Chapter 749

The young man's deep voice, brimming with murderous rage, plunged the valley into deathly silence.

It also made Bai Lengmei's heart convulse violently.

Crack!

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck from the sky, striking Bai Lengmei's body.

Most Dongting Divine Art: Thunderstruck Phase!

With the lightning's aid, Bai Lengmei's body was massively activated, her overall attributes surging!

"Lady Bai has a clear head—far sharper than your fourth sister." Lu Ran stared at her expressionlessly.

As he spoke, his body grew hotter, uncontrollably trembling.

Blood Skull Xie Fa: Burning Blood Body!

Lu Ran burned his blood and divine power as a price, causing all his blood to boil, his overall attributes surging.

The two techniques had nearly identical effects.

The difference was that Lu Ran paid the price through "self-mutilation"—not only burning blood, but also burning divine power.

And for demonic minions, once this technique was activated, it could not be stopped.

"Fourth sister? Shen Xiaotang?" Bai Lengmei spun and seized the flying divine spear, her narrow eyes locked on the hooded youth.

Lu Ran gave a slight nod: "She still foolishly believed I'd spare her."

Bai Lengmei's face darkened further.

It was clear—the fourth lady's Starfall Valley had also been wiped out by this hooded youth!

But Bai Lengmei had no time to cheer.

Her face twisted in shock and fury: "Who are you?"

She had assumed Jin Que'er had found this demonic disciple, paid some price, and secured reinforcements to reclaim Heaven Sparrow Pavilion.

Yet this mysterious demonic disciple seemed to harbor deep hatred toward Thunderclap Mountain?

"You. Stay where you are." Lu Ran did not answer, instead shifting his blade's tip slightly toward the petite figure of Liying He He Tangzhu.

"Ah!" Liying He He Tangzhu flinched in terror.

The Huangque Sect's escape skills were truly exceptional.

But Liying He He Tangzhu was now in human form—no matter how many endless sparrow shadows she summoned, she couldn't blend into them.

How fast were Blood Skull disciples?

Just moments ago, the hooded youth had slashed the Five Thunder He He Tangzhu, and even now, the Five Thunder He He Tangzhu was still screaming in agony far away!

Liying He He Tangzhu knew clearly—if she made the slightest move, she would die instantly.

Yet while the hooded youth fought Lady Bai, she certainly had a chance to flee!

Swish~

The hooded youth moved, leaving behind a blood-red afterimage in place.

Bai Lengmei tensed her body, surged forward with lightning, and vanished instantly.

The clash of their weapons echoed dozens of meters away; Liying He He Tangzhu's heart jolted, and she instantly transformed into a small Huangque.

Don't move?

Not moving is an idiot!

Hoo!!

Suddenly, a gale swept in, flipping the newly transformed Huangque clean off its feet.

Worse still, the gale carried countless whistling blades.

It made one's scalp crawl!

"Liiii~!" The small Huangque suddenly glowed, its long, silken tail feathers trailing a beautiful Jin Guang as it fought the wind, dodging the wind-blades, and shot upward at full speed.

Once the bow is drawn, there's no turning back.

But the wind-blades slicing through the air weren't just one.

They were dozens—thirty-two of them!

Swoosh~ Swoosh~

A swarm of wind-blades blanketed the area; one blade pierced straight through the Huangque's wing.

"Ah!" Liying He He Tangzhu screamed in pain, the flying bird instantly reversing direction.

Boom! Stones shattered and flew everywhere.

The wind-blade, still embedded in the Huangque's wing, drove the shrieking bird straight into the rock wall.

Those in the valley turned their eyes—and saw another mysterious hooded figure.

She was a woman, also a demonic disciple!

Nightshade Follower?!

Perched on the mysterious hooded woman's shoulder was a delicate little Huangque; it flicked its tail, and three burning tail feathers shot toward the distant rock wall.

Huangque Divine Art: Three Burning Feathers!

Though only three burning golden feathers, their explosive damage was formidable—and crucially, they tracked enemies automatically.

Under the Divine-Demon system, transformation techniques had one fatal flaw:

Disciples of the Huangque and Lord Wu Ya sects, when transformed into birds, could not wear Water Armor.

That meant—if these three burning golden feathers struck Liying He He Tangzhu, they would kill her instantly!

Deng Deng Yuxiang frowned slightly, her slender jade fingers, already extended forward, dipped downward.

Several wind-blades instantly changed course, intercepting the three burning golden feathers.

Bang! Bang!

"Boom—boom—boom!" The wind blades precisely pierced and shattered the golden feathers, detonating clouds of golden flames.

"Hiss—"

The swirling mist beneath Deng Deng Yuxiang's feet shot straight toward the stone wall.

The Golden Sparrow was somewhat stunned; losing her focus for a moment, her talons failed to grip the straw-cloaked woman's shoulder, and she plummeted downward.

Deng Deng Yuxiang thrust her palm into the crumbling stone wall, seized the Little Huang Sparrow, and yanked it out directly.

The Beautiful Shadow Hall Master, still shrieking in agony, instantly lost her voice.

The bird's body was frail; it could be crushed by the straw-cloaked woman at any moment!

Deng Deng Yuxiang looked at the traitor, her palm gradually tightening. With a cold voice, she said, "I told you not to move. Can't you hear?"

"S-sorry, my lord!" The Beautiful Shadow Hall Master, enduring excruciating pain, spoke with a trembling voice.

The Golden Sparrow in the distance was equally terrified.

Regarding traitors, she hated them to the bone.

For a moment, she forgot her own situation, acted on her own initiative, and had no idea what punishment she would receive.

At the same time, the southern area of the valley bottom was already shrouded in thick blood mist, where the sounds of blades clashing with war halberds constantly echoed, dense and unceasing.

Bai Lengmei gritted her silver teeth, feeling as though she were trapped inside a cage.

The blood mist obscured her vision, completely blinding her; no matter which direction she fled, she was steadily intercepted.

If not for the assistance of the divine weapon in her hand, her head would have already been severed.

In fact, at this moment, her body was covered in blade scars.

The Thunder Armor had just formed, only to be torn apart again by scalding arcs of blood; the Water Armor remained perpetually tattered, and the blood staining it continued to burn the armor, refusing to allow it to be repaired.

Even more terrifying was the pungent smell of blood, which rushed straight into her nose.

Bai Lengmei realized her mind was being consumed by killing intent.

"Haaah!" Bai Lengmei, furious and desperate, let out a roar.

Yet this sound could only stun her opponent; it could not restore her own sanity.

Ironically, the valley bottom was full of Huang Sparrow disciples; if just anyone let out a cry, it could help her stay awake.

But no one cried out.

Who dared?

"Haaah! Haaah!!" Bai Lengmei screamed in a frenzied war cry, completely plunging into madness; the instinct for slaughter made her wildly swing the Fangtian Fangtian Huaji with no order or method whatsoever.

The divine weapon halberd wanted to help, but it could not wake its owner, whose mind was no longer clear.

Amidst the bloody rain and wind, the frenzied war cries turned into shrill screams of agony.

The sound of weapons clashing finally ceased.

A straw-cloaked youth, covered head to toe in blood, stepped out, carrying the divine weapon halberd as if it were a lifeless object.

The blood mist gradually dispersed, yet within it, the figure of Lady Bai was gone; only a pair of severed legs lay scattered on the ground.

The Huang Sparrow disciples all possessed Huang Sparrow Eyes, allowing them to see through the blood mist; naturally, they witnessed everything that happened inside with perfect clarity.

The disciples retreated trembling, secretly watching the straw-cloaked youth approach the straw-cloaked woman, observing as he handed the divine weapon halberd over to her.

Then, from the woman's hand, he took the traitor Huang Sparrow.

Without pausing his steps, he walked toward the Five Thunder Hall Master and tossed a small, pitch-black Ink Carp from his hand.

"Pop~"

"My lord." The Golden Sparrow transformed into human form and called out cautiously.

"Lend me your dungeon." Lu Ran said casually, arriving before the disheartened Five Thunder Hall Master and sealing him inside the gourd.

"My lord, I will take you there," the Golden Sparrow said urgently.

"No need; you calm the disciples." With those words spoken, only a blood shadow remained in place.

The Golden Sparrow opened her mouth, then looked fearfully at the straw-cloaked woman.

Deng Deng Yuxiang paid no attention to the other party; instead, she weighed the Fangtian Fangtian Huaji in her hand and let out a cold snort in her heart.

It seemed this divine weapon, too, had been killed into having no temper left, its heart dead as ash.

At the same time, in the dungeon illuminated by torches.

"Go, go find your Pavilion Master." Lu Ran spoke in a deep voice; the killing aura radiating from his entire body was so intense that even the prisoners dared not say thank you, fleeing in panic one after another.

Lu Ran sat cross-legged on the ground, taking a deep breath to calm his agitated emotions.

The Blood Skull Xie Fa indeed possessed a kind of magic.

The smell of blood was too strong, the killing intent too intense; it was easy to get carried away.

Now, he would have to go to the Silver River Waterfall to cleanse himself for a long time before he could return to see little Jiang Qiao Jiang Qiao Yuanxi.

Lu Ran sat quietly; he did not stay long before a figure flew out from within the Blazing Phoenix Pattern Gourd.

"Master." Yan Yan Shuangzi reported softly, "The matter has been handled; Elder Lu helped a great deal."

Lu Ran handed the traitor Huang Sparrow in his hand over to her: "Here is another one."

"Yes." Yan Yan Shuangzi grasped the bird's head, looked left and right, and went into a nearby prison cell.

With a thought, Lu Ran released the remnants of the Thunder Shock one by one from within the treasure gourd.

With this, the Divine Lie Tian Statue and the Nu Ying Statue should both be able to advance to the Heavenly Realm, right?

Hmm... I must first inform the Mad Immortal Guardian and the Dragon God General, especially Wang Longxiang; she might be on a mission, and we absolutely must not let anything go wrong.

"You! Who exactly are you?" A female voice sounded.

Lu Ran glanced over and saw Bai Lengmei collapsed on the ground; she had obviously regained her sanity.

However, her condition was very weak, her body covered in blade scars.

By all rights, she should not have any injuries, because Lu Ran had stopped her bleeding and used the Life-Returning Carp to heal her wounds.

Her dreadful state was surely the work of the divine weapon, XIAO LING DAO.

"Me," Lu Ran fell silent for a moment, then whispered, "a criminal."

"By the misty lake, I wiped out every last soul on Mount Jingting Mountain—but let the Second Lady and Fourth Lady escape, safe at home."

The reed-cloaked youth's calm words made the surviving Mount Jingting remnants stare wide-eyed.

Only now did they realize the mysterious reinforcements of the Yun Qianzhou Alliance were this very disciple of evil!

Did he slay Master Lü of Mount Jingting Mountain, the First Lady, the Third Lady, Hu Xu, Hu Liangye Jian Lian, Xue Ying, Xue Lin Yue, and all the He Tangzhu?

"Thus came the tragedy of Xingkong Valley, and now the Liangye Jian Tian Que Pavilion," the reed-cloaked youth gazed into Bai Lengmei's eyes. "Tell me—am I a criminal?"

Bai Lengmei stood frozen, staring blankly at Lu Ran.

The reed-cloaked youth rose and stepped forward; the surviving Mount Jingting remnants scrambled backward on hands and feet.

Lu Ran lifted Bai Lengmei, staring at her pale face: "Second Lady Lü, today I have seen you."

"Now I can finally rest in peace."

(End of Chapter)