Chapter 27

The Sacred Martial Hall considers itself the orthodox authority and cannot tolerate the existence of other sects. Any force involved in spiritual worship or the struggle for faith is judged as heretical.

Such heretics are basically forces infiltrated by the masters of other interfaces. In the Heaven Profound World, they are naturally no match for the Sacred Martial Hall, so they united and called themselves the Dark Council. Their believers are collectively known as Dark Believers and are hunted by the Sacred Martial Hall Knights.

"I don't know how long I've been dead; Yue Ruxue should be in the Dark Council. After I recover a little, I'll let Ling Yao take me to find her!"

In a quiet alley, Lu Fan muttered in deep thought.

It was midnight, and although the full moon was high in the sky, the area where Lu Fan was located was dim. With abandoned houses and courtyards, the sounds of cats and crows added a touch of eerie, murderous aura.

The wind howled, and the cold night was biting.

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard faintly in the distance, approaching from far to near. Then, the sound of metal clashing from armor colliding seemed to add a touch of vitality to this cold, dark night.

Lu Fan stood on the roof of a courtyard, arms crossed, staring at the ruined temple courtyard a hundred zhang away.

Within his sight was a group of strange people dressed in skeleton clothing, and the "father and daughter" he encountered in the tavern during the day were among them.

"What happened during the day? How could the people from the Sacred Martial Hall find you two!" The leader of the skeleton monsters had a grim expression, with a hint of suspicion and blame, but when he glanced at Xiulan, he seemed slightly wary.

"Our identities are only known to the people of your Skull Society. I should be the one asking you!" The "father" had a cold gaze, sweeping across the scene coldly.

"You..." The skeleton leader was just about to get angry, but seemed to remember something and held back, saying in a deep voice: "Regardless, you two should not go out these days. After the Sacrificial Grand Ceremony passes, everything will be safe!"

Xiulan frowned and reprimanded without politeness: "You want to restrict our freedom? Guitoutuo, you have a lot of nerve..."

Before she could finish, a strange sound suddenly came from the void, startling everyone around.

"Slap, slap."

A silver-armored guard walked out slowly, clapped his hands lightly, and smiled quite proudly: "Guitoutuo, I have finally found you. It seems the intelligence was correct; this pair of father and daughter has a significant background!"

Before he could finish, there were strange "swish" sounds all around, and dozens of silver-armored guards emerged, surrounding the ruined temple.

Guitoutuo's expression froze, and a surge of anger appeared on his face. He said in a deep voice: "Sacred Hall Knight Leng Hanchao! How did you find this place?" As he spoke, he looked at Xiulan and her companion suspiciously, as if doubting them.

Leng Hanchao gave a sinister laugh and said: "Everyone, come back to the Sacred Hall with me, and you will naturally know!" As soon as his voice fell, he waved his hand, and the surrounding guards drew their swords, surrounding them with hostile intent.

At such a moment, Guitoutuo and the others wouldn't waste any more words and immediately took out strange-shaped weapons. Guitoutuo, in particular, threw out a blood-colored skull, True Qi surging, and blood light erupting.

Weapons clashed, and energy shot out. In this cold night, the place suddenly became lively. Strange clashing sounds and booming noises echoed.

Leng Hanchao's men were numerous and well-prepared, taking full advantage, and Guitoutuo and his group were no match at all. In the blink of an eye, their formation was broken, and they were on the verge of defeat.

"Xiulan, what are you waiting for? If this array is not activated, all your companions will die without a burial place!"

A very discordant voice resounded through the scene, and Lu Fan walked out. With a smile and a relaxed gait, he looked like a young master from a noble family on an outing, his demeanor relaxed to the extreme.

Everyone was slightly stunned, feeling confused, unable to figure out when this youth had arrived.

Xiulan's expression changed greatly, remembering the strangeness of the day. At such a moment, she couldn't afford to think too much; with a flick of her slender hand, a pitch-black compass flew out.

True Qi surged into it, and mysterious light suddenly rose, turning into a large expanse of light, illuminating the entire courtyard as if it were daytime.

Everyone was shocked, unable to understand the situation. Guitoutuo and the others suddenly felt a surge of strength in their bodies, and with a burst of surprise, their spirits were greatly lifted. The declining trend that had been precarious was reversed.

"Not good! This woman is a Dark Rune Master! Archers, get ready!" Leng Hanchao's expression changed in terror, and with a shout, more than a dozen crossbow arrows shot out, locking onto Xiulan.

The crossbow arrows used by the Sacred Martial Hall were all inscribed with special runes, ten times more powerful than the steel repeating crossbows of the Mingyue Empire's military. The arrowheads were incredibly sharp, and in the blink of an eye, they pierced through the mysterious light of the array around Xiulan.

Xiulan's expression changed in terror, but after all, she was a Dark Rune Master. Biting the tip of her tongue, her spiritual power surged out, sweeping in front of her, and several arrows were swept away.

She could protect her front, but not her back. The cold light of the sharp crossbow arrows had already pierced the skin on her back, and beads of blood emerged. She could only close her eyes and wait for death.

Guitoutuo and the others only then discovered Xiulan's crisis, their hearts filled with terror, but they couldn't spare a hand at all.

"Sigh! Such a pretty girl, to die like this, isn't it a pity!"

Lu Fan sighed, chuckled, and with a wave of his hand, the Art Refining Crystal Furnace surged out.

With a few crisp "clangs," the crossbow arrows behind her were blocked by the crystal furnace. Xiulan was stunned; having escaped a disaster, her back was already soaked with cold sweat, revealing her graceful figure.

"I say, Miss Xiulan, you are not a qualified Dark Rune Master!" While people were still fighting around them, Lu Fan walked leisurely, reaching the center of the battle in a few steps. He retrieved the Art Refining Crystal Furnace, then grabbed the black compass from the other party's hand and began to point out:

"As a Dark Rune Master, the first priority is to protect your own safety. Watch closely!"

As soon as his voice fell, the compass in his hand flipped and slammed down.

"Condense!"

The mysterious light covering the entire courtyard shrank rapidly, turning into a light cluster the size of a zhang, like a liquid light group, condensing into a protective light shield that wrapped Lu Fan tightly.

Immediately afterward, incantations shot out, continuously hitting the compass. With a spin, a mysterious array formation dissipated, pulling on the liquid light cluster. In an instant, a small array formation condensed and fell with a boom.

"This is..." Xiulan felt dazzled, looking incredulous.

The people around reacted even more, all feeling as if they had fallen into a quagmire, with countless soft forces around them, and their True Qi suddenly stagnated.

"Not good! This is array mysterious light, the plan has changed, everyone retreat!" Leng Hanchao made a decisive decision, without any hesitation, his figure retreating violently.

These silver-armored guards were clearly well-trained and experienced, each opening their protective True Qi and connecting them into one. In two or three breaths, they had already left the range of the array, without any intention of staying, and disappeared into the darkness.

Guitoutuo was both surprised and happy, having thought it was a narrow escape, but never expected to escape so easily. Only then did he realize that the strange force like a quagmire around him had not yet dissipated, and his expression suddenly turned ugly.

Lu Fan swept his gaze, then smiled slightly, hands behind his back, and paced two steps, laughing: "Did you see clearly!"

Xiulan was slightly stunned, her eyes filled with terror. Lu Fan's methods just now looked plain and unremarkable, but the effect was miraculous. Compared to her own methods, they were countless times stronger.

Before she could speak, Guitoutuo scolded: "Where did this wild brat come from? Why don't you withdraw the array." The fight just now had consumed seven or eight-tenths of his True Qi, and now under the pressure of the array, he felt even more uncomfortable.

"Guitoutuo, be respectful!" The middle-aged man carrying the ancient zither looked at Guitoutuo coldly, then cupped his fists at Lu Fan, saying: "I am Sun Zhong, thank you, little brother, for your help twice!"

Xiulan also recovered, a slight blush appearing on her delicate face, and she said softly: "Having been helped by you twice, Young Master, may I ask your name?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she even sent a flirtatious glance. Lu Fan just smiled slightly, waved his hand, and said: "Seeing injustice and drawing a sword to help is nothing! You can just call me Young Master Lu, here is your compass back!"

He patted the air, and the mysterious light around them dissipated. Guitoutuo and the others finally returned to normal, sitting down on the spot, clearly exhausted.

Taking the compass, Xiulan subconsciously looked at Lu Fan again. The other party didn't look very old, but his methods were very formidable. Especially this array control technique, if she could learn a thing or two, then in the future...

Thinking of this, her mind turned, and she immediately had an idea. She moved closer without a sound, her breath like orchids, and said: "Young Master Lu, with your actions today, you must know our identities. We have a stronghold here; I hope Young Master Lu won't mind, and come to our stronghold to take a rest."

Lu Fan had originally been wondering how to infiltrate this group, and hearing this, it was exactly what he wanted.

He pretended to be embarrassed, secretly glancing at Xiulan's figure, and circulated his True Qi to make his face turn red, even breathing rapidly.

"Th-this, is this appropriate?" He looked conflicted, clearly moved, which did not match the mysterious youth from just a moment ago.

But precisely because of this, the guarded hearts of the people around him relaxed. Lu Fan's appearance was too shocking, completely inconsistent with his age. This behavior, however, provided an explanation.

Perhaps he was a disciple of some noble family; although his strength was extraordinary and his aura shocking, he was young and inexperienced, especially in the face of such feminine charms, and it was perfectly normal for him to be unable to resist.

Xiulan smiled lightly, her two delicate hands holding Lu Fan's shoulders, pulling him along as she laughed: "Young Master Lu, what is inappropriate about it? You are our savior; it's just a visit, and we would be more than happy to have you!"

Lu Fan followed Xiulan and the others, half-pushed and half-willing, walking through the desolate streets and alleys.

Everyone shook their heads, only sighing at Xiulan's charm! This youth's strength was strange, and if they could trick him back, perhaps subsequent major events would be easier.