Chapter 84: Mist Realm Summit

“Meow~”

“Meow meow meow.”

At nightfall, a series of cat calls awakened someone fast asleep in bed.

“Shh,” Lu Ran opened his eyes half-consciously, one hand stroking the cat’s head to soothe the little thing.

There was a shrine and divine statue in the bedroom; if the little tabby kept meowing like this, it might anger the deity.

“Hungry?” Lu Ran held the tabby and sat up.

Seeing the room pitch black, he knew he had slept all day—and so had the tabby.

“Meow~” The tabby looked pitifully forlorn.

Its fluffy little paws kept scratching at Lu Ran’s face.

“There’s canned food at home,” Lu Ran carried the tabby to the kitchen and pulled out a can of luncheon meat from the cabinet.

He diced it, plated it, and poured a bowl of water.

“Eat up, you must be starving,” Lu Ran placed the food and water on the floor, watching the little tabby gobble it down, “Did I sleep too long?”

Lu Ran suddenly remembered something and hurried out of the kitchen.

He didn’t even turn on the light, walking straight to the shrine and clasping his hands together:

“Lord Xiang Xianyang, in your dream you said you would eventually dissipate.”

Inside the shrine, the white sheep jade carving remained silent.

Lu Ran paused, then continued: “What can I do for you?”

“Can this dissipation be avoided?”

“A deity needs faith energy, right? If more humans come to worship you, wouldn’t that help prolong your life?”

Lu Ran asked urgently, but the white sheep jade carving gave no response whatsoever.

Lu Ran grew both anxious and furious!

He truly wanted to kick you right now~

“Lord Xiang Xianyang, please say something!” Lu Ran sighed helplessly.

“You wish to help me,” a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

Lu Ran instantly perked up: “Yes, of course I do!”

Lu Ran took the matter of repaying a debt with utmost seriousness.

The white sheep jade carving: “What can a mere Mist Realm do to help me?”

Lu Ran: “.”

Fine, fine, fine!

I want to help you, and you stab me in the heart in return?

The white sheep jade carving repeated the words from his dream: “No need to worry—focus on your growth.”

“Yes!” Lu Ran nodded.

He had always craved power intensely.

Whether to avenge his father or to stop living in fear each night, both drove Lu Ran to train relentlessly.

Now, after experiencing July 15th with the Wangyue team, Lu Ran wanted to grow even stronger.

Although he had played a crucial role on the night of the fifteenth.

But he didn’t want to be the one being protected!

If possible, Lu Ran wanted to let the Wei brothers fight freely, to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Great Nightmare and carve out dawn together.

The white sheep jade carving: “If we classify by cultivation level, the Evil Dog statue is currently at Mist Realm, Stage Three.”

“Capture more Evil Dog souls, and cultivate the Evil Dog statue into the Brook Realm as soon as possible.”

Once Lu Ran possessed a Brook Realm Evil Dog demonic statue, he would gain the demonic art: Demonic Agility.

With this, Lu Ran’s agility stat would far surpass others at the same level, and his combat power would surge dramatically!

“I understand,” Lu Ran replied solemnly, still unwilling to give up, “about your dissipation—”

The white sheep jade carving suddenly said: “Souls can also nourish me.”

Lu Ran froze.

He wasn’t sure if the deity was just placating him—or if it was truly possible.

A mighty deity, eating demonic souls?

Is that what a deity should do?

Wait a minute!

Lu Ran frowned tightly—Lord Xiang Xianyang had created an entire garden of demonic statues!

And its method of activating demonic statues was precisely by using demonic souls.

So Lord Xiang Xianyang’s words were likely true!

The more Lu Ran thought about it, the more his heart raced.

The white sheep jade carving: “You may capture more souls.”

“After school starts, I will descend into the Demon Caves again and do my best to slaughter demons,” Lu Ran said solemnly.

The deity ceased its mental transmission. Lu Ran waited a moment, then sighed deeply.

Power, power…

The foundation of everything!

He sat down on the floor and immediately entered cultivation mode.

Lord Xiang Xianyang was also considerate—threads of mist drifted from the shrine and flowed toward Lu Ran.

Just a few minutes later, Lu Ran suddenly remembered something.

He slowly raised his hand, energy surging in his palm.

“Huh~”

Four fangs woven from mist took shape several meters away.

“Crack!”

The four fangs snapped together tightly, the sound sharp and grating.

In the pitch-black room, Lu Ran’s dark eyes glimmered with strange light.

First Demonic Awareness, now Evil Fangs.

What’s this thing called “Suzhou Murong Fu”? Who’s this “Kiba Kakyushi”?

I wonder—if I used this move in front of the Evil Dogs, would those little mutts just stare blankly?

The dog hasn’t even opened its mouth yet,

and I’m already biting it first!

I’ve got to make you all understand—who the real little dog is… uh.

Days at home passed in a flash.

In the blink of an eye, it was the 22nd day of the seventh lunar month, September 1st on the Gregorian calendar.

In the morning, his phone alarm disturbed Lu Ran, who was meditating before the shrine.

Mist swirled around him, far denser than usual.

Clearly, Lu Ran was on the verge of breaking through!

“Vrrr~ Vrrr~”

The phone kept vibrating, relentless.

Lu Ran seriously considered waving his hand and summoning Evil Fangs to crush the annoying thing.

After a moment, the phone finally fell silent—but only temporarily.

Just ten minutes later, it vibrated again.

“Seriously…” Lu Ran opened his eyes in exasperation, still seated cross-legged, and crawled over to the small bed.

“Meow?”

In the corner of the room, on a soft cushion, the little tabby tilted its head curiously at its master.

“Slap!”

Lu Ran slapped his hand onto the phone on the bedside table, tapping rapidly until he finally silenced the alarm.

Today was the first day of school—he had to go to class.

Lu Ran felt uneasy; he wanted nothing more than to push through his breakthrough and didn’t want to go to class.

In fact, Rain Alley City had already been lifted from lockdown on the 19th day of the seventh lunar month.

At that time, only three days remained until school started, yet Lu Ran hadn’t even stepped outside his door, choosing to continue training at home.

Because he felt he was about to break through to Mist Realm, Stage Five!

Lu Ran opened his contacts and quickly dialed a number.

“Duuu…” After a few rings, the call was finally answered.

“Lu Ran?” Jiang Meiren’s voice was soft, laced with concern, “What’s wrong?”

This reaction was utterly unlike the cold, aloof goddess who only replied to WeChat with “mm.”

“I’m, I’m breaking through, can you help me get…?”

Lu Ran stammered—but before he could say the word “leave,” she cut him off.

“I understand, keep cultivating,” Jiang Ruyi said quickly, then hung up immediately.

Lu Ran let out a deep sigh, knelt beside the bed, leaned forward, and collapsed onto it.

It felt just like “where you fall, rest there a while.”

The room’s mist grew thicker, denser.

Lu Ran’s body began to tremble slightly.

“Mmm.” Lu Ran buried his face in the bed, letting out a muffled sound.

So comfortable~

So incredibly comfortable!

I really wish I could level up every day.

“Mew~” Little Li Hua padded over, leapt lightly, and landed on the small bed.

A soft paw gently patted Lu Ran’s arm—clearly confused by his behavior, thinking he was crying.

“Shh.” Lu Ran instinctively pulled Little Li Hua into his arms, rubbing his cheek against its fluffy body.

“Mew! Mew~~” Little Li Hua immediately protested, pushing against Lu Ran, unwilling to be cuddled.

But poor little thing—how could it possibly push away a two-legged beast?

After struggling for a long while, Little Li Hua finally gave up, expression utterly defeated.

My body’s not clean anymore.

Lu Ran held Little Li Hua like that for over ten minutes.

“Mew!”

At last, Little Li Hua was freed.

Lu Ran’s trembling body loosened its grip.

The mist inside his body compressed and condensed wildly; external mist surged inward, making his face flush red.

“Mmm~” A sound of supreme bliss slipped out softly.

Energy churned through the room; Lu Ran gradually grew still.

Mist Realm · Stage Five!

“Ha!” Lu Ran sat up, clenched his fists, feeling the bliss of overflowing power.

Nothing could be more exhilarating!

Next, I can prepare to break through to the Great Realm—Stream Realm · Stage One!

This isn’t greed on Lu Ran’s part, not grasping for more after gaining.

Within any Great Realm, once you reach Stage Five, further advancement no longer requires quantitative accumulation.

You’ve already completed that accumulation through the previous five minor stages.

Now, it’s all about achieving a qualitative breakthrough!

As for how to achieve it—

It depends on fate, talent, and opportunity.

Whether you can experience a sudden flash of enlightenment!

That is, Lu Ran might level up to Stream Realm · Stage One in the next second.

Of course, he might also be stuck here for three to five months—or even ten or twenty years.

He might even be stuck for life!

That’s why so many believers remain forever trapped at Stage Five of a Great Realm.

Sun Zhengfang and Deng Yuxiang are perfect examples.

Commander Sun, over forty, and Deng Yuxiang, only twenty—both are River Realm · Stage Five!

“Lord Xiangyang!” Lu Ran’s expression stirred with excitement as he hurried to the altar.

White Sheep Jade Carving: “Cultivation must not be blind.”

Lu Ran’s face grew solemn as he listened to the teaching.

White Sheep Jade Carving: “In this stage, you need do only one thing: condense the mist within your body into streams.”

“The day these streams converge is the day you ascend to Stream Realm.”

“Yes!” Lu Ran nodded firmly.

…

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(End of Chapter)