Chapter 696: Old Hatred

Time flowed, September 23rd.

Inside the No. 1 seclusion chamber on Cloud Sea Cliff, a strange cry came: "Uh, ah, ah, ah~~~"

Lu Ran stretched viciously.

The comfort at the physical level completely covered the mental exhaustion; the feeling of power surging in his body made Lu Ran intoxicated.

The divine power churning in his body was like a vast ocean, surging and overwhelming every piece of flesh and bone in his body, nourishing every inch of his skin.

"Plop~" Lu Ran leaned back and lay heavily on the ground.

Satisfying...

Sea Realm Third Stage!

Finally reached the middle stage of the Sea Realm; two more small stages and he could get a glimpse of the Heavenly Realm!

"Whoosh!"

The Raging Fire Pattern Gourd flew over and landed on Lu Ran's forehead, flying up and down.

Or should it be described as "jumping"?

The little guy was extremely happy, constantly cheering and jumping, treating Lu Ran's forehead as a trampoline...

"Hehe." Lu Ran smiled, letting the little guy play, not daring to catch it with his hand.

It was mainly because he was afraid he couldn't control his strength and would crush the little Raging Fire.

A dignified Tier 2 divine artifact wouldn't be that fragile, but Lu Ran still didn't dare to be reckless; he stretched his limbs and slowly adapted to his brand-new body.

One had to admit, within the extremely high great realm of the Sea Realm, the ascension of small stages had a particularly impressive improvement on physical strength!

Lu Ran felt it carefully for a long time before slowly crawling up and taking a tentative step.

One step, another step...

Lu Ran walked slowly in the tunnel, and before long, he saw the light at the cave entrance.

Moving forward, he vaguely saw a few figures.

No need to see them clearly; the burning pain in his eyes had already told Lu Ran who was outside.

"Presumptuous." At the cave entrance, Jiang Ruyi's voice was icy.

The Tier 2 divine artifact, the Phoenix Ceremonial Nine Heavens Robe, immediately retracted its divine power.

Its oppression of all living beings came from the artifact's function, which could naturally be retracted at will, but the previous master, Feng Zhihuan, had never let the phoenix robe restrain itself.

To Island Master Feng, when all living beings saw her, they should be submissive.

Jiang Ruyi was different; she had people close to her and didn't want those around her to suffer.

This kind of artifact function should be left for enemies.

"Whoa~!" Lu Ran braced himself against the tunnel wall, looking at the three big beauties welcoming him outside.

Si Xianxian, Qiao Yuanxi, and Jiang Ruyi.

Truly one more beautiful than the other, and each beautiful in a completely different style.

Especially Jiang Ruyi standing in the middle, making Lu Ran marvel.

For a long time, the Jiang Xianzi's dressing style had been relatively simple, mostly a white long dress.

And at this time, she was wearing a wide, deep red phoenix robe, the exquisite phoenix patterns on it faintly flashing with a pale golden luster.

Such colors should have made this cold and beautiful face look a bit more charming.

However, the garment couldn't cover the owner's cold and noble temperament, only making the Lu Sect Mistress look even more graceful and luxurious.

It was even more awe-inspiring.

"Beautiful." Lu Ran said with a smile.

Jiang Ruyi smiled and rolled her eyes at him.

Lu Ran secretly thought he was negligent; his own Holy Lingshan limited-edition skins had already reached the fourth set, while little Ruyi had only released the second set of skins.

"Right, right!" Qiao Yuanxi held Jiang Ruyi's arm and said with a giggle, "When you two get married, Ruyi sister will wear this set; it will definitely outshine everyone!"

Jiang Ruyi: "..."

Lu Ran's expression was strange: "When that day really comes, your Ruyi sister is going to get married, not to ascend the throne."

"Ascending the throne is fine too; let's do it together." Si Xianxian stood on the other side of Jiang Ruyi, holding her other arm.

Lu Ran couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.

Mentioning the topic of marriage, Qiao Yuanxi and Si Xianxian, these two beauties, one on each side, really looked like bridesmaids? Wait a minute!

Lu Ran's gaze fell on the bridesmaid Si, and the more he looked, the more surprised he was.

This... this isn't right, is it?

Sister Jiang Xianzi's momentum is so strong!

It wasn't raised by extreme emotions; it was more like her true nature?

"Did you ascend to the Sea Realm?" Lu Ran asked in surprise.

Si Xianxian had always been smiling, and mentioning ascending to the Sea Realm should have been even more joyful. But for some reason, her expression changed slightly, without the look of joy.

"Hmm, Sea Realm." Si Xianxian nodded, "I've been waiting for you to come out of seclusion to clean up that group of wolf cubs!"

Sister Jiang Xianzi's tone and attitude couldn't be faulted.

But Lu Ran always felt something was different. Logically speaking, she should have been jumping and throwing flowers?

Lu Ran hesitated for a moment and didn't delve into it for now, but asked: "When did it happen?"

"The day you went into seclusion." Jiang Ruyi finally spoke.

"Ah?" Lu Ran was shocked.

When a person reaches the peak stage, the body is already prepared, and with just one realization, they can directly break through the great realm.

Theoretically, it is possible to connect seamlessly!

But that was only theoretically.

Lu Ran had never achieved this feat; every time he reached the peak stage, he would always be stuck for a period of time.

Never expected Sister Jiang Xianzi to actually do it?!

"What happened?" Lu Ran was both happy and curious, "So powerful?"

Si Xianxian shrugged her shoulders and said lightly: "Got angry, and ascended."

Lu Ran:?

If someone else said this, Lu Ran would have slapped them directly!

But coming from the mouth of the Crazy Jiang Xianzi Protector...

... it was very reasonable!

【Don't ask.】 A cold voice imprinted itself in his mind.

Lu Ran turned his eyes and saw Jiang Ruyi shaking her head gently.

【Stupid brother!】 There was more than one person who didn't speak to his face.

Lu Ran looked at Qiao Yuanxi again.

Seeing the girl puffing her cheeks, angry and transmitting: 【You don't care about me at all.】

Lu Ran blinked, observed for a moment, and realized that Qiao Yuanxi had also ascended.

Had she ascended from River Estuary Realm Third Stage to Fourth Stage?

During this period of time, Leng Xuanshuang, Si Xianxian, and Lu Ran had ascended one after another; Cloud Sea Cliff was simply a cultivation holy land!

Little Yuanxi had hitched these rides very clearly.

"Powerful, Lord Black Lantern!" Lu Ran said with a smile.

Qiao Yuanxi immediately beamed with joy; today she was still wearing a black long dress, like an elegant black swan.

She raised her little head, looking proud: "Hey, hey~ it's just so-so~"

"Indeed, just so-so." Lu Ran added another sentence, "If you don't ascend again and are still at River Estuary Realm Third Stage, I'll lap you."

Qiao Yuanxi opened her eyes wide, unbelievable: "Are you comparing yourself to me?"

Lu Ran looked as if it were a matter of course: "So what? Didn't we become believers on the same day?"

Qiao Yuanxi was stunned for a long time, then pouted her little mouth and looked at Jiang Ruyi: "Sister-in-law! Look at him; he's bullying me!"

The sudden address made Jiang Ruyi a bit unable to handle it.

There was nothing wrong with the address, she just rarely heard it.

Fortunately, there were no outsiders around.

Ever since Jiang Ruyi ascended last time and didn't want too many people to surround the cave entrance to congratulate her, Lu Ran had issued an order, requiring the Lu Sect soldiers to be busy with their own things and not to come to congratulate them specifically.

"Oh?" Qiao Yuanxi raised her little face, her curved smiling eyes filled with teasing, looking at Jiang Ruyi, "Shy~"

"Go." Jiang Ruyi spat lightly, pretending to hit her.

Qiao Yuanxi ran away quickly.

"Whoosh~" A long whip darted out from the Phoenix Ceremonial Nine Heavens Robe.

Jiang Ruyi was stunned, and the Binding Immortal Whip had already bound little Yuanxi's waist, the whip handle automatically falling into the master's palm.

"Ah!" Qiao Yuanxi was instantly lifted into the air, struggling hard, but couldn't break free at all.

She had to turn her head to look behind her, with a pitiful little look, begging: "Ruyi sister..."

Jiang Ruyi couldn't laugh or cry.

She didn't cast the Binding Immortal Whip; it was the artifact protecting its master, and she had done it herself.

Lu Ran hurriedly stepped forward to persuade: "Ruyi, the child is still young and doesn't understand... you must not let her go!"

Qiao Yuanxi tilted her little head, a question mark appearing.

Jiang Ruyi: "..."

The group of people played and made trouble, returning to Cloud Sea Residence.

The stone table in the front yard was relatively small, so everyone came to the back yard.

Ever since Qiao Yuanxi came to Cloud Sea Cliff, Cloud Sea Residence had changed its appearance; the back yard was surrounded by stone walls, with a house on the east and west sides.

The west side was little Yuanxi's, and the east side was the two guards, Xuanshuang and Pomegranate Fire.

It was just that Pomegranate Fire had been sent to the Pear Garden Sect, and now the one living with the Xuanshuang guard had become Tian Tian.

Passing through the courtyard gate and walking out of the north wall of the back yard, there was another house, which was the residence of Niu the bodyguard.

Because the courtyard area was not small, Niu Zhengzheng lived very far away and was separated by thick stone courtyard walls.

This was specifically requested by Lu Ran; on one hand, there were women in the courtyard, and on the other hand...

Lu Ran really had psychological trauma.

The bull head was too much of a counter to the Lu dog!

Back when he was in school, Lu Ran had gone to the magic cave to train with the capital team and had lived in the same room as Niu Zhengzheng.

That snoring sound was like thunder!

Lu Ran still remembered it vividly to this day...

In the courtyard, several people sat around the stone table, and Xuanshuang served tea.

Lu Ran looked at the newly ascended Sea Realm expert and said: "Congratulations!"

Leng Xuanshuang was expressionless and nodded gently.

Lu Ran called out: "Shadow Two, Shadow Three."

Two phantoms appeared quietly, both holding a divine weapon sword in their hands.

These were confiscated by Lu Ran from Feng Zhihuan; both divine weapon swords were Tier 1, and there was also a Tier 1 divine weapon halberd, which Lu Ran planned to hand over to Niu Zhengzheng later, asking him to keep it for the time being.

Lu Ran took the Bai Bai Hongshi Sword and the Black Obsidian Sword, signaling to Leng Xuanshuang: "Choose one as a congratulatory gift from me and the Mistress for your ascension to the Sea Realm."

Leng Xuanshuang looked at Lu Ran and then at Jiang Ruyi.

Jiang Ruyi nodded: "You've ascended to the Sea Realm; it's time to go to the battlefield with us."

Hearing that she could follow the Sect Master and Mistress to the battlefield, Leng Xuanshuang still had a cold face, but a trace of joy rose in her heart.

Finally, she had some value.

"Choose." Lu Ran said, and in his mind, he transmitted to Qiao Yuanxi, 【Brother will find you a better one later.】

【Hmm, hmm.】 In this regard, Qiao Yuanxi was quite obedient and didn't make things difficult for Lu Ran, 【I have a divine weapon embryo given by my mother; it's the same black ice material as the token of love between you and Ruyi sister.

And I've been cultivating it for a long time; maybe one day it will become one~】

Lu Ran smiled and didn't say anything more.

Anyway, before Qiao Yuanxi ascended to the Sea Realm, he didn't intend to let his sister go to the battlefield, only wanting to keep her at home and protect her well.

In addition, the divine weapon he promised little Yuanxi was definitely not just empty talk.

After all, the Holy Lingshan really didn't lack divine weapons...

While pondering, Lu Ran found that Leng Xuanshuang's gaze had been fixed on the White Rainbow Sword.

Just looking at the material price of the Great Xia country, Bai Bai Hongshi material was not very high-grade.

Heavenly Star Steel was a first-class material, Black Ice/Golden Brilliance/Blood Crystal were second-class materials, and Black Obsidian was a third-class material; Bai Bai Hongshi could also be considered third-class, but the price was lower than the former.

But looking at this posture, Leng Xuanshuang seemed to have set her heart on the Bai Bai Hongshi Sword?

Lu Ran knew that this sword was called the "Beauty Sword."

Was it quite fitting?

"Here." Lu Ran handed the Beauty Sword over directly.

"Thank you, Sect Master and Mistress, for the sword." Leng Xuanshuang gripped the hilt with one hand and the blade with the other.

Under the control of a Sea Realm expert, how could the Beauty Sword have any room to resist?

Lu Ran looked at Tian Tian on the side and handed the Black Obsidian Sword over: "Here, Tian Tian."

"Ah?" Tian Tian was flattered, stretching out a small hand and pointing at her own nose, "For me? For me?"

Lu Ran nodded with a smile: "Yes, Black Lotus Lord! Give it a nice name and cultivate it well."

"I... I..."

"Take it." Jiang Ruyi said softly.

"Hmm." Tian Tian stretched out a pair of small hands, gripping the divine weapon carefully.

Lu Ran suddenly realized that Xuanshuang and Tian Tian, one was the evil god Ice Plum (Demon Queen), and one was the evil god Black Lotus.

One white and one black,

matched the colors of their respective divine weapon swords very well?

Lu Ran picked up the teacup, took a sip, and thought of something else, asking Si Xianxian: "By the way, how is your Crazy Hammer? Any movement?"

"It hums from time to time; I'm used to it, just thunder but no rain." Si Xianxian hummed.

"Perhaps, you and the Crazy Hammer need a hearty battle?"

"For example, blowing up that group of wolf cubs?"

"Okay!" Lu Ran nodded immediately.

Originally, Lu Ran had left Hidden Wolf Forest for Si Xianxian, who was at River Estuary Realm Fifth Stage.

As a result, Sister Jiang Xianzi was very promising and didn't need it.

Then he would leave Hidden Wolf Forest for the Crazy Hammer.

"When are we going?" Si Xianxian looked at Lu Ran with burning eyes.

"Tomorrow morning."

"Okay." Si Xianxian stood up, "I'm going back to sleep to recharge!"

"Ah... okay, then get some good rest." Lu Ran reacted and realized that over the past few days, Si Xianxian must have been cultivating very hard.

Lu Ran watched Sister Jiang Xianzi leave, and in his mind, he transmitted to Jiang Ruyi: 【How exactly did she ascend to the Sea Realm? This is too fast!】

【She knows we returned to the human world, but she still doesn't dare to contact her mother, not even reporting that she is safe.】 Jiang Ruyi picked up the teacup and took a shallow sip, 【She is very aggrieved and very angry.】

Lu Ran sighed silently.

【Tomorrow when we go to Hidden Wolf Forest, you go in and take a stroll while invisible first; if there are any slaves, save them first.】

【You intend to?】 Lu Ran looked at Jiang Ruyi, showing a look of inquiry.

【Let Sister Jiang Xianzi blow them up more heartily.】

【Hmm, good!】

Four thousand words, asking for some monthly tickets.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 699 =====