Chapter 773: Bring It Here

"Huh~"

Amid a surge of energy, a spectral figure emerged from the dagger.

Deng Yu's drinking motion halted; Lu Ran turned his gaze toward it immediately.

The spirit of the dagger?

She appeared as a woman, roughly twenty-seven or twenty-eight, her brow filled with coldness.

She wore a white cloak with a hood, a few strands of long hair drifting outward from her cheeks, exuding a haunting beauty.

Presumably, this was the original owner's appearance.

Yet when the spirit saw the man kneeling for execution, her expression finally changed.

She smiled.

A triumphant, vengeful laugh!

She stared for over ten seconds before turning to face Lu and Deng.

Especially Lu Ran!

Her smile vanished; her face darkened—she must have sensed he possessed multiple divine weapons.

"Come." Deng Yu extended her hand, signaling the dagger to fly over.

The spirit cast a cold glance at Deng Yu, then looked at Lu Ran with utter revulsion.

"Huh~"

Her form quietly retracted, returning into the dagger.

Xia Guang: 【The spirit has sealed herself once more.】

Lu Ran clicked his tongue: "I've got plenty of divine artifacts on me. This dagger's spirit probably thinks I'm just another murderous bandit."

Deng Yu stepped forward, planting her foot on Gao Shanjun's skull.

She bent down, gripped the dagger embedded in the corpse's nape, and yanked it free: "Once I establish a connection with the spirit and explain the situation, I'll make her apologize to you."

"No need." Lu Ran said indifferently.

Deng Yu held the dagger, studying its curved back, like a crescent moon:

"We freed her from suffering and helped her kill her enemy.

She doesn't have to thank us—but we won't let you be wronged."

Lu Ran: "."

The domineering ram has logged off; domineering Xiang has successfully connected?

So gentle, yet so forceful.

Sister, kill me!

Yet Deng Yu had no intention of killing Lu Ran.

She kicked the unconscious female bandit onto her back, raised the dagger, and slit her throat.

Clean and efficient!

Clearly, Deng Yu was striving to adapt to this new world and its new rules.

If they're enemies, they must be dealt with this way!

Lu Ran opened his horizontal pupils.

Interestingly, the female bandit had been unconscious while alive.

After death, her soul was fully awake.

She didn't cry out—only glared at Lu Ran and Deng Yu with venom.

But as she realized her situation, that venom slowly turned to regret.

Deng Yu suggested: "Let's dispose of the body, move away from here, and find a place to rest."

After confirming the soul had been absorbed into his pupils, Lu Ran said: "Alright."

Half an hour later, the two landed at the bottom of a small canyon, where trees thrived and steep cliffs rose on both sides—an excellent hiding spot.

"I'll dig a cave." Deng Yu drew the broken blade from her back; a long scar trailed along its edge.

"Sss!"

The scar pierced the cliff wall as if cutting tofu.

While Deng Yu dug, Lu Ran took out a Qianyuan Mirror and swept it up and down.

"Huh?" Lu Ran froze.

"What is it?" Deng Yu turned to look.

Lu Ran immediately rotated the ancient bronze mirror, pointing its surface toward the woman.

Deng Yu's expression turned equally startled: "Yèmèi?"

Could there still be demons within the Sacred Spirit Mountain Realm?

Hmm… I was too hasty. I shouldn't have killed those two Nuo Sha disciples—I should've questioned them first.

Lu Ran flipped the mirror back over, studied it for a moment, then hesitated: "Shall we go take a look?"

"Let's go."

"Get ready!" Lu Ran said firmly; his oval Qianyuan Mirror transformed into a full-length mirror.

Deng Yu didn't hesitate—she grabbed her blade and strode inside.

Lu Ran followed closely, just in time to see the distant Yèmèi stop, then turn to look at them.

Deng Yu tensed; battle seemed imminent.

But what happened next left both Lu and Deng stunned.

That Yèmèi turned and ran.

Ran?

Lu Ran and Deng Yu exchanged glances, both sensing mutual shock.

Demons and the human/god factions are sworn enemies—any encounter must end in bloodshed!

The demon race's craving for human blood and tender flesh is etched into their bones.

How could this Yèmèi possibly run?

Could it be that this Yèmèi possesses unusually high intelligence—not only recognizing their strength, but forcibly suppressing its cruel nature to flee decisively?

"Shhh~"

Lu Ran teleported instantly, blocking the Yèmèi's path ahead.

"Sss—"

Deng Yu stepped on immortal mist, moving at blinding speed, stopping behind the Yèmèi.

The Yèmèi halted, body taut, each hand gripping a Yèmèi blade, as if facing a deadly foe.

"Can you speak?" Lu Ran studied the Yèmèi curiously, attempting communication.

Since this Yèmèi was so unusual, could she speak human language?

In response, only endless silence.

Lu Ran continued: "If you noticed us, why run?"

The Yèmèi suddenly raised her hand—a gale erupted!

"Crack! Crack!"

Trees around Lu Ran shattered; others were uprooted by the wind, chaos everywhere.

Yet Lu Ran stood firm.

Barbarian Nüba Demon Art: Barbarian Power!

The earth's power shielded him from the storm.

"Hmph." Deng Yu's lips curled slightly, a glint of admiration flashing in her eyes.

Lu Ran's heroic figure, standing tall and unwavering amid the gale, was enough to awe anyone.

The next instant, Deng Yu charged forward, blade aimed at the Yèmèi's back.

"Wum~"

The Yèmèi instantly split into three!

One move reveals true skill.

The Yèmèi had clearly predicted their movements—when Deng Yu closed in, all three would surround her.

But this time, the experienced Yèmèi had miscalculated completely.

Because Deng Yu stopped abruptly!

Without any hesitation, she stood right at the edge of the encirclement.

This sudden move left the Yèmèi unprepared.

"Die!" Deng Yu swung her blade horizontally; the long scar swept across.

Can't tell which is the real one?

Then kill them all!

"Baa~~~"

The sudden bleating of a lamb startled the Yèmèi's spirit.

Meanwhile, the sharp scar had already severed two illusions and grazed the real body's side.

That little lamb's so sneaky?

Wait till you're at your most desperate—then strike quietly~

"Hiss!" At the last possible moment, Ye Mei leaped desperately upward.

She strained to curl her legs, but that sudden bleat had ruined everything!

Ye Mei couldn't dodge Deng Yuxiang's strike—the blade slashed deep into her calf.

"Crack!"

A shrill sound rang out—the tearing of Ye Mei's robe.

"Crunch!!"

That was the sound of two rows of canine teeth clamping down hard.

Deng Yuxiang's assault flowed seamlessly—her upward slash didn't cut a living thing, but a headless corpse.

In midair, the two rows of sharp fangs had not yet dissipated.

Evil Dog Technique · Evil Fangs!

Ye Mei's head had already been bitten off by the evil dog's fangs, tumbling toward the ground.

Deng Yuxiang: "..."

She slowly turned her head toward Lu Ran.

Lu Ran wore a sweet, innocent expression and blinked once: "Aren't my evil techniques impressive?"

Deng Yuxiang gave him a wry glare: "Hurry up and trap the soul."

She'd just thought he was brilliant and commanding—now he looked so smug.

Don't you dare praise him!

Not even in your heart.

"Puff~"

Ye Mei, cut into pieces, shattered into mist.

Lu Ran casually tossed the gourd over and opened his Eyes of the Dead Realm.

The Crimson Phoenix Gourd hovered in midair, automatically drawing in thick white mist.

Lu Ran carefully examined this peculiar Ye Mei.

But no matter how he looked left and right, he found nothing unusual.

"Hiss…" The dead soul of Ye Mei writhed restlessly, unable to escape its fate, drawn into the Eyes of the Dead Realm.

"Hum!!"

Just seconds later, Lu Ran's mind jolted!

The evil statues in the Sculpture Garden—once Jiang Jing · First Stage—now trembled violently.

Was this… promotion?

Jiang Jing · Second Stage?

"No way!" Lu Ran was utterly stunned.

Once an evil statue was cultivated to Jiang Jing, further promotion became extremely difficult.

After all, Lu Ran needed one hundred Jiang Jing demonic souls just to advance one minor stage.

One hundred!

What did that even mean?

Every full moon night, if even a single Jiang Jing demon lord appeared, it was called a "special event."

Lu Ran had seriously considered: to cultivate his evil statues, he'd have to venture into the depths of demon dens, to the frontlines of battle.

Otherwise, relying solely on full moon nights, he'd never advance his statues in a lifetime.

Yet he hadn't expected—

Absorbing just one Ye Mei soul was enough to promote his Jiang Jing · First Stage statue!

"What… what is this?"

Deng Yuxiang frowned, a strange sensation coursing through her body.

Her tall, graceful frame trembled slightly.

"You're leveling up," Lu Ran realized, his heart bursting with joy!

Of course!

In the mortal realm, Lu Ran could crudely calculate how many demonic souls he needed to cultivate his statues.

Because each demonic soul carried a thread of Sacred Spirit Qi (primordial Qi).

But within the Sacred Spirit Mountains, everything was different!

Whether human or demon, the amount of Sacred Spirit Qi carried in their souls varied unpredictably.

Like opening a blind box!

The longer a person or demon lingered in this realm, the more Sacred Spirit Qi they gathered and stored within their soul.

For Lu Ran, it was like cutting grass!

Leaving aside the human believers who served the gods, just consider the demonic minions here collecting Sacred Spirit Qi.

Whenever Lu Ran encountered them, he'd strike without hesitation—no guilt at all!

You're working for the demon lords?

Slaving day and night, gathering Sacred Spirit Qi?

Hand it over!

Lu Ran beamed—he'd always assumed this realm was full of humans!

Later, he would drag out Luo's wife's soul and interrogate her thoroughly—find out how the demons were distributed here.

"Let's head back!"

Eagerly, Lu Ran, his mind still humming, summoned a full-length mirror.

The Crimson Phoenix Gourd feasted happily, darting joyfully through the air to follow.

Deng Yuxiang leaned on her broken blade like a cane, shakily trailing behind.

Thank you to Happy Little Bambi, Jiangzhu Fisherman, Book Friend 20241102204119865, Book Friend 20210524163116135 for your tips! Big bosses, generous as ever—thank you for your support!

(`) Sending heart

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(End of Chapter)