Chapter 938: The Lady

"Jiang Team, keeping this man alive is just trouble." Song Yu returned.

Jiang Ruyi whispered, "We are all disciples of Master Yu Fu, come here to gather Sacred Spirit Qi."

Let him go. Even if he can gather just one more thread of Sacred Spirit Qi for Master Yu Fu, it's our duty as disciples."

She spoke these words aloud, yet deep inside, she knew full well that the threat must be eliminated.

But this sentence, Song Yu could say—it was something Jiang Ruyi, a woman aiming to lead, could never utter.

Jiang Ruyi wasn't sparing Meng Zhixuan's life—she was securing the trust and loyalty of Song Yu, Zhang Zhenghu, Zhu Yuan, An Xian, and others.

Those present had been strangers with no prior ties; the only bond between them was their identity as Yu Fu devotees.

This shared identity was the weapon Jiang Ruyi believed she held in her hands.

And it was a double-edged sword!

It must be used with extreme caution.

From another perspective, if Jiang Ruyi had killed her fellow senior brother in a power struggle, she knew the others beside her would inevitably feel a crack form in their hearts.

At the very beginning of any faction's formation, everything is unstable.

In ancient times, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, gritted his teeth and spared his traitorous fellow villager Yong Chi to demonstrate his leadership and stabilize morale—so too must she spare a fellow senior brother.

"Jiang Team, what do we do next?" An Xian asked softly.

"First, get out of this desert," Jiang Ruyi gazed toward the east.

As she spoke, the Yu Fu Array wrapped around her body, slowly lifting her into the air.

Everyone immediately followed.

Jiang Ruyi gave a timely order: "Song Senior Brother and Zhang Senior Brother, take the front left and right. Zhu Senior Sister and Xiao Xian, hold the rear."

"I will remain central, coordinating all sides."

"Yes!"

"Yes." Under Song Yu and An Xian's lead, Zhang Zhenghu and Zhu Yuan also responded in unison.

Song Yu was at River Realm Stage Three; Zhang Zhenghu and Zhu Yuan were both at River Realm Stage Two; An Xian was at River Realm Stage One.

Combined with Jiang Ruyi, the River Realm Stage Four leader, this small team's strength was decent.

While flying, Jiang Ruyi spoke: "Do any of you know Lu Ran?"

"Of course!" An Xian stared at Jiang Ruyi's back, speaking bluntly, "Who doesn't know the name of Lu Tianjiao?"

"The number one prodigy of Great Xia—his name echoes through the heavens."

Jiang Ruyi nodded at their responses: "He is also in this realm."

"Oh?" Zhang Zhenghu, leading on the right front, turned to look at his junior sister, "Do you know where Tianjiao Lu is?"

Everyone leaned in, ears straining.

This news was undeniably uplifting!

Lu Ran's strength was visible to all!

His possession of countless divine weapons and artifacts alone was enough to leave anyone stunned.

Due to the legend of "Tianjiao," Lu Ran's image was overwhelmingly positive—he might as well be endorsed by Great Xia itself!

For any citizen of Great Xia, Lu Ran could be their refuge.

And that's without even mentioning Jiang Ruyi's presence in this team.

Lu Ran is the earthly patriarch of the Xiang Yang sect, Lord of Luoxian Mountain.

Jiang Ruyi is his childhood friend, his fiancée, and—known to all—the Lady of Luoxian!

Whether to better complete the mission or simply to survive, this team must reunite with Lu Ran.

"I don't know the details," Jiang Ruyi sighed softly.

Hearing this, everyone felt a pang of disappointment.

But Jiang Ruyi added: "He may be near the sea."

"Sea?" Zhu Yuan's heart sank.

She looked around—nothing but desolation.

They were surely tens of thousands of miles from any sea!

Jiang Ruyi continued: "Let's complete Master Yu Fu's task while searching for Lu Ran."

"If we can join him, working together on the mission, our chances of survival will increase."

"Exactly right!"

"Good!" Several nodded in agreement.

Though nothing was certain yet, simply hearing that Lu Ran existed in this realm eased their gloom slightly and gave them a glimmer of hope.

The five continued eastward.

Originally, they had hoped to find a safe resting spot—but after more than half an hour, they encountered a familiar sight again.

"No way, not again!" An Xian's voice trembled with fear.

Far to the east—the Stone Forest terrain had reappeared?

Those towering stone pillars piercing the sky had become their nightmare.

Jiang Ruyi immediately ordered: "We detour—avoid the Stone Forest."

"Yes, Lady," Song Yu replied.

Lady?

The term startled everyone.

Even Jiang Ruyi raised an eyebrow slightly.

This "ruthless, few words" Song Yu was indeed interesting.

He had not lingered in past glory, nor clung to the status he once held among mortals, revered by thousands.

Clearly, Song Yu had a sharp understanding of his current reality.

While others still failed to grasp the situation, clinging to old titles and calling Jiang Ruyi "Junior Sister,"

Song Yu had given everyone a wake-up call.

And at the very beginning, when Jiang Ruyi sought to take command of this team, Song Yu was the first to submit his token of loyalty.

He didn't care what fellow disciples thought—he grabbed his blade and went straight for Meng Zhixuan!

And when he returned, he made sure everyone heard him say: "This man is a threat."

From the start—his smooth transfer of command, to his actions now—it was clear he recognized and accepted Jiang Ruyi as leader.

"Huh~"

Song Yu, flying left-front, signaled Zhang Zhenghu on his right to shift course, then glanced back at An Xian.

An Xian, unsure of his intent, silently altered her flight path.

But Zhu Yuan on the other side spoke up: "Jiang Junior Sister is Lu Tianjiao's wife—the Lady of Luoxian, known to all of Great Xia. Calling her 'Lady' is entirely appropriate."

An Xian finally understood and quickly added: "Yes, yes, exactly!"

To survive in this land, one must have a patron.

Jiang Ruyi was their current patron; Lu Ran was their future one.

When Jiang Ruyi had overturned the table with Meng Zhixuan, she had already forcefully declared her stance.

She had shown her achievements and made clear she was no subordinate.

She had even said outright: "Now, you may thank me."

Everyone could see what Jiang Ruyi wanted—and who she was.

And the title "Lady" carried far greater respect.

"Mm." Jiang Ruyi murmured, her gaze lingering on Song Yu for a moment.

Though merely a small shift in address, it greatly aided her in establishing authority.

Jiang Ruyi acknowledged Song Yu's gesture.

"Lady," Zhang Zhenghu hesitated, then corrected himself, "Over there—it looks like people!"

"Hmm?" Jiang Ruyi gazed into the distance.

After careful observation, she indeed spotted moving figures at the edge of the Stone Forest.

"Looks like a group of Shanwei devotees!" Zhang Zhenghu's tiger-like eyes gleamed, "They're fighting the Fang-faced ones!"

The deity Shanwei ranks fourth in Great Xia's divine hierarchy.

His form is peculiar: humanoid, entirely composed of stone.

He has no facial features; instead, divine energy flows like water between his jagged stone limbs, winding around his body.

Scholars still debate whether he should be classified as a humanoid deity or an object deity.

The Shanwei sect is a support sect, excelling in defense and control, but lacking offensive power.

Its followers are known for their strong will and unwavering loyalty—excellent allies!

That's why Zhang Zhenghu's eyes lit up.

"Lady, shall we go take a look?" Zhang Zhenghu turned to Jiang Ruyi, the title now coming naturally, "Their offensive power is weak."

Helping them could be a chance to forge an alliance."

In this world of gods and demons, you can trust stereotypes completely!

When you meet a Xiang Yang devotee, you can confidently conclude: they're weak and easy to bully.

99% of the time, you won't be wrong!

Likewise, when you meet a Shanwei devotee, you can treat them as a loyal, trustworthy human ally.

"Mm." Jiang Ruyi gave a slight nod. "Let's go see."

Since we've encountered human comrades fighting demons, we must lend a hand.

If we can use this opportunity to gather intelligence and learn more about Holy Spirit Mountain, all the better.

The mindset of the Great Xia realm prompted Jiang Ruyi to make this decision, and all team members fully endorsed it.

Clearly, the group had just arrived in this world and had only ever fought against the demon faction—they had yet to see any human forces.

None of them knew how cruel Holy Spirit Mountain truly was.

Or how warped.

"Boom!"

At the edge of the stone pillar forest, the ground shook violently.

Enemies meeting—eyes blazing with hatred!

The Shanwei sect and the Liaomian tribe were mortal enemies.

At this moment, six Shanwei disciples and eight Liaomian warriors were locked in a fierce, evenly matched battle.

"Trap him! Trap him!" a middle-aged man barked, slowly raising his hands.

"Hum!!"

The earth trembled; stone and soil surged upward.

A cage made of shattered rocks and sand instantly engulfed one Liaomian warrior.

Shanwei Divine Art: Stone and Soil Prison!

"Ugh! Ughhh!!" The Liaomian warrior roared furiously inside the stone-and-soil prison.

The Liaomian wielded a spiked club forged from energy, smashing it against the prison walls, sending waves of cyan energy exploding outward.

Demon Art: Shattered Rock Burst!

Yet the Stone and Soil Prison only rumbled loudly, showing no sign of cracking—its durability was undeniable!

"Da Yong, follow my command!"

"I'm ready!" The man named Da Yong assumed a sprinting stance, facing the stone-and-soil prison.

He wore armor composed entirely of stone.

Armor?

Each stone slab was enormous, expanding his human form many times over—almost like a "mini mecha"!

Shanwei Divine Art: Mountain Stone Armor!

This technique's strengths and weaknesses were equally obvious: immense defense, but excruciatingly heavy.

So heavy it impaired bodily movement.

"3… 2… 1!" As the commander counted down, Da Yong's feet exploded against the ground, hurtling forward.

Like a cannonball!

Indeed, with the Mountain Stone Armor on, Shanwei disciples moved with great sluggishness.

But right now, Da Yong didn't need agility—he only needed to charge forward and smash!

"Huu~" The Stone and Soil Prison suddenly vanished.

"Ugh?" The Liaomian swung his spiked club into empty air—before he could react, a terrifying force slammed into his side.

The Liaomian whirled around—and the massive, stone-clad figure was already upon him!

Liaomian:!!!

With a heavy thud, the Liaomian was blasted flying.

To be fair, the Shanwei sect's offensive tactics were truly lacking.

How lacking exactly?

Poor Shanwei disciples were forced to activate their defensive techniques and charge headfirst into enemies.

Three updates today: 14, 20, 24.

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(End of Chapter)