Chapter 72: KILL!

“Splash splash”

Heavy rain poured down, obscuring vision.

In the rain curtain, a massive creature charged wildly toward the opposite street.

“Moo!”

The Soul-Shatter Demon’s eyes glinted with cruelty, determined to crush that yellow-clad little figure utterly!

Lu Ran did not move, standing alone as a target.

Behind and beside him, Wei Long and Wei Hu simultaneously reached out their hands.

Under surging divine power, two chains-nets overlapped and solidified into one.

“Crack!!”

This time, the Soul-Shatter Demon had enough running distance; with the force of a thousand jin, it smashed through one of the nets.

But the second chain-net ultimately halted the giant beast.

Wei Long strained to activate his divine art, reinforcing the chain-net: “Little Hu!”

Wei Hu immediately shifted tactics, summoning streaks of crimson chains to bind the demon.

Again, the combination of Demon-Imprisoning Chains and Blood Spike Chains.

Once more, the Soul-Shatter Demon was bound tightly, pierced and bleeding profusely.

“Moo!”

The Soul-Shatter Demon roared repeatedly, raging in fury.

It was furious. It was resentful.

It longed to crush these weak creatures and swallow their souls for cruel torment.

“Swoosh~ Swoosh!”

Suddenly, a piercing sound tore through the rainy night.

Without warning, another tall figure clad in a yellow raincoat stood atop the traffic light.

Coincidentally, she stood directly above the flashing yellow light.

Deng Yu held a long Zhan Ye Dao in one hand and extended the other diagonally downward, aiming at the trapped ox demon.

Blades of wind rapidly formed in her palm and shot toward the Soul-Shatter Demon.

Northern Wind Divine Art: Wind Command!

Deng Yu lightly flicked her fingers.

The wind blades instantly linked into a chain, carving an arc through the rain, circling the chain-net, and stabbing straight into the demon’s body.

Instantly, the sound of blades piercing flesh echoed continuously!

“Ssshh!”

The Soul-Shatter Demon’s shriek pierced the rainy night, drifting to countless homes, sending chills down spines.

Suddenly, Deng Yu leapt forward, charging straight at the Soul-Shatter Demon!

The Zhan Ye Dao was already long enough, but now a long, trailing slash extended from its blade.

Northern Wind Divine Art: Residual Wind Scar!

“Moo!”

The Soul-Shatter Demon was riddled with wounds and drenched in blood, yet it still struggled desperately.

Its massive body seemed to contain endless vitality!

“Hmph.”

Deng Yu let out a cold snort, her beautiful eyes sharp and piercing.

Her slender figure darted swiftly, flashing past the demon’s side!

They say,

your blood is thick?

“Ssshh—”

The massive Zhan Ye Dao cleanly severed the giant ox’s head!

Not only that!

The Zhan Ye Dao also severed the Demon-Imprisoning Chains, shattered the Blood Chain Barrier, and finally plunged deep into the wet asphalt!

Those who stand in the way die?

No,

whether you stand in the way or not, you die anyway!

We don’t even know what the road ever did to you.

That slash cut through like slicing tofu.

Seeing this, Lu Ran couldn’t help but grin.

The Great Nightmare really is terrifying!

The world fell silent again, save for the sound of falling rain.

“Hum~”

The Zhan Ye Dao trembled gently as Deng Yu, kneeling on one knee, rose slowly and pulled the blade from the asphalt.

“Glad you like it.”

Deng Yu murmured, lifting the blade to rinse its bloodied edge in the rain.

“Thud!”

Behind her, the massive corpse collapsed heavily.

The black mist spheres swirling around the Soul-Shatter Demon’s body quietly dispersed and vanished.

Across the street, Lu Ran’s body trembled slightly—the Soul-Shatter Demon’s soul had been drawn into him.

Mmm, that felt good!

This Soul-Shatter Demon’s realm was roughly River Stage Four to Five.

Just this one soul could match a hundred Mist Stage Soul-Shatter Demons.

And that’s being conservative.

“Well done.”

“Well done,” Wei Long and Wei Hu said in unison, placing their hands on Lu Ran’s shoulders, one on each side.

“I didn’t do anything,” Lu Ran replied casually.

Wei Long: “You drew all the Soul-Shatter Demon’s attention to yourself.”

Wei Hu: “Just standing here facing it was enough.”

The Soul-Shatter Demon was utterly insane and brutally vicious—anyone facing such a creature needed immense courage!

“Aren’t you two here?” Lu Ran replied honestly.

The Dragon and Tiger Guards were his confidence.

The Wei brothers fell silent; Lu Ran turned his gaze to the demon’s corpse.

The Soul-Shatter Demon clan was powerful, but unfortunately, their temper was too impulsive and volatile.

Once they went mad, they preferred brute force over spellcasting.

Still, it’s not fair to say this Soul-Shatter Demon didn’t use magic—after all, “Power Amplification” was one of its demonic arts.

Thinking of this, Lu Ran felt a subtle stir in his mind.

Should he play it even safer?

At the Brook Stage, activate one Soul-Shatter Demon statue first.

Then, once he reached the River Stage and confirmed his spiritual strength was sufficient, activate Lady Yanzhi?

Upon reflection, the Soul-Shatter Demon’s demonic arts were quite impressive—even a few bore resemblance to Xianyang’s Divine Art.

Could they pass for the real thing?

Hmm, I should discuss this with Xianyang later—wonder if the Divine Lord would approve.

After all, Xianyang’s strategy was to make Lu Ran lie low.

His recommended growth path: enhance perception, then speed and agility, then defense.

But the Soul-Shatter Demon’s demonic arts leaned heavily toward offense.

“Little Lu Ran?”

“Here!” Lu Ran snapped back to attention.

Deng Yu, absorbing the demon’s corpse with a divine power bead, said: “Go to that shop and tell your classmates to stay inside.”

“Next time, expulsion.”

At once, Lu Ran dashed across the street.

He saw Chang Ying had returned to the window?

No wonder Deng Shao liked her!

This girl had real guts!

“Lu Ran!” Chang Ying flung open a crack in the window, eyes blazing with admiration, “That sister is so cool!”

Lu Ran nearly snorted in frustration.

What the hell are you doing?

While every other citizen cowered in fear, you’re just watching a movie?

Chang Ying: “Thanks to you too! Just now I heard a sheep bleat, and suddenly I really wanted to tease you!”

Lu Ran: “.”

Chang Ying’s face glowed with excitement, her eyes also tinged with faint admiration: “You used the sheep’s bleat to lure the big black ox away, didn’t you?”

Unlike the Moonwatchers, Chang Ying was merely a novice in the Mist Realm.

She didn’t need to harbor ill will toward Lu Ran—the Sound of Sorrow alone could affect her to some degree.

Back in the Village of Evil Dogs, Lu Ran had nearly broken Jiang Meiren, who was at the same level.

Lu Ran spoke in a low tone: “That sister told me to tell you: go stay inside the inner room, or you’ll be expelled from school!”

Chang Ying froze, her mouth slightly open.

Lu Ran’s expression was unusually serious: “Understood?”

“Mm-hmm!” Chang Ying’s face beamed with obedience as she nodded vigorously.

“Hurry inside and stay beside the Spirit Oracle statue. I’m leaving.” Lu Ran had visited this place before and knew the layout of the auto repair shop well.

He gave a hurried warning, then turned and left.

“Lu Ran!”

“Hmm?” Lu Ran halted, turning his head.

Through the slightly open window, a bottle of Wahaha was handed out: “Thank you both—share it.”

“Thanks, no need.” Lu Ran stepped away, drawing his blade and slicing through the curtain of rain, “Zhang Zui has some.”

Chang Ying’s eyes sparkled as she watched Lu Ran’s graceful figure depart.

I knew it!

On a day like this, who’d be thirsty?

Great minds think alike. Damn it! Deng Yu, you stole my spot!

I challenge you to a duel!

Wait till school starts—I’ll crush you with my Five Treasures Oracle Qian .

Chang Ying was fantasizing about using her signature skill to gamble her way to glory and torment Deng Yu.

But in the next instant, her heart lurched—she felt pinned by a gaze.

She turned to see the beautiful, formidable sister on the street, gazing at her with icy eyes.

“Oh my god!”

Chang Ying spun around and ran. Along the way, she met her anxious parents searching for her; she grabbed each by the arm and kept running.

At the same moment, on the rain-soaked street.

The Moonwatcher squad all turned southward, listening to their superior’s orders through hidden earpieces.

“Move out—to the Wasteland!” After a moment, Sun Zheng’s face darkened as he gave the order.

“Yes!”

“Yes!” The five-member squad surged southeast, heading toward a dark, eerie wasteland.

Leather boots crushed the muddy road, spraying droplets in all directions.

Heavy raincoats flapped loudly in the wind and rain.

Combined with the thunderous roars echoing from across the city, they wove a unique, stirring battle hymn!

Lu Ran’s squad was unique.

If the Moonwatcher teams stationed at the various shelters focused on defense,

then Lu Ran’s Moonwatcher Patrol Team had only one word as its focus:

Kill!

(End of Chapter)