Chapter 952: Life and Death Divided

“Boom boom boom”

Far to the west, another violent sound echoed.

Lu Ran reluctantly released his lips, letting go of Jiang Ruyi.

“Mm.”

Jiang Ruyi lowered her eyelids, breathing lightly, her cheeks growing redder, even her delicate little earlobes flushed with a faint pink.

“Wait for me—the battle isn’t over yet.” Lu Ran removed his wide-brimmed hat and placed it on her head.

“Mm.” Jiang Ruyi nodded gently.

This tender, obedient demeanor stood in stark contrast to her earlier cold, dignified aura.

Lu Ran no longer delayed; he turned and left.

The scattered members of the Falling Immortal Pavilion stared dumbly at their Pavilion Master.

At this moment, people seemed to finally realize that Jiang Ruyi was merely a nineteen-year-old girl.

Before this one specific person, she could be a gentle maiden, not the aloof, celestial immortal above all.

“Song Yu.” Jiang Ruyi readjusted her veil and called softly.

“Pavilion Master!” Song Yu snapped back to attention, gazing at the woman in a white robe, her head crowned with the wide-brimmed hat.

Under the hat’s shadow, she appeared somewhat mysterious.

And even more beautiful.

“Gather the team members and count the numbers.” Jiang Ruyi ordered.

“Yes!” Song Yu replied firmly.

Suddenly, a dragon’s roar surged toward them, sending chills through everyone.

Song Yu whirled around, gazing westward.

There, floating in the western sky, was another figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a large straw cloak, frozen mid-bow.

A colossal, terrifying mosasaur descended from the heavens, shattering the gushing yellow sand.

The giant mosasaur shattered too, breaking into countless small mosasaurs that burrowed into the earth.

Everyone stared, dumbfounded!

These hat-and-cloak people—what level of power do they have?

Just moments ago, a Long Li Sky Vessel had appeared, crashing down with a thunderous boom and even snapping a towering stone pillar.

That collapsed pillar still lay on the ground, stretching across Ten Thousand Swords Mountain.

Everyone knew the hat-and-cloak figure was a Long Li devotee.

And a Sea Realm powerhouse!

With the emergence of the Ten Thousand Dragons Calm the Sea Arrow, people now realized the archer was also an A Sha devotee.

Another vast sea!

“Sss!” Xiong Xiong sucked in a sharp breath and slapped his bald head hard.

What the hell kind of organization is this?

Xiong Xiong had reason to believe there were more than two Sea Realm masters among these cloaked figures.

Earlier, a hat-and-cloak figure wielding a broken blade had sprinted across the high sky, leading the team at the front.

That man was surely a Sea Realm master too!

Otherwise, how would he dare charge ahead to pursue the Sea Realm powerhouse You Tianyao?

In Xiong Xiong’s understanding, any group that gathered to form a faction must consist of disciples from the same sect.

If you saw an outsider among the disciples of the Western Wastes, you didn’t need to think—he was a servant.

Only sects like the Falling Immortal Pavilion, whose master radiated humanity and upheld boundaries, might have such people.

But Xiong Xiong had only ever seen one.

Jiang Ruyi.

And this mysterious team? Not only did they possess earth-shattering power, but each member seemed to come from a different sect?

This?

Then who, exactly, could have made these terrifying Sea Realm masters set aside suspicion and unite?

What kind of being could that be?

“That’s Lu Ran?”

Under Song Yu’s escort, Gao Yunyan landed steadily beside Xue Fengchen.

“Yes! Yes!” Xue Fengchen’s expression was excited, nodding rapidly.

Gao Yunyan looked up at the sky, her eyes filled with shock: “Didn’t you say Lu Ran was the mortal patriarch of Xiang Xianyang’s sect, a Xiang Xianyang devotee?”

Xue Fengchen immediately replied: “Yes, Yan-jie, I wouldn’t lie to you—Lu Ran is a Xiang Xianyang devotee—”

His words cut off abruptly.

Where was the Lu Ran before them now, resembling a Xiang Xianyang devotee?

Xue Fengchen was equally bewildered, not knowing what to say.

Back in the mortal realm,

the Divine Lu Ran never acted like this!

The rescued crowd, stirred by the presence of one Sea Realm master after another, felt either exhilarated or terrified.

But even so many Sea Realm masters weren’t the most shocking thing.

The cloaked youth who had first appeared and forcibly blocked Elder Peng of Tianhuang Mountain was the truly astonishing one.

The Immortal Sky Snake of the Jade Face Snake Clan.

The Fiery Sky Sovereign and Explosive Sky Dome of Lie Tian Sect.

And the Evil Shadow Flash of the Evil Dog Clan.

Which sect did this youth belong to?

Or rather—was he even a “devotee” at all?

Gao Yunyan gripped her divine weapon tightly.

The Yellow Sand Axe, which had been struggling and trembling moments ago, now lay still.

As if resigned.

Ever since Jiang Ruyi hurled a Flame Explosion Talisman that blasted Gao Yunyan and her axe back, the Yellow Sand Axe had found no chance to escape.

The Yellow Sand Axe had calmed, but Gao Yunyan’s heart pounded wildly.

Just days ago, her sharp questions to Xue Fengchen still echoed in her ears: “Is that Lu Ran really worth risking your life for?”

Now, Gao Yunyan had her answer firsthand.

It was worth it—way more than worth it!!

Among all living beings in the mortal realm, the mountain realm, and even the heavenly realm above the clouds,

Lu Ran was likely the only one like him!

To freely wield every technique, harnessing both divine and demonic power as his own?

Gao Yunyan’s thoughts were chaotic.

Yet also wildly excited, brimming with longing!

At this moment, Lu Ran was darting across the battlefield, a circle of white jade plaques wrapped around his body, aiding his flight.

The divine art of the Jade Token Sect!

“Holy shit, we’ve met a true god…” Zhang Zhenghu muttered.

An Xian stared blankly at the scene, frozen like a statue.

Beside them, Song Yu diligently carried out his Pavilion Master’s orders, gathering Xiong Xiong and several other Mountain Wraith devotees, while closely watching Lu Ran.

Song Yu was immensely grateful he’d made the right choice—to faithfully follow Lady of the Falling Immortal Pavilion!

He was the first elder of the Falling Immortal Pavilion!

A loyal guardian who helped Jiang Ruyi rise and ascend.

Anyone could see how deeply Jiang Ruyi and Lu Ran cared for each other!

Undoubtedly, Lu Ran would notice him—so how could his future destiny and career possibly be poor?

All present, each harboring their own thoughts, watched the cloaked organization storm into the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Lu Ran had already crossed the sky above the battlefield and arrived near the combat zone.

He didn’t blink because he needed to capture souls.

The souls of the many dead Evil Dogs had already drifted high into the air; Lu Ran certainly wouldn’t let them escape.

There were also a few lingering human souls scattered across the battlefield ground—he glanced roughly, about ten of them.

These people must have been caught in the crossfire between the two Sea Realm masters, killed just moments ago, their souls still lingering.

Since the battle wasn’t over, Lu Ran didn’t rush to collect them.

As expected, the Evil Dog statues in Lu Ran’s Sculpture Garden had entered upgrade mode, continuously expanding in size.

Lu Ran groaned inwardly.

The Wild Barbarian Nüba demonic statue was still vibrating—and now this Evil Dog one too.

One demonic statue humming was bearable, but two stone statues vibrating at once was truly overwhelming.

“Huuu!!”

Lu Ran snapped his head up—beneath the churning sea of clouds, a wind blade a kilometer long was rapidly forming.

The Night Phantom Clan’s ultimate technique: Night Phantom Evil Blade!

Lu Ran felt deeply satisfied.

He was no longer the weak, isolated man he had been when he first arrived.

He now had many powerful allies, and even Mingyan Dashancha, whom he had personally trained.

When his condition was poor, he could watch his allies unleash their full power.

“Boom!”

A kilometer-long blade shattered the already cracked earth and continued slicing downward, sinking deep into the ground.

The Dream Nightmare and Long Li two guardians followed the Night Phantom Evil Blade straight into the earth.

Countless small Canglong still slammed into the ground, carving a path to pursue enemies hidden deep beneath.

It seemed this Sea Realm—Drought Sea devotee had changed tactics: no longer trying to flee, but instead digging deeper into the earth?

“Burn Dog! It’s really Burn Dog.”

A voice echoed from afar.

He hadn’t heard this peculiar nickname in a long time.

Lu Ran’s head had been buzzing; he thought he was hallucinating.

“Burn Dog!!”

“Huh?” Lu Ran turned his head downward and saw a soul.

The figure appeared to be in his mid-twenties, tall and slender, with curly hair, his face now filled with shock as he stared this way.

Wang Xuyang’s voice trembled: “Burn God, can you see me?”

Lu Ran sighed inwardly.

He had experienced this scene many times before.

Each time, it left him quietly heartbroken.

Wang Xuyang’s eyes seemed to gleam: “Help me, Burn God! Can you help me? I don’t want to die! You must have a way, Burn God!”

Lu Ran’s face showed regret: “I’m sorry.”

As Wang Xuyang’s soul drifted closer, Lu Ran felt a pulling force—his speed increasing rapidly.

“No way?” Wang Xuyang was struck as if by lightning, utterly desolate.

Lu Ran fell silent, turning his gaze back to the battlefield below.

He was not cold-hearted—he simply could not bear to see the other’s despair and pain.

Lu Ran did not know this young man, but he could guess: he was a latecomer to the mountain, likely an audience member of The Heavenly Prodigy, perhaps even one of his own admirers.

Yet, Lu Ran truly had no power to help.

Wang Xuyang drifted helplessly toward Lu Ran, his expression dimmed.

He looked up at Lu Ran’s “cold” back, and slowly, a bitter smile appeared on his face: “Then… you must live well.”

Lu Ran’s body stiffened.

Unexpected care, from a stranger.

A dead man.

Lu Ran’s heart churned with mixed emotions—mostly a profound helplessness, unable to turn back fate.

Wang Xuyang stared at Lu Ran’s silent back, a bitter ache rising in his chest.

Yes, Lu Ran was the Heavenly Prodigy of Great Xia, the sect master of humanity, a noble figure of high status.

Why should he even look at me?

Why should he help me?

Wang Xuyang lowered his head, his voice growing fainter as he murmured softly: “Burn Dog… you must live well with the Grand Master.”

As he spoke, Wang Xuyang suddenly lifted his head, gathering courage to face that cold back: “If the two of you return to Great Xia… will you hold a wedding? Will you upload the wedding video online?”

“My mother adores you both—she’s been waiting for you to marry. I wonder if she’ll live to see it…”

Lu Ran closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Long ago, when Master Xiang Xianyang had taught him the Eyes of the Dead World, those words still echoed in his ears:

“You will see the souls of the dead.”

“You will see twisted faces, people writhing in agony.”

“You will see souls clinging to the world, weeping bitterly… until their spirits scatter.”

“Still… do you wish to learn it?”

Suddenly, Lu Ran reached to his side and summoned an ancient bronze mirror, rich with antiquity.

With a thought, the basic technique—Mirror of Sin—changed its nature; though its appearance remained unchanged, it had become a Soul-Calling Mirror.

The Soul-Calling Mirror surged with energy, intercepting Wang Xuyang’s soul before the Eyes of the Dead World could claim it.

“Th-this?” Within the mirror, Wang Xuyang’s startled face appeared.

Lu Ran gripped the mirror’s edge, rotated it downward toward the Drought Sea devotee buried beneath the earth, and spoke in a low, firm voice:

“Was it him who killed you?”

(End of Chapter)