Chapter 789: Origin

"Cough cough."

A light cough interrupted the two bantering lovers.

Lu Ran mumbled: "Fine, fine, I won't call you that—why throw a fit over it?"

Deng Yu nearly laughed in anger!

If it were during combat and truly necessary, she had no objection to using the Sound of Compassion or the Sound of Despair.

But now?

Did she have to bleat like a weak little lamb in front of a stranger?

Deng Yu wanted to kick Lu Ran right in the ass!

But since there was a stranger present, she decided to spare the Lord of Demons some face.

Deng Yu's face turned cold as she released Lu Ran's elbow.

"Sir, what is your surname?" Lu Ran quickly changed the subject, calling out loudly.

The Lord of the Lake looked strangely affected.

The Sacred Spirit Mountain Realm was riddled with peril—an icy, brutal battlefield of life and death. He hadn't felt such a warm, playful atmosphere in many years.

Normally, he should have treated these two little lambs with cold disdain.

He could have drawn his blade outright.

But—

After a long pause, the Lord of the Lake finally spoke: "Fish. As in 'fish in water.'"

Fish surname?

Rare indeed.

Lu Ran licked his lips, suddenly realizing he hadn't eaten in days.

He longed for grilled fish!

Steamed fish, braised fish, spicy boiled fish—

"Gulps." Lu Ran's Adam's apple bobbed.

This damn Sacred Spirit Mountain had no fish, no birds, no beasts—no place for humans.

Someone from the River Realm who came here would die of thirst and hunger!

Deng Yu lightly kicked Lu Ran's shoe.

Lu Ran snapped back to attention and bowed deeply: "Lord Fish De-Shui, I—"

On Fish Changsheng's handsome face, dark lines seemed to flicker, his lips twitching:

"I only said my surname is Fish!"

The utter darkness of night served as excellent camouflage, sparing the Lord of Fish from having to manage his expressions too carefully.

His naturally refined, noble aura was showing signs of cracking.

Looks kind of fun~

How could Fish Changsheng know Lu Ran had caught every flicker of his expression?

"Lord Fish," Lu Ran grinned. "I'm Lu. As in 'Lu, the Immortal of the Land.'"

In the space of a single sentence, Fish Changsheng regained his elegant nobleman's demeanor.

He toyed with his folding fan, giving it a light flick.

"Pop~"

A peculiar sound echoed.

Was that the sound of a fish blowing bubbles?

Lu Ran immediately canceled his demonic art and plummeted toward the ground; Deng Yu reacted just as swiftly, following close behind.

From the lake's surface, a pale golden Long Li burst upward, swimming into the sky.

It resembled a small carp, yet far more noble and beautiful.

It had a pair of adorable large eyes; its fins and tail were like thin gauze, or the flowing train of a wedding gown, drifting gracefully through the air.

Dreamlike, breathtakingly beautiful.

"Pop~"

The Long Li's mouth opened and closed, emitting another wondrous sound.

Then, golden rain began to fall from the heavens.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't rain—it was fine beams of light, like golden threads, dazzling and radiant.

The graceful, adorable little Long Li swam through this "golden drizzle," floating slowly in midair.

Long Li Divine Art: Prayer Rain Carp!

This technique is a domain-type art, its power so great it could rival the South Sea Bow Sect's divine art: Azure Dragon Seas.

Not only does it purify, it also grants perception!

A divine art combining both effects was outright cheating—proof enough of the Long Li Sect's unparalleled support capabilities.

The golden drizzle blazed brilliantly, illuminating the surrounding sky and earth.

Deng Yu finally saw the Lord of the Lake's true face.

His exquisite beauty took her utterly by surprise!

Was this person male or female?

So beautiful as to be indistinguishable in gender—truly a rare sight.

Fish Changsheng also saw the two of them.

Compared to the perception granted by his divine art, he preferred to rely on his own eyes.

These two were even more striking than he'd imagined.

Truly a pair of dragon-and-phoenix talents!

The young man was tall and heroic, absurdly youthful, his face lit with a smile.

The woman was tall and gorgeous, radiating martial vigor; standing slightly behind him, her gaze held a hint of curiosity.

For someone like Fish Changsheng, appearance and aura no longer stirred any emotion.

The Sacred Spirit Mountain was filled with prodigies as numerous as fish crossing a river—what kind of people hadn't he seen?

Yet as he gazed at the two standing by the lakeshore, he slowly lost himself.

Fish Changsheng saw a living person.

A vividness and radiance he hadn't witnessed in ages—like seeing his former self.

"Some people are alive, but already dead."

This phrase applied all too well in the Sacred Spirit Mountain Realm.

Look around—you meet only walking corpses.

But on these two, Fish Changsheng sensed the breath of life!

Perhaps because they had just arrived, untouched by the Sacred Spirit Mountain's brutality.

Never hunted, never betrayed, never manipulated.

Not yet corrupted.

Or perhaps they still hadn't seen the gods' ugly faces, still clung to hope.

Dreaming of returning home, dreaming of a future.

The thought that such people would inevitably die filled Fish Changsheng with sudden disinterest.

Whether through true death or the slow death of the heart—it was their unavoidable fate.

Pursuit by kin, the crushing blow of the world's truth, utter despair—

The Sacred Spirit Mountain had many knives.

One of them would surely kill these two youths.

"Lord Fish, why the sadness?" Lu Ran suddenly spoke.

Fish Changsheng snapped back, speaking coolly: "Leave."

With those words, he dispersed the tiny Long Li drifting in the night sky.

The golden rain vanished; the splendor ended, and endless darkness once again filled the lake region.

Lu Ran frowned slightly: 【He's sunk back into the lake.】

Deng Yu replied: 【His gaze just now was complicated.】

Lu Ran thought for a moment: 【First surprise, then nostalgia, then regret—finally, disappointment, I think.】

Lu Ran's vision was top-tier; his observational skills were exceptional.

Every shift in Fish Lord's eyes and expression had been captured by Lu Ran.

Deng Yu fell silent for a moment, clearly uninterested in the stranger's inner state:

【He's from the Sea Realm. Though he showed no hostility, he's repeatedly told us to leave—we should go.】

Lu Ran suddenly replied: 【Night Phantom.】

【Huh?】 Deng Yu immediately listened intently.

Lu Ran slowly drew the Eight Wilderness Annihilation Blade; in the pitch-black environment, he slashed forward sharply, his body flickering as he moved.

"Crack!!"

The sharp blade struck the seemingly soft Night Phantom robe, producing a cracking sound.

With a single slash, Lu Ran shattered the Night Phantom's defensive garment, leaving a deep gash across her body.

It seems this is merely a River Realm night phantom.

"Sss!" The night phantom shrieked sharply and retreated backward.

But behind her, Lu Ran was already waiting.

"Hum~"

At the last possible moment, the night phantom split into three.

"Sss!"

The Eightfold Annihilation Blade slashed through, decapitating all three night phantoms.

The Soul-Shattering power granted Lu Ran tyrannical strength.

The Evil Hound's Speed granted Lu Ran unimaginable attack velocity!

Even more terrifying: even without these two evil arts, Lu Ran could achieve this solely through the physical prowess of his River Realm body.

His sudden activation of both evil arts was more like an insurance policy for a swift conclusion.

Lu Ran stood in place, listening to the continuous sounds of bodies shattering, while the blazing phoenix-patterned gourd at his waist absorbed the mist, and he himself gathered the souls on the spot.

Suddenly, a brilliant golden rain descended again.

The darkness receded.

Lu Ran turned his head toward the lake and smiled: "Just now a night phantom showed up—sorry for disturbing you, sir."

The night phantom's shriek had indeed been loud.

Yu Changsheng gazed at Lu Ran, whose smile was gentle amid the golden rain, and spoke slowly:

"Aside from that one sheep-like cry, I wouldn't have guessed you were a disciple of Xiang Xianyang."

Lu Ran shrugged, deflecting the point: "Just a River Realm night phantom—if I couldn't handle that, it'd be a joke."

Then Lu Ran changed the subject: "Master Yu, lingering beneath the lake—are you in quiet cultivation, or hunting the night phantom clan?"

Everyone knows night phantoms love to play in water.

Yu Changsheng stared into Lu Ran's eyes.

How could he not know Lu Ran's little schemes?

He simply wanted protection from a powerful, benevolent Long Li believer.

That's why he kept approaching, again and again.

Yu Changsheng had prepared himself: perhaps the youth's innocence was feigned, perhaps his mind was full of calculations.

It was merely the gap in cultivation level that kept the youth from revealing his true nature.

Hmm, who knows?

After spending too long in Sacred Spirit Mountain, everyone looks half-human, half-ghost.

Yu Changsheng knew better than to harbor too much goodwill toward this stranger.

But

Perhaps because the youth was only at River Realm, posing little threat.

Or perhaps because he was an Xiang Xianyang disciple.

Or perhaps because the youth's eyes were simply too beautiful.

Deep and serene.

Nothing like the eyes of someone malicious or utterly ruthless.

The golden light rained down, falling upon the youth, slowly spreading like a halo.

As if Yu Changsheng himself had gilded Lu Ran's body.

"Leave, young friend," Yu Changsheng said slowly, unusually adding more: "Don't be so reckless next time."

"Reckless?"

"To survive in this realm, trust no one. Don't assume someone's nature just because they belong to a certain sect."

With that, Yu Changsheng smiled: "On this point, you, as a Xiang Xianyang believer, should know best."

Lu Ran smiled too, meeting the handsome young lord's gaze directly: "Thank you for the advice, sir!

You've held on well—you're still kind, still compassionate."

"Hah." Yu Changsheng laughed in disbelief.

Lu Ran no longer pressed, turning to leave: "I'm off."

He was genuinely intrigued by this Long Li believer, eager to learn more.

This was a Sea Realm master physician!

And even more precious: the man still retained his human kindness.

But Yu had issued three clear dismissals; Lu Ran couldn't overstay.

Forming a good connection within the Sacred Spirit Mountain realm was indeed difficult.

Between people, there was innate suspicion and deep hostility.

If so, then enjoy your bath!

I'll go train my Great Nightmare now~

The mountains are high, the roads long—let fate decide.

Thank you all for your concern—I'm much better now.

Thank you to HappyLittlePomegranate, DreamReturningToThePast, and the little Phoenix for your tips—thank you for your support, patrons, you're generous!

(`) Sending hearts

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(End of Chapter)