Chapter 989: Evil Demon Disciple?

“Insolent!” The First Lady’s face darkened with wrath, radiating authority.

“How dare you!” Lady Lu San cried out, startled and furious.

Suddenly, she raised her left hand, reached behind her shoulder, seized a short halberd, and hurled it at Lu Ran.

“Swoosh!”

The halberd gleamed with icy light, spinning rapidly as it shot straight toward Lu Ran.

A sharp “ding!” rang out.

A tall figure stepped in front of Lu Ran; a woman gripped an exquisitely ornate short blade and slashed the flying halberd to the ground.

Seven Treasures Blade?

The First Lady’s eyes narrowed as her gaze swept over the mysterious hooded woman, then landed on the white-robed youth: “How did you come into possession of Lady Kong’s Seven Treasures Blade?”

Was it you rogues who attacked Tian Tu Mountain?”

Her words sent a chill through the crowd; countless eyes turned to the soldiers of Ruan Gate.

Deng Yu Xiang slightly lifted her head, revealing beneath her wide-brimmed hat a face of breathtaking charm.

Her smile was even more audacious than Lu Ran’s.

Whenever Deng Yu Xiang recalled how she had set fire to that filthy mountain peak, her heart swelled with satisfaction.

The only flaw? She had seemingly exposed Lu Ran’s identity by accident.

Shouldn’t the people of Jing Ting Mountain know that Tian Tu Mountain had provoked a disciple of the Evil Dog?”

Thinking of this, Deng Yu Xiang’s expression grew grave.

“Yes, it was me,” Lu Ran said, placing one hand on Deng Yu Xiang’s shoulder.

He offered no rebuke—and openly admitted it!

Deng Yu Xiang silently stepped back, standing precisely behind and to Lu Ran’s side.

Under countless stares, Lu Ran confirmed again: “Luo Tiantu, Lady Kong, and the forced third wife Luo.

Fifty or sixty followers of the Prisoned Demon, Nu Sha, and Yu Fu—all killed by me.”

His calm voice cut through the rain curtain, clear to every ear.

It sent shivers down spines.

Lu Ran locked eyes with Lady Lu’s and asked the three words again:

“And then?”

The First Lady’s face froze rigid.

Silence fell over Yan Yu Lake.

Even the haughty Lady Lu San had fallen mute, her eyes wide as she stared at the audacious Lu Ran.

Bold.

Ridiculously bold!!

This young man… might suit her age better?

Though younger, he was infinitely preferable to the forty- or fifty-year-old Lu Xiao!

Admiring strength—

is human nature.

Especially in certain personalities, it manifests most vividly.

No one noticed the strange glint in Lady Lu San’s eyes as she watched Lu Ran.

Under the pressure of Jing Ting Mountain’s army and the watchful gaze of over a dozen Sea Realm experts, this youth stood fearless, openly admitting his deeds!

What manner of presence was this?

Come to think of it, compared to Tian Tu Mountain, Ling Feng Hall and Hu Xu Hall were clearly inferior.

No matter how strong those two halls were, they were merely armed units—while Tian Tu Mountain was a mid-tier power organization!

Tian Tu Mountain even housed Luo Tiantu and Lady Kong, both at the peak of the Sea Realm!

Lu Ran wiped out the entire Tian Tu Mountain?

Such a glorious record meant absolute power!

Dozens of meters away, the core leadership of the Thousand Boats Alliance were also stunned.

Including the Master of Hui He Island, whose wrinkled face was filled with awe.

On the night they first met, Lu Ran had recounted to him his perilous journey across the north and south since entering the mountain.

Now it seemed Lu Menzhu had left out far more than he revealed.

“Evil Demon Disciple!” Lu Xiao’s tone had grown colder, his face utterly dark: “Evil Dog Follower!”

These brief words reminded everyone of Jing Ting Mountain of the white-robed youth’s identity.

In truth, ever since Lu Xiao first saw how young Lu Ran was, he had already suspected.

In this Sacred Spirit Mountain, youth had become Lu Ran’s defining trait.

“Evil Dog Follower!”

“Evil Dog… damn it! This—” A ripple of chaos surged through the once-silent Jing Ting Mountain ranks.

When Jing Ting disciples realized Lu Ran’s identity, the situation changed entirely.

The Jing Ting sect possessed the fastest speed among all divine sects.

But even their speed had fixed paths.

The Evil Dog Technique: Evil Shadow Flash, however, allowed instantaneous teleportation.

Coupled with Lu Ran’s past terrifying feats and his current audacious demeanor…

Instantly, every member of Jing Ting Mountain felt threatened.

For none could be certain whether Lu Ran would appear behind them in the next instant!

“Wu Jifeng! Thousand Boats Alliance!” The First Lady whirled, glaring at the crowd on the island: “How dare you collude with an Evil Demon Disciple? Do you honor your deities at all?”

He Qi Feng: ???

What the hell is going on?!

In the mortal world, Lu Ran was indeed called “Ran Dog” by billions—but he wasn’t an actual dog!

Are you Jing Ting people blind to the difference between sheep and dogs?

Still…

Lu Ran does seem to have many secrets.

He Qi Feng couldn’t help but recall many incidents.

The most obvious was before Lu Ran’s western journey, when she had forcefully gifted him the artifact—Wind Barrier Pearl. Moved, he had resisted repeatedly, yet finally accepted it.

But soon after, he sent it back.

To this day, Lu Ran has never given a reasonable explanation.

He’s clearly hiding something—terrified someone will discover it.

He Qi Feng believed she had an excellent relationship with Lu Ran; she even dared carry the divine weapon—Silent Night Blade, unafraid of its awareness of all affairs in Wu Jifeng. So what was Lu Ran afraid of?

Even now, He Qi Feng didn’t know the location of Ruan Gate’s main base!

As she pondered, He Qi Feng turned to look at Lu Ran.

But she saw him smiling, his laugh dripping with mockery: “Hah. Evil Dog Follower?”

“Does the Evil Dog even deserve to take me as a disciple?”

Today’s Lu Ran was utterly unlike his usual self!

Utterly audacious, utterly arrogant!

His usual humility and ease had been tossed into the trash before this enemy.

“Lady Lu, don’t waste your petty tricks trying to sow discord between the Thousand Boats Alliance and Ruan Gate,” the Master of Tianya Island called out loudly.

This acting leader of the Thousand Boats Alliance was indeed bewildered.

But with a major enemy at hand, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to sacrifice an ally.

The First Lady suppressed her fury and spoke again: “The Thousand Boats Alliance, to survive, has allied with an Evil Demon Disciple! Is Master He also so deluded?

Are you betraying the Wu Seng, betraying your Wu Jifeng?”

He Qi Feng tilted her head, looking at Lu Ran, her bright eyes blinking gently.

Somehow… kind of playful?

This sight enraged the First Lady deeply.

Deep down, she never wanted Wu Seng followers involved.

After all, He Qi Feng held a high position and was the Lord of the Purple Forbidden City.

Any clear-eyed observer could see how much Wu Jifeng’s Master of Destruction valued her—and glimpse Wu Jifeng’s grand ambitions.

If He Qi Feng suffered any harm, Jing Ting Mountain might face retaliation from Wu Jifeng!

The Master of Tianya Island cut in: “Sowing false doctrines—how despicable! Even if Lu Menzhu were an Evil Demon Disciple, he’d still be a thousand, ten thousand times nobler than your treacherous Jing Ting disciples!

Leave now!

Or don’t blame the Thousand Boats Alliance for being uncivil!”

He Qi Feng had given no clear response until now, but upon hearing the Master of Tianya Island’s words, she nodded in quiet agreement.

“Good! Very good!” The First Lady laughed bitterly, enraged: “Evil Demon Disciples have no morality whatsoever!

Since Master Tianya and Master He refuse to see reason, then beware!

Right now he’s your lapdog—soon he might bite you!”

Still trying to sow discord?

Lu Ran frowned: “Hey! Old witch, you talk too much! You came here just to chat?”

Lady Lü’s eyes widened instantly.

Clearly, Lu Ran’s words were devastating.

Indeed, no matter a woman’s cultivation realm or status, she was always sensitive about age.

Lady Lü, in her mid-forties, was elegant and composed, possessing considerable beauty.

But Lu Ran’s “old witch” struck right at the heart of Lady Lü’s deepest sensitivities!

Lu Ran pressed on: “You’re only getting more talkative with age! If you’re too scared to fight, take your people and crawl back to Jingting Mountain—go study how to fortify yourselves!”

In a few days, I’ll come visit you in person.

I guarantee you: just as Tian Tu Mountain was wiped out, so too will Jingting Mountain be wiped out!”

“You!!” Lady Lü’s lips turned white with rage, her body trembling violently.

All along, Lady Lü had tried desperately to distance the Wu Jifeng faction from the conflict, stirring up trouble to sow discord between the Qian Zhou Alliance and Ran Men.

She was, admittedly, clear-minded and quite skilled.

And now,

Those who had long held high positions had one common flaw: they could not tolerate defiance, nor tolerate the slightest disrespect.

“Jingting Mountain!” Lu Xiao roared, his fury blazing.

This insolent dog-worshipper had no respect whatsoever for Jingting Mountain!

Lu Xiao bellowed: “Form ranks! Draw spears!”

A crackling hum erupted, relentless and deafening.

“Form ranks” was just a name—Jingting disciples sprinted in all directions, scattering wildly.

“Whoosh!”

Instantly, the Jingting disciples raised their palms.

From the gloomy sky, waves of terrifying energy surged forth.

This was clearly Jingting Sect’s Jiang-level ultimate technique: Jingting Divine Spear!

“Stop!” the Tianya Island Master roared in turn.

A pair of pure white luán wings sprouted from his back as he soared upward, thrusting both hands forward.

“Whoosh!!”

A monstrous windstorm blasted forward, crashing into the enemy formation.

Sea-grade Divine Art: Heavenly Gale Chaos!

From the Tianya Island Master’s wings, countless pure white feathers shot out.

Sea-grade Divine Art: Heavenly Feather Annihilation Array!

The feathers pierced the gale at incredible speed, raining down like a storm upon the opposite shore.

At the same moment, the other three island masters of the Qian Zhou Alliance unleashed their divine arts.

Enormous, delicate lotus flowers bloomed across the lake’s surface, each spewing forth a flurry of flying swords.

Sword-Lotus Divine Art: Lotus Flying Swords!

Lotus after lotus burst open, blooming from the lake’s surface all the way to the opposite shore.

Endless petals and lotus leaves shot out, spinning and darting with the force to cleanse the entire universe!

Bihe Sect’s Jiang-level ultimate technique: Ten Thousand Zhang of Pure Lotus!

A large oil-paper umbrella suddenly materialized, growing ever larger until it soared into the heavens.

Chengan Sect’s Jiang-level ultimate technique: Heavenly Umbrella Canopy!

But the sky held more than just that one colossal umbrella.

From every island behind them on the Yanyu Lake, more and more giant oil-paper umbrellas shot skyward.

Between the gaps of the umbrellas, vast emerald lotus leaves stretched out, sealing every possible defensive gap.

Bihe Sect and Chengan Sect had clearly prepared thoroughly—to withstand the descending Jingting Divine Spear.

The scene was breathtakingly magnificent!

This final battle had finally come.

“Snap!”

Amid the chaotic frontlines, Lu Ran casually reached out and gripped his waist—Ba Huang Dao leapt free from its sheath and landed in his palm.

Unconsciously, Lu Ran’s body trembled slightly.

Fear? Timidity?

No,

No no no.

Lu Ran licked his lips, his gaze locked tightly on Lu Xiao.

Blood boiled with excitement!

(End of Chapter)