sword Spirit was silent for a long time, then said: "Perhaps he is used to the partings and deaths within the Holy Lingshan; he is protecting himself."

"Is that so?" He Yingcai was lost in thought.

Cold Moon Sword Spirit: "I once accompanied Yu Fish Changsheng to Ten Thousand Swords Mountain and saw the scene of Sect Master Lu and his wife reuniting."

He Yingcai became curious and waited quietly for the rest.

Cold Moon Sword Spirit: "Compared to the joy of reunion, Sect Master Lu's emotions were more about anger toward the enemy.

Next was lingering fear, relief, and many other complex emotions.

The joy of reunion was ranked last, the least worth mentioning."

He Yingcai was silent for a long time, then said softly: "But the anger, worry, and relief were only temporary; the joy of reunion is what lasts the longest.

It has continued until today, hasn't it?"

Cold Moon Sword Spirit: "..."

He Yingcai showed a faint smile: "Da Xia has an idiom: 'to stop eating for fear of choking.' You cannot refuse to start just because you are afraid of getting hurt.

You are blocking yourself off and living in a daze now; how is that any different from being dead?"

The Cold Moon Sword Spirit remained silent.

He Yingcai said softly: "Perhaps you should be like me, trying to pursue a new life and striving for some beautiful possibilities.

Truly living, day by day."

Living day by day?

"Hmph." The Cold Moon Sword Spirit gave a cold snort.

Immediately, the energy flowing on the blade retracted into the sword body.

He Yingcai silently stroked the blade, and neither person nor sword spoke again.

I don't know how much time passed, but a surge of energy emerged.

He Yingcai turned her head to look, and saw that under a large tree more than ten meters away, a full-length mirror with an antique charm was rapidly taking shape.

From it, a handsome young man walked out.

Behind the young man followed four women wearing green rain capes and straw hats, but as soon as they walked out of the bronze mirror, their figures disappeared without a trace.

"Long time no see, Sect Master Lu?" He Yingcai examined the newcomer.

"Uh." Lu Ran's brain stalled a bit.

A disciple of Green Lotus, as indifferent as a lotus.

But why does today's Island Master of Green Lotus feel a hint of resentment?

Who made her sad?

That's not right either! For someone with such an indifferent nature, who would have the ability to hurt her... Oh, right!

Cong Long!

"He Xuejie, have you been well lately?" Lu Ran stepped forward, his attitude attentive.

I don't know why!

It was clearly Protector Cong Long who provoked the beauty, yet Lu Ran felt guilty.

"How could I not be well?" Mentioning this, He Yingcai was quite emotional, "I am Sect Master Lu's He Xuejie, and now the various island masters of the Thousand Boat Alliance are all very respectful to me."

"That's good." Lu Ran nodded repeatedly, hurriedly changing the subject, "By the way, the Mud Boar Forest is in that direction, right?"

He Yingcai smiled, her lively eyes seeming to be able to see through Lu Ran's thoughts.

"The sun is setting, the bonfire party at Cloud Sea Cliff will start soon, we have to hurry and transport the boars back..." Lu Ran's voice grew quieter.

This is truly bizarre!

Facing He Yingcai's gaze, I don't even know what I did wrong.

Anyway, it's wrong!

"East by south, about a hundred kilometers." He Yingcai smiled and nodded.

"Let's go!" Lu Ran immediately summoned a bronze mirror, then changed its properties, turning it into a full-length mirror.

He Yingcai watched this scene silently.

Although Lu Ran had just displayed the Evil Mirror Demon technique, when he cast the spell again, He Yingcai still felt a secret palpitation.

The more powerful Lu Ran was, the more He Yingcai felt fortunate.

Fortunate that she could easily communicate with him, fortunate that Lu Ran's kindness came from the heart.

If it were anyone else possessing Lu Ran's ability...

I really don't know what kind of brutal rule the entire Holy Lingshan would face.

"Swish~" The Shadow Guard (Note 1) appeared instantly and entered the mirror with Lu Ran.

A mere hundred kilometers, Lu Ran could arrive in one go.

But for maps that had not been "lit up," Lu Ran could only open the mirror with his naked eye.

He opened the teleportation mirror many times and led the team to the edge of the Mud Boar Forest.

The terrain of the Mud Boar Forest was quite special; it was a forest swamp, and it was Lu Ran's first time seeing it.

Looking around, it was a mess!

The forest was covered in mud, and there were turbid puddles, emitting strange odors.

Broken trees could be seen everywhere, soaked in the water; they must have been broken by the Mud Mountain Boars...

"Whoa~" Lu Ran flew in mid-air, his scanning gaze slightly fixed.

Such a big boar?

And it looks a bit festive?

In the mud swamp to the front left, a huge figure appeared.

It was pitch black, shaped like a wild boar, with two tusks on its mouth, and a pair of scarlet pupils, very fierce!

Quite strangely, its mouth and body were also hung with festive red cloth strips.

Had it been tied up before?

It was as if... it had been used as a gift or New Year's goods?

But at this moment, everything that bound it had been broken free by it, and only the tattered red cloth remaining on its body still signaled its experience.

Demon · Mud Mountain Boar Clan!

The list of evil techniques for this clan was quite complete.

There were attacks, defenses, and controls, but the effects were not very good.

"Oink!!"

The Mud Mountain Boar discovered the newcomer and immediately perked up.

It stomped its sturdy hooves, opened its bloody mouth, drooling, and ran toward Lu Ran's direction.

"Pfft!!"

A stream of mud pieced together by energy sprayed out from the black wild boar's mouth.

Evil Technique · Mud Splash!

This technique had no output effect, but it could block one's vision.

Once it stained one's body, it was quite troublesome to clean, making one extremely annoyed.

Before Lu Ran could act, a lotus leaf turned into a shield and was pushed out.

He Yingcai stepped on the lotus leaf, flew to Lu Ran's side, reached out her fair hand, and slightly spread her five fingers.

A lotus leaf covering the area diagonally below rapidly grew larger.

"Pfft!!"

A large amount of mud sprayed onto the green lotus leaf, unable to shake it in the slightest.

"Whoosh~"

As the Mud Mountain Boar charged fiercely, a mass of mud gathered into a ball in front of the boar's mouth.

That was the Mud Mountain Boar clan's most proud output technique · Mud Mountain Cannon!

"Sss!"

The sound of a blade cutting meat came abruptly.

The Evil Shadow appeared instantly on the left side of the Mud Mountain Boar and chopped a blade at the junction of the boar's head and body.

This was clearly a thick-skinned subject, yet Protector Evil Shadow's blade cut through it like tofu!

The Mud Mountain Boar stumbled, screaming as it lunged forward.

Protector Evil Shadow appeared again on the right side of the Mud Mountain Boar, chopped down with another blade, and a complete boar head was severed.

Precise, ruthless!

He Yingcai and Lu Ran stood side by side, looking at this protector from the Evil Dog clan.

The teleportation technique was truly hair-raising.

Fortunately, this was a colleague and also a soldier under Lu Ran's command.

"Thump!"

The Mud Mountain Boar fell heavily to the ground, its huge body pushing the massive boar head, sliding forward on the ground.

This clan's intelligence was not high.

Greedy beastly nature crushed everything; once it saw prey, it only cared about charging, even forgetting defensive techniques.

You know, the Mud Mountain Boar clan's evil technique · Mud Armor had quite good defensive power.

"Tsk tsk~"

Lu Ran looked at the neatly severed massive boar head and body.

How much meat would this yield?

"Oink! Oink!!"

"Oink" sounds came from the forest swamp.

Accompanied by the "crack crack" sound of trees breaking, Mud Mountain Boars rushed out one after another.

Lu Ran grabbed with his hand, and the Eight Desolations Blade at his waist automatically flew out and fell into the master's palm.

However, He Yingcai suddenly flew forward half a meter, blocking in front of Lu Ran.

The Divine General is here; how could such a small matter bother the Sect Master?

Eight Desolations Blade: "..."

Can you let me get some blood on me?

Although boar blood isn't as high-class as dragon blood, it's still blood...

"Whoosh~"

He Yingcai reached out with one hand, and crystal-clear threads shot out from her fair fingertips.

Green Lotus Divine Technique · Lotus Silk Connection!

The large black boars charged forward regardless, as if they wanted to use their massive boar heads to arch away all obstacles in front.

However...

"Oink! Oink!!" The Mud Mountain Boars hissed frantically, but only sounds remained.

The moment the crystal lotus silk landed on them, the Mud Mountain Boars were unable to move.

Another terrifying energy passed through the lotus silk and injected into the Mud Mountain Boars' bodies, causing the energy within them to be in chaos, restricting them from casting any evil techniques!

Divine Technique · Lotus Silk Chaos!

He Yingcai raised her fair hand, and the huge and heavy Mud Mountain Boars were lifted into mid-air by the thin lotus silk.

Unable to move, they could only be slaughtered.

A Green Lotus believer is a Thread-Pulling Shadow from the deity camp!

The Colorful Divine General under Lu Ran's command looks simple and elegant, spotless.

But her fingertips,

are also quenched with poison!

Note 1: Reminded by book friends, the name Shadow · Imperial Guard might have some unpleasant homophonic associations. The team name is now officially changed to: Shadow Guard.

(End of chapter)