Chapter 962: One Divine General

Since Bai Yanhui joined the Ran Sect, the defensive strength of Yunhai Cliff has skyrocketed!

At least this follower of the Spellmaster has given everyone a sense of security.

If Bai Yanhui declares that today is uneventful, Yunhai Cliff is unlikely to suffer an attack.

Nevertheless, Lu Ran still wants to further raise the defense level!

He used an Evil Shadow Flash and appeared in a cave at the base of Yunhai Cliff, near the beach.

“Divine power shapes its body; primordial qi builds its soul.”

Lu Ran reached forward with one hand, silently reciting the incantation, and a massive, jet-black slender hound gradually took form.

After his journey to the northwest, Lu Ran perfectly completed the task, cultivating the Evil Hound Demon to Sea Realm·Stage One.

Now, he could create an Evil Hound of River Realm·Stage Five.

“Ruuu”

The moment the hound appeared, it entered hunting mode and emitted a low, guttural growl.

“Sss!” Lu Ran sucked in a sharp breath.

What a monstrous demon at the peak of River Realm!

The River Realm·Stage Five Evil Hound measured 3.5 meters in length and stood 2.1 meters tall at the shoulder.

Taller than Lu Ran!

Now, it was truly a case of dog looking down on man.

The hound now lowered its head, its blood-red eyes locked onto Lu Ran, waves of ferocious, bloodthirsty energy surging toward him.

Lu Ran’s temples throbbed violently!

What?

Lu Ran realized the hound’s mind was struggling.

Because Lu Ran had infused it with absolute loyalty during its creation, the hound had not immediately bared its fangs.

But the Evil Hound race was inherently brutal; their craving for human blood and tender flesh could never be suppressed.

This led to a bizarre scene!

The hound trembled violently, its low intelligence battling its cruel instincts for control of its body.

“Fuck!”

Lu Ran was paralyzed.

He had assumed a River Realm·Stage Five slender hound would have higher intelligence and be more obedient, but now it seemed...

Even facing Lu Ran, the slender hound was still struggling.

What would happen if it encountered other humans?

“Slap!” Lu Ran raised his hand and struck the long-tubed dog muzzle hard.

I am your master!

What? You think you’ll eat me?

“Ruuu!!” The hound’s eyes glowed even more bloodthirsty.

Lu Ran: “...”

Logically, after that slap, shouldn’t the dog’s eyes have cleared up?

“Woof! Woof woof!”

The hound suddenly barked, its blood-red eyes locking onto the mist-shrouded cave entrance.

The Demon Lord wasn’t just barking.

He had immediately activated the Evil Technique·Evil Fangs!

“Stop!” Lu Ran startled, raised his arm, and clasped both hands around the long-tubed muzzle.

At the same moment, Lu Ran released four strands of black mist.

Evil Spear Emperor Technique·Evil Cloud Bind!

“Wuuu!!” The hound howled in fury, thrashing wildly.

It clearly wanted to teleport, but the black mist strands, like venomous snakes, coiled around its body and seeped inside, blocking its energy flow.

“Aaa!!” Lu Ran screamed.

The Sea Nymph’s Song from the deep ocean was piercingly shrill, leaving the hound’s brain blank.

The hound’s spirit went hazy and froze in place.

“Sss!” Lu Ran instantly drew the Eight Wilderness Annihilation Blade and thrust it upward, piercing through the black dog skull.

The crisis was finally over.

“Huh.” Lu Ran exhaled, withdrew the blade, and the hound’s massive body collapsed.

Yan Shuangzi appeared silently, kneeling on one knee beside Lu Ran’s feet, whispering: “Forgive me, Master.”

“It’s fine.” Lu Ran sheathed his blade. “The Evil Hound is so perceptive; noticing you is normal.”

As he spoke, he sighed inwardly.

Lu Ran could create a full ten Evil Hounds at River Realm peak!

What a perfect patrol force?

Too bad the Evil Hound race lacks the mental capacity to suppress their brutal nature.

How special is Yan Shuangzi’s identity?

She is the bonded owner and heir of the Evil Hound Demon!

Even so, when the hound saw Yan Shuangzi, it still craved her blood and flesh—and unleashed Evil Fangs immediately.

“Forgive me, I acted rashly—”

“It’s fine, Evil Shadow.” Lu Ran’s tone softened; his naturally hanging hand gently tapped her wide-brimmed hat.

Yan Shuangzi lowered her head even further: “Once I replace the Evil Hound Statue, Master can summon demons at will.”

Lu Ran understood her meaning perfectly.

Then, what he summoned wouldn’t be Evil Hounds—but Yan Shuangzis.

With Yan Shuangzi’s intellect and her loyalty to Lu Ran, they would be absolute death knights!

“Mm.” Lu Ran reclaimed the hound’s soul but did not absorb its corpse with a Divine Power Pearl.

Since it was created, I’ll bring it back up to the cliff later—Feixian Hall’s An Xian is still River Realm·Stage Five and needs to consume to sustain life.

“By the way, how’s your fusion with the Evil Hound Statue going?” Lu Ran asked.

“Very well.” Yan Shuangzi replied honestly. “I clearly sense my cultivation speed has increased. Currently, I’ve regained my former strength and feel another breakthrough is imminent.”

Whenever the topic of fusion came up, Deng Yuxiang always grew shy, but Yan Shuangzi showed no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.

Every time Deng Yuxiang mentioned fusion, she would always feel slightly shy, but Yan Shuangzi showed not the slightest emotional fluctuation.

Quite suitable for a stone statue?

Lu Ran’s mind stirred: “Are you nearing your cultivation bottleneck?”

“Yes, Master.” Yan Shuangzi whispered. “The path I once walked, when walked again after rebirth, flows smoothly.”

Lu Ran looked down at Yan Shuangzi, unusually talkative.

So you call joining the Ran Sect “rebirth”?

“Next time, inform me in advance.” Lu Ran paused, then ordered, “Take the hound’s corpse to Feixian Hall, then go to the meditation chamber and focus on cultivation.”

Yan Shuangzi hurried to say: “I still need a while to—”

Lu Ran cut her off: “Gao Yunyan took a long time to advance. Go.”

Yan Shuangzi fell silent for a moment, then said: “Yes.”

Lu Ran’s figure flashed and appeared at the edge of Yunhai Cliff, eight hundred meters high.

Whirling mist dragons connected sky and cliff.

Thick fog swirled around the cliff’s edge; divine power churned.

Lu Ran sat down heavily, savoring heaven’s blessing, greedily absorbing energy from the heavens and earth.

At last, he had time to think deeply.

Now, Lu Ran had three followers in Feixian Hall.

Back in Beifeng City, when the Divine·North Wind tried to take Deng Yuxiang’s life and claim her soul, it felt effortless?

Could he, too, wield absolute life-and-death authority over his three followers through the Master-Servant Pact?

“Hmm.” Lu Ran pondered silently.

How?

Lu Ran mentally linked with the False Divine·Yu Fu, studying intently.

He couldn’t directly extract a follower’s soul.

Though invisible covenant threads connected the Stone Statue and the three followers, no matter what Lu Ran or the Stone Statue did, they couldn’t affect the disciples’ souls.

Invisible contract threads indeed connected the stone statue and the three devotees, but no matter what Lu Ran and the stone statue did, they could not affect the souls of the three disciples.

Souls couldn’t be extracted from living beings?

This was also evident from the Evil Techniques’ perspective.

Whether the Sin Mirror Demon’s Soul-Stealing Mirror or the Soul-Rending Demon’s Soul Prison, both could only imprison human souls after death.

So, back in Beifeng City, did the Divine·North Wind need to kill Deng Yuxiang first to claim her soul?

The question remained: how could he use the Master-Servant Pact to easily take a follower’s life?

The problem was, how could one use the master-servant pact to easily take a believer’s life?

Lu Ran cultivated while meticulously studying.

He desperately wanted to master this technique!

If Lu Ran could decide a believer’s life or death with just a thought, he could recruit disciples far more recklessly.

Days passed one after another.

Yunhai Cliff was impregnable!

Every morning and evening, Deng Yuxiang received warning alerts from Bai Yanhui and relayed them to Lu Ran.

On land and sea, no foolish creatures dared to appear.

Yet within just a few days, two Furious Sea Flame Jiaos flew down from the sky in succession.

Lu Ran accepted them all with a smile!

He used the scalding blood of the Jiao dragons to thoroughly cleanse the Bahuang Blade.

To this day, the Bahuang Blade’s reaction had become extremely intense.

Having previously cultivated Xiaoguang and Jinye, Lu Ran was certain the Bahuang Blade was only one step away from awakening.

But this opportunity was truly hard to find.

Lu Ran’s gaze extended beyond “Heaven, Sea, and Land”; he had also considered this matter from a directional perspective.

To this day, Lu Ran had “illuminated” many regions of Shengling Mountain’s territory.

He traveled north to Xuelin Yemo Lake, west to the Desert of Ten Thousand Blades, and east across the sea to Seven Stars Island.

What about the south?

Would the Bahuang Blade’s divine awakening lie in the south?

Who knew?

On the seventh day of the ninth month, Lu Ran received good news!

Gao Yunyan had emerged from seclusion!

The terrifying mist tornado connecting heaven and earth gradually dissipated, yet the mist remained.

Eight full days of blessings allowed Jiang Ruyi to prepare thoroughly, successfully hitching a ride on Gao Yunyan’s momentum and entering her advancement phase.

It was resumed!

Upon sensing this news through environmental cues, Lu Ran couldn’t help but grin broadly.

Little Ruyi, impressive~

Too bad, if Ruyi hadn’t torn up the contract and had cultivated at a normal pace, she might already have advanced to the Sea Realm!

Now she was stuck at the fourth stage of the River Realm.

Hmm, well, don’t think like that.

A cultivator’s Dao heart is an extremely crucial element!

Ever since Jiang Ruyi learned the gods’ vile nature, she had developed profound revulsion—and more importantly, she now held such faith in Lu Ran.

Change is her true path!

Only then could her road ahead remain unobstructed!

Since the sect mistress was still advancing, Yunhai Cliff’s alert status remained unchanged.

The moment Gao Yunyan emerged from seclusion, she headed straight east toward the cliff, and indeed found Lu Ran cultivating there.

She carried the divine weapon, Yellow Sand Axe, her divine power surging wildly as she strode forward.

The ground seemed to tremble!

The fluttering hair, the ferocious aura—

If you added a wild, booming laugh, wasn’t this just a miniature version of the Barbarian Female Xia?

“Huuu!!”

General Yan unleashed a crushing Sea Realm pressure that swept over the River Realm youth seated at the cliff’s edge.

Lu Ran’s body tensed, every hair on his body standing on end!

Then came a dull thud.

Gao Yunyan knelt on one knee, eyes blazing, voice resolute: “Master!”

“Ah!” Lu Ran jumped in surprise.

Holy hell~

I thought you were going to take my life!

Silence fell over the cliff.

After a long while, Lu Ran stood up, gazing at the revered Sea Realm adept bowing before him.

Good!

What a mighty, fearsome General of the Western Wastelands!

My Ran Sect is one step closer to storming Jian Shanfeng and piercing Dao Ji Peak.

(End of Chapter)