Chapter 86: Pearl and Blade

“Stay home and mind the place.”

Outside the front door, Lu Ran blocked the gap with his leg, watching the little mackerel tabby try to slip out.

“Meow~” After several failed attempts, the tabby looked up at its master, mewling plaintively.

“Click.”

The merciless master firmly shut the security door.

The tabby tilted its tiny head, crouched by the door for a moment, then darted off toward one corner of the living room.

There sat an opened can of fish.

Lu Ran stepped out of the residential building, gazed at the blue sky and white clouds, and took a deep breath.

He did not choose to continue cultivating before the shrine, because he no longer needed to absorb external divine power.

If the human body were likened to a vessel, Lu Ran’s body now held divine power at its absolute limit.

As Xiang Xianyang had just taught him, at the Fifth Stage of Mist Realm, Lu Ran needed only to do one thing.

“Condense the water.”

Lu Ran murmured softly, carefully sensing the divine power within him.

He compressed the mist within his body as hard as he could while walking toward school.

Perhaps due to his greatly enhanced physical condition, or perhaps because he was so absorbed he unconsciously walked too fast.

He arrived at the empty campus in less than twenty minutes.

In fact, after students enter their third year of high school, they rarely attend classes anymore.

You could even treat Yu Xiang No.1 High as a “mission hall.”

The school issues monthly assessment missions, each tied to the fifteenth day of the lunar month.

It also organizes students to travel to surrounding cities and enter various demonic lairs for training.

All expenses—food, lodging, travel, demonic lair admission fees—are covered by the school.

All students must do is continuously hone themselves and strive to grow.

Today was the first day of school, and this morning’s lesson was likely the only one of the month.

Lu Ran hurried as fast as he could, arriving at the classroom just before the bell rang.

“Knock knock knock~”

Lu Ran tapped on the classroom door and saw Teacher Li Yanzhu standing at the podium through the window.

Li Yanzhu turned her head, and her stern expression softened slightly: “Enter.”

“Teacher Li.” Lu Ran opened the door and nodded apologetically.

“Whoop~~~”

“Wow! Alive! He’s really alive!”

“Lu Ran’s actually alive? That’s insane!”

A wave of cheers and exclamations erupted immediately.

Clearly, everyone knew Lu Ran had participated in the lunar fifteenth city defense mission.

And since Lu Ran hadn’t shown up this morning, people naturally speculated.

“Late again,” Li Yanzhu said, though there was no hint of reprimand.

Lu Ran chuckled: “I just went to Class 4, Grade 11—I was wondering why the teacher changed.”

“Back to your seat,” Li Yanzhu said, briefly smiling before immediately returning to a stern face.

“Okay.” Lu Ran stepped into the classroom and noticed fewer students.

The class, once forty strong, now had fewer than thirty.

Students who failed to revere the gods were no longer suited to remain with believers and had been reassigned to other classes.

Think about it—believers are nominally “human,” but in every gesture, where was the humanity left?

Jiang Ruyi could casually slap a regular student into the wall—how could you possibly play together?

“Tian Tian?” Lu Ran blinked in surprise.

As he approached Jiang Ruyi’s desk, he realized his own seat had been taken by a little girl.

Lu Ran turned and scanned the classroom again, realizing several new faces had appeared.

It seemed the school had grouped students from the same team into one class.

Lu Ran also noticed a dark-skinned girl sitting in the last row.

Chang Ying?

The girl beside Chang Ying, Lu Ran didn’t recognize either, though she seemed vaguely familiar.

Unlike Chang Ying, her desk-mate had a pale, cool-toned complexion—the contrast between them was striking!

Like the Black and White Killers.

“What are you standing there for?” Li Yanzhu urged. “Find a seat!”

“Oh, okay.” Lu Ran immediately looked for a seat.

“Sorry,” Tian Tian said, head bowed, voice soft.

“No problem,” Lu Ran waved dismissively—what was there to apologize for?

He approached an empty seat and nodded politely at the unfamiliar classmate.

The boy’s eyes lit up; he whispered low: “Brother Ran!”

Lu Ran: “.”

So considerate?

The boy had a side part, single eyelids, a plaid shirt, and a touch of handsomeness.

“Brother Ran, can you sign my photo later? When I heard I was in your class, I printed out your picture right away!”

Lu Ran: “Huh?”

He truly hadn’t expected the plaid-shirt boy to pull out an actual photo from his desk drawer.

It was the same one Chang Ying had taken and posted in the grade group.

Streetlamp. Light rain.

A boy in a yellow raincoat, wielding a blade.

Actually, that wasn’t much.

But add a date to the photo—lunar July fifteenth, night.

Hmm. It was indeed kind of cool.

Lu Ran’s expression twisted as he glanced at his own photo: “What’s your name…?”

He reached out idly and grabbed a piece of chalk.

On the podium, Li Yanzhu’s face darkened: “Lu Ran!”

Lu Ran quickly lowered his head, scribbling on his desk with the chalk, pretending to be busy.

Li Yanzhu, clearly furious, snapped: “Come up front and collect your prize!”

The teacher’s words and tone were in stark contradiction.

In the classroom, students all struggled to suppress their laughter.

Lu Ran immediately stood and walked up front—he’d already noticed the weapons piled in the corner when he entered.

“Your Bai Hongshi blade.”

Li Yanzhu handed him the rare equipment; Lu Ran took it, feeling only a smooth, warm texture.

Bai Hongshi resembled a kind of pure white jade, translucent and lustrous.

Along its slender blade ran fine white lines, like the luminous halos around sun and moon, glowing brightly.

“Truly beautiful,” Lu Ran murmured.

Yet Lu Ran didn’t invest much emotion—he knew this Bai Hongshi blade would soon be replaced.

Yesterday, the Divine People’s Bureau had informed Lu Ran that his request for equipment upgrade had been approved.

Normally, the Divine People’s Bureau would decide material rewards for probationary students on its own.

But Lu Ran’s outstanding performance earned their recognition—and they’d prepared a Black Glitterstone blade as requested.

Black Glitterstone was rarer and more precious than Bai Hongshi or Cai Duan stone.

A well-crafted Black Glitterstone weapon started at 180,000 at minimum.

Market prices often soared higher, and even with money, you couldn’t always buy one.

Such a divine weapon was truly lifelong.

“Where’s your Ban Lüshi blade?” Li Yanzhu asked.

“I forgot to bring it when I left,” Lu Ran said, embarrassed.

Li Yanzhu pulled out a small red box and placed it on the podium: “Did you forget your Divine Power Pearl too?”

“I brought this one.” Lu Ran reached to his neck and removed the Xi Pin Divine Power Pearl.

“Next time you return to school, remember to bring your Ban Lüshi blade,” Li Yanzhu said, not pressing him, and took the Xi Pin Divine Power Pearl.

As she removed the pearl from its holder, she added casually: “Check it.”

Lu Ran immediately opened the small box—and light flooded out.

The Divine Power Pearl was crystal-clear, twice the size of a fingertip, swirling with radiant, almost magical luminescence.

Instantly, classmates cast envious glances.

This was a He Pin Divine Power Pearl!

It is a true “precious pearl”!

The reserve of divine power is astonishing!

“Go back.”

“Thank you, Master!” Lu Ran secretly rejoiced, returning with full hands.

His joyful expression inevitably stirred quiet envy among the others.

The students had no recourse, and even finding grounds for doubt was difficult.

After all, Lu Ran’s achievements were clearly verifiable!

He even dared to participate in the July 15 supplementary exam in his Mist Realm!

That was truly risking his life for a chance at victory.

“Ding ding ding~”

The dismissal bell suddenly rang, but Li Yanzhu tapped the podium, her voice easily drowning out the bell:

“Class is over. Go home and prepare. The school bus departs punctually at 1:30 p.m. at the gate.”

The classmates rose one after another, the classroom filled with noise.

Lu Ran watched Deng Yu tang approach and asked, “Where to?”

Deng Yu tang: “The school is organizing us to go to Mount Wuling. We must submit 300 Mist Realm demon crystals within fifteen days.”

Lu Ran frowned slightly: “Can we skip it?”

“Sure, it’s not mandatory. As long as we submit enough demon crystals, we earn believer points.”

“That’s good.”

Deng Yu tang looked puzzled: “Which demon lair are you planning to go to, Lu Brother?”

Lu Ran felt awkward: “Doggy Village?”

Deng Yu tang froze. Why was he fixated on Doggy Village?

Do you have a grudge against those little dogs?

Seeing the other’s expression, Lu Ran didn’t know how to explain.

He simply wanted to level up the Doggy Demon Sculpture as quickly as possible.

If he could level it up to Stream Realm during the training, that would be perfect!

The Evil Art: Evil Agility—then he could equip it!

When farming, you must have a farmer’s attitude!

Just watch how I transform into a nimble little dog.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Ruyi arrived with Tian Tian.

Deng Yu tang shrugged: “Lu Brother wants to go to Doggy Village.”

“Oh?” Jiang Ruyi was also surprised.

“Here’s the plan,” Lu Ran said, a little embarrassed. “Let’s head to Doggy Village first and slaughter them till the sky turns dark.

Then we’ll go to Mount Wuling, check out the new demon lair, and challenge new evil demons.”

Jiang Ruyi didn’t refuse, but looked puzzled: “Do you really like killing dogs?”

Lu Ran nodded firmly, his resolve strong: “I love it!”

Deng Yu tang chuckled: “If Lu Brother really likes it, we could train in Doggy Village the whole time.

Mount Wuling isn’t far—we can go anytime later. No rush.”

“You’re truly a brother!” Lu Ran grabbed Deng Yu tang’s hand tightly.

You treat me so well—I’ll repay you tenfold!

Just wait till I equip more powerful evil arts.

Afterward, you can rest easy about your sister!

I’ll take care of her for you!

(End of Chapter)