Chapter 596

Dark clouds shrouded the sky, and a light rain drizzled down.

The Wolf Bone Stronghold, in a state of disarray, was permeated with a stifling atmosphere.

Inside the vast meeting hall in the central area of the stronghold, Lu Ran stood before a bone throne.

The white bones summoned by Thousand Bones believers using divine techniques were essentially pieced together from energy.

After a period of time, the bones would eventually shatter into specks of energy.

But the bone throne before his eyes remained solidly in existence, which meant these were real remains.

Human remains.

This filthy mountain had taught Lu Ran another lesson.

Greedy Wolf, Thousand Bones.

One magnified the greed and cruelty of human nature.

The other extinguished human nature, inciting its disciples to play with and desecrate the remains of their own kind.

They truly are two deities revered by people!

"Heh." Lu Ran gave a cold laugh.

One could hear a pin drop in the hall, and the group of weak deity disciples were as silent as cicadas in winter.

Everyone knew that this emperor-robed young man standing before the white bone throne was their new master.

People were habitually fearful of Sea Realm rulers.

As for the future, the weak deity disciples were actually numb deep in their hearts.

The dark clouds covering people's heads were merely replaced by another; there was no essential difference.

"Sect Master." Si Xianxian walked in with two people. "These two were slightly injured, but have been fully healed by Mr. Conglong."

"Counting them, there are thirteen in total."

"Thirteen people." Lu Ran frowned slightly.

Counting Leng Xuanshuang and the 8 Mud Venerable disciples rescued earlier, that's only 22 people in total?

Wasn't it said that the Wolf Bone Stronghold had a total of 32 slaves?

Why are there so many missing? Did they die in the battle just now... Oh, right!

Lu Ran's heart stirred, and the Blazing Phoenix Pattern Gourd quietly lifted the black-gold emperor robe, flying toward the center of the hall.

One figure after another was released, landing on the ground.

Besides the four guards at the very beginning, Lu Ran had absorbed six more people with the gourd on his way to attack the stronghold with Leng Xuanshuang.

Calculating carefully, it's exactly 32 people?

Lu Ran's heavy mood was rarely relieved.

Rescuing everyone was no easy task.

Although these 13 weak deity disciples were not in the combat sequence and would not participate in war, Si Xianxian's output was too explosive.

When she faced Thousand Bones disciples and bombarded Greedy Wolf disciples, she would affect the buildings in the stronghold, and it was very likely she would affect others as well.

Of course, these 13 people only couldn't lift their heads in front of strong deity disciples; in essence, they were also solid River Estuary Realm individuals!

Even if hit by buildings or buried in ruins, they could still survive.

"Good." Lu Ran turned around.

The people in the hall lowered their heads one after another; it was not hard to see their deep fear.

"Whoosh~"

Lu Ran raised his hand to cast a spell, summoning a full-length mirror.

In the distant Flying Immortal Hall of Cloud Sea Cliff, Song Yu had been waiting for a long time. Seeing the mirror open, he immediately walked into the mirror with two deputy hall masters.

He Tangzhu Song could be considered experienced in receiving new disciples.

Before long, Lu Ran waved away the bronze mirror, and the hall was empty.

With no one around, Si Xianxian's form of address also changed: "Young Master, shall we return to the garden?"

"Let's go." Lu Ran opened the teleportation mirror again.

Si Xianxian leaned in and whispered: "That sister, her life is so miserable..."

Lu Ran nodded silently and walked into the mirror.

The other full-length mirror was opened at the back door of the mansion.

As soon as he walked out, he saw a figure dancing gracefully in the sea of flowers not far away.

It was not an ordinary dance, but a sword dance.

A sword dance permeated with cold frost and drifting with specks of falling plum blossoms.

Leng Xuanshuang, in a white dress, appeared and disappeared amidst the frost, rain, and plum blossoms, like a startled swan or a fleeting shadow, her posture graceful.

The Plum Snow Sword, overflowing with cold light, continuously tore through the curtain of rain, bringing up a string of crystalline raindrops that condensed in the air, turning into specks of frost flowers as they drifted down.

Lu Ran gradually became mesmerized.

The sword dance in the sea of flowers was beautiful, but it carried an indescribable sorrow.

Extremely poignant.

"Do you like it?" Inside the mansion, a figure walked up and stood shoulder to shoulder with Lu Ran.

Lu Ran nodded subconsciously, then suddenly realized something.

He turned his head and saw Jiang Xianzi with a faint smile on her face.

Without waiting for Lu Ran to speak, Jiang Ruyi's voice was gentle: "I like it too."

After speaking, she looked again at the beautiful figure in the flower bushes, her eyes full of appreciation.

Lu Ran's heart stirred slightly, and he wrapped his arms around Jiang Xianzi's slender waist: "When you are free, will you go and ask her for advice?"

Jiang Ruyi immediately understood Lu Ran's little thoughts.

She looked up at Lu Ran, only to see his gaze burning, with no intention of hiding anything.

Lu Ran looked at this cold, charming face, imagining her dancing gracefully, and whispered:

"Dance for me."

"Let's see how you perform." A faint blush appeared on Jiang Ruyi's cheeks.

It was rare to see such a strong side of him in daily life.

Since he likes it so much...

Then she would just have to learn it.

"Stamped, no backing out." Lu Ran said with a smile, his lips lightly imprinted on Jiang Xianzi's forehead.

Jiang Ruyi pursed her lips, ripples spreading in her heart.

Bad guy...

Lu Ran looked again at the sea of flowers, appreciating it quietly for a moment, and said: "This sword dance is too sad; when you learn it, change the style."

"Hmm." Jiang Ruyi appreciated it with him and sighed softly, "She must be paying tribute to her deceased master."

Using this sword dance that her master once taught her to comfort the spirit of the deceased in heaven.

Leng Xuanshuang had successfully taken revenge.

After the Wolf Bone Stronghold Master died miserably in the flower bushes, there was no possibility of the Second Lady surviving.

The Ran Sect ended the Second Lady's life and handed her remains to Leng Xuanshuang.

Afterward, Lu Ran and the others went to search for and rescue the weak deity disciples, while Jiang Ruyi stayed in the garden, watching Leng Xuanshuang pay back tooth for tooth.

Right in this garden where her master was buried.

Leng Xuanshuang held the Plum Snow Sword, one sword strike after another, giving her deceased master an explanation.

When Lu Ran returned, that sad and cruel scene had already passed.

Only a lonely shadow dancing gracefully remained in the flower bushes.

"Swish!"

Suddenly, a sword aura surged, and specks of plum blossoms bloomed along with it.

Leng Xuanshuang's sword moves became increasingly sharp.

Rain fell, frost danced.

The fragrance of plum blossoms floated.

Jiang Ruyi's eyes gradually became blurred, feeling that this sword dance had reached a higher level.

It was not just a visual impact!

The sound of rain and sword aura intertwined, as if forming a sad song in the dark.

Until the white-clothed woman stood with her sword sheathed, and the sad song dissipated.

Rain and snow stained her lapels, and plum blossoms fell on her shoulders.

Between Heaven and Earth, it seemed that only this person and this sword remained, along with the never-ending sound of rain.

"Heh..." Jiang Ruyi let out a long sigh of relief.

She had always been unwilling to show intimacy in front of outsiders, but at this moment, she buried her head in Lu Ran's neck, calming her surging emotions.

In the sea of flowers, Leng Xuanshuang stood quietly for a long time, then slowly turned her head.

She saw the emperor-robed young man in black and gold at the mansion entrance, holding the ethereal fairy, looking at this side from afar.

Leng Xuanshuang waved away the Plum Snow Sword in her hand, stepped out of the garden, and walked step by step to the front of the house.

She lowered her head and slowly knelt down: "Sir's great kindness and virtue, Xuanshuang will remember for all eternity."

"Grieve for your loss." Lu Ran said in a low voice.

Leng Xuanshuang's heart gave a fierce tug; she hadn't expected the emperor-robed young man to say such words.

In this world, the feelings of the weak are not worthy of attention and are not worth mentioning.

When the two first met, the "it's a pity the plum fragrance has dissipated" that the emperor-robed young man said was normal.

Her ability to survive was not because human life was precious.

It was simply because he wanted to smell the fragrance of flowers.

But at this moment...

Whether the emperor-robed young man was being sincere or politely perfunctory, Leng Xuanshuang had truly heard a word of concern.

Although it was only two short words.

But this was also the first time she had heard warm words in the dark and cold days since her master died.

Jiang Ruyi turned to look at the woman, leaned down, and reached out to support her arm: "Get up."

Leng Xuanshuang lowered her head, her eye sockets slightly red, and slowly stood up.

Jiang Ruyi sighed in her heart.

From stripping bones for revenge to the sad sword dance, these behaviors should have caused Leng Xuanshuang's emotions to fluctuate violently, but she had always been expressionless.

Yet when Leng Xuanshuang came here and heard Lu Ran's two words, her eye sockets turned red.

This world,

how much more must it harm people before it's enough...

Jiang Ruyi was very glad that she had been found by Lu Ran early on.

The woman before her had many similarities with her, and when your strength is insufficient, beauty is a deadly poison.

Leng Xuanshuang's miserable encounter also confirmed this point.

Jiang Ruyi took the woman into the house and sat down at the wooden table by the window.

Outside the window, there was slanting wind and fine rain, and the sea of flowers remained.

The exquisite and luxurious mansion had changed owners.

Jiang Ruyi reached out to lift a strand of hair from Leng Xuanshuang's forehead, gently tucking it behind her ear, looking at this face that could topple cities.

It was like looking at an exquisite piece of porcelain.

Those red eye sockets were the broken patterns on the porcelain.

"The dance was beautiful." Jiang Ruyi said softly.

Leng Xuanshuang was silent and nodded gently.

"When you have time, teach me." When dealing with outsiders, Jiang Ruyi's tone was rarely gentle.

"Yes." Leng Xuanshuang replied in a low voice.

Jiang Ruyi looked at the beautiful woman full of brokenness, sighing that she was unable to protect herself because she worshipped a weak deity.

Immediately, she looked at Lu Ran across the table: "Very suitable to be a Sword Yi believer?"

Lu Ran raised his eyebrows slightly.

Cold Plum Lord was indeed known as Little Sword Yi.

However, Lu Ran wanted to leave the Sword Yi deity statue in the sculpture garden for his mother.

If Leng Xuanshuang joined the Sword Yi sect, she could only sign a master-servant contract.

If she chose the fifth-rate deity Cold Plum, although the divine technique would be weaker, Leng Xuanshuang's upper limit would be infinitely raised, and she could become a deity!

Although the time they had been in contact was very short, Leng Xuanshuang's various performances made Lu Ran very satisfied.

Her boldness and tenacity, her chastity and unyielding nature, including everything she did for her master, repaying kindness and taking revenge.

Opportunities are hard to come by, and good generals are hard to find.

Lu Ran believed that from now on, Leng Xuanshuang would be a loyal soldier under his command.

Since that was the case, why not push her toward the altar?

"What are you thinking about?" Jiang Ruyi asked softly.

"Ah." Lu Ran came back to his senses and smiled, "If she becomes a Sword Yi believer, she won't have the plum blossom fragrance on her anymore."

Hearing this, Jiang Ruyi gave Lu Ran a reproachful look.

Cold Plum disciples possess the divine technique Plum Snow Cold Fragrance, which can release bursts of cold, faint fragrance.

This technique is a purification technique and also has a certain effect of calming the mind.

At this moment, Leng Xuanshuang also reacted!

Even though she didn't want to believe it in her heart, everything the emperor-robed young man displayed made her have to believe it!

"Bene... Benefactor." Leng Xuanshuang looked at Lu Ran, her voice trembling, "Can you... can you let me join the Sword Yi sect?"

Lu Ran looked up at the woman: "You want to become a Sword Yi disciple?"

Leng Xuanshuang looked into his eyes, trying hard to understand his attitude.

Her thin lips parted and closed again, but she made no sound.

Precisely because she had had enough of being weak and had suffered enough, she was incomparably eager for powerful deity sects and powerful divine techniques!

But...

But the emperor-robed young man said he wanted to smell the plum blossom fragrance.

Jiang Ruyi also didn't speak, waiting quietly for the woman's response.

"I... I..." Leng Xuanshuang finally spoke, saying in a low voice, "I'd better remain a Cold Plum disciple."

"Why?" Lu Ran looked into her eyes, which were like cold stars, "Are you going to give up the opportunity to defy the heavens and change your fate?"

Leng Xuanshuang's lips trembled, and she said softly: "I'm used to being a Cold Plum disciple."

Lu Ran looked at her quietly.

Leng Xuanshuang slowly lowered her eyelids.

"Hmm." After a long time, Lu Ran turned his head to look out the window, looking at the sea of flowers swaying in the rain.

She is material to be a deity.

(End of chapter)